Working on the flower garden

[wordwiz]

"She who must be kept happy" has not been carping at me to do anything but I know if I wait much longer, she will not want me destroying flowers even if it means a large improvement in the future. So today I framed her spot of ground - the front is 22' wide by 52" deep. Used my "dead dirt" from the pile to fill in the six-eight inches tall by whatever inches wide to make it all level. But I did add some (Miracle Grow Garden Soil) to it to help it hold water. In a couple of weeks, after the soil has a chance to compact, I'll add another four inches of top soil and compost and maybe a bit of peat and try to mix it all together. Buried the Angels Trumpet container about 10" deep which along with flowers on the sides and a fountain in the front of it, should mitigate the sun drying out the dirt in a day's time this summer.

Another fun project to occupy my time!

Mike

 

[Sorellina]

Ciao Mike-

Sure feels good to be outside, though, doesn't it? I escaped the petting zoo today to get my peas planted. I sowed a double row of sugar snaps, and a double row of mammoth melting sugar snow peas in front of that. The sugar snaps will get 10 ft tall and the snow peas about 6 ft. Once the snow peas come up, I have some purple and golden podded ones to put here and there just for colour. I grew the purple podded ones last year and they're ok if you harvest them early at the small snow pea stage. We'll see how the golden ones do, it's my first year growing them.

As for flowers, I have several annuals started downstairs and I got some black/white daylilies at a garden show this year, so I'm getting excited about the perennials as well.

I'm sure your wife will appreciate your hard work. I know there's no way I'd have my beautiful garden without all the testosterone my husband provides!

 

[wordwiz]

Sorellina,

I take it the Sugar Snaps taste great when harvested? Our family is not a huge fan of peas, but I use them in soup all the time. How long do the plants take to mature and what kind of soil do they need? I have a trellis already in the ground, but it is in the area where (hopefully) my greenhouse will be, and I want the framework done by August. If they are a 90 day plant, they will work for me.

Except for corn, which I may get from markets and then preserve, I don't want to have to buy a single veggie from the store again.

Mike

 

[Sorellina]

Ciao Mike-

Oh yeah, they'll be done by August. They're a Spring crop. I forget your location, but if I'm planting mine now, just about anyone can plant theirs. Potawie and me, we're like last to get stuff going behind everyone else.

PS One of the kittens we named Michael, after the Archangel. Here he is looking big and tough.

 

[wordwiz]

Sorellina,

He has some huge paws for his size.

I have a couple packets of Alaska Peas - it was the only type of pea the store had. They were selling 30 packets of seeds for 59¢. I'll try to get some Sugar Snaps also, once I mow my wheat and get the soil ready!

Mike

 

[wordwiz]

I spent what time I had yesterday watering tomatoes, peppers and basil, then working in Linda's garden. Transplanted a dozen Giant Cockscombs, dug out a big hole for her fountain's reservoir, and then fixed up a spot to sow some Evening Primrose, Double Bloom Azaleas and two types of Peony Poppies. Had to dry and pulverize dirt, put it in a quart jar with holes drilled in the lid, and add all the flower seeds. We mixed and shook it last night for about an hour and I sowed it this morning before the winds picked up.

Looking around, I found if I am willing to sacrifice two feet in length and nine inches in height, I can save $135 on the cost of a storage shed. I figure a 10x12' is probably more than what I need - if I don't count some lumber I have stored for more than 20 years, a 10x6' would probably be plenty of room. This would mean I need to sell only $275 in plants this Saturday and I have about $900 worth ready. I could pot up another 48 basil plants but I have 24 ea. of Genovese and Thai plus I can probably scrape up 50 or so peppers and toms but I would just as soon let them grow a bit more and sell them the following week.

In all honesty, I'll be thrilled to sell 100 plants this weekend.

Mike