Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[Phaedra]

New Year, New Thread

Wheat berries grow well and will become food for cats and dogs later.

More are sitting outside and used as supplemental food for our hens.

The 'recycled' scallions are also ready for the first harvest - and then, I will transplant them outside.

Microgreens germinated nicely and are growing in the mini greenhouse in greenhouse.

 

[baymule]

You are off to a great start for 2023!

 

[digitS']

Greenhouse in the greenhouse - good idea!

I have grown wheat. It was one of the Black Tip varieties and just a nice row of them in the garden. It was for DW's wreath-making and a little funny in that there are thousands of acres nearby of wheat. Sorta not quite what she wanted since that farm crop is mostly for noodle flour and kinda blonde and bland looking .

My neighbor is a retired farmer and I thought that he would laugh when he saw my row but he didn't. It was an easy crop to grow, just as winter rye was easy to grow, and oats back in the day when it was used for livestock feed.

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

I dug out some oxeye daisy plants from a small raised bed this afternoon - same (family) as asters and mums; the basal shoots are growing although the old stems were fully killed by the previous coldness.

Their roots are amazing. I trimmed and cleaned them up, and then repotted them. I will transplant them in the ground when spring comes, and till then, I still have some months to consider where to locate all these perennial beauties.

The mums' basal shoots - I used a bottomless planter to grow them, and the roots went quite far.

The original planter is pretty small, but, as long as the roots can freely access to the ground, the plant would get sufficient water and nutrients and become huge.

This is the one with a bright and lovely color. However, I will grow it in a big pot this year as the flowers are so fragile and could be easily damaged by the rain in a short time.

Wheats are growing quickly - I will grow some more wheat and rye near the chicken runs tomorrow.

 

[Phaedra]

So, the sowing started. I plan to do a full record for whatever I grow this year. There are four categories - cut flowers, veggies, fruits, and trees.

Although January is too early for sowing, I sowed the first batch of Lisianthus and Snapdragon. Both take a long, long time to germinate and grow. The second batch will follow two weeks later as a backup.

I don't like those thin-wall plastic planters; however, they were gifts, so I decided to use them.

The first sowing of veggies would be scallions, garlic chives, and onions from seeds. I might do that this or next weekend.

 

[digitS']

Lisianthus are very pretty as cut flowers. And, those snapdragon seeds will be about the earliest I put into some soil.

Is it the flexible nature of those containers that you don't like, Phaedra? Berry boxes are just about the right size for much of what I plant but they are full of holes! And, I have to be very careful moving them around because the soil inside will break apart. Darn things are almost like bags!

Actually, I have put them in plastic bags to control evaporation.

Steve, & those backups are a very good idea

 

[Branching Out]

Steve, I have started using plastic bags for seeding starting too and it seems to help with germination. The life of a gardener is like one big experiment, and there is always something new to discover.

On the topic of Lizzies, I told my husband that when I die my headstone can read 'She Grew Lisianthus From Seed'. You really have to be a visionary to dabble with this flower. Yesterday I had all but given up on my most recent batch, when I noticed extremely tiny green hair-like structures coming out of the potting soil; those were sprouts! I started some last summer as well, and they have over-wintered nicely outdoors without any protection; such hardy flowers. The foliage is about 4" (10cm) tall and it is looking good.

 

[AMKuska]

Things are looking good!! I'm curious how the sprouts work in your dog's diet? Do they like to munch on the grass like the cats do?

 

[Phaedra]

Things are looking good!! I'm curious how the sprouts work in your dog's diet? Do they like to munch on the grass like the cats do?

Basically, they like the grass - I can pull some and directly feed them or cut and mix some in their food. The containers are too small for them to munch from.

But cats love them so much.

 

[Phaedra]

The living space re-organization keeps going.

I have no idea what would you call this space, a hallway or a foyer? The staircase to the main entrance is on the left-hand side.

Night mode, with indirect lighting

Day mode, the daylight comes from the glass-brick wall on the left.

I also relocated some greenhouse plants here.

Each corner has the potential to offer something nice, especially with plants.