Last year for Mother's Day I asked my family for help in the gardens for the day. It worked so well that we are doing it again.
Many of you may remember my Raspberry patch and how my hubby and Mia cleared out a new area next to it for me to use to thin out the berries. That is until my hubby forgot what it was for and planted his tomatoes there!! Well, his tomatoes did not like the area, (may have had something to do with my contempt for them), and most of them died!
This year there will be no tomatoes there!!
Yesterday we did a pavers run, only one more truck load and we will be done with the hauling! We have moved hundreds of pavers over the last weeks, and I have been busily using them to surround the new raised veggie beds and for paths in the gardens. What a marvelous addition they make! Thank you, Babs, for your generosity. You have also provide compost and soil to use to fill some of them!
After the truck was unloaded we worked on the gardens. Mia loaded up my black gold compost from the purchased compost bin, to have ready for my choicest plants, while hubby scraped a path area for more paving to be done!
Then we all proceeded to the Raspberry patch, where we dug out a pathway and developed rows for easier picking and less crowdng of plants. These berry plants just love their location. They have spread so much that we are extending the area out towards the veggie beds. OOPS!! That means we have to get rid of more lawn! Too bad!! LOL I have been gunning for it for years.
Then Mia and I worked on the Fruit guilds. We moved a large Rhubarb, splitting it into four plants to provide mulch for the guilds. Also had moved Fennel there during the week, to attract beneficial insects. A Lupine had seeded itself under the Apple tree, which is perfect as Lupine is a nitrogen fixer, so I moved more under the Pear tree as well.
Then added lots and lots of violets, also a nitrogen fixer. What a great time to move them as I could play with all the colors! I love the creative side of gardening. Using the plants as paint, you can create masses of wonderment for the eyes! During this process, I sort of lose myself to the flow of the work. I seek out just the right plants, dig and replant, knowing that I have just what I need in the gardens to create just the right environment for these fruit trees which have yet to be productive. Already they are producing lots of flowers, for the first time, aided by the blooming bulbs, planted last fall which suppress the lawn from encroaching into the area. Right now the Allium is just starting to open up, with a glorious deep purplish pink bloom!
Okay, I cold go on and on, but it is now light out and I need to get moving - so much to do, so little time these days.
Just wanted to let you know what I have been up to!!
Showing posts with label violets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violets. Show all posts
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Another new path
Towards the end of the season a friend gave us some path stones. As there weren't enough to complete a path I was fortunate to be able to locate a granite company that was willing to let us take scrap granite to supplement the stone we were given. When we had renovated our home some years back we had a granite top installed on our kitchen island. The supplier let us take granite scraps with the proviso that we only use it on the wrong side outdoors. He had had a customer who used it shiny side up, slipped on it and sued him! So at that time we took scrap pieces and used them for paths in the gardens. This path is the one right by the front Butterfly Bush, which leads to our faucets. It has been in for several years and the granite pieces have settled in nicely amid bits of various ground covers. As this had worked out so well I decided to use this method in other areas.
And as my hubby had agreed it is time to downsize out lawn, I started working on the area next to our garage. It was a very easy decision for this to be the first area I worked on as our great Spice bush had always been overgrowing the lawn and it was a constant battle to keep hubby from pruning it back too much year after year. And besides, we never use that area for anything, so why not let the Spicebush have its way. Also, the planting in the area have always been growing into the lawn, so it was a natural choice to just let them all have their way and get rid of the obstacle of the lawn!!
I positioned the stones down through the area after removing the lawn, which I used as part of the sheet layering mulch in my front gardens. As you can see I extended the lawn removal beyond the side of the path to allow room for transplanting ground cover. As it was before the frost I was able to move some creeping Veronica to start getting it established. It is a wonderful groundcover, doing well in both sun and shade and filling in very quickly wherever I have used it around the gardens. It has a beautiful small blue flower in the early spring. This area has a lot of Violets growing in the lawn, so it will be an easy process to remove the lawn whenever I can get around to it next year. There is Myrtle, Spirea and Columbine growing along the border which will now be able to fill in the area over the years.
To the left of the path I removed all the lawn. The garden in that area has Forget-me-not as the ground cover. This also has been seeding into the lawn.
I filled in the area with more creeping Veronica and as I was able to just slice large sections of it from other areas, it took root immediately.
You can see how I used thin lengths of granite to border the other stone.
And when I ran out of that I just used granite for the rest of the length of it. It will lead directly into a new patio area which is also in the works.
Need to get moving along as Paula and I are working on getting Mia's bedroom repainted. Now that she is in high school she needs a room update. I've been working steadily on Christmas preparation, so haven't had as much time for the blog. Paula goes back to work this coming week, so I will be adding day care provider to my labels. My son in law has a promising job offer, so we are waiting on that. It has been two months that they have been struggling. It is good to finally see some end in sight for them. Hope all are well and enjoying this holiday preparation time.
And as my hubby had agreed it is time to downsize out lawn, I started working on the area next to our garage. It was a very easy decision for this to be the first area I worked on as our great Spice bush had always been overgrowing the lawn and it was a constant battle to keep hubby from pruning it back too much year after year. And besides, we never use that area for anything, so why not let the Spicebush have its way. Also, the planting in the area have always been growing into the lawn, so it was a natural choice to just let them all have their way and get rid of the obstacle of the lawn!!
I positioned the stones down through the area after removing the lawn, which I used as part of the sheet layering mulch in my front gardens. As you can see I extended the lawn removal beyond the side of the path to allow room for transplanting ground cover. As it was before the frost I was able to move some creeping Veronica to start getting it established. It is a wonderful groundcover, doing well in both sun and shade and filling in very quickly wherever I have used it around the gardens. It has a beautiful small blue flower in the early spring. This area has a lot of Violets growing in the lawn, so it will be an easy process to remove the lawn whenever I can get around to it next year. There is Myrtle, Spirea and Columbine growing along the border which will now be able to fill in the area over the years.
To the left of the path I removed all the lawn. The garden in that area has Forget-me-not as the ground cover. This also has been seeding into the lawn.
I filled in the area with more creeping Veronica and as I was able to just slice large sections of it from other areas, it took root immediately.
You can see how I used thin lengths of granite to border the other stone.
And when I ran out of that I just used granite for the rest of the length of it. It will lead directly into a new patio area which is also in the works.
Need to get moving along as Paula and I are working on getting Mia's bedroom repainted. Now that she is in high school she needs a room update. I've been working steadily on Christmas preparation, so haven't had as much time for the blog. Paula goes back to work this coming week, so I will be adding day care provider to my labels. My son in law has a promising job offer, so we are waiting on that. It has been two months that they have been struggling. It is good to finally see some end in sight for them. Hope all are well and enjoying this holiday preparation time.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
A tasty soup from the gardens
Sometimes what I do makes sense, and other times I do wonder what is going on in my mind. Take yesterday, for instance. It was the coldest day so far, only in the 20's, and it is not even winter yet. I am coping with my indoor temperature of 62 degrees, dressed in extra layers to keep me warm. I look at how cold it is outside, and knowing Mia has a cold, think how nice it would be to make some homemade soup to have for her today. So I raid the freezer for broth and then think how great it would be to have fresh greens to pump up her immune system.
Fresh greens, you think, and where to get them?? In the gardens, of course! So I check out the window at the newly planted herb garden right outside the living room window. What a great idea that was!! I can just look out the window and gauge whether I can harvest anything on any given day. I did not come up with the idea on my own. I learned about zone gardening in Toby Hemenway's great book, "Gaia's Garden". (He explains how having certain plantings closer to the house, for those plants you would use more frequently, would make it easier for harvesting and maintenance. How right he was!! LOL How much easier it is for me to just look and see what's available, then to have to get all bundled up and hike out to the different plants. This way they are all together in an area close enough to just run outside quick and get what I need! Also, being closer to the house, the frost will not be as quick to freeze up my herbs.)
Sure enough, the Dandelion greens are still growing, not being frozen stiff yet.
Also, the Parsley,
both varieties,
the Thyme,
and Chives have not been affected.
So I get bundled up, with scissors and basket in hand and head out with the supervision of my granddog, Riley, who is visiting for the weekend, (AGAIN!!!) But I do not complain, he is great and has much better behavior than Abby!! And he knows good enough to stay out of my path so that he does not get bumped into all the time like Abby does! LOL
I find that is is very, very cold outside and I quickly scope out those plants that are still able to be utilized. As it is nice and sunny I opt for those furthest away from the house, as I realize they won't be usable much longer. I find several Dandelions,
Plantain,
and Violets to pick the tender young leaves from.
The Violets are more difficult to harvest. Those areas that usually have Violets and Plantain all over have been heavily affected by all the frost and they are gone. But in the areas where we left the leaves for winter mulch I found lots still growing. As I have to brush away the fallen leaves in the areas where we have left the leaves for winter mulch, I find myself out much longer than anticipated. But it is well worth the effort as there are so many to choose from. The leaf mulch has created a great nestling blanket which is keeping the frost from decimating these tender shoots. Up until now that is, who knows how much longer I can harvest them. But it is November 21, and what a gift to be able to still be doing this. Free Greens!!! Keep 'em coming!!
Have to snip quickly as it is very cold outside.
But then my eye catches the Daylily patch right by the garage. And I immediately think how great some tubers would be in the soup. I have used up all the Jerusalem Artichokes which we enjoyed so much and have no potatoes on hand. It is about noon time and the sun, nice and bright, is providing some warmth, so I go and get my kneeler, trusty Cape Cod Weeder and a pitchfork.
To harvest Daylily tubers I have learned that you just need to lift the plant up with a pitchfork and it exposes the tubers. You can cut the fresh ones off (they are a brighter yellow than the older ones), and then reposition the plant back in the ground.
I found the soil not frozen and very easy to work with. I only had to lift the plant a bit and got right to the tubers, with the help of a friendly earthworm who decided to join me. Initially not many tubers can be easily seen as they are covered in dirt.
With just a little work with my weeder, I am able to easily get to the tubers, and start to cut. This is what they look like before being cut. They have little roots from the end,
and are attached to the plant by a thicker length of root. You can see there are several on this one plant.
After being cut from the plants and their little roots snipped off, this is what they look like.
And this is the batch after they have been scrubbed and readied for cooking. They can be eaten raw, but on this cold day they all went right into a pot of soup. I harvested almost 60 tubers from two plants.
And these are the greens that will be joining them! Not a bad day's work!
I added in some left over rice and beans and spaghetti sauce, some frozen vegetables and came up with a great vegetable soup for supper.
So that is how I spent over two hours outside on such a cold fall day, harvesting free, fresh ingredients for my dinner soup! By the time I got back inside, my 62 degree indoor temperature felt quite toasty!!
And I can see myself doing it a lot over the winter as I planted a large group of Daylilies right around my septic tank, right in front of my front door, where the thyme never freezes due to the heat from the septic tank! Even if it snows, I will be able to get at this great new patch right outside my door!!
Fresh greens, you think, and where to get them?? In the gardens, of course! So I check out the window at the newly planted herb garden right outside the living room window. What a great idea that was!! I can just look out the window and gauge whether I can harvest anything on any given day. I did not come up with the idea on my own. I learned about zone gardening in Toby Hemenway's great book, "Gaia's Garden". (He explains how having certain plantings closer to the house, for those plants you would use more frequently, would make it easier for harvesting and maintenance. How right he was!! LOL How much easier it is for me to just look and see what's available, then to have to get all bundled up and hike out to the different plants. This way they are all together in an area close enough to just run outside quick and get what I need! Also, being closer to the house, the frost will not be as quick to freeze up my herbs.)
Sure enough, the Dandelion greens are still growing, not being frozen stiff yet.
Also, the Parsley,
both varieties,
the Thyme,
and Chives have not been affected.
So I get bundled up, with scissors and basket in hand and head out with the supervision of my granddog, Riley, who is visiting for the weekend, (AGAIN!!!) But I do not complain, he is great and has much better behavior than Abby!! And he knows good enough to stay out of my path so that he does not get bumped into all the time like Abby does! LOL
I find that is is very, very cold outside and I quickly scope out those plants that are still able to be utilized. As it is nice and sunny I opt for those furthest away from the house, as I realize they won't be usable much longer. I find several Dandelions,
Plantain,
and Violets to pick the tender young leaves from.
The Violets are more difficult to harvest. Those areas that usually have Violets and Plantain all over have been heavily affected by all the frost and they are gone. But in the areas where we left the leaves for winter mulch I found lots still growing. As I have to brush away the fallen leaves in the areas where we have left the leaves for winter mulch, I find myself out much longer than anticipated. But it is well worth the effort as there are so many to choose from. The leaf mulch has created a great nestling blanket which is keeping the frost from decimating these tender shoots. Up until now that is, who knows how much longer I can harvest them. But it is November 21, and what a gift to be able to still be doing this. Free Greens!!! Keep 'em coming!!
Have to snip quickly as it is very cold outside.
But then my eye catches the Daylily patch right by the garage. And I immediately think how great some tubers would be in the soup. I have used up all the Jerusalem Artichokes which we enjoyed so much and have no potatoes on hand. It is about noon time and the sun, nice and bright, is providing some warmth, so I go and get my kneeler, trusty Cape Cod Weeder and a pitchfork.
To harvest Daylily tubers I have learned that you just need to lift the plant up with a pitchfork and it exposes the tubers. You can cut the fresh ones off (they are a brighter yellow than the older ones), and then reposition the plant back in the ground.
I found the soil not frozen and very easy to work with. I only had to lift the plant a bit and got right to the tubers, with the help of a friendly earthworm who decided to join me. Initially not many tubers can be easily seen as they are covered in dirt.
With just a little work with my weeder, I am able to easily get to the tubers, and start to cut. This is what they look like before being cut. They have little roots from the end,
and are attached to the plant by a thicker length of root. You can see there are several on this one plant.
After being cut from the plants and their little roots snipped off, this is what they look like.
And this is the batch after they have been scrubbed and readied for cooking. They can be eaten raw, but on this cold day they all went right into a pot of soup. I harvested almost 60 tubers from two plants.
And these are the greens that will be joining them! Not a bad day's work!
I added in some left over rice and beans and spaghetti sauce, some frozen vegetables and came up with a great vegetable soup for supper.
So that is how I spent over two hours outside on such a cold fall day, harvesting free, fresh ingredients for my dinner soup! By the time I got back inside, my 62 degree indoor temperature felt quite toasty!!
And I can see myself doing it a lot over the winter as I planted a large group of Daylilies right around my septic tank, right in front of my front door, where the thyme never freezes due to the heat from the septic tank! Even if it snows, I will be able to get at this great new patch right outside my door!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Groundnut post update
Want to share a comment that evoked strong memories:
Michelle said...
Haha! You gave me so many plants and seeds to try, I'm not surprised that you forgot. Your garden is establishing an outpost in our yard!
Hi Michelle, I can't wait to seed the fruits of your efforts next season!! Isn't it wonderful to be able to join a chain of plant sharing that has been going on forever!!!
My gardens are the accumulation of years of gardeners, going all the way back to the 1040's when my aunts started their first gardens, which supplied my Violets and Lilies of the valley!! These are my most prized plants, as they come from such a great background!! Each year when they bloom, they deliver me back to those days growing up surrounded by extended family. It is so awe inspiring to realize that these gardens are supplying the seeds (quite literally) that will become future generations' sources of similar fond memories.
I would like to invite all to develop their own outposts, with all the plants and seeds which have been shared from my gardens. Become inspired over the years to share with others, to get us all more interconnected with each other and with this great Earth, the one we each sink our hands into each spring, when we welcome the earth into our hearts, yet again, for a new season of sharing this great planet we call our home.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Living mulch continued
As you get a more established garden, you can experiment with many different plants to see how well they might be able to be used as a ground cover/living mulch.
In this area the European Wild Ginger, Asarum europaeum, in the forefront has filled in nicely. In a closer look you can see how it has grown right around the Fringed Bleeding Heart and it is moving beyond, right towards the Tiarella and Hosta. It will eventually fill in the area while allowing the other plants to keep coming up through the spreading Ginger.
Wild Ginger requires full to partial shade. It is an evergreen, which means that the leaves remain year round. I love the contrast of the glossy deep green leaves against the delicate leaves of the Fringed Bleeding Heart. Ginger does have a blossom, but it is very non distinct and can be found under the plant in the spring.
Another plant which you may not think of as a ground cover is our native Violets, Viola, which are plentiful in my whole yard! I brought a few plants in from my Auntie Joe's home, where she lived until she was 93 (and lived five more years at my cousin's). (See my epiphany for more on this tale)
We had violets and Lily of the Valley in the home I grew up in and I have such fond memories of picking them and making wonderful bouquets of the deep purple Violets and white tiny bell spikes of the Lily of the Valley. So it was a no brainer that I would have lots of Violets here in Wrentham. This is an area adjoining our drainage "pit" we had to construct due to the wetlands we are on. I planted six small Rosina Violets here over twenty years ago, and now they make a beautiful cover on this whole slope.
They are a beautiful deep rosy color blanketing the area with their reddish/purple blooms in the spring.
I also have planted several other colors, which have intermingled over the years and create such beautiful combination of hues of purples to whites and rose throughout the spring.
There are several spots where the violets have taken over prior grassy spots, which has worked out quite well as we have been working on shrinking our lawns for years now.
These Hosta, in a deeply shaded wooded nook, are being greeted by the violets running up from the lawn to join them in their nestled spot under an old Maple tree.
In the top of this photo you can see a great ground cover creeping across the front of the Daylily bed. This is Thyme, a great herb which doubles as a living mulch.
This is a closer look at Golden Thyme.
Here you can see regular and Golden Thyme coming together is a great profusion of herbal glory.
Here you can notice how this Cleome is enjoying how the Thyme is keeping her feet cool on a warm day.
And here is Thyme blooming in her purpled, spiked splendor, cascading all over the front walkway,
while here the Golden Thyme shares its blooms with all the Daylilies.
I have found Hosta to be quite generous in their growth habits, and easily forming living mulch around trees and shrubs,
as well as around other larger Hosta.
You can see from this picture that these hosta have tried gallantly to keep the Sundrops in check, while a few outgrew their ranks and are trying to infiltrate the Hosta!
Pulmonaria is another plant that has grown into a great living mulch,
as well as the Asters under this Butterfly Bush.
I so enjoy watching how my gardens develop. Over time they take on a life of their own and I am convinced that I am just their servant in this journey I called my life.
In this area the European Wild Ginger, Asarum europaeum, in the forefront has filled in nicely. In a closer look you can see how it has grown right around the Fringed Bleeding Heart and it is moving beyond, right towards the Tiarella and Hosta. It will eventually fill in the area while allowing the other plants to keep coming up through the spreading Ginger.
Wild Ginger requires full to partial shade. It is an evergreen, which means that the leaves remain year round. I love the contrast of the glossy deep green leaves against the delicate leaves of the Fringed Bleeding Heart. Ginger does have a blossom, but it is very non distinct and can be found under the plant in the spring.
Another plant which you may not think of as a ground cover is our native Violets, Viola, which are plentiful in my whole yard! I brought a few plants in from my Auntie Joe's home, where she lived until she was 93 (and lived five more years at my cousin's). (See my epiphany for more on this tale)
We had violets and Lily of the Valley in the home I grew up in and I have such fond memories of picking them and making wonderful bouquets of the deep purple Violets and white tiny bell spikes of the Lily of the Valley. So it was a no brainer that I would have lots of Violets here in Wrentham. This is an area adjoining our drainage "pit" we had to construct due to the wetlands we are on. I planted six small Rosina Violets here over twenty years ago, and now they make a beautiful cover on this whole slope.
They are a beautiful deep rosy color blanketing the area with their reddish/purple blooms in the spring.
I also have planted several other colors, which have intermingled over the years and create such beautiful combination of hues of purples to whites and rose throughout the spring.
There are several spots where the violets have taken over prior grassy spots, which has worked out quite well as we have been working on shrinking our lawns for years now.
These Hosta, in a deeply shaded wooded nook, are being greeted by the violets running up from the lawn to join them in their nestled spot under an old Maple tree.
In the top of this photo you can see a great ground cover creeping across the front of the Daylily bed. This is Thyme, a great herb which doubles as a living mulch.
This is a closer look at Golden Thyme.
Here you can see regular and Golden Thyme coming together is a great profusion of herbal glory.
Here you can notice how this Cleome is enjoying how the Thyme is keeping her feet cool on a warm day.
And here is Thyme blooming in her purpled, spiked splendor, cascading all over the front walkway,
while here the Golden Thyme shares its blooms with all the Daylilies.
I have found Hosta to be quite generous in their growth habits, and easily forming living mulch around trees and shrubs,
as well as around other larger Hosta.
You can see from this picture that these hosta have tried gallantly to keep the Sundrops in check, while a few outgrew their ranks and are trying to infiltrate the Hosta!
Pulmonaria is another plant that has grown into a great living mulch,
as well as the Asters under this Butterfly Bush.
I so enjoy watching how my gardens develop. Over time they take on a life of their own and I am convinced that I am just their servant in this journey I called my life.
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