Catching up After a Brief Absence

Holy cow, Batman! The last time I posted was Father's Day! Things have been hopping here and apparently, keeping up with my writing fell off the list. We had a lot of rain for a while -- about an inch and a quarter every other day. It filled the rain barrels and leaked into the basement. So I spent some time dreaming up ways to keep the water outside. I ended up removing a rain barrel on the west side, and I *think* it's helping. Of course, since I re-attached the downspout, it hasn't rained, so I can't really know if my fix works.

Old photo of Hawk in the birdbath

As a matter of fact, it's been so hot this last week that birds of all kinds have been hanging out at the birdbaths -- including the hawk, whom we saw when we were having dinner on Wednesday night. The heat wave is supposed to continue all week, so I'll have to make a point of refreshing the water in the baths every day.

The crops have been doing great! Even the peppers we thought were toast have come back! And, because the cucumber was doing so well over by the roses, we moved the squash last week and they're all flowering now, too! We've been picking berries of all kinds for a couple of weeks, so breakfasts have been delish! I had a bet with the Riverman that we'd have tomatoes by the Fourth of July, and yesterday, I won that bet! Two of our "Moby Grape" tomatoes became ripe enough to pick!

But, it's not all sunshine and roses here at the Urban Farm, because ... as predicted... the Japanese Beetles are back. I hate those things. My neighbor bought a pair of leather gloves and has taken to squishing the JBs that are attacking her raspberries. I'm too squeamish for that and still plunge the dastardly devils to a soapy death.

This week brings my now traditional "Stay-cation in the Garden" week, and the list of projects is long! I'll post the list tomorrow and keep you updated on my progress.

My Father's Yucca

It's Father's Day, and like a lot of people, I'm thinking about my dad. But, I'm thinking about my dad a lot these days because earlier this year, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He's Norwegian and very tight-lipped about both the cancer and the treatments. I do know that the treatments make him tired, so he hasn't been able to put in his garden this year. There's no tomato contest between the two of us for the first time in a long time. He always won, so it really was never much of a contest. But, it makes me sad that he's not able to do something that gives him so much joy.

Four years ago, I re-did the courtyard garden at his home. He lives in Chicago and I make regular trips to do his flower beds. (Like the Riverman, my dad will do veggies, but not flowers!) The courtyard had been taken over by yucca. They loved the sun and warmth they were getting in his courtyard and had spread far beyond their original plan. He wanted fewer of them and I wanted to give them a whirl in my gardens. Neither of us was sure they'd survive in Minneapolis, but I took six plants and stuck them in different locations in my gardens.

The Reader's Digest Condensed Version of the story is that the tiniest two of the six survived. And, just this year, they each got a flower stalk. And, just today -- on Father's Day -- they bloomed.

Last Season for the Shady Sisters

I spent my day today with the Shady Sisters. I've mentioned them a couple of times before. http://auntieksgarden.blogspot.com/2010/06/plant-coaches.html, http://auntieksgarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/just-another-day-on-farm.html The sisters are friends of mine and long-time gardeners, who have been selling their rare and unique hostas and other shade-loving plants for a few seasons now. After the 2010 season, I became an "official" sister. So, now in addition to helping on sale days, I dig and pot and plan and weed.

It rained buckets this morning, but people came to buy plants anyhow. Our first customer/gardener was there even before the official start of the sale at 8 am! We had many things potted, but people yesterday wanted varieties we hadn't potted, so we dug -- in the rain. And, by 8:30, three of us were covered in mud. Somehow, Betsy remained mud free all day. We're not sure how she managed it. The sun came out around lunchtime, so we were caked in mud instead of slimed in it.

The farm where the Sisters grew up and have their gardens is being sold, so this is the last year for the gardens and for the sales. We don't know whether an agreement will be made this year or not, but the uncertainty -- and the amount of plants still in the gardens -- made us decide that this would be our last year. It's great to talk with gardeners who have some connection to the farm and watch their faces as they get plants from the gardens. It means something to them and we know the plants will be well cared for. I'm moving things around in my own gardens to make room for a few more Shady plants, too.

We have one sale left this year -- in mid-August. It's going to be bittersweet. (And, I hope it doesn't rain!)

Surprise!

Like most gardeners, I have a list of things I'd like for the garden. My list includes plant material; garden objects, including a fountain someday; and practical things like soaker hoses, plant markers, and a compost bin. I'm a Capricorn, which means I lean toward the practical in almost everything. So, garden objects are lower on the list than plant material. But, plant material almost always beats out the "practical" stuff, because I can always "make due" with what I've got for just a little longer...

The other day, the Riverman and I were looking at the wedding registry for the daughter of some friends and I saw something that was on my garden list. "I've wanted one of those for a really long time," I confessed almost covetously. His incredulous response was, "Why?!" I gave him my reasons and we chose the gift for the couple (not the item I lusted after).

Yesterday after work, the "chore" was thinning the carrots. The Riverman arrived and did a tour through the garden before getting to the task of planticide. He kicked the hose, which was lying near the stone path, and said in an uncharacteristically grumpy way, "This thing is always in the way." I attributed the grump to a cold that's been hanging on for a couple of weeks and told him the solution was on the list and that if the plant sale went well over the weekend, I'd pick one up next week. He kicked the hose again and shook his head. Then, he said he forgot the elbow wrap for my tendonitis in the back seat of the car and would I mind getting it while he finished checking the crops. I walked to his car hoping the cold would subside soon. I wasn't sure I liked the grumpy Riverman.

But, my consternation disappeared when I got to the car and saw in the back seat not the elbow wrap but the hose reel box from my garden list! I think I actually did the happy Snoopy dance. It might sound silly, but we are neither great shoppers nor gift exchangers -- the Riverman and I -- so I was touched that he shopped AND chose something so meaningful to me -- something I'd been denying myself because I could "make due."

Have you waited a long time to get something for your garden? Post a comment and tell me about it.

Sharing the Roses

I love roses. And, I have a lot of them. So, last fall, when Neighbor Nancy wanted to dig out the roses in the garden that had been Barb's, I knew I couldn't take them all--especially that late in the season. There just wasn't time to dig all those holes! There just wasn't space.

Magnifica (pink) and Sir Thomas Lipton (white)

But, we were working against the clock, so I called Betsy, who said she had space in her veggie garden, so, I dug out all of Barb’s roses -- 9 plants -- and wintered them over at Betsy's. In April, Betsy dug them out and we potted them, so I could take them back to the city and distribute them. I set them on the south hill and neighbors came to take what they could use. I think Barb would be happy to know her roses are living in other sunny gardens now. One neighbor came after all Barb’s roses were gone. Luckily, I had a couple that were crowded and needed to go and I let her dig them out. She’s thrilled to have them and now my roses aren’t crowded.

Then, to make room for the new raised bed for the Urban Farm project, I needed to move one of my old Magnifica shrub roses. The young couple who bought the home across from me is starting with a clean palate, and I offered it to them. They accepted. So, the Riverman and I dug out the old rose and planted it in its new location. (We had to use a burlap sling to get it from the ground to the wheelbarrow!) We were afraid it wasn't going to make it, but it looks like it'll come back now.

Here at Auntie K's, my wish was to get through a complete bloom cycle on all the roses before the dastardly beetles made their appearance. I got my wish! (Is it too much to ask for another?! Buds are just about ready to open on several shrubs!)

Do you have a favorite plant? Have you had to move something cherished to make room for something new? Post a comment and let me know.

The Rule of Three

One of the rules of landscaping is the "rule of three," meaning you should plant things in groups of three -- typically in some kind of triangle rather than in a line. There's a natural harmony or balance that happens with odd numbers that doesn't happen when you have a single plant or even numbers of things. I typically follow the odd rule/rule of three in my gardens and notice that the gardens I'm re-arranging more than others are the ones where I've done pairs of things or single specimens. But, that's not the "rule of three" I'm thinking about today.

My friend, Sally, has a rule that if you hear something (or it comes up) three times in a certain period of time -- a day or a week -- for example, you need to pay attention to it -- and maybe take a lesson from it. I follow this rule, too. And, the thing that popped up three times this past weekend was the word "lush." It was the word people used to describe the gardens. Because I live on a corner, lots of people walk by and lots of people comment on the gardens. But, it's rare that I hear the same word or phrase more than once in a weekend. "Great," "Pretty," "Coming along," "Gift," are the most common. But over the weekend, the overwhelming comment was, "It's so lush."

It surprised me because it's not a word I'd use to describe the gardens. I still think of them as a work in progress. And, I know I tend to see the weeds and holes and room for improvement more than I see the things that are working. I got out my thesaurus and double-checked the synonyms -- verdant, luxurious, abundant, flourishing. I looked at the gardens again and thought that they were, indeed, lush.

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to take away from this phrase. Is it that I need to look with fresh eyes at things? Am I to slow down and experience not only the gardens but life in all its abundance? Is it something else?

Do you also pay attention to "the rule of three?" If so, post a comment and let me know!

Garden Pests

Now that everything's in the ground and has had some time to get settled, garden talk is about pests and what to do about them. Someone mentioned having seen Japanese Beetles already. Eek! Thankfully, I haven't seen any yet this year. I was hoping to get a first bloom on all the roses before I saw the JBs and I did. Most of my neighbors treated their yards with Milky Spore late last summer, so we're hoping that staved them off. (Notice I didn't say "eliminated them.")

I bumped into a fellow gardener at the local garden center early yesterday morning. He was buying insecticidal soap because of unidentified worms on his heirloom tomatoes. I said something had eaten a few holes in my Brussels Sprouts, but couldn't find any sign of the pest -- even after having carefully examined every leaf of every plant! He said they're sneaky that way.

And, it seems like you can't go anywhere lately without hearing about bunnies--and not in a good way. They are decimating gardens everywhere--except here at Auntie K's. Neighbor Nancy lost everything except two pepper plants. It's odd that all the gardeners who have bunny damage also have dogs or cats. "They're useless," one friend lamented. I shrugged and said that now that Monty's gone, all I have is the neighborhood hawk to keep the bunny population under control. She said, "well we have coyotes and we STILL have bunny damage!" I laughed as I conceded that her coyote trumped my hawk.

What are the garden pests you're dealing with this year? Post a comment and let me know!