Taking today to simply wander the gardens, water a few germinating seeds and fertilize the yard (I use
LadyBug Brand 8-2-4).
From upper left to bottom right: Lemon tree, bolting cilantro and salad greens, fava beans, bolting sorrel, huge parsley.
I used to not take care of my lawn in the least, other than mowing it. But last fall i spread elbon rye seed and fertilizer and am now proud to show off one of the prettiest lawns on the block. I do not irrigate other than the veggie beds, so my lawn will wither in the hot summer sun. But i feel a yard is a luxury, to be enjoyed in its season but not to have limited resources spent on it. Fertilize the yard in fall and early spring, rake in, and enjoy the benefits of softness under foot. You may also wish to spread corn gluten in the spring before the weeds germinate: corn gluten prevents any seeds from germinating (so don't put it where you planted wildflowers!) and thus prevents weeds. It is also a great natural fertilizer high in nitrogen: the weed and feed of organic gardening.
Multiplying onions working on their upper bulbs. I'll harvest those in late Summer, eat some, share some, and plant some in a new bed in the back yard. May pull most of these out and eat them, making way for pepper plants next spring.
I planted some borage, marigolds and malabar spinach in the back by the hubby's gourd patch yesterday, fenced off from the chickens who really want to 'help' mommy plant: a game they call "hide the seed." I Plan on putting in the second planting of corn tomorrow and maybe start the pole beans and cover it all with my homegrown mulchy compost.
Corn baby getting bigger!
The salvias are coming back with a vengeance, but i'm still waiting to see if the lantanas and lavender make it. I pruned all my woody perennials back in February, fertilized them and added some compost around their roots, and am now being greeted with lovely blooms. My large culinary sage is just about to bloom as well. I found it quite interesting when looking back through last year's photo set on flickr: the sage and daffodils are blooming at exactly the same time this year as last, despite the very different spring weather. How interesting that the plants seem to know when they're due to blossom.
Loving this gorgeous spring weather. So are the starlings and squirrels: i keep running them off the beds out my studio window. Poor little kales never stood a chance.
What are you planting (if anything) this week?
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