Windy morning!

The raspberries are now in a planter box. We inherited two of these when our neighbor moved. Both filled with really lovely compost. Through freecycle we have dark blue paint for trim but I'm hoping someone has some white, gray, or light blue exterior paint to get rid of. Send me a note if you do!!!

It's supposed to get to 63 degrees today! Wind is gusting though. It's tempting to set out tomatoes but I'm afraid they would a) blow away, b) break under the force of the wind. Oh well. We're still not quite out of frost danger.

Cinnamon basil  and cilantro have sprouted. Nothing showing in the culinary sage or white swan echinecea. Started sunflowers, dill, green beans, two kinds of sweet alyssium, and marigolds. More in the laundry room/pantry. I will have to rethink that setup next year.

Parsley and chives look happy.

The neighbors thing I'm a bit odd. I've been out pouring boiling water on weeds around the rock borders. It's a slow but very efficient way to kill the nasty buggers.

We are in an area that has been a river bed for millenia so I have access to all sizes of river rock. I don't think this will be an easy place to grown root crops with out lots of work so they may go in pots. Anyway, rock borders are one way to go.

Our last trip to the Goodwill bin store was productive. We got 2 HUGE planters for around $.85 cents each. If you plan to go, take a friend or two as the price per pound goes down from $1.69 to $.89 when you reach 20 pounds of goods. Go with a plan but be open minded. It's amazing what other people throw away.

Happy gardening and happy thrifty hunter gathering! Enjoy the sunshine!

Brrrr!

It's 45 degrees, rain and wind. Hail possible today. Where is spring?

Raspberries and calendula are growing though I haven't decided where to put them!

Chives are blooming in the wind.

Parsley has been green and growing all winter but looks very happy now. 

Strawberries have adapted to their little bed. Yes, those are noritaki saucers. Planning to plant sweet allysum in front of the saucers. The Goodwill bin store is the source for the saucers, pillar, pot and angel. The wind has been a bit hard on the nasturtiums.

Poured several tea kettles of boiling water on places where weeds and grass are growing in what will someday be tidy borders. It's a chemical free way to clear up those pesky areas.

70 degrees yesterday - 46 Today!

It's spring! In the Northwest! Changeable weather is a certainty but the work goes on.
Planted strawberries Monday. Re-potted Sweet Italian Basil and Lemon Basil yesterday.( they had outgrown their egg cartons) Started White Swan Echinecea, Cilantro and Cinnamon Basil. Couldn't stand it any longer so put the Nasturtiums in their pot by the front door yesterday. They look alright this morning in spite of the rain and wind.
 We need to get the garden arch in place between the raised beds. I hope the blueberries will do well in spite of the probability of Asian fruit fly. I'll surround them with marigolds and other herbs and try the yeast and sugar water traps as recommended.

Though we have given several plants away the laundry room nursery is pretty crowded.

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes and Banana Pepper

 


Peppers, Roma Tomatoes, White Sage, Lavender (still looks like a weed), Nasturtiums (banished to the outdoors)







Nasturtiums and a rescued pansy in the pot. Strawberries and thyme below.

I think the blueberries look nice in their pots.






                                                                    

                                                                        Raised beds, blueberries. Work in process.

Happy Spring!

False Spring

Though snow is predicted for Monday - with thunder!!! - we are still working toward spring. It's supposed to reach 60 degrees today!!
The baby plants in the laundry room are clammering to go out but not a for a month or more. The night time temps need to be 50 degrees or above for things to do well in this part of the NW. That is usually around Mother's Day. I'll have a jungle by then!  Must move more tomatoes and peppers to larger pots today, thin the lemon basil and start the cinnamon basil. Yum!

The front garden is in process. 
The raised beds are looking great. Have an arch to place between them. The small blobs in front are blueberry bushes which need to be in larger pots! Tomorrow I hope.




This is an interesting book.

CD very, very soon!!!

We (Eric, Terry and I-TwoRivers Band) spent 6+ hours last Thursday recording 8 of our original songs. Lyman and Eric have spent the week producing it and Wow!!! You are gonna love it!

Transplanting

Was gifted with 24, 4 inch peat pots. This morning I transplanted 14 tiny English Lavender plants from their egg carton nursery. They look much happier. Tomorrow I'll move the 4 White Sage plants.
Dug and pulled many weeds (ugh!) and set out more chives. Moved the Rosemary plant to the back garden where it will get more light and rain.
Italian Basil and Lemon Basil sprouting. Finally!!!...the Sweet Peppers are sprouting. The other peppers are all about 2 inches tall with double leaves so it's about time!
I'll be very happy when I can plant them outdoors.

February Already!

It amazes me how quickly January went!
Had to thin the Lavender and White Sage plants yesterday. I hate doing it. Seems like murder but it has to be done. Have 4 White Sage and 13 English Lavender starts happy in the laundry room. 
The pepper seeds are warm and damp in their milk cartons. I expect signs of life there very soon.  The laundry room isn't very big - have to turn sideways to get in and out - but seedlings seem very happy there.