My Not-So-Sunny Garden of Eatin'

My Garden of Eatin' is a work in progress-currants, cherry, peach,
raspberries, strawberries, chives, onions and herbs-
but is there enough sun for veggies?

Worked hard the last two days to get the veggie garden ready for planting.  I call it my ‘Garden of Eatin.’  It’s the only place in my yard with full sun other than right outside my front door.  (OK, full sun is a stretch.)  I’m worried tomatoes, squash and peppers won’t do well there.  I’d hate to limit my veggie production to beans, peas, and leafy greens.
 

Future veggie garden-no herb bed and an ugly compost pile with no bin

When we moved here this section of the property was just a bunch of buckthorn, garlic mustard and Virginia creeper.  We cleared that out and I put in some raised beds. (OK, my raised beds were just some mismatched logs from the woods, with no rhyme or reason to their placement.)   Now I’m trying to make it look more domesticated and have started replacing the log beds with more orderly-looking cedar boards.  In true Cary style I planted fruit trees and bushes before coming up with a real plan so I can’t make it as symmetrical as I’d like.  Sigh.  I guess this particular garden area will be a genuine reflection of who I am…haphazard.

Right now it's a bit busy-looking but
once there are plants in the pots, it'll look better

Anyhow, to get to the meat of this blog post, while trying to scare up some full-sun space to use for growing veggies, I ended up clearing out the section behind a rotting tool shed.   Sounds simple right?  Well, it turned into quite the project.  I had to shore up the steep slope behind the shed to control soil erosion, even out the ground, re-lay some flagstone that was under several inches of dirt from years of neglect, and finally, remove all the garbage the previous owners had piled back there, including a corroded metal garbage can.  Turned out there was just enough space to put a compost bin and some containers for plants.

I initially planned to take the garbage can to a metal recycling place but on a whim, I put it over my well instead, using the garbage can’s strangely pristine lid to cover up the rotted can bottom.  Surprisingly, I really like the rusty metal and have decided to keep it there for the year.  It can go to the recycling place next year when I hopefully either have some money to buy a nice trellis or the time to build one.  I’m thinking some kind of edible vine, like a maypop, might be nice there-hiding the well from view and providing yummy treats too!

Same spot as above, a year ago-I was using a plastic rock to
cover my well but it took up a lot of space

I've started putting in cedar board beds (top left) to
replace the old beds made from logs
and split-rail fencing I found in the woods (middle)

The compost bin is also temporary-- old metal wire--rusted, twisted, and UGLY (years ago I accidentally melted all its plastic fasteners).  Its purpose is to buy me time to come up with something more ascetically pleasing.  See, behind the shed is a great location-easy for me to get to from the house, hard for the neighbor’s dog to get to, and away from my oak trees.  (I think I mentioned in a previous post that spoiled fruit attracts picnic beetles which are a vector for oak wilt disease.)   The only down side is that it’s in full view of my neighbor’s kitchen window, so to hide my ugly bin I also made a “decorative” screen out of landscape fabric and a pallet that our new shower stall came in (we’re redoing our basement so that’s why there’s no extra cash for fun garden stuff).    My neighbor will only see the screen and some cannas I planted in front of it.  I, however, will have full access to the bin from my side.

So, to sum up, I’m worried about my lack of sun, feeling happy about reusing crap I found laying around, excited about how much better my veggie garden is looking now, and hopeful that I’ll have a successful harvest this year.   Worry, happiness, excitement and hopefulness-gardening is just so emotional!

Rainy Days

I love the papery texture of tree peony blooms

Another gloomy gray day-thunder is rumbling and there’s a bit of lightning too.  I hear we’re going to get buckets of rain this time.  I’m happy for the soaking-even the nearby ponds were drying up, but it’s made my yard work extra stressful because I'm running out of time.  I’ve been pretty busy trying to get the remnants of my garlic mustard and dandelions before they set seed, and hauling cut-up buckthorn and honeysuckle to the curb for next week’s brush pickup. I don't like wrecking the soil by walking on it when it's wet but we haven't had many dry days recently and these chores won't wait.

The garlic mustard is a particular challenge.  Now that I’ve got most of it out of my yard, there’s just the occasional plant that was missed, sometimes only a few inches tall.  It’s easier to spot these little monsters when they are blooming because their white flowers stand out amidst all the other green plants.  Because of our weird spring, my garlic mustard is already going to seed so I’m in a big rush to find them all before they stop blooming. 

Buglossoides with Goldmound spirea in the background

I tried to get a bit of weeding in this morning before it rained.  It was rather challenging.  The wind was blowing tiny white petals from our black cherry trees all over, making the garlic mustard flowers harder to see.  It’s pretty though, seeing the ground covered with delicate flowers. 

The rainy weather really makes white stand out but also all my chartreuse foliaged plants like ‘Gold Heart’ bleeding heart and  my spireas look awesome on a gray day.  That yellowy-green really pops in the gloom.  I planted two more spirea in front of my stand of spruce.  All that dark brooding green needed a transition to the lawn and I’m pretty pleased with the color combo.  It’ll look great once the shrubs get some size to them.  Also, it turns out the intense blue of the  buglossoides and ‘Caitlin’s Giant’ ajuga look lovely paired with the spireas.  I wish I could say I planned it all, but it was just a bit of serendipity.

Wishing you some sweet serendipity too.

It's March, April and May All At Once!

Mrs. Moon-March 2012

Roy Davidson-March 2012

Our crazy spring weather has got my garden all confuzzled.  May and April bloomers flowering alongside the March bloomers.  Only my oaks, hickories and japanese maples seem to be on their regular schedule.  One of the currently confused is Pulmonaria (Lungwort).

Pulmonaria isn't a plant I'd call pretty but it is distinctive.  I grow three cultivars: Mrs. Moon, Roy Davidson and Diane Claire.  Mrs. Moon has white-spotted foliage, pink buds and blue flowers.  Roy Davidson also has white-spotted foliage, pink buds and blue flowers but the flowers are paler in color.  Diane Claire has mottled silver foliage with bigger, brighter-colored flowers than the first two.  The flowers are magenta and purple. 

Diane Claire-March 2012

Diane Claire-June 2011

For spring, I like Roy Davidson the best of my pulmonarias; its small, pale blooms look at home in a naturalized setting.  Diane Claire is my least favorite in spring; I find its intense colors jarring next to more delicate natives.  However, once summer rolls around, Diane Claire really shines in the shade garden and looks wonderful with blue hostas.  I just need to find something to pair it with in the spring that looks good so I can enjoy this plant completely.

I find it strange but our native Virginia Bluebells bloom in similar colors as most Pulmonarias: pink buds and blue flowers. Quite unexpected since most other native Winsconsin spring ephemerals bloom white.

The nice thing about Pulmonarias is that they aren't ephemerals; they stick around throughout the growing season.  Once they are done blooming, their beautiful leaves elongate and the plants get a bit of size to them. They usually look pretty good through late fall.

Virginia Bluebells-a native ephemeral

Another nice thing about Pulmonarias is that they are supposed to be deer/rabbit resistant.  That was true for me until last fall when something seriously chowed on them, multiple times.  I'm probably the only gardener in the state who gets their Lungworts eaten by critters.

Dainty Beauty Makes a Surprise Appearance

Pretty sure this is a corydalis...what strange little flowers!

One of my favorite events in gardening happened today...a new plant showed up in my yard.  Not sure where it came from, but I walked out my front door this morning to find a dainty little plant with delicate foliage and pretty white snap-dragonish flowers blooming under the big cedar.

At first I was really pumped because I thought it was perhaps a native but after digging through my wildflower books, I realized it was a non-native corydalis.  But that's ok because even though it would have been cool if it was maybe a dutchman's breeches or a toothwort, at least it wasn't an invasive weed, right?

I spent the afternoon working in the front yard and I found 2 other plants about the same size in the vicinity of the first one.  Maybe they were always there but were hidden by all the weeds I worked so hard to get rid of last year?  Or maybe they are a present left after a bird took its potty break?  However it got here, it was an exciting start to my day.

The more I see these 'Ivory Prince' hellebore, the more I like them!

Where the heck did this guy get a walnut?  I don't have any walnut trees...

Mrs. Moon pulmonaria...more funky little flowers

Spring has sprung-Snowdrops in bloom

I wasn’t ready for the change of seasons but spring couldn’t wait. Cheery little snowdrops are leading the way and the hellebores aren’t far behind.  Their bright white flowers really stand out in the post-winter garden.  I was extra happy because last year I had to move a clump while the foliage was still green, and the shock looked like it was too much for the little cutie, yet it showed up this spring looking strong and healthy.

That was the good news that greeted me yesterday.  The bad news was that there are still patches of garlic mustard in the yard, which was terribly disappointing.  I was sure I had finally slain that beast.  So, I spent a couple of hours weeding it out of the “hidden garden,” a spot in the yard that you can’t really see from the street or house.  Today I will work on the second driveway-there’s a thick patch there too.  Did you know I’ve been weeding out garlic mustard since the summer of 2009?  Ugh.

Another bit of bad news was that our neighborhood deer gang stopped by again and must have been very hungry.  I found that they chewed down one of my kerrias and ate some pulmonaria and epimedium, all things they aren’t supposed to eat.  Now the only plants in my yard that have remained completely untouched this winter are my hellebores. 

Amaryllis blooms again 2 years later

Nice waking up to this!

What a fab start to the day!  Woke up to find that my Amaryllis bloomed today. Yay!

It last bloomed in either January of 2009 or 2010, when I bought it on clearance at Target.   Instead of throwing it out when it was done blooming, I kept it, putting it outside in the summer and bringing it in for the winter.  It's been mostly neglected except for repotting it when it grew a bulblet. 


It wanted to bloom last winter but my youngest child and the cat did a number on it, breaking its stalk and damaging the leaves.  I figured that would kill it but it survived.

This was a photo from the first year it bloomed for us

Several weeks ago it sent up a large 2-foot stalk.  (It's not supposed to be that tall but there's not much light in the winter here, even with a grow light.)

Today it bloomed, just as pretty as the first time.  Surprisingly, it seems like it's just as big too.  I guess that year or two off gave it time to build up some energy.

The kids and I (and even my husband) enjoyed watching the bud over the last few days as it swelled and colored.  The bulblet I removed has two healthy leaves this year but no stalk.  I guess Amaryllis put up their flowering stalk first before their leaves.  Wouldn't that be wonderful if next year I have two that flower?

Bud three days ago

Bud two days ago

The bud yesterday-I noticed my youngest pointing it out to her friend and explaining about how it changed each day.  The excitement it brings my kids-that's a big reason I like gardening!

Bugged by Beggarticks

Beggarticks (Bidens)

Annoying natives.  Yes, they exist.  Anyone who’s ever tromped through woods and emerged covered in sticky seedpods knows they are out there lurking, waiting for you or your pet to walk by.  Who are these woodland natives that use passersby to spread their progeny far and wide?  Well, there are several that call my back yard home and two are really, really annoying.

I’ll start with the ones that are more charming than irritating.  Sweet Cicely is a pretty enough plant, with small white flowers and ferny foliage but can be pretty aggressive if it gets enough sunlight.  One of the benefits of having this plant is that it seems to put up a good fight with garlic mustard.  (I like that in a plant!)  However, these plants produce sharp, needle-like seedpods that while aren't that hard to get out of your clothes, they hurt like the dickens if the pointy ends jab your skin. 

Sweet Cicely smells like aniseed but that doesn't
stop critters from munching on them in the spring.

Tick Trefoil (Desmodium) has flattish triangular seedpods that stick like Velcro.  They don’t hurt like Sweet Cicely’s seed pods but it can take a while to get them off your clothes.  The flowers are pink and airy and I don’t mind the plant either, which doesn't seem to reseed aggressively.

Beggarticks (Bidens) is one of the natives that I’ve seriously considered eliminating from my yard.  It has rectangular seeds with pointy “horns.”  If you wander into a stand of these in the fall, you will emerge covered in tons of their seeds.  They can be a challenge to get out of clothing but aren’t as bad as the seeds of Beggar’s Lice and  Enchanter’s Nightshade.  Beggarticks reseed aggressively and can grow so tall that they don’t play nice with other plants.  Last year some in my back yard were almost 4’ tall.

Another native I’d rather not have in the yard is Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea).  It has a round Velcro-like seedpod that is completely miserable to try and get out of pet fur or clothing.  I can’t believe I ever thought their little white flowers were pretty and delicate!  These seem to reseed with abandon and I devoted several afternoons last summer trying to eradicate them from an small island bed in my front yard where they were taking over.  Every time I thought I had gotten them all...POP!  There they were again!

Enchanter's Nightshade peeking out from Virginia Creeper

Beggar’s Lice (Hackelia) has round seeds that look like bigger versions of Enchanter’s Nightshade seeds and just the slightest brush past will fill up your pant leg or arm full of the little horrors.  I thought I didn't have many of these in the yard and so didn't have to worry about them but this year I realized that this biennial’s first year basal rosettes were all over the back yard and that I seriously underestimated this plant’s ability to reseed. 

There is really only one plant that I feel has nastier seeds than Enchanter’s Nightshade.  That plant is non-native Burdock and it is definitely not welcome on my property.  Anyone who has run into a patch of these knows how awful their burrs are, especially when the balled burr dissolves in your clothing and you have to pick it out strand by strand.  Ugh!

With the exception of the Burdock, it took me a while to figure out what the rest of these plants were. Because they are natives, I just want to control them, not eliminate them.  There’s a wild part of my yard that has no particular use other than feeding and sheltering birds, bugs and squirrels.  I figure these plants can do their thing there as long as they stay on their side of the 2^nd driveway.  We'll see.