Thursday, June 23, 2005
Garden tour
The garden tour went nice. My brother in law was visiting from Vermont and he, my wife and our kids went on the tour. I had a little time to visit some of the gardens before hosting the one I was assigned to. The cost of some of these gardens must be alot. Annual flowers in numbers in some of the gardens was remarkable and no sign they started them themselves either.
Those who paid to go on the tour got raffle tickets to win 1 of 20 prizes worth up to $200, The night after the tour my wife got a call and she won one of those prizes. The prize consisted of alot of plants, a gardening book on plant problems and what to do, very nice book with full color, small snipping shears and a number of gift certificates from area stores. That was sure a fun suprise.
My dear wife has been busy planting flowers today, I have been getting some of the plants started in the green house out and planted, the weather has finally dried up enough, boy I was beginning to think we would go right back into the rainy season with out some drying at the rate things were going.
Despite the late gardening start, it has been a fun one and so far things are looking great.
Those who paid to go on the tour got raffle tickets to win 1 of 20 prizes worth up to $200, The night after the tour my wife got a call and she won one of those prizes. The prize consisted of alot of plants, a gardening book on plant problems and what to do, very nice book with full color, small snipping shears and a number of gift certificates from area stores. That was sure a fun suprise.
My dear wife has been busy planting flowers today, I have been getting some of the plants started in the green house out and planted, the weather has finally dried up enough, boy I was beginning to think we would go right back into the rainy season with out some drying at the rate things were going.
Despite the late gardening start, it has been a fun one and so far things are looking great.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Software, lots of software, but....
Software, lots of software, but where's the one I need now? I hate it when windows asks for the install disk. Here I am up at some stupid hour looking for my windows 98se CD because when I went to update a wireless driver, it had to also ask for that CD, along with some diskette I am sure I don't have. If I find that CD again I think I will make several copies and leave them in multiple areas. I have had this happen when on the phone with some tech support, all of a sudden the computer asked for that blasted install CD. "Excuse me, I have to find the window install CD, this may take a minute or MORE." I know I lent it out recently, but I am sure I got it back, I think I did, Hmmm I will have to think about that. I am going to sleep on this one and let that laptop sit up all night begging for that CD. Good Night.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Garden tour
Next week is the garden tour in a near by town. Nine private residencial gardens are on display, these folks open their gardens and share with the surrounding communities. The proceeds generated from the tourist are used to help fund the Master Gardening program. I will be the host at one of the gardens, it just so happens they have the same last name, and it isn't as common of a name as others. One of their garden claim to fame is a number of rose plants, one of which was carried over in the back of a wagon back in the 1850's by their ancestors.
This morning was the pre-meeting and since it wasn't in our town, my wife accompanied me. While I was at the meeting, my wife walk around down town, afterwards we went to the farmers market so she could get some flowers. It is a small market on Saturdays, but they did have a band performing, which added to the atmosphere.
This afternoon was spent transplanting plants into the raised garden bed, and propagating some new starts from a plant we got at the farmers market. I don't know what it is called even though I looked at it's name, my wife didn't remember either. It is a perenial ground spreading plant with small blue flowers. The other plants I have started are thyme and stevia. I need to replace the thyme plant as grass has gotten into its tightly bunched branches and very difficult to weed, replacing it is my prefered way.
This evening I worked on my wifes garden pond, finished back filling it and prepping it for some edging stones. I have some hops plants near by that have done well the past few years climbing up a service pole, but this year it reminds me of kudzu. I need to prune it back and next spring thin the crowns and get some starts. Hops is used as a bittering agent in beer, I have it because it does a splendid job covering the utility pole.
This morning was the pre-meeting and since it wasn't in our town, my wife accompanied me. While I was at the meeting, my wife walk around down town, afterwards we went to the farmers market so she could get some flowers. It is a small market on Saturdays, but they did have a band performing, which added to the atmosphere.
This afternoon was spent transplanting plants into the raised garden bed, and propagating some new starts from a plant we got at the farmers market. I don't know what it is called even though I looked at it's name, my wife didn't remember either. It is a perenial ground spreading plant with small blue flowers. The other plants I have started are thyme and stevia. I need to replace the thyme plant as grass has gotten into its tightly bunched branches and very difficult to weed, replacing it is my prefered way.
This evening I worked on my wifes garden pond, finished back filling it and prepping it for some edging stones. I have some hops plants near by that have done well the past few years climbing up a service pole, but this year it reminds me of kudzu. I need to prune it back and next spring thin the crowns and get some starts. Hops is used as a bittering agent in beer, I have it because it does a splendid job covering the utility pole.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Rain, rain and more rain
Some one I know says it is snowing at there place today, which would have been detrimental if I had my garden out now and definately to some potted plants if they were not move inside. It was a dry winter this past year, but once spring got here, the weather decided to make up for lost rain. It is still raining too. I have alway been able to plant by June 1, but it is so wet, that I can't even till it.
We are also getting snow in the mountains, which doesn't help our plans in 2 weeks to visit Crater Lake. So far the rim drive and north entrance are not open yet. We will still be going as the south entrance is open but some of our plans while there will be cancelled. I will be working on other ideas just in case.
The plants in the green house are looking good, some really need planting now. I will be putting some plants in the raised beds. I started raised beds because there was no other way to really plant early crops such as peas. With all the rain and spring weather, it has been ideal conditions for slugs, they seem to be every where and they are eating the flowers.
I got my wife a small 90 gallon garden pond for her birthday, I got it dug and mostly back filled but I had planned to finish the following day but the rains turned all the loose dirt into mud. It is actually on the cool side for this time of year and currently 54 degrees f.
We are also getting snow in the mountains, which doesn't help our plans in 2 weeks to visit Crater Lake. So far the rim drive and north entrance are not open yet. We will still be going as the south entrance is open but some of our plans while there will be cancelled. I will be working on other ideas just in case.
The plants in the green house are looking good, some really need planting now. I will be putting some plants in the raised beds. I started raised beds because there was no other way to really plant early crops such as peas. With all the rain and spring weather, it has been ideal conditions for slugs, they seem to be every where and they are eating the flowers.
I got my wife a small 90 gallon garden pond for her birthday, I got it dug and mostly back filled but I had planned to finish the following day but the rains turned all the loose dirt into mud. It is actually on the cool side for this time of year and currently 54 degrees f.
