Gotta say it was dang cold on my hands handling the wet things (our high temp didn't even reach 45° today), but it did feel good to be hanging the wash outside again. (Never did dry, but that's beside the point.)
I told Papa Pea I wanted to get the strawberry bed uncovered today and he said he'd help me. Whadda guy. He dropped what he was doing in the garage and came to help. 'Twas much appreciated!
Because we were short on straw, I had covered the berries this past fall with evergreen boughs from a couple of downed trees. I don't like using boughs as much as a nice straw mulch but have done it a couple of times before and it works well to keep the plants protected over winter.
I did a preliminary cleaning of the strawberry patch once the boughs were all carted away. Now I'll let the rows dry out for a couple of days (hope rain holds off) and then get in there and take out any sprouting weeds and get wood shavings spread as a summer time mulch.
I uncovered and cleaned up the rhubarb plant. Last year, I took my first cutting of rhubarb on May 11th. It's gonna be a lot later this year!
I spaded up the raised bed in which I want to put my started seedlings of lettuce, chard, spinach and arugula. (I did need to take off that heavy jacket in short order!)
Then with hubby's help I put a cold frame top on the bed. I'll leave it that way with the cover closed for a couple of days to warm up the soil before I set out the transplants. (Doesn't it look kinda like a real bed? With a mattress on top? No? Huh. Must just be me.)
Above is a picture of one of the worst garden mistakes I've ever made. Pictured are the last three sunflower stalk stumps of all the ones I removed today. My garden glove in the foreground was to try to show the size of the stump. The other glove at the top of the picture is by one I'd already dug out.
Last year I planted two rows of Mammoth Sunflowers because they were touted as producing the best seeds to feed to your wild birds. Well, they grew to mammoth size, no doubt about that. But the heads never matured (our short growing season, you know), so no seeds did we get. We had to cut down the thick stalks with a hatchet (we should have used a chainsaw) but could not get the stumps that were left at about ground level out of the ground. We tried digging but the soil was too compacted last fall and that just didn't work. Papa Pea used the hatchet to try hacking the stumps to pieces. That proved futile, too. We considered dynamite but vetoed that idea. He thought if we left them until this spring, they just might decompose a little. Today I noticed no decomposition but I could get a shovel into the damp soil and managed to dig all the remaining stumps out. Uff! A real job, but I'm so glad to have those things out of the garden!
I can't tell you how good it felt to be out actually doing some productive work in the garden today. I can hardly wait for another day to play out there again tomorrow. If it doesn't rain. Shhhhh . . .
25 comments:
Yea!! So exciting to be underway in the garden. We're kind of just getting going too, after all the crazy snow the past few weeks.
Yeah looks like the snow is all gone ........ have fun in the dirt. And Papa Pea, whatta guy to get out there and help.
I tried those Mammoth sunflowers a few years back and had the same problem with those stalks. Never again. We've had excellent luck with those burpee short season sunflowers--70 days and plenty of seed.
I got my onion sets in the mail yesterday. Now I KNOW spring is here.
My three rhubarb plants are going gangbusters - wish I liked it or that I could ship it to you!
LindaCO - We still have a good-sized pile of snow down at the end of the garden. But I'm ignoring it! (Ignorance is bliss?)
Tombstone Livestock - Nope, still snow to remind us that we don't live in a hospitable land (just kidding) but as I told Linda, I'm ignoring it. It's in the high 40s already this morning (9 a.m.) with the sun shining so I'm doing my happy dance again today.
Sue - Does Burpee still offer those short season sunflowers? I could swear I tried to order them and could no longer find them. After the Mammonth fiasco, I think my husband is going to refuse to let me plant any sunflowers again! We had to chop each and every stalk into four or five pieces to fit them in the compost bin. They'll probably still be there (intact) for years to come!
Happy onion planting!
Jen - Oh, the thought of rhubarb ready to harvest makes my mouth water! I'd make a rhubarb pie today if I had it!!
When we had the restaurant, my rhubarb pies were very popular in the early part of the season and we bought rhubarb from a lady 100 pounds at a time. She had a backyard full of plants!
I don't know when to pick it? You just lob off a stalk? I am not fond of straight rhubarb, too tart, but I might not mind it mixed with strawberries.
Doesn't make you feel just wonderful to get out and get digging again? I love this first flush of Garden Love - before the dreaded weeding sets in. It always makes me inordinately happy to be able to hang out my laundry. And you're right - whether it dries or not, that is not the point. Of course, it is helpful. Soon you will have your first little seedlings in and away you go!!!!
I like the layout of your beds, neat & tidy. glad you were finally able to spend some time outside!
Jen - I'd say let the stalks get at least 12" long (excluding the leaf, of course). You can pick both the thick and thin stalks but I tend to take the thicker ones first because they do get tough if left a long time. Grasp the stalk down near the base and give it a twist and it should pop right out. That is supposedly better than cutting it with a knife which may lead to rot and infestation of bad things. Rhubarb likes to be mulched with its own leaves so you can cut the leaves off and place them around the plant. Hope you find a way to make it that you like. For a long time it's been touted as the perfect "spring tonic!"
Susan - I gotta admit getting out in the garden (and hanging laundry outside) does make it feel like spring! Yay, for spring time.
DFW - Neat and tidy, eh? May be because they are still empty . . . and weed free! Truthfully though, I plant so intensively in my raised beds that I really don't have much of a weed problem there.
That was the Burpee Aztec Gold ---ready in 70 days. I didn't grow it last year because we were gone, and I had forgotten about it this year, so I'm unsure as to whether or not it is still available. A GREAT substitute---I switched to this because of the variety--Sunflower Flash Blend from Botanical Interests. BUT--I grow it for the birds--not sure if the seeds are tasty to humans. Also Evening Sun (Botanical Interests)--again for the birds. BUT GORGEOUS FOR HUMANS TO LOOK AT!!
:)
I line dried my clothes yesterday too. We are having a heat wave though and it's been 30C+ for the past few days. It's supposed to cool down and go back to more normal spring temps soon.
I'm glad to see you got out in the garden. I'm always so envious of you lovely gardens and all the produce it brings in.
That is some sunflower stump! I'm guessing you won't be planting those again.
Dynamite? LOL. I have to say your beds look so, ready to plant. Mine are already overgrown with weeds! A little rain = mega weeds.
Oh! I started laughing at your post, your laundry reminds me of the old pioneer stories where you knew it was spring when the sheets were on the line! There is nothing better than line dried clothes. That stalk stump darn near looks to need a back hoe to remove it!
SO HAPPY to hear your out digging in the dirt. I know your heart is singing~and your back is now stinging after the first day out!
Jen, take a few cups of cut up rhubarb and toss it in a pan on low, add about 1/4 cup of water and cook it down like apple sauce. Add about a 1/2 cup of sugar (sweeten to taste) Rhubarb sauce! Great over ice cream or on it's own...tastes just like Sweet Tarts & is a family favorite of ours
Sparkless - Ugh, why so hot so early in your season? Weather sure has been whacky these last couple/few years, hasn't it?
I still have the seeds for those Mammoth Sunflowers but I never will plant them again. I should offer them to anyone who can use them.
Leigh - I was so surprised that I could dig out those stumps so easily this spring. Couldn't believe how difficult they were last fall! I hated to just leave them there 'cause I knew they wouldn't "till in" when we got around to working the field garden this spring. I was mighty glad to get them out, out, out!
Wish I could come down and help you get rid of your mega weeds. I really do love to weed a garden.
Katidids - Heck, I thought those old pioneer gals had to hang their sheets on the line all winter and let them freeze dry!
Believe me, last fall we almost considered asking our neighbor to the east who is a heavy equipment operator to come over with his back hoe!
I'm fortunate to have a strong back and am not bothered much in that department, BUT I think my right wrist may be broken (kidding) from crawling through the strawberry patch yesterday digging out weeds with a trowel!
Sue - I still have your note in my garden book regarding the Burpee Aztec Gold sunflowers. Yesterday I went to their site and they are no longer listed so I sent their Customer Service department an e-mail asking about them. If I can't locate them, I'll investigate the other two substitutes you suggested. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Loved your laundry photo! So 'springy' and 'summery', particularly in light of all your recent 'snow' photos! What I think is so neat about your using the evergreen boughs, is your adaptability of figuring out a substitute that works. Your place looks so sunshiney and green! I'm so glad you are out in your garden now!
Lisa - Our place looks "green?" My dear, you must have on your lime-tinted glasses! I keep waiting for the grass to green up but so far it still looks mostly brown.
They say pine needles are good for strawberries so since we had a heap of trimmed branches from a couple of trees we had to take down, it just seemed like the sensible thing to do. That plus the fact that we had no straw!
Just came in from fertilizing and tying up the raspberries. Feels so good to be working outside!
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