garden stuff

I've been doing a ton of yard work the past week.

Jack helps.


Irises! Love them. The purple ones smell like grape jelly; the yellow ones of lemon cake. And they all look as if they lost a fight with a lawn mower.

The rhododendrons are in full bloom, too.

I put in 18 tomato plants, 6 per box. 18! I usually do 12. Guess I'm still miffed over last year's late blight. A box of cucumbers, a box of eggplants, and a box of banana peppers and jalapenos. There is a hedge of raspberry trees on the side of the house and I'm eyeing the space next to those for blueberries. What am I not growing? Zucchini. Don't care for it. And anything that I can buy cheaper at the flea market, which includes corn, garlic, onion, mango, and avocado.

Oh, and I also had the great idea of starting pumpkins, squash, and watermelons from seeds...which means that I will have to build another 2-3 boxes. I was worried that I wouldn't have space in the yard, but I had to take a chainsaw to one of the rhododendrons yesterday. She was talkin' smack to me.

Still lots more to do. I have pots and hanging baskets that need to be filled with flowers, a small porch herb garden to start, hopefully a couple boxes to build if the pumpkins and squash and watermelons germinate, and some very hard labor in tilling up a place for the blueberries.

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Usefulness of the day: I've said it before and I will say it again: red plastic! Insulate tomatos with red plastic sheeting and your plants will be at least 8ft tall. Not white. Not black. White and black plastic only provide heat insulation. Red light, however, triggers a growth hormone. While you're picking up red sheeting, buy some taaaall support crates and strong rods - you will need them in August!