Some of My Favorites

A couple of my favorite perennials this time of year are iris and lupin.

The rhododendron are in full bloom and making a big splash this year.

Monarch Waystation Update

Our weather has been cooperating this Spring, so I've removed the cover over the VegTrug that has tropical milkweed growing at the back, zinnias in the center and strawberries at the front and sides. From now on, nighttime temperatures won't be going below 50 degrees.  It's been a great Spring and the earliest I've ever planted!

The front area of the Monarch Waystation on both sides of the little brick path are planted with zinnias, poppies, cornflowers and fragrant stock.  There are two giant milkweed plants (calotropis gigantea) in front of the telephone pole that I ordered online from EducationalScience.com.  Other milkweeds include Common (asclepias syriaca) , Swamp (asclepias incarnata) and Tropical (asclepias curassavica), so when the monarch butterflies decide to arrive in our area, they should be happy with the smorgasbord. Monarchs will only lay their eggs on milkweed (any variety) and their caterpillars will only eat milkweed.

The hanging baskets on the left are planted with nicotiana, million bells, cosmos, lantana and bacopa.  The hanging pots at the back right have strawberry plants in them.  The front left corner of the shed has bright orange Asian lilies coming up, but no flowers yet.

Hanging basket of Million Bells, Nicotiana, Lantana and Bacopa

Swamp Milkweed 

Asian Lilies (left),  Swamp Milkweed (top right)

Common Milkweed growing from seed

Common Milkweed growing from rhyzome

Rows of Cornflowers, Zinnias, Poppies, Fragrant Stock.  Nicotania and Million Bells in blue watering can, Parsley under spout, Zinnias to right of Parsley

Butterfly Bush in back, two pots of Swamp Milkweed, a clump of Lychnis Coronaria in center, Common Milkweed in two little round pots and square terra cotta pot, and Common Rue in little square pot


HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

Gorgeous Springtime Weather!

The spring weather's been beautiful this year!  We're working in the garden almost every day.  Our azaleas are in full bloom and one area has mounds of white and red azaleas bordered with blue forget-me-nots.  Patriotic red, white and blue!

I love this little shrub called a Tinkerbelle Lilac.  It's near the back porch and the fragrance is wonderful (except if you have spring allergies!).

Tinkerbelle Lilac bush

Home Vegetable Garden

The beginning - March, 2017

We have a 14' by 16' plot in our backyard for vegetables.  It's divided into 6 raised bed areas with 1' trenches for walking.  We've added composted manure and sand to the soil.

This is a list of the veggies we'll be growing this year:  tomatoes (cherry, Roma and regular), Brussels sprouts, green peppers, eggplant, summer squash, carrots, beans, broccoli, red and Spanish onions, beets, lettuce, cucumbers, cantaloupe, corn and strawberries. Also, garlic cloves were planted last fall and we have rhubarb and asparagus, both perennials. We're going to try to grow the cantaloupes to climb up the trellis.  We've had success with cucumbers grown on the trellis, so we'll see ...

The seeds that were started under lights a few weeks ago have developed into nice plants and, after hardening off, will be planted in the garden. The last frost in our Zone 6a can be as late as May 31st, so if we plant earlier, we'll have to watch the weather for frost.

A new addition to our garden is a VegTrug that we've placed behind the potting shed and will serve as a hardening off spot for all of the vegetable and flower seedlings before they're planted in the ground.  It has a greenhouse cover that can be zipped closed if we have a cold night. I'll remove the cover in a couple weeks.

VegTrug with seedlings inside being hardened off

In the VegTrug I'm planting tropical milkweed and zinnias for the monarch waystation, as well as strawberries.  There will be rows of flowers on the ground in front of the trug on each side of the brick path-- zinnias, cornflowers (already planted), annual poppies, and stock -- to attract the butterflies -- and common milkweed and swamp milkweed for the monarchs to lay their eggs on.

About two weeks ago, I planted the lettuce in the ground that I had started from seed under lights.  The variety is Ruby Glow, a romaine type.  Also, the carrots that were planted at the same time are about an inch high.  The fall planted garlic is more than a foot high now and the transplanted rhubarb has caught on in its new location.  The asparagus roots that I planted last month haven't sprouted yet, but I dug down to check them out and I see the buds starting to form near the crown, so it shouldn't be too long before they emerge from the ground.

Ruby Glow romaine lettuce and carrot sprouts

Garlic planted last fall

Transplanted rhubarb in its new location

The Brussels sprouts that I set out in the garden a couple weeks ago are thriving.  I've put netting over them to discourage the white cabbage butterflies from laying their eggs on the leaves.  I'll do the same with my broccoli plants.

Brussels sprouts under netting

This year I started something new.  I found a variety of sweet corn called "On Deck Hybrid" from Burpee that was developed to grow in a planter.  So I bought a half barrel that's 26" in diameter and I evenly spaced 10 seeds two inches deep in the soil.  I should harvest two ears per corn stalk, each ear about 6 inches long.

Barrel planted with corn seeds

*** Have a great day! ***

Concord Grapes

The little patch of concord grape vines next to the shed has been pruned and is beginning to show new leaf growth.