More Blooming

'Tis the season for new buds and flowers every day. Lots more daffodils enjoying the break in the rain. Even the forsythia is starting to flower! 70-ish is predicted most of the week, including St. Patrick's Day.

 Primrose in the herb garden...

Sedum -- one of many throughout the yard. The leaves have blown away from this one.

 

Meanwhile, still cleaning up from the winter winds...

Nature's Resilience

Last fall, I had to dig up my herb garden and put all the plants into a temporary set up while I had some drainage work done around the back of the house. This little rose was in that garden. I didn't hold much hope for its survival, but here it is, greening back up for spring!

Unfortunately, the big, beautiful cotoneaster in the back didn't make it. It was one of the first plants I put in when I moved here almost 8 years ago. Late last summer, it just died. The barberries around it are fine, they're greening up again. Really sad, it had provided a shelter for rabbits and the neighbor's cat (not at the same time, of course!). Yesterday, I cut it down. Maybe some more barberries for that spot....

Meanwhile, crocuses continue to welcome spring all over the yard...

Crocus thyme ;)

Planting the peas a bit earlier this year. I'm told St. Patrick's Day is the guide--that's next weekend. I planted three kinds: Goliath (4.5" stringless pods--68 days to harvest), Burpeeana Early (3" pods filled with 8-10 sweet, tender peas--63 days to harvest), and Super Snappy (5-6" pods with 8-10 large peas--63 days). Yum!

Primrose in the re-set herb garden.

 The daffodils are just getting started. Thursday's rain bent them over a bit, but they're straightening back up.

Who Doesn't Love Crocuses?

Spring has sprung. These pictures are from Thursday, March 1, a warm sunny day.

Crocuses and snowdrops are blooming all over, pussy willow is covered with puffs, daffodils and forsythia soon to follow, tornadoes hit nearby on Friday, heavy rains and wind here, branches down all over, feeders full of birds. Spring in southwestern Ohio. Will tomorrow bring snow or t-shirt weather? The meteorologists will give you plenty of explanation (on and on and on), then probably get the forecast wrong in the end. Stay alert, put a new battery in the weather radio, and dress in layers ;)

Meanwhile, get out and enjoy nature's beauty. And plant some peas. And listen to some spring training baseball. Go Reds!



Winter?

So much for the groundhog. Spring seems to be defiantly early this year. Close to 60 degrees today. Snow mixed with rain predicted for the morning. Not snow, snow-mixed-with-rain. Sigh. Of course, there is plenty more time with potential for winter weather, but less likely by the day. At least I am not an elementary school kid waiting for a snow day!

Bulbs are popping up all over the yard. I was a bit worried that all the rain last fall would turn the newly planted as well as the long settled bulbs in my yard to mush. Daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, and grape hyacinths are pushing through the oak leaf cover. Not sure about the tulips or aliums, but it is early. Very early.

The hydrangeas and forsythia are starting to bud as well. Check some out below...



daffodils

more advanced daffodils

sedum

forsythia

hydrangea

crocuses

February 3rd?

The groundhog spoke on Thursday: Six more weeks of winter. We haven't really had much in the way of winter this year, so no one quite knows what to think of that.

Meanwhile, bulbs are popping up throughout the neighborhood. Even the new ones I planted last fall. Radio garden guy says just leave them alone. Don't cover them. The nights are still chilly, and the wet ground is staying cooler than it would if it were dry, so it isn't all bad. But, who knows. Just let Mother Nature do her thing and hope for the best!

Here are my daffodils. The ferns I planted in the fall have stayed green ever since (the older ones did go dormant and so far remain asleep).

Some other bulbs in other parts of the yard:

The parsley and thyme have never really quit this winter, although the sage looks a little worse for wear. (The rosemary is inside, and doing fine.) Cilantro is popping back up, along with the garlic chives and even a primrose.

 

Snapdragons are ready to go. They do prefer cool weather, so no big surprise there. The heather has pretty much stayed in bloom all season. Everything just looks a little messy with all the oak leaves, but there is no no sense in cleaning those out when we could get a cold snap at any moment.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Last year was the wettest on record in Cincinnati. This year, on January 26, we are already an inch over "normal." Yippee! The yard is a swamp. The weather alarm is going off, telling me that flooding is occurring or imminent. Duh. I can see more water than ground in my yard. At least it all outside still at this point. And the sump pump is churning away--yay!

Meanwhile, the CSA is selecting seeds, and I am thinking about it. Drought resistant? How about swamp tolerant? Whichever I choose, we will get the opposite! So glad I don't have to grow all my own food!

People keep saying "at least it's not snow." If it were snow, we'd be stuck at home. With a nice cup of cocoa and a book. Or a Jason Bourne marathon. And the lawn guy would be making money plowing driveways... Maybe next month!

Time to Plan...

Something tells me it must be time to plan the 2012 garden...

Something New

I have been gifted with 20 asparagus plants. Of course, they arrived mid-December with the recommendation that they be planted right away. Attempting to over-winter the pots was not advised. Fortunately, the strangest year of weather on record is continuing, and the ground is still soft. (Note the green grass!) Planting them in a two-foot deep trench during the week before Christmas, however, required some assistance from my able lawn care guys. Thank goodness for able lawn care guys looking for a little extra work when the grass isn't really growing and there is no snow to be plowed!

So,  here it is, two-feet deep, 20 feet long, 20 asparagus plants settling in for a long winter's nap. I will go back and add some compost and mulch one day soon. And in the spring, there will be fresh asparagus! Please tell me that deer do not like asparagus?

How Much Rain Can One Yard Take?

It is December 5. The grass is green. Beautiful green. In Zone 6. Knock outs are blooming. Lettuce and radishes are still producing. The lawn is a swamp. Sadly, the hard work (not cheap) done around the house this year to keep the basement dry is no longer keeping the water out. Hopefully the dehumidifier will run through the night without freezing up. Sigh. I am starting to worry about the large trees around the house not being able to hold themselves up in the wet, wet, wet, ground.

We are nine inches over the previous record annual rainfall as of December 1, as the National Weather Service reports.

Thought for the Day

I recently came across this quote from David Mamet:

"Anyone ever lost in the wild knows that Nature wants you dead."

He was speaking in reference to the idea that anything "natural" must be "good" or "better." Of course, the ongoing struggle of humankind is to protect ourselves from nature. We need shelter from the elements. From the moment we are born. Fortunately, our parents intervene!

Someone works to nurture and harvest our food, even if we don't do it ourselves. I know I couldn't live on what I am able to grow in any given year. Especially since I am also feeding "nature" in the form of squirrels, rabbits, assorted bugs, raccoons, and, of course, DEER. We need water, even during a drought. Nature doesn't drop these things on us in ideal quantities in an ideal timeline.

Then, of course, there are the direct attempts of nature to kill us. Things like hungry bears. Tornadoes. Disease-carrying mosquitos. Ice storms.

Can we go "back to nature" or is it simply out to get us? Even if we weren't trashing the environment, complete harmony would be impossible. We can't live without nature. And we can't leave no impacts. But we can do better.

Of course, Mamet personifies Nature for stylistic effect. Still, at the root of it, Nature doesn't care for us. We give to it and take from it. We cause more or less disruption and harm. We have a choice. Nature doesn't.

Fall Color 2011

Leaves are falling fast around here. My oaks that usually hang onto their leaves until after Christmas are blanketing the driveway rather thickly. Another oddity in a year of wild weather. Meanwhile, lots of pretty fall leaves on the other trees. And on the ground.


Sweet gums and maples




Sweet gum



Blueberry

Crepe myrtle



Hazelnut bushes




Oak leaves still hanging on



Sweet gum and maple leaves on the grass



Planning for Next Season

First, there is the fall planting. Lettuce and radishes, cool weather crops. Planted Saturday, sprouting where the earlier same crops were as well as where the green and yellow beans were.

What worked this year, what didn't?

Well, the rhubarb tanked. Again. Too much early rain, rain, rain. At least it didn't bolt from early heat this year. Ack. About half the plants are looking okay at this point, the rest appear gone. I guess I'll see in the spring. Meanwhile, the horseradish continues perfectly content no matter what the weather throws at it. The peas I hoped would shade the rhurbarb a bit came in too late. My fault, should  have planted earlier. Next year. The peas were so yummy, just not very many of them! Mostly they didn't make it into the house. The weather didn't help, along with my lateness in planting. Didn't find out until too late that I should have planted them on St. Patrick's Day or thereabouts!

I will plant more patty pan squash. They did very well, and were quite good. I'm glad I picked them small, per the package directions again, as mine were so much better than the one I got from the CSA that had a terribly tough shell. Almost like a butternut.

Carrots did okay, but had that funny bitterness some carrots have. Not sure how to deal with that. I may do some research over the winter for a possible soil amendment. The plants just looked so healthy.
 
Tomatoes did not do well this year. The weather totally did not cooperate. A good crop of grape tomatoes, a few of each of the other varieties planted. Lots of green ones still on the vine, which may ripen if it ever stops raining. Again. Green tomato pickles for everyone this Christmas. Yumm-o!
 
Green and yellow beans did okay. I needed to put in a bit more effort in training them to the tower, maybe. They were delicious, so I will try again.
 
Lettuce did fine, as always. I also planted this too late. Well, only too late in that there was plenty from the CSA at the same time. There is only so much lettuce a girl can eat and drop off on the porches of her friends and family. The radishes did okay, too. I should have thinned them, though. They didn't really grow to any size. I hate thinning, but I will do it next year. I will.
 
Zucchini did fine. Dependable! It could have used a bit more room. I no longer believe there is such a thing as "container-size." It's a myth. But, with the stuffed zucchini and zucchini-crust pizza recipes now tried-and-true, along with zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake/muffins, why not plant it again?
 
Swiss chard did pretty well in the big pot. A big water hog, I often came home to find it wilting, but it always perked right back up. And grew back after each harvest. Good stuff.
 
Basil seems to really prefer the bigger container. I'm okay with that. Next year, no little baskets of basil. I think I'll just put marigolds in them to hang above the veggies. Dill is happy in the little baskets. Happy, happy! Parsley, cilantro, and mint in big pots, too. I had to plant new mint this year. It didn't come back like it always had before. I think the winter was rough on it. And the pot crumbled this spring. New plants, new pot, hopefully it will do okay through this winter. Maybe I'll put it in the shed with the jasmine.
 
The rosemary is doing fine in its pot from last year after spending the winter in the mud room. Smells great, likes to be watered every time you walk by.
 
The raspberries did okay, but not great. But they're still babies, really. The blueberries did nothing. The plants look terrible right now. We'll see what they do next year. No point in pulling them out, it's not like they're in the way!
 
One apple this year. Seriously. One teeny tiny apple. None on the neighbor's tree either. I know there were a few munched by the squirrels and deer, and several by assorted bugs, but this was a really bad year for the apples. Oh well. Next year I will spray. And maybe the weather will cooperate a bit more!
 
The bell peppers did not work. I got a couple itty bitty green ones that fell to the ground. I don't like green peppers. They were supposed to get red. I might try again. Or not. We'll see. Maybe in pots. Sigh. The jalepenos did okay. They got red.
 
The cow peas did great. I picked them once they'd dried on the vine. Cooked them up with some Indian spices. Yummy. Still a few more coming. Essentially they are black-eyed peas. I still don't remember where the seeds came from. Go figure. They just grow over and on everything in their path. I'm not sure where I'll put them next year, but I'll probably plant them again. If I find some seeds!
 
I think that's it. The herb garden is settling into its new grade. So far, so good. So far, no water in the basement since the work was completed.
 
It's okay to be planning for next year already, isn't it?

Watermelon!

Lots of little watermelons formed on the vines, but only a couple made it to harvest. Some eaten by critters, some by bugs, some just seemed to implode. This summer was just so wet. After three years of drought! I think they needed a little more room to themselves, too. Next year.

Meanwhile, the two I have eaten were delicious. Lots of seeds, but so sweet and tasty. They are definitely "personal" melons, even smaller than those minis at the grocery store. The seed packet said to harvest at about 6 inches in diameter, and that is about what you see here. Definitely will plant them again next year. Yummy, yummy.

Oh yeah, I didn't share this one, either.

Tiny Watermelon

Finally tried a watermelon from my garden. It was small -- a Sugar Baby -- to be picked at about 6 inches diameter. It was about that. Beautiful dark green. Hanging from the fence, so no bottom blemish. I did not take a picture, I just cut it in half and scarfed it down. Perfectly sweet, deep red inside. I'm so used to having cold watermelon from the refrigerator, the slight warmth almost startled me. It was so good. There are a few more on the vine; I hope they ripen... Then maybe I'll share... Maybe...

Zucchini Hegemony

I think I know why zucchini are so prolific. Nothing else wants to eat them. The critters of the habitat and beyond will push through the scratchy zucchini leaves and stems to get to anything else in the garden.

And, of course, they are sneaky. Can you see both zucchini in this picture?




Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare zucchini for your dining pleasure. Tonight, I had fresh picked zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with feta cheese, sliced kalamata olives, panko, salt & pepper. Yummy :) It was a small zuke. I ate it all. By myself.