Still to wet to plant! (part 3)

A unique, fun, & functional option to raised beds!

Straw Bale Garden// Planted with Beets, Chard



When the weather just won't allow you to get in your garden and plant, try putting in a STRAW BALE GARDEN.



This is a great project that not only creates a unique raised bed, but also allows you to plant pretty much anywhere you want! Plant it on the grass (will kill everything underneath, including perennial weeds), concrete (think driveway), gravel, or other location where the ground is poor or cannot be dug.

When the bales colapse in on themselves, use the compost on your next SBG or toss it into your garden or flowerbed! This is the beauty of it - recycling at its finest!

 Great for kids or for adults that can't bend down to ground level.

{  Stack 3 straw bales side-by-side, cut side up (seed-free bales are best; baling twine should be facing outwards). Water down bales thoroughly.

{  Broadcast 3lbs bloodmeal, feathermeal or some other high nitrogen fertilizer over the 3 bales (5 lbs of used coffee grounds works too); then broadcast 3 lbs COF (complete organic fertilizer) over the bales.

{  Add 3 inches of soil, potting mix or coco coir over the bales, followed by 4-5 inches of aged compost (or last year's SBG material) to top it off. Water well again and cover (burlap coffee bags work well). The composting process will take place during this time, heating up the bales. Wait to plant until the process cools down, about 1-2 weeks.

Each bale should hold either...

§  (Up to) 6 cucumbers, trailing down

§  2-3 squash, zucchini, and/or melon plants

§  A couple of tomato plants per bale with one or two herbs and leafy veggies in between
§  Four pepper plants 

Summer planting of poppies, corn, tomato

§  12-15 bean or pea plants

§  A mix of the above or any other plants you like.

I put in this SBG June 2009 and planted it with some Winter crops (see pic above); the following Spring I planted lettuce in it. Summer 2010 I scattered some old California Poppy seed (which all germinated!), then stuck in some corn & a cherry tomato!  Note to self: corn does not do well in SBGs.

 Try it out & enjoy the rewards!


This is what the SBG looks like now... all collapsed in on itself. It's done it's duty and is now a lovely heap of compost! (you should see the size of the worms in here!) I will be putting in another SBG, so I will mix this loveliness all together and use it as my top (planting) layer. It's totaly recycleable!

Last year's SBG is ready to go on top of this year's bales!

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!  : )
Have any other fun and unique garden ideas? Let me know and I will share them!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Still too wet to plant! (part 2)

I made the mistake of trying to do a bit of weeding in one of my flower beds yesterday... ICK! This bed is right next to the house - it's mostly clay (the only spot in my yard) and I have not added nearly enfu compost to do any good.

hard to miss the large WEED out my livingroom window!

I know better than to walk on wet soil, and even more on such saturated CLAY soil. Ugh... I don't think this bed will ever dry out!



I cautiously took a step onto one of the pathways in the bed, "not too bad", I thought, so I took another step and sunk in about an inch! YIKES!! Ok, since I was already committed, I pulled some of the weeds that were impeding the view from the front window. Oh, I need to get that LARGE one pulled in front of the window... Get out of the flowerbed dumbass! I walked around to the side of the bed - on the walkway - and started in again, pullling weeds and ripping out clumps of soil (clay) which was really making a mess... but the weeds are getting out of control!



even the smallest weeds leave big holes!



I finally restrained myself, disgusted with not only the weather that allowed the weeds to take over, but now my bootprints that would most likely be permanent features in the muck, and the new clay craters that now dotted my beds.

I have decided that this bed is getting ripped out and revamped with a nice straw-and-compost mixture to try and break up the pottery vault in the front yard.







In fact, putting in a Straw Bale garden may be the best way to go this year. This is a great project that not only creates a unique raised bed, but also allows you to plant pretty much anywhere you want!

Check out my next post - I'll tell you all about it!!

If there was one bright spot in all this chaos, the sun was out and I happend upon this little snake sunning among my sedum.








Oh yea, and then there is the rabbit who has decided that my flowerbeds are his personal buffet. This is the first year I've had bunny damage of any kind! I welcome the critters as they do a great job of keeping the dandilions cut down, but they are now eating more than just weeds! Aw, hell.

"Hewoe, Wabbit"  (that's my best Elmer Fudd)

Part 3 will be posted soon, so check back for STRAW BALE GARDEN information!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

I'm just dying to get my garden planted!

Enuf with the crappy February weather already! (Although Rose Fest just started, so we have just about 2 weeks of bad weather left, then we can go to Summer)

3 squash seedlings (right side of picture)

So after my garden got rototilled, I went thru and raked paths to make raised beds to plant in. I could hardly stand it - a beautiful garden with nothing in it.

I started some Boston Marrow Squash from seed earlier this month and decided they had to go in. So, with seedlings and trowel in tow, I planted 3 squash.

To protect the babies, I took a few of my mixing bowls and used them as makeshift greenhouses. They let in a bit of light, but I mostly wanted to protect from weather and cold.



mixing bowls doing double-duty as mini greenhouses!



They are doing well and I now have something planted in my garden!

Let me know how your garden is growing - send me an email or post a commentt!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Caterpillarus Wierdnus!

So much for my Latin-speaking skills...



When I got close, it lifted its tail and tucked its head under!

I was out the other day checking on some of my Quaking Aspen seedlings when I came upon this curious bug... Not quite sure what flying insect this will turn into, but it looked pretty cool. I was able to snap a couple of pix, and then had to run out for an errand. When I got back, the caterpillar was gone, and so were a few of the leaves on my seedlings!

I have no idea what kind of caterpillar this is, so if anyone can identify, I would greatly appreciate it!



not  great pics, but you get the idea



here you can see the head tucked under

entire leaves and stems are gone!   BAD BUG!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Nothing makes me happier... than a freshly tilled garden!

I was beginning to wonder if I would EVER get my garden tilled! A bit of luck and this little stretch of 70deg weather was just what we needed to get the garden ready to go.

650sqft - freshly tilled and ready to plant!

Most of the garden was in weeds, but I managed to sow some cover crop over about 1/4 of the garden last Fall. This grew into a nice dense mat about 30" tall which prevented the weeds from growing. I mowed it down earlier today then had it tilled under (thanks again Bill!!).

See that big pile on the far side on the garden? I had started a few compost piles about 5 years ago in the back corner of the yard... yarden debris, grass clippings, old potting soil... they finally made their destination to my garden! After Bill tilled the garden, he scooped up all the finished compost and dumped it in the garden. As I put my veg starts in the ground, I will add this compost to the planting holes and mulch around the plants with it as well.

All we need now is a bit of warmer weather (especially the nighttime temps) and I can get all my warm season crops in the ground!

This is what it looked like last summer...

my composting operation!





... and this is what it looked like this afternoon!

The hens were really excited about the fresh soil to dig in and took care of the bugs and worms left on the surface after the soil was removed! I'll be moving my compost bins back in this area and finally get them off the grass!

May your garden produce a bountiful harvest this year!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

FINALLY got my seeds started... we'll see what happens!



Corn Salad (Mache) gone to seed!

  So, any good gardener would've had seeds started in the greenhouse back in February/March (especially tomatoes & peppers!). I, being one of those who has been completely distracted by the weather this year, just got my seeds planted last week and they are rearing to go! I've had the heat mats going 24/7 and wathcing every day to see if anything has come up. I had squash up in 3 days and tomatoes up in 5... I figure it's going to go 1 of 2 ways: (1) everything will catch up regardless of when I started OR (2) it will be another "green tomato" year and it won't matter cause nothing will grow anyway... I'm one of those "there's always next year" gardeners so what the hell.



baby 'maters!

 

watermelon seedlings

In case these plants happen to make it to maturity, here's what I planted: (note: hyb = hybrid variety)

TOMATO: Sun Gold (hyb), Cherokee Purple, Cuore Di Bue, Ananas Noire, Chocolate Cherry, San Marzano, Black Krim, Purple Russian, Hillbilly, Brandywine, Black Sea Man & Amana Orange. (All except Sun Gold are heirloom; Black Sea Man was a new introduction by Log House Plants last year)

PATIO TOMATO: Red Robin & Micro Tom

PEPPER: Tri Color Vareigated, Fish, Early Jalapeno, Purple Beauty, Tequila Sunrise, Peach Habanero, Yum Yum Gold (hyb)

SUMMER SQUASH: Tromboncino, Grey Zucchini

WINTER SQUASH: Buttercup, Boston Marrow, Small Wonder Spaghetti (hyb)

PUMPKIN: Full Moon (hyb), Fairy Tale, Orange Cutie (hyb), Lil pump-ke-mon (hyb)

WATERMELON: Sugar Baby, New Queen (hyb), Orchid Sweet (hyb, seedless)

MELON: Tigger

ARTICHOKE: Green Globe

WHEW! Hungry yet???  I still have more to start (like lemon cucs), but they germinate in a couple days so no problem there! And then there's all the direct-seed veg like beans, corn, spinach...
 


leggy squash!


As you can see, the Tromboncino & Buttercup squash was the first I started and they are a bit leggy. The cool thing about squash is that you can plant them kinda like you do a tomato (non-grafted type). When you plant your squash, bury the stem up to about an inch below the first leaves (cotyledons). The squash will develop roots and actually make a stronger plant. I found this out by mistake last year...Who knew?!?


I'll have veg starts at The Wade Creek House in the next couple weeks, so stay tuned and I'll let you know when they're available!

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Not much in the garden right now... but we're getting there!

slug damage on bok choi leaves

This Spring has been expecially brutal on greens... the slugs have taken over! I've been picking and squishing as I do not use ANY type of pesticide (organic or not) on my veggies. The only things that have somewhat survived the slimy carniage are a few bok choi and some peas. Not a bountiful harvest by any stretch of the imagination, but better than nothing! I don't mind a bit of bug damage - if the bugs are eating good, so will I!

12' of potatoes! (48sqft)

On Wednesday, the weather was nice enough (in the morning) for me to get my potatoes and a 2nd round of lettuce in my raised beds. It was perfect planting as it rained later in the day giving the newly planted seeds a big drink.

I planted a few different varieties of lettuce (romaine & looseleaf), and 4 varieties of potatoes. The lettuce will be ready in 30-40 days and the potatoes will be ready later in the summer. The potatoes - Yukon Gold, Red Pontiac, Ozette, Rose Finn Apple are all mid-season potatoes and perfect for fresh eating. I hand cultivated the soil, nestled the spuds down in the soil and covered with a wonderful yard-debris compost. I can't wait to harvest these lovely spuds!

Yukon Gold Mine!

I will continue to hill up the potatoes until the soil is about 4" shy of the top of the raised bed.

PEAS OUT!
~GP

The DL List - Update

Clucking Amazing!



chicken butt



The hens have been off antibiotics for 3 days now, and I've let them out to roam the past 2 afternoons. They are very excited to escape the confines of the coop, although they stay pretty close to it!



I have gotten 3 eggs/day the past two days, and the feathers are starting to grow back!!! The gash Buff has on her neck and the gash Daisy has on her back between her wings have scabbed over and are healing nicely.

I can't believe Buff and Daisy (mostly Buff) survived that brutal attack and are on their way to making a full recovery! Buff's ankles are still swollen, so not sure about that one.

I got these hens as dual purpose hens - 2 years to lay then into the freezer. My neighbor (the one who helped patch up the hens the night of the attack) told me "if they survive you CANNOT eat them!"  Damn...  ; )

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Carnage on Home Turf - Hens Attacked by Dogs!

Notice Buff's feathers in mouth!

Last Thursday, about 7.30p my husband & I returned home from dinner to hear one of the hens "screaming" in the back yard. We both ran to the backyard where we discovered 2 dogs had been tearing our hens apart. The one large dog had Buff in its mouth, the other smaller dog was in the middle of the yard. The big dog dropped Buff and took off out of the yard as my husband tried to chase it down. I cornered the smaller dog (who had feathers in its mouth) and restrained it so it could no longer harm the hens. My husband tracked down the dog to a home 2 doors down and confronted the owners. I called my neighbor and asked her to call animal control; she then came over to see if she could help out.

 A short while later 2 gals came looking for the smaller dog, which we still had restrained on our property. Eventually the smaller dog was released to the owner who was warned to keep both dogs in their own yard. (incidently, the dogs has been in my back yard the previous Saturday, as I found out later by another neighbor; the nearby gas station had also notified these people that their dogs were loose!)



all of Buff's tail-feathers

When I was able, I checked on Buff - she was on her back, barely breathing, her neck appeared to be broken and I knew there was nothing I could do for her. My husband was able to get Daisy - who was huddled in a far corner of the yard - and put her in the coop. We could not find Red and assumed she was also dead. There were feathers EVERYWHERE; from the locations of the piles of feathers, it was evident that Buff had been chased and caught in 6 different locations around the yard. There were 2 piles of feathers from Daisy in the yard in close proximity to each other. **Keep in mind that the hens have free run of the (fenced) back yard - aprox 4500sf **




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Daisy all bandaged up



The three of us roamed the property looking for Red - who eventually came out of hiding from underneath the steps of our back deck. She was visibly shaken and upset, but appeared unharmed. We put her in the coop and scooped up Daisy. We brought her into the house and my neighbor and I started cleaning her up and tending to her wounds. She had large patches where her feathers had been ripped out and a large open gash - about the size of a 50cent piece - on her back between her wings. By this time is was after 9.30p; I told my husband to go out and "take care of Buff". If she was still alive, I did not want her to suffer any more than she already had. He grabbed a shovel and headed back to where the hen had been. He came back about 15 minutes laster and said he couldn't find Buff! Oh, hell... We did all we could for Daisy and put her back in the coop with Red. Again, the 3 of us grabbed flashlights and searched the back yard in the pouring rain for the missing hen. After 10 minutes, my neighbor left for home and said she would check back in the morning to get an update on the 2 remaining hens.

I was devastated - 1 hen dead, 1 hen badly wounded... I went back outside to search the property again for Buff. At this point I assumed an animal had taken her (owl, or Raccoon) and she was better off. As I headed back to the house in tears, I happened to look over at a storage tote against the house and walked over to see if maybe...

my poor hen so badly injured!

HOLY S#1T!!!! Somehow Buff had managed to upright herself, and get around the other side of the house (aprox 45') and wedge herself in this 5" space between the house and the tote. I  ran back into the house and yelled at my husband I had found her! She was in terrible shock and SO badly injured, but after being brought into the house and given a chance to warm up and calm down, she was able to stand and walk a bit. The puncture wounds, scrapes and cuts on her back were filled with dirt and debris, and she had a gaping hole in her neck where the dog had grabbed her. I was up until after 11pm tending to her and getting her cleaned up best I could. She was missing about 30% of her feathers and I was preparing myself to find her dead the next morning.



gash on Buff's neck





I turned on the heat lamp and tucked the hens in for the night, knowing that there was a very good chance I would only have 1 surviving hen the next morning.



Every day has been touch-and-go; the hens are on antibiotics and vitamin/electrolites. The first couple days were really rough and I was shocked Buff and Daisy were still alive. Red immediately became the protector and would stand guard while the other two hens rested. Friday morning, I even got a egg! It was extremely fragile, but at least those parts were still working! Once they made it thru the weekend it seemed they were doing better - at leat they were eating, drinking and pooing!

1st egg after attack (laid Friday morning)

They continue to get better day-by-day, although Buff's feet appear swollen and may be hurting her. I'm not really sure what to do about that. I put ramps in the coop so the hens would not have to jump up and down over the center divider but I'm not sure that's helping. The punctures and gashes on both hens are healing, although Buff is pulling the scabs off her back. I'm going to have to Neosporin her again...

Amazingly, all 3 hens are laying... sporadicly, but still laying! As the hens are on antibiotics, the eggs are not to be consumed so it is unfortunate that they go to waste.

Will keep you posted on their recovery.

~GP

Garden Treasure - Chicken Poo!

Galvanized floor trays pull out from either side;
4 nesting boxes allow for rotation.

There's nothing worse than wet hens! Well, there is, but we're talkin' chicken here... (yes, rain is the reoccuring theme - at least until after Rose Fest). The bonus in all this is that the hens spend more time in the coop.

Bonus??      Absolutely!!

My coop is equiped with galvanized nesting boxes and floor trays for easy cleaning. Just pack it over to the compost pile and dump!

I use straw in my coop; it makes for a great "green-to-brown" ratio in my compost pile! What's even better (and a bit gross) is that the hens scratch in the compost piles and churn everything up; effective (and efficient) composting aides!

My only request was that it had to have wheels...
this is what I got!   : )

The coop is my husband's design. It's perfect for the 3 hens; they even have a window to look out and see what the day holds before they go out!

It's built from scrap lumber, a reclaimed window, and the shingles are leftover from when the house was re-roofed a few years back. I failed to paint it last summer so will need to do a few light repairs  before it gets painted this Spring.

During the summer, it gets moved around the yard so as not to entirely kill the grass underneath. Since the coop has remained stationary all winter, this patch will get a bit of compost, grass seed and protection from the hens while it reestablishes.

Chicken poo is one of the highest nitrogen fertilizers/manures out there. It's awesome for mixing in your compost pile, but don't use it fresh or you run the risk of burning plants and contaminating fresh veg (if it is splashed up on leaves from rain or hand watering - think lettuce, spinach, chard). 

Play is safe - don't use any type of manure fresh in your flower or veg beds. Let it compost for a few months; active "hot" composting for 3-4 months, cold compost for a year or more.

I have 3 happy hens, which in turn give me 3 eggs a day.

Life is good.

PEAS OUT!

~GP

Look at the Bright Side...Good Snow Pack!

I guess if nothing else, we shouldn't have to worry about drought this summer! The amount of snow the Cascades are getting right now should put our minds at ease. Ridiculously cold and wet, but hey, Welcome to the Northwest!

I have been delinquent and not posting like I said I would... to tell you the truth, I was in Palm Springs for a week (had to dry out my feet for awhile) and I have been busy with events at The Wade Creek House. I will be better about it... I like blogging to myself so it's okay!

"Buff" showed off her home to guests on Saturday!

** So, for those of you who attended, you know what I'm talking about... the 1st Annual Chicken Chat & Local Coop Tour hosted by The Wade Creek House was a total blast! What a great event, and we're already gearing up for next year - mark your calendars for next April! Check out all the events and workshops - click on the schedule and tour the website.

I finally got my bulbs planted. Yes, I said bulbs... Daffodills and Tulips to be exact. I kept them in cool, dark storage all winter so they put on minimum growth. Now that they're potted up, they will take off - and bloom well into the latter part of May! I love Daffs and they make me smile, so when I tried this little trick last year, I was pleasantly surprised to have the bold yellow King Alfred Daffodills shining brightly after everyone else's were done for the season! I planted over 600 bulbs yesterday so there is pleanty to go around.

   Daffodills: King Alfred & Dutch Master (both dark yellow)

   Tulips: Apeldoorn (red), Darwin Hybrid (mixed colors)

* the above bulbs are $6/gallon pot

   Tulips: Parissima (white), and Queen of Night (black) are $8/gallon pot
They will all be available at The Wade Creek House starting Saturday April 9th.

So, I have not yet cleaned out my greenhouse... which means that I have not yet started any of my seeds... which means that I had better get my butt in gear so you can come out to The Wade Creek House and get your tomato, pepper & tomatillo starts! (The weather sucks -I'm ready for Summer!) This is the perfect opportunity to get out in the greenhouse and clean it up.

I have stacks of pots and planting trays which I reuse endlessly until they barely resemble a planting aparatus. I have been asked if I wash/sterilize my pots between uses. No, I don't. If you have a disease issue, it's a good idea to wash them in a 9:1 (water to bleach) solution. I do make sure the dirt is all out before I store them for the winter, but that's about it. It's up to you how clean you want to be!

Have a gardening question? Ask the Garden Purl!
I'm here to help  : )

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Too wet to plant? Throw it on top and let it grow!

IT'S SPRING!!!  (finally!)   Though you wouldn't know it... The weather here has been SO wet and nasty, it's really not condusive to any kind of planting. {wow, do i sound like a broken record???} If you don't have anything in the ground, it's okay. It's still cool enough for spring veg and when the time comes, most everything for summer will catch up, hoping we'll have a "normal" summer.

Most of our soil here has its fair share of clay; this is not a bad thing as it has important mineral components that plants need. However, in our wet season (October - Rose Fest) you are best to let it be and dry out before even thinking about touching it. Here's a keen idea for those who are brave enough to get something planted in the garden this Spring: spread a bit of potting soil over the ground (just enough for seeds to set in), sow seeds, then cover as recommended. The potting soil will give the seedlings something to grab on to until the soils warm and dry up.

You can also get started on tomato & pepper if you have a heated green house or good southern exposure windows. Depending on the weather, you should be able to set them out mid-May or early June (earlier if you use row cover or other weather protection).

Looking forward to a bountiful harvest this year!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

p.s.  check out parts 2 & 3 of this post on 5/29 & 5/30

I don't like beets, but I grow them anyway

Never have been a fan of that big red thing that grows in the garden, then bleeds all over your plate at dinner. I think I must have been traumatized as a child by them, 'cause really, I can't remember a specific time when it all came to an end for me. I grow them for my mom - she likes the root - I like the tops.

Some of the varieties they have out are pretty cool - Chioggia is a fabulous heirloom with red & white rings (looks like a bullseye), and Golden beets look like, well, like gold! (The tops are great steamed or in salads; I even mix a bit with lettuce or cabbage and use it in tacos or burritos.)

Do you grow fruit or veg that you ultimately don't eat because you (a) don't like it or (b) grow too much? Try preserving it or if you don't want that hassle, donate it to your local Food Bank! This is the time to really think about what you'll be growing in your garden. Take the time to "grow an Extra Row". It really doesn't take much space.

Last year I planted one of my 4'x6' raised beds with string beans, beets, lettuce, and cucumbers. I harvested a BUNCH of produce - way more than we ate - about half of which I fed to the hens. Next year that extra harvest will go to the local Food Bank. Think about it - it's a good thing!

PEAS OUT!
~GP

Spring (should be) just around the corner, I think...

After all the crazy weather we've has the past week - rain, snow, wind, hail - I am SOO ready for Spirng! My raised beds are full of green sprouts - seeds I planted the end of January. They are looking pretty good - sans the slug damage - and now that the weather is looking to be a bit warmer LET THEM GROW!

If you have not yet done so, it's not too late to get your snap & snow peas in the ground. Even if it's in a container, get some planted; you'll be surprised at how hardy they are in various plantings. Just remember, if you're growing a climbing (pole) variety, provide support as they can grow to 6'. Shorter types look rather cool draped over the edge of the pot with a center planting of chard, romaine lettuce, or other taller veg (kale, etc).  A large pot with a bamboo teepee is not only beautiful, but tasty! Note: pea flowers & the new growing tips are wonderful in salads. Caution: Sweet Peas should not be consumed, so make sure of the type you are growing!

And get ready to plant potatoes, too. There are early, mid, and late types that will allow you to have continuous harvest thru summer, fall, and early winter. I personally love the fingerling type as they are easy to dig and prepare. Again, this is where raised beds come in handy. Potatoes need loose friable soil to grow; case in point, the Ozette and Rose Finn Apple varieties I planted last year were a normal size, 3-4" long, 1" diameter. I gave some to my neighbor who also planted in a raised bed - her's were 6-8" long, up to 2" diameter! I'm still not sure what we did differently (maybe the compost mix we used), but be prepared for variances in growing veg... it's a Mother Nature thing!

Be Well & Grow.
PEAS OUT!
~GP

While you're waiting for things to thaw out...

... you should be planning out your garden and selecting seed to be ordered; hopefully you've made your "wish list" so the next time you go your local independent garden center, you know what seeds to buy. Trust me - it's like grocery shopping - if you don't have your list, you'll buy WAY too much. (I make it sound like a bad thing, don't I?)

Typically, over buying seed isn't necessairly a bad practice. I over-buy, but I also plant for myself, family & friends, and also for The Wade Creek House. I also double-plant for critter damage - some for them, some for me! This will be my first Spring with chickens & they like to jump the fence, so row cover will be my best friend this year I think!

Most seed, when properly kept, can keep for several years. Do your research before purchasing a bunch of seed!

PEAS OUT!

~GP