LysmachiaMoon's blog: Nothing exciting, veg cleanup

Nothing much to report except my veg garden has never looked this bad this late in the spring. Usually by mid-May things are in the ground and growing and the veg looks at least semi-respectable. This year, with all the rain and cold temps, I'm way behind in planting and getting the soil ready for planting. I can't work in that heavy clay soil when it's wet. Even though I have raised beds (slightly, maybe 18 inches) it's still too wet.

Yesterday (Saturday 11 May) started out beautifully, with clear sunny skies and cool temps. I hurried a load of laundry out onto the line, then drove to Boonsboro Maryland for the annual recycling fair. I had loads of glass from our house and my neighbor's, plus one small old computer. I got three bags of recycled glass sand in exchange and I bought two very nice little Virginia Sweetspires (Itea virginica) at the plant swap table. I was hoping they'd have more little Japanese maple seedlings like last year, but no luck. I wish I had bought 4 or 5 last year instead of 1. The one I have is doing great, it's more than doubled in size. (Still only about a foot tall!)

I stopped in Hagerstown, MD, on the way back home to buy a sack of mortar because I'm bound and determined to get more concrete blocks on to the Folly Wall this week. By the time I got home, it was overcast and by nightfall we had heavy rain.
This morning, sunny and cool again. I had a lot of house and office work to do, so did not get into the garden until past noon. The call of the big garden rooms and borders is so tempting, but I made myself concentrate on the disaster that is called the veg. You ever have one of those moments where you stand looking at a chaotic mess and literally cannot move because you don't know what to do first? It's that bad.

I decided to start by getting the teasels out of the brick path at the east end of the garden. What a big improvement. Then I just went from there. Pruned back the die-back on the fig, hammered in the stakes to hold up a wooden raised bed edge. Pulled out tons and tons of false strawberry (which apparently has decided to take over the world), dug out a small but encroaching patch of goldenrod along the south fence, re-installed another wooden raised bed edge, cleaned out both the cold frames. And even got two short rows of beans planted!

What a difference. It's only about 1/4 of the entire veg, but it's a good start and I do have other beds in the veg that are cleaned and planted and looking good. It's mostly the paths and a few of the beds I haven't yet turned over or done anything with. One thing I really need to think about is storing the tomato cages and the various fence panels. I tend to lay them up wherever there's nothing growing, then when I need that spot, they get shifted, then shifted again, and again. It's stupid and time-consuming and the effect is like a junk yard. I really should think about some sort of rack or something (probly would be a good idea to get them up off the ground too, to reduce rust).

( No account? Join now! )