The thread for people who have Green Thumbs (Gardening)

[fantasia]

*waves to her fellow gardeners*

I'm hoping to do SOME gardening today. Start a few seeds, but I have to locate my trays. I skipped it last year as I was so stinkin' busy, but this year my kids are just a bit enough more mature that I think I can squeeze it in.

This weekend I'm hoping to do at least one of two things. Plant potatoes at my parents-in-law's farm, OR build myself a raised bed garden. I don't think I'll have time to do both.

ETA: Wow, my kiddos were all over the seed planting! We planted cucumbers, pumpkins, peas, tomatoes, and peppers. My artistic, pink-loving daughter did one flower pot, which will be interesting because she literally dumped in flower seeds.

[Kalta79]

I'm starting peas and salad greens this weekend. Hopefully. Might snow.

[fantasia]

*chuckles* My kids started peas from seed in our little trays. They're hitting the top of the 6" plastic lid already, so I will need to get those repotted today. The only thing is that I'm not quite sure what to repot them in.... I may grab just a ceramic flower pot from outside, put the peas in there and put a tomato cage on top and call it good!

Of course then I'm going to have to figure out what to do with the pumpkin plants because they're right behind the peas....hmmm....

[Grandmama]

It's a lovely day here, so I've been outside raking leaves and doing some yard cleaning. It's very exciting to be doing this in March in Minnesota. Usually there's still about a foot of snow on the ground at this time of year.

I started some pansy seeds under lights that have sprouted. I also started peppers and so far, only one wonky looking sprout. It might be that the seeds were too old. So, I went out and bought some new seeds today, keeping at least 6 feet away from everyone where I could. (I've noticed that some people just haven't caught on to the idea!)

I'm looking forward to the ground completely thawing so that I can get more work done in the garden. We are supposed to get strawberry plants delivered the end of April. I have no idea if the pandemic will affect getting them or not as I ordered them before it was such a widespread thing.

Working in the garden is a very healthy activity, so I hope to be doing a lot of it.

[fantasia]

My husband begins two weeks of furlough starting Monday, so we have lots of projects planned. Our first is to finish up the raised beds he started on. He had the genius idea of actually putting them INSIDE the greenhouse so we don't take up any more of our backyard. He's got the frame mostly completed. It's a horseshoe shape where there's a walkway in and the garden beds to the sides and in the back. It's about two feet deep or so wrapped around. When it warms up we will also take off the panels or else everything will cook in there. My sister pointed out that if it gets extremely hot over the summer, we'll have the structure to throw a tarp over the top for extra shade. Anyways, I'm excited.
Oh, and I got my dirt at an extreme discount thanks to my in-the-know sister who works at a gardening center. Just waiting for the mountain to show up at the base of my driveway.... (Should be here today or Monday.)

[coracle]

I came back to my early Autumn garden this week, have cleared fallen peaches,
discovered lots of nice grapes still lurking, and a huge green brassica that is covered in tiny white dots - a fly or cabbage white butterfly hatchery! Going to cut it to bits today, and throw it in the green waste bin.

[Grandmama]

Fantasia, your garden beds look great! (via facebook)

My little plants in the basement are growing, even the peppers. Outside, the tulips that I planted last fall are coming up! I'm so looking forward to seeing them bloom since my plans to go to Iowa for Tulip Time will have to wait until next year. No Tulip Time this year due to the pandemic.

[fantasia]

Thank you Grandmama, I'm quite happy with the way it turned out.

I planted my onions the day it finished. Today I put in my radishes, beets, carrots, lettuce, and spinach. It's supposed to get bitterly cold over the weekend, so we'll see how well the greenhouse frame protects the plants against those temps.

[fantasia]

I got a little bit sunkissed today. We ran up to my parents-in-law's farm (all while social distancing and digging a latrine ) so I could stick all of my seedlings in the ground. I don't see any more freezing temperatures in the forecast, so hopefully those are all behind us.

My little planter garden has three small rows of onions, spinach, lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, a mess of peas , three tomatoes (I think one died, so I'll get him replanted), one pepper, and one jack o' lantern pumpkin plant. I have room for my one sweet potato that I'd like to get and then I'm done!

[fantasia]

The craziest thing happened tonight. My husband (with a tiny bit of help from me) planted my blueberry bushes in the ground. I mean, I've had these things for years and years and years and they're not doing all that great now... probably because they've been in pots all this time. But I'm hoping that now that they're in the ground they'll start coming around again.

Lots of strawberry blooms, lots of raspberry blooms, the one blueberry bush is full of flowers too. My cherry tree is a mystery to me. I know I got one that said it didn't need a second tree as a pollinator, but this year it was just COVERED in blooms, and I'd walk out and it was COVERED in bees and other pollinating bugs... but I don't see a lot of cherries coming on. Yes, I have a few, but not that many. Sadly, I don't have room for a second tree unless one of my current trees dies (which I don't really want that to happen either). Something to think about for the future.

My first two Clematis vines are blooming. So pretty. One is white-ish with pink stripes and the other is borderline magenta, it's such a deep pink. I mistakenly tried to kill them last year because I just didn't water them enough so I'm happy to see they're doing well.

This afternoon I went to a gardening center for some May Day shopping and I found Japanese Sun Grass!!! I've been looking for this stuff for years. Had to get it, it's required. But that's what birthday gift cards are for.

[coracle]

I have enjoyed some of the late autumn sunshine in the last two days, clearing weeds from the first four flower beds. I've found lots of spring bulbs hidden away in near my garden shed, and plan to get the daffodils in quickly before it's too cold - they are meant to go in by Easter, so I am a bit late.

There are also a lot of big root-things that will grow pink lilies, and some round bulbs that look like hair in a bun. I dug those up some time ago, and I wonder what they are! Spring will be fun this year, with full control of my garden once more.

[johobbit]

Good to read everyone's gardening write-ups.

We have had so much frost and even snow this May that if anyone here has purchased annuals or hanging baskets already, they have had to be covered and protected. Apparently fruit farmers are having a rough time because of the unseasonably cold weather this year.

In a few days is our May long weekend, traditionally a time for major planting. Towards the end of this week, the temperatures here should be warming up to well above freezing, so many are happy about that. In our area, we should not be planting before our long weekend any year, given the chance of frost.

I will probably purchase my seeds and annuals the last week of May, and begin planting end of May and into the beginning of June.

This year I am forgoing carrots (they are so readily available—and inexpensive—from our local market) and planting beets in their place. I don't think I've ever done beets before, so am rather excited. Then we will do our usual: tomatoes (a huge favourite), potatoes, peas, beans, a pepper plant, parsley.

We have a cedar hedge at the back left of our property, part of which is looking very sad. We are planning to replace that dismal section with Rose of Sharon or Forsythia. Have to think more on this.

[coracle]

Now that I have got most of the front garden beds tidied up and bulbs put in, I am looking further afield, although not about putting things in but removing some! Bushes along the front fenceline (with a low brick wall) need a good trim, and I have found one nice little bush has been completely covered up by another, so I plan to move it elsewhere.

My grapevine, which produces beautiful dark red grapes, is as old as the house (40-ish) and looks beautiful if gnarly, especially if my horticulturist friend has done pruning for me. However, it has almost no support where it grows, as the last part of the old cross-garden fence is seriously sagging, supported only by one solid post beside the trunk. My plan is to cut down the vine, and cut off the stump below ground level, after having some good cuttings taken from it for a friend or two who want to grow their own.
The solid 6-foot fence post can stay in, as support for whatever I put in its place, probably another fruit tree. maybe red apples.
That will leave a nice space along the side fence for further vegetables.

The back garden has a lot of weeds, and I have to make myself get out there to do some light digging. Nearby are my raspberry canes and blackcurrant bush, both of which I need to trim back.

Meanwhile I am still collecting feijoa fruit (always wait for them to fall off), and green apples (also windfalls, but there are about 30 more to come!)
It is so nice to have a garden in autumn.

[johobbit]

Good to hear your update, coracle. Grapevines are so beautiful, and, yes, even moreso when they're gnarly. Too bad they can't stay, but that your friends are getting a cutting each.

I looked up feijoa fruit ... it sounds delicious!

I have been prepping and purchasing and planting like crazy this week, now that our danger of frost is finally over (only last week we had some snow and frosts most nights! ).

A great joy to me is going to local gardening centres and browsing there with my list in hand, yet still flexible in finding plants (annual, perennial, or veggie) that I have not tried before. Then coming home, unloading the car, getting everything organized in prep for putting them in the ground.

I hope to get out for a fairly long time today and into the cooler evening to fertilize all I have planted thus far and plant more.

Of veggies, I only have tomatoes planted, 4 types: Sakura and Sweetie (1 of each - both cherry), 2 Brandywines ( ♥ ), and one Glory Girl (I think it's called). I picked up Glory Girl just today, as the Beaver Lodge tomato plant I had in got trampled by some nighttime visitor. *coughraccooncough* I have one pepper seedling, and will be planting it today. Have bean seeds (yellow and green), brussel sprout seedlings, lettuce (Romaine) seedlings, Red Chieftain potatoes to plant. Exciting!

I also bought zinnia seeds and sunflower seeds. 'Tis always fun to see those come up.

I can't begin to name all the perennials and annuals we have, but I'm excited that very few perennials died over the winter, yet I still bought more , as I really love 'em. Will maybe give a list sometime this summer, but not now. I have to get out to plant!

[johobbit]

And last evening, two weeks after my post above, I planted what I think is my last plant after a few weeks of consistent gardening. Oooh, how I revel in that!

In our upper veggie garden (fenced to keep critters out) we have beets (first year for those!), Romaine lettuce, brussel sprouts, cucumbers, green and yellow beans, a pepper plant. Then just outside the fenced area, we put in pumpkin and watermelon plants. I have marigolds around the pumpkin, because apparently bunnies can be attracted to them. I also sprinkle blood meal, when I remember, for extra protection.

In our lower veggie garden we have five rows of potatoes and five tomato plants, plus gladiolus bulbs on the garden's east side for fun and beauty, and zinnia seeds planted around the south and west sides. (The north side is busy with the tomato plants.)

I spy the beans and lettuce coming up (love seeing those first wee shoots!), as well as the potatoes beginning, and certainly the tomatoes are growing almost by the day.

As for floral, we dug a new flower garden near the east side of our front yard, just because there were perennials calling my name that I had not had before, and really wanted to try out. I'm getting into 'hens and chickens': I have always been drawn to them, but had never planted any before. They are just so cool! I am trying various types of sedum (stonecrop) too, as they're a favourite, as well. I

Over the past few years, I have been trying to focus some on getting perennials ti which butterflies and bees are attracted, so that is always interesting, and very beautiful.

Last Friday night/early Saturday morning was a bit of a scare, as our area nearly frosted up. Yikes! This is very unusual after May 24 or so, but not so this year. Anyway, all was fine the following morning, and if there had been a definite frost warning, we would have covered every single one of the gardens—a rather huge job, but would have been well worth it.