April 16Apr 16 I go an email that my blueberry plants should be shipping soon. I haven’t heard anything about the stuff I ordered from Burpees yet so I don’t know when that ships.What I do know is we may have to invest in a good indoor plant stand or get rid of some plants come fall. I think we’re also inheriting some plants from my in-laws. Hopefully some of them don’t need direct sun!
April 27Apr 27 I’ve never ordered plants by mail before, so trying something new this year. The first of them, Camellia Sinensis Tea, has arrived:I just did a quick read about the plant and I didn’t realize that they are more of a shrub than plant. It seems like they’d do better in warmer climates than ours, but it’ll be a neat experiment, particularly over-wintering it. In somewhat related news, plans for my workshop in the new garage will entail a dedicated area for gardening. My old workbench will make a nice potting bench and place to keep everything organized.
April 28Apr 28 I've got some more blueberry plants coming in the mail and this past weekend was given another 1/4# of perennial wildflower seed to do whatever I want with. Given those two things, I'm thinking of how to maybe expand our garden area into more garden, less lawn. So far here's what I came up with:I obviously have too much time on my hands. I'm thinking of planting a strip of wildflowers parallel with the road as sort of a living border. I still want to plant a Concord grape plant next to the existing plant. Then maybe use the blueberry bushes ( I only have three coming so far, will get more at another time ) to fill in some lawn and make the area not so boxy and organized. I'll want everything spaced so I can mow around and between with the rider as much as possible of course. I'm still on the fence about the spaces between the raised beds ( 1-4 ) My plan was to lay cardboard down and then pine wood shavings for mulch over that to keep from having to mow between them. I sprayed the area down with a natural weed killer ( vinegar, salt and Dawn dish soap ) which does the job but then I'd have to spray it regularly whereas with the mulch, I wouldn't have to. Plus, I have a ton of cardboard that I've been saving for that job.
April 29Apr 29 I have a lot of pine / oak / Hemlock shavings in the barn ( w/ just a bit of Walnut mixed in ) just going to spread it on the field , you can take a look at it .
April 29Apr 29 4 minutes ago, Hal said:I have a lot of pine / oak / Hemlock shavings in the barn ( w/ just a bit of Walnut mixed in ) just going to spread it on the field , you can take a look at it .I'm just gonna get a couple extra bales of pine shavings, but thanks.
April 29Apr 29 50 minutes ago, Chris said:I'm just gonna get a couple extra bales of pine shavings, but thanks.Oh … I forgot you get bales for the chickens 🐓.
April 29Apr 29 4 hours ago, Hal said:Oh … I forgot you get bales for the chickens 🐓.Yeah. And don't you have to be careful with what wood shavings you use in the garden? Not that they'd end up IN the beds, but still...Plus I'd only have to handle them once. 😁
April 30Apr 30 4 hours ago, Chris said:Yeah. And don't you have to be careful with what wood shavings you use in the garden? Not that they'd end up IN the beds, but still...Plus I'd only have to handle them once. 😁The only draw back is the Black Walnut shavings , so I just put them in the hedge or spread them out on the field then the mower takes care of the rest bada bing lol .
May 1May 1 This weekend is time to put the Sunflower seed in its plot out back and still on hold for another week for seeding the new Pollinator bed .
May 4May 4 I still have plants that are ordered and not shipped yet. I've been getting emails regarding my new blueberry plants and they keep bumping the ship date out another week because of this ridiculous weather. It's good, I know, but another reminder of how frustrating the weather is this year. And that I'll be hustling to get things in the ground once it's safe. Oh well, if it were easy, every one would be doing it. ( Although I think more should. )
May 4May 4 By hook or by crook ALL SEEDS here will be in by the end of the week ! In fact the “ upper 1/4 “ pollinator bed should be in and done by the end of today . So between that and numerous appts. supporting our Medical Community its going to be very busy to say the least ! So all that said … off my dead ass and on my dying feet and Happy Gardening to All ! Edited May 4May 4 by Hal
Friday at 12:35 PM5 days So , Finally the North 1/4 pollinator bed is All in ! Due to miscalculation I ran shy on seed for the other half of the plot but American Meadows was quick to get me another order in two days . After picking five loads of stone and a good raking for soil to seed contact I went to the mailbox and as promised there were my next 2 lbs of seed … yes “ next 2# “ as the whole project took 4# total . Those seeds delivered yesterday went in … yesterday and now i have just the Sunflower bed to put in then its time for my old ass to sit on the “ back -back porch “ play some Mandolin and watch the flowers of my labors grow and blossom 🌼… I hope lol ! Side note , the plot has a 6’ swath up the middle for watering , mowing or just standing in the middle watching whatever . Bottom line … its finished 👍
Friday at 02:57 PM5 days I got things started yesterday by getting some Romaine lettuce in earlier than usual for a better yield before it gets too hot. I also pulled the landscape fabric off of what was the potato bed. I wanted to see how well it worked for keeping the weeds from growing since I harvest potatos earlier than the other stuff. It was a good experiement and as you can see, the soil is pretty weed free.The cardboard is a new experiment. I hate mowing between the beds so my plan is to lay down cardboard and then cover it with pine shavings for mulch. I chose cardboard over landscape fabric because it's natural and weeds wont grow through or on it like they will landscape fabric. The pavers are just there to hold the cardboard down for now. I hit the dirt with a cultivator thing I was given and the plan for the former potato bed is to plant strawberries. Soil is looking pretty good. I'm hopig to maybe get the potatoes in the garden bags this weekend. We'll see if the weather cooperates.
Friday at 06:36 PM4 days 5 hours ago, Chris said:You planted FOUR POUNDS of seed there? Holy crap!LOL… apparently I need to get a 100foot measuring tape as 25’ at a time just begs for mistakes ! This bed is going to be interesting to say the least lol. But its all in ( as am I ) now just Sunflowers 🌻. Sitting ( recuperating lol ) on the deck last evening Mr Hummingbird swung in to remind me to get new feeder out for him … pretty sure I heard a tiny voice exclaim WTH !
Friday at 06:38 PM4 days 3 hours ago, Chris said:I got things started yesterday by getting some Romaine lettuce in earlier than usual for a better yield before it gets too hot. I also pulled the landscape fabric off of what was the potato bed. I wanted to see how well it worked for keeping the weeds from growing since I harvest potatos earlier than the other stuff.It was a good experiement and as you can see, the soil is pretty weed free.The cardboard is a new experiment. I hate mowing between the beds so my plan is to lay down cardboard and then cover it with pine shavings for mulch. I chose cardboard over landscape fabric because it's natural and weeds wont grow through or on it like they will landscape fabric. The pavers are just there to hold the cardboard down for now. I hit the dirt with a cultivator thing I was given and the plan for the former potato bed is to plant strawberries.Soil is looking pretty good.I'm hopig to maybe get the potatoes in the garden bags this weekend. We'll see if the weather cooperates.Looking good ! 👍
Friday at 11:54 PM4 days 5 hours ago, Hal said:Looking good ! 👍I was looking at mulch today but they dye it for “enhanced color.” Which means that shit is getting on your clothes and skin. No thanks.
Saturday at 02:20 PM4 days I picked up some soil to get the potatoes in the grow bags today and the weather decided against that. Sigh…
Sunday at 01:38 AM3 days On 5/8/2026 at 7:54 PM, Chris said:I was looking at mulch today but they dye it for “enhanced color.” Which means that shit is getting on your clothes and skin. No thanks.big piles of it free down by the railroad tracks by packer
Sunday at 01:41 AM3 days checked the pawpaw saplings i planted earlier in the month and all but one so far have green shoots pushing so with any luck in 4 short years ill have my own fruit!, the plum i put in looks to have some buds swelling too. when i bought the saplings there were cuttings in with them of unknown type, Dad suggested grafting them, so what the heck....so far looks like the unions are healing and buds pushing. Wife has two beds out back, i really need to get dirt in them so we can get planting
Monday at 02:28 PM2 days I got the potatoes in yesterday:I got about nine seed potaties in each, so actually I planted more in the bags than I would in the beds. We'll see how, or if, it affects the yield. The last back on the right there only has some dirt in it. I'm saving that one for carrots.
Monday at 11:46 PM1 day On 5/9/2026 at 9:41 PM, ADAM said:Wife has two beds out back, i really need to get dirt in them so we can get plantingAlmost got it done today but kept getting … “ Squirrel “ , hey , if ya know ya know lol.
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