April 23, 2013 - Lilac Time


The blooming of the lilac tree kind of crept up on me this year.  I almost didn't get a bouquet for the house before they passed their prime!  Usually I fill the house with lilac blossoms, as they are probably my favorite flower (or a close tie with daffodils).

I was too busy elsewhere this week.  Son John came over on his day off, and he and I got the new rain gutters installed on the front of the house.  He installed, I helped by holding up the long sections of gutter while he attached them, and then I painted them.  I still have to put another coat on the garage side, but I got sidetracked today.....by sunshine!  I was itching to get out to the garden.

First thing I did was move the seedlings off of their new place on the patio (the same shelves, moved and equipped with plastic for wind protection) and put them in the yard for some sun.

I think they liked it!

I headed for the garden with my little electric tiller and dug, amended and leveled out the entire east garden.  I'll have room to plant 36 sweet peppers along the fence to the left, and for four 4'x6' beds of corn on the right.

Sweet pepper plan.  Plants are on 15" centers.

Some small onion plants are in a bed to the right of those boards.  They didn't quite make it into the picture.  The black container holds some potatoes planted in chopped leaves.  Under the boards are the carrot seed mats, and also in that bed are teeny tiny carrot seedlings where the boards have been removed.  To the left is a wide row of bush beans, then a large expanse where butternut squash vines will someday run rampant.  Sugar snap peas are growing well on the kennel fence.  Beets, spinach, lettuce, carrots, celery and strawberries are inside the kennel.  To the left of the kennel the parsnips are just beginning to emerge behind the row of radishes.  

The next bed, in the back, will hold the remaining sweet pepper plants.  There was room for nine there, and I'll interplant some basil and probably a few marigolds.  To the left of that bed are the raspberries.  They are quite late this year.  To the left of the raspberries are the strawberries.  They are absolutely loaded with blossoms, more than I've ever seen on them before! In the foreground will be the butternut squash bed.

The last of the planned sweet peppers, all the others have been given away or promised to my kids.

The trenches hold the leeks, started from seed and not growing at all since they were planted a couple of weeks ago.  To the left of the leeks are Golden Acre cabbages.  Next is the bed of Yukon Gold potatoes, which are just emerging and seem to have escaped the freeze that hit the other potato bed.


The next bed holds 5 broccoli plants and 6 Gonzales cabbages.  I lost a few to cutworms last week, so they were replaced and cutworm collars were put around all of them.  It looks like I've lost another broccoli, and it was protected with a collar of cardboard.  To the left of this bed are the red Norland potatoes that suffered frost damage the other night.  It does look like they will be alright, they are showing some new green growth.  The Walla Walla sweet onions are not growing as well as in previous years.  Usually we're eating some in salads by now, but these are not nearly large enough.  The lettuce and garlic are growing behind the shed, but it was too shady to get a good photo of them.

It won't be long before we'll be eating the first rhubarb pie of the season!  

I set up and filled all the pots with potting mix.  The black pots on the right will hold three Patio tomatoes, the two white pots are for Happy Yummy Hot peppers.  The white pot on the left is for a fourth Patio tomato, and the other two pots will hold jalapeno peppers.  It's warm and sheltered here, so I think I might get the pots planted by the end of the week.

Annie was MIA, but Otto was enjoying some time in the sun.

And I DID get a bouquet of lilacs to enjoy in my kitchen.

It's a good thing I got so much done today.  Tomorrow morning I have to report for jury selection  :-(






26 comments:

  1. Love the lilacs. Mine aren't blooming yet and I'm way south of you.

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    1. Dianefaith, mine are about a week early this year. They don't last nearly long enough!

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  2. Lovely lilacs!! I have 3 Korean lilac bushes. My yard people trimmed them this year so no flowers for me. :0( Hopefully they'll make up for it next year!!

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    1. Holly, I think mine have looked heavier with flowers in past years, so I may have gotten carried away with the pruning too.

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  3. Lilacs are one of my favorites too. My neighbor has a lilac bush the grows over the fence and a bit into my yard. I keep thinking I need to cut it back as it shade the plum tree a bit, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

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    1. Daphne, I love the aroma. I hate the suckers though. It's hard to keep them out of my veggie garden.

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  4. I love lilacs, too. Our trees/ bushes don 't have a single leaf on them yet this year. Any of them! Typically the trees are almost completely filled out by now. Your gardens look so nice! I know I'm late this year, but do you have any suggestions for planting potatoes. I've never done it before. This week is finally going to be dry and getting warmer, so I'll have the chance to get them in.

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    1. Langela, the best way is to dig a trench about 12" deep and amend the soil in the bottom (no fresh manure, which causes scab). Lay your seed potatoes in the trench 8"-12" apart and cover with 3" of soil. As the potatoes grow, begin filling in the trench, leaving a few top leave exposed. The easy way is to dig a hole (or trench) about 9" deep, plant the seeds and fill the hole/trench all the way. I think the yield is greater from method #1, but #2 requires less work and still produces well. Don't fool with "potato towers". More people have failures than successes, and the most potatoes grow in the first 9" of soil from the seed. I used method #2 this year.

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  5. I'm jealous! I have lilac bushes, but most years, we get frost which takes out the blooms. Last year was the first (since I planted the first bush in '04) that I had a full bloom on all 3 bushes. I must tell you I am very impressed with your garden, and will be following you regularly. I just got a greenhouse built, and hope to extend my growing season... we are at 7000 feet, so it stays cool longer and gets frost later than other zones. Hope to make up for that now!

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    1. Hello, tiedyejudy, and welcome to my blog. I've been wanting to try the new lilacs that repeat blooming. You might consider that, as they are cold hardy to -40F and blossom all summer!

      http://williamsnursery.blogspot.com/2011/05/blooming-back-at-you-bloomerang-lilac.html

      Lucky you. I've always wanted a greenhouse, but have nowhere to put one without giving up precious garden space. The closest I ever got was the year I grew my plants in the back of the pickup and drove them in and out of the garage, depending on the weather, LOL! Mr. Granny only put up with that for one season.

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  6. I love lilac's, too! We had a tree at our rental house in Germany and it was gorgeous! Maybe one day I'll have one in my garden here... Your veggies are looking good, can't wait to see it all planted!

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    1. Anke, my garden looks so bare! Usually I have much more growing (and being harvested) by now, but we've had an exceptionally cold spring so far. I'm anxious to see more green out there! Hopefully next week.

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  7. what lilacs already!!! Your garden looks great

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  8. Love lilacs too. We don't have any in our yard. Nice wire shelves! That seems like a lot of sweet peppers to me. What do you do with them all? Being a helper to Jon is an important job also! Nancy

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    1. Nancy, those shelves get moved all around for plants. They held the tiny seedlings in my bedroom, now they are out on the patio. I think I'll leave the shelves out there this summer, rather than store them away. I can put potted plants on them!

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  9. Your garden is looking so awesome. You have everything laid out and planned to perfection. I wish I was better organized in my garden. I can't wait to see your corn plots grow, and wow that is a lot of peppers.

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    1. Kris, a lot of peppers is an understatement! Who knew every last seed was viable, LOL

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  10. Sorry about jury selection. Hey, no matter what they ask you, volunteer that you planted over 36 pepper plants. Volunteer that over and over. Then talk about compost and black walnut roots. You'll be back in the yard before you know it.

    And it would have been too bad if you'd missed the lilacs. Good to see you didn't.

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    1. Stefaneener, I did get picked, but due to the subject matter of the criminal trial, I told the judge I really didn't feel I could be impartial. I got excused, but I still have to call in again on Friday, so I'm not in the clear yet.

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  11. Wow - everything looks really great - you are such a HARD worker! We cannot even start on anything yet outside...so all my starts are eager (and HUGE) - LOL

    Love looking at your progress - you are a master gardener!!

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    1. LOL, Farmers Wife, thank you for the compliment. I don't consider myself a master gardener, just a determined one! I am so happy with my starts this year, the best and biggest ever. Some of the tomatoes and peppers even have some blossoms. I'm still a bit hesitant to plant any of them out, as we could still get some freezing nights.

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  12. SO far along and such organization! I am envious, I have so little out in the yard and frankly my starts don't do very well.

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    1. David, I'm not so sure mine will do too well after today's high winds. My starts were the biggest and best ever, but the weather just won't cooperate.

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  13. Beautiful and inspiring. :) You coming out to plant out my mountain garden while I work on the house?

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    1. I'll do both...I want to work on the house AND plant the garden!

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