Yardwork!

[sidestep]

Seashell, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying immersing yourself in plants! Hmm, I assumed baby carrots were just harvested before they
got full grown--interesting.

Eagle, great job on the weed pulling & hose threading.
So glad your way works better than your hubby's convoluted contraption!

My corn has ears, but I'm afraid they 'prolly have worms-- something I don't see is biting on them--we'll see.
I'm so tickled with the garden that I got new pics of the corn & 'mater.
I was so happy the way my 1st Margherita pizza with homegrown basil turned out I took a pic of that too, . Here's the link to pics: (new ones in navy)

takeonestepatatime.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=pics&thread=15157&page=1#220242

[seashell]

Step, they're not actually baby carrots--I just can't find the seeds to see what they are really called. They are shorter than regular carrots, so the soil doesn't have to be worked as deeply.

Today I put most of the gardening stuff that was on my LR floor outside on the patio and table. Also deadheaded small zinnias, strawflower, petunias, and the remaining viola, which is going to have to go, since it can no longer handle the heat. Watered everything waiting to be potted and a couple of plants that are potted. Will have to water the garden tonight, since temps are hanging around 95 for a few days.

Your pictures are great--I can't believe how tall the corn and tomato plants are! And the pizza looks yummy.

[eagle]

Step, I'm sorry to hear about the worms in the corn!

Seashell, last year I grew some short carrots. They were really good. I apparently didn't harvest them all because about 3 of them grew tops again this year. Of course the carrots were not edible after overwintering. I pulled them up the last couple of days. Maybe I should have let them go to seed and see if I could have collected seeds from them. Oh, well, maybe another time. I do collect seeds for some of my plants, but not all of them. Good seeds are pretty easy to come by, so it's not really necessary.

I never did go out to the garden today, because I lay down to read for a bit before going out and ended up taking a long nap.

But I did plant a ginger plant in one of my indoor pots. It had a 4-inch green sprout on the ginger root that had been sitting out on my kitchen worktable. It's my first ginger plant. Not sure how it will do here, especially as a house plant. But they're a lovely plant when they grow wild in Mexico. When my son & DIL lived in Palenque, there were wild ginger plants all over the place. Quite beautiful.

[seashell]

Hi, eagle! I hope your ginger plant does well.

Today, I uncovered a roach nest next to my garden. They were hiding under a double handful of dead crabgrass I had pulled out of my garden while I was digging it a few weeks ago--had neglected to throw it away. I took a small garbage bag out there to toss some things, and picked up that small pile of grass. Baby roaches went running everywhere. I got the Raid and sprayed all around there. I guess they were from the swarm out back of the building last month.

On a lighter note, it is going to be a little cooler through Saturday, so I am hoping to get some more plants potted up. Today I planted a pot with gallardia and lantana (one of each) to put in the back of my garden for some height.

[eagle]

May 30, 2012 21:15:45 GMT -5 seashell said:

Today I planted a pot with gallardia and lantana (one of each) to put in the back of my garden for some height.

That sounds lovely, Seashell. Enjoy the cool weather. It's been surprisingly cool here for 3 days running. I was actually COLD last night!

[sidestep]

Good job on the deadheading of the flowers & planting the gallardia & lantana, Seashell!

Good luck with growing the ginger, Eagle. Cooler weather sounds marvelous, lucky you!

I trimmed some bushes a bit yesterday, we'll see if I have it in me to get back to it today . . .

[seashell]

We've had a lot of rain the past couple of days, so I haven't done any garden work. My white miniature zinnias are growing fast, but the flowers are lost under the new growth. I am thinking about taking them up and replacing them with the white vinca I have waiting to be potted. Or maybe the pink ones, though I don't know how orange zinnias and pink vinca will look together.

I planted some Teddy Bear sunflower seeds in Jiffy pellets to put out front. They get about 3' tall, which would be about right for under my front window. I haven't had good success with this seed company in the past, so don't know how they will do, but they were the only Teddy Bears I could find. I'm going to check Home Depot while I'm out today and see if they have any Burpee or Ferry Morse. I saw some somewhere a few weeks ago but can't remember where. Some of the big box stores have already gotten rid of their seed displays.

I got the purple petunias and lavender/crimson (depending on its mood) verbena potted. I lost two verbena plants--have never been successful with them. Can't figure out what to do with the osteospermum or the pentas and dichondra. May just stuff them all into a large pot and let them fight it out. May the best plants win!



OK, we really need some more gardening smilies.

[ramatama]

I got this ditty from my Aunt today. I think you may know it already, but just in case you don't:

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING ,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS :

1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another


NO GARDEN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another


TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

[wynken]

On tuesday I cut down some/many chinese elm tree saplings. 3 could fit into the bin chopped up small bits. pulled up some of the singapore daisy runners from under the lychee tree .( thats where the chinese elm were hiding - only they had grown out of the top to give them away. Theres 2 more will need sawing. One so close to the fence it may be difficult. I think there are more under there the loppers will attack. Wed - pulled some chickweed - seeding atm.

[sidestep]

Seashell, good luck with those teddy bear sunflowers, petunias, & verbena!

Ramatama, thanks for the cute garden quote.

Wynken, great job tackling the chinese elm, singapore daisy & chickweed!

I managed to weed the side & back planters & pulled some odd, shrub-like daisy looking thing that is growing rampant in my sparse yard. Guess I really need to consider getting some grass growing since it is primarily sand/dirt, looks awful, & the weeds have become very opportunistic.

[seashell]

Ramatama, what a nice guideline for living. Thanks for sharing it.

Wynken, good job on continuing to clear out the weeds and trees.

Step, good work on weeding the planters and getting those shrubs out.

Some of my sunflower seeds have sprouted, as have my radishes and one carrot seed. The sunflower seedlings are not even 1" tall, but the roots are already coming out the bottom of the Jiffy pellets.

Last week was too busy to do much in the garden, plus I am so disgusted at the roaches. It's got to be because of the watering. I think I may put a stronger watt light bulb in my porch light--though, if they don't have water this summer, they will still probably show up. I sprayed the garden, and now it is decorated with dead roaches. Lovely.

Before my company came, I bought a dianthus ClownFace (I think it's called). It has ball-shaped flowers mixed with pink and white. Also got a dark purple petunia with a white border--it's gorgeous. I put those two, plus a pink penta and a lavender verbena on a plant stand by my front door. It looks great. I'll have to swap the plants out for the shade plants I was going to put there; but, for now, it looks really good.

This morning it was too hot to work outside, and it's been raining for several hours now, so I haven't done anything outside. Maybe tomorrow.

[sidestep]

Seashell, your garden sounds great with the sunflowers, radishes,
carrot, dianthus, petunia, pentas & verbena. Good job!

I managed to harvest some green beans! My 1st white corn ear was disappointing due to my fight with the bugs. There is a corn earworm which I was trying to keep out by rubberbanding the silk per the web, but I 'prolly banded too early before the silks created many kernals.

I spent 2 hours last p.m. pulling weeds which started to flower & go to seed in the driveway, but boy does that cause my back to act up despite sitting at a comfortable height. Some day I'll try the boiling water or vinegar when in the early stages.

[wynken]

this week's bin day - filled bin again. cut up more prunings to bin, cut some dead wood from a tree, pulled some more singapore daisy and chick weed.
fed the compost heap with some scraps.

[wynken]

Great going seashell and step. Love the flowers and veges you guys are tending.

[sidestep]

Wynken, great job on another full bin of singapore daisy, chick weed
& the compost pile!

I'm continuing to try to grow grass in my very barren, weedy lawn.
I managed to plant another tray of 18 grass plugs last p.m. & have one more tray which is still awaiting planting unless & until I pick up more.

Since this is around the garden, it stands a much better chance of survival
with frequent watering.