My Current Composting System

Compost is one of the best things you can give your garden.  It improves the soil texture so that your plants can do their best, and helps provide some of the nutrients they need. Sure, you can buy it, but why not make your own?  Here is the composting system I currently use.

Pond Difficulties

Whew! Finally resolved an issue with my little backyard pond tonight.

Last Thursday evening when I went outside I found that the fountain in my pond was no longer spraying water. I assumed that meant that the pump in the filter had become clogged, as has happened a couple of times before, so despite the slight drizzle of rain, I cleaned it. When I plugged it back in, I was disappointed to find that it still did not spray out any water. Sometimes before when it didn't start immediately it did after a while.

April Showers

We may get the first April shower of the year tonight. Rain has been forecast for yesterday and today, but nothing has come down so far. We don't really need it after the big rains last week, but I planted things over the weekend that would probably do better with some moisture as they get established. I did a lot of weeding over the weekend, but I did plant out a few more flowers and veggies.

Spring Break

Last week was spring break. I'd looked forward to that for weeks, anticipating spending a great deal of time every day in the garden. We've had enough warm weather for a while that things were really growing. The reality? It rained every day until Friday. I was stuck in the house -- okay, so I love to read and had a lot of book time, which I enjoyed too. But by the weekend, the weeds were way ahead of me. I've pulled up four big garbage bags full of weeds, and am nowhere near done.

I did put out some of the hardier flowers already; snapdragons can handle cool weather, and of course the pansies are still going that I put out last fall. I planted a few perennials that had been hardening off for a while, and a couple of bushes to fill in some gaps where things didn't make it through last summer. I bought a few more annuals, but am either leaving them in their original pots or have put them in containers that can be moved into cover for a little longer. It's still a bit too early to put the more tender little guys out yet.

Trying Something New!

Last weekend a friend and I went to Dutch's Greenhouse to get a little fix of spring. We enjoyed wandering through looking at all the tiny seedlings, and just soaking in the incredible aroma of fresh growing things.

While there, I noticed some little plants getting a start, but not in the usual potting soil. I checked it closer, and it seemed to be brown styrofoam.

First Planting of the Year

We’ve had a lot of warm weather recently, which is encouraging the trees and bushes to start budding out. I hate to see that, as it’s far too early, and inevitably we’ll be having cold weather yet. Sunday I planted one of my raised veggie beds with peas and a row of lettuce. It’s early, yes, but I do this about every year, and I have never yet lost these early crops. They’re pretty hardy plants, plus if a really nasty cold spell comes in, I cover the bed. Since my raised beds are edged with concrete blocks, I fit low hoops of flexible PVC pipes over the bed, then cover it with a sheet of heavy clear plastic held down with bricks around the edges.

This coming weekend I plan to plant another bed with sugar snap peas, lettuce and a few radishes. I don’t care for radishes myself, but my neighbor does, and my bunnies sure do like the leaves.

Ongoing Winter Garden Work

Over the winter, I look forward to any moderately pleasant day on the weekend, so that I can get out and get a bit more done in the garden. I spent so much time in the fall scraping and painting on the garage that a lot of tasks to prepare the garden for the winter didn't get done. I still need to cut back the asparagus plants, and trim and clean out the iris bed.

I've begun getting out the things to start seeds indoors. Some things should be started 10 weeks before last frost date, which is mid-April here. I like to get plants started far enough ahead to put them out as soon as weather permits. Growing season is all too short!