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Michiel
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| Posted: May 11 2010 at 8:58pm | IP Logged
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We're in zone 6, so I wait until the end of May. A little late, but I've lost things by planting earlier, and this way works better for the procrastinator in me.
I'm going easy: just some tomatoes and beans. BUT, we are going to try the sunflower house outlined in "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots" this year as soon as I can get dh to break the soil and I figure out how to keep the deer away.
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Michiel
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 11 2010 at 9:30pm | IP Logged
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Michiel wrote:
We're in zone 6, so I wait until the end of May. A little late, but I've lost things by planting earlier, and this way works better for the procrastinator in me.
I'm going easy: just some tomatoes and beans. BUT, we are going to try the sunflower house outlined in "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots" this year as soon as I can get dh to break the soil and I figure out how to keep the deer away. |
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It seems a few years I was planting around Memorial Day, which was late for my zone, but it worked out okay.
That sounds like so much fun with the sunflowers. Here the problem is squirrels, and I will not tempt them with sunflowers. It just was not a pretty sight to see them go CRAZY over those sunflowers!
I'm telling you, they are super nuts. One this week was on my deck, and I was shooing it away. Every time I said "Shoo!" it made a noise right back at me! It was back talking to me!! They are definitely not scared!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Angel
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 5:46am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
Our berry bushes are also waking up. The jostaberry bushes my dh planted last year look really good. Now I am just wondering what one does with jostaberries.  |
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Yes, what ARE they?[/QUOTE]
Sorry I'm so late getting back to this thread! (I seem to be saying that a lot lately.)
We had to do some research. Jostaberries are apparently a cross between a black currant and a gooseberry. You can eat them out of hand, but apparently they make good pies.
I'm hoping they're less tart than black currants. If you've ever tried to eat a handful of black currants off the bush, you'll know what I mean. The jostaberries do seem phenomenally hardy, though. They bore up under 4 feet of snow with no broken branches!
Thanks for the discussion about square foot gardening, btw. We may need to head in this direction when we move, so we're trying to learn more about it now.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 7:50am | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
| I'm telling you, they are super nuts. One this week was on my deck, and I was shooing it away. Every time I said "Shoo!" it made a noise right back at me! It was back talking to me!! They are definitely not scared! |
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I have visions of you shooing away this defiant squirrel and I'm laughing! We have chipmunks that are pretty tough around here! They scold our golden retriever when she gets too close.
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Becky
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 7:54am | IP Logged
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I just noticed today that my wisteria vine in FINALLY blooming after 11 years! I had all but given up on it! I had heard that they take a while to bloom but this was getting ridiculous.
Of course, all you southerners are probably laughing at me. When we took a recent trip to NC I saw wisteria growing like weeds up trees, over trellisses, on mailboxes (all blooming beautifully of course!) I couldn't believe it. I just kept thinking of how much I paid for the silly thing!
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 8:05am | IP Logged
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Becky Parker wrote:
I just noticed today that my wisteria vine in FINALLY blooming after 11 years! I had all but given up on it! I had heard that they take a while to bloom but this was getting ridiculous.
Of course, all you southerners are probably laughing at me. When we took a recent trip to NC I saw wisteria growing like weeds up trees, over trellisses, on mailboxes (all blooming beautifully of course!) I couldn't believe it. I just kept thinking of how much I paid for the silly thing! |
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Wow, you have patience to wait that long. But that is so great!
I love wisteria. I get wistful over wisteria.  Dh went to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga, and he was just wowed by the huge wisteria. I think they claim it is the oldest and largest in USA?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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St. Ann
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
| Our berry bushes are also waking up. The jostaberry bushes my dh planted last year look really good. Now I am just wondering what one does with jostaberries. |
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We have 2 jostaberry bushes and 3 currant bushes. This will be our first full summer in this house, and my first experience with harvesting and eating jostaberries. I wonder if you could make good jam or jelly with the jostaberries?
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Stephanie
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St. Ann
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 10:25am | IP Logged
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I am also trying out new things in our garden. I have 2 tomatoe plants, 1 green zuchinni, 1 yellow zuchinni and 2 little rows of salad greens. I have yet to see squirrels, but birds we do have. We'll just have to see day to day how the plants take to the environment and the environment to the plants. Here in Germany, today is the day that you "may" begin planting without fearing frost(but should actually await St. Sophie on the 15th. Everyone says to wait for the "Eisheiligen" or "Ice Saints", St. Sophie, St. Boniface, St. Servatius, St. Mamertus and St. Pancras... People call it Kalte Sophie! or Cold Sophie! I did plant my tomatoes a week ago but was vigilant watching temperatures. I did cover them a couple of nights Just in case.
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Stephanie
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St. Ann
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 10:29am | IP Logged
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Our neighbors have generously given us 2 small lavender bushes and lily of the valley, albeit unknowingly. They are spreading into our garden from under the wooden fence. I love it and plan to replant some of the lily of the valley to another spot later in the season. I have to look up when the best time to replant would be.
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 12 2010 at 12:38pm | IP Logged
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St. Ann wrote:
Here in Germany, today is the day that you "may" begin planting without fearing frost(but should actually await St. Sophie on the 15th. Everyone says to wait for the "Eisheiligen" or "Ice Saints", St. Sophie, St. Boniface, St. Servatius, St. Mamertus and St. Pancras... People call it Kalte Sophie! or Cold Sophie! I did plant my tomatoes a week ago but was vigilant watching temperatures. I did cover them a couple of nights Just in case.
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Oh, I just read this in the Old Farmer's Almanac email
Quote:
Spring may be in full swing, but May 11, 12, and 13 often revert to the colder days of winter, according to weather lore.
The Three Chilly Saints—-Mamertus, Pancras, and Gervais (also called Mammertius, Pancratius, and Gervatius or Servatius)—-often celebrated their feast days during a cold snap. Some called them the Ice Saints or Frost Saints, and many farmers held off planting until after the Three Chilly Saints’ days had passed.
Germans knew these days as the Icemen Days, and both the English and French watched for a late frost at around this time. St. Boniface (May 14) and the chilly “blackthorn winds” were sometimes associated with them, too.
St. Pancras Day [May 12] never passes without frost. |
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We didn't have frost, but really close this weekend, which was surprising for our area.
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DianaC
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| Posted: May 13 2010 at 11:12am | IP Logged
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We just spent about a week visiting in Missouri. Before we left, we checked the forecast and it was calling for temps in the 70s and 80s, so we packed short-sleeved shirts and shorts. The day we arrived, a cold front came in and dropped the temps to the 50s. We had to borrow some warm clothes!
The fun part of it is that we learned that in that area, they are used to a cold spell coming in early May after the warm temps have already settled in, and they call it Blackberry Winter! We did see Blackberries in full bloom everywhere - they should have a tremendous harvest!
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: May 13 2010 at 1:16pm | IP Logged
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I will be spending this year killing weeds and restoring the soil! I totally left it to run wild last year and now I'm paying the price! I do have a few strawberry plants and some lavender remaining though...and some poppies and a peony.
Why you shouldn't neglect your garden for an entire year!
We are just now starting to get blossoms on the strawberries. We've had an unusual string of cold and freezing temps overnight this May. Better to wait til Memorial Day here too!
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LeeAnne, I'm so glad you mentioned about Lupines! I will not put them in my vegetable garden, but only up front!
Looks like you have a battle. But isn't weeding so rewarding?
I'm just a gushing gardener because I notice how happier I feel when I start planting and nurturing my garden. Playing in the dirt makes me happy. 
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LeeAnn
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Ha, I was just reading about your broad-spectrum herbicide disaster of last year, Jennifer. Hope you were able to plant something beautiful.
I just did another hour of weeding (using the hula hoe) and to my surprise, I'm 95% done! Wow, thank you, Jesus! There is a small stubborn patch I will have to get my husband to work on...my hands are already sore and have blisters in the making! Tomorrow I'm going to get black plastic and spikes and start restoring that soil!
Well, I can check "labora" off on my daily "ora et labora" list today! And I am SO GLAD to have it done. I wouldn't say gardening makes me happy...but it sure does make me feel virtuous!
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| Posted: May 13 2010 at 4:19pm | IP Logged
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LeeAnn wrote:
| Ha, I was just reading about your broad-spectrum herbicide disaster of last year, Jennifer. Hope you were able to plant something beautiful. |
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Was that last year? Happily things grow there, and I've had good success!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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hmmm reading about mixing the flowers and veggies.. I'm not gonna plant lupine my mom is allergic so that was out to start with.. but I am thinking I might plant some nastursiums this year.. those are fun.. the flowers are edible.. it can make quite a pretty salad to have flowers mixed in.
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| Posted: May 14 2010 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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I love nasturtiums! They are my very favorite. I got the weeds under control today and even planted a few lettuce starts; cilantro and chives seed too. I may yet get some strawberries. And the lavender is doing well. I guess I should figure out how to harvest it this year and maybe use it in some recipes.
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LeeAnn wrote:
I will be spending this year killing weeds and restoring the soil! I totally left it to run wild last year and now I'm paying the price! I do have a few strawberry plants and some lavender remaining though...and some poppies and a peony.
Why you shouldn't neglect your garden for an entire year!
We are just now starting to get blossoms on the strawberries. We've had an unusual string of cold and freezing temps overnight this May. Better to wait til Memorial Day here too! |
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We have one ripe strawberry and various flowers and small green ones! Very exciting for the boys!
LeeAnn, I keep thinking about the lupines, and how you mentioned some geographical areas refer to them as invasive. It totally turns the Miss Rhumphius story upside down on its head if you take that spin...
But I just read somewhere else that here in our zone lupines don't do well. Too much heat I think....
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Jennifer G. Miller
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: May 17 2010 at 6:22pm | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
LeeAnn, I keep thinking about the lupines, and how you mentioned some geographical areas refer to them as invasive. It totally turns the Miss Rhumphius story upside down on its head if you take that spin...
But I just read somewhere else that here in our zone lupines don't do well. Too much heat I think.... |
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Ha ha, I would believe that lupines might not be considered invasive everywhere. Here they are planted on the interstate median because they spread and spread and spread...they do look pretty though! I planted three in one bed...these are raised square foot beds...and they magically appeared across the garden in other beds.
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: May 17 2010 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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LeeAnn, I have some lupine seeds that I planted a year or two ago and they never took...the rest of the seeds have been waiting patiently in the back of our frig for another chance. Dh just made a small bed in front of an old shed that we moved near our new garden bed...I think we'll have try lupines again. Sure wish plants would magically appear in our garden beds! Miss Rumphius I'm not!
Jodie, I'm trying nasturtiums for the first time this year! I've been reading a lot about companion planting too. One of the books I borrowed from the library mentions marigolds, nasturtiums and borage quite a bit. There are others, but I thought we'd focus on those primarily.
I'm having such a hard time waiting until the end of May to plant! Reading about everyone's gardens gives me hope though! At least we've been enjoying some extra preparation time! The birds have been serenading us whenever we work outside and we've been able to do lots of extra little things to improve our old garden areas and create new ones. Dh mowed a path to our newest garden spot....now we can traipse through a lovely wooded area when we venture out to our vegetable garden.
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4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: How Does Your Garden Grow?
