Garden Friday

 

 

Welcome to Garden Friday!

It's been a cool and wet week here in the Piedmont

of North Carolina.

Here's what's going on in our zone 7b garden this week.

The daffodils are bursting forth all over the neighborhood.

We've added a few more each year to our property

and they are quite the cheery greeting to springtime!

 

The hyacinth blooms are also appearing.

The color purple speaks to me,

so these are a welcome addition to the beds.

 

The tulips that were planted mere weeks ago,

have decided that the time is right to pop out of their cozy underground bungalow.

This is the first time I have planted tulips,

as we couldn't grow them in our former home in Florida.

It's such a treat to see all of this dormancy come alive!

 

The irises have yet to be moved,

but it's on the list I will get to it this weekend.

These share space near our mailbox,

but they would do well to be divvied up and distributed to other places.

 

Some cannas were spied yesterday,

although I could have sworn I dug them all up last fall.

These will be transplanted near the chicken run,

as they will add some interest and a bit of shade for the chooks.

 

A check on the blueberry plants found that some are awakening,

and some are not.

Looking back on my soil test from last year,

I am looking forward to seeing if adding the needed amendments

improved the acidity of the soil for this crop.

 

This new-to-me forsythia is starting to bloom,

and I need to find a proper spot for it,

so that it can get as wild as it wants to.

Any suggestions?

 

The strawberries seem to be coming alive,

although I have to say, that they never really seemed to mind

even the coldest temperatures.

I was hoping to create a larger bed for the entire collection,

but haven't yet gotten around to it.

 

Our first asparagus of the season was spotted yesterday!

I can hardly wait to enjoy this delicious treat.

No more buying asparagus at the store!

This crop can provide food for up to 20 years.

 

The potatoes that were planted just two weeks ago

have begun erupting through the soil.

Well, that didn't take long.

I will probably have to purchase some seed potatoes,

as the ones I planted from last year's harvest

won't likely last us too long.

We love our spuds.

 

I'm looking forward to watching the parsley

recover completely from the winter's frigid temperatures.

It never died back entirely,

and I'm sure it will bounce right back

with warmer temperatures and ample sunshine.

 

The cover crops will remain in place until I need this bed

for other crops.

I'll add them to the chook run to see if there are any takers.

They look pretty beat up after the last major snow we had,

but notice how most of it is still green.

Aren't plants just amazing?

 

Gardening is happening on the inside of the house too.

I'm using these clam shell containers to sprout my seeds before sowing.

They act as a mini greenhouse.

 

Just look how the snap peas are diggin' it!

The seeds are simply placed on a damp paper towel,

(you could use strips of fabric to make it zero-waste),

and left in the containers for a few days.

 

The Ruby Red Chard seems to enjoy the conditions as well.

I'm sprouting the seeds to get a head start on my crops for spring.

This year, I am planning to incorporate more food crops

into the landscape,

so I am sprouting more than I normally would.

It's all one great big experiment!

 

For each set of seeds,

I write the date and the variety on the towel

before placing it into the container.

It's so exciting to open up the bin each morning

to see what has germinated!

 

Another task we accomplished this week

was to clean out all of the birdhouses we have on the property.

I was so thrilled that my boy helped me with this chore.

He is a real bird lover,

so he wanted to make sure our feathered friends

have a cozy place to call home all season long.

 

Nests are always so fascinating to see.

We leave materials that might be useful to the birds

in the creations of these masterpieces.

In several nests, we found string from our bird seed bags.

Birds are the ultimate repurposers!

 

Unfortunately, we found a sweet chickadee

in one of the houses that had succumbed to something.

We gave it a proper burial near the garden.

 

In one of the bluebird houses,

we found the beginnings of a nest 

for this season.

We've noticed a pair of bluebirds making themselves at home here.

And we couldn't be happier.

 

The winter is winding down,

and we will be ready for spring

whenever She decides to make her appearance.

Until then, it's homemade candles in the morning,

and comfort food at dusk.