They look so cute - little furry creatures with dark masks and ringed tails.
But they are INFURIATING little critters!!!!!
There is at least one raccoon hanging around my garden - you know, the one that is fenced 7 1/2 feet tall to keep the deer out - and he/she has wreaked havoc this year on (in order of disappearance) 1) strawberries 2) grapes 3) tomatoes 4)whatever is next on his/her dinner menu.
I am beside myself. Not only do I fight rain or drought, bugs, fungus and leaf spot, moles and voles, mice, rabbits, birds and squirrels, now there are RACCOONS! Argh!
Last weekend, I wound a second layer of fencing around the tomato beds (two of three anyway) and I actually harvested three, count 'em THREE regular sized tomatoes this week! Woo hoo! Sounds great, except for the dozens I have already missed because of that midnight marauder! Grrrr.
Even the Juliet tomatoes weren't immune from his/her destruction. So I covered them with bird netting too. What a PAIN...not only to drape but to reach into to GET those ripe tomatoes.
What I don't do for a little organic food each year!
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Astilbe in bloom
I know I need to keep a garden log so I know when things are blooming - then I could plan for planting next year, right? But I am usually surprised by blooms, with the exception of daffodils and crocus.
So today, June 25, 2010, the wispy astilbe are starting to bloom. They last only a blink so I try to enjoy them every day. The pale pink spears almost don't qualify as blooms. No individual flowers are visible. But a collection of their tiny blossoms is almost ethereal.
Have to look up the name of this shorter variety - I know I had to special order it, but didn't label it. Next task: putting permanent garden labels on all my plants!
So today, June 25, 2010, the wispy astilbe are starting to bloom. They last only a blink so I try to enjoy them every day. The pale pink spears almost don't qualify as blooms. No individual flowers are visible. But a collection of their tiny blossoms is almost ethereal.
Have to look up the name of this shorter variety - I know I had to special order it, but didn't label it. Next task: putting permanent garden labels on all my plants!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Planting in the dark
I planted green beans in the dark last night.
For fervent gardeners like me, it was a no-brainer.
I had already uncovered one of my raised beds (yes, yes, I know I shouldn't use black plastic in my organic veggies but I hate weeds), started to turn over the dirt, got distracted and never quite made it back to the garden to plant that silly bed.
Then, late in the day, it rained. Rained on my open bed, soaking the soil, turning it into muddy clay that will turn to clay bricks when it dries out. Ack.
I agonized for a few minutes, then ran out to the garden without my shoes (barefoot gardening is the best, don't you think?) and started turning the soggy soil.
Turns out I have done a pretty good job of amending the dirt in that bed so it wasn't quite as mucky as I feared. In fact it was pretty light and sandy. Cool.
I found my new garden scissors laying beside the lettuce bed (still wet from the rain), cut open a bag of Black Hen (ah the smell of chicken poop at dusk!) and sprinkled the whole bag on the bed. A fat momma spider jumped out of the bed, scaring the bejeebers out of me (I think her egg sac was buried in the dirt) but I ignored her and raked the chicken poop into the bed.
Since I was barefoot, I was digging, raking and fertilizing while standing on the edge of the bed - not great for my center of gravity. Mrs. Spider and I had a couple of close calls when I lost my balance and stepped down on to the garden path. Ouch. She survived. My tender feet hurt.
Finally, I grabbed the hoe and tried to draw four semi-straight rows. Uh, not so straight I'm afraid. Let's just say that when the beans come up we'll call this the "creative" bean bed. Abstract. Wavy.
I'm glad I had white bean seeds -- I could see them in the row! I thought that visual cue would help when I sprinkled the bean inoculant into the row, but I couldn't see the dark powder and it dumped out in one spot. That will be a VERY productive corner, I expect.
By the time I'd planted, inoculated and replaced the tools, it was pitch black. No moon (too cloudy) and no light from the garden shed (it's aimed in the other direction).
This morning, I visited the garden and voila! The bed looks pretty good. A couple of white seeds peeking out, but otherwise the bed looks....well, planted! A good thing, too, since it rained again overnight.
Perfect for my new bean bed --- three cheers for planting in the dark!
For fervent gardeners like me, it was a no-brainer.
I had already uncovered one of my raised beds (yes, yes, I know I shouldn't use black plastic in my organic veggies but I hate weeds), started to turn over the dirt, got distracted and never quite made it back to the garden to plant that silly bed.
Then, late in the day, it rained. Rained on my open bed, soaking the soil, turning it into muddy clay that will turn to clay bricks when it dries out. Ack.
I agonized for a few minutes, then ran out to the garden without my shoes (barefoot gardening is the best, don't you think?) and started turning the soggy soil.
Turns out I have done a pretty good job of amending the dirt in that bed so it wasn't quite as mucky as I feared. In fact it was pretty light and sandy. Cool.
I found my new garden scissors laying beside the lettuce bed (still wet from the rain), cut open a bag of Black Hen (ah the smell of chicken poop at dusk!) and sprinkled the whole bag on the bed. A fat momma spider jumped out of the bed, scaring the bejeebers out of me (I think her egg sac was buried in the dirt) but I ignored her and raked the chicken poop into the bed.
Since I was barefoot, I was digging, raking and fertilizing while standing on the edge of the bed - not great for my center of gravity. Mrs. Spider and I had a couple of close calls when I lost my balance and stepped down on to the garden path. Ouch. She survived. My tender feet hurt.
Finally, I grabbed the hoe and tried to draw four semi-straight rows. Uh, not so straight I'm afraid. Let's just say that when the beans come up we'll call this the "creative" bean bed. Abstract. Wavy.
I'm glad I had white bean seeds -- I could see them in the row! I thought that visual cue would help when I sprinkled the bean inoculant into the row, but I couldn't see the dark powder and it dumped out in one spot. That will be a VERY productive corner, I expect.
By the time I'd planted, inoculated and replaced the tools, it was pitch black. No moon (too cloudy) and no light from the garden shed (it's aimed in the other direction).
This morning, I visited the garden and voila! The bed looks pretty good. A couple of white seeds peeking out, but otherwise the bed looks....well, planted! A good thing, too, since it rained again overnight.
Perfect for my new bean bed --- three cheers for planting in the dark!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Rhodies are at it again...
I can never remember the exact time my luscious pink rhododendron likes to bloom, but, apparently it's early May!
Over the past few days, the tight buds have swollen, burst open and unfolded fat fluffy blossom that look good enough to eat!
I took pictures of one bloom as it uncurled itself over two or three days and look at it now!
No clue what the cultivar might be, but I think I'll name it: Pale Pink Ballerina in honor of its delicate tutus that dance at the end of its stems!
I love this time of year!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Obama's organic veggies
Grow veggies on the White house lawn?
All I can say is: "It's about time."
As an organic veggie gardener for more than 30 years, I'm delighted that the Obama family has decided to "eat the view." A wide expanse of the brilliant green lawn will be tore out, amended appropriately to enrich the soil and more than 55 varieties of vegetables will be planted.
Michelle Obama promises that Sasha and Malia will be weeding regularly! Wow. I guess I should have expected it, but I assumed the garden would be tended by staffers.
What happened at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will soon trickle down to our own lawns. And that gives me an idea. With so many new vegetable gardens out there, it might be a good time to dust off my gloves and offer classes in Organic Veggie Gardening 101.
Stay tuned... I am taping the classes so you can see them online.
I think it's about time to dust off the garden gloves and start teaching organic veggie gardening 101. Welcome to the club everyone!
All I can say is: "It's about time."
As an organic veggie gardener for more than 30 years, I'm delighted that the Obama family has decided to "eat the view." A wide expanse of the brilliant green lawn will be tore out, amended appropriately to enrich the soil and more than 55 varieties of vegetables will be planted.
Michelle Obama promises that Sasha and Malia will be weeding regularly! Wow. I guess I should have expected it, but I assumed the garden would be tended by staffers.
What happened at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will soon trickle down to our own lawns. And that gives me an idea. With so many new vegetable gardens out there, it might be a good time to dust off my gloves and offer classes in Organic Veggie Gardening 101.
Stay tuned... I am taping the classes so you can see them online.
I think it's about time to dust off the garden gloves and start teaching organic veggie gardening 101. Welcome to the club everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
