Yard Attack
When you spend as much time in the yard as I do, it’s frustrating when your efforts are foiled by invaders.
Invader #1: Slugs. These guys target the hostas in my flower garden, and the basil in my herb garden. I’d heard the cup-of-beer trick, but since I didn’t have any skunky beer hanging around, I opted for my own brew with a recipe from The Art of Doing Stuff. I now keep a bottle of Slug Chug in the greenhouse and refresh the cups a couple times a week.
Invader #2: Lawn Fungus. Several lawns in the neighborhood have been affected. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but it turns the lawn a fairly vibrant shade of yellow. Just a few days after applying Scott’s DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide at the curative rate, my strip of side yard seems to be going back to normal. At least it’s not bright yellow. Or spreading.
Invader #3: Rodents. I’m not sure which variety… moles or voles or chipmunks… but someone has been eating the bark off my wisteria tree. It has been completely girdled, which means certain death unless I can perform some surgical miracles. I’m attempting to learn how to graft a bridge that will allow nutrients to cross over the barkless area. I guess we’ll find out next spring if I’ve been successful.
Spring Seeding
Time to try out the new greenhouse! My first wave of seeds had to grow inside given that the greenhouse is not heated. But it wasn’t long before I could harden off my little baby plants and allow them to overnight in the greenhouse with heated plant mats. We had an exceptionally soggy spring, so I planted greens in seed trays too… next year I’m hoping to direct sow.
Edible Garden
Growing a colorful plate of vegetables.
Between the vegetable garden and herb garden, my plate is very colorful.
Oregano
Squash blossoms
Kale
Herb Garden
I tore out the gangly bush, transplanted the hosta, and pulled apart the rock pile to make a terraced herb garden.
I tore out the gangly bush, transplanted the hosta, and pulled apart the rock pile to make a terraced herb garden.
Before
During
After
Cutting back gives me more than I could possibly use in one meal, so I wash, dry, and freeze my herbs into teaspoon-sized oil cubes ready to toss into the pan for cooking.
