tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:52:41 +0000http://www.garden-addiction.com/noreply@blogger.com (Ellen)Blogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-3270724314317355142Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:25:00 +00002008-03-02T18:24:43.221-08:00Well, I finally got that front strip next to the driveway replanted, mostly anyway. I put a honeysuckle back on the fence to climb and spread and a pink butterfly bush up near the corner of the garage at the other wide point. It's an oddly shaped strip and I wanted some variety in there. At one point I had all penstemmon in there and while it grew well, I just got bored with the mass of it. http://www.garden-addiction.com/2008/03/well-i-finally-got-that-front-strip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-4948811798206636016Sun, 28 Oct 2007 00:51:00 +00002007-11-05T20:21:22.830-08:00Last June when I harvested my garlic and braided it, I saved half a dozen of the biggest bulbs for planting. Today they got planted. You're not supposed to grow garlic where you grew it last year, so that left me in a bit of a conundrum. I didn't have enough space left in a single bed so I've split the crop in half, planting half in one of the new lasagna beds and half in the bed where I grew http://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/10/garlic-is-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-410642419819050855Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:02:00 +00002007-10-14T13:06:49.573-07:00I'm still harvesting tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, apples, parsley, basil, and cilantro. But I'm thinking ahead also... A few weekends ago I planted a bed of strawberries, doing the lasagna gardening bit in that new bed. In last year's garlic bed I planted starts of red cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. Plus scattered in a few rows throughout the different beds I planted some yellow onionhttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/10/autumn-plantings-in-vegetable-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-1393027151120685923Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:44:00 +00002007-10-08T09:47:41.489-07:00I know they're good in the garden but they are kind of gross, too. Weird looking. I've been lucky to spot a few around the vegetables this year and last year. Yesterday, my daughter spotted one sitting on the driveway, a large female. Should have grabbed the camera I guess but it would have been a boring picture sitting there on cement. And the second time we spotted it would have been even http://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/10/praying-mantis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-868709393899835796Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:28:00 +00002007-10-03T21:37:17.072-07:00I've been busily harvesting parsley, rainbow chard, tomatoes, beets, and cucumbers all summer. I had the hardest time getting the cilantro started but it is now looking good. Where the garlic had been growing, I've just planted 6 plants each of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and red cabbage. Along the edges of a few different beds I've planted about 30 yellow onions. I have two unplanted beds at http://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/10/ive-been-busily-harvesting-parsley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-3630173380639533131Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:06:00 +00002007-08-19T18:12:42.854-07:00There are bare spots in the garden, which makes me think ahead to the fall, even though it's still hot August around here. I will plant garlic for sure. My garlic harvest this year was fantastic, nice huge bulbs. It's the second year I've grown it and I'd read it gets better and better as you replant the prior year's crops and it adapts to your soil and climate. I have a huge lush braid hanginghttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/08/what-should-i-plant-this-fall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-7378900258613611344Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:12:00 +00002007-07-05T23:03:15.766-07:00I was tagged by Kenny over at Veggie Gardening Tips. I'm not a big meme participant but decided to follow his lead and jump on in. So, 7 random things about me... Hmmm.... When I was little I was scared to death of snails--not a good thing for someone growing up in the woods in Oregon. I was convinced that they only moved slowly when you watched them but if you turned your back they could movehttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/07/7-random-things-about-me.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-1110720819666875311Wed, 06 Jun 2007 15:44:00 +00002007-07-05T08:12:03.421-07:00 I finally got out in the garden to take some pictures. Hopefully this comes out okay.http://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/06/garden-collage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-6889560064902039903Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:17:00 +00002007-06-03T13:24:19.726-07:00I planted corn, cantaloupe (first time), and pumpkins this weekend. I'm late, I know, but I figured better late than never! We shall see. I planted all these space-intensive plants around the side in my new raised beds. It means hand-watering until I get a soaker hose hooked up or something. The corn I did in short rows, just about 4 or 5 of them, so maybe 25 or 30 plants. I remember reading http://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/06/i-planted-corn-cantaloupe-first-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-6015766610295459422Tue, 15 May 2007 00:12:00 +00002007-06-03T13:24:56.217-07:00I am behind in writing -- but no longer behind in gardening. Or just barely behind anyway. I got my tomatoes transplanted in early April. In late April I planted peas, beans, cucumbers, and beets--all from seed. I've never grown beets before. Every year I like to try something new. I also had two new raised beds built, about 8' x 4' x 12." They're now filled with fresh topsoil and compost so Ihttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/05/new-raised-beds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-9214413090374083470Fri, 23 Feb 2007 06:00:00 +00002007-02-22T22:10:05.601-08:00It's been a sad winter... freezing temperatures, not much rain. I'm not used to having to water when it's so cold! My garlic has survived and seems to be fine. I've been adding layers of mulch to it periodically, mainly when I mow and get those leaves all chopped up. My lemons and oranges seem to have survived. A few lemons on the outside of the trees froze and fell off. The others are okay buthttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2007/02/global-warming-yes-i-know.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-116564505456982435Sat, 09 Dec 2006 06:13:00 +00002006-12-08T22:17:34.580-08:00I was worried that maybe my garlic didn't like the super-duper new stuff I added to its bed. Or the location. something. I'm trying to get better about rotating my "crops" a bit so the garlic is in a new bed this season. But finally last weekend I noted the green shoots poking out. Whew! I have high hopes, since this is the second year I've planted this garlic. So last year I bought a nice set ofhttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/12/garlic-is-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-116448000754296103Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:35:00 +00002006-11-25T10:40:07.553-08:00My basil had a great year. Luckily on Wednesday night I noticed how lush it looked in the garden and thought I'd better make another batch of Thai Chicken Curry because the fresh basil adds so much to that recipe that I pretty much skip making it in the winter. In hindsight, I should have picked all the basil and frozen the rest, but I was busy cooking up sweet potatoes and making an apple pie http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/11/basil-is-gone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-116217035407181676Mon, 30 Oct 2006 01:04:00 +00002006-10-29T17:07:25.586-08:00I've got a side yard that used to hold a swing set and trampoline. The kids are older. We've gotten rid of those things and I've been trying to figure out what to do over there, on a very limited budget. There's no running water, for example, which makes it a pain to water. But there is a drip line already run over there that I could tap into. It's on the southeast, getting some nice morning sun http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/10/lasagna-gardening.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-115241710594990914Sun, 09 Jul 2006 03:36:00 +00002006-07-08T20:51:45.963-07:00I picked my first chard this evening for dinner. This is the part I love about gardening. I go walk in the garden and decide what to eat. Tonight it was chard and rainbow "green" beans. We actually had eggplant Parmesan as well but I didn't grow eggplant this year, although I have in the past. I had my bed filled with garlic when it was time to plant the eggplant. Now the garlic's gone and I'm http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/07/chard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-115206125219604598Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:45:00 +00002006-07-04T18:00:52.213-07:00I'm a bit of a spontaneous gardener. Other than the big push in the spring, when I get the beds ready and typically get the tomatoes, peas, beans, and cucumbers in, I garden in a somewhat haphazard manner. This means that sometimes I get a few surprises. If, as is typical, I remember that I planted something there, but cannot remember what exactly, I watch to see what emerges. With most things, http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/07/spontaneous-vegetable-beds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-115119576317358516Sun, 25 Jun 2006 00:07:00 +00002006-06-24T17:38:17.136-07:00I finally got out to harvest the rest of my garlic. I lied when I said I'd harvested a third before. It was about a quarter maybe. They were nicely dry by the time I got there so I cut the roots off with a pair of scissors and then rubbed them a bit to get the dirty outer layer of parchment like covering. The ones I harvested today, the rest, were still of mismatched sizes. I am curious as to http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/06/more-on-garlic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-115094003548907950Thu, 22 Jun 2006 01:21:00 +00002006-06-21T18:33:55.503-07:00My garlic is about ready. Well, it is ready. The tops starting to brown and fall over. I pulled up about 1/3 of them and laid them dry on a screen I sometimes use to sift compost. That way they get air all around them. I've already cooked with some. Yum! Nice and hot and spicy. My only disappointment is the size of the bulbs. Most are quite small and I am not sure why. I will, of course, save http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/06/harvesting-garlic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114986298038108602Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:18:00 +00002006-06-09T07:23:00.396-07:00 Garden decor can be fun, practical, or whimsical. Keep your eyes open for items in unusual places. Garage sales and thrift shops can yield unusual items. A few tasteful statues in a garden can provide nice focal points for the eyes. You can go with something fun, like animals, or more formal. A pretty birdbath can combine function (for the birds!) with design. Wind chimes and fountains add the http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/06/garden-decor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114908714138282760Wed, 31 May 2006 14:46:00 +00002006-05-31T07:52:21.396-07:00I planted my garlic in two different spots, due to having bought too much! Most of it is in a nice raised bed back in the official "vegetable garden." But some of it, mainly this Spanish Red I tried, is out front in the midst of a flower bed filled with penstemmon. Yesterday I noticed the front stuff was starting to droop a bit and wondered if it could really be ready so soon. Being the impatienthttp://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/05/garlic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114853249938649323Thu, 25 May 2006 04:38:00 +00002006-05-24T21:48:19.396-07:00I've been a neglectful blogger. First there was so much rain that I couldn't even get out in the garden. Then suddenly it turned into summer, overnight it seemed, and I was rushed to get my tomatoes in the ground. Then it rained again. Now it's like spring, finally, with nice temperatures but not overly hot. It's a late spring though... Oh well. I got my 6 yards of mulch spread and I'd like to http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/05/neglectful-correspondent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114675316195345062Thu, 04 May 2006 14:25:00 +00002006-05-04T08:27:12.020-07:00 Mother's Day is coming soon. Check out Wayside Gardens for some Great Gifts and Garden Art. And if you can't decide, a gift certificate is always fun! I'm debating several ideas myself. I just gave my dad a miniature rose to plant for his birthday earlier this year. Both my parents like to garden and I realized I'd given my mom all the fun plants! But now I'm kinda stuck for Mother's Day--and http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/05/mothers-day-gifts-for-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114640713254642341Sun, 30 Apr 2006 14:15:00 +00002006-04-30T07:25:32.560-07:00While I was out running errands, I realized I was near the landscaping supplies place where I have bought mulch and bark in the past so I swung in. I figured I could get the mulch I needed delivered next Friday and then have the weekend to spread it out. No one was in the front office so I wandered out back and had some minor path fantasies as I wandered past gorgeous slate and other stepping http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/04/mulch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114583004994536762Sun, 23 Apr 2006 21:58:00 +00002006-04-23T15:07:30.053-07:00We finally had two nice sunny days in a row here--but I was off on vacation to Santa Cruz, hitting the beach and the Boardwalk. Came back to more threat of rain but so far it's held off. It actually made for great garden work weather, as it was not too hot. First I turned my two compost piles. Then I weeded the vegetable beds, which are raised. The steady rain had caused quite a bit of weeds to http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/04/we-finally-had-two-nice-sunny-days-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17700175.post-114434039353463095Thu, 06 Apr 2006 16:13:00 +00002006-04-06T09:19:53.573-07:00If it were not for all the dang rain, I'd have my tomatoes and such in the ground at this point normally. But today is the first non-rainy day in way too long! And I'm stuck working and won't be able to get outside. I hope we manage another nice day this weekend! If you haven't ordered your perennial plants and supplies yet, get a move on! Wayside Gardens just sent me a discount offer: Order http://www.garden-addiction.com/2006/04/spring-time-planting-time-around-here.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Ellen)