2026, My year of Garden Narcissism

I got 2/3 of the blueberries in. Since I moved the dark pink peonies to DD's house I Had to give them one of the peony cages I bought for My blueberries. I had a dr checkup yesterday morning, which brought me into town, so I shopped and bought one more cage. The last blueberry has leafed out nicely and is ready to be planted before the rain tomorrow and thursday. Yes, I Did did copy/paste from the weather page! :lol:
TALK about LAZY!! :gig:rolleyes:
I found a 3/4 inch 50 ft hose at Harbor Freight for $17.99, last day of their most recent sale. I also bought a 9'x11' (camo, so fugly) tarp on sale. I intend to put down the new tarp in the SW corner of my south yard, just east of the south pasture fencing, some 12 ft south of the pine tree line in the south yard. When the tree of paradise along the street fencing get chopped next week I will use those to anchor the tarp down--probably add some bricks first. This should kill off the summer weedfest in a hard to mow part of my yard.
Waiting for a brief T storm this morning, so I am on my laptop. I wanted to unplug it so it won't get fried, so I am online...briefly.
Public service announcement:
Check the label on your camo tarp to see if it contains lead! Chances are it was made in China. I have had some where the label actually said it may contain lead, and I was bummed because that tarp had already been used and deteriorated and wind blown all over my property before I happened to notice the package when I was doing a garage clean out one time. (Yeah, I know, I should probably have removed the tarp before it got all wind shredded. :hide )
 
Interesting that Modern Farmer says oats will live through the Winter.

It has been my experience that oats makes a good late season cover crop that winterkills. I don't know if I had the idea from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture but here is an article. Perhaps Modern Farmer is in a zone 7 or higher.


Steve
 
Interesting that Modern Farmer says oats will live through the Winter.

It has been my experience that oats makes a good late season cover crop that winterkills.

same here the two times i've grown them. winter wheat and winter rye (the grains not the grasses) do survive our winters with no problems.
 
I got clued into oats from a guy on Mid American Gardener. He said that spring plant grass seed doesn't do that well. It comes up and gets burned out during the summer. Spring planted oats come right up, stay looking good, are easily mowed and fill in nicely, AND will drop seeds for the next season.
@flowerbug
Oats will do nicely in Your neck of the woods, since most oats are grown in Canada and considered a cool season crop.
 
Took Tegan to the Vet for a pre spay exam, now scheduled in a month. Sasha gets fixed in a few weeks, but she is now way past her first heat, and Tegan is in the thick of it.
Dropped off my reapplication for a 6 month temporary handicap card for my car, the other expired last month, and I do admit there are times I still wish I had it.
I got the third blueberry planted yesterday! Check on the 2 grapes that I potted and tried to keep going in 2025. One has buds, I suspect the other is dead.
All herbs on top of the fridge look good.
I had switched parking spots in the garage with the truck and my car. I took time to sweep the floor this morning where both of them go, and now they are both back in their spots. Almost everything I swept can go into the giant tree pot sitting the garage, with dust and dirt, some cat litter than got dumped AND leaves.
Here is a picture of my camo tarp. Any suggestions?
Camo Tarp, april 2026.jpg
 
Herbs on top of my fridge are doing nicely. Basil, sage, English Thyme, parsley, rosemary and some kind of spearmint/peppermint.
I Love the blue ceramic pots I found in early March at Dollar general. I have a bigger one, no fixed plans for that one yet, and a smaller one that I planted chives in, and covered with a bag from the store that had bagels in it. It is over on one of the half moon shelves by the south facing kitchen window. I will check on that progress next week. Btw, it is worth shopping for garden supplies at Dollar general. For example, the plastic pot saucers, though not too sturdy, were 4/$1
Herbs on fridge, 04-15-26, #1.jpg
Herbs on fridge, 04-15-26, #2.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have been fighting lost bolts on my tow wagon for years. I bought a package of 5/16" x 1" bolts (package of 17--WHO knows why THAT#?!?), a package each of many more both washers and nuts. So much for shopping at Menard's where you have to help yourself!
I had an available plastic container that had cheap and small spring snaps (they go by many names, but those are the things we hook our keys on, so we can hook them to the loops on our jeans,) and it was empty. I tried to remove the stuck on label, but it didn't come off easily.
Since I have a VERY BAD HABIT of just throwing extras in a drawer, or a jar in the tool shed, I really didn't want to spend an extra hour looking for replacement bolts again.
I married up 17 bolts w/washers & w/nuts, put the extra washers and extra nuts in their own snack baggies, and labeled the front. It isn't a terrific container, but it does snap shut. The original bolts are concave, These give me the ability to use a wrench on both sides and tighten them, which is Probably why I keep losing them every year.
Hex nuts & Bolts & washers, 04-15-26.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ducks4U all your efforts for growing herbs, organization skills as well as a new idea for me on the camo drop cloth/tarp. Good to see your stayin outta trouble and buzzier than a one armed paper hanger… :celebrate
 
Back
Top