The bay tree is just busting out all over with new shoots. We’re up to 9 and counting! It’s going to be much bushier this year which is perfect for a tree that must come inside during the winter. I won’t be able to put him outside until late May and then he’ll really go wild!
It’s time (or perhaps a little past time) to start putting the summer garden together. The photo above shows just about the entire extent of my gardening abilities. We have three Earth Boxes two potato planters and a few pots for herbs. Last year we had a modest new potato crop, two good tomato plants, an eggplant a day, plenty of fresh herbs and one super giant zucchini.
Garden from 2011 with strawberries and cucumbers. (The cucumbers were awesome that year. Last year we had one and the plant shriveled and dyed because of the heat the very next day.)
I have tried and failed for the last two years to grow spinach and peas. Is that going to stop me from attempting them this year? No way! I realize though, that if I am going to grow them, I need to get a move on. I haven’t even started cleaning the balcony up from winter yet. That’s first on the agenda. Then tracking down fertilizer and dolomite for the earth boxes.
I can’t tell you how excited I am for spring and for growing things and big yellow blossoms and the promise of fresh, sun-warmed produce.
The balcony garden is not the only thing I am doing this year. During the summer, I will be tending a Sunflower garden out at my Dad’s house to grow some flowers for the wedding. Then, at my Dad’s church, they are starting a community garden project.
What are you growing? Where do you grow it? And how?
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Tagged Balcony Garden, container gardening, earth box, earth boxes, flower, gardening, organic, organic gardening, potatoes, sunflowers, tomatoes, vegetable gardening, vegetables
Yesterday I could see my daffodils poking their heads up investigating the world but today mother nature put them firmly in their place. It’s tough for snow to stick around for long at this time of year but it did manage to pile up respectably despite temperatures near 40. Don’t worry, those daffodils will have their way before too long!
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Tagged gardening
My little bay tree has done very well inside. I think it knows something we don’t!
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Tagged bay laurel, gardening, Home
Last Spring I posted here about how easy it to propagate rosemary from cuttings. Today we’re going to use the same techniques with lavender.
My mom always has a few vases of lavender going on her bathroom window sill.
Sometimes they even bloom!
It’s just as easy to propagate lavender from cuttings, although lavender needs more time to develop a root structure due to it’s less rigid stems. It’s important to change the water whenever it becomes dark, about once a week, to prevent your roots from rotting. I would also advise you to strip away any leaves that fall below the water surface; this keep your water fresher longer.
Once you have developed a strong root system, transplant the lavender to a pot filled with potting soil or (when it warms up!) directly into your garden.
If you want more information on growing rosemary, I found this book really helpful:
We are expecting a hard freeze this week so it’s time to pull the straw covers over the garlic and the strawberries.
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Tagged gardening
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Tagged drivel, Family, gardening, house projects, manic rambling, weaving
Here’s next season’s crop in it’s infancy. This year I’m going to add compost once the cloves have sprouted a few inches as I’ve been reading what hungry plants they are. If we run out before harvest time I’ll have to plant closer together next year as this lot filled the bed.
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Tagged gardening
It seems like the more severely I prune back the honeysuckle and sweet autumn clematis, the more vigorously they bloom. You can probably smell my house a mile away with this prolific cascade of fragrant flowers.
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Tagged gardening
