24 February 2012

garden friday | sunny & sprouty edition


It was a beautiful, nearly hot week in the garden. I took lots of breaks from working in the still-chilly downstairs studio to just sit outside pondering, snooping, sipping coffee and sketching.

This new perennial-heavy garden plan has me hunting harder for signs of progress (it's a slower growing plan), which is an adjustment. In prior years I would have planted every single Spring seed (and every inch of soil) the day after I returned from an annual early February business trip. Little green shoots would pop up nearly in unison all throughout the garden beds, which was a fresh bit of excitement (and maintenance) every day. I think this new, "investment-y" plan's going to be great, but there's just not that visual WOW just yet. Patience.


Jacky planted these chives. Thinking of doing a couple more pots of them and placing them on the side of our yard that gets overrun by aphid-attracting wild nasturtiums, I guess to keep them on the nasties and away from the veggies. It's said that chives help with the little suckers.


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Spears! I've been backfilling the asparagus trenches as the little tips emerge. This crown, which gets the most sun, is in the lead: all the soil has been back-filled and this little spear can now grow, frond out and do its growing up thing. We won't be picking/eating for a couple years.


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Lettuce sprouts! Multiplying overnight.


garden friday 02 24 12
Do you grow Alpine Strawberries? You really should. They're pretty plants, almost never die, are perennial ever-bloomers, and the the tiny fruits are ah-mayzing. Almost like a watermelon-y berry taste. I planted mine from these seeds two years ago, and this newer plant was transplanted here from a tiny self-sown volunteer off the main plant. Super carefree: just plunk it in and it won't stop.


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Such pretty flowers too.


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crazy bed head + runny nose + dirt pile = fun garden times

// Summary of the Week //

Sun: nearly constant! mid-70s most days. Actual sunburn danger (no complaints).

Seeds planted: kale (cavolo nero), 'catalina' spinach, chives, 'april in paris' sweet peas

Next up: 'bergamo bouquet' monarda, anise hyssop, carrots, parsley, cilantro, favorite lettuce

Spotted: wee salad sprouts (from 'Monet's Garden' mesclun mix), red-tailed hawks, hummingbird

Harvested: more thyme and rosemary

To buy: new watering can, copper tape (for slugs), more potting soil

To pot up: meyer lemon, kumquat, rosemary

To do: massive weeding and tidying (bet this'll be on the list next week!)



5 comments:

  1. This makes me so happy! It makes me dream of when I can have a garden like this... Jacky looks so grown up and the sprouts are inspiring.

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  2. Those strawberries look so pretty! I wonder how they do in heat? My asparagus hasn't done anything yet and I'm kind of getting worried about it! We filled in more of our beds and pots yesterday and hopefully throughout the week, I'll be getting the rest of my veggies/fruit in. Man, I love this time of year!

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    Replies
    1. I'm not sure how they'd handle L.V. heat, but here, when it's 90+ they do fine with plenty of water. The fruit, of course, tastes best when it's hot! So maybe?

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  3. i love seeing stuff come up out of soil. it makes me so happy.

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  4. late to the party here...
    i seriously LOVE your garden.
    sorta feeling guilty for farming out what could have otherwise been a fun to-do over here...
    but when those shovels hit the ground tomorrow morning and plant all the tubs that are sitting in their spots right now i think i'll be feeling pretty happy about the decision!
    i want to plant a patch of those strawberries, though. yum yum! xx

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