Veggies!

The cool-weather vegetables are coming along nicely. The peas are finally taking off, the broccoli looks great, and the spinach is ready for harvesting. I already planted corn and beans even though the temperatures continue to fluctuate. Fortunately, all of the corn seeds have sprouted and are covered with remay (see pic). I hope this will protect them adequately from cooler overnight temperatures.

Early Summer Plants

foxtail lily

dicentra 'burning hearts'

Summer is Here

Temperatures are reaching 80 degrees in the first week of May this year. This is promising. I hope this means Summer will have record warm weather. I already have Walla Walla onions growing, as well as spinach and Alderman peas. The peas are taking quite a while to take off and are pretty chewed up by birds. I'm still planning to plant corn, peppers, and green beans (I just need to find space to plant them all). Also, my bleeding hearts are coming along nicely, and the foxtail lily too. Sometime in the coming week I will need to trim all of Spring perennials as they are finished blooming for the year.

Spring Color

Spring Update

Well, I have finally got around to publishing an update. A lot has happened in the last couple of months. First of all, my extra garden space (on the South side of the property) is no longer. It seems that a rep from the city doesn't like that folks are gardening near the edge of the hillside and it may be contributing to soil erosion. So, I no longer have an extra 70sf. As for my main plot...the peas are surviving, although slugs/snails are snacking on the leaf edges. I've planted a couple of batches of Walla Walla onions. Also, the various groups of tulips are starting to show color. 

On another note, and pictured below, I finally managed to get my single Cyclamen Repandum corm to produce leaves and blooms. It only took two years :-P

The Winter Garden

The winter corner of my p-patch plot is coming along nicely. The hellebore are beginning to hit their stride, with just the 'Ivory Prince' yet to fully bloom. There is also a smattering of cyclamen coum nestled in the shade of the taller hellebore. The hundreds of tulips scattered around the plot have all broken through the soil, but will probably begin blooming in another month (in staggered succession).

On another note, one of my dicentra 'Burning Hearts' survived another Winter and shows signs of new growth. I've harvested the broccoli as much as possible, and disposed of the remainder, along with the spinach. I plan to plant new spinach from seed in a couple of days, as well as plant Alderman peas.

Note: pics were updated on 03/07/13

 

Seattle Arboretum - Winter Garden

I joined a tour the other day at the Seattle Arboretum. The property's winter garden is in bloom and in its prime.