Notes for May 28, 2008

Little thunder and lightning and 0.4" of rain last night. Got home late last night, but I did notice the sunflowers sprouting.

Notes for May 27, 2008

Raining this morning and some heavier thunderstorms are forecasted this afternoon into early evening. If it does then it would be perfect timing (otherwise I'll need to water tonight).

I did pull a tick off of me last night and darned if it wasn't in nearly the same spot where I pulled one off several weeks ago (about three inches to the left of my belly button). And again it was one I had to use needle nose pliers to get a hold of the little bugger.

Notes for May 26, 2008

What a beautiful weekend!

Saturday...

I went and got some manure, didn't have use of any family owned trucks, so I ended up using my car and five gallon buckets. Cleaned out my trunk (been wanting to do that for three years) and fit seven buckets in the truck and 8 inside my car. I made two trips.

Picked some radishes and spinach. Had cooked spinach with dinner, delicious!

Dug a trench under the cucumber fences and filled it with manure and placed soil back over top and planted cucumber seeds.

Transplanted marigolds. I started mixed marigold seeds in my veggie garden to transplant throughout the yard and transplanted about six. I have a fair amount of freelancing marigolds coming up in my veggie garden and since I have planted only yellow in my veggie garden, I suspect they are yellow.

Planted two rows of tomato plants (about 14 total plants). For each tomato plant, I dug a hole and filled it with the aged manure along with a pinch of Epsom salts and a sprinkle of wood ashes and then added in half of the excavated soil and mixed it all by hand. The rest of the soil I used to build a bowl around the plant to channel water to the plant when I water (since my soil is sand).

This morning (Monday, Memorial Day) I was awakened by a Robin attacking our front window and my wife's car at 7 AM this morning and so I got up. I continued planting my tomato plants and then my pepper plants. I have room to plant about a dozen more tomato plants and the are more than enough freelancing volunteers to transplant. I hope to transplant them during the week or by the weekend. Then I cut the grass and after a shower it was off to the family picnic.

During this weekend, I noticed that my tiger lillies are starting to bud, the rhododendrons are in full bloom, my yard has chipmunks and today I saw a toad in my yard.

Next week I hope to plant some more green beans (the next wave) and mulch, mulch, mulch.

Notes for May 21, 2008

Emptied 0.75" from the rain gauge this morning.

Notes for May 19, 2008

I emptied the rain gauge this morning with 0.55" from two showers we had yesterday (one in the afternoon and the other around dinner time).

I still believe there ought to be an ordinance that every home sprinkler system should be installed with a moisture sensor. I saw two of my neighbors with sprinklers going this morning.

Notes for May 18, 2008

Wanted to get a quick entry before going off to church...

Emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge yesterday. Planted sunflower seeds and cosmos. Transplanted marigolds and planted my red Rhododendron. And I picked some radishes. I also moved my tomato and pepper seedlings from indoors to outside so I can plant them next week (hopefully).

Never did pick up the manure for planting my tomatoes and peppers (I have a good chance of using a pick up truck late in the week).

Its a beautiful sunny morning today but its supposed to be gray and thunder storming this afternoon.

Notes for May 16, 2008

Its raining this morning but looks to be a nice weekend. Hopefully I can get over to my local horse farm tomorrow and get my annual supply of manure. I dig a two gallon hole for each of my tomato and pepper plants and mix in one gallon of manure (so my sandy soil holds moisture better).

My dogwood tree in my front yard has nearly lost all of its flower petals and according to some almanac I read previously, its now time to plant tomatoes.

Notes for May 15, 2008

Last night I planted 19 blades of Iris, 2 Sedums, 2 Geraniums and one red Spiderwort. I also planted some annuals into flower pots for the front steps. I moved the red Rhododendron to a place where I am thinking of planting it and then outlined a small garden around it with some edging I had leftover. I finished at 8:20 and it wouldn't have been so dark and it not been cloudy.

My Bleeding Heart plant is doing well. I have a white one and since its doing well in my yard, I am thinking of getting more.

I have four more dead trees in my yard, two are small and all the way in the back, and the other two I am thinking of having cut down.

This morning's temperature was in the 50's and cloudy. I also did hear the crop duster spraying somewhere nearby (I suspect for gypsy moths). He got my place yesterday as evidenced by the white spots all over my car.

I probably won't work outside again until Saturday and if the weather cooperates I am planning on making trips to the horse farm for manure. Unfortunately I don't have a truck so I load it into 5 gallon buckets and put them in my car (or the wife's van). I am also probably going to place my seedlings from under the light into the back yard. This is the weekend I like to plant my tomatoes and peppers but it doesn't look like that's going to happen this year. If I get the manure on Saturday then I will plant any and every evening I get a chance to in the week.

Notes for May 14, 2008

Again it was 38 degrees F this morning and was awakened to crop dusters spraying for gypsy moths (5:30 AM). My car is covered in white specks. I am complaining about it being cold in the morning and yet my northern friend I think is still waiting for snow to melt?

There is a woman from church of retirement age who has a perennial flower business. The Iris are starting to bloom and so I stopped by her place. I bought a bunch (about 18 stalks) of Iris, two Sedums (large variety), two hardy Geraniums and a red (more like fuscia) Spiderwort. I plan on planting them tonight.

It was a nice sunny day yesterday and its supposed to be today and even warmer (low 70s). Hopefully it will be enough to get my green beans to germinate. I looked at them last night and it looks like they will today (anyone who has planted green beans will know that when they start to break out of their seeds the ground cracks and last night I saw that the ground had started to crack).

Notes for May 13, 2008

I emptied the rain gauge this morning with 0.5 inches. This morning was also cold for a May morning, it was 38 degrees F and was awakened to the crop duster spraying the township for gypsy moths.

I was really annoyed to see a sprinkler system on one of neighbors homes after we just got some rain on my way to work this morning. Every sprinkler system ought to have a moisture sensor!

I did pick a few radishes on Sunday and with this cool weather I will be picking more.

I have not been having good luck getting my green beans to germinate. Its been too cold or we have had several days of warmer weather together to get them to germinate. I guess I should have used black plastic mulch to warm up the soil. I take a black plastic trash bags and cut it into strips. But I was lazy this year and I have planted the beans twice now and hardly any has germinated (so far).

Notes for May 12, 2008

A bit stormy today. Saw more wind than rain on my way in to work today. Didn't do any yard work over the weekend. Saturday it threatened to rain all day (but none fell that was measurable if it did) and Sunday was Mother's Day with a full schedule (but the 20 minute nap felt great). However, I did pick up some annuals to put in the flower pots that we put on our front steps. I haven't planted my red rhododendron yet but I think I know where I am going to plant it.

Notes for May 10, 2008

I emptied 1.2 inches from the rain gauge this morning. Not a bad start, especially for my sandy soil.

Notes for May 8, 2008

It's raining this morning and that's good. We never really got the "April Showers" so we are a bit dryer than we should be at this time of year. Hopefully we'll get the one to two inches forecasted for tomorrow.

My Iris are starting to bloom as well as some of the columbine I planted this year. I got a clump of Joe Pye Weed from some one and split it up into four pieces. Two of those pieces have sprouted. I bought two Yarrow plants and they have started to grow.

My tomato and pepper plants that I started indoors under the lights are looking great and I am going to move them outside soon and hopefully have them planted before Memorial Day. I figured out the secret quite by accident last year. The grow light must be as close as possible to the seedlings or they grow long and spindly and its ok for the light to touch the plants.

The daffodils I transplanted along my fence lines last year did look great this spring when the were in bloom. The stalks are still there, I haven't mowed them down yet. When they start to die off I will cut them down. I planted this years Easter flower bulbs each with a couple of teaspoons of bulb tone and hopefully they will respond by lasting longer. I have been giving my holly trees some Holly Tone in the spring and fall and the smallest looks most appreciative.

The grass seed I put down in February looks nice but looks like its needs some rain to survive. The grass seed I put down at the end of March is struggling (lack of "April showers").

Notes for May 6, 2008

Sorry that I have not written as often as I did in the past. I recently lost my job and found another and so life has been an adjustment.

I have onions, radish, spinach and green beans planted.

I have started another perennial flower bed.

I have had seven trees cut down in my back yard (all were dead from the gypsy moth damage).

I bought a red rhododendron (now I have to figure out where I am going to plant it.

I have transplanted a dogwood tree (3 ft high) and found two other small ones to possibly transplant.

About half of the perennials I bought last year lived through the winter. The Bee Balm has taken over its spot.

The grass seed I put down in late March is still waiting for the April showers (April was dryer than normal and so far so has May).