Off to the Island

I’ll be off for 10 days to the land of fire and ice. Many things planted today ahead of the rain. Check the calendar on the right of the blog if interested. More to post on my return after memorial day. Must finish packing

Hops Up- Atomic Ants down and a Good Day of Planting

Today’s tale from the garden has me weeding the chard and preparing a box for the basil and cilantro (a waste of my time- but more on that later).  As I am turning the soil, suddenly ants appear everywhere. With scant memories of old drive–in movies I brush the ants away to find that they are everywhere in this bed! In the image you can see that I have other challenges in this bed as well- clover and mint to say the least. But, the ants were a total surprise. Not wanting to use any chemicals (as if they would be effective anyway) in my vegetables I am faced with a dilemma, how then shall I remove the ants?  I gave some thought to digging in and finding the queen but was fairly certain that it would destroy my chard crop. In the end I decided that ants do not eat chard and that perhaps we can share the box until fall. Having said that, please let me know if you have ways to eliminate them that do not involve poisonous materials or nuclear weapons (as were used in the drive-in movie).

Sweet basil is a great crop in my northern garden but cilantro is quite iffy. Once the tremendous heat and humidity of summer begins they bolt like wild things. I can get quite a crop of coriander seeds, but the greens I covet are few and far between. Nonetheless, the basil is delicious and plentiful wherever I place it in the garden. Here’s a link to a curious blogger I came across with some basil love and a much more interesting life than mine.

It was a good day for planting. The soil is moist but easily worked and the process seemed to go quickly. Basil, cilantro, tomatoes, peppers in today. Perhaps beans and cukes tomorrow, the weather seems to be heading for a warming tread. About 50% of the garden in at this time. Must scramble before I’m off to Iceland at the end of next week.

First warm weather crops in the soil

The Pulpit Emerges

Rushed around the garden after dinner tonight to get some plant sets in while there was time. The soil is still a bit cool so these might be long shots but I will be out of town for awhile soon and if I don’t get them in now they may have to wait for June. Managed to plant a row of assorted peppers and some tomatoes before dark

The peppers have to be protected from the tiny bunnies that make it through the fence and the occasional curious squirrel. You can see the row of cages in the photo. I’ve had good luck making cages out of two foot tall rabbit fence cut so that it makes a tube of about 14″ in diameter. The cage protects the plant from nibblers and supports it as it gets bigger. The downside is weeding inside the cage but a healthy dose of grass clippings as thatch works to keep the weeds down and the moisture in.  Tomatoes get the same treatment but with cages that measure 18″-22″ across.

Hope to plant some more cabbage tomorrow along with Roma and Cherry Tomatoes. Had some great radishes tonight and the rhubarb continues to taste great.

Blowout Rainfall Last Night, Bunny today

I’m sitting here eating some warm rhubarb crisp thinking about the deluge we had last night during a passing thunderstorm. Fortunately, no hail at this location but the garden looks a mess. I was hoping to get many things planted this week but it looks like it may be until mid-week for the soil to dry out enough. I’ll most likely have to till again to loosen things up.  Fortunately I picked up a few bales of peat to work into the beds.

Look closely at the image at the top of the post. Find the Bunny? When I went out to pick the rhubarb for the crisp the devil leaped out of the oregano and made a break for raspberries. Turns out it had burrowed its way under the fence beneath the cover of the vines. The hole’s been patched. We’ll have to see if Peter R. returns.

Comfrey and radish rings

In an effort to overload the yard with growth I’ve got a ring of radish on the outside of one of the rhubarb bushes. After thinning my hope is to be able to harvest the tubers before the rhubarb shades it completely. Along the same theme I’ve added comfrey under one of my apple trees to help reduce the impact of grass on the tree and to provide a boost for the soil. Who knows? Perhaps a comfrey product in the shaving soap line.

Here’s a great blog with a link to some comfrey tea.

Visited the other day by a large woodpecker. When it landed outside the window I thought an eagle had flown into the neighborhood.  The hawks and owls from last year have yet to return.