Plant, Weed, Mulch, Repeat

Sometimes life is slow going and other times it is non-stop.  The last half of May was going constantly...all good things, yet very busy.  Field trips, class events,wrapping up our MOPS year, planting the rest of the garden, baking for the school carnival, Mothers day, and a family weddng.  So how do I follow that?  I also joined a health/gym place for women only, so I can actually get in shape for the first time in my life without my psyche getting the best of me.  Busy times...very little left for online pursuits.  So, be forewarned my posts may be fewer and shorter.  Welcome to summer vacation!

Now the garden is in and the last of the seeds planted are just starting to peek out of the ground.  Come walk with me in my garden.

Back Patio: Mint, pansies and marigolds (edible blossoms) in planters.  Grapes are just a few feet away.  The grapes are taking off.  This is the second year for them, not sure if we will have grapes yet or not, but they are growing!  I also have a salad bowl and a tray of loosey-goosey plants that have no place in the garden...they will likely be given away.


Kitchen garden: Salad greens are up and will be ready to pick soon.  Herbs have done very well.  Already dehydrated one batch of parsley, two of cilantro.  I put two basil plants in: red and sweet.  The herbs have been going to seed early due to the early season this year.  Most of them are perennial or from last year's seed.






Tea garden: His is where my tea herbs (along with irises) reside.  The lavendar smells fantastic.  Chamomile looks to bloom soon.  Echnicea is struggling--dog has trampled it trying to herd chickens who are in the adjacent pen.  I just put in a rosemary, too.

Chickens: The seven hens are doing great.  Shortly after my last chicken post RedRoo did indeed crow.  It's not very loud yet, but his days are numbered.  They have taken permanent outdoor residency and thank goodness!  In waiting for the chicen coop to be done,the girls have discovered the old doghouse makes a nice shelter from sun and rain.  One night it was late when I got out there and they were all snuggled in so we decided they would be fine in there with a board in front of the doggie door to keep out critters at night.  The actual coop looks fantastic and was moved outside today!

Vine Patch: I'm trying something new here this year, combining plantings.  In the pst  have done 3 or 4 hills of pumpkins and had more than we needed.  This year I have two hills of pumpkins, one hill of watermelon, one hill of muskmelon.

Berries: The dry spell we had here did not do any favors.  We shall see...I don't expect great abundance.  I didn'tater the strawberries as much as I should have.  They have stalled out and some blooms dried up.  Doggone broken sprinkler.  Got a new one right before it rained again.  Go figure.  Blueberries should be on by the end of the month.  Some got frost nipped in early May, but some are still growing!

Fence-row:  I tried something new, planting my climbing cucumbers along the fence.  It sounds good in theory, but I have yet to see sprouts from the seeds.  Not sure if it's that something ate them or if I'm just not patient enough.  Time will tell.  I planted 5 hills, one on each fence post parallel to our main garden.

View from the north-east corner.

Main Garden:  So starting at the gate, as you walk in you will find...potatoes to the left, ready to bloom (5 rows of red and 2 rows of gold) the red are growing more consistently, but the gold are larger plants despite being planted two weeks later.  We'll see which are more productive in a few months!  To the right is the patch of corn -- 7 rows -- just starting to pop up (planted a week ago).  Keep walking and at the left (next to the potatoes) are the 5 rows of green beans.  They, too, were planted a week ago and have started popping up!  Take the left path from here and you see the 8 late cabbage and 3 early cabbage, 2 plants of dill, 2 rhubarb plants and 3 rows of onions.  I have finally managed a healthy onion patch -- 5th try's the charm.  Back at the center path, if you take the right path you see 24 tomato plants, 4 hot peppers, 12 sweet peppers, garlic, leeks, broccoli, a few last-minute cauliflower that may or may not make it (3 year olds don't always watch where they walk :p ).  Turn right at the cauliflower and you see 5 rows of carrots and 5 rows of beets.

View from the south-east corner.

View from the south-west corner.

Touch of Class hybrid tea rose.

Blooming: Out front I have clematis blooming still, and planted yellow petunias in the little wagon by the front step.  At the west of the house, my red asiatic lilies are in bloom (a month early, like most things).  You'll also find my wedding garden here -- planted on our 5th anniversary (3 years ago): white roses, irises (which are done blooming now -- they were supposed to be blue, but are really more purple), and delphinium in pale blue.  *heart smiles*  To the south of the house is my rose garden, in bloom, too.  This was planted for the love of roses I got from my grandparents, who always had roses.  :)

Ville de Lyon Clematis

It's been busy days in the garden.  Plant, weed, mulch, repeat.  It's a crucial process, especially with the dry weeks we've had; mulch will save your garden.  To a point, the weeds actually help your garden, shading the soil.  Yet, eventually they will overtake your plants and steel nutrients.  Better to pull them and mulch the soil.  You can use the weeds you have pulled or wood chips (untreated, uncolored).  We chip up the trimmed tree limbs every season and that provides most of what we need.  You can also get truck/trailer loads from a local landscaper or yard-waste landfill.  They don't have to be fancy, just cover the soil so the dirt doesn't dry as quickly.  Extra bonus: mulch becomes compost, and thus adds back to your soil!

I love the road in the woods image...
added three little squirrels just for a personal touch ;)

Last bit of the check-in for May/June =

Goals: My goal was to paint the picture ...and... I did it!!!  I am so excited to say I actually did it.  I've been keeping that blank canvas on the easel since October.  I'm not fabulous artist, but I love to paint and I love to save money by doing things myself.  It was a fantastic night to just get lost in the paint... I didn't go to sleep until 11:45, but it was a great night!

   Next month, my goal is to get the clutter cleared out: garage sale!


Lessons: Life takes lots of tending and maintenance and sometimes we wish we weren't responsible for that; but make sure you don't waste all that effort of the past by neglecting it now.  It's not fun to be unkempt or parched.  Do what it takes to nurture your family, yourself and your relationships.  Most of all don't neglect your relationship with the Creator -- He cares intimately for you and your concerns.  It's so hard, but let Him help you carry the burdens, He is waiting for you to do so.