April 16, 2012 - Cloudy and Rainy

Of course, now that I have irrigation water, it is raining. That's OK though, as my body feels like it's been dragged behind a truck....backwards! The weekend was spent hauling most of the remainder of my 1/2 yard of composted manure from the pile in the back yard, to the back part of the garden, bucket by bucket full. I don't know how many trips I made, but that bucket got pretty darned heavy! I got the first of the future corn beds staked out and spread with compost. The two beds won't be as large as I had planned. Once I began measuring and staking them out, I found the smaller of the two would be 4'x6' and the larger one will be 4'x8'.

I shoveled all the soil from the last of the three whiskey barrel planters, then rolled it out of the garden and set it up in the soon to be new flower bed. I'm going to use the old potting mix from last year's containers to partially fill it, then amend it with some new mix and compost. I've started some Honey Bear squash seeds to plant in it, then I'll surround it with flowers.....most likely some of the many zinnias I have growing in flats.

The soil I removed from the three barrels was leveled and prepped for three pole bean beds. I had enough wire fencing left from the old garden area to form a trellis for the center bed, but I ran out and will have to think of another method to use in the other two beds. I suppose it will consist of 8' long 1"x2"s and garden twine.

I did some more cleaning in the garden shed, and set up the mini greenhouse. With lights installed, and a rope light in the bottom for heat, I moved some of the plants from my bedroom out there. It won't be so far to carry them out for hardening off.

I still had that half flat of seedlings that didn't grow well in the cheap potting mix I'd purchased. I had planted some of them a couple of weeks ago, but the broccoli didn't survive. There were three more puny broccoli seedlings, so I will try them again. I have healthy ones growing inside, in better mix, so all is not lost if these don't make it. I did plant the three Brussels sprouts though, and if they don't survive I'll have to wait and try again for a fall crop. The remaining seedlings were three New Zealand spinach plants, a few tiny lettuces, two Chinese cabbages and some arugula. I found room for all of them, so the flat of puny plants is now empty.

Taking a chance that the forecast is correct for the next ten days, I put out a few zinnias, all of the echinacea and chamomile, and a few marigolds. I have plenty of zinnias and marigolds left inside if needed. I do hope the echinacea survive. I filled in the rest of the flower areas and the triangle gardens with volunteer alyssum, moved from the kennel garden.

I prepped and planted two beds of Grandpa Ott morning glories, one at the back fence and the other in the kennel garden. Again, to be on the safe side, I also planted an entire flat of them inside. If they all survive, the property will be completely engulfed in morning glory vines!

Finally, I edged the entire fence line along the east garden area, and half of the new flower bed at the south end of it.

Oh, I forgot to mention I spent most of Saturday on front yard cleanup. I raked and picked up all the leaves and pine needles, helped Mr. Granny with two underground sprinkler replacements and began the horrid task of trying to dig grass from around the barberry bushes. I have barberry thorn wounds in both hands, and the grass is still tangled in their roots. I hate those bushes! I had my youngest son dig two of them out last fall, and I wish I'd had him take them all out. I don't know how long I dug at those grass roots, but it was exhausting work and I only got about 1/4 of the bed done. Why do I find back yard gardening enjoyable, but front yard cleanup just plain hard work?

I took a video of the garden yesterday, but I couldn't get it to work on Blogger. It uploaded, but when I'd try to play it, it kept saying to try again later....I finally gave up and deleted it. When we get sunshine again, I'll take pictures.