What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

Thinking of stratifying some wildflower seeds . Purchased seeds so no mass sowing in the fall . Which is my preferred method .

 

[Swiss]

I built my garden fence with landscape timbers for posts, 2x3s for supports (horizantals) and 4ft hog wire with chicken wire attached along the bottom to keep rabbits from squeezing through the hog wire. It wasn't all that expensive to build this way. The landscape timers also tend to go on sale in the Spring, so keep an eye out. I paid the full price which is still just $4 or $5 per 8 foot timber. I only needed one every 8 feet because I used 8 foot 2x3s. The 2x3s are cheaper than 2x4s and you can even find them treated at either Home Depot or Menards - normally they are just available as untreated but one of these stores carries them treated I just forgot which one it is.

We have woods on our property, so I'm thinking of doing something like the video below. It will take a while, but I have until late May/early June to get it done and it will be free. I'll also have my husband's help on weekends (or evenings with the longer days). Good point about the rabbits. I'll need to plan for them and the other critters like them...

 

[NewBoots]

It doesn't really matter how much it saves. Generally, homegrown tastes WAY better, and you know where it came from and what has been done to it. And, if it helps ease the grocery budget it is helpful. And you enjoy it, so, it's a win-win-win-win-win!

This exactly, plus we are enjoying a healthy hobby and consuming the healthy production from that hobby. It's the most practical hobby I have!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Aftenoon Gardeners new tarp on the old coop. Got small tear this winter now big tear .. We get allot of rain ...
New coop is being made not done.

 

[BReeder!]

I sent an inquiry to Baker and this was their reply below. Would have been nice if they had advertised this information on their website or in their catalog...

thanks for reaching out; sorry for any inconvenience. The vast majority of heirloom tomatoes are indeterminate. So in our listings, we only mention the matter on determinate types--if it's a determinate variety, we say so in the descriptions. If we make no mention, you're looking at an indeterminate variety.

All the types you listed are indeterminate types.

I think all tomatoes and potatoes should be listed as determinate or indeterminate. All onions should be listed as long-day, short-day or day-neutral. Garlic needs to be listed as hard neck or soft neck. Strawberries should be listed as June bearing, ever bearing or day-neutral. There are other plants/bulbs/seeds that need such classifications too I'm sure, but these are the ones that come to mind. I have to google varieties far too often. And don't get my started on only advertising the general name like "red potatoes" without the specific variety listed. That drives me nuts!

 

[BReeder!]

We have woods on our property, so I'm thinking of doing something like the video below. It will take a while, but I have until late May/early June to get it done and it will be free. I'll also have my husband's help on weekends (or evenings with the longer days). Good point about the rabbits. I'll need to plan for them and the other critters like them...

I like it. It shouldn't be too hard with the right tools. Some saw horses and a sawsall or just more use of the chainsaw would have sped things up for him I think.

I'm starting to wish I used tongue and mortis method on my garden fence now. I like the look.

 

[BReeder!]

Here's an interesting question...

Over 2 years ago my dog passed away. This dog was special and got buried in the corner of the yard. The grave is only about 3ft deep because the ground was hard. When we buried him I dumped a 50lb bag of lye over him and then filed in the grave with dirt. The lye was to prevent any odor and keep any critters from picking up an odor and deciding to dig there.
There were two bushes next to his grave that I eventually removed. All that's there now is some irises aroubd the bulldog stair that serves as his grave marker and weeds that takeover the patch every year. I want to turn this corner into a nice perrenial bed. I'm worried though about what I plant here because anything that roots past 2ft deep may encounter very alkaline soil. I was thinking about hydrangeas. If hyndrangea roots tap into the alkaline soil, they should produce deep pink flowers, which would be nice. Any other thoughts on what I can plant here? The irises have also down well. I'll likely split them this year. I don't think their roots are going very deep though, which is possibly why the are doing well. Ultimately, I need suggestions on shallow rooted or alkalibe loving perrenial flowering plants for zone 5.

 

[WthrLady]

Sounds like your plan is solid. I like the hydrangea idea. Oak leaf is a nice variety and dries beautifully. Also blueberry bushes.
=========

Already managed 47 trips down the stairs, and 47 trips UP the stairs carrying things and furniture. I'm counting it as my daily workout. I still have all the pictures from the library to hang.

Taking apart the upstairs library, I found how much the paint has faded. So I have not put the studio together as it needs a fresh coat of paint. I'm going two shades darker. DS room is a deep dark slate blue, and it's SO relaxing, but still neutral with the bright white daylight LED fixtures.

While doing all that I mindlessly built the hoop house in my head. So that counts, right?
Snowing so hard right now, I can only see about 300 yards out.

 

[Acre4Me]

Ordered chicks today!! Some hybrid layers that lay brown eggs (a high production type), Easter eggers, black Australorp, and white Plymouth rocks. All female.

@WthrLady - we are going to paint the half bath we are building , a navy blue color! It will look nice!

On that note: bathroom project still continues. But at the point of glueing down the vinyl tile. This is a process. They are 1’x2’ tiles. So they are big and heavy. They need to be cut, but they also have needed a fair amount of attention to the layout/start stop in relation to corners, heat vent, etc-so placement has been a thoughtful process.

Winter storm that is coming, I think it will miss us or only provide a light snow-we will see in a couple days!

 

[Sally PB]

This exactly, plus we are enjoying a healthy hobby and consuming the healthy production from that hobby. It's the most practical hobby I have!

I used to call my garden "my part time job with tax free pay."

Sounds like your plan is solid. I like the hydrangea idea. Oak leaf is a nice variety and dries beautifully. Also blueberry bushes.

Blueberries like acid soil, around 4.5-5.5 pH. I don't know how deep their roots go.