GARDEN REPORT 23.04.15
Spring has burst forth and is sprinting towards Summer -- a relay race of the Seasons is in full GO mode.
The hot beds shrinkage is amazing. I have never had a compost pile work and drop so fast. Simply amazing as it is reduced to half its original size in a month.
Seeding (pots and plots): yellow pear toms, German heirloom tom Riesentraube, sweet cherry peppers, some small sugar pumpkins, courgette/zucs called black beauties, tagetes, Sophia marigolds; scarlet globe radish, deer tongue lettuce, prizehead lettuce,dill, dutch corn salade, Jericho lettuce, roman chamomile; and in little poppers under a dome I thought I would try to grow some rhubarb from seed.
Vermiculture bins are producing well. Every garden should have a little worm farm on the back stoop.
Hens are older, a little less in the egg production but there is usually an egg a day, some times three but usually average two a day. We have enough eggs for what we are eating right now plus enough to share with an elder every other week by gifting a dozen. They produced some very fine material for the hot beds (soiled coop fir shavings and soiled meadow grass/wheat straw from aviary floor). The grass is coming off in the front garden so they are happy to have a more steady supply of fresh greens (instead of our left overs, alfalfa pellets or tips off the walking kale).
Flowers are starting with forget-me-nots, coral bells, camellias, tulips, Hyacinth, scillia, yellow pompom thingies = Kerria Japonica Pleniflora , vincas, violets, calendula (orange ones), calla lilies, some of the potted geraniums (but they be sad). Strangely enough (or not) the roses are still quiet ... I did give them a great pruning so there is new growth. I purchased some harebell and poppy seeds I want to plant for my brother. He lives far away but we exchange flower photos through emails.
The fruit trees are about middling of their bloom cycle. I haven’t seen too many bees in the back but the rosemary hedge out front is alive with buzzing buddies. They just love that rosemary hedge. It is long blooming so I know they appreciate it. I’m hoping by the time the raspberries start blooming that someone -- honey bee or bumble bee or any pollinator at this point (!) shows up. The yellow rasp are looking mighty good but the tays and red rasp, not so much. Its time to rejuvenate those beds.
I did move the artichokes out of the main bed in the veg patch and put them over by the chicken coop. They just take up too much prime space for what they produce.
Hoping in the coming weeks to move out the potted roses for the rose tunnel out at Kat’s and that will give me back my walk way.
Planning on battling the bamboo or in reality, finding someone who will be my champion and take on slaying my foe. Do not put bamboo in the garden, straight in the ground! Even clumping bamboo runs! I don’t know what the previous owners were thinking (not) ...
