Gardening plans
Mar. 18th, 2009 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mellymellThere's a lot to cover, so I'll do this the only way I know how. . . a list!
1. The rest of my seed orders came yesterday and the azaleas today (got azaleas in the ground before lunch). I've still got some canna bulbs that have yet to ship and that's the last of it.
2. I need to run to Lowe's at some point this week to get a bale of peat moss and a bag of pearlite to mix up some seed starting medium. The Bellevue Home Depot stopped carrying the cheap peat moss for some reason and only seems to have the expensive Miracle Grow stuff. Honestly, I don't trust Miracle Grow not to put fertilizer in their soil mixes and amendments, so I'd rather not go that route, despite the price.
3. I like the cheap seed starter flats I got from Jung better than my expensive one from Burpee (expensive because it came with a capillary mat and Jiffy pellets). They're more like typical flats, where you can pull apart the little 6 cell containers for easier planting. I'm pretty sure it was the capillary mat that caused problems for me last year anyway (had about 60 impatiens that damped off from too much moisture after several weeks of thriving). All of the plants in the two smaller flats I did without a mat were fine.
4. I need to add more soil to the veggie garden. It always settles over the winter. I was hoping to have compost to add to it this year, but I used most of the good stuff at the bottom of the heap on the dogwood we planted a couple of weeks ago. I'd love to get out there and get some lettuce started, but I need row covers for that. Add that to the shopping list today, I guess. I know I can get some from Burpee for $20, but if I can get them locally, I can get started sooner.
5. I'm doing another sunflower bed this year. I didn't get the seeds sewn early enough last year, nor did I put a lot of energy into it, so what I did sew didn't make it. I've got 4 varieties in 2 colors and 3 heights this time. I'm going to try to do successive sowings to try to extend the season as well. The hardest part of this garden is going to be fighting the weeds that like to creep in from the other side of the fence. I'm going to have to get back there and clear that jungle very soon, maybe this weekend.
6. As for the garden off the dining room (the red and yellow garden), what's already there: 'Tropicanna Black' cannas, 'Mandarin Lights' azaleas that I just put in this morning, 10 of what were called 'Flaming Meteor' glads which were supposed to be yellow throated and edged in red but came up as 9 cream throated with coral edges and one that was flat out fuchsia and I'm moving a 'Tropicanna Yellow' canna back there from the front garden. I'm adding: 'Bright Lights' cosmos, yellow and red giant dahlia flowered zinnas, 'Whirlibird Mix' nasturtium, and for a low border, 'Persian Carpet' Mexican zinnias. Last year, I let the cosmos take over and it just looked like a cloud of cosmos flanked by a couple of cannas in back and a couple of lantanas down in front. I'm going to try to isolate them toward the back of the bed this year and keep them a little more contained. It just looked messy last year.
7. I noticed yesterday that I've got new raspberry canes coming up as far as a 2' away from the main stalk. I'm going to have to either give it a larger growing space or keep it reined in. The blueberry kind of looks pitiful by comparison, but I hope to give it some companions this year. I'm thinking of getting two more plants and I have to get at least one more if I want any of them to fruit well. In the fall, we're hoping to get a couple of fruit trees and next year, I want to start a strawberry/herb garden. The raspberry is 'Heritage Red' and the blueberry is 'Bluecrop'.
8. In the veggie garden, tomatoes: Roma (2 plants), cherry (1 plant in the garden and one in a container on the patio for Jonah), Mr. Stripey (1), Orange Blossom (1) and now I've gotten a free packet of 'Delicious' a beefsteak type. Peppers: cubanelle, Anaheim, poblano, Hungarian wax, Habenero, Jalapeno and a sweet Italian type called 'Carmen'. Melons, Squash, etc.: 'Fairy Tale' eggplant, 'Saffron' yellow squash (straight neck type), 'Zebra Zuke' zucchini, 'Picklebush' cucumber, 'Small Sugar' pumpkin, 'Bush Sugar Baby' watermelon, 'Honey Bun' cantaloupe, and 'Super Dew' honey dew melon. All of these are more compact hybrids that should work well in our small space. I also have a 'Sparkly Mix' marigold that I plan to intersperse with the veggies for a nice look and some organic pest control. Lettuces: mesclun mix, 'Great Lakes' iceberg and 'Buttercrunch' bibb. I'm probably only going to plant the bibb outside. It seemed to do really well last year and I liked it. It also was a good late season lettuce and would still grow even into July (though it got bitter towards the end of the month). The mesclun I'd like to do indoors and I don't really care to mess with the iceberg (didn't buy the seeds, they were given to me, so I don't feel too bad not using them). I'm contemplating running a soaker hose in the beds this year, or maybe a drip irrigation system instead of using a sprinkler.
9. In the front garden, what's there now: elephant ear caladiums, 'Golden Lights' azaleas, 'Green Flair' and 'Blue Frost' glads, blue and black bearded irises which haven't bloomed yet, mixed Siberian irises, black tulips, and lavender blue asters. Annuals I get every year: 'Envy' zinnias and 'Silver Tidal Wave' petunias. Adding to that: 'Sapphire Mix' and 'Peach Butterfly' impatiens and 'Profusion Apricot' border zinnias for the low growing borders. New perennials: 'Magic Fountains" delphinium which is a dwarf variety (2" tall) in blue, lavender and white, 'Mountain Bluet' bachelor's buttons/cornflower which are a not as dense and most cornflower and have an airy, frizzy look with cobalt blue petals and dark purple, almost black centers. To add height: 'Salmon Rose' zinnias (hoping they look as peach as they say) and 'Lavender Shades' Osteospermum (African daisy), since I can't seem to find a lavender zinnia anywhere these days (had one many years ago called 'Lavender Gem' but haven't seen it since, except on seed swap sites). I got a free packet of 'Radiance' cosmos which is rose with a crimson eye that might fit in the front bed as well, to add some feathery texture. It's more pink than I had planned to go, but I don't think it would be out of place. I'm replacing the canna I'm pulling out of this bed with a peach 'Tropical Sunrise' one.
10. I haven't planned container gardens yet, but I've got a bunch of portulaca seeds I harvested from last year's containers that I'll probably use. I managed to kill my snake plant/mother-in-law's tongue this winter in the garage, which I thought wasn't humanly possible. It actually got cold enough in there that lots of stuff froze and was killed off (including all but one of my succulents in the container garden). So, I guess I get to mostly start fresh with containers this year.
11. If we manage to get our deck built this year, I definitely want to set up my micro-irrigation system finally. I've had these systems for years now and have never used them. I've lost at least one plant per year from the hot sun on the patio and lack of water (usually when I go on vacation or something). If I had that set up, the timers would take care of it and I wouldn't have to worry about it.
12. I plan to move my two Bird of Paradise outside this year, at least for a little while. I'm trying to get them to bloom and they definitely need more sun for that. Plus, I'm hoping to be able to spray down all my indoor plants really well with pesticide to try to get rid of some spider mites and scale that I seem to really have problems with this time of year. So, the living room might look a little empty for a while, at least after the nights are consistently above 50 degrees. I might move a couple of the orchids out as well, since a couple of them could use an extra light boost in the summer (mostly the aspasia and the cymbidium, and possibly the dendrobium).
13. I've got to get something in my Aerogarden. It's been sitting idle since late summer. I might try getting some rockwool and starting my own seeds. Maybe I'll try the mesclun in there.
14. As far as herbs, I've got some old seed I'm going to try to sprout for just about anything I could possibly want and then some. I also got a free packet of a "Balcony Blend" of large and small leaved dwarf basil that I'll probably grow in a container. The container gardening for herbs seemed to work pretty well last year, so I'll do that again this year. But next year, I'd really like to dig a new bed for them to live permanently.
15. We're going with a living screen of I think Miscanthus grass (zebra grass) this year around the A/C units. The reed fence we put up last year looked good for the summer, but the string trimmer tore up the bottom of it quite a bit and it was a hassle to get back there if you needed to. Also, it was kind of flimsy because we used bamboo poles. Should have spent the extra money on the steel ones and cut it a bit shorter.
Well, that's a lengthy outline of this year's garden plans. I've got more detailed information on paper of course, but I like to put it here (can't link pictures on paper).
1. The rest of my seed orders came yesterday and the azaleas today (got azaleas in the ground before lunch). I've still got some canna bulbs that have yet to ship and that's the last of it.
2. I need to run to Lowe's at some point this week to get a bale of peat moss and a bag of pearlite to mix up some seed starting medium. The Bellevue Home Depot stopped carrying the cheap peat moss for some reason and only seems to have the expensive Miracle Grow stuff. Honestly, I don't trust Miracle Grow not to put fertilizer in their soil mixes and amendments, so I'd rather not go that route, despite the price.
3. I like the cheap seed starter flats I got from Jung better than my expensive one from Burpee (expensive because it came with a capillary mat and Jiffy pellets). They're more like typical flats, where you can pull apart the little 6 cell containers for easier planting. I'm pretty sure it was the capillary mat that caused problems for me last year anyway (had about 60 impatiens that damped off from too much moisture after several weeks of thriving). All of the plants in the two smaller flats I did without a mat were fine.
4. I need to add more soil to the veggie garden. It always settles over the winter. I was hoping to have compost to add to it this year, but I used most of the good stuff at the bottom of the heap on the dogwood we planted a couple of weeks ago. I'd love to get out there and get some lettuce started, but I need row covers for that. Add that to the shopping list today, I guess. I know I can get some from Burpee for $20, but if I can get them locally, I can get started sooner.
5. I'm doing another sunflower bed this year. I didn't get the seeds sewn early enough last year, nor did I put a lot of energy into it, so what I did sew didn't make it. I've got 4 varieties in 2 colors and 3 heights this time. I'm going to try to do successive sowings to try to extend the season as well. The hardest part of this garden is going to be fighting the weeds that like to creep in from the other side of the fence. I'm going to have to get back there and clear that jungle very soon, maybe this weekend.
6. As for the garden off the dining room (the red and yellow garden), what's already there: 'Tropicanna Black' cannas, 'Mandarin Lights' azaleas that I just put in this morning, 10 of what were called 'Flaming Meteor' glads which were supposed to be yellow throated and edged in red but came up as 9 cream throated with coral edges and one that was flat out fuchsia and I'm moving a 'Tropicanna Yellow' canna back there from the front garden. I'm adding: 'Bright Lights' cosmos, yellow and red giant dahlia flowered zinnas, 'Whirlibird Mix' nasturtium, and for a low border, 'Persian Carpet' Mexican zinnias. Last year, I let the cosmos take over and it just looked like a cloud of cosmos flanked by a couple of cannas in back and a couple of lantanas down in front. I'm going to try to isolate them toward the back of the bed this year and keep them a little more contained. It just looked messy last year.
7. I noticed yesterday that I've got new raspberry canes coming up as far as a 2' away from the main stalk. I'm going to have to either give it a larger growing space or keep it reined in. The blueberry kind of looks pitiful by comparison, but I hope to give it some companions this year. I'm thinking of getting two more plants and I have to get at least one more if I want any of them to fruit well. In the fall, we're hoping to get a couple of fruit trees and next year, I want to start a strawberry/herb garden. The raspberry is 'Heritage Red' and the blueberry is 'Bluecrop'.
8. In the veggie garden, tomatoes: Roma (2 plants), cherry (1 plant in the garden and one in a container on the patio for Jonah), Mr. Stripey (1), Orange Blossom (1) and now I've gotten a free packet of 'Delicious' a beefsteak type. Peppers: cubanelle, Anaheim, poblano, Hungarian wax, Habenero, Jalapeno and a sweet Italian type called 'Carmen'. Melons, Squash, etc.: 'Fairy Tale' eggplant, 'Saffron' yellow squash (straight neck type), 'Zebra Zuke' zucchini, 'Picklebush' cucumber, 'Small Sugar' pumpkin, 'Bush Sugar Baby' watermelon, 'Honey Bun' cantaloupe, and 'Super Dew' honey dew melon. All of these are more compact hybrids that should work well in our small space. I also have a 'Sparkly Mix' marigold that I plan to intersperse with the veggies for a nice look and some organic pest control. Lettuces: mesclun mix, 'Great Lakes' iceberg and 'Buttercrunch' bibb. I'm probably only going to plant the bibb outside. It seemed to do really well last year and I liked it. It also was a good late season lettuce and would still grow even into July (though it got bitter towards the end of the month). The mesclun I'd like to do indoors and I don't really care to mess with the iceberg (didn't buy the seeds, they were given to me, so I don't feel too bad not using them). I'm contemplating running a soaker hose in the beds this year, or maybe a drip irrigation system instead of using a sprinkler.
9. In the front garden, what's there now: elephant ear caladiums, 'Golden Lights' azaleas, 'Green Flair' and 'Blue Frost' glads, blue and black bearded irises which haven't bloomed yet, mixed Siberian irises, black tulips, and lavender blue asters. Annuals I get every year: 'Envy' zinnias and 'Silver Tidal Wave' petunias. Adding to that: 'Sapphire Mix' and 'Peach Butterfly' impatiens and 'Profusion Apricot' border zinnias for the low growing borders. New perennials: 'Magic Fountains" delphinium which is a dwarf variety (2" tall) in blue, lavender and white, 'Mountain Bluet' bachelor's buttons/cornflower which are a not as dense and most cornflower and have an airy, frizzy look with cobalt blue petals and dark purple, almost black centers. To add height: 'Salmon Rose' zinnias (hoping they look as peach as they say) and 'Lavender Shades' Osteospermum (African daisy), since I can't seem to find a lavender zinnia anywhere these days (had one many years ago called 'Lavender Gem' but haven't seen it since, except on seed swap sites). I got a free packet of 'Radiance' cosmos which is rose with a crimson eye that might fit in the front bed as well, to add some feathery texture. It's more pink than I had planned to go, but I don't think it would be out of place. I'm replacing the canna I'm pulling out of this bed with a peach 'Tropical Sunrise' one.
10. I haven't planned container gardens yet, but I've got a bunch of portulaca seeds I harvested from last year's containers that I'll probably use. I managed to kill my snake plant/mother-in-law's tongue this winter in the garage, which I thought wasn't humanly possible. It actually got cold enough in there that lots of stuff froze and was killed off (including all but one of my succulents in the container garden). So, I guess I get to mostly start fresh with containers this year.
11. If we manage to get our deck built this year, I definitely want to set up my micro-irrigation system finally. I've had these systems for years now and have never used them. I've lost at least one plant per year from the hot sun on the patio and lack of water (usually when I go on vacation or something). If I had that set up, the timers would take care of it and I wouldn't have to worry about it.
12. I plan to move my two Bird of Paradise outside this year, at least for a little while. I'm trying to get them to bloom and they definitely need more sun for that. Plus, I'm hoping to be able to spray down all my indoor plants really well with pesticide to try to get rid of some spider mites and scale that I seem to really have problems with this time of year. So, the living room might look a little empty for a while, at least after the nights are consistently above 50 degrees. I might move a couple of the orchids out as well, since a couple of them could use an extra light boost in the summer (mostly the aspasia and the cymbidium, and possibly the dendrobium).
13. I've got to get something in my Aerogarden. It's been sitting idle since late summer. I might try getting some rockwool and starting my own seeds. Maybe I'll try the mesclun in there.
14. As far as herbs, I've got some old seed I'm going to try to sprout for just about anything I could possibly want and then some. I also got a free packet of a "Balcony Blend" of large and small leaved dwarf basil that I'll probably grow in a container. The container gardening for herbs seemed to work pretty well last year, so I'll do that again this year. But next year, I'd really like to dig a new bed for them to live permanently.
15. We're going with a living screen of I think Miscanthus grass (zebra grass) this year around the A/C units. The reed fence we put up last year looked good for the summer, but the string trimmer tore up the bottom of it quite a bit and it was a hassle to get back there if you needed to. Also, it was kind of flimsy because we used bamboo poles. Should have spent the extra money on the steel ones and cut it a bit shorter.
Well, that's a lengthy outline of this year's garden plans. I've got more detailed information on paper of course, but I like to put it here (can't link pictures on paper).
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no subject
on 2009-03-18 11:24 pm (UTC)i'm aiming to get some rosemary, sage, and thyme out at the end of my walk, where there's a decent amount of sun, and i pass by there regularly, so i can pick them when i go to get the mail and whatnot.
not boring at all. makes me halfway wish i was unemployed, so i could really put some time into project mow-less.
no subject
on 2009-03-19 02:42 am (UTC)I'm cutting back on the number of tomato plants this year. I'm hoping that will give me more room for the melons and squash and well, I know what I like now, too. I say this every year, but I'm going to fertilize a LOT more. If I have to implement my "weakly weekly" rule I use with my heavy feeding houseplants, I will.
We haven't even scratched the surface on project mow-less. When we get the rest of the fence done, Chris wants me to set up gardens around the entire perimeter. It quickly becomes it's own full time job that actually costs you money instead of you earning some. I was a lot less busy when I worked full time, heh.
no subject
on 2009-03-19 11:37 am (UTC)i had decent luck putting some organics on as a top dressing every 2 or 3 weeks.
i'm trying to do 'mow-less' with perennials and self-sowing annuals, so i can be as lazy as i know i will be without the majority of the place totally going to pot.
well, i've always been busier when i didn't work full time. more time to fill in with stuff i wanted to do. i just need to figure out how to get paid to not do anything.
no subject
on 2009-03-19 12:08 pm (UTC)I did that last year with a mixture of blood meal, bone meal and guano. Maybe I didn't do it often enough. Maybe it was more like every 4 weeks.
Yeah, the beds I eventually do around the fence will definitely be landscape plants, perennials, ornamental grasses and bulbs. I'm not going to want to have to do anything but occasionally weed and maybe mulch once a year once I get them established.
When I figure out that pay without work thing, I'll let you know. ;) Guess that's what retirement is for.
no subject
on 2009-03-19 02:06 am (UTC)All my seed orders came in, but I haven't even opened the boxes. No point, as the ground is still awaiting the disc...
no subject
on 2009-03-19 02:47 am (UTC)