of gardening
May. 15th, 2012 09:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
saffronhareIt's so easy to get carried away with gardening...there's a very strong tempation to purchase things because they're so beautiful and make me so happy, but they'd be wrong for the sun/water/soil conditions in the yard, or they'd be more work right now than I can dedicate, or the money really needs to go to essentials instead. ETC.
What we added this weekend, however, was both affordable and sustainable. We purchased two wee brambly raspberry...er, sticks. Not very impressive when they first go in the ground, but they're already leafing out vigorously. The soil isn't super, but I'm counting on the fact that berry bushes are pretty much weeds. We figure we can protect two at a time from the ravages of dogs; once they're big enough to defend themselves, we'll add two more. The idea is to line that section of fencing with raspberries and blackberries over the next few years. The fruit will be nice for the bunnies, useful for making mead and preserves, and might discourage dogs (ours and the neighbor's) from digging under the fence much more.
I also have a Mexican Heather plant hanging from the old swingset, which is being re-tasked as something of a trellis/garden structure. It's possible we'll add a couple of hanging tomato plants, but likely nothing more ambitious in terms of veggies this year. Anything else would be DOOMED, either from lack of attention from me or too much attention from curious dogs. Perhaps next year we'll be able to rig a raised bed around the base and get a few often-used veggies in the ground. There are grand plans on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
diermuid's part to put in some herbs on the other side of the house, but that'd require really shifting some dirt, so it's probably a couple of years down the road.
Finally, we managed to pot the plants we purchased from one of the family Boy Scouts for a recent fundraiser...always nice to manage that before the poor annuals DIE, you know? I didn't want to dig down through the mulch and landscaping fabric, but a few pretty pots that have been gathering dust in the shed add some nice interest just sitting in the front and side beds. Sometimes, a few bright, flowering annuals are just the ticket.
Over the next few days, I need to put down some mulch around the irises I transplanted last fall and which *all* came up beautifully, thank goodness. A quick mowing of the front and back yards on Wednesday/Thursday will have us ready for the weekend of company and backyard general hanging out. I should also fix the kink in the soaker hose on the side of the house, because the Frankenroses are not getting water, and examine what sort of plague is affecting that one plant in the front. Looks like a fungus. Or maybe an alien life form. Hrm.
It seems too late to put in any sort of support for the Frankenroses. They'll just have to manage until next year, unless my father and I get drunk and prune the fuck out of them. You never know.
Manoman. Sometimes, I can't wait to be that lady in the floppy hat and the silly boots, talking to my flowers all day long.
What we added this weekend, however, was both affordable and sustainable. We purchased two wee brambly raspberry...er, sticks. Not very impressive when they first go in the ground, but they're already leafing out vigorously. The soil isn't super, but I'm counting on the fact that berry bushes are pretty much weeds. We figure we can protect two at a time from the ravages of dogs; once they're big enough to defend themselves, we'll add two more. The idea is to line that section of fencing with raspberries and blackberries over the next few years. The fruit will be nice for the bunnies, useful for making mead and preserves, and might discourage dogs (ours and the neighbor's) from digging under the fence much more.
I also have a Mexican Heather plant hanging from the old swingset, which is being re-tasked as something of a trellis/garden structure. It's possible we'll add a couple of hanging tomato plants, but likely nothing more ambitious in terms of veggies this year. Anything else would be DOOMED, either from lack of attention from me or too much attention from curious dogs. Perhaps next year we'll be able to rig a raised bed around the base and get a few often-used veggies in the ground. There are grand plans on
diermuid's part to put in some herbs on the other side of the house, but that'd require really shifting some dirt, so it's probably a couple of years down the road.Finally, we managed to pot the plants we purchased from one of the family Boy Scouts for a recent fundraiser...always nice to manage that before the poor annuals DIE, you know? I didn't want to dig down through the mulch and landscaping fabric, but a few pretty pots that have been gathering dust in the shed add some nice interest just sitting in the front and side beds. Sometimes, a few bright, flowering annuals are just the ticket.
Over the next few days, I need to put down some mulch around the irises I transplanted last fall and which *all* came up beautifully, thank goodness. A quick mowing of the front and back yards on Wednesday/Thursday will have us ready for the weekend of company and backyard general hanging out. I should also fix the kink in the soaker hose on the side of the house, because the Frankenroses are not getting water, and examine what sort of plague is affecting that one plant in the front. Looks like a fungus. Or maybe an alien life form. Hrm.
It seems too late to put in any sort of support for the Frankenroses. They'll just have to manage until next year, unless my father and I get drunk and prune the fuck out of them. You never know.
Manoman. Sometimes, I can't wait to be that lady in the floppy hat and the silly boots, talking to my flowers all day long.
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no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 03:24 pm (UTC)I love hobbies that can function differently, depending on the specific activity and the method under which one chooses to do them.
Drunk Sewing, when I've got a project that I can pretty much do on autopilot (bloomers, hand-hemming, making a dance bra), is one of my favorite things ever.
It pleases me to know that other people have Drunk Hobby Time, too.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 03:32 pm (UTC)In the fall, however, I forgot to cut my roses back HARD. And then we didn't really have a hard winter, so they started filling in faster than I could add support this spring. They are HUGE. Whenever they *do* get pruned, there will be blood. Gotta cut them back a lot this winter and put a trellis in place by February.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 05:56 pm (UTC)The first summer I lived here, we were so busy moving things inside that I didn't really *look* outside; last summer, my foot was all hurty and I wasn't able to be out and about much at all. So this is the first growing season I've been able to really fiddle with things. Trying to take it slow...which is an odd habit, since most of my life was spent moving every couple of years. It was always PLANT NOW and never see things fill in.
But it's not like we're going anyplace (knock on wood), and I definitely don't have the time or attention to keep lots of new growing things alive this year. I think it's better to pot those annuals which will flower like mad and then be done, while we put in one or two new things to see how they'll do in the soil.
I hope your sabbatical is good for you in ohsomany ways!
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 09:46 pm (UTC)