Gardening 2024

[cineater]

She brought it up so I gave it one more shot.  She feels it saves us money to destroy the leftover plants and keep the soil and the container for reuse.  That's true.  Saves taxpayers money to destroy pets that haven't got adopted fast enough too.  Depends on which side of the fence you fall on how you see it.

I got a lot done today.  All the flats and containers got bleach watered and are ready to be returned to the greenhouse.  I transplanted everything I had left.  Most my lights are off for the season.  I'm going to skip the sale tomorrow and do some gardening at home.  I don't want to be around when they destroy the plants.

[cineater]

I stopped in and brought more plants.  Wore my mask.  Looked like we got pretty well cleaned out and there were lots of people there.  Marsha caved and is bringing me some annual plants leftover after the sale. 

No hope for the perennials because Donna doesn't want to care for them in pots over the summer.  Something happen to the butterfly weed and it looks like it got sunburned or frost.  It's making a come back but doesn't look good enough to sell.  And she's got some swamp milkweed.  Donna can take her time about destroying her plants so I'm wondering if she won't try to slip me some of the butterfly and swamp.  She should give me all the swamp back because I gave them to her to sell.

[cineater]

I didn't get that many annuals from Marsha and now that I'm considering all I have to plant, I'm okay with that.     My goal is to try to get everybody plants I'm holding to them by Saturday.  Lows are above 50 for the next 10 days so we can start putting in our summer plants.

We have about 10 days before the two kinds of cicadas emerge.  Rare occurrence.  These bugs are big, freaky looking and loud!  They live about 3 to 4 weeks.  My cats consider them play toys and appetizers, yucky!  And because every bug has a purpose:  "Cicadas are not dangerous and can provide some environmental benefits including: Cicadas are a valuable food source for birds and other predators. Cicadas can aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground. Cicadas add nutrients to the soil as they decompose."

[cineater]

Shit I could have done something with all that coleus.  Give me a minute to get some inspiration and I'll get the energy.  I went to look for them in the compost pile but they weren't there and I couldn't find where they disposed of them.  They must be on to us raiding the compost pile.   

Woke up at 4.  It's planting day right after I see the eye doctor.  I ran a trunk load of clean flats and containers back to the greenhouse at 6:30.     First up is the stone bed where I put the elephant ear, canna and lobelia.  I'll hit all the containers after that.  Don't have much of a variety to fill them up so they will be mostly one kind of plant in each pot.  Marsha calls it decorating the gardens.  I call it landscaping.

[cineater]

The car is loaded to take the leads the plants we grew in the greenhouse for them.  I still have the plants for the renovated beds as they aren't getting planted until Saturday.  Feel bad for the parks, I only have 5 flats for them and a burlap bag of canna bulbs.  She called this morning to see when she could get them as they are going shopping for annuals next week.  Maybe Donna will send some natives their way.

[cineater]

Happy May Day, everybody dance.  I only got rid of six flats of plants and can home with two new ones.  Pretty good turn out for planting today.  If it would cool off I'd be done and I wish someone would kill the humidity.  Way too early for this kind of weather.  Good news is we have several days of off and on again rain.  Good for germinating seeds and watering what we plant.

Phebe harvested her first set of mushrooms.  Cooked up some for us to try.  Anything she cooks is good.  I bought her the last rhubarb plant they had at the co op.  That will be a new plant for us too.

[cineater]

Six hour nursery crawl.  We got 17 plants off our list and only have 7 left to find.  We did substitute in an Edelweiss.  I didn't even know they sold those.  It looks like it could grow on the moon.  We gave up when the temps hit 90.  I did manage to get some zinnias and agastache planted in the milkweed display before they picked me up.  And I did send Beka home with all the new plants.  

I'm only sending the parks 260 plants and 2 burlap bags of canna bulbs this time.  I did send them 510 plants in the first load so I guess I shouldn't feel so bad we didn't have a lot of zinnias and marigolds.  They did like the milkweed.

[cineater]

Woohoo, the three themed beds are planted!  Not finished but planted.    They are really starting to look good.  Mostly clean up work left but I'm happy with them.  They will be beautiful when they grow up.  The cocoa mulch smell is really noticeable.

I went back up tonight to work the back of the greenhouse.  It's ready to plant and some amendments.  Hopefully hit that tomorrow.  Talked to Beka.  She didn't wear sunscreen and is fried.     Told her what I would be doing and what we could finish up and she really wants to come tomorrow.  Told her I'd be there around 8 and that took the wind out of her sail.    I'm out of there by 10 if we don't have cloud cover.  I want to be done planting everywhere by Tuesday.

[cineater]

I'm a wreck, the house is a wreck and there is gardening stuff everywhere.     The plants look good.  Pushing hard but the kids just texted and they have the stomach flu, want me to come get the baby after his nap.  I might be dead by then. 

[cineater]

I went and got him right before nap time but he just passed out at 5.  4 hours after nap time and he got sick once.  The dad is real sick.  I imagine no work for him tomorrow and the baby is spending the night with me.  I was going to get up to the garden at 7 and put in a few more plants.  I think I'm under 50 plants to put in.  I should make Tuesday if these people haven't got me sick too.

I ended up putting a row of profusion red zinnias in front of the liriope.  The canna bulbs are behind them where I think I may put orange tithonia in the middle. Profusion red is described as "it laughs at heat, humidity, and drought -- as well as deer!"  Going to put them to the test.   

[cineater]

Baby is spending the night again.  I did manage to throw some red clover seed out while he napped in the car.  I really wanted crimson clover but I think we have the pink one.  It's for the Bee Bar, a ground cover.

Down 5 pounds and my fat pants are starting to fall down.  Just need to get back out there and I'll knock off the rest.  The daylily path needs wood chips.  Two pounds can go there.   

[cineater]

The flu caught up to me at 4AM.  A half hour before the tornado sirens went off.  Of course I'm going to pick up a scared baby.  That weather radio can wake the dead.  Hope I didn't give it back to him.  So no gardening yesterday.  Today we are expecting 2 inch hail so all my outdoor plants came back in.  Including the patio furniture.  Feeling better, lost those two pounds but even my phone feels heavy. 

[cineater]

So annoyed.  I submitted a nomination back in January and the president has been dicking around with it since.  Today he asked if I mailed it in.  No that's his job and it was due April 30th.  Then he's giving me shit about not reading something to which I thought that was the way it was too but then what came out in our newsletter was for something I had done two days before.  And the two newspapers who said they would put the garden tours in the event section didn't.  And for some reason Beka can't seem to do anything unless I'm right there with her.

But really, Marsha didn't handle her first of 8 chemo treatments well.  She's not telling us something.  She's been quiet and staying away.  I suspect she's gotten worse news.  She'll tell us when she's ready.

I'm still sick.  The weather has settled and is good.  I'm anxious to finish up.

[cineater]

Marsha is talking again.  She's on her first week of daily chemo with a three week break for 8 sessions.  We have plenty of garden drama going on to keep her off her butt, nothing important.  She does like some of my cost cutting suggestions for the plant sale.  She tested them and they worked.

Time to cut back the Asters or they will go to 6 feet tall by the end of the year.  Some of my cool season crops are bolting and I haven't even harvested yet.  My to do list is growing. 

[cineater]

Went down and planted at mom's for Mother's Day.  You need dynamite to dig in her yard.  Little does she know I'm taking her yard native.  All deer and rabbit resistant is all I tell her.  I put in Rose Mallow, Rose Turtlehead, Cardinal Flower, Giant Blue Lobelia and Ostrich Fern.  Those last two may not be native.  Out front she got Veronica, Lavender,  Agastache and some Rock Pink.  You know, I have to support our plant sale.  

I only have 3 flats of plants left to put in.  I'm going to work on those tomorrow along with some seeds.  And then DJ called today, plugs come in Monday for her house.  She forgot how many she ordered.  I'm thinking 100.  We're doing those Thursday.  I have a drill and a plant auger.  I'll have to bend over but it should be a matter of just dropping them in the hole.  Wednesday I have some more seeding and a Blueberry to put in with Beka.  I should be done planting this week.  All these new plants for the renovated beds means I'm going to spend a lot of time with the hose this summer.

Got a text my Milkweed display looked cute.

So nice out tonight I weeded in my own yard.  They are going to finish off selling perennials at our monthly meeting.  Guess I could support our plant sale a little bit more.   

[cineater]

Finished mulching the 3 renovated beds today.  They really pop now.  They are on display Saturday.  Few plants left to find and I may want to add some edging but they are basically done.  I need the maintenance books for each bed and the educational signage to go up and the project is finished.

The deans from the university are coming Monday and will tour our food production gardens.  They get a half hour to see the gardens so were focusing in on their theme for the year.

Marsha has been missing more things saying she doesn't feel well.  She sounds good on the phone though.

[cineater]

DJ had 180 plugs.  Took about 3 hours but we got them all in.  The auger on the drill worked good for starting the hole but it stalled out when it hit the clay.  We filled up the right side of her driveway and the center circle with native plants.  The area needs to be mulched and the plants will really stand out.  She tapped into a bunch of sewer cover lids.  Waiting for delivery but those will make a nice path.  Doing a large area with a lot of plants is fun, instant garden.

I'm not in as bad of shape as I thought.  Or DJ is a wuss.   

[cineater]

Planted a few more Whorled Milkweed and three Spider Milkweeds.  I have all the milkweed I wanted to display.  I've added some Coreopsis and Blue Sage to the display.  I think I'm done, just need to cut down the Crepe Myrtle that died and is coming back from the ground.  Would have preferred the whole thing died.

Need a Veronica 'White Wands' for the moon garden.  Don't want to pay $20 for it but I have an extra $10 I didn't spend on pinball last night and I would have paid $10 for the plant so, sold!  Have a white mum coming and getting 2 more Euphorias.  That makes the Moon Garden complete.  And I have one Monarda plant to put in the Bee Bar and that will be planted.  Have a few hardscape things to do in there before that's complete.

And I was down to one set of plants to get to somebody but I brought home 3 more for my yard.     Eventually I do end up with no plants to get in the ground.

[cineater]

I have no more plants to get in the ground.  No plants in my garage!

I'm going to a gardening meeting tonight.  We'll see if that status changes.   

[cineater]

I only came home with one and left the rest at the garden.  But it looks like we are getting hail tomorrow so what I left there to plant on Saturday is going to hide out in the trunk of my car.  I'm running back up there in the morning.  I'm only taking about ten:  Pink Veronica, Blue Sage, Ohio Horsemint and some Asiatic Lilies.  Most are pollinator plants.  Two are in the mint family.  I'll probably regret that.  Never let a mint out of the pot.