I'm itching to get out side, it's about 40F, a grey and windy day. But ... the snow is almost gone - a couple crusty patches in the shady areas still stubbornly cling to existence, but there are signs of life.
Last year I didn't clean out the peony bed until April 10th, so I feel good about being ahead of schedule.
Here's where we start, Notice I don't use the hoops, as this bed grows almost as a hedge and in this bed hoops don't work well. The wire fencing works very well, supports the plants and disappears once the plants get going.
Lift off the screening, cut off the stalks, and rake it out. Some of the plants are already starting to come up.
Put the screens back up. What an improvement!
Cleaned out the rest of the bed, back to the fence. In one spot, where last year I had geraniums, I decided to plant some False Indigo. The soil is gorgeous.
I got the seeds from accomplished blogger, author, and all around great human being Shawna Coronado. These seeds are way cool. They were once used to make baby rattles.
Split open, they look prehistoric. Hopefully they will sprout and in a year will bloom.
I poked around a little bit, the crocuses are sprouting.
Tulips are thrusting up through the lawn.
The sedum "Hens and Chicks" wintered well.
But there. in the bed, a vole hole.
We'll deal with that another day.
Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!
The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
Last year I didn't clean out the peony bed until April 10th, so I feel good about being ahead of schedule.
Here's where we start, Notice I don't use the hoops, as this bed grows almost as a hedge and in this bed hoops don't work well. The wire fencing works very well, supports the plants and disappears once the plants get going.
Lift off the screening, cut off the stalks, and rake it out. Some of the plants are already starting to come up.
Put the screens back up. What an improvement!
Cleaned out the rest of the bed, back to the fence. In one spot, where last year I had geraniums, I decided to plant some False Indigo. The soil is gorgeous.
I got the seeds from accomplished blogger, author, and all around great human being Shawna Coronado. These seeds are way cool. They were once used to make baby rattles.
Split open, they look prehistoric. Hopefully they will sprout and in a year will bloom.
I poked around a little bit, the crocuses are sprouting.
Tulips are thrusting up through the lawn.
The sedum "Hens and Chicks" wintered well.
But there. in the bed, a vole hole.
We'll deal with that another day.
Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!
The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener
Good work, great to see the new spring growth emerging. Voles are cool..
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that getting an unglamorous but necessary task done gives you a very self-satisfied feeling!
ReplyDeleteLooks like your bulbs are about a month behind ours...
Thanks Anonymous, it is heartening to see the growth.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark, it felt very good to get out in the fresh air. As I said in the post, I did this task last year on April 10, and the tulips and daffodils were in bloom. Glad to be ahead of schedule.
ReplyDeletehappy spring David - great to see the new sproutings in your garden. cheers, catmint
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you stop by catmint! I guess it's autumn for you right?
ReplyDelete