A Gardenista's Retreat

I love a warm spring rain. It seems to have magical powers that my garden hose cannot mimic. My plants have doubled in size in the last week with all the rain we've been getting here.

And so have the weeds.

They're taking over.

And so, the Bumbling Gardenista that I am, I called a retreat. Because they can mellow for a day or two and the taller they get, the easier they are to pull. Right?
Any excuse to quit the garden for a day in order to play with a fun new project...

So I went to Home Depot to create the perfect Retreat for my retreat. And since our patio project is ever pushed back by the weather and unexpected weekend surprises and trips, Hubby was on board with making the front porch a little bit more "gather friendly."

And so I got this...

A fun pillow with a crazy pattern that inspired the whole shebang....

 So I put some matchy-matchy flowers in some matchy-matchy pots

 And put them on a repainted antique stool given to me from my grandmother

 I Love the different textures and colors!

So I threw a rug under my bistro table set, and Tada!

 If that sunbeam isn't inviting to you... well we probably wouldn't get along well anyway. ;) The chair bathed in light is mine. Hubby prefers the shadows.

I threw a couple more pillows on an old bench, painted to match the plant stand/stool...

Plopped some clematis in the window box by the front door...

Re-hung the chimes given to me four years ago at my bridal shower by a dear friend...

Slapped up another flag, because you can never be too proud of where you've come from...

And sat on the porch like it was early 1980's and all was well with the world.
Throw a house coat on me and perm my hair into the infamous Jessup Pouf, and I'm living in my grandmother's shoes.

Who says sipping tea on the porch while waving at the neighbors is out of style?

Let's bring it back!!!

Oh, and one of the best parts?... my container plants are weed free.
It's a stress free zone.

What does your front porch look like right now?

Short Post

About the world's largest asparagus.

Or at least the longest one I've ever gotten from my garden.

It's almost exactly two feet long. And even the nibble off the end is pretty tender.

This bad boy is going in a quiche.

Wall Sweet Herbal

My herbs are growing nicely in my pots, and although I'm a bit too timid to put them all out on my herb wall, I couldn't help trying a small section with a few very cheap herbs I got at a local farm store. With the gorgeous weather here in Zone 6, I feel like I'm wasting a precious gift by not putting some things out a little early. And there are always row covers and burlap to fend off surprise frost.

And so I did this...

The herbs should fill out quite a bit, so I didn't plant them too close to each other.
I used the recyclable peat pots the plants came in to fill in the gaps.
With each filled layer, I lined the gaps with the unfolded peat before adding the next layer of dirt. So far there has been minimal to no dirt loss.

I couldn't decide whether garden soil or potting soils would be better, but opted for an organic potting soil.

Starting at one section, I shoveled the soil level with the first gap, pushed the roots deep into the slats, lined the gaps with peat pots, and repeated all the way up to the top.

I've got about 5 variety of mint and a few odd thymes and a smattering of other herbs I wouldn't even think to grow on my own.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and haven't seen any dirt loss in the few days, several waterings and off and on showers we've had.

So as long as the plants don't all turn yellow and die, I think this is a definite repeat idea.

I am AMAZED at the variety of herbs. If I grew one of each I could probably fill my entire two pallet wall and still have a number of varieties left over. I put in orange, chocolate, lemon, and plain mints which I am super excited about. I think those are all going in homemade ice cream this summer. And Iced tea. Lots of Iced tea.

I threw my Nasturtium in at the top. They'll hang down with little edible, peppery flowers and add a bit of color.

I've still got tons of space to fill up and about 75 little herbs to spread in the gaps. I am really looking forward to the next few weeks...

What kind of herbs are you growing? Share PLEASE!!

Mysterious Wisteria...

If I know very little about plants now, I knew nothing a couple of years ago when I bought my beloved wisteria-- a twiggy little stick of a plant about 3 feet tall and pathetic as anything I've ever seen.

And I certainly didn't know it could grow up to 50 feet long. Last year alone it grew to a modest sized shrubby thing. This year... Well the year is just beginning.

When I bought my Prize, I DID know it could tear the siding off a house, or the gutters off a roof, or a host of other things. (Which I omitted telling Hubby when I first bought it. Why worry him? At least, until it was in the ground and he'd have to dig it up if he wanted it gone...)

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has driven by one of those houses with a well established wisteria, those large clusters of flowers hanging like grapes, wafting their scent across the yard, leaving me green with gardener envy.
I've seen them creep up the sides of stone walls, cascade over porch awnings and arch over pathways and imagined that mine would be just as beautiful.

And most likely better.

Unfortunately, the flowers are stubborn as, well, a mule I suppose. (Though I've never met a mule personally before so I can't be sure.)

Everyone has a theory. Or almost. And those few that don't, like me, throw up their hands with an "Ehhh!" and a sigh and a keen sense of disappointment.

I bought my wisteria two years ago and expected flowers to erupt from the vines, the moment I set that root ball in the ground. I know- garden naivety.

But from what I've read, wisteria flowers can take up to ten years to appear...

Or you can shock the roots by spading them back a few feet from the main trunk...

Or you can add phosphorus to the roots to force blooms...

Or you can add another wisteria to the mix and hope they cross pollinate...

Or you can prune the thing back viciously until it thinks it's about to die...

Or you can do all these things...

And nothing will happen.

And so you stare wistfully at your wisteria and hope you'll be around for those blooms when they finally show.

But I'm preparing myself for that day. And until then, I'll play with it, twisting the vines back, sprinkling who knows what around the trunk, attacking it with every garden tool I own, and if all else fails, I'll plant another one.

At midnight-- when Hubby is sleeping deeply and can't stop me until it's too late.

But for now, this 15 foot long or so little guy is free to run rampant. At least until Hubby gives me the evil eye and I'm forced to pull out the pruning shears. But even plain, boring green, I love this mysterious little wisteria.

Just Lettin It All Hang Out

Or him.

I am amazed by the sheer determination of squirrels.

I've got a few, pestering the birds in my "Sanctuary" area, whom I've un-fondly named, but I'm convinced Jujube is the ring leader-- that fat, obnoxious little fur ball with claws.

Sure, he seems so cute.

Insert your own little "aww" here. I won't do it for you. I'm telling you, it's the sun that makes him look so sweet.

Because the next minute,

He's hanging from the bird feeder by his feet, stealing all the cute little birdies food.
Devilish little fella.

It take an army to keep him at bay.

Your watcha-ma-dig-its

The who-sha-ma-call-its

And the ever famous Thing-a-ma-bobbers.

And all I know, it they'd better pull it together and fend for their turf with a bit more gusto, or someones got to start chipping in for bird seed....


What's with squirrels? Friend or Foe? And what do YOU do when they start eating all your seed?

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The Gateway Drug

It starts with vegetable gardening.

I wanted to eat organic, fresh food and start a fun hubby that would provide a bit of exercise and give me something other to do than lie on a hammock in the hot, blazing summer sun.

And it's morphed in to something else entirely.

Hubby so aptly surmised that my new "floral" gardening obsession/problem started from the down time that comes in between vegetable growing seasons. So I'd like to think that I'm not at fault. Completely.

But while puttering about my yard, looking for things to do and weeds to pull, I started to notice that there was a barren spot here, an ugly eye sore there and square foot of sunbeam there. So of course, I had to cover it, pull it, or fill it.

And so, this afternoon my car drove me to the farm and feed store where I chatted up the (too) helpful employee about every plant under the sun, and even those in the shade, and discussed how wonderful our husbands must be, to trust us to go to farm stores and nurseries and to be responsible while we're there.

That fragile, beautiful trust that we women like to test under the strain of hefty bags of fertilizer and large root balls.

Which I probably would have shattered, had Hubby been a less wonderful, understanding man.

I bought myself a dwarf Japanese maple.

A ridiculously frivolous purchase I never would have pictured myself ever making...

One which I would have eventually justified to myself -with the neighbor's tree splintering one of our maples last year with their large, hurricane-danger-prone tree- but, as I wanted to be able to sleep at night with my conscience, I called Hubby and asked if I could buy it. To which he immediately said yes. Because, for some odd reason, he lets me run with this crazy hobby of mine, in every scatterbrained direction I can think to go.

Which is why I love Hubby so very much.

So this is what I did today...

I put this little fella in a large built-in, stone window box under our bedroom window.

With some Golden Creeping Jenny...

With a burnt orange-y Coral Bell...

A Plum-esk Coral Bell...

And these little fellas, which were already there and why fix it if it ain't broke, even though it sort of disrupts my color scheme.

I also threw in an orange/red scotch broom at one end and am planning on throwing in some sort of fountain grass at the other to create a bit of symmetry.

But of course, that scatterbrained part of me saw weeds which I had to go pick and while I was pulling the weeds, I noticed my daffodils were pretty much dead and could be tied back.

So....

That's what I did next. And eventually I'll get back to my built in window box garden. But only because I ran out of rubber bands for my daffodils.

Did you follow that reasoning? Because I doubt Hubby will either...

But I've gotten halfway through and so far, am really happy with how it looks. And Hubby doesn't hate it either, so it seems to have been worth it so far. Of course, now I've got to go back to the farm store for that fountain grass. And Hubby hasn't taken away my keys or my credit card. Now that's trust...for a Bumbling "vegetable" Gardenista.

Have you ever made a spur of the moment "I have to have it in my garden" extravagant purchase? Do share!

Snack Attacks are Hubby's Woes

It's started already.

My asparagus is shooting out of the ground.

And unlike the stringy, stalky asparagus you'll find in the grocery store, this stuff is tender and delicious.

And I know that because I've already eaten a piece. Or two. And if this first week is any indication, poor hubby will not be eating home grown asparagus this year. Because even those fat, chubby stalk of asparagus are as tender as ever. And if hubby wants any, he's going to have to sneak out in the middle of the night to get it.

But Hubby may have a shot at some other vegetables this year.

The sugar snap peas are popping up, finally adding a bit of color to the dismal patch of brown earth that was the garden.

Watermelon radishes are sprouting, as are the rutabagas, head lettuce, and turnips.

The potatoes are planted, and though hubby will have to wait a while for them, he's been promised the bulk of the harvest in every delicious culinary form.

The kale is in, and though I see the faintest hints of green, I'm not quite sure whether or not they are weeds or food. Hopefully, I'll be able to determine that in a few more days.

The carrots are also planted but if i have one more bad year of carrots, I'm giving up on them. I don't have the patience to wait on them and they never do well in my garden. This year, I manipulated myself into trying them again with a kaleidoscope variety. Maybe eating a purple or yellow carrot will win me over this year.

The grape vines are budding. Last year was their first year and I got all of four grapes, which was more than I expected. I can't wait to see what they do this year. I pruned them back rather viciously and since I have no idea what I am doing, I am eager to see if it was too much or just what they needed.

Even this hardy little guy I almost tore out last year is sending out some vigorous little shoots.

The pepper plants are still indoors and doing well, along with all of my herbs. All of which I am eager to put outside, but it seems as though the weather likes to hover around 35 degrees once a week, just low enough to give me pause. No use in killing everything, now that we are so close to that last frost date.

And inedible or not, my favorite little flowers are finally popping up in my shaded garden area. I love bleeding hearts...

I'm so excited about my garden's progress! What's going on in your garden right now?
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Way too much Thyme on my hands

Go ahead and groan, but you had to expect that there would be a "Thyme Joke" in there sooner or later. I thought I'd get it over with. And now that we're over that hurdle...

As a Bumbling Gardenista, I tend to have trust issues with seeds.

I usually start with just one seed in each little hole, but what if that one doesn't work? So I put in another one. And some of those seeds are small, so I'll add a few more just in case. And all of a sudden, I have this...

A big, blobby clod of suffocating plants.
Whoops.
Like I said, trust issues.

And two years ago, I would have plopped that bunch right into the ground, and wondered why I only got a scraggly bunch of herbs and not a full, thriving plant.

So I pulled out some pots and some dirt and sat on a bag of organic fertilizer in the middle of my driveway and listened to the birds and had a bit of fun with my little seedlings.

This requires a patient, careful hand. So of course, I lost a few.
I pulled the plants out gently by the stem at first and towards the end, when I was feeling lazy, pulled out the whole clump and divided them much more easily, I think. Either way worked fine.

These guys really do grow some pretty deep roots. I was impressed.

I put each individual seedling into the pot, with the root all the way down to the bottom so it would be able to suck up all the water it needed. I've read that if you replant plants, deeper into the soil, up to about where the stem splits, it will encourage deeper root growth and a much stronger plant.

I added a bit more dirt and, TADA! an individual little plant, with it's very own room. Now maybe it will stop stealing nutrients from its siblings, like sisters who think that the closet is open territory if it's in a shared space. Thank goodness plants go through life mostly naked. Mostly, because we've all dressed a salad before. (baa-dum-cha!)

Sorry. 2 bad jokes in one post. I don't know why you people stick around...

So I went from 24 little pots (some of which were empty because I must have put a double dose of seeds in some and skipped other, which i seem to do a lot)...

To 35 little pots...

Plus another 30...

And 27 more to hand out to friends. Genovosa Basil anyone? Thyme? Tarragon?

Lets get a seed swap going!!!

Any tips about dividing plants? Any kind... bushes, bulbs, veggies? Share, share!

I've got a father-in-law with the ability to divide cuttings from his hazelnut bush. I'll have to see that.

And speaking of awesome In-Laws,

Check out what my awesome mother-in-law picked up for me!
 I love a little whimsy...
In-laws rock! And I'm not just saying that because they'll probably read this post.... :)