Putting the Garden to Bed

I put down leaves and coffee grounds, covered with burlap, recently. I also trimmed back the fuchsia two days ago (pic was taken last week). All of the bulbs that are going in the ground for next year have been planted. I might check out clearance bulbs at the local nurseries, but will have to hurry. Freezing temperatures are just around the corner. The nights have become chilly this last week.

Cyclamen Cyprium

After nearly six years, I finally got one of two Cyclamen Cyprium tubers to produce a flowering bloom. Btw, this particular species of plant is only native to the Island of Cyprus. Patience pays off.

More Beans

I'm still picking green beans. This year's crop has produced a record harvest.

Repairs

I noticed that one of the plot boards had nearly rotted away. A trip to Lowe's let me find a replacement board. Not being a carpenter it took me nearly an hour to remove the old board and attach the new one. Also, I finally was able to remove all of the quack grass that was growing in between the boards for the last few years. Weeds were removed and new chips were also laid down.

On another note, the beans are growing like crazy. I have tried to add some twine for additional support since the beans will soon add more weight to the whole fixture.

July Update

So July is here and, after a very warm Spring, somewhat anticlimactic. Temperatures are anywhere from consistently warm to downright hot. As you can see in the pic below my beans are loving it and just now sending up runner vines. Also, the fuchsia and campanula (blue bells) is providing some much needed color since all of the Spring plants are now dormant. Also, I've pretty much finished harvesting broccoli and peas. The Alderman starts I purchased from Sky Nursery were a big success and my only regret is that I didn't buy more. Next year I plan to only grow peas from starts since the efforts from seed were a dismal failure.

Beginning of Summer

The Summer Solstice was on Saturday and so far this year it has been warmer than usual. My Alderman peas (from starts) are nearly ready to harvest. This year's broccoli has been a huge success, with only a single plant going to seed early, and no clubroot in sight. Also, I planted Kentucky Blue pole beans and they all sprouted. Finally, the onions are nearly ready to begin harvesting.

As for the flowering plants...the fuschia is huge and beginning to bloom; the aphids on the hellebore have either all died or moved on; the lupine continues to bloom; and the foxtail lily is just about at the end of it's blooming cycle.

Spring Developments

More Peas

ok, one last attempt at the peas. Worms and moths continue to attack my 'Dakota' shelling peas. I am unable to grow peas from seed. So, I bought four containers of 'Alderman' peas from Sky Nursery. I get the impression that developed veggie starts are a bit more resistant to insects. New-sprouting seeds are just to tender and get eaten or damaged.

As for my other plants...the walla walla onions are coming along nicely. The cippolini onions are growing, but slowly. Also, the spinach and broccoli is coming along. I plan to treat the spinach with some fish fertilizer to promote growth.

Operation "Leave My Peas Alone"

Earlier this week, before the rains came, I got outside and did what I could to keep my Dakota peas intact. I saved toilet paper tubes for the past six months. After cutting each tube in half I placed each one around a sprouted pea plant. Although I didn't have enough tubes for every seedling, many plants are accounted for. Afterwards, I placed remay over the planted area and held it down with anything nearby. Thus, I'm hoping that my efforts provide a modicum of protection against cutworms and birds.

 

Early Spring Vegetables

Last week I attended Seattle Tilth's March Edible Plant Sale. I was down in the Sodo District in the Pacific Market Center parking garage. I picked up spinach, broccoli, and onion (cipollini) starts. And, I finally got around to planting them all a couple of days ago. The temperature was decidedly chilly most of the past week.

As for my 'Dakota' peas...they're starting to sprout. They are still covered in remay to keep birds away. I plan to shield them in a couple of days with toilet paper tubes to deter cut worms. So, a half tube around each sprout and a remay cover should keep everything pretty well protected. When the peas grow beyond the length of the tubes they should be well enough established that  I can remove the remay.

As for the problem with rodents...they have been doing less damage lately. I get the impression there aren't many bulbs left to eat that are unsprouted.

First Planting of the Year

Yesterday I planted 'Dakota' variety shelling peas (Territorial Seeds). The seeds were from 2011 so I hope they are still good enough that some of them sprout. I plan to plant a second crop of seeds (packed for 2014) in a couple of weeks. The temperature is getting warmer, but overnight temperatures are still a bit cool. Also, I don't have to water anything yet since it has been raining constantly for the past couple of weeks.

2014 Northwest Flower and Garden Show

I finally attended the Northwest Flower and Garden Show last weekend for the first time ever. Needless to say, it was a very cool event. There were tons of displays, plenty of ways to spend money, and many organizations/booths to visit.

Spring is Coming

I planned to do some gardening yesterday but when I got to the p-patch it was too cold and I wasn't dressed for the weather. I did learn (in the few minutes I was there) that something is digging up and eating my buried tulip bulbs. A lot of the spring bulbs have sprouted and are poking up through the topsoil. It looks like it's time to fertilize. Also, the hellebore are showing signs of development (new green leaves and blooms) and the cyclamen coum are in full bloom. Finally, the scilla is also poking up and blooming in small, compact clusters of blue/white flowers. I wished they would gain some height as they tend to bloom close to the ground, and are sometimes hard to spot. 

New Years

I visited the p-patch yesterday to partake in the annual tradition of eating food and trying not to freeze my bum off. There was a pretty good turnout with a few dozen gardeners. Also, I ended up pruning my hellebore a bit as well as the fuchsia. There isn't much growing right now but I did spot new buds nestled in the hellebore crowns awaiting warmer weather (probably by the end of February). Also, the cyclamen coum has sprouted a handful of magenta blooms. Checking under the burlap I noticed several worms at work breaking down my layer of leaves.

So far, this has been a very mild winter. We had about a week of freezing temperatures last month, and a couple inches of snow last lasted one day. Even the rain has been minimal the last few months.