Hello Quilty Friends! Not one stitch in over a month. I've been busy working on this and that around the house and yard. Meanwhile my ferocious watch dog is hard at work holding down the couch.
So while she naps lets take a walk around the property. The mild spring weather has put us ahead of schedule this year. We've mowed the grass twice and have started the vegetable garden planting.
I don't like to weed in the hotter months so I have decided to start lasagna gardening. Which is nothing more than a no till garden that is heavily mulched with layers of dead grasses and then fresh lawn trimmings. When it's time to plant the mulch will be pulled back to expose the planting area.
So far I've planted a small row of potatoes. The green you see is weeds. It's easier to pull them when muddy. And it's muddy after yesterdays rain, but we might get more rain today.
Our small patch of Kale and Lettuce.
The lettuce has sprouted but the kale has not. It should peak out of the dirt sometime this week.
I also put out a small patch of Snow Peas for Mr. Podunk.
He loves to come out to the garden and snack on them. We also freeze a few for using in stir fry.
One of the things I dislike the most about gardening is moles. They will tear up all your hard work. I've tried every mole deterrent available, such as the green noise makers above and caster oil. They work for a bit but as with all deterrents the critters get used to them and continue on with their destruction. This year I've had to get mean. I set the traps and Mr. Podunk empties them. I don't like it but it's a sad fact of life.
We have several containers in the garden. It gives root veggies a better chance of survival, the moles and voles can't get in the containers. In this one I've put a few radishes.
Mr. Podunk loves radishes. It's one of those things that you really can't preserve so I only plant a very small amount for fresh eating. We can plant them again later in the season if he wants more.
Next to the radish container is our asparagus patch. Asparagus is a perennial and comes back every year on it's own. It can take over a garden once established.
The plan is to move this out of the garden and in its own bed later this year. This too will probably not make it into the pantry. Hubby picks it and eats right in the garden.
On the backside of our house I've cleared out a flowerbed in order to plant some blueberries. Blueberries are finicky and like an acidic soil. This will be my second year trying to get this project completed. I still need to amend the soil before planting the blueberry bushes.
Along the side and front of the house I have been digging up and moving Autumn Sedum.
I should have taken pictures before digging them up, but here's the holes left behind.
They have been relocated out in the large circle bed out front. I think they will be much happier out here in full sun.
We have another area I need to deal with this year. Such an ugly spot. The wooden box hides our well pump. The delivery drivers and mailman hit it from time to time. So we put a big rock and weather vane next to it. We need to come up a better looking idea. This is easily seen from the road.
The last area for me to work on is the hosta beds. There's two hosta beds on the side of the house, both need to be weeded and cleaned up a bit. The dog gets in these beds, moves the rocks and digs for who knows what.
Last but not least is the kitchen project. It's slow going. The garage isn't heated. Well Mr. Podunk heats it with a kerosene heater. It gives me a headache to smell kerosene. The only time I can sand the cabinet doors is if it's warm. And I like to have the doors open to let in the light and let out the dust.
I have all but one door ready for the final sanding.
This one still needs a little work.
There's some dark stain still in a few spots. By the looks of the weather reports, I should be able to get them finished this weekend.
Well, that's it. I better get busy on those weeds!
Have you ever applied milk spore to your yard? You need to apply it several times the first year but then you're good to go for 10 years. It's supposed to kill the grubs in the soil which is what the moles are going after. I'm going to apply it to our yard, just haven't gotten out there yet, it's been too cold! The moles can dig in the trees around the yard.
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