help! one thousand too many garden to-do's
UNDER THE BRONZE FROG ‘PAPERWEIGHT’ (actually a door knocker that never met up with a door), there they are: The last week’s garden to-do lists, scrawled by a certain madwoman on re-used computer paper in her compulsive hand. Scary, isn’t it? I so love when I get to cross out an item, even though another 10 quickly replace it. The spring that’s too fast and too dry (and today far too hot: 87 degrees forecast) is one I cannot keep up with, but I’ll pretend with the pacifier of my funny lists to try. How are you faring over there?
Is it too late? I planted radish seeds but didn’t have a chance to space out the seedlings because of hand surgery. So I started to separate the radishes after they already started to grow. Will this work or will I loose the crop?
I just love your blog and have shared it with numerouse garden passionate friends.
entertainingaddict.blogspot.com
Hi, Sheila. Cut off the unwanted ones with a small scissor at the base rather than pull (potentially yanking up the desired ones) perhaps. But do thin, yes. And there’s also still plenty of time to plant another row!
Since I live alone…no one sees my lists or cares about my drawers full of garden books that are all over my bed and open dresser drawers where I continue to collect them. I’ve always sorta been a square peg in a round hole, but am a little touched to read that my passion is shared. I am always a little amazed when in the fall I’ll ask my neighbor if she wants a plant…and she responds that she really doesn’t like it….???? We, in coastal NJ, have finally gotten rain…and rain…and rain…and the miracle is I got most of my seed in the day before…
Here, too, Rebecca — and hello! I planted seeds the day before the soaking began, hallelujah. Glad to “meet” you and happy that you found a familiar spot here. Don’t be a stranger!
YES! I have a bronze frog with a crown on it ;) Love the idea of using it as a paper weight!
I’m so glad I came across you via Garden Rant! I look forward to exploring your site.
Spring came incredibly early as well in Minnesota, so it feels as though I’m quite behind with the spring clean-up! (A nasty cold and a very busy social calendar also competed for time.) We’ve had four nights of light frost in the last week, but the only thing I’ve covered is a tree peony; every thing else seems to be pulling through.
It seems every other day is 60-70, then back to 40 or so. Today is one of the warm, sunny days, so I’m eager to get home to rake out a bed so the plants can grow. I also have to pot on seedlings; I started some flowers mid-March in anticipation of early planting out.
My small garden is pretty now, with tulips, fritillaries, and daffodils providing color and the leaves of the perennials giving promise to the show to come.
Hi, Jodi. So nice of you to say hello. I hear you about insane weather, but also that you sound like someone who’s list is getting as long as mine! :)
My garden lists grow and I love to mark them off too. I have one for plants and seeds that need put in and another one for all the tools that need attention and items that need to be found. Staying pretty warm here. Everything is a month ahead on blooming but I’m holding off adding anything tender as frost advisories are often in the forecast.
I definitely need a list cause I felt so overwhelmed and discouraged today as I drug hoses around and saw all the things that I have done wrong in my yard as a result of just impulse buying (WHICH i DID AGAIN TODAY) instead of seeing a need, researching, and then buying. I am so overplanted, and really have to move things, divide, transplant, but am running out of room…sigh!
It’s a viciously hot day here in Southeastern PA, zone 6. In the three and a half months of 2012, we are behind by 5.5″ of rainfall. I am taking it personally ! I am indignant about it! And all the extra work/time to irrigate instead of divide, prune, tidy, make new plans for new beds – all the fun and creative stuff. We have the fire danger warnings with low humidity, hot winds, and paltry green blobs on the radar that contiue to skip my garden. My lists are on hold, stashed to the side, until the skies open up and provide relief. I came inside today at noon and have yet to go back out, it’s so inhospitable and FRUSTRATING.
So says the local paper: If Jim Cantore shows up at your “event”, you will be cancelling it!! And so it was. Moving 100,000 spring football fans out of NE stadium, through flooded highways, glued to the WC as a dozen cells approach from the south, up all night because they struck and kept on coming dumping 3″ of rain in short order. Saying prayers of gratitude that the tornadoes “turned” and additional prayers for those not so lucky. Next day blue skies and 50 mph winds ALL day, stripping new growth from trees. A day spent cleaning up; wondering if there will be an official “go” for spring.
I’m definitely ahead in the weeding edging department thanks to the early spring. In transplanting dividing mode now, and of course I’m praying for rain!!!!
The photo you headed your blog with makes me feel good. I’m not the only one that still is raking out leaves and such! Your list like mine is never ending since I could not afford the clean up crew last October due to the expense of taking away all the broken tree limbs. I have so much clean up to do and cut down that I never got to and am still doing now. I also have to say I let myself be talked into mulch for a open garden tour. I have NEVER used it in my perennial beds and only topped dressed with compost. I will NEVER use it again because now I am chipping away hunks of glued together wood mulch that has left my beds imprenatrble to water. I had 18 inches of composted mushrooms and bumper crop type soil for 9 years and butter to dig into (first thing I did was rotatill and add good soil before I planted garden) and now that mulch has left me with a massive clean up job of removing it all before I can start anything. I have been out there for weeks. I do not understand why landscape crews can not swtich to using compost to top dress, which adds to the soil.
I have gone out on an appeal that wood bark mulches be banished except in woodland or acid loving beds *maybe ground up leaves are better) Dumping of mulch in local public gardens is also the rage and I have tried to stop it and instead ammend the soils with compost as top dressling. Other style mulch is ok but what is the regular style in NJ and with many crews is that horrid wood mulch and I would like to see an end to it. would love to post a photo so you can see the two foot chunks of mulch shelves I have been removing for weeks..
In CT, zone 6 (can’t remember a or b, but the warmer one, and that’s certainly true today) spent the weekend laying soaker hoses in my perennial beds….dry sandy soil means a lot of soaker hoses. If you don’t have them you might need them this year. I’d get them now before they are sold out.
I agree, Carrie. I ordered two basic, easy drip irrigation “kits” for my raised beds of vegetables, and am heading back to the store for some good soaker hoses in various lengths. Thanks for the nudge!
I was out over the weekend breaking the rules. I have to capitalize on the weekends to work in the garden, so I transplanted things on a hot sunny day. I built a row cover curtain to protect the plants, and me!
Very long list but dividing perennials for plant sales takes precedence over all else. And then watering them until the sales. We need to burn brush but today is another red flag day in SE MA. So the pile will grow. I saw rain in the forecast for the weekend but perhaps it was a mirage brought on by the current high temperatures.
That makes me laugh the you have someone out there doing a rain dance. Here in western WA , we only dance when it DOESN’T rain! I’m impressed with all you have crossed off on your to-do list!
Here in CT it’s going to be a hot one- outside moving the sprinkler around. It’s so crazy! I guess if it stays this way it will be good eggplant weather at least!
Your post brought a smile to my face. Thanks. I envy your lists, they are actually legible unlike mine. After a very long gardening day (gets dark about 8:30 PMish now), I have been known to cross off items that have not been done. I blame it on fatigue. Tee hee.
In southwest France, it is actually uncommon for us to have such a long spring with rain and cool temps as we currently are having so I feel pampered this season!
Hello! Since we are almost neighbors I am wondering if you can give me a good source for rosa glauca?
LOVE your blog so much – have to leave now and do daily rain dance!!!! (will it EVER rain???)
Woke up to snow this morning. Sigh.