March Garden accomplishments, dreams, goals, frustrations, what's up? Talk to me.

[Faith-manor]

Here is a picture of what we just completed on the mountain. 30ft x 2.5ft x 2 ft, 75 sq ft or 6.9 sq meters. R is going to put in 3 cherry tomato plants, 1 slicing tomato, 4 rows of carrots staggered so they do not all mature at once, green onions, basil, and 3 rows of green beans which should end up being about 40 plants. These were all made of nine pallets that we paid $2 a piece for, leftover fence boards that the previous owner left behind, and lined with cardboard and agricultural fabric, filled to the brim with leaves from the yard, a few rotting logs in the bottom, and then top soil and compost. We will be using a plant based sealer on the wood. But that can't happen at the moment because a rain storm is coming.

I am very sore. Mark built it Sunday afternoon, but since then has worked a lot of hours, and son in law also had his first week back to work since baby was born. R is still only 5 weeks post partum so I refused to let her do anything except rake some leaves. I have so far transported and shoveled alone, 2 cubic yards of top soil to go, and one more after the rain passes and it dries out a bit. The plastic bags you see in the photo are from compost. I sure wish I could take tubs or something and have compost shoveled in or get it in burlap sacks or something. These dumb bags are not  recyclable.

We also have a monmorency cherry tree on the way here. It is 4-5 ft stock. Montmorency is a sour cherry. This area doesn't get enough cold hours to produce sweet cherries. The nectarine and peach trees are blooming as well as the plums, blueberries, and mulberries. The pomegranate, and kiwis seemed to have survived the BAD epic winter storm here back in December, but they do look rough. I hope some fruit tree fertilizer and sweet talking will perk them up. The fig did not make it.

[popmom]

The raised bed looks great! 

[Faith-manor]

21 minutes ago, popmom said:

The raised bed looks great! 

Thanks!

[Annie G]

That looks great! You guys are getting so much done! That would have taken a couple of weeks here. We’re slowpokes. 

[Ali in OR]

March gardening in Oregon below. Dh just started a bunch of seeds--I know kale and some salad greens. Not sure what else. The set up in the laundry room will get more elaborate as time passes, with a grow lamp and then plants transplanted to bigger containers. And all around are the books I need to donate to the library book sale.

 

[Eos]

Just leaving an In Memorium here for @itsheresomewhere's garden.  May the earth heal and the pollinators return.

[LifeLovePassion]

I will live vicariously through you all. It snowed another couple of inches today. We don't get most plants in the ground until mid May here. I do have a few plants I overwintered in my classroom, so I water those from time to time. 

A Boston fern, an asparagus fern, 2 hibiscus trees, 2 geraniums, some wandering Jew cuttings I planted, a few succulents and a pot of ivy one of the sweet paras gave me. 

[popmom]

I love seeing everyone's pictures! Keep 'em coming!

[popmom]

10 minutes ago, LifeLovePassion said:

I will live vicariously through you all. It snowed another couple of inches today. We don't get most plants in the ground until mid May here. I do have a few plants I overwintered in my classroom, so I water those from time to time. 

A Boston fern, an asparagus fern, 2 hibiscus trees, 2 geraniums, some wandering Jew cuttings I planted, a few succulents and a pot of ivy one of the sweet paras gave me. 

The arctic blast we had at Christmas killed my asparagus ferns. Normally they survive our relatively mild winters. They were planted in huge containers with my roses. Thankfully my roses made it! They are leafing out and putting out new stems. 

I'm actually not sad about losing the asparagus ferns. They were several years old and becoming very unruly. And thorny! I'll just get a couple of small ones. I do like having them for simple flower arrangements.

Edited March 2, 2023 by popmom

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Annie G said:

That looks great! You guys are getting so much done! That would have taken a couple of weeks here. We’re slowpokes. 

My preference would be to take it more slowly. But we are only here for a week and if I leave it undone, my daughter who thinks she is super woman but who actually has a dicey relationship with healthiness would do it and end up back in physical therapy or worse having her uterus removed for NOT resting like she should after birthing. So though sore from pushing, I am determined to get it done asap.

[Faith-manor]

11 minutes ago, popmom said:

The arctic blast we had at Christmas killed my asparagus ferns. Normally they survive our relatively mild winters. They were planted in huge containers with my roses. Thankfully my roses made it! They are leafing out and putting out new stems. 

I'm actually not sad about losing the asparagus ferns. They were several years old and becoming very unruly. And thorny! I'll just get a couple of small ones. I do like having them for simple flower arrangements.

Well, hey, that worked out okay then!

[Faith-manor]

20 minutes ago, LifeLovePassion said:

I will live vicariously through you all. It snowed another couple of inches today. We don't get most plants in the ground until mid May here. I do have a few plants I overwintered in my classroom, so I water those from time to time. 

A Boston fern, an asparagus fern, 2 hibiscus trees, 2 geraniums, some wandering Jew cuttings I planted, a few succulents and a pot of ivy one of the sweet paras gave me. 

Oh. Believe me. I am relishing this. Saturday we leave to go back to the frozen, desolate tundra known as Michigan winter where the best thing I can do is count the days until March 22 when I valiantly attempt to start some seeds indoors with the grim hopes that IF they sprout, they will make plants that I might be able to put out May 22.

[popmom]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Oh. Believe me. I am relishing this. Saturday we leave to go back to the frozen, desolate tundra known as Michigan winter where the best thing I can do is count the days until March 22 when I valiantly attempt to start some seeds indoors with the grim hopes that IF they sprout, they will make plants that I might be able to put out May 22.

Do y'all have a target date for a permanent move to the mountain house here?

[Faith-manor]

17 minutes ago, popmom said:

Do y'all have a target date for a permanent move to the mountain house here?

No. We are letting the kids stay for a while. They have been through so much, and the last thing they need is to worry about getting a place of their own. It is a lovely house for raising kids, especially my eldest grandson who seems to be patterning himself after Bear Grylls! Dh will probably work four more years, and then we will travel some. We can't go anywhere permanently until his mom is gone though I will say we might be on the down hill side of things with her.

[itsheresomewhere]

57 minutes ago, Eos said:

Just leaving an In Memorium here for @itsheresomewhere's garden.  May the earth heal and the pollinators return.

This is so sweet.  Thank you.  Part of me keeps feeling like this is so minor to be so upset about but this is what heals me and keeps me.  

[itsheresomewhere]

Since it might be awhile before I can garden again.  I will post a picture of one the living plants at my house. 

[Faith-manor]

7 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Since it might be awhile before I can garden again.  I will post a picture of one the living plants at my house. 

This is absolutely gorgeous!

[itsheresomewhere]

25 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

This is absolutely gorgeous!

Thank you.  She is one of my favorites.  This is another one that just catches the eye. The face in the middle of it makes me smile.  Excuse the clutter in the photo but we were at an orchid show.

Edited March 2, 2023 by itsheresomewhere

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Thank you.  She is one of my favorites.  This is another one that just catches the eye. The face in the middle of it makes me smile.  Excuse the clutter in the photo but we were at an orchid show.

My goodness! It looks like some magic, secret garden cross between an orchid, A lily, and a fairy riding an exotic moth!

[Rosie_0801]

36 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Since it might be awhile before I can garden again.  I will post a picture of one the living plants at my house. 
 

That orchid would have my next door neighbour salivating.

[itsheresomewhere]

1 minute ago, Faith-manor said:

My goodness! It looks like some magic, secret garden cross between an orchid, A lily, and a fairy riding an exotic moth!

Add a bit of little shop of horrors and it is just perfect. It makes me smile every time I look at it. 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, Rosie_0801 said:

That orchid would have my next door neighbour salivating.

Yes, the green eyed jealousy monster! My grandmother would have been in 7th heaven to have had one. She kept irises, as full acre of hybrids. Every color you can imagine. She split the bulbs and sold them as a side business after she retired from her position at the bank.

[itsheresomewhere]

This one just has great color with the fading.  And my daughter says it looks like someone trying to escape from it. 
 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, itsheresomewhere said:

This one just has great color with the fading.  And my daughter says it looks like someone trying to escape from it. 
 

She is right. There is a little elf trying to climb the wall!

[itsheresomewhere]

6 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Yes, the green eyed jealousy monster! My grandmother would have been in 7th heaven to have had one. She kept irises, as full acre of hybrids. Every color you can imagine. She split the bulbs and sold them as a side business after she retired from her position at the bank.

Irises are one of my favorites.  I have them in all kinds of places. An acre would have made me thrilled. 

[Faith-manor]

23 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

Irises are one of my favorites.  I have them in all kinds of places. An acre would have made me thrilled. 

It was the most beautiful sight. As a child, she would let me help her dig them for her customers. My mom lives in her home now, and though my ridiculous father dug it all up and planted grass when grandma died, my mom saved about a hundred of them and planted all around the house up close so he wouldn't mow them. So I think of her every time I see them in bloom.

[itsheresomewhere]

11 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

It was the most beautiful sight. As a child, she would let me help her dig them for her customers. My mom lives in her home now, and though my ridiculous father dug it all up and planted grass when grandma died, my mom saved about a hundred of them and planted all around the house up close so he wouldn't mow them. So I think of her every time I see them in bloom.

Just the thought of walking through a field of them.  Heavenly! 

[SHP]

I spent all the time and money to get chicken wire down to cover my 5,000 or whatever bulbs only for the rabbits to see them as a buffet. I screamed. 

[Rosie_0801]

33 minutes ago, SHP said:

I spent all the time and money to get chicken wire down to cover my 5,000 or whatever bulbs only for the rabbits to see them as a buffet. I screamed. 

Will the buggers eat narcissus? They're supposed to be poisonous, but I'm not sure to whom, other than we humans.

[SHP]

9 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Will the buggers eat narcissus? They're supposed to be poisonous, but I'm not sure to whom, other than we humans.

I am still waiting for mine to come up. It seems that despite having close to 100 metal tags I failed to include those in that family and am going by identifying them as they come up. 

They should already be up though.

Lilies are supposed to be poisonous to them as well. Didn't stop them last year. 

I would like to say I saw fewer rabbits after the lily damage but it was the opposite. The dog is old and blind and no longer cares and the rabbits know it and I have seen them within a meter of the dog. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by SHP

[SHP]

I am looking at annual flowers to grow from seed. I need them to bloom in late May/early June. I am zone 6, but the weather the last decade has been more zone 7. 

My seed sowing method is as follows:

1. Open packet.

2. Spread seed.

3. Cover with mulch.

4. Water once and rely on rain afterwards. 

5. Expect pretty flowers. 

 

I have a moral obligation to not support Baker's Creek, please do no link to them in reply to me. 

[SHP]

I use pine pellet litter for our cats, I am going to sift the boxes in the morning and take the cat urine smelling saw dust and spread it over all the flower beds to see if that detours the rabbits. 

 

 

*I buy pine pellet for pellet stove. I am not rich enough to have all the flowers AND expensive cat liter. 

[SHP]

Wow! That clover I murdered repeatedly last year is back and going to town! So healthy!

[Lady Florida.]

I did my warm season vegetable planting the other day - Brandywine tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, and a lettuce mix. I'm hoping it's not too late for the lettuce and broccoli. It shouldn't be but we've been having unseasonably warm temperatures lately. I also planted basil, which should last because it can take the heat. After I harvest the above that will be it for vegetables until fall unless I decide to grow cherry tomatoes/and or some kind of hot peppers.

 

It's milkweed time! I called a local native plant nursery and they have native milkweed in stock. I'll probably go this weekend and get some.

 

I'm leaving next Thursday for a trip to Greece and won't be back until late the night of March 22nd. It's a girlfriend trip so I'm leaving dh in charge of my plants. Cross your fingers he does a good job lol. 

[Serenade]

Except for the celery and strawflowers, the seeds in all of my milk jugs have sprouted.  I wish I had done more, but alas, I had a milk jug shortage.  I may do a few more with summer vegetables to see how they turn out.  Anyhow, for flowers I have rose mallow and echinacea, sprouted from seed given out at the library program, and also anise hyssop from my own seed. I also have mixed lettuce, Dazzling Blue Kale and giant red mustard.  I opened up the jug with the lettuce today and took out the little plants and planted them in my large half barrel.  I just about could have cut them and used them as mesclun, but I want them to grow to full-sized plants.

I'm enlarging my small fenced in garden in the back yard.  Well, I should say that my older son and DH are doing this for me! 😁 I will probably gently nag to get it done sooner, because I'm ready to get some things planted in the ground. 

March is such a fun month! I know the weather can be wild, but the anticipation of the warmth at the end of the month is exciting.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Serenade

[Melissa in Australia]

On 3/2/2023 at 1:40 PM, itsheresomewhere said:

Since it might be awhile before I can garden again.  I will post a picture of one the living plants at my house. 

Absolutely gorgeous 

[Melissa in Australia]

Change of season here. Just started all the brassica seeds and have gone through my seeds to sort out everything else I need to plant this month for winter harvest

Full swing of late summer/early autumn food harvest. So far I have canned a million tomatoes made a year supply of ketchup, have drying 2 washing baskets of apples, and made a yrmwar supply of apple crumbles to freeze. 

Still to make salsa sauce and spaghetti sauce for canning. Just waiting for more tomatoes to ripen

[Rosie_0801]

1 minute ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Just waiting for more tomatoes to ripen

I'm googling recipes for green tomatoes because someone who is not me is eating all the ripe ones.

What else are you going to plant? I'm looking for inspiration. I've had no luck with winter crops the last few years except for broad beans.

[prairiewindmomma]

I am so frustrated. I started digging a hole for a tree a few weeks ago. I had to call 811, wait for the utility markings, waited out two snowstorms, started the hole and got it 18” wide, waited through another (10”) snowstorm, waited through five days of rain and then hail this am…. I went out with the shovel and five minutes in hit solid bedrock. My hole is plenty wide and about 12” deep, but there’s no way tree roots can get through this rock layer. 
 

I am super glad I hadn’t picked up the tree yet, but I am so dang mad because every other neighbor has lovely fruit trees mine could pollinate off of…but it just can’t happen in my stupid lot.

[Rosie_0801]

9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I am super glad I hadn’t picked up the tree yet, but I am so dang mad because every other neighbor has lovely fruit trees mine could pollinate off of…but it just can’t happen in my stupid lot.

Perhaps a tree that'd otherwise be happy in a pot would be happy there? A dwarf type?

[Laura Corin]

We just had a pond built! It looks a bit bleak now, but it will be good when planted, I hope.

[Halftime Hope]

We just built a 3x14' raised bed to replace 10 large self-watering containers (DIY earthboxes) that were falling apart after 10ish years of raising a lot of veggies in them. I also relined the inside perimeter of the older raised beds with a single fence picket because the darn squirrels think the landscape fabric that lines them makes great nesting material, so they were tearing that up.

I have a bunch of seedlings growing, and will transplant them along with direct sowing, come mid-month. (8a)

For the first time this year, I'm planning to try onions and potatoes and small fruit trees that can be kept small and overwintered inside. Wish me luck!

[Halftime Hope]

4 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

We just had a pond built! It looks a bit bleak now, but it will be good when planted, I hope.

That's gorgeous, and I'm certain it will bring you much joy.

[Faith-manor]

21 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Change of season here. Just started all the brassica seeds and have gone through my seeds to sort out everything else I need to plant this month for winter harvest

Full swing of late summer/early autumn food harvest. So far I have canned a million tomatoes made a year supply of ketchup, have drying 2 washing baskets of apples, and made a yrmwar supply of apple crumbles to freeze. 

Still to make salsa sauce and spaghetti sauce for canning. Just waiting for more tomatoes to ripen

Boy do I feel your pai

 

8 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

We just had a pond built! It looks a bit bleak now, but it will be good when planted, I hope.

Lovely!

[Faith-manor]

6 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

We just built a 3x14' raised bed to replace 10 large self-watering containers (DIY earthboxes) that were falling apart after 10ish years of raising a lot of veggies in them. I also relined the inside perimeter of the older raised beds with a single fence picket because the darn squirrels think the landscape fabric that lines them makes great nesting material, so they were tearing that up.

I have a bunch of seedlings growing, and will transplant them along with direct sowing, come mid-month. (8a)

For the first time this year, I'm planning to try onions and potatoes and small fruit trees that can be kept small and overwintered inside. Wish me luck!

All the luck in the world!!!!!

[Faith-manor]

26 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I'm googling recipes for green tomatoes because someone who is not me is eating all the ripe ones.

What else are you going to plant? I'm looking for inspiration. I've had no luck with winter crops the last few years except for broad beans.

Rosie, we eat green ones fried. I dredge them in a little milk, and it can be any milk, almond milk,  oat milk, evaporated, whatever you have, and then panic (fine bread crumbs but cornmeal works too) and fry in a little olive oil, or sunflower oil. We sprinkle with salt and pepper, and they have a nice tang to them.

[itsheresomewhere]

31 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I'm googling recipes for green tomatoes because someone who is not me is eating all the ripe ones.

What else are you going to plant? I'm looking for inspiration. I've had no luck with winter crops the last few years except for broad beans.

Green tomato jam, green tomato salsa, and I did a green tomato relish.  All were great.  The green tomato jam was excellent on a grilled sandwich.  
 

Fried Green tomatoes for the eat now.  

[Rosie_0801]

I've tried your fried green tomatoes before, but I can't make them work well with small tomatoes. I'm going to give this a go though. One pot wonder is my style 😂 https://holycowvegan.net/green-tomato-stew/

[Faith-manor]

17 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I've tried your fried green tomatoes before, but I can't make them work well with small tomatoes. I'm going to give this a go though. One pot wonder is my style 😂 https://holycowvegan.net/green-tomato-stew/

That looks good! I love tumeric.

[SHP]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I am so frustrated. I started digging a hole for a tree a few weeks ago. I had to call 811, wait for the utility markings, waited out two snowstorms, started the hole and got it 18” wide, waited through another (10”) snowstorm, waited through five days of rain and then hail this am…. I went out with the shovel and five minutes in hit solid bedrock. My hole is plenty wide and about 12” deep, but there’s no way tree roots can get through this rock layer. 
 

I am super glad I hadn’t picked up the tree yet, but I am so dang mad because every other neighbor has lovely fruit trees mine could pollinate off of…but it just can’t happen in my stupid lot.

I feel this to my very bone, the previous owners covered the concrete another owner before them poured everywhere. Add in all the lovely erosion happening along the edges of our yard and from underneath a neighbors garage (we told them, they didn't care) and our yard is less landscape and more h3llscape. 

I am building berms for my trees and am planning on dwarf varieties.