This is an update on my gardening efforts. I find gardening fun and even more so when I am not killing my plants.
This is my garlic experiment. I planted them about a week ago and they are growing well. I bought them from the grocery store, 50 cents for three pounds. They are regular grocery store garlic! I will harvest them this fall and then buy special garlic to grow.
Please ignore the plants growing along the fence. I battle them, but I am losing the war. I'll keep trying, though.
Here is a close up picture of the garlic. Yesterday, the one of the left wasn't there. The one in the center just started having the second leaf show through. (Not sure it is technically called a leaf.) Now, the two leaves have separated.
Notice the poor condition of the raised bed. It has been three or four years since I built it. I drew up plans and then hammered away. My husband helped me hold the parts that were heavy or too awkward to maneuver by myself.
I didn't treat or paint it because I didn't know what would be safe to use. For a large garden project, I don't want to have to replace the wood every three or four years on the raised beds, so we will use cinder blocks.
Here is a blackberry bush. We have three of them right now. According to the information, they were not supposed to bloom for two or three years. Two of the bushes bloomed this year. We got them in April.
I didn't pinch off the flowers because I don't remember reading that part in the instructions. I'm not saying it wasn't in there. I'm saying that I don't remember it being in there. So I left the blooms and we might have a handful of blackberries this year.
Here is a close up of some of the berries. Funny how the bush is still blossoming, but some berries are starting to develop.
We did not use any insecticide on the plants because we didn't want to kill the bees or other pollinators. If I see any harmful insects, I'll use Dawn soap mixed with water to drown them. Next year, we may order some organic pesticide, but if we do, I want to make sure it won't harm the beneficial insects or poison the fruits.
This is one of our dogs, Jedi. He and his brother, Padawan (can you tell that my husband is a Star Wars fan?) are half Maltese (father) and half Toy Fox Terrier-wire haired (mother). Jedi gets his curls from his mother.
Their father, the Maltese, was eight pounds. Their mother, the Toy Fox Terrier-wire haired, was ten pounds. Jedi is twenty-six pounds and Padawan is twenty-five pounds. They are huge compared to their parents!
They are often in my photos because they like to get in front of the camera. I included this photo because of the dead path of grass along the inside of the fence. I sprayed with vinegar to kill the vegetation and it worked.
The dogs use the dead areas as walkways now. It is funny to watch. I'm not sure if they like the feel of the dead plants or if it is instinct to walk along a worn down path.
I'm going to add salt to my vinegar to help kill the stubborn vegetation along the fence line (where I do not plan to plant anything for a few years) and outside the fence on the sidewalk and driveway. I will only use straight vinegar on the inside of the fence where I want to increase my gardening efforts.
I mentioned using organic pesticides in the future. I will research and call the manufacturer to ensure that I am not harming any beneficial insects. Otherwise, I can use the Dawn dish soap with water to kill aphids and drown harmful bugs.
This week, I bought some organic plant food and fertilizers. I bought one bag for the blueberries and one for the other plants. They include beneficial bacterial that grow in the ground making it easier for the plants to get the nutrients that they need. I liked that idea. So here is hoping the garden continues to grow.
Please ignore the plants growing along the fence. I battle them, but I am losing the war. I'll keep trying, though.
Notice the poor condition of the raised bed. It has been three or four years since I built it. I drew up plans and then hammered away. My husband helped me hold the parts that were heavy or too awkward to maneuver by myself.
I didn't treat or paint it because I didn't know what would be safe to use. For a large garden project, I don't want to have to replace the wood every three or four years on the raised beds, so we will use cinder blocks.
I didn't pinch off the flowers because I don't remember reading that part in the instructions. I'm not saying it wasn't in there. I'm saying that I don't remember it being in there. So I left the blooms and we might have a handful of blackberries this year.
We did not use any insecticide on the plants because we didn't want to kill the bees or other pollinators. If I see any harmful insects, I'll use Dawn soap mixed with water to drown them. Next year, we may order some organic pesticide, but if we do, I want to make sure it won't harm the beneficial insects or poison the fruits.
Their father, the Maltese, was eight pounds. Their mother, the Toy Fox Terrier-wire haired, was ten pounds. Jedi is twenty-six pounds and Padawan is twenty-five pounds. They are huge compared to their parents!
They are often in my photos because they like to get in front of the camera. I included this photo because of the dead path of grass along the inside of the fence. I sprayed with vinegar to kill the vegetation and it worked.
The dogs use the dead areas as walkways now. It is funny to watch. I'm not sure if they like the feel of the dead plants or if it is instinct to walk along a worn down path.
I'm going to add salt to my vinegar to help kill the stubborn vegetation along the fence line (where I do not plan to plant anything for a few years) and outside the fence on the sidewalk and driveway. I will only use straight vinegar on the inside of the fence where I want to increase my gardening efforts.
I mentioned using organic pesticides in the future. I will research and call the manufacturer to ensure that I am not harming any beneficial insects. Otherwise, I can use the Dawn dish soap with water to kill aphids and drown harmful bugs.
This week, I bought some organic plant food and fertilizers. I bought one bag for the blueberries and one for the other plants. They include beneficial bacterial that grow in the ground making it easier for the plants to get the nutrients that they need. I liked that idea. So here is hoping the garden continues to grow.
No comments:
Post a Comment