The snow has finally melted and the forecast for next week is afternoon highs in the 50’s and lows just above freezing. Here in New England, planting season can’t be far being and I’m pretty excited about that!
Well technically, planting season has already begun, indoors that is. The Green Globe Improved & Purple of Romagna Artichokes and the Purple Coneflower I started back in early February finally have their first sets of true leaves and have already been re-potted.
I am especially excited about the purple coneflower, they’re one of my favorites. I still haven’t figured out where I’ll put them, but they’ll probably end up in the backyard somewhere as I want to keep the front yard landscape as uniform as possible with the boxwood’s and hydrangeas we planted last fall.
Have you started your peas yet? This year I started my Sugar Snap Snap Peas in recycled paper pots indoors to give them a little head start. Ideally they should be direct sown, but the last few years I’ve planted peas the birds have pulled up the majority of the young seedlings before they took off. Our growing season is kind of short here in Maine, so I didn’t want to take any chances this time around.
Dayliliess and Irises. For some reason, I can’t escape them. But I can dig them up and wheel them across the street to my neighbor’s yard. 😉 Lucky for us, our neighbors LOVE daylilies!!!
I finally figured out what to do with those 12 pavers.
And now stepping out the back door is a little more enjoyable. It’s not perfect, but it’s an improvement, that’s for sure.
This week, the major outdoor project is wrapping another brick garden border along the other side of the house. If I had to guess I probably have about 200 bricks to set into place. It’s slow going, but I think it will nice when I’m done. Clean and tidy, that’s how I like things.
The HH was busy yesterday cutting up a bunch of stumps with his chainsaw.
We set about 40 pieces of the wood at the end of our driveway HOPING someone would come along and take them so we didn’t have to haul them to the landfill. Luckily two ladies in a Mini Cooper {of all things!} stopped by and wanted them all and we were more than happy for them to take them. They had to make 4 trips, but they got all the stumps and now another section of our yard has been cleared. Talk about a total win-win if you ask me.
We were also able to get some trimming done in the back with the sawzall and haul those branches and what not away. We’ve still have a way to go before the backyard is cleared to our liking, but we’re getting there. Hopefully we can wrap all the not so fun work {leveling the compost pile, breaking down an old wooden structure, pulling up vines and just tidying up the back in general} in the next week or two.
And then the fun can begin… Planting. My favorite part.
Truck. We don’t need no stinkin’ truck. 😉
Gardening season… it’s finally here. And I’m pumped!
Have an AWESOME day everyone,
~Mavis
Danni says
I couldn’t imagine not have a truck available. I have for many things in my SUV. But I use our truck so often for large things, or very dirty stuff that needs moved.
Brenda says
VINES!!!! Oh No, watch out for the evil poison IVY!
Ramona says
For over 10 years I hauled stuff in the back of my car from a couple bales of hay to I don’t know how many loads of leaves and brush. I always put a large tarp down to keep things a little cleaner and also you just have to pull the tarp out the back easy unload. Got a trailer several years ago to haul stuff now, still put 2 tarps in trailer and pull the yard waste out . Goes much faster.
Virginia says
Although I agree you “don’t need no stinkin’ truck,” I do suggest you could occasionally benefit from the rental of a small utility trailer. UHaul offers them for cheap. A trailer would be be an advantage over a pickup since they’re low to the ground and easier to load/unload with garden debris. It is very important to load a trailer properly, however, so it’s not a safety hazard while driving.
Emily says
We affectionately call my husband’s car our “truck” when we fold down the back seat, line it with a tarp, and use it to haul our landscape waste.
Elle says
We also use our SUV as a truck. We didn’t buy it so it could be purdy 🙂
Question on your brick edging: How will you keep it clean of weeds? I am strictly organic in my gardens.
E in Upstate NY says
Love, love brick garden edging. First did it as a clear line for my boys to keep their feet and balls out of my gardens. As that no longer was an issue, just continued as I liked the look. After a few years, did have issues with aggressive grass moving into the garden part. Plus not owning a weed whacker, trimming the grass close to the bricks became a hand trimming problem. Solution: put in a second row of bricks on the grass side, set to the soil line. This created a lawnmower wheel edge for close cutting. Pulling out one of these bricks for grass root pulling was far easier than one of the upright ones.
Long moved from that house, believe that those gardens still exist with their brick edging.
Mavis Butterfield says
I love the look of brick edging too… So old fashioned looking. Great tip!
Dianne says
White vinegar does an awesome job of killing weeds.
Terri says
I love iris and like day lilies as long as they aren’t the orange “ditch” variety. I’d never have any beds of them, though. They’re a pain to weed.
Kim says
What a bright spot to read of all your garden progress. Those brick beds are very attractive. I’ll bet chain sawing through those tree stumps was no easy task. Here’s to more sunny days of progress!
Psuchic06 says
Your poor husband! (Jk) 🙂 he is an excellent sport…tell him you are saving money by not purchasing another vehicle. Means more $ for dates and your garden adventures!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, I totally agree. Why bother paying for a second vehicle and insurance/tabs/taxes when I only drive like once a month. 🙂 I told him if he wanted to he could always sell the wagon and get something else. Whateva.
HollyG says
We had a surprising thing happen when we added our farm truck. Our insurance went down. They put one of the boys as primary on the truck rather than the car he’d been driving and it dropped our rates – more vehicles / less money. Who would have thought?
Cynthia Parido says
Gosh Mavis, your husband is doing ALL the cooking, you are so lucky! Get the man a truck!!!
Deb Damboise says
Mavis, Do you use grow lights or just by the window?
Mavis Butterfield says
Last year yes, but not this year. The sun room is SO SUNNY, I decided to grow them without lights this year and so far so good! 🙂
Lindi Turnipseed says
I’m so curious. Did you ask the mini cooper ladies (I have a pink one now) what they are going to do with the tree stumps???? I’d love to know!!!! LOL
Mavis Butterfield says
Burn them in their outdoor fire pit. 🙂 I think they’ll have plenty of firewood to roast marshmallows for a very long time. 🙂