Sue's Plantings

A Chill in the Evening

2012-09-21T14:20:00.000-05:00

The nights are cooling off. It's finally starting to rain occasionally. The kids are back in school. Fall is creeping up on us.
I know this to be true because the yard is full of clues.

The sedum next to the front porch is coloring up beautifully. They are attracting lots of bees and butterflies - much to the fascination of the kitty.

I'm still getting some snap dragons. They didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but I have had blooms all summer long. These are some of the flowers I grew from seed this spring.

This tree in the back has berries on it for the first time since we've lived here. Jeff and I discussed this yesterday. Neither of us remembers any sort of fruit growing here.

It appears we are going to have another bumper crop of persimmons. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are similar to apricots - although with a totally different flavor. Imagine thousands of little apricots dropping onto your yard and driveway, and you'll have an idea of the sticky mess we are in for. If this tree wasn't so gorgeous, I'd chop it down, use the wood for smoking meat and plant something less messy here!

Jeff's tomato plants are starting to look a bit worn out, but they are still lousy with fruit. He continues to harvest daily.

I call this shot Still Life with Ragweed and Banana. It is out by the alley. The honeysuckle vines are dragging the ragweed toward the ground so you can see the banana tree Jeff put out here last spring. No wonder my allergies are out of control!!

And So It Continues

2012-07-26T23:57:00.000-05:00

The extreme heat and lack of rain continue unabated. The St Louis area is has been upgraded to an extreme drought status. We continue to water the veggies and some of the flowers religiously. But it is too hot to do much of anything else. A lot of folks yards are starting to look like it's Fall with all the dead leaves piling up under the trees. Even the weeds are starting to dry up and die off (Yes! there is a silver lining!).

Since it's just too depressing to take photos right now, I thought I'd share some things I found on the web.

Check out these gardens designed for dogs: http://realestate.msn.com/dog-friendly-gardens-think-like-a-canine#scptit

And here's an article about raising veggies and chickens and bees in small spaces: http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20120710-chicken-balcony-tomatoes-roof-france-discovers-urban-agriculture

Hopefully we'll get some rain this week!

Zombie Apocalypse

2012-07-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

Zombies have taken over. Okay, they're really not zombies, they are just weeds, but they sure have taken over.

I work nights, so early mornings are reserved for sleeping at our house. The scorching temperatures and lack of rain here in the midwest have taken a real toll on the yard. And, since ninty-five degrees is the upper limit of what I will tolerate for spending time outdoors, not much has been done out there for the last few weeks. All the grass is dead. Only the plants that we water daily continue to survive. And, the weeds. Some of them have gotten to be head high. I fail to understand how most green things keel over and yet these insidious invaders seem to thrive - just like zombies rising from the dead.

Can you find Scout hiding in the weeds?

Do you see Ranger? He's not even trying to hide! He just blends in with the brown grass.

There's quite the oasis around where Jeff waters his tomatoes.

The blue at the bottom of this picture used to be the puppy pool, but the dogs have decided they prefer air conditioning to wading in warm water.

The Results of One Rainstorm

2012-07-14T00:38:00.000-05:00

We finally got had a nasty thunderstorm come through just after dark several days ago. We've been having extreme heat and no moisture for a record breaking length of time. While the rain did nothing for the grass on the lawn, the weeds sprang up almost violently the next day. And, on the bright side, some of the flowers are making a comeback. In addition, Jeff's multiple trips to irrigate the veggies have paid off. We're harvesting tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. The lettuce continues to grow - it is in shade most of the day now. And Jeff says we'll have bell peppers some time next week. The carrots still need a bit more time, but thier greens have really taken off since the rains came.

Summer Is Here

2012-06-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

The long hot days of summer are here. The spring flowers, my favorites, have gone. The summer flowers are just getting started. The weeds are totally out of control. And, so I've not taken any photos lately. Several weeks with no appreciable rain have left the lawn pretty brown. Generally, if it's still green, its a weed.

Temperatures have been in the 100's the last couple of days, and are expected to remain there for several more. Jeff is irrigating morning noon and night trying to keep the veggies from cooking before he can harvest them. He's pulling lots of tomatoes and onions. And, we have been eating our own greens for weeks.

We are already plotting and planning on how best to extend our growing season this year, and how best to get a head start on next year's. We've invested in a small, portable green house to which we'll use to keep things growing a little longer this fall. We haven't assembled it yet. But we hope it will help keep some of our plants warm in the cool fall nights, and keep them producing a little longer.

We have subscribed to Organic Gardening magazine, and have been getting good ideas froom it. You can find their Facebook page here, https://www.facebook.com/#!/OrganicGardening

We've also been following some gardeners on Twitter. Since things are slowing down for the summer in our garden, I'll start sharing some of the things our research turns up.

The End of May.

2012-05-31T00:40:00.000-05:00

We've got flowers blooming all over the yard.

These are some of the flowers I started from seed.

Jeff's herbs and veggies are doing well also.

These should be carrots when they grow up.

And these will be green peppers and basil if the bunnies let them live that long.

The beginnings of a bumper crop of cucumbers.

We've already started to eat some of the young onions...

...and lettuces.

Jeff picked a handful of berries yesterday morning.

And there are more tomatoes than we know what to do with!

And, in between caring for his house and garden, Jeff is making progress in clearing the bushes out from along the alley. Next year we hope to grow more veggies back here. Maybe beans!

And Ranger is hoping to get to taste some of the finished products from the garden...

Nearly Summer

2012-05-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Only about a month remains of Spring, but as a result of the warm winter, our yard is looking like summer arrived a week ago!

The day lillies we transplanted are starting to bloom.

The pink roses have bloomed as well. They have the strongest scent, delicate and lovely.

We acquired a large planter from Mom and Dad. It is currently sitting on the side patio. Jeff is talking about planting potatoes in it. We'll get vegetables and pretty vines at the same time!

(It's in the lower left corner of the picture.)

The fruits (and vegetables) of Jeff's labors are starting to burst forth. We had our first salad of the season made entirely of items from our garden. Even the dressing had been made by infusing our garden's herbs in citrus juice.

And we may get enough berries this year to have pie and top ice cream as well!

And, Evan is still loving the petunias in the window box!

May 11, 2012

2012-05-11T23:19:00.000-05:00

Things have slowed down a bit, but there are still fun developments in the yard!

The transplanted day lillies are getting buds.

And the roses are blooming madly.

The yard is full of wild strawberries which are making the local bunny population very happy!

And our salad fixings are coming along nicely.

And it looks like were going to get a huge berry crop.

Can you see the bee busily pollenating?

Coming Up Roses

2012-04-28T14:04:00.000-05:00

The roses are blooming! I was a little worried because we moved them all from the back yard to the front this spring, but we have flowers on two plants, buds on a third, and the remaining three all have new growth.

And, that's not all...

Irises...

tomatoes...

Marigolds are on the way. There are also carrot sprouts this morning, but too small to photograph yet. And the luttuce is doing well also!

And as always, Scout guards the home where it all grows.

Finally Flowers

2012-04-25T23:03:00.003-05:00

We've been working around the yard again. Come see what we've done...

Jeff's green peppers are coming up in the raised bed. We also have marigolds coming up around the outside edge, but they were too small to photograph, so you'll have to take my word for it for now.

He also installed the second lettuce gutter today. You can see the first batch of lettuce top right, and if you look carefully, the second batch peeking over the top center. the third batch will get planted next week so we'll have lettuce all summer long.

I bought a bunch of colorful plastic tubs ($2 each at Dollar General) that I planned to fill with the flowers I started last month.

But once I'd transplanted most of the shoots, I realized there just weren't going to be enough.
So I broke down, went to the Home Depot and bought a bunch more flowers.

Evan really seems to like the petunias in the window box.

Can you see Scout sticking his nose between the fence slats ?

The roses and irises are getting ready to bloom too.

And the berry bushes are getting blossoms, too. I hope we get enough berries for a pie this year!

Don't forget to go check out the banana tree...

Rainy Days

2012-04-20T16:56:00.002-05:00

It's been raining all day today which has precluded any work outside - including watering!! So, I decided to take the opportunity to ~~plant~~ hang the new painting in my dining room.

After the Chance of Frost

2012-04-18T23:04:00.002-05:00

Tax day is past, which means the chance of frost in Southern Illinois is also. The time has come to start moving the seedlings outdoors, planting the items that do not get started indoors, and generally preparing for summer.

Can you see the "lettuce gutter" on the fence? We'll add another one soon. And, behind the fence are the cherry blossom, dogwood, and persimmon trees.

I really like this persimmon tree most of the year. It is tall and shapely. However, in the fall when the fruits ripen it is a nasty sticky mess. Every year I threaten to have it chopped down as I scrape fallen persimmons off my shoes.

Jeff built a raised bed for herbs and veggies next to the house.

He planted marigold seeds around the edges to help keep pests away.

His tomato plants are coming right along too.

The current batches of indoor seedlings are about ready for hardening off.

The berry bushes are getting tall and leafy, but no blossoms yet.

Ranger and Scout have been busy helping in the yard.

The irises finally are getting buds.

A rhubarb has sprouted in the middle of a patch of day lillies. Jeff likes to cook with it so it'll stay.

I moved the spider plant back out to the porch today. It spent the winter hanging from the bedroom ceiling, but it is now in its summer home.

We hung the hummingbird feeders today! We can't wait to see the first ones.

Jeff has a feeder outside the kitchen window, and we hung a second one outside the screened porch for Evan.

April 14, 2012

2012-04-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

Two days of nonstop rain have left us without much to much to do outside. I did start another batch of lettuce seeds, and before the rain started, Jeff mowed the lawn.
Jeff has also decided to install raised beds on the side of the house. We made a hardware store run for some lumber with which to construct one. Once we've tried it out, we may install more.
While at the store we also got another "lettuce gutter". Jeff will install it on the fence once things dry up a bit. I'll get photos of both raised bed and gutter as soon as I can.

Easter Week

2012-04-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

A lot of the fast moving excitement of early spring is past now. Trees are greening up nicely. Early spring flowers are blown. I don't have a lot of late spring flowers, but most of them are not yet ready to bloom. I've taken some shots of the yard to share, though.

We did some mulching. You can see some additional bags of it on the porch.

There are a few flowers around: some daffodils on the side of the house, and the roses are budding.

And, of course we have new seedlings, flowers, vegetables and herbs!

Reseeding

2012-03-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm afraid we haven't done much pictorially exciting in the last few days. We've transplanted some seedlings that were ready to move into their permanent homes. Here you can see Jeff's tomatoes.

He keeps them in old styrofoam coolers on a table on the patio. This is required because my sweet Scout likes to graze on the plants before they get a chance to flower, much less produce fruit.

Jeff also gave some Weed n Feed to the front lawn this week. No noticable change yet, but we'll put down more grass seed in a month or so, and, maube that will help.

In addition, both of started more seeds.

I put in some flowers and lettuce.

Jeff started his herb garden.

In an earlier post I asked if anyone recognized one of the trees on the side lawn. My lovely daughter informs me it is an Asian Plum. It does not bear fruit, but it is very pretty.

And speaking of trees, I took a shot of the dogwood in full flower. And, if you look very carefull near the top, you can see the Persimmon tree to the left of it starting to bud out.

We're preparing to do some more clearing and maybe some mulching. I'll try to remember to take before and after shots while we work.

And, flip to the banana tree page. We have leaves unfurling!

Working Wednesday

2012-03-21T23:20:00.000-05:00

Jeff and I spent quite a bit of time in the yard today. We did quite a bit of cleaning up and a bit of planting.

The trees and bushes have also done quite a bit of blooming and leafing out. I took a bunch of photos to share.

The red bud tree in the front yard (and a view of a couple of the cool old houses across the street).

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is, but it sure is pretty in the spring. (If you know what it is, let me know, please.)

The cherry blossom tree and the dogwood next to it coming into flower.

This is the view over the back fence. Another shot of the cherry blossom and dogwood with the neighbor's red bud in the background.

The single daffodil that got removed from Mom and Dad's yard with the hen-n-chicks bloomed yesterday!

The day lillies along the driveway are coming along nicely.

So are the irises.

One of the banana trees that got "thinned" out from by the front porch.

The bushes that line the alley are leafing out and getting more blossoms.

The berry bushes are putting out new leaves and shoots.

I moved some day lillies around to the front of the house to help hide the stumps from the bushes Jeff removed last fall.

Jeff planted some onions ...

...and we stopped at the store for for some other future salad fixings! All Jeff needs now are some pepper plants and some cherry tomatoes.

Turn the Page

2012-03-18T13:42:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to share this photo of my cherry tree. We've got more thunder storms predicted and I wanted to get a shot of it today incase the wind blows off all the blossoms.

I also wanted to point out that I've added a second page to this blog. I'm going to track the growth of my banana tree there. Stop in and check it out.

Bursting Buds

2012-03-17T13:39:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! While green is the official color of the day, Spring is busy showing her full range of color.

This is the view down the street from the side of the house. Plenty of color to contrast with the green!

I've got trees and bushes budding all over the yard.

The red bud trees are coming out in front of the house.

I haven't figured out what this tree is yet (cherry, maybe, but does not produce any type of fruit). It puts out the most lovely display of white flowers every spring, though.

The dogwood and persimmon trees next to it haven't started to stir much yet, but the three together make a lovely display.

We've had some pretty punishing rains the last couple of nights, but a few of the daffodils survived the onslaught.

Looks like we'll be getting berries again this year! Last year's crop was small, but yummy!

The irises and day lillies along the driveway are coming along nicely.

And the bushes along the alley are flowering out as well.

The peonies are starting to poke their heads up along the side fence.

Also, as promised, a quick shot of the sprouts from the seeds I've started indoors. There is something called "Old Glory Mix" on the left. They should be red, white and blue flowers, but I'm not sure what kinds. It was a free pack of seeds.

The bigger ones in the center are pink zinnias I got from the Komen walk a couple of years ago. More free seeds!

And, on the right are some purple rose of sharon sprouts from seeds I snagged from my next door neighbor's bush. Gee! I guess those were free too!

The banana trees have made an appearance, too, although no photo today. I'm fascinated every year by how fast they grow. I'll try to keep you updated on their growth over the summer. They go from ground level to above the roof over the course of the summer!

A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood

2012-03-14T23:02:00.002-05:00

It has been lovely here the last couple of days, warm and sunny. We did quite of work in the yard. Jeff got busy bright and early and started moving rose bushes to the front of the house.
BEFORE: Along the inside of the fence where the dogs run.

AFTER: In a sunny spot in the front yard.

There are still a few plants left to move, but they are very small and have been well trampled. But we'll move them out of harms way and see what happens.

I also moved my lawn ornaments outside the fence. The three guys in the rose patch I've had for more than a decade and are my favorites.

They add some music to the sight and scent of the flowers: drum, violin and horn.

We also planted the hen-n-chicks from Daddy out in front of the screened porch.

The large bare spot in the middle is a thin layer of dirt covering a gnarly root system from a long gone bush. I hope as these plants grow and spread, it will fill in. It may also become a resting place for a large ornament or planter.

After planting, I added a couple of garden fairies we got as a gift.

Jeff also brought the bistro table out of the cellar and we set it up on the patio.

I put out a couple of ornaments here, too. .

These guys can keep me company as I read or write here!

Most of the seeds I've started inside have sprouted, so I should have plenty of flowers to add to the yard . I'd like to buy some flats of assorted flowers for the widow box and planters this year. As I become more proficient at growing from seed, I'll do all my own from scratch in future years. I'll try to remember to take pics of the sprouts for the next post.

And, these guys were left by the previous owners of the house - lovely double daffodils!

Planning the Planting

2012-03-07T16:56:00.000-06:00

Mother Nature was not terribly cooperative this past week. It was cool and extremely windy, so not much got done outside. The last couple of days have been quite warm, but the wind has been too strong to allow the wearing of hats (important for fair-skinned types like me).

I did get some seeds started inside as did Jeff. I have flowers in front of the dining room windows, and he has herbs in front of the living room windows. We're using seeds left from last year for this first round. That way if any don't take, we have plenty of time to start some fresh ones. No photos yet, but hopefully by my next post there will be some sprouts to show off.

The early spring perennials that came with the house were a bit disappointing this year. Lots of greens, but almost no buds. These are the only ones so far. And they are running behind all my neighbor's daffodils.

My parents moved into a new house a little over a year ago, and the previous owner was obviously into a variety of hen-and-chick plant. My dad is not a big fan of them, so he invited Jeff and I over to dig out several of them.

I plan to divide them and put them in front of the porch where we removed some old evergreens last fall. We still need to clean out the leftover stumps and ground cover, which we hope to accomplish in the next few days.

If it looks like we'll get a few nice days in a row, I'd also like to paint the fencing under the porch. It'll all get done eventually. As always, it comes down to time and money.

I also need to get busy and move my rose garden. Here is where I plan to put it.

This is at the right front corner of the house and gets morning and early afternoon sun. I hope they do well there.

Jeff had the brilliant idea about where to put our lettuce this year. We will get window box planters and hang them fron the fence.

This fence was built with 3/4x8's back in the day when boards actually measured 3/4"x8"! They should hold out lettuces up nicely.

I also want to put together a container garden aroung this small patio. We have a bistro table and chairs for it, but I'd like to put plants aroung the area to make it more inviting.

I'll be able to see the rose garden from here and the wireless signal from the house will allow me to sit and write.

Rainy Days and...

2012-03-02T16:30:00.000-06:00

My well- intentioned plans to spend some time in my yard have been quashed by Mother Nature. Severe storms, high winds and rapidly cooling temperatures are keeping me indoors. Not even the dogs are interested in hanging outside.

Tomorrow is not likely to be much better for yard work. At least the tornado warnings should be past. Temps will be mid-40's and winds near 20mph. Although, we may see the sun.

However, Monday and Tuesday have possibilities. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Spring Cleanup

2012-02-29T19:35:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is March 1st, and here in St Louis the weather is starting to warm up. Early spring flowers are pushing their heads above ground. This is the point in time that I start seriously thinking about what I'd like to do in my garden.

This year is different from the last couple of years in several ways. I have a job, so there is some money to spend. I'm working second shift, so I have time during the daylight hours to work in my yard. Also, my doctor and I have found a drug that is doing wonders for my arthritis, leaving me with a freedom of movement I haven't really had for a while.

All this bodes well for my garden plans. The first order of business is a basic clean up. Lots of leaves and twigs and general trash have collected in the corners. My goal for the first week of March is to get all that cleaned up.

Naturally, this early in the season, my plans are easily waylaid by the weather. Since I don't "do" cold, nasty weather, I have some guidelines for "outdoor" weather: 45 degrees or higher and sunny, 55 degrees or higher if it's overcast, wind speeds of less than 20mph.

Next time I'll talk about moving the rose garden out of the travel path of the dogs!

Welcome To My Plot

2012-02-22T22:53:00.000-06:00

We bought this house almost three years ago. The previous owner was an avid gardener, but was in his eighties when he died. The result of many years of careful cultivation is extremely fertile soil. the result of a couple of years of neglect whle he was dying and while the place was for sale was some serious overgrowth everywhere. We've spent a couple of years eimply trying to fight back the jungle, and I'm starting to see progress. This year I hope to start placing my mark more firmly upon the property.

This photo was apparently taken while the previous owner was still alive. As you can see there are a lot of trees and bushes, many of which could use a trim. Imagine it two year later...That's what I was starting with.
I'm not really an evergreen sort of girl, so I'm slowly removing many of the bushes - with the help of my husband and his trusty chain saw. (Thanks, Baby!) I plan to replace them with perennials and flowering shrubs, and maybe a small, decorative tree or two.

How Does My Garden Grow?

2012-02-20T10:59:00.000-06:00

It's nearly March. I can hear birds outside the window. the grass is starting to green up and some of the trees are starting to swell at the branch tips. Hyacinthe and daffodils are putting up green shoots, and I saw some crocuses in bloom yesterday. It's time to start thinking about my own patch of dirt. I'll chronicle my activities here in both words and photos. Come along with me on my journey through the Illinois flora.

Sue