Friday, April 22, 2011

Gardening

Update: Something uprooted one of the broccoli last night, but didn't eat it. None of the outdoor seeds are up yet. The dahlia inside have sprouted, and today I bought a small 4-pack of zinnia to brighten things up until the zinnia seed grows. Also got a small pot of coreopsis, not sure where to put it. Need to start the seeds for the cardinal climber and scarlet runner beans. I'd like to have those blooming by the birthday party in May, so I need to get going. Ditto for the bell peppers.

Semi-garden related: My folks came to town today and brought the pickup truck, so we went to Menards tonight to buy a sandbox that was on sale in their ad this week. Got there to find that it's pretty flimsy, and ended up buying lumber and plywood to make a sandbox. The home-grown version will be cheaper, twice the size, and last longer. Stopped at Toys R Us on the way home and bought a swingset, too. We may not get El Burrito back in the house after we get everything set up. He's a big, big fan of swings.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Garden UPdate

a.k.a. nothing much to report.

Nothing planted outside yet. Every time I planned to do it, it snowed, I swear. May get the raised bed together this weekend, but there's another bump. Allergies. For the past two days, even with generic Zyrtec and eye drops, I can be outside for maybe an hour before my eyes start watering, itching, and swelling up. Frustrating as all getout. My yard & gardening plans are on hold, pretty much, until whatever's setting me off gets done blooming, spore-ing, or pollening.

The broccoli and cantaloupe seeds were a fail. Broccoli never sprouted, cantaloupe seedlings looked so much NOT like cantaloupe plants that it was crazy. Hair-thin, totally unlike the watermelon & pumpkins in the next pots. I started dahlias and rosemary seeds in those pots, and got a 4-pack of broccoli plants at Hy-vee for $1.78.

Also, the lilies, if that's what they are, still haven't been divided. Still haven't ordered the fuchsia or lily of the valley plants. Did buy 2 dahlia tubers and 3 or 4 astilbe roots at the hardware store. Need to see if anyone has zinnia plants, since those seedlings are alive, but super-spindly looking. It's warm enough now to plant directly outside, but I'd like a few larger ones to jump-start things.