What Are You Planting Today, This Week, This Month?

Smart Red said:

I feel like I will have to start over on most of my flower beds. With DH being sick last summer as well, nothing much was done other then working in the veggies. Also, most of my beds were planted before I got sick 10 years ago. With the illness resulting in little work being spent on upkeep and DH losing interest in the flowers as long as I was ill and not taking the lead. . .

I still have my dreams, but now everything will have to be done myself. DH is not likely to be a big help in the yard anymore at all.

Baby steps. . . and being retired should help a lot.

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I recommend that you invest in a Mantis tiller if possible. Get the smallest, lightest one. I upgraded to the slightly larger one. It is 5 pounds heavier and it is more powerful, but the extra weight does make a difference. I wanted it because you do not have to mix the oil into the gas.The larger one is supposed to last longer but, the smaller ones lasted 10 years on average. It makes a big difference, using a Mantis when remaking a bed.

I love the little Mantis, had a gas jobie for many years, it was getting a little hard for me to start so gave it to #2 son and bought myself an electric Mantis and a long heavy duty extension cord, just plug it in and away I go. I can always call on hubby to give me a hand and at times it is greatly appreciated but I like to do things myself, this way I get them done just the way I want them, if you get my drift .
Most of my garden is cut up into small and raised beds so this suits me perfectly. I have a gas powered 5HP Honda parked over at the son-in-law's if needed for a bigger job.

Other than the onions I sowed on Christmas day, nothing else in the works yet. Hmmmm have a packet of Campanula primulifolia seeds I collected last fall sitting in my desk I should get those started, does anyone know if this is a biennial? They don't seem to be long lived in my garden and seed is devilish hard to find.
Other than my flowers, mostly perennials, vines and shrubs I grow a few veggies, tomatoes and cucs, experimenting with sea kale and skirret, grew yacon for the first time this year, delicious. Then of course there's my beans, grown wherever I can find a spot to stick a few poles or a bare spot where I can plant a few seeds, I'm finding I can get away with growing a few more beans by planting them with things they can climb on like the wisteria and some of the clematis that get cut back every spring.
I do have a small section at the side of the house behind the greenhouse I call my back 40, several planters for herbs and veggies, the raspberries are also here and yes, truly, a back forty, it's exactly 40 steps from my back door.
Annette

have been very happy with my troy-bilt 4 stoke cultivator works wonders in the raised beds.<like i would be able to use the rocket in there>....

I have an 8-horse, rear tine tiller that I love. I also have a tiller attachment with my old garden tractor. However, they are pretty useless since I switched to raised beds. Because I had raised beds and because I had no strength (as I was recovering from my 'illness'), I purchased a Mantis tiller for my birthday one year. I doubt that I have 3 hours on the motor and consider it one of the worst purchases I've made.

Not the tiller's fault it was still too heavy for me, but I did use it in a couple of raised beds. The second year, the unit smoked every time I started it up so I didn't use it except for the 30 foot x 4 foot strip along the sidewalk. The third year, I found it was leaking oil somewhere so I never started it up. There it sits.

i have an Airens tiller i got in 2009. i thought i paid about $150 new for it but this past year i noticed these small tillers going for about $300! glad i bought it when i did. it requires a little upkeep and occasionally checking the fuel to be sure there is no water in it. if we had some place that sold the Mantis locally i might think about picking one up. my tiller is small but not as light as one of those.

i've been thinking of starting some onions but i need to get that back room cleaned up & space made on the shelves for lights & trays.

anyone know of a good garden app that would send me reminders for my area to get started on seed sowing/transplanting/harvesting?

Smart Red said:

I have an 8-horse, rear tine tiller that I love. I also have a tiller attachment with my old garden tractor. However, they are pretty useless since I switched to raised beds. Because I had raised beds and because I had no strength (as I was recovering from my 'illness'), I purchased a Mantis tiller for my birthday one year. I doubt that I have 3 hours on the motor and consider it one of the worst purchases I've made.

Not the tiller's fault it was still too heavy for me, but I did use it in a couple of raised beds. The second year, the unit smoked every time I started it up so I didn't use it except for the 30 foot x 4 foot strip along the sidewalk. The third year, I found it was leaking oil somewhere so I never started it up. There it sits.

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Too bad. They have a 5 year warrantee.

I brought some more compost in to get ready to use. It is made mostly from rabbit bedding and rabbit manure.

That's really nice looking compost GWR! Your rabbits are just for pets?
No breeding? I'm wondering if I should get one for petting and pellets...

Yes, just pets. They are rabbits that the neighbor moved off and left. The one in the above picture is about 5 years old now. One of the rabbits that was left behind was pregnant when we caught her. I had no idea she was pregnant. They were only about 5 months old when we caught them. My avatar picture are the babies that were born. I only have 2 of those left. They have died over the years. My sad rabbit story last year of Hot Shot and I had to put him to sleep. They are 3-1/2 years old now. The one in the picture above is a rabbit manure producing machine. LOL I built a pen to put them in one at a time for exercise. I can't even put 2 females out together without them fighting. They are safer in the hutch, so I only put them out when I can keep an eye on them. They like to watch me work in the garden.

Thistlebloom, a rabbit or two do make great fertilizer and deserve a place in your garden plans. Rusty, my fertilizer bunny, was never intended to be anything other then a pet. Here he is playing in his exercise yard.