Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the middle of a Wisconsin winter

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've never seen the plants at any nursery, I've always grown mine from seeds, those can sometimes be found with the seeds in the displays in many stores. My husband goes out in the woods a lot and brings back stray wood. There are also two yellow globe arborvitae, and a couple short zinnias. Thank you about my dog, she's my favorite out of our five.

 

[limited25]

OK, thanks. I'll take a picture of your garden to the nursery when I go and ask what they have that looks like that (maybe I will get seeds). I usually only plant perennials but like how those look. Nice that you have a woods nearby to get wood from. Also want to try your velcro idea to hold up cucumbers (I have a bunch of velcro strips sitting in my craft room for years). Wow, 5 dogs, that's nice. We had a bassett hound that died of old age last year that we loved, but now our only pets are chickens. Really like them though.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Used to have bassets too, love them goofy hounds. There is a perennial rudbeckia, common name of black eye Susan. They only come in the original variety but are very hardy, I like the annual because of the variety of them, yellows to reds and doubles, they flower and flower. Perhaps it will be something they carry by you, most people don't know about them.

 

[limited25]

Thanks, have the picture and all the plant names written down and off to search for them soon. Think I will try to go with the annuals. How long were the wood limbs your husband used?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

, the fence posts are about 6 feet apart with about 4 feet sticking out of the ground, the rails are about 7-8 feet, and the pickets are about 2-3 feet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The fence is put together with some electric fence wire to keep the wood from splitting with screws.

 

[limited25]

Thanks so much, all the details and pictures really help! You have a very nice yard.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you, there is a lot of yard and gardens to take care of, we are trying to simplify some stuff since we are both getting older, things don't bend like they used to.

 

[limited25]

That sounds like us too, so maybe about the same age. Today we got the dirt made and put into the raised bed, planted 2 of those wire cages of potatoes 2' in diameter with paper sacks holding the dirt in, and it is supposed to grow up, 3 rows of chard, 2 broccoli plants, and 6 kale. The smaller raised bed is half full of onions and I will have to research what I can plant by onions. Onions used to be with the garlic, but garlic didn't grow last year and is up and looking good this year, so am taking whatever garlic is growing in pots and my sprouting garlic from the kitchen and will have a garlic garden (though it is not huge). I don't know if what I plant this year won't grow until next year ... but guess I will find out. Garlic garden not quite done today but I am pleased with what we did accomplish.

Planning to grow all tomatoes in pots this year since I ran out of raised beds (lol) and want to get strawberries planted too. Not sure how many strawberry plants to plant .... 2 of us. Want to find everything and make that flower bed you detailed for me (thanks), and then look and see what else I want to plant. Last year we planted 12 organic corn as an experiment and it was a disaster ... got about a foot high and got little tiny corns on the plants, and promptly died. Would like to try again so would appreciate any advise. Just got that book Lasagna Gardening but haven't had a chance to look at it yet.

When I was a kid my parents always took us to Wisconsin for vacation, we rented a cabin for a week or two and it was always so fun. Seemed like the people that ran the lodging had kids our age to play with so that was nice, and loved all the little chipmunks in the woods and all. My dad loved to fish, everyone was relaxed and us kids even got to have cheeseburgers and chocolate malts for breakfast which was really great. Of course we didn't eat out everyday. They bought a cabin, I think in Madison, WI and we went there every year for years, which they eventually sold. Nice memories.

Found a bunch of crickets while working and fed those to the chickens; one bite and they were gone.

 

[21hens-incharge]

OHLD, Your gardens are an inspiration! I really like the colors you chose for them.

Working on the raised boxes for the veggie gardens this weekend. I am planting the potatoes in pots and hoping for the best. The tomatoes will be where I had a strawberry bed and the berries will be in pots this time. So much to do and so little time.

For two people I would plant no less then a dozen strawberries but then I really like the berries.

I need to get some photos done as there are a few things blooming now. Tiny crocus and snow glories with daffodils getting ready to pop open.

The radish experiment was mixed with the grow lights. They grew all right and made radishes but not very appealing or edible looking. Falling behind as usual so planting pepper seeds in the morning and some back up tomatoes if the ones I have growing get to big in the pots and die off.

Found pansies on clearance at the hardware store so they can go in the pots in the front yard. I know I know not the best place to get plants and certainly not clearance ones. But at a buck a 2 inch pot I can live with it if they fail.

The squirrel has found the lily bulbs so the battle is ON. The neighbor brought me a badly chewed bulb and told me about the squirrel making a getaway from my garden.