“The earth neither grows old or wears out if it is dunged.”
Yesterday was summer. It was a sandals and short-sleeve day. I had my bedroom window open and woke up to the sounds of leaf blowers. I could hear people talking and birds singing to the morning. The silence and sense of isolation which winter always brings is gone, at least for now. Today is supposed to be just like yesterday, but the weatherman says the temperature will plummet this weekend. The forecast in today’s local paper for the weekend predicts nights in the 30’s and days in the high 40’s, typical weather for spring on Cape Cod, but we have been spoiled.
I ordered flowers from a catalog yesterday. They’ll be here at planting time for my weather zone. They are flowers I would never have thought of buying except my friend Christer had given me a list, and that’s what I used. He knows flowers and plants, and the pictures on his blog of everything he finds on his walks and what he has planted in his garden always makes me a bit jealous. I was proud of my front garden last year though I knew only the names of a couple of the flowers. That won’t change. Flowers are defined by color for me.
I am going to have a vegetable garden this year. I’ve had an herb garden for years, but I thought I’d branch out, so to speak. I’ve always thought just below the deck would be the perfect spot for a small garden. My landscaper is going to use railroad ties for the boundary and right now he is dumping loam which he’ll mix with cow manure. I’ll have tomatoes and one other vegetable. I thought about zucchini but planting it is akin to having a pair of rabbits. Two rabbits quickly become many, and, like the rabbits, zucchini seems to replicate itself. Anyone who grows it is always trying to give it away. Besides, the only way I like zucchini is in a sweet bread. The cooked vegetable always seems a bit boring to me.
Gracie has been out all morning, and I think it’s time to join her. It is amazing that this is the second deck day in a row!
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March 22, 2012 at 11:49 am
On this sunny and warm spring-afternoon i just planted 3 roses.
I tried vegetable-sowing some years ago, but the results were
very poor and we had lots of snails. Only the garlic survived
and sometimes I bury potatoes, which are too old to eat…
But we have apples, cherries and different berries.
I like lazy gardening and fresh fruit in the morning 🙂
March 22, 2012 at 3:43 pm
Birgit,
It is still too early to plant here. May is when most of it is done even with this warm a winter.
I have flower pots with herbs on my deck as well as the herbs in my garden. I found basil grows far better in the garden though I do put a plant or two in the pots. I also put some annuals in pots along the back rail of the deck for a bit of color.
I have white wild roses which grow in front. They bloom early and then stay green.
March 22, 2012 at 12:12 pm
I recommend beans and peas. Peas you could plant now, and then when they’ve passed you could plant the tomatoes in the same spot. (Peas put nitrogen into soil, whereas tomatoes tend to deplete soil of it.) And beans are a nice, low-maintenance plant.
March 22, 2012 at 3:46 pm
sprite,
I love the peas idea. I am not a lover of beans but I do love peas. I’ll have to get a seedling grower at the plant store and start them in here then plant outside when the garden is finished.
I didn’t know about the tomatoes and the soil. Thanks for the tip!
March 22, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I’m sitting on a patio, there is a light breeze as I watch the small boats chasing whales in the Sea of Cortez. Life is good
March 22, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Ny Dear Hedley,
I have come to see life as nothing short of glorious.
March 22, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Not that warm here but it is without a jacket day 🙂 Or was because the sun is gone and now its getting colder again. They say it will be warm tomorrow but after that temperatures will drop again, but we’ll have sunny weather anyway 🙂
It will be interesting to see what flowers You have bought 🙂 I forgot those annuals, I’ll send You a mail later if I still can get out on the internet, something is wrong (and it isn’t my computer thankfully 🙂 ) so I can only stay for some minutes and then it can take up to ten minutes to get any connection again.
Yes zucchinis are awful that way and it just so many ways to use it 🙂 🙂 🙂 But I’ll have one or two plants this summer and if I can build that green house I’ve been planning for years 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’ll also have tomatoes. Perhaps I’ll grow some potatoes in big pots but that’s it I think.
Have a great day!
Christer.
March 22, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Christer,
It is 64° right now. I am in long sleeves today but no jacket either.
Thanks for sending the list of annuals. I printed it and will take it with me to the garden store when they open. Annuals are much less expensive so I can buy more of them than I do the perrenials.
I’m excited about having the small garden. The loam is sitting close to where the garden will be. It was a huge pile but Gracie has been digging in it, and she has flung it about. Gracie loves to dog.
March 22, 2012 at 5:18 pm
My asparagus did well next to three rows of tomatoes. They don’t do well here in Florida. I am challenged by Christer as well. We have a few of his recommendations in the third bay of the garage waiting for some sign of life. I think we’ll have enough flowers to make a complete bed in the front right side courtyard. Otherwise it’s back to Lowes.
March 22, 2012 at 9:13 pm
Z&Me,
Asparagus used to be a big crop here on the cape in the olden days. The sandy soil is ideal. I don’t know why it isn;t grown more now.
I have several plants recommended by him coming for the planting season. They’ll go in the front where plants seem to do well.
March 22, 2012 at 6:26 pm
There is nothing like a home grown vine ripened tomato. I don’ have the skill nor the time to grow them myself. At one time I worked with a company that had a hanger at the airport with a small flower bed in the front. One of the pilots decided to plant a few tomato plants in the bed. The tomatoes that we harvested were wonderful but we had to share them with the insects. The worms eat over half of the small crop.
Today was windy, cool and cloudy. Springtime in Texas is beautifully dangerous. Warm and sunny, followed by huge stories and lot’s of rain.
March 22, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Bob,
They come ripe here in August, and you are so right about home grown tomatoes. I have grown them for the last few years. One year I was away for a week. Someone was staying here with the dog and cats. I got home and went out to water my tomatoes. Not one was left. Something had stolen everone of them. I was devastated.
We don’t generally have a spring here on the cape. We usually jump right into summer.
March 22, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Be careful using railroad ties for your garden. It is ok if you will not be eating or maybe even touching the soil in contact with the ties. It is the preservative in the ties which are extremely bad. Check it out first.
March 22, 2012 at 9:27 pm
Pat,
I called them railroad ties, but they are really garden ties which are light brown and rounded. They are sold in garden shops.
Thanks for the warning though!
March 22, 2012 at 8:56 pm
OH- I don’t mean eating the soil- 😉 – I did mean eating the veggies or whatever is grown near the ties!!
March 22, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Oh, Pat
I knew exactly what you meant. I havtn’t eaten soil for years now!