My Back Yard

It is so peaceful here! I wonder if I'll ever be able to leave this place.

Enjoying What I Have

When I see gardens like Joy's, with the lovely flowers, and see the gorgeous bouquets that people bring to work and church, I wish I could manage to keep flowers alive. I don't have the discipline though. However, I was at Northwest Trek over the holiday weekend, reveling in the natural beauty of evergreens, ferns, huckleberries, and all. Then I realized: I have this in my very own back yard! In fact, I think we'll dig up the grass and split some ferns and make it even more northwest native! The grass doesn't grow well under the trees anyway. I'll need a jackhammer to dig the dirt though, it is incredibly compacted. Gee, maybe that's part of the reason the grass doesn't grow. Thank goodness for a power line right-of-way for the vegetables.

Cow Bunk/Raised Bed

Here is the "cow bunk" all painted, protected from slugs with copper tape, loaded and ready for plants. There are three jalapeno plants at the far end. I guess the "cow bunk" is better known as a manger to real farmers, but that's what they called it at Del's Farm Supply. All 11 tomato plants are in, plus two red cabbages (thank you, Verdelle!) Now that the garden is tilled, does anyone know where to get corn plants? It's too late to start from seed.

Gnome home progress

The gnomes are getting excited - their new abode is in progress!! Shingles and shakes to cover are being shaped and narrowed so they fit more snugly around the stump. A door will be built for their privacy later. Might get a window and lights inside later also. See in the center pic the gnome home construction crew. Covered with a tarp against the rain until shingled.

Raised Beds

So I had this great idea about building raised beds using pier blocks, 4x4's, and galvanized watering tanks. I figured if I could get them up off the ground far enough to weedwhack under them I could keep the slugs out. But the engineering and construction that would take, plus the cost, discouraged me from taking action. But the other day I stopped at Del's Farm Supply to buy a tank, and discovered a cool thing called a cow bunk. This is a fiberglass (or something) tray about a foot deep, two feet wide, and ten feet long, all on a support of tubing that sets it up about two feet off the ground. Apparently that is where cows like their food to be. The tubes are bent like sled runners, so I can push the thing along on the grass to get it out of the way of the lawn mower. So for less than the cost of my original idea, and none of the trouble, I can wrap the tubes with copper tape to discourage the slugs, push it around where I want it in the field, and not have to bend over so far to weed! Hope to load with dirt and such this weekend and put in lettuce and broccoli. Maybe next payday I'll go get another one. I haven't seen any deer lately, hopefully they don't think this will be a buffet for them!

My favorite place in my garden is the little spot just outside my bedroom. It cheers me even on the dreariest of days--like today. Mostly perennials in pinks and blues, it changes with the seasons, resting in the shade of an old cherry tree. On sunny days I often find myself here to meditate or just escape from the busy world outside my garden gate. This photo was taken in early May. Tulips, pansies and forget-me-nots are now being replaced by columbine, coral bells and Jacob's ladder. Soon to come are oriental poppy, iris and astible.

Rain and weeds

I guess this will be a cool weather veggie year. So far at least, my sugar peas are so happy, they are tendrilling all over the place. I would like to give them some strings even though they are bush peas - just so they feel all comfy and start producing blossoms and pea pods soon thereafter! It is raining so much at my house that the weeds I pulled and just let lay, assuming they would die and add to the nutrition of the soil under them, are surviving and getting bigger!!! Even though their roots are totally out of the ground! Sheesh!
Another obnoxious weed that I have been pulling is the ever lovely (not) quack grass! Hate it! I am so paranoid that my compost pile won't be hot enough to kill the roots of these that I am instead tossing them in my garbage can. Their roots are so strong I don't trust them at all!! Does anyone have any advice about quack grass? Or wild morning glories? We have a million of those too.
I planted the Black Russian tomato that Dixie had extra of, and a few that I purchased down at the fruit and veggie stand on the Maple Valley highway. Need heat for all these to thrive. Some dahlias I planted are looking a little yellow from no sun too. Pray for sun, not too hot though - kinda demanding aren't I?