Last week Lee-Anne and I put in our garden. In the past, we've gone to Wal Mart for our plants, but since then we've become aware of a local nursery. It feels nicer to support a small business, doesn't require an awkward trip over the light rail, the plants are healthy and they have a nice selection. Their seedlings are a little further along than they have been when we've gone to Wal Mart.
It's been an uncommonly cool May. The actual day that we planted was hot to the point that I wore shorts. and we had our first barbecue. But now it's cold and rainy again.
We didn't shake things up too much. As far as vegetables, we're doing tomatoes, bell peppers, zuchinis, peas, sunflowers, lettuce, and parsley. Since we did so well with the sunflowers last year when Lee-Anne took the lead, I'm stepping away from it this year as well. I don't know if I'll bother counting the blossoms at the end of the season. Since last year was so good, I think we can take it as a complete success, so we'll just try to replicate it.
Lee-Anne's also taking on most of the responsibility for the herbs and decorative flowers. We didn't have much luck with lettuce last year but we started from seed. This time we got them partially grown so maybe that will make a difference.
Last year we tried a bell pepper for the first time and it was successful, so we're more evenly distributing room between them and tomatoes.
As for the tomatoes, we just got Early Girls this year as usual. They produce quickly, which has been my answer to an issue that I've had where the crop comes late and stays green by the end of the season. However, I've since learned to remove the suckers, which has helped a lot and I would have been okay to try a larger, slower tomato. But Lee-Anne likes the Early Girls and didn't feel the desire to try something different, so we're sticking with what has been reliable.
We're trying the zuchinis directly in the ground this year. In the past we've grown them in trays, but Lee-Anne wanted to plant the sunflowers in a place where they face into the yard, so the Zuchinis can take the spot that they used to have. And the tray that they used to occupy can be allotted to peas.
Tulips have come and mostly gone this year. Lot of activity from our bulbs in the front yard but it's not clear that the hostas our neighbour gave us have had any activity. Apparently they still have a good chance.
We have two large terracotta pots from my mother and brother's old place. They grew Morning Glories in them to a high level of success, so I'm doing the same. I got blue for one, red for the other.
Last year Lee-Anne tried a flower assortment but one type really dominated. This time we've dedicated a pot to the one that did best. I don't remember the name, but here it is.
Last year for Christmas, my mother in law got me a bird bath. We've installed it this season, and the rain has filled it for us.
I haven't noticed any birds using it, but it has developed a collection of what I presume to be deshelled snail bodies. Slug like things with spiral shapes but no hard outer layer.
Indoors, I'm propogating a bunch of succulents. Recently, there has been some staff changes where I work. Someone went to a different team, and someone that used to be with us came back. Confusing funding reasons for why this happened. So I decided that I wanted to give them both succulents as a going away present. I also wanted to give one to my brother as a housewarming gift.
I have two of these plants. One of them came from Lee-Anne's grandmother's farmhouse. The other I got about seven years back, near to when my career started. They were propagated by someone that worked at the main office, and it just so happened that when she gave them out it was my birthday. Since then, mine is the only one that has survived.
Although that might not continue to be true. This year I noticed that it wasn't drinking as much, and little bits were beginning to go bad. Thinking that it might be root rot, I cut away the unhealthy looking parts and from those sections, harvested from them what appeared to still be good. Those are the pieces I've been trying to propogate. I also switched the soil in the plant pot, thinking it might have become non-nutritive over the years.
It's been a few months and the main plant looks healthy but is still drinking slowly. The cuttings seem thirstier and have put out roots. Of course, it's slow going and I haven't felt confident to give them out as gifts. Another one of my coworkers is switching roles in a couple of weeks, so I'll give them out then, even if they're still small.
