I'm so glad we spent the time to plant tulips last fall. It's been so many years since we planted them, and with the exception of a few die-hards around the yard, they're all gone. This year we've had a fantastic spring, not too hot, and the new tulips are healthy and beautiful.

Building a Garden Wall--May 1

We have a very shady yard, one that has gotten progressively shadier every year. But, we love vegetables, especially tomatoes and zucchini and both of those are sun lovers. So instead of grabbing a plot at the community gardens in town, my husband proposed to build a vegetable garden in our only spot that approaches full sun--our front lawn that has significant slope.



This weekend we began. We selected precast concrete landscaping blocks that had a slate-like appearance. We marked out the boundaries of where the retaining wall would be, stringing lines to measure the height of the wall on all sides. This allowed us to estimate the amount of block to purchase. First snag...how to transport over a ton of concrete without ruining our suspension. The guy at Home Depot just laughed when he looked at our car. I guess it will be more than one trip...

We started excavating, using a level to be sure our blocks would be laid straight. We tamped down the ground and laid a layer of paver base, which is crushed stone, then leveled again.
Once it was level, front to back and side to side, it was time to lay the first layer of block. Each stone needs to be check for level as it is laid, using sand (from our old sandbox) to adjust the blocks as needed. Tried to skip the step of chipping off the flange on the first layer of blocks. Bad move. They were very difficult to level with that lip on them. After the first couple my husband gave in and started chipping.

Bad Sign--April 16

This IS a bad sign. We staked out a new vegetable garden about 10 days ago and you see who's made themselves comfortable, right in the center.
This bunny (probably mama bunny) and her progeny, along with the squirrels and chipmunks, ate ravenously last year--not just usual foodstuffs, but even my marigolds. I was hoping this family would find a new home this year. Time to go back to Home Depot for rabbit fencing, as if I thought I could get away without it!

I have had some luck in the past keeping critters away by sprinkling dried blood meal around the targeted plants, but you do need to keep applying it. A cayenne pepper solution can work too, but when it rains, you're back out there. And unless you want your veggies to have a little extra kick, you'll need to do some careful rinsing. But then you'd do that anyway...

The first seedlings--Arugula--April 15

Planted some seeds in the garden about 4 days ago--lettuce blend, arugula, peas, and even a few sacrificial morning glory seeds. Morning glories need warmth, soil above 50 and no cool nights, but the weather's been so nice, I figured, what's the risk? I can plant more if we have a cold snap and these succomb. Arugula is so satisfying. These little seedlings pop up so quickly they're perfect to help me get through my impatience with the others. My family loves the bitter flavor of arugula, even one of my kids. It makes a great salad, topped with some good olive oil and some sliced portabella mushrooms. Arugula's a cool weather crop. I could have actually started it at two weeks earlier. The leaves are best when they're young. It sets seeds and becomes too bitter quickly, so if you want to keep the leaves coming, you can plant another set of seeds 2-3 weeks later.

Dogtooth Violet--April 13

This pretty woodland flower appears from a patch of mottled green and brown leaves in mid-April, only to disappear fully, leaves and all shortly thereafter. Last year I all-but missed its bloom. We did some major work leveling our backyard a good number of years ago and I wasn't sure these flowers would survive it. But I've got a nice little patch of these unusual flowers that come back each spring.

We've dug out a new garden in an unattractive area around the house. Hope to make it look a little nicer. The soil is quite poor there so we dug in some mulch from the mulch pile we keep. Hope we enriched the soil enough. Thinking of putting in some hostas to soften the hard edges there. Maybe some other shade lovers, too.

Bloomin' Bulbs--March 17

Nothing better than a bit of green (and purple and white) on St. Paddy's day. I spotted my first bulbs blooming about a week ago. Now I've got a great reason to walk my yard and check nature's progress.

Seeking Green

I love the fact that even when there's snow on the ground up here in the north, I can still find some fresh green in the garden. Just walked around outside and found some parsley that has survived the chill. Couldn't make pesto, but if I need a sprig or two for a garnish...

Also, I've found that if I dig below the dried stems I can find a thick bed of oregano leaves growing close to the ground in my oregano plot. And while my chives are gone now, a few stragglers lasted quite a bit into the winter. It's great to throw on your boots and grab some fresh herbs. They are among the first to get going in the spring, as well.