2024 Around our Village Gardens

[Harriet]

Here’s a space to discuss the chores and pleasant efforts that bring something from the land into your kitchen and home.

Planning and designing,
tiny plants, big plants,
Enjoying views,
Vegetable garden harvests,
Egg gathering,
Beautiful blooms,
4-H projects,
Canning/freezing/putting up,
Orchard fruits,
Composting and building soil,
Animal appreciation!

[Harriet]

New baby chicks have arrived for the spring at ds' house. Buff Orpingtons and another "sexlink" breed that is a cross between Silver Laced Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red. Ddil invested in a little brooder that keeps them warm.

I've gotten the garden beds cleared out here. Dstepson pulled up the last plants. All ready for new plants as soon as it's warm enough. Looks like I may need some additional soil and amendments. I also need to purchase replacements for some drip irrigation hoses.

Dd25 will be moving into a new house when she marries. She took some photos of an existing flower bed there at the front walkway. I'd like to give her some flowers. It's so hard to tell but it seems to have a northwest exposure on the front. Some shade-loving flowers, maybe.

[Nancy]

Snowed here yesterday 20 days till spring.
I am doing walk arounds and got out some planters others were emptied last week.
Next mo. will focus a bit more on the bed clean out.
Iris are up 6" and daffs are up 4" snow drops are blooming.
Too soon to get out mower & hoses but I did hear a neighbor using one last weekend.
Wishing I had the little flags like lawn spray people had for the plants weeds I want to move or take out
after it warms up a bit more. Thinking what I can use for markers...

[Nancy]

I worked on the back yard today marked the stuff to move or just dig out with selvages cut off from fabric
from sewing projects to mark them with. Dug out a gallon of things to come out vol. herbs & the pesky bulbs Not done but about 3/4th of the way done with this round. Yea for progress!

[Harriet]

I'm somewhat later than other years starting because of so much indoor creativity this spring. But I purchased 2 trays of plants today.

Found the "double pink begonia" that did so well for me two years ago but could not be found last year. It was quite a standout, I remember, as a full, healthy plant but with the doubled blossoms looking kind of like little roses when you got close.

Could not find yellow lantana, but bought the pink-and-yellow-blossom type. I'm sure Harmony would have an opinion on that. I hope I like it okay. It's not that it's not individually pretty, but I'm sorry not to find the yellow. Yellow stands out so well against brick, making it helpful. If everything against the brick is red-to-pink, you sorta don't get credit for it.

Some impatiens came home with me and enough of the "coral" color to make me happy. Some of these will belong to dd25.

The absence of some other plants was a surprise. I didn't think I was THAT late. I guess a lot of folks have gotten the gardening bug.

I'll be headed to a home improvement store anyway to buy some irrigation hose, and maybe some soil amendments. So, I can shop further for plants.

[Harriet]

Working today on the creativity of alternating colors in my beds. I bought separate coral, rose and violet colors of impatiens. Some red has gotten into the rose and violet pots as smaller plants sprouting beside the main ones. The nursery was probably using a mix of seed and sometimes putting in two seeds to a pot. It's not that big a deal - just something to think about. I wouldn't have chosen red, but am thinking about just letting it be and enjoying how it all looks.

It is interesting to think that probably what the nursery is doing is just waiting to label the color until the first bloom, saving themselves the cost of buying individual packages of seed colors. It gives me hope that, if I ever have the time to grow my own again, I could save money doing that and still know what the colors were by the time I planted.

The irrigation hose is fine now, thanks to HRH and some clamps and cutting.

The last plants that I couldn't find anywhere are going to arrive Friday by delivery, about a week after ordering. I wonder why this is such a time-consuming delivery, though, because the nursery they are coming from is very close. But this is the only way they do it, so I'm being patient, and if it works out, I'll remember that it is one idea that might help other times. Delivery didn't cost anything.

[Nancy]

I am focusing on getting weeds out of the areas on the boundaries and next to the house currently.

[Nancy]

Did the drive way weed removal yesterday.
Today I'm tackling the honeysuckle vine I have half of the old stuff off the fence.
I think I've found where the main part of the plant is to put vinegar on for it's demise.

[blessedw2]

I have decided that it's time to put my gardening here bc my brain needs a simpler way to think about my garden work.
Being here with everyone will make me happy!