Status of South Garden: Squash and tomatoes!

I bought some zuchinni and cucumber plants at the Clayton Farmer's Market. They were in four packs, which is three more plants than I need. After the "squash garden" was tilled and dirt was dumped on and mixed in, I stuck the plants in the ground. There weren't 4 seedlings, there were 7. Each. Last year we survived fine with one plant each. But I have space now, so why toss the young healthy plants when I can give the produce to the food bank or a community garden?

We have yet to finish the string support system for them--that's on the to-do list for Vacation Week, when I get caught up on all overdue projects.

The squash garden is still short several plants: Jordan requested spaghetti squash, and I want patty pan but the first seedlings didn't make it so I started over. Those seedlings are now healthy enough to stick in the dirt. Yes, I know I'm months too late for all this, but I'll manage.

So the photo seems full, but those tomato cages on the right are really Dog Digger Prevention devices, so I can squeeze a plant or two in there. I was hoping some of the cucumber plants wouldn't survive a recent heat wave, and didn't water two of them, but they're so happy & flourishing that I can't just rip them out of the ground now.

No clue where I'll put the new plants, but they'll get shoved in somewhere! If I didn't have so many lillies taking space in my east garden I'd put some there. The lillies just need to find a real home....

Status of "cool" vegetable garden: struggling but alive

I have to summarize May...in a nutshell: WORK! The two side gardens were tilled and needed dirt, plants, and TLC. Dan helped build wooden sides to hold the dirt in. After he gets a job we'll invest in brick, but we were long past planting time and I wanted to get something started.

The cool side of the house has lettuce, spinach (which isn't going to make it) and carrots. The lettuce is doing well, despite the late afternoon sun and heat. The carrots that haven't been dug up by the dogs several times are doing well. I actually glared at the burned up spinach buds and said my mother's threat out loud to them: "Perform or die." It might work. The tiny spinach has new leaves at the center!

The side gardens all got started small, with plants shoved together in a corner. Thanks to Mom's birthday check for letting us get that far! Then a few paychecks later I brought home 12 2 cu.ft. bags of dirt and compost in my Prius and everything got RE-DONE. All plants had to be pulled out, while topsoil and compost were mixed thoroughly in the beds, filling them. Then the plants got replanted with more space, and with my seedlings added. Yes, in May I was planting seedlings for more lettuce and carrots, when I should be harvesting them!

On one particularly hot day I stuck a large golf umbrella in the dirt to shield the young carrots. They're now large enough to handle the afternoon sun, but I still give them an extra drink.

Garden doing well, but tough to stay distracted

As most folks who know me know, my garden projects are not just a way to stay sane by playing in the dirt, they're also a way to distract myself from our adoption. Our first adoption with Vietnam failed after we made all deadlines just fine (long story there), and the adoption agency filed for bankruptcy after trying to run for over a year with no income. We're on our second attempt, with CAS, as a pilot family in a pilot program with Mexico. CAS is waiting for a certificate of approval from Mexico before they can start sending dossiers, and most of our documents were ready last fall. Our documents are starting to age-out, as they must be apostilled within 6 months of submittal. Doubts start to creep in.... But this isn't an adoption blog that gets frustrated with government bureaucrats and the lack of a good domestic adoption option....

So although there's good news that makes me happy, the overhanging bad news that our adoption may fail as the documents age out, the program fails, we could have trouble re-doing every last doc in a timely fashion. It's tough to stay positive so I cling to small things, like the first day I could smell lilac in the air without having to walk over to the tiny shrub and lean over. Or the first use of the tiny lettuce plants that are "temporarily" planted in the flower bed.

I spend a lot of time on the patio, reading and watching birds come and go. They're starting to use the young pine as a escape point when they're kicked off the feeders by someone bigger. It's nice that the young lawn finally has some greenery they can use!

The salvia, money plant, and lilac are frequently buzzing with big fat bumblebees. A few butterflies have been out in warm weather. It's currently 94 according to our weather station, and I've been watering more heavily. One rain barrel is drained already!

Time to go back in the yard, hope you're having a good weekend!

We borrowed a rototiller from a buddy at work (Thanks, Dave!) and Dan cleaned it up yesterday. It needs some transmission fluid, oil, and a new belt. After the tune-up we'll be tilling the sides of the house for the new gardens. We won't be bricking unless we can afford more bricks.

I'm attaching another photo of the lilac bloom that's half-open. I wish I could share its scent as well.

The Lilac Blooms!!

March and April have been very good to my struggling lilac. It's now got all the leaves open, and has 14 blooms trying hard to grow. You won't recognize this photo compared to the stick with green buds from early last month! There is one bloom half-opened, but enough to get the heavenly smell that reminds me so much of my Grandmother's house. I'm so happy to finally have a lilac in my own garden!

The Lilac is still alive!

Spring is here! The nasty Bradford Pear trees are blooming, daffodils are up, my lillies are well on their way. The new growth that makes me most happy is the lilac! It didn't get watered well last August, and I saw a bunch of dry sticks as the fall approached. I guess the watering it did get was enough to keep it going, because it looks pretty happy now!

Dandelions in winter?

Gardening has gone into hibernation. The gardens are mulched, flowers are cut back, and the mulch pile is full and cooking away.

The weird thing is the dandelions. They just won't quit! Normally I keep an eye on them, and email Mom whenever I see the first yearly bloom, and first one gone to seed. Well I saw both during Christmas break, and also on New Year's Day. So I guess this year will be a tough fight against dandelions.

We're trying not to use pesticides, since the Neuss River is where the run-off goes. We might try the citrus spray since digging hasn't done month lately.

I've transplanted a lot of indoor plants, and have already started a few basil seeds to see if I can get some plants going for spring. I'm ready for Spring!!