What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

Robin family has expanded to 4 babies! Of course, all might not make it - that one just hatching is so much smaller right now.

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In curious news: the robin family on the deck light (which is a great protected spot under the eaves) seems abandoned. There was one egg in it a couple of days ago. But today - there is nothing, just a few bits of egg shell. The bits are circled in the pic. My kid said they found a couple of broken robin eggs in the yard (not really close to the nest- could not have fallen nor rolled there) - a robin cant just "not make it to the nest" and oops, drop/lay an egg can they? Would a robin eat the remaining egg for nourishment?
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Predator maybe. I found a dead hatchling in the middle of our garden and am pretty sure it came from our bird condo that is at least 20ft away from where the hatchling was found. It wasn't even feathers yet. Something carried out of and dropped it obviously. Fair amount of hawks here. I don't put anything past a squirrel either quite frankly.

 

[Swiss]

My mom has a single surviving tulip plant in the front garden. It hasn't bloomed in YEARS (my memory tells me it has been over 10), but every year the leaves come up. This year, I bought some plant food for my orchids because they haven't done anything for about a year. I made too much, so I fed the tulip and my gaillardia that are coming back. Well... look who grew a bud:
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Also, them digging themselves deeper explains why it is in the exact same spot even after I dug everything out to divide and space out!

My mom is pretty sure it bloomed about 5 years ago... so, we will see if feeding it next near causes another flower!

Today, I finally up potted my mom's mums and my tomatoes. I think I need to redo the tomatoes because I don't think the dirt is absorbing any water...

I also found out that I didn't plant too many plants for my sister-in-law and her hubby! Yay!

 

[WthrLady]

Predator maybe. I found a dead hatchling in the middle of our garden and am pretty sure it came from our bird condo that is at least 20ft away from where the hatchling was found. It wasn't even feathers yet. Something carried out of and dropped it obviously. Fair amount of hawks here. I don't put anything past a squirrel either quite frankly.

either she decided that the nest location was no good
the eggs weren't fertile
OR
a grackle/cowbird tossed them out, but didn't lay an egg

 

[littledog]

So, where are the egg shells?

Is it possible the parents eat the shells after the babies hatch, to get more calcium? But I have found empty shells on the ground, so I don't know. Really sweet nest and babies, though, love your pics.

 

[littledog]

I would suggest putting a deep layer of gravel at the bottom of the metal containers then topping with soil and the plants. That way when you get heavy rains the water would be down in the gravel layer and the roots wouldn't get water logged.

Karen, thank you! Great idea, that's what I'll do.

 

[littledog]

I was feeling so lucky we were due for a bit of rain today, right after I planted my squashes and pumpkins. My tomatoes, eggplants, cukes and luffas hardening off outside and doing well so far, couldn't be hurt by a bit of rain, or so I thought?
We ended up getting two hailstorms! I was at work, so couldn't do anything about my poor baby plants.
Out of all the babies, all the luffa seem OK, the cukes are all dead, most of the eggplant survived, the tomatoes got knocked down but a few look like they might be OK.

Time to direct seed cukes, plant the surviving tomatoes, eggplants and luffas under row covers, and probably buy some tomato plants from the store (sigh.)

 

[Sally PB]

Man, I wish we would get some of the rain y'all been getting! Last night, it looked like it could, but didn't. I did water the garden yesterday. That means dragging the hose around and filling up buckets to haul where the hose won't reach. (Waaah... want some cheese with that whine?)

I got the potatoes planted, and yesterday I planted two rows of onions. I plan to plant two more rows, and then the rest of the sets will be scattered around in amongst the tomatoes.

Last night, I got the starts out of the green house and into the dog crate I use as a hardening off place. It's wrapped in a sheet to protect the newbs from the wind and direct sun. I'll take the sheet off for a few hours today; it's somewhat cloudy.

I also plan to direct seed some of the shorter season varieties into the garden where I put the longer season starts. Didn't get real good germination rates on some of the new kinds I tried, so I'll use up the last of the seeds in the packets and cross my fingers.

 

[WthrLady]

either she decided that the nest location was no good
the eggs weren't fertile
OR
a grackle/cowbird tossed them out, but didn't lay an egg

OH a a squirrel totally could have done it.
And yes, I think they eat their shells. Hens do, so why not??

 

[WthrLady]

DH slept though his alarm, but I didn't, sigh.
I took the dog out and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I'm already three hours behind in sleep.

Eggs are in the cooker. The oatmeal is on the stove.
After I eat, I'll pop out and make a vat of fertilizer for the new tree and water what's taking over the greenhouse.

I MIGHT get to drilling tomato holes today. Rain dependent.
I'll take the dog to get a bath and grab gas for the mower for tomorrow. I might have to put pontoons on the old girl, but if I don't mow SOON I'll have to double mow at two heights to get through it. at $4 a gallon, no thank you.

Trip to town slated for tomorrow too. It's a quick there and back errand to Aldi and to grab something for DS at Best Buy across the street.

Get down and dirty today!

 

[mangotangolango]

Plant marigolds and tomatoes