Saturday, March 10, 2012

Great Day in the Garden!


It's been a beautiful day here at Chickadee Garden -- to have a Saturday in Spring that is warm, not raining, and not taken up by chauffeuring children around town, and with no other obligations, is rare indeed!


I've spent the bulk of the day working in the vegetable garden, weeding and hoeing up little areas to slip in some radish, pak choy, beet, sugar snap peas and lettuce seeds -- tucking them in edges around the peripheries of the beds so that the center areas can be planted with tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc. later in the season.

Got the herb garden all weeded and it appears to need some serious rehabilitation.  We're heading to Lowe's tonight for a number of things, so maybe I'll throw in some top soil.  I think my thyme has played out after 14 years of growth there, and the chives appear MIA also.  There's a bit of tarragon in the lopsided pot, and some Mexican Sage (ornamental) at the base of the center pole.  I need to reset the plates for the edging.


The blueberry bushes around the herb garden are in full bloom, as is my peach tree.  We are a good 5 weeks from our official last frost date.  If the lows so much as nudge 32 degrees when the peach is in full bloom, that will be it for any fruit this year (not that WE have ever picked a ripe peach, but the squirrels would be very sad I think).


The fig tree actually has baby figs on it.

Back over at the Salad Table, where the salad greens are growing v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, I had been pondering how to keep intrepid garden cat Ophelia from plopping herself in the middle of the plants, where she has taken to sleeping.  I had put on some spare chicken wire and a sideways tomato cage, but I found her in the cage snoozing the other day!  I found the solution here -- plastic forks.  The tines deter the cats!  My husband asked if the forks were for when the salad is ready to eat from the Salad Table.


You can see some painting progress on the side of the house here (my husband's outdoor activity for the day, and the redbud tree in full bloom outside the kitchen window.


This redbud is in the front yard.  The flowers emerge directly from the bark of the tree, all along the branches.


A very good day at home.

Linking to Show off Your Cottage MondayTuesday Garden PartyFarmgirl Friday

6 comments:

Clint Baker said...

Looks like you had a fun day! I did the same thing all day. My neighbor and I did take time to bring in 2 trailer full of horse manure yesterday as well.

Suffia said...

Your garden is looking great. It's really nice to be back in the garden again.

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

I know you enjoyed your day in your garden! I was out Saturday weeding. I have a few fruit trees that have blossoms and they too are way early!

learningtable said...

The salad table is great. Everything looks like its off to a nice start!
:)

Beth said...

Love your little chickadee - looks like Spring is making itself known in your part of the world!

Athena at Minerva's Garden said...

I love the idea of using plates as edging for a garden bed--what a great way to reuse plates that might have chips or little blemishes on them! And I like the forks in the bed--those cats are pretty smart.