February 20, 2014 Potato Bed, Nectarine Tree, Peppermint, and a Wash Cloth

Today I am still dreaming of garden creativity.  Along the fence line for the big garden I have set some eight foot cedar posts for stability for the fence.  The fence is necessary for keeping out deer and occasionally there is a dog running loose and I don't want to be surprised by it.  Anyway, I have already dug a hole for another cedar post along the front side of the fence.  I have the cedar post and the cement to set it.  It has dawned on me that I would like to plant a shade tree there instead.  Our summers are brutally hot and any bit of shade is welcome.  In this location the plants all do much better with partial shade.

Now to decide which kind of shade tree I would like.  This will require a trip to either Lowe's or Tractor Supply.  I'd like to get something that is fast growing.  I'm reading some things online, too.  Like here.

Another area I'd like to create is a bulb and cutting flower garden.  I think this would do well in the area next to the chicken yard.  I can't work on this until the new chicken fence is up.

Enough dreaming for today.  Something I need to work on is getting a picture of the potato bed because I finished digging it!  I think I'll be planting those potatoes very soon.  I'm not sure if I'm supposed to wait till after the last frost date.  Something else to research.

 

Here is the lovely potato bed.  It looks narrow in the picture but is 3 feet wide.  There will be 2 rows of potatoes.  I'll cover the bed with hay.

 

 

Hello Spring!  The nectarine tree is most definitely ready.  I'm sorry all the people living up north are still blanketed in snow and can't experience this yet.

 

 

My experiment with melon seeds in the egg carton is doing well.  So far 21 seeds have sprouted.  Now where am I going to put 21 melon plants?

 

 

Peppermint has beautiful blue eyes.  Dreamy.

 

 

This is a wash cloth I finished today.  It has seed stitch on the border and then basket weave stitch for the main body.  I like making our own wash cloths because they last forever and they feel so much better on your skin.  The longer I have them the better they look. 

February 14, 2014 Estate Sale, Strawberry Plants, and Nectarine Tree

Today I'm doing something I hate.  A mammogram.  I generally hate all doctor visit kind of things.  They're so tedious.  Waiting in the waiting room.  Waiting in the exam room.  And you know it's absolutely beautiful outside.

The rest of my day will include things like paying the bills.  My life is getting more exciting by the minute.  I do hope to have some pictures up.  I've been scouring Craigslist in case there's something I can't live without but need a truck to pick up.  I need to get my money's worth out this truck we bought. 

On our way to town I noticed a sign for an estate sale.  Oooooh.  There's rarely one close by our house.  Rowan and I went to the sale after we had done all our town stuff.

 

Here's a picture of almost everything I bought.  Rowan picked a game and I also got a rug.

 

 

If you're like me it's hard to resist so much wonderful stuff.  I had no problem resisting this cherub riding on a smiling (?) dolphin soap dish, though.  Later as I was editing this post I thought, "You know it's so absurd it would look great tucked away in a corner holding a potted plant."  I should have bought it...

 

 

True spring fever.  I'm now planting seeds in everything I can find, including this egg carton.  I simply poked holes in the bottom, filled with dirt and seeds.  We'll see if I get 36 melon plants.

 

 

A typical day's fashion sense:  My sloggers, leggings because chiggers suck, a cool skirt, my apron because my skirt doesn't have pockets, and my sweater.

 

 

One of the eleven strawberry plants!  They've become more intensely colorful and the leaves are opening up.  I bought these in a box for $4.99 at Tractor Supply.  (Not an endorsement, just a fact) I've decided to give 2 plants to a friend when I'm certain they'll survive.

 

I went to look at the nectarine tree again.  Is it really spring?  I have blossoms on my tree!  The apple tree is not too far behind.  The weather for the next week will be mild.  I hope it's not too soon for these blossoms to appear.   

February 9, 2014 Strawberries, Peonies, and Honeysuckle

Sunday.  Ahhh.  Yesterday was a very horrible day.  I am glad that it is over.  I should have known it would be bad.  Onslo stood right in front of me and peed on the floor.  My mouth dropped.  My excessively potty trained dog just peed on my floor.  I'm pretty sure it was because it was cold outside and he was just being stubborn.  I'll keep an eye on him.  Work was chaotic.  It's so busy in winter.  It makes me very cranky.  So I got in an argument with Jace.  We stopped talking to each other for the day.  But then I didn't have a support system to whine to about my terrible day.  Thankfully, Saturday is over.

This morning I took some time to read one of my old blogs.  This is actually my third blog to write.  I think I felt I outgrew the old one.  It put me in a good mood reminiscing about some past garden adventures.  Things are definitely improving on this tiny homestead.

Today, is beautiful outside.  I can tell it's a day for getting some things done.  I want to keep a good schedule of cleaning out the chicken coop on Sundays so I'll be doing that first thing.  They sure do make a mess.
 

 

I planted 11 strawberry plants in the hoop house today.  The box said there would be 10 plants.  Ha!  I got an extra.  Should strawberries come in a box?  I know I planted strawberry seeds and I still have a pot of dirt.  Rowan wants strawberries so bad and I'd love to make that happen for her.  She may have to settle for an artificial strawberry plant.

Today is exceptionally beautiful.  I went around the yard taking some pictures.  In the hoop house I planted 11 strawberry plants, a clematis, and three more peonies.  I love peonies.  If they grow I will even try to paint a picture of one.

It's hard to see but this chicken has a tasty clover weed I picked out of the potato area I'm working on.  It has turned out to be a good idea to dump the weeds for them to sort through.

This is a winter honeysuckle.  It always blooms about this time.  It doesn't mind any freezing temps.  It's wonderful to sit next to and watch the bees on warm days like today.  I can get close enough to see the pollen they have stored on their legs.  The winter honeysuckle smells very sweet and like perfume.

These are poppies.  They will be red.  I harvested seeds last year and then scattered them over all the back garden beds.  They are quite whimsical and lovely when they bloom.  They are one of my favorite picture taking flowers.

  

This is from the nectarine tree.  Lovely buds of new leaves.  Some are already opening.  This tree did very well last year.  However, due to blustery spring winds, all the blossoms were blown off.  No nectarines :(