maeve
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Post by maeve on Mar 21, 2023 20:46:41 GMT
I spent much of today protecting and burnishing three new tool handles with raw linseed oil and steel wool pads. One is a Japanese root chopper, while the other two are a wood handled spade and garden fork. We'll assemble the last two after the finish is hard and satin smooth.
In other garden activity (with another Nor'easter expected this week) I pulled up the thirty or more large burlap coffeebean sacks, laid over the road-side garden late last autumn to keep newly planted plants protected from heaving and to exclude the snowplow-driven sand and sod from landing on the plants. I did see minimal vole damage but the road trash dropped off onto the roadside as hoped. I found some bulb growth had begun with a few stems snapped off with their flower, likely when the last storm dumped heavy snow over the burlap covered plants. Otherwise it seems to hve worked as desired.
The coffee sacks have lots of use left in them so they will become weed barriers under raised beds in the old veg garden.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Mar 22, 2023 18:17:14 GMT
In the house, passion flower vine is still blooming with orchids nearby, flocks of robins running across the orchard. Two loads of laundry have been washed, dried and put away. Some of the clean winter things were bagged up for the local Swap Shop. Heading out into sunshine and birdsong to sprinkle California poppies on bare soil. The snow arriving later this week will draw the tiny seeds into pockets in the soil as it melts, and they will sprout and bloom without any further effort from me- except to be sure to not pull them up with emerging weeds.
Done- front roadside verge raked into two piles to collect later, and five varieties of California poppies scattered in the freshly raked garden bed alongside. Snow crocus appeared in pale lavender bloom today in the peony bed, and snowdrops are just beginning to bloom bin both the rose and grape arbors. I oiled and burnished the wooden handles on five of my garden implements- in the mood for it after such a lovely day. Snow is coming but Spring is here.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 5, 2023 20:16:04 GMT
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Apr 7, 2023 8:55:30 GMT
Maeve, You are always so busy working and tending to your many plants which do very well under your constant care, while my plants manage in spite of me. Your Multibloom Salmon geraniums will be very pretty. The only geraniums that have grown from seed here, managed to seed themselves down from the tiny seed geraniums I'd bought one year. The little blooms on the Sweet William catchfly remind me of the blossoms on a tall phlox in my dad's flower bed that we children used to pluck and suck nectar from the bases.
I'm wondering if the lawns will survive the daytime melting and nighttime freezing cycle that has been going on far too long here. The snow has been gradually getting lower and lower on the south side of the house, but is still 3 to 4 feet deep in the shade on the north side. I'm sure there will still be snow there at the end of April.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 7, 2023 12:18:08 GMT
Here we are heartily sick of the snow. Quite recently we've had a few warmer days so the overall snow has subsided on open ground, but it's still lurking in the woods. I must go check on the two woodland gardens soon. Snowdrops and aconite are blooming here, so possibly also blooming in those two gardens- one on a glacial hilltop in birches, and the other beside a stream where my husband built me a gorgeous bridge.
Speaking of seedlings, I noticed yesterday that both the Sweet alyssum and the chicory (blue flowered weed I love) have emerged, and one of the sweet pea seeds had pushed itself to the surface with the force of its little root. I gently tucked it back under. Some of the chicory is a surprise for a friend here, who keeps trying to grow it but has just sprinkled seed along the roadside without success- they are tiny seeds and do need a bit of shelter when small. I'll grow these on and pot up several strong plants for her to establish a cluster or two.
I do find plants and seed growing to be quite wonderful, as I also find it frustrating to know the basic structural work I need accomplished for real progress but not seeing it happen. The antidote is to do what I can do and keep working toward a better situation for growing. The 6x8 greenhouse is a dandy helper despite its many vulnerabilities. So far it remains standing! I'm watching night time temperatures, for all the amaryllis pots (hippeastrum) must vacate their claim on the seedling heat mats, making way for tender seedlings to be potted up.
If I can get the potted bulbs out of the way I can really get going with vegetables as well as perennials. Some potato seeds (not tubers, but seeds) just arrived alongside Sweet Purple asparagus seeds, and the beans need heat to germinate, so they are also ready to pot. Potato tubers are being chitted in the bright light near a window, and shallots need potting up for later transplanting. I found a source for Cyclamen coum seeds (hardy here) and they want a bit of bottom warmth too- they are intended for beneath the star magnolias if I can wrest the Bishop's goutweed out of there.
I bought myself a tool cart, so the most useful tools will live there and I can give away any I don't really need or use.
Osprey and phoebes are back. Hold fast, rags and Megan, spring really will arrive.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 8, 2023 19:38:29 GMT
This morning I discovered the contents of a small zip-lock bag of damp sand and seeds from a native lily had germinated. There are tiny white bulbs that emerged from the small seed casings after a year of warm/cold/warm moist stratification. I've potted them up. In another year they will have grown roots and small leaves will poke up from the soil then. In another three -five years they will bloom.
The experimental, volunteer, winter cherry tomatoes have all been picked to ripen slowly (oh my, they are sweet and rich!), and the plants cut back. I poked some shoots into a glass of water three days ago- already rooted. There's another small glass of rooting geranium shoots, a result of pruning back those brillient red geraniums to help them bush out for spring and summer. The warming sunlight does all the work.
Easter Sunday addition: I repotted rooted Polar Bear snowdrops, Hilde tulips and Sicilian honey garlic (an allium) into proper good pots in place of the tired plastic pots in which they spent the winter. They now provide a timely welcome at the front door. The Four Seasons strawberry seeds have barely begun to sprout- one impossibly tiny pair of seed leaeves now visible.
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Post by meganl on Apr 14, 2023 6:04:54 GMT
Sounds like there has been no hibernation for you this year, you have been very busy. We don't really get to do much gardening here since the housing association send a contractor to mow the lawnsbut when we first moved in David planted bulbs up the side of the path and in front of the window the make me feel brighter in the grey weather we have been having. Hope you are all doing well.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 14, 2023 15:06:31 GMT
Those bulbs planted by a loved one long ago do continue to cheer. I'm glad.
Trying to get heavy yard work done now while also getting vegetables and flowers started from seed. Winter and voles have killed off some roses and at least two older rhododendrons, so they must come out. Through the winter I cautiously ordered some good shrubs, so some will replace those plants and others will be added to the hedgerow- becoming a mix of tough roses, reblooming dwarf ninebarks, reblooming dwarf weigelas, dwarf crabapples, spineless blackberries for us and various berries for wildlife... with primroses and alpine strawberries and spring crocus in the understory.
PS Megan have you ever had occasion to visit Scotland's Beechgrove Garden?
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 15, 2023 10:07:22 GMT
Yesterday's high temperature was an unbelievable 78 degrees F. This morning it's 28.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 17, 2023 17:41:20 GMT
Heeled in some just-delivered hosta and daylily plugs using soil from the vole-emptied pots... well, lookie there: a single surviving Canada lily rolled out! What a welcome (and expensive) treasure! Raining lightly now, most welcome also, sorely needed in all the gardens. Fire hazard time here.
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Post by meganl on Apr 17, 2023 20:26:10 GMT
Marvel I've never managed to be in Aberdeen on the open days I've only been in the city once since David passed in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 18, 2023 2:52:50 GMT
Ah yes, you'll have quite a few memories wrapped up in Aberdeen. I was there twice; once when working as docent for the Edinburgh International Folk Festival, and visiting Lizzie Higgins. The second time was on our Scots honeymoon trip. I hadn't heard about those gardens then, and we hadn't the funds to travel about except on foot.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 20, 2023 13:24:24 GMT
First tomato sprouts are visible in the inside propagator tray this morning- Big Zak and Tumbling Tom. Frost warning last night after I had planted some newly arrived edelweiss and primula... so out came the balsam fir branches and burlap coffee sacks. Lily bulbs should arrive this week along with a few other perennials. Cold, damp, windy weather does make it a challenge to get outside and dig. I found one more tiny Canada Lily bulb so added it to its sister's wee pot inside. I've taken care of the chooks and wild birds, so now it's time to water seedlings in the little plastic greenhouse. I post this stuff mostly so you know someone is here and interested in your doings and delights, rags and Megan.
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Post by meganl on Apr 23, 2023 18:17:27 GMT
Trying to get things ready to head south again. On the gardening front our housing association arbitrarily decided to stop the grass cutting service they charged us for. Finally got to see the letter they sent out basically it says we are not doing it but if you don't we can evict you.
The addition was but you don't have to do it yourself you can get friends and family to do it for you or pay someone to do it. I have no here and family my friend is working full time , looking after her twins and caring for her mum while her father is in hospital getting emergency surgery following a stroke. So they want me to pay someone £20 a time to cut the lawn.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Apr 23, 2023 18:19:48 GMT
I spy Oor Megan online here. Hello! I just came in from potting up more cuttings (red geraniums, tomatoes and Arctic willow) and tucking plastic totes full of tender plants under a tarp out os these cold winds... rain is a-cumin in!
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