Gardening – Page 4 – Connie Smithison

March 29, 2012

Seeds and more seeds

While shopping yesterday, I came across seeds on sale, 10 packets for 1.00. ( I never can figure out why stores just don’t put a sign up that says, Seeds .10 a packet…marketing I guess… ) Now, I thought that something may be “wrong” with the seeds, but I checked the run date and it was for this year.

I had never heard of the brand name, but I figured that I’d try them in a certain plot I have and if I don’t see a growth process in a week or so, I’ll just replant. I only bought ten packets, and asked the “garden guy” how long the sale would be for. He told me that the price that the seeds were marked, in the price that the store will sell them for until they run out of seeds. So…I’ll take a shot with them and if they grow, I’ll go back and see if the store has any seeds left. It’s sort of a chancy decision, but what the heck?

Later today, I’m going on another seed shopping spree. I think I know of a place where I can get some heirloom seeds at a lower price than they usually are around here. Happy shopping to me!

March 28, 2012

An arbor for the garden

Once again I’m on another hunt for a awesome wooden arbors for my gardens, but this time I’m looking at various ones that is going to be sort of a focal point in the back yard, besides my flowers. While looking over my plans that I have been making all winter, and also looking at various arbors, I actually am no closer to deciding exactly the ones that I would like. (Yes, I would like more than one, since my back yard consists of two acres, a small portion of which is our family pet cemetery. To some this may sound rather odd, but we love our pets and they are part of the family.

While browsing, I found all sorts of different styles of garden arbors. Now I’m not sure I want to go with wooden ones. After we had the deck and front porch built with another material that doesn’t have to be treated and there is virtually no upkeep, I’m having second thought about having wood way out in the back yard.

To me, some arbors make up a great deal of a garden’s personality at times. Also it shows the garden owners personality also. So while I’m just looking at various arbors even the vinyl arbors which I don’t care much for, I’m thinking about which kind I’d like to use. It’s time to start shopping for the outside of my house, and the gardens and I have a lot of ideas to put to work.

March 24, 2012

Seed for the front yard

Deciding to seed all the bare spots in the part of the front yard that isn’t walk ways and flower or herb patches, turned into a science experiment. I did this last week, and honestly didn’t think the seed would take, as it was some of that high bred, BS kind…that I never use. Leave it to a man who doesn’t garden, to come back with extremely pricy, bionic grass seed, when I asked for simple, cheap, American made, no frills grass seed for shady areas. SMH

I followed the directions on the bionic seed…which took a scientist to understand, and then spread straw lightly on top, which wasn’t in the instructions, after which I watered it until I knew it was saturated. I did notice that grass is coming up. In small clumps. I know I spread it evenly, as I took great pains in doing so.

My theory is…it is because I followed all the high tech directions and didn’t use my own gardening instinct, since the “Do you know how much that cost?” question kept coming to my ears. Okay, the husband only said that once, but still…it ticked me off. I’m going to look at the yard tomorrow in a fresh light, so to speak. If those bare spots are still in the yard, I’m going to go into town and get my tried and true grass seed that only costs 3.89 for a ten lb. bag. (Instead of the last seed that also came with a BIONIC price tag of 10.00 for 3lbs!

March 20, 2012

Reseeding a tough spot

Plans have been set about seeding a bad bald spot, that is right in front of the porch. It’s not like a walk path. Grass just never grew there. I had tried everything. I never give up when it comes to growing things. Last year I found a bag of grass seed, for shade or moderate sun. The name is American, I keep trying to figure out where I got my last years bags for the back yard where the old pool was.

This stuff, if anyone can find it, and need a tough but soft grass, also light traffic, and it’s a lush emerald green. It actually makes me want to landscape and start from scratch with this brand. I just wish I knew what store I bought it at. I keep thinking Kmart. It comes in in a white bag, and it just has American in blue printed on the front. Nothing fancy and it only cost about 2.98 for ten lbs. Judging by the way it’s come up in the past, it proves that beauty doesn’t have to be expensive. Also, delvers what the package says. I like getting what is promised when buying items. I’ve always wanted to be a test person and reviewer for merchandise. I think it would be a riot and so cool!

March 16, 2012

News on bale gardening

Tomorrow I am getting the straw to get ready to start bale gardening. This is going to be interesting for me. I’m glad I have a couple blogging buddies to conspire with, while starting this. I think I’m going to start out smaller and less complicated than my original plans. This is not to say, I couldn’t do what I planned. But I have a feeling that I’m starting a bit too late. It’s going to be trial and error here on my part.

I’ve read a great deal on the subject of bale gardening. In fact I have poured over everything I could get my hands on to read and every video to watch. There is such a vast amount of ideas out there and some are really more complex that it seems to me it has to be. I’m going to go on intuition with a few ideas I picked up from what I read, and then see how this project all turns out. I’ve got the seeds I need, and that is another start, besides getting the bales.

Actually, since spring fever has been hitting me right and left lately, I am really excited about starting on all of my ideas for the house and garden!

March 13, 2012April 17, 2018

Veggies, fruit and animal fertilizer

Normally of course I would say that horses and gardens do not mix, as last spring I woke up one morning, went out to the farm and found my horse Black Jack, eating his way through my veggie garden. He also did his morning constitutional (a few times) in my brussel sprouts, and I wasn’t too pleased at the time about it at all. But, “nature called” and it landed on nature. LOL!

While walking Jack back to his pasture, I wasn’t really thinking about his poop in my garden. I was looking at the fence and gate and trying to figure out how my Houdini had gotten out again. Of course, the rest of the morning was spent checking for broken fence or low fencing, faulty gates and ways Jack could have escaped AGAIN. I was thankful that he doesn’t go far, of course…but it was starting to become a weekly event. I went back to my house perplexed, and the doo doo was forgotten for the moment.

That night it rained really hard, and then into the next day. I was happy for all of my gardens and went about farm chores in the rain, and when the sun finally came out, I was kind of lazy and just turned the manure over into the dirt (mud at the time) and called it good enough…though I actually didn’t know if it was okay, since I had never done that before. By the end of the summer, I figured I did the right thing, despite some of the gardening magazine articles I had read. My brussel sprouts did very well! So perhaps this year, I may add a little extra “Black Jack constitutional” to my mulch and fertilizer then see what happens. No one ever called me an ordinary stick to tried and true gardener. I love experimenting and trying things that perhaps others have, but I’ve not read or heard about. Or, some things I make up as I go along. I’m sure others have done this, but I never had, so to me…it’s a new trial and error thing

March 7, 2012April 17, 2018

Summer fix ups and recreation

Opening the pool is a big deal when May comes. Along with uncovering the flowers and plants around it, adding more flowers and bringing out the pool floaties, as we call them. I have to fix a part of the deck rail that a storm damaged in the winter, and then the cleaning of the pool begins. After the liner is clean and the water we keep in it during the winter is crystal clear, we of course add more water which is going to cost a mint…as well as ordering everything we need to maintain the pool will, as I ran out of a lot of items last fall since it was still warm enough the first part of October to swim. I’m so looking forward to doing these improvements and having pool parties for the kids and of course my husband and I relaxing in the evenings on the pool deck. I love the Summer.

So here I am, waiting impatiently for May to come. Not only to open the pool, but to start gardening and doing all the Summer recreations we do. It’s a tradition that the whole family does every year, even the kids that have moved away and have husbands and my grand kids come. After we are finished with the repair work, cleaning and getting the gardens ready, we have a big cook out. Everyone jumps in the pool at the same time before we eat, and all in all…it’s a wonderful time for me to sit and watch my whole family together enjoying our first get together of the Summer!

I let my youngest son cheat a little and jump in first when no one is looking. 😉