Good News!

April Fool's!!!  hah! Gotcha.  I'm really just here to grumble a bit.. lucky you!

I have planned my 'dream garden'.  I've drawn out scribbley sketches.  It looks gorgeous and lush in my mind.   I have NO problems in the planning department!!  It's just the implementation department that seems to be having some kinks.. I finally realized that it's really not feasible to try to do EVERYTHING.  ALL AT ONCE.  That I really just need to choose one area at a time and prioritize, break it down into tasks that aren't so overwhelming to me that I'd rather sit and read garden blogs than feel that 'I'm already so incredibly behind feeling'!

I also read something this week.. and it said that when you plan too much, too soon, it eventually becomes a burden instead of a joy.  I've been feeling this way lately so it's time to start making some to-do lists that I can actually follow through on.  If I get a bit behind.. so be it!

But first, some ranting must be done!

Remember how proud I was of the nice lush brown dirt that was found in the back veggie beds?  We'd dug it down about 6" and turned it over and fluffed it up all pretty... I got on my knees and picked out weed seedlings by hand and we pulled roots out that were in the bottom that were over 2ft long!  Well, I went back there yesterday and was floored to see hundreds if not thousands more weeds popping up out of every nook and cranny.  Now THAT is frustrating!   I guess when we finished the initial work that maybe we should have covered the beds or something?  Now that I think of it.. 'cover crops' does ring a bell..  But I never quite understood just HOW that whole process works.  For instance, clover.  I've read it's great as a cover crop and that you just seed it, let it grow, and turn it over when you're ready to plant the REAL plants in the bed.  But I'm assuming you have to know the exact time frame in order to avoid the clover going to seed and making the whole process null and void.  Right?  So.  What do I do now?  I can't afford to top it off with new soil.  Do we just dig it up again?  Should I seed a cover crop at this point?  (These are the beds for squash, zucchini, melons and the like.)  Help!

The pallets that I hoped to obtain to make a fence around the veggie patch (mainly to keep the dogs OUT) were tossed in a big trash truck the day before I was planning to stop by and ask if I could have them.  argh!

The OTHER pile of pallets I'd spotted also were MIA when I finally made space to put some in my vehicle..

The purple perilla has started popping up by the millions.  You think I'm kidding?  EVERYWHERE in the back area near the veggie patch.  Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous, but it reseeds relentlessly!!  I'm not even sure if it's really edible or not.. I'm too chicken to try some and see!

The 'sticker' bushes are popping up all over the place in the back yard, side yard.. Each one you dig up turns out to be attached to 2ft long suckers underground that lead to the next.  And the next. And the next!

Poison Ivy is spreading towards my fence on both sides!  It grows in both of the neighbors' back yards and they don't do a thing about it.  I've tried straight vinegar spray.  Boiling water.  Salted water.  Even alcohol.  (ok so maybe that was for me..) The only thing that seems to nip it is the commercial brush killer and that stuff ain't cheap!

Privet.  The bush that never stops giving.  Need I say more?

Gooseneck Loosestrife.  oh. my. goodness.  This one has to be tied up for the #1 Nemesis spot.  It's in the front flower bed and the side yard bed.  I spent several days last year digging that bed to pieces trying to pull that stuff out.  It shoots out in underground runners like you would not believe.  All it takes is one tiny piece to be left and BOOM!  Before you know it it's spread all throughout the bed all over again.. This is on my to-do list for this weekend before all the perennials start leafing out and getting fuller.

English Ivy.  It's trying to take over the world.  I just know it!  I try to keep it controlled but the whole other side yard is filled with it and it has grown up every tree there is.  I tried pulling it down and the vines just break  and you end up with a nice clean tree at the bottom and just above my height, a big fluffy ivy blob (that I swear is smiling and, if it could talk, would be yelling 'nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!  Can't get meeeee!')

Monkey Grass.  Such a hussy.  Always spreading itself all around!

Pine cones.  Seriously.  What can you do with them?  There's tons in the back yard.  They don't burn.  They seem to take years to decompose.  Well, the dogs do like to gnaw on them when they're bored.. I guess that's useful...Right?

Sandy soil in all the wrong places.  The front yard is so hard that we can't even dig a hole in it.  We've all tried.  (Big burly guy - the MAN, strapping muscular 17yr old know it all - wild child, and disgruntled gardener- that'd be me).   'nuff said.

Planting schedule.  If I could only figure out how to stop time until I could catch up.  Not too much to ask I don't think!

Slugs.  Don't even get me started on those nasty buggars!  I think I might finally try the slugg-o stuff.  I'm also going to try some crushed egg shells in the pots that I know they will go after first.  Hopefully that will help.  Is slugg-o harmful to cats?  I need to do some more research on that one...

Seaweed.  No, I don't have a problem with too much of it.. it's about a 10hour drive to even see the coast.  I just wish I could find some local source that sells it cheap.  You'd think the stuff was gold or something.  Well, I guess to a gardener it just might be.

Now let's do a complete 180 and find some good stuff to rant about.

I responded to a Gardenweb offer for strawberry plants and received those today.  A total of 37 healthy plants (unknown variety) but healthy plants!  All just for the cost of postage.  I don't know where in the world they are going to end up so for now they will just go into various pots til a bed can be made up for them.  I do hope they produce this year for us.  I've never grown my own strawberries before and I am excited at the prospect of some homemade strawberry jam!

I responded to another offer and received some mixed spiderwort varieties for the cost of postage as well.  These grew wild at my old house and I always loved the tiny flowers.  They don't seem to spread like crazy here as they do in other areas. (side story - I had opened the box and put it behind me while I was homeschooling my daughter.. then I heard a strange noise.. turned around and Gally, my bunny was munching down on those plants like it was an entree' that I'd laid out just for him!  Rascally Rabbit!)

Over the last 2 weeks I have been busy winter-sowing (altho now, technically, it's spring sowing but with the same 2 liter bottle technique!).  I seeded around 96 containers with various perennials.  Lots were from seed received in trade that you never really know if they're good or not til you sow them.  But today I saw sprouts in about 15 containers!  woo-hoo!  I still have about 100 containers left to seed..(likely lots more) and then I'm also going to be starting my tomatoes and peppers this week.

I sowed my peas about a week ago.  They haven't popped out yet, but I dug one out (I couldn't help but look!!) and it's nice and fat and swollen so I guess that's a good sign!

My asparagus is shooting shoots (ha!) up left and right!  :)  This is only year #2.  We'll have to hold off til at least next year before we can get a harvest out of it.  I'm also starting another variety this year from seed.  yum!

All the perennials that I salvaged from the marked down tables at the big box stores last year are coming back strong and lush.  All they needed was a little love!

My Cajun Hibiscus is supposed to be delivered next week.  Along with some Echinaceas I ordered over the winter.  I can hardly wait!!

I guess I just needed to rant a bit to be able to find the GOOD things to focus on again.  There's always going to be garden nemesis (nemesis'es.. nemeses - I seriously had to go to dictionary.com for the plural spelling of that one!) for all of us.  The trick is to learn how to beat them.. or at least keep them contained to the neighbor's yard!

What are you waging battles with this year?

Happy Gardening!

Aphids already starting in on my lovely Clematis :(

Leaves.  STILL.  my whole side yard looks about like this..

Super messy Bed.. Daffs at the end of their show... Iris, daylilies , LEAVES and a takeover attempt by the Monkeys of the Grass World!

More monkey grass takeovers.. and my son's NEWER, NEW truck!  He went from a raised mudding truck to a lowered sleek style.  He's SO cool. :)

MORE monkey grass .. umm.. anybody want any??? 

OTHER side yard.. which is filled with leaves, wild azaleas, daffodils and ivy that is intent on taking over the world.

Privet invasion in side yard bed.  The orange daylilies are joining in as well.

MORE privet.  MORE leaves...

Stinky pond water.   THIS is what was poured on me last week.  ugh!  And now it's not draining!!  :(

Gooseneck Loosestrife... back again.... 

My LOVELY hard as a brick, sandy, nearly grassless front yard.  Any suggestions??  I'm thinking cover it all up with raised beds!!  :)

Front flower bed.  Weeds.  Perennials popping back up.  and the annual explosion of wild violets.  If you just keep looking.. you can always find something that will make you smile.

Another wild violet that sprang up in my Strawberry Begonia pot

Yes, more pretty little violets

Wild violet that sprung up in the next lettuce bed that I'll be working on.. I don't think I can bring myself to yank it out tho!  

Unknown ??  Comes up every year in my Sage pot.  It sprouts this one big leaf that curls down.  It never does anything else.  No flower.  No other leaves.  Then it withers away when the heat comes out.  Anyone know what this could be?

Calycanthus Sweet Shrub and more ivy..

My one and only lonely little Grape Hyacinth Muscari.  Every year I hope that it has seeded more but nope, it's always this one lonely little guy!  

Mom's blue vinca in front of the rock wall she built years ago.

Crazy Japanese Maple seedling that has sprung up UNDER the porch steps... I'm going to try very hard to move it without damaging it.  It's much lacier than it's parent tree that's about 3ft away.  I hope I can get it replanted in a better spot.

Lovely dogwood blooms!

Cercis aka Redbud Tree blooms.  This tree is actually overshadowed by a HUGE oak and it's blooms are sparse.  But I just can't bring myself to cut it down when I see these pretty little blooms every spring.

Halfway up my Redbud tree... It's gone hollow!!  I wonder if I can plant a flower in here?...  (Does anyone else see the face inside the hole?  or am I the only crazy one? lol  It looks like a face that's looking downward inside the tree..)

Bridal Wreath Spirea.  GORGEOUS in the moonlight.  I love it's crazy unkempt form.  My neighbor says it looks alien.  I decided to take that as a compliment!  

Close up of each tiny bloom on the spirea.  They all look like miniature rosebuds.

Enjoy yourselves this weekend !  Gotta go!  Lots of work to be done!!