more garden work

on structure- soon there will be fence! Gah, this is taking me so long. I've mowed as short as possible around the bed perimeter, laid down cardboard 

(it felt fitting, but also sad, to cut up this pretty floral-patterned box for part of the smothering)

and then mulch. This is where the fence will go. 

Startling how much tidier and more purposeful my garden looks with just a mulched boundary. I intend to smother and mulch the paths between the beds as well. Here you can see my nepitella on the outside edge of bed 4- 

doing nicely!

Where the border goes around corner angle, I roughly transplanted pink turtlehead a while back- and they all did just fine with that move. Mulched them with leaves- 

and planted the blue lobelia here. Not sure if it's the best spot, will see.

Also put in the star-eyed grass on the other side, flanking the rosemary.

Photos don't do justice to how pretty these little flowers are.

brick edges

I've been doing a lot of work the past few weeks to replace old rotting wooden edges (railroad ties and fence posts) from beds 7 and 8 with concrete bricks to match the rest of the garden. First was all the work to waterproof seal and paint the bricks- two layers each on all sides, with time to dry between and periodic shifting into the house to avoid rain. Then waiting days for another dry spell to do more painting. Finally was able to set them in place. Here's a few work-in-progress pictures.

Bed 7 on the right is already redone, bed 8 on the left kinda out of picture has the old edges pulled off (long sides- the short ends previously had bricks)- and in the corner here you can see my pretty purple clematis!

Bed 8 with the sides removed and the mulch heaped up out of the way-

and complete!

7 done and 8 incomplete-

7 and 8 both done-

Here's bed 8 with lettuces and peas in the foreground (of bed 6)

I finished the job on a morning sprinkling rain but due to thunderstorm heavy in the afternoon- didn't want the raised built-up-with-riches soil to start washing away so I worked in the mud. Thus the bricks got dirty.

7 and 8 redone in the background, 9 in the foreground with young collard greens, leeks and turnips- and rosemary right up front. (It's the only one survived the winter- my other rosemary plant on the opposite end of the garden died).

So nice to have the beds all finally matching! And solid, and will last for decades. They are not perfectly straight, but much tidier than the old bricks- as you can see in some of the photos where the wobbly edge of bed 6 is across the way from bed 8- but that's merely asthetic, not a functional issue and it's easy enough to level them out when I care enough to find time.

Next structural project for the garden is to actually put the fence in- hence the red flags marking where an underground wire lies.

tomato plants

are in the ground! A bit sad-looking as it was a colder day, but better than shock from the heat. And it rained soon after.

what we ate today

out of the garden- rosemary on salmon (with a garlic butter sauce), and tokyo bekana (chinese cabbage) as a side. (Paired with carrots and brown rice cooked in chicken stock. It was delicious!

tiny fronds and green

Got a photo of my tiny baby asparagus plant.

Lettuces from the garden!

notes on planting

Didn't take any pictures. From their seedling trays I potted up basil, summer savory, parsley and hyssop. The summer savory, only my saved seed grew. None of the older, bought seed. Also the sage never germinated. I guess those seeds are finally too old, too. Planted out into the garden bunching green onions (only three, into bed 5 w/the herbs) and one very tiny asparagus plant. It is skinnier than a toothpick and only 2" tall but already looking ferny. Into bed 1. The second tray of asparagus has three more tiny spears coming up- I had no idea they would be so small. Especially as the seed looked good sized- reminded me of onion seed. 

On the smaller sideyard I planted out what looked very like obedient plant- in fact I put it next to those obedient plants alongside the joe pye. But then looked up its tag later on: symphotrichum. It's not obedient plant, it's an aster. Well, I'll see how it looks and maybe move it again next spring. 

On the larger sideyard I put out those plants that came up in and alongside bed 7 which I think are from a flower mix- but not the ones which I suspect are ragweed. Have been finding more and more of those all over the garden. More likely they are ragweed than something I once planted on purpose.

cat damage

It is still just cold enough at night that I bring my tomatoes in, or keep them in all day round the clock- they've grown so tall no space under the cage so I had to prop it up on children's building blocks. Must be really happy in the mini greenhouse, because other tomato plants that have been in the coldframe right next to it, half the height and a bit yellowing on lower leaves. Unfortunately, my cat Eliza won't leave plants alone. Even the pot of wheatgrass I have just for her, I have to keep out of her reach and give access too just for five or ten minutes every other day- she chews it down to nothing. She's been sticking her paw through the cage bars, pulling the green bean stems towards her, and eating the leaves off!

Half of these had leaves. It's very frustrating. I had to put plastic panels against the cage sides to prevent her from ruining all of them.

I've also had to re-think my garden fence plans (no it's not built yet). It was going to border the lower deck in a way that would allow the cats access to the ground there, under the deck and through the garden. Now I'm going to just fence a loop around to the edge of the stairs, and access the garden myself from under the deck (I don't think a rabbit will go in via that way, the squirrel might?) Cats are confined to the deck only- and the gate at top of stairs. I've put short fencing around the lower railings so they don't lean out so far- always afraid they might try to jump one day.

They really enjoy being out there and Eliza begs sometimes, pawing the glass and meowing hopefully.