At 5:30pm, when I wrote this post, the thermometer read 69.5 degrees. It has been another fabulous day here on Whidbey Island, and I have managed to get many more chores done today, and even took my lunch outside to sit in my vegetable garden to enjoy the sun, and admire all the hard work I have done.
I raked up almost all the debris the wind has blown out of the trees, and have yet to take it to the burn pile and some of it will go into compost. What you are looking at is what I call my grotto, it is a lovely cool place to sit and enjoy a cool drink on a hot day. I would like to grow flowers in pots under the trees, but I am afraid the rabbits would eat everything in sight, and I really hate to surround all the pots with chicken wire.
More debris raked into piles ready to be disposed of. I ran out of steam this afternoon and decided this mess can wait a day or two.
Yesterday I talked about the nasty thorn bush growing next to the house, and how I trimmed it back. It has been trimmed down from about 15 feet to five feet, and it may get cut down to ground level. I really do not like this shrub at all.
Just look at these nasty thorns.Sorry little hummingbirds, I know you liked the nectar.
Kiwi ingenuity again.I have seen the very nice plywood templates other people have been using in their square foot gardening, but I did not want to take the time today to make one, so used the cardboard version instead.
I have 9 circles with central holes on one side, and 16 circles with central holes on the other. I found the easiest way to use the template was to place it in the square, poke a hole with my new gardening tool, a chopstick with 1 inch measurements marked along it's length, fill the hole through the cardboard with vermiculite, remove cardboard, place a seed on each pile of vermiculite, poke the seed into the vermiculite with the chopstick, remove template, cover seed and water well. Voila the job is done.
I also planted carrots using a similar method. Instead of poking a hole into the soil, I dropped two carrot seeds into each hole, actually, it was easier to drop the teeny weeny seeds onto the cardboard and push them into the holes. Then using a teaspoon pour the vermiculite through the holes in the cardboard, thus covering the seed. I removed the template, lightly pressed the piles of vermiculite down and watered well.
Voila another job done.
This week I am working more hours than usual so the gardening is going to be put on hold. sighhh!
8 comments:
Keewee ..
I love that cardboard template of yours ... Look at those little circles that you draw ... bring back memories of schooldays! .. cheers!.. nice garden you have there. ~ bangchik
The template is a great idea. I usually just lay down dried limbs and eyeball the holes. I'm going to borrow your brilliance from now on!
Like the template and may well copy that idea. Funnily enough I was either listening to or watching a television programme the other day, that was singing the praises of using chopsticks as a gardening tool :)
Those thorns look lethal so probably best rid. I am sure that the hummingbirds can find other sources of nutrition in your garden :)
Now thats orgaised...a SFG seed template :O) sounds a good idea though...
I'm still using the digits..no where near as tidy....
D
Can you believe how warm it was? It practically felt like summer.
I think your template is a great idea. You seem to always have a new trick up your sleeve :)
Keewee you are full of bright ideas they may take time to begin with but cut down on the work once organized!
KeeWee~~ Great ideas. To the south of you I've had blissful weather too. Needless to say, I've spent as much time as possible outside before the rain returns.
Good idea with the template, I haven't heard of using vermiculite for sowing seeds outside. I think I will give that a go. Is the list getting shorter or longer? I usually add more than I cross off! I have so many jobs to do over Easter (I have 4 days off work) that I dare not write a list or I will never start!
Best wishes Sylvia (England)
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