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Saturday, April 16, 2016

It's spring; we're on it

I introduced my gardeners to "no till" gardening today.
It's been four years since this project started, in officially terrible dirt.
A layer of topsoil was broadcast today. By hand! 
I think of how beautifully Hamilton swung the shovel for the same job.


 A layer of mulch on top.
We put all the pots in place.
We only need the nursery to stock our list of plants.
I did find butterfly weed today, and we planted four.
I need to look into milkweed.

Stand back spring and summer, we are ready.


I promised Pig his nasturtium next week.
I have a succulent I've named Pete Seeger.
Immediately to the left of the watermark a succulent has come up through the sidwalk.


We'll plant more anemone bulbs in the fall. 


Can't have too many anemones.


And here is number three from yesterday.
For the last two years we have no outdoor cat.
The chipmunk population has grown exponentially.
I no longer stalk them.
They stare me down.
One more step and I could have touched this fellow.
Bold as brass.


I turned and went in the house.
If we do wind up on a first name basis, I'll call him Rocky.




32 comments:

  1. Your blooms are very pretty. And I think Rocky is as cute as can be.

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  2. Hari OM
    Oh I'sa already in love with Rocky - add him to the list of peeps to meet!!! My but it does look promising over your way. We had a fall of snow again today. Sigh... YAM xx

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  3. It is nice to get your hands in the dirt again after a long winter. Rocky's a cutie!

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  4. chipmunks are the only thing I would like about living in the north. we don't have them down here.

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  5. Love the chipmunk and the flowers.

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  6. Your garden fills me with shame. Mine never looks that tidy. And we have some anenomies (and ranuluclas) up already. Before winter starts.

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  7. I've heard of no till gardening. They are encouraging it in OK in light of the wind here. How are the results? I can't convince my husband.

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    Replies
    1. I think good will come of it. I've read great stories of no toll raised bed gardens where you just add a new layer of soil and straw at the end of the year and plant more tomatoes next spring.
      For me, it's a matter of improving soil that we did not ameliorate first. The whole front flower bed is where the builders put the back fill from building the drive way. More rocks than dirt. I have some pretty tough plants out there.

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    2. Joanne, you are a whirling dervish I think. I did a lasagna garden once and it worked wonderfully, but I don't think it is the same theory as no till. Good luck. Love that your girls are helping. My kids blame me for not liking to garden, and yet I see them planting things.

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  8. Those anemones are gorgeous. Wish I'd planted some this year.

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  9. It is quite the project to get ready for spring and summer. I love the ground squirrel picture! They are bold, for sure

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  10. My tiller is Drummy trouble is she not always tiling in the right place, I put vegie scraps in the places I want her to till, works most of the time
    Are the anemones hard to grow.
    Merle............

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    Replies
    1. They're bulbs. Plant them in the fall and in spring, there they are. I planted these a couple of years ago.

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  11. I plant bulbs all year round. Definitely time for an outdoor cat.

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  12. Always enjoy seeing the work of your gardening efforts! All are so pretty as things come into bloom.

    betty

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  13. Laptop's at Staples.... Using the IPad... Oh well... BUT... We'll be in SE Ohio all summer and you mentioning your pig AND nasturtiums made me realize I can plant some and actually see them bloom this summer... And smell their aroma. You are my inspiration in so many ways.... We're still a month away from no-frost nights, but your raised beds give me hope.... I bet I can raise some nasturtiums in 5 gallon buckets. Do you eat the flowers?

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  14. So exciting. This is the best time of the year.

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  15. I know they're pests, but that chipmunk is a cutie-pie.
    You're garden is going to be beautiful when in full flower.
    I like the idea of no-till gardening, I tried it once myself in a house we had to move away from. I'm sure the next tenants appreciated it.
    Butterfly weed?

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    Replies
    1. Queen Ann's lace we called it when I was a child. It grew wild in the fields. Tiny black dot in the center. The stuff that looked the same but with no dot is a completely different plant. No idea what it is.

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  16. Your garden will be butterfly haven. Chipmunk Rocky? I would not trust him.

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  17. Despite the late arrival of your warmer weather you are far ahead of me as far as preparing the garden. Of course you have built in helpers;-) Happy Spring!

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  18. We had a chipmunk that would come up on our front porch when we lived in Minnesota. My crazy husband caught him and tried to make a pet out of him ....they bite! Men have to learn by experience.

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  19. That's such a cute chipmunk. We don't have them here in Hawaii.

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  20. We brought in dirt for our raised beds...and it came full of weed seed. We're still attacking new growth of unwanted plants three years down the road. This year, since we're traveling, we won't plant until we get home at the end of May. We'll have to buy those expensive half-grown plants at the nursery to get a crop. Your graden is looking nice.

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  21. Such a lovely time and year, I am rather missing the spring tidy up and all my previous bulbs and plant so it's nice to share yours.

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  22. Such a lovely time and year, I am rather missing the spring tidy up and all my previous bulbs and plant so it's nice to share yours.

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  23. Chipmunks are very cute. I hope they are not as destructive as the squirrels. Pete Seeger succulent? How fun is that.

    Always nice when you can put in the garden. And, yes, to more anenomes.

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  24. So productive - those girls are learning such a variety of life skills from you. It will stay with them for the rest of their lives and they'll thank you over and over (in their hearts, and hopefully with words now and then).

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