06.10.09

Back from a weekend out of town, where we stayed at a B&B that had magnificent grounds. Woods Hole Passage - I think they had about two or three acres of land that included lawn, flower beds, a vegetable garden, multiple bird feeders, along with a frog pond that had at least eight big ol' bullfrogs - wowza! I was envious of all of the space, but also got a few ideas about what I can bring back to our backyard as well as the community plot.

I figured out that I am shooting for a sort of cottage garden feel with the backyard. I love the dense, overgrown, cozy look of them, and while I'm not sure exactly how it will play out in our teeny, 13-foot wide rowhouse backyard, that's the direction I'm heading in. To that end, I would really like to replace the big barn doors at the back with a solid wall that has a lockable gate and trellis so we can more easily get in and out. Sigh..one day.

The backyard beds are looking nice and we're getting a few baby raspberries in addition to the two remaining peaches on the tree (I have no idea what happened to the other two). We set up a low-flow soaker hose system on a timer for when we aren't around. It worked great while we were out of town, so now I just need to figure something out for the plants in pots. The community plot is in need of some serious weeding and I think I will get my chance if the weather clears up this weekend, while the boys are a the TMBG kids show - can't wait!

05.18.09

This weekend was great for the gardens! Got up early on Saturday in order to work in the plot and managed to transplant the mesculin, cucumbers, and tomatoes as well as plant seeds for the scallions and sugar snap peas. I have more room and more seeds, so the project is ongoing. I have to say I am really enjoying this whole process. Having never had more than a few potted plants and maybe an herb garden on the fire escape, having an actual bit of land is quite fun.

In addition to getting the veggies in the ground, on Sunday we filled in the "holes" in the backyard beds with some foxgloves and raspberry bushes. The raspberries and foxgloves, along with an existing hosta, are in the left hand bed (looking out from the house). I confess I got tired waiting for the original peonies I planted (from a root ball), so I picked up a couple that are older and have leaves and a few small bulbs to put on the right hand side, along with a couple of lupines to fill in the space on either side of the peach tree. Fret not though - I did not disgard the non-productive peony root ball, I just transferred it into a large pot in hopes it will start sending up shoots soon. Once that happens, I think I can get it back into the ground. In any case, the backyard is finally beginning to look more finished - YAY!

W sent me this article warning of a frost tonight, which is a bit of a bummer. I guess Jasper and I are going to have fun trying to wrap our babies up when we get home this evening!