Category Archives: garden

I’m pretty excited about what’s going on in the garden except the part where the deer ate all the apple and pear blossoms. Well, not all of them. There are 4 apples and 6 pears. I counted. I took The fig tree is also not as impressive as I would have hoped by now, but still good.

Look at these blueberries! This plant only had about 6 last year. The branches are bending under all the berries. There’s an equally loaded plant on the other side of the yard. Plus a third plant that always has a lot of little ones.

This is the general garden looking pretty good. Lots of potatoes. Some greens. Peas and bush beans. Pumpkins. Sunflowers.

Also the raspberry patch is super loaded. It’s going to be good.

I bought two more fruit trees. I knew they were coming in April so I’d mostly prepared the spots where I wanted to put them.

Dang, it is hard digging up lawn.

I finally got the email that said they were on the way. They including links to four (4!) videos for how to plant my trees. That would have been really helpful with my other trees.

I checked my front porch for my trees every half hour on the day they were supposed to be delivered. I had the planting spots all ready to go.

Finally, it was dinner and I was filthy so I cleaned up and as we were eating I heard the delivery on the porch.

I had planned a more elaborate documentary about planting the trees but it didn’t work out. They spent the night in the shed and I planted the next day.

Here they are! The Asian plum has several varieties. I need to map it out before I take all the tags off. The Spice Zee NectaPlum™ is approximately 1/2 nectarine, 1/4 peach and 1/4 Asian plum. Supposedly it’s really pretty, too. I am very excited about my new trees.

Before

This is the earliest ever that I churned up the garden. There was decent weather so I ran over to colleague’s to borrow the rototiller. I bet I do it again before I start planting.

Quite a few potatoes came rolling out during the process. I don’t think you can ever stop having potatoes once you’ve started.

I thought I threw some cover crop seeds out there but nothing is growing except grass and weeds. My garden technique is admittedly super half-assed.

After

I need to go through the seeds I already have and see what I should buy or decide on a strategy for this year. Normally what I do is go through the catalog and buy a ton of stuff.

Later, when I go to plant, I realize I still have zillions of other seeds from the year before. Then I take all those seeds and toss them out there because I figure they’re old and most won’t even germinate.

But of course, I’m wrong and there is chaos. Which is fine. Some areas of my life I needs lots of order but I like chaos in the yard.

I thought I could take a picture of the snow except it’s cold and I don’t feel like going out there so I just took a picture through the window. Enjoy!

The bird feeder has been crazy-busy and a joy to watch.

In previous years I have never had luck with the suet feeder (that square one in the middle.) More than once I’ve ended up chipping moldy suet out of the thing. I put it away for a long time and used that hanger for the hummingbird feeder (that I haven’t had luck with.)

But last time I picked up bird food I decided to try again and picked a suet block with peanuts.

Maybe that was the magic?

On weekdays I leave when it’s dark and when I get home when it’s dark-ish, so I rarely fill the feeders during the week. When I finally got around to filling them the suet feeder was stripped clean.

I have had Northern Flicker in the yard, mostly on the suet feeder. Not a regular so I was happy to see that. And then yesterday I spotted a Varied Thrush which I have never seen before. It’s been hanging out eating the nuts and seeds with the rest of the gang.

I’m not good at identifying birds but I have a little backyard bird guide that helps me.

I can recognize the starlings which are not my favorite. Earlier today there were so many crammed in the fly-through feeder you couldn’t imagine how they fit. Later when I went to add more food there was poop on the feeder — they pooped in their free food. Not my favorite bird.

Tuesday forecast says freezing rain likely with rain/freezing rain likely later so I bet we don’t leave the house.

Generated with AI ∙ October 8, 2023 at 5:45 PM

I worked like mad doing garden related activities most of the weekend but it feels like I didn’t get far. I love being outside and like yard work but it’s always hard and takes forever to make progress.

I chopped up some of the tomato plants after picking everything green that looked like it had a chance. I left a couple of plants out there but it looks like we’re getting heavy rain for the rest of the week so I should have just taken them all out.

I went through all the green ones we already brought in and tossed the ones that were bad and rotated the red ones to where we would see them.

I found enough to roast and we had some delicious sauce last night with some pasta.

I also roasted a tray of red kuri squash because the deer had a sample bite of every single one and I didn’t think they would keep very long.

Other yard things: dug up some ivy and berry vines. Cleaned up a corner of the yard that was compost in ancient times but ended up being a place to toss deer turds and ash from the BBQ and big chunky sticks. Yanked weeds and pulled up icky grass. Moved rocks to the front gravel spot. It was all really hard work but I can’t point to anything and enjoy how nice it looks now.

Things are going to be pretty busy for the next several weeks. Might be a time before I get back to this.