Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[baymule]

You are amazing and an inspiration!

 

[Phaedra]

Sometimes, I have the feeling that the entire garden is my playground, and the greenhouse is my personal laboratory.

I just added the potted strawberries and chilis as part of this trail (to the chickens); why not? It's a full-sun spot, but there are too many roots underneath. Another advantage is, I still have the flexibility to remove them when it's necessary.

And for those divided hardy plants - they are transplanted and on their own now.

Potted Tulips are blossoming. I also planted two hydrangeas here, as it's a pretty shady spot.

Time for Azaleas to be on the stage.

I bought this tiny one last spring and planted it in front of the greenhouse after all flowers were gone. It's good to see it doing well this year.

Strawberries are on the way, too.

One tulip bed

The deep tray I used to pre-sprout the Dahlia tubers - I didn't pay attention to them for maybe two weeks...and they are all growing!

Well, 2/3 of this bed are sprouted Dahlias, some already pinched. As the temperature will remain mild (higher than 10 degrees C at night), they will all stay here so some predators can enjoy 'fresh' aphids.

I already brought several ladybugs to the greenhouse.

 

[Phaedra]

At least the main structure and the rain-collecting mechanism were done. Further improvements have to wait as four consecutive rainy days are coming. Anyway, we made it!

I checked the forecast and calculated a bit - we can collect more than 250L from this area in four days, happy. It's also nice to see hens have a dry and cozy place to stay.

 

[ducks4you]

I am soon going to plant the asparagus seeds that I collected last winter.
I like how you starting them in large cells, and I have those at hand.
What is you plan for up potting and eventually planting?

 

[Phaedra]

Day for harvesting

Such a nice purple asparagus!

Lilacs are also on the way, and I can't wait to make some Lilac Jelly! Now, we have about ten plants in different corners.

Next week, I will harvest Tatsoi and transplant the French beans as the succession.

 

[Phaedra]

I am soon going to plant the asparagus seeds that I collected last winter.
I like how you starting them in large cells, and I have those at hand.
What is you plan for up potting and eventually planting?

I planted them in the raised beds, most of them. I also planted some in the ground, but they have to compete with weeds. Even so, they look also fine.

 

[baymule]

I love the pictures you post of your flowers and vegetables. Vegetables-food for the body and flowers-food for the soul.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Phaedra: I was thinking of you this weekend. You see, I purchased some clearance tulips from here and there. Enjoyed the blooms and now they are yellowing. They are all in their purchased pots.

How shall I save them? Keep them in their pots in an east facing part of the yard (house blocks scorching west summer heat)? Pull them out of their dirt and put them down in my deep pantry that stays cool? Thanks much for your reply!

 

[Phaedra]

Phaedra: I was thinking of you this weekend. You see, I purchased some clearance tulips from here and there. Enjoyed the blooms and now they are yellowing. They are all in their purchased pots.

How shall I save them? Keep them in their pots in an east facing part of the yard (house blocks scorching west summer heat)? Pull them out of their dirt and put them down in my deep pantry that stays cool? Thanks much for your reply!

Dear Rhodie,

First of all, if all blooms are faded, please remove the flower stem and leave the foliage until they are completely yellow, so all the nutrients produced by the leaves can go back to the bulbs.

I personally prefer to pull them out, let them cure a bit (dry for a few days up to one week), and then store them in paper bags/cartons/crates with ventilation holes in a dark and cool place. Cleaning isn't necessary as it might cause some damage and increase the risk of infection. However, you can use a brush to remove some dirt.

I will also suggest you keep only fatter bulbs. You can cut a piece of paper to measure the bulb size - usually, 10-12cm is more likely to bring you a nice flower next year. Too small bulbs won't flower properly, so you can decide whether to keep or compost them.

 

[Phaedra]

I cleaned most module trays last week because seedlings were 95% removed outdoors. Today, I started sowing the next batch of seeds, including pumpkin, luffa, beetroot (for leaves), zinnia, watermelon, and succession sunflowers.

We will have rain for five days this week, Mon to Fri. I believe that all our rain butts will be fully filled after that.

Last night's thunderstorm caused a tragedy - two baby birds (should be sparrows) dropped from their nest and passed away when I saw them in the late morning. It's sad, but there is nothing I can do for them. The temperature at night is still too low for them to have a chance to survive.

The garden is also a micro-universe, where the circle of life tells different stories every day.

Solar lights for giving extra hours for indoor tomatoes before I transplanted them into the hoop tunnel