Gardening, anyone?

Lori~

What a great idea with the tree stumps for bees! I have a lot of rotting wood in the brushy areas surrounding my gardens. The woodpeckers love me!

Yes! 30 inches! The second largest snowfall in Vermont history. After our horrible drought last year, I am so grateful. I am hoping for plenty of spring rains as well.

YAY SPRING!

Gardengypsy, I got my seed order in a few weeks ago. I potted my tomatoes and peppers and they are sticking their heads up already. I also splurged a little on new garden tools that come in a nice canvas carry bag with plenty of room inside to carry your plants out to the garden in. I bought 2 new pair of pruning gloves. I love them as they go up to my elbows and I don't have to worry about cuts or scratches to set off lympodemia. I also got myself one of those umbrella hats to keep the sun at bay. I'm sure my DH will get pictures of me in it lol

I'll be getting my straw bales started in a few weeks. I need to mow and lay down the landscaping material in my garden area first. DH will be putting up the rest of the fence, I did 95% of it by myself last year. I'm going to add some electrified wire to see if we can eat some corn before the raccoons get to it.

Yeap, I'll plant directly into the straw bales. This is my first try at this type of garden so I hope I do everything right. I need to get my bales asap so I can get them fertilized and ready to plant, that takes 2 weeks to accomplish.

Thought I'd share a couple of photos of what we call "The Forest " section of our garden .Weve been working on it for nearly 18 months since we moved here , and its finally srarting to take shape ..lots more to do though !!

Lucy, I'd love to post pictures of my straw bale garden. Whether it's a success or failure. lol Your "Forest Garden" is beautiful! I love it 😍

Lucy, I love the plants in your birdbath. I'm going to have to try that.

Lori, I am looking up straw bale gardening. Interesting. Sadly, my surgery derailed my spring gardening plans but in a couple of weeks I should be able to supervise. I've gotten good at that since BC diagnosis.

Scottie

Scottie, my last radiation treatment is on 3/30. I'll be telling my PS absolutely no exchange surgery until late fall. My garden went to weeds and I couldn't swim at all last year. Not again! 😜

Gardengypsy, I'm doing the bale garden for ease of planting and care. There's no weeding, no crawling around on the ground. We have 5 acres here so we have plenty of room. I need something that I can take care of myself while I recover from radiation.

New Mexico. One of my favorite places that I haven't visited!

I always plant California Poppies outside my front door step.

:-)

Kicks, so far Husband doesn't have a potato leek soup recipe.

Enjoying the lovely pics.

Teka likes to sit on the living room bow window sill.

She's grazing on cat grass.

The big yellow/orange bowl has 1 tiny succulent and oxalises............green leaves/white blooms and purple leaves/pink blooms.

My cherished X-mas cactus started as a rooted cutting by Gram over 47 years ago has rotted. I was able to successfully start rooted cuttings which are now growing in flower pots. Gram would be proud.

I use cactus potting mix and cactus plant food.

Wench Lori, I haven't tried to separate Xmas cactus, but you should be able to root pieces of stem (like in photo). If you repot, only go one size larger. I think they like to be root bound some. DH keeps rooting stems. I have no idea how many we have but close to 10.

Lori,

If your Christmas Cactus is big and needs a bigger pot, another person to help turn it over is a good idea.

After you turn it out, it's recommended to trim the roots back and then separate them gently. Put the plant into its new pot with fresh soil.

Send us pics of the bales once they get going!!

Pretty cats ladies. We had a Himalayan for 15 years.

Scottie

Chinese pistache has flowered. It did so the first time just a few years ago after being planted in 2012. My tree guy says my tree is a girl

Wren- not pistachio, sort of confusing. The chinese pistache tree has a berry type fruit called a drupe, but never seen one of those. Just the flowers. Seen a few of them here in NM, but no boy trees around here in my hood.