Sunday's Garden Chore List Accomplished

Sunday was a bit of a catch-up day. Over the past few weeks I've had several chores that needed done in the garden but just haven't had the time to get them accomplished. I finally made a dent in that to-do list. Here's what was accomplished:

Birdbath garden and pathway

1. Transplanted: Birch, 2 dappled willows, redbud (these do not transplant well due to an extra long taproot. I had to move the plant since it was in a bad location)
2. Planted Bulbs: Mountain Lily, hyacinth (from another location), crocuses, English bluebells, and allium
3. Planted Plants: Anise hyssop
4. Divided and planted: gaillardia ( it pulled apart from the roots much like 'Husker's Red' Penstemon)
5. Root Cuttings: Birch (as I transplanted the birch above I found a couple suitable roots to try root cuttings from. I'll explain later if it works out well.)
6. Cuttings: dwarf boxwood, roses, spirea, and variegated red twig dogwood
7. Adjusted some rock borders near the birdbath garden.
8. Watered the plants in the greenhouse shed with water from my rain barrel. I was amazed that many of the plants inside were still actively growing despite no active heat source. 

It was a productive afternoon but there is so much more that I want to get done and just not enough time to do it all. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to stop time?

Over the Weekend: Fall Garden Preparation!

This weekend I tackled two major garden tasks that were all about preparing the garden for fall. Task one was planting a few seeds in the vegetable garden. That task was fairly quick and easy to do in my circular raised bed. The other beds are mess still with summer vegetables going everywhere. I need to get out to the vegetable garden and cut back everything to a much more controlled state but haven't had the time to get to it yet.

Cleaning out the vegetable garden is one of those garden chores I dread for two reasons. One because it really is a chore and two because I hate to cut back anything that might have flowers or fruit still attached.  It needs done but I don't want to lose out on those tomatoes that haven't come yet! In the end I'll wind up taking a more moderate approach and just pull out the plants that absolutely should go.  I need more space for fall vegetables so it's a necessity. On Saturday I planted seeds for spinach, lettuce, and radishes. I still want to get beets, carrots, and a few other cool season vegetables planted very soon. I plan to construct PVC hoop houses over the raised beds to extend my harvest well into the late fall and hopefully through winter.

The other fall garden task I tackled this weekend was the lawn. More specifically seeding the lawn.  Each year I overseed the grass with a fresh variety of grass seed.  Lawns tend to be a monoculture which is another fancy word from saying it's all the same!  What's bad about a monoculture is diseases that effect one plant will effect them all.  I try to diversify the lawn with different varieties of grass seed each year. There isn't a huge difference between them but eventually the more climate appropriate grasses will win out. At least that's what I hope.  I cut the grass on Friday and sowed a cool season fescue on Sunday.  As you can see from the pictures I had a little help.  It takes a real man to mow with a pink lawnmower!

How are your fall garden chores coming along? 

Your Labor Day Weekend Garden To Do List!

Just what you want right?  Even more things to do in the garden.  I'm sure you have everything perfect.  Everything is mulched to 2 inches high.  Every weed is pulled and the gardens are in pristine condition!  Not our garden, not even close! An extra long weekend is ahead which (unless you've been deluged with rain from Isaac) will give all of us gardeners a good opportunity to get a few things ready for fall.  So what should we be doing in the garden to get ready for fall over this Labor Day weekend? Here's a to do list!

A Labor Day Weekend Gardening To Do List

1. Get those beds cleared up and ready!  Pull out the old fading plants, add mulch, and get those garden beds back into shape.  Ragweed and crabgrass are flowering now so get them pulled before they go to seed and you will have fewer weeds to worry with next year.  Keep the mulch coming! 2 inches of mulch is what most people recommend but that depends on what kind of mulch you're using.  Add a little bit more mulch to replace what broke down over the summer. 
2. Get some seedlings started!  If you haven't started your seed yet it's time to get moving on seed starting.  Fall greens like cooler temperatures to get going so try to offer them some shade and keep them moist which will keep the soil temperatures down a bit.
3. Start taking some cuttings of annual herbs like basil or ornamentals like coleus.  Both can make great houseplants that can be put back outside in the spring.  And who wouldn't want fresh basil in January for some awesome tomato soup with tomatoes you canned from the garden!
4. Speaking of canning...can can can!  Save those veggies over the winter and you'll think happy thoughts of your summer garden until spring comes around and you can grow again. 
5. The fall planting season is just beginning so it's time to plan out any new additions for the fall.  Shrubs and trees are what most people think of planting for fall but perennials are great to plant now.  If you plant your perennials in the fall they will have a chance to set a larger root system before going dormant and you may even save a few dollars on fall plant sales!  
6. September is when to start sowing grass seed for cool season grasses.  I overseed each year to add different varieties of grass to the lawn and fill in any areas that have died off. Expanding your garden areas to reduce the need to mow hard to mow areas is also a great option!  Consider using native grasses to fill in hard to mow areas.  There are even native grasses like Buffalo grass that can be used in lawns to replace non native grasses like fescue and Bermuda.

7. 

   Red Clover Cover Crop

   Use a cover crop!  Cover crops are a genius idea that uses plants to protect and nourish the soil.  Annual cover crops that die off are great to use in raised beds and perennial cover crops can easily be tilled into the soil or mowed down when it is time in the spring.  As cover crops decay they put nutrients back into the soil for plants to use in the future.  Some popular cover crops are clover, rye grass, oats, vetch, mustard and wheat.
8. Harvest those garden vegetables!  The more frequent you harvest the more you'll vegetables will come.  Prune the tomatoes to refresh them and you'll continue getting tomatoes into October.
9. Turn that compost pile.  Turning the compost helps oxygen get into the bin which speeds up the composting process.  Don't forget to add a good balance of materials (green and brown) to keep things processing at maximum capacity!  Also if it hasn't rained in a while watering your compost bin will help to keep things active.
10. It's time to make a few new beds.  Lasagna Gardening (link to Amazon.com) (also called sheet composting) is a great way to go about making new beds.  This time of year is perfect for a little lasagna gardening!  Lay down alternating layers of green and brown organic materials.  Starting with a layer of newspaper or cardboard will kill off the grass and weeds underneath and allows you to make a new bed without having to till.  Pretty soon we'll have lots of leaves falling from the trees - perfect for layers of brown or a nice mulch on top!
11. Start cleaning out that garden shed, if you start now it might just be done before fall starts!
    
12. Enjoy some time in the garden with that cooler fall weather.  Winter will come before we know it and we'll miss the growing season when its done!

I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!

Don't forget to look back at my latest project - which I may be still be working on over Labor Day - for Lowe's Creative Ideas!

An August Weekend Garden Update

I spent a good deal of time this weekend getting out into the garden to get some long past due chores done. Summertime is one of those stretches where the garden seems to find itself a but neglected.  It makes sense. The kids are going back to school, the weather is hot and humid, and this year the mosquitoes are terrible. Don't forget about all the rain we've had keeping the gardener indoors when he would rather be out digging in the dirt.  The grass is growing at rates that make losing the children in the grass a likely event!  So this weekend I played a little catch up in my garden.

I weeded various spots, harvested a few peppers from the garden, mowed and trimmed the lawn, and most importantly protected some areas from the deer.  The area in question was my extra tomato bed.  The deer have nibbled on it over the summer and prevented me from gaining any produce.  I'll tell you this, it is extremely frustrating to have 30 tomato plants with no produce because of two creatures!  I still have time though.  Mid-October is the normal first frost date for our area which gives me six weeks for those plants to put on a few tomatoes. Their root systems are well established so it's just a matter of being left alone to produce some fruit.  I protected them with bird netting which should prevent the deer from nibbling. I should have done it a few weeks ago.

I also transplanted several 'Shasta' viburnums this weekend.  It's one of my favorite shrubs but these probably won't be for my garden.  I'll sell them with my plant business.  I set up a mister system using a patio mist kit, a timer and some plastic sheeting which has worked fantastic.  The root systems for these viburnums are strong and thick in just a few weeks.  I'll be trying this for more plants since it worked so well and I may have to expand my system.

My side garden remodel is coming along slowly.  I planted a 'Limelight' hydrangea and a few hostas underneath the crape myrtles.  I have quite a few plants to move before I can cut down my Bradford pear tree.

I hope you had a productive weekend too!  What did you get done over the weekend?

5 Essential Vegetable Garden Chores

It's planting time in many areas of the country and many gardeners are just starting their first gardens.  Figuring out just what to do in the garden can get a little overwhelming for beginning gardeners so here are 5 essential garden chores that gardeners can do to maximize their success!

11 Things to Consider When
Designing a Raised Bed Vegetable Garden

1. Keep the garden weeded!  I have been guilty of failing to keep up with weeding.  I'll admit it! Weeding is not the most fun task in the world but it is necessary.  Weeds can take away valuable nutrients from the vegetables you are growing.  They use resources like water and when large enough can block out light from your garden.  Keep your garden weeded on a regular basis.  If you can get out there each day and pull a few weeds then your weeding will be simple and easy.  If you wait until there are a lot of weeds you will have a lot of weeds to pull!  Do yourself a favor and keep it maintained!
2. Mulch the garden.  Mulching goes a long way toward reducing weeds, keeping moisture in the soil, and even replenishing nutrients.  Organic mulches break down over time and feed the soil.  Mulch keeps the soil cooler for roots in the hot summer and water is more available to plants since it hasn't evaporated as quickly. I use grass clippings from a pesticide and herbicide free lawn as a mulch but you can use straw, pine needles, hardwood mulch, leaves, or other organic mulches.  I never use Bermuda grass clippings since they are able to spread into the garden from just a little cutting.
3. Amend the soil!  I amend the soil each year with organic materials.  I consider mulching as one step in the soil amendment processes but do use fertilizers.  There are three numbers on fertilizers which are abbreviated N-P-K.  Nitrogen is good for leafy plant growth and the other two (Phosphorus and Potassium) help with fruiting, rooting, and general plant health.  I only use organic fertilizers on my plants since synthetic ones introduce salts and other chemicals into the soil.  Organic fertilizers target the soil and fill it with nutrients rather than providing immediately available nutrients to the plant.  If you build a healthy soil you will have healthy plants!
4. Composting is a must.  You will end up with mountains of plant waste when you garden.  Add that plant waste to your vegetable kitchen waste and you will have a good foundation for a compost pile.  I'm always astounded in the fall to see bags and bags of leaves by the roadsides which would make great compost too.  When your compost is all black and crumbly add it as an amendment to your soil.  Just work it into the top 2 inches or so of soil and let it go to work.  Finished compost adds microbial activity to the soil which helps in the transfer of nutrients into the plant.
5. Monitor the garden.
   
    You should be in the garden every day.  Just to walk around and see how things are going and pick the ripe produce daily to keep it coming.  Pests, like these black blister beetles in the picture, can quickly come into the garden on those days you didn't make it to the garden and do damage.  Daily monitoring allows you to see what is happening, what you need to do,how to fix it,  and you can do a little bit of weeding while you're there!  Walk through the garden before work, after work, at lunch, or whenever the mood strikes you and your garden will be better for it.  

There's a saying that says  "The best fertilizer is the gardener's shadow."  So get out there this weekend and put your shadow over some plants!

What I Did Over the Weekend

Creeping Phlox - April 2011

I wish I could have gotten to this post earlier but Monday's storms kept the computer off for most of the day. It's pretty difficult to type a post without electricity! As of this morning 18,000 people in Middle Tennessee are still without power. Over the weekend the weather was absolutely perfect for outdoor activities. I'll share some more highlights later in the week including the tulips blooming in the front garden, the changes to my sedum bed, the strawberry blossoms blooming, and hopefully some more seeds germinating in the vegetable garden. All of which were tackled at some point over the weekend.

Here's a short list of what garden chores managed to tackle this weekend in the garden:

• Mowed the Lawn - it was tall, very tall. I nearly lost the 3 year old in it! It did make for a whole lot of grass clipping mulch though!
• Cut another path or two through the brambles on our slope. 
• Collected Grass Clipping mulch for layering in the vegetable garden.
• Planted two plum trees.
• Weeded the patio gardens and added mulch.
• Weeded the Birdbath garden and added mulch.
• Weeded the viburnum/rose garden and added mulch.
• Watered the plants in the garden shed.
• Began redoing the sedum bed. We had massive deaths in our sedum garden last year for some reason. I lost most of the red leaved varieties. 'Blue Spruce', 'Autumn Joy' and another unknown variety are coming back fine but the small ground cover varieties suffered badly. Fortunately a few sprigs remain so they may come back. Also it needed a drainage issue fixed which is in progress. Hopefully I can share the results of the sedum bed remodel soon.
• Fed the birds! It's been a while!

How was your weekend?

The Weekend Garden Gameplan

Oh I know, I'm keenly aware of the Superbowl coming up but this post has nothing to do with it. You see Saturday is destined to be a day outdoors - nothing short of the weather forecasters getting it completely wrong can stop that. We all know that never happens...

The temperatures are said to finally be reaching the 50's! I even heard on forecaster mention the words "approaching the 60's."  Needless to say I'm looking forward to spending some quality time outdoors with the rake, the shovel, the wheelbarrow, the shed, the garage, and any other activity that I can find to do in the great outdoors.

Where am I going to start?
Here's the Weekend Garden Gameplan:


1. The Vegetable Garden

• Remove four of the small 2x4 beds and replace the old 4'x8' bed with these. 
• Put in the stone retaining wall circle raised bed for the center of the garden.
• Lay down cardboard over the still grass covered walkways
• clean out the old tomato branches and get those beds ready for planting!

2. Birdbath garden

• lay down mulch over the small expansion I did in the fall. 

3. The yard

• Plant a maple tree - still have on in a pot in need of a home!
• bring compost to the compost bin and give it a turn - or two.
• Prune while I can still see all the branches. Pruning trees while dormant is usually the best time but don't prune spring flowering trees unless you want to remove the blooms - can't figure out why you would want to do that though!
• Move a magnolia! That little plant I started from seed still needs a home.

4. The Shed

• water anything that needs watered
• general cleanup
• move some boxes away from the windows so that more light can come through.

5.  The garage

• clean it
• clean it
• clean it
• did I say clean it?

Now I wonder if the odds makers in Vegas have set the line Dave vs The Chores? Doubtful...

Who's your money on? ;)

5 Spring Garden Preparation Tasks!

Spring is officially here!  Spring's arrival means it is really time to be thinking about the garden (as if we haven't been since fall).  It's always important to get the spring gardening season off to a great start.  Today let's look at a few garden tasks that need done to help get your garden going.

5 Garden Preparation Chores and Tasks

Check your garden hoses!

Each spring you should check your garden hoses.  Put a hose nozzle on one end and hook it up to the faucet. If there is a leak at either end check the gasket on the inside.  You can buy replacement gaskets very cheaply.  If it's not just a missing or worn out gasket you may have to replace a hose end.  Repair kits are cheap and easy to install.

Maintain your power equipment

Go ahead and get out the mowers and trimmers and give them a good once over.  Look for flat tires, chewed out lines (you never know when a mouse will take up residence in your shed), and check the belts. Replace anything that is worn out.  Change the oil if you didn't in the fall and fill it up with ethanol free gas. Ethanol can damage the engines so use a fuel treatment if necessary.  Sharpen your mower blades to guarantee a clean cut.  An unsharpened blade leaves a jagged cut that turns brown and doesn't look as good as it should.

Sharpen your garden tools.

A good sharp garden tool makes gardening so much more fun! Sharpen the blades of your shovel, pruners, spades, lopers, or anything else with a blade.  A file works great but a master gardener I spoke with recently recommended to take your tool and put vegetable oil on it then dip it in a bucket of sand.  This sharpens and cleans your blade.

Clean up your perennials.

If you leave your garden foliage up for winter interest it's time to cut it back.  Compost the dead foliage. When cleaning up your dead growth you also have a great opportunity to weed and note what is coming back and what may not.  Observe everything you can!

Mulch it all!

Mulching your garden is one of the best things you can do.  It adds organic matter to the soil (if not using stone to mulch with), protects against temperature fluctuations, keeps water in the soil for better drought tolerance, and can look pretty spiffy too!  I generally use hardwood mulch but also use pine straw for ornamental areas.  For the vegetable garden straw or dried grass clippings work great.  Just be sure to use untreated mulch with no artificial coloring.

There can be a lot to do in the garden this time of year so break it down into easy to do chunks of chores. How far along is your garden to do list this spring?

A Few March Gardening Chores Accomplished

This past weekend the weather was perfect for what else? Gardening! I spent most of my time outdoors getting the garden ready for the growing season. There's always a lot to do in the spring to prepare the garden for a great year. The most frustrating thing about this weekend was my riding mower battery. When I went to start the mower it was dead - way dead. Since the soil is still wet I couldn't bring the car to the back and had to push it all the way to the car - there's some exercise for you! I managed to get it jump-started and was able to get the yard mowed.

Forsythia blooming in the front corner garden. Flowering almond on right.

Colors are coming out just about everywhere now. Spring is in full swing right now here in Tennessee! One of the other garden chores I accomplished was the planting of a white dogwood. Its destiny will be to replace the Bradford pear tree behind it in the picture one day. I toyed with the idea of cutting down the Bradford pear this year but decided to let nature take care of it for now. It provides us with privacy on the front porch and it will be a while before our dogwood can do the same. I'll tell you though, they are stinking up a storm right now!

The front garden is coming along nicely. I can't wait to show you the creeping phlox when it blooms but today I'll give you a picture of a self-sown Salvia lyrata also known as Lyre leaf sage. It's found a home between two border rocks there in the front garden.

I gave the birdbath garden some much needed attention too. I pruned the butterfly bush back to about 18-24 inches. It would grow to gigantic proportions if I didn't prune it each year! I also weeded much of the henbit and chickweed from the garden. The tricky part was removing it without accidentally pulling the plants growing around it out. It was weaving in between salvia, mums, and achillea. I also moved some of the salvia to other places and opened up the space for the irises to grow. Termites finally found and took out the wooden stand for my copper birdbath. I'll have to find a new solution for the birdbath and to find a way to prevent the termites from finding our house!

The 'Shasta' viburnum is beginning to put on some leaves. It won't be too long before it's beautiful white blooms are decorating our garden.

I finally got around to cutting back the miscanthus. Some people recommend burning them to the ground but I think if I attempted that I might burn the neighborhood to the ground! I'll settle for cutting them back - it's just safer that way!

I dragged the miscanthus leaves to the back for a special project...

Mulch! I mowed the miscanthus repeatedly with my bagger mower and ground up the leaves and stalks into hay. If you do this remove the seed heads first to prevent any potential miscanthus from growing up in places you don't want it. I put the miscanthus mulch around a couple hydrangeas in a garden bed next to the garden shed.

I transplanted several plants and even cleaned up the vegetable garden. I'll share the raised bed vegetable garden with you in another post this week! How was your weekend?