There is not a lot to do, this first weekend of March. The weather is cool, but not cold and I am chomping at the bit to get in the Potager and dig. But I do not want to damage my soil structure. 12 more days until pea planting day!
So I sow more seeds indoors - beets and peppers and hollyhocks.
And I work on projects outdoors with my talented hubby.
Hubs made a pea trellis for me and I strung twine on it. It is 36" high, enough for my 30" high growing english peas and dwarf snow peas. I still haven't decided if I need any twine to go horizontally. I'm hoping simpler is better. Then after I was done I folded it up and put it back in the shed. Sigh.
Then we tackled the raspberry bed. Hubby made supports and we strung coated wire between them. I weeded the bed and then mulched the raspberries with grass clippings. I also cut back the canes that were well over 6 foot long. Since none of my canes bore fruit last year, I did not cut any of them. This year I will cut them after they finish bearing fruit. I also cleaned up the stray canes that were all over the ground outside the box. Raspberries really spread! I have to remember to keep on top of them or they will take over. You remember the thorns that covered Sleeping Beauty's castle, totally obscuring it from view in 100 years - that had to have been raspberries! It was nice to have them somewhat contained by the wires. It was getting difficult to walk around back there!
I will admit to digging a wee bit - I found this cute English Daisy outside the Agway and plopped it in the ground that very afternoon. It seems to be surviving.
I also potted two pansies and placed them by my front door, removing my winter decor. But the next morning, a hungry deer had chomped down the one easiest to reach. Now my pansies are liberally coated in ground cayenne pepper. Game on deer!
I also gave the decorative grasses by my patio a much needed haircut and topped off the compost pile with the cut grass. Now I am beginning a new compost pile and that one will sit for a long year. I have noticed that Mr. Binx spends a lot of time hanging out at the compost pile, keeping the critters out of it. Good garden cat!
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I love your garden! That pea trellis is a work of art. I do my raspberries with supports and wire in a similar fashion, and it works pretty well, and yes, they do spread ramptantly. (The babies make good gifts for other gardeners, tho!) I have some English daisies growing away in an outdoor container--they were uncovered all winter, and survived. And I like Mr. Binx--he looks like a goo helper!
ReplyDeleteLove that trellis!
ReplyDeleteWow- your potager is so bare after Summer's abundence! Soon, you will start filling it all up again. I love the pea fence that your husband made. I am using a tomato cage! So, I have bought hollyhock seeds for the first time this year. Should I be starting the seed already? Help-
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your kind comments on the pea trellis. 9 more days until pea planting! I'll let you know how it works!
ReplyDeleteLexa, I'm not sure if you need to plant them now, but I think it's 8 weeks before the last frost date. They won't bloom this year in any case. Hollyhocks bloom in the second year. With the ones I already have growing I have had luck just throwing the seeds on the ground. I just planted these seeds because all I have in my yard are pink and yellow hollyhocks - I'm hoping for more variety.
What a lovely garden! I stopped of "An Oregon Cottage" Glad I did! I will be following, please visit me as well at: http://theredeemedgardener.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteOh, your pea trellis reminds me of the one my husband made for my cukes last year- what a great idea to make a smaller one for peas!! I'll have to get him right on that. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI so look forward to seeing your beautiful garden this season at the TGP!
Wow, I'm excited to show this to my hubby. We are always looking for little new things to add to our garden. And the pretty kitty, we have a beautiful black "princess" that patrols our yards.
ReplyDeleteI'm visiting from An Oregon Cottage.