What did YOU do in your garden today :P

@kathiesgarden, I had to look up calibrachoa. Very pretty! Is it hard to grow? Perennial or annual? Does it have a common name?

Marshall, sounds like you deserve a well earned rest---next FALL!!!!

I planted my green beans yesterday. This morning I dug 3 wagon loads of leaf/chicken poop mulch out of the run. I spread it around the 3 rows of Peaches N' Cream corn after weeding the corn. I gave the weeds to the ducks and they ate them. I had these huge collard green stalks in the chicken run, so I took them out. They were 4 years old and finally bolted this spring. I pulled them up except for 2 plants and let the chickens strip them. I cut the stalks up in short pieces and tossed in a compost bin, then covered with litter from the run.

buckabucka said:

@kathiesgarden, I had to look up calibrachoa. Very pretty! Is it hard to grow? Perennial or annual? Does it have a common name?

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Calibrachoa are often called 'Million Bells'. They are very easy to grow and bloom like crazy from Spring until a couple of good frosts kill them off. The only bad thing about them is you cannot buy seeds because they're patented or something. I buy plugs in February from a wholesaler in Florida and he ships them to me in early April. I take care of them in the greenhouse until our weather is 'frost free'.

They are the mainstay of my containers and baskets because of their reliable blooms and unbelievable range of colors. Some people think they're petunias, but they are a different species.

They are annuals in our climate but I have read that they will reseed themselves in mild climates. In fact, last year I had a volunteer seed itself in the middle of my patio and it bloomed! Complete surprise.

I have to admit that I am not sane when it comes to these little cuties.
Kathie

digitS' said:

Tell us, please, about your onion volunteers! Sets from last year? Did you allow an onion to go to seed and those are germinating, @kathiesgarden . (I've got ornamental onion volunteers. )

I usually don't direct-sow onion seed these days. I think the last time was for cipolloni onions. I left a few bulbs thru the winter. I can't quite remember how that turned out but they survived and were usable in the spring. Hot, but useable.

Sweet onion seed, sown in August, would not be thought of as volunteers. It has worked and not worked for me. Bolting in the spring was too common with them and I gave up.

Ooorr, are you talking about "walking," Egyptian onions?

Steve, onion guy
edited to add the "@"

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These are green onions 'White Banner' from Stokes Seeds. They are growing in the area where we planted them last year, so I am assuming they are volunteers. I think you know a LOT more about onions than I do.

I use tons of them in my cooking, so am glad to have these guys so soon. I want to try to have them year round in the greenhouse this year. They don't mind cold weather, but object to frozen ground so I'm going to try to use straw bales in an area of the greenhouse this winter to keep the ground from freezing. We'll see what happens.

I have been following the progress you're making on your garden this year. Good Work!
Kathie

I planted onion sets in the front beds by the sidewalk to the front door, where I have flowers. WHY? BC some stupid squirrell ate off 5 of my tulips!!!

Ah ha!

"Bunching" onions, Kathie. I have been curious what they'd do if left to over-winter but have never done that with bunching onions.

Have you grown Salpiglossis? I found that they were an easy one to start and grow from seed. Another petunia . . . from a distance . . . or, for people with poor eyesight .

Steve

Ooh, I got spring fever and over-did it today. Hauled I-don't-know-how-many wheelbarrows of rocks to line my landscaping around front. I put down rows of roofing shingles under all the rocks to keep the grass from coming up between them. Cleaned all the debris out of my flowerbeds. Looks nice. I'll post a pic tomorrow. I am so sore!

Worked out in the "back forty" yesterday. Planted 50 pounds of potatoes and 80 onion sets. I was wearing my winter coat and earmuffs! Planted peas, spinach and lettuce in the regular veggie garden. Happy to get that done. My poor seedlings are coming along very slowly- it is like they can sense the weather outdoors- even though they are under the lights inside!