Midwest Gardening in June: Community Style

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Hi Midwest gardeners! 

Can you believe it's the first of June?---and just 3 weeks ago we had snow flurries and frost kissing temperatures, followed by 90's --which is when you don't want to transplant anything in the garden.

  What does this mean?

For this home, it meant 2-1/2 weeks of garden work, which normally would take 5-6 weeks. 

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Today I loaded up the truck with a bin full of plants, my yellow tow-cart and some extra tools to help a

 Kiwi-Mate with her first vegetable garden plot in the community garden.

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Roughly 5'x15' these garden plots are made available by the community for a fee: with an access to water, black dirt, and compost. The plots were made available the first week of May, so E planted seeds and plants, some made it and others not.

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E's plot has now reached the weeding stage and we replanted where things have failed with the crazy temps we had last month. I dragged my battery cultivator along, but her plot is too tightly packed with plants to use it in the garden. We tackled the outside edge of the weeds already invading the mulched walkways with the power cultivator, hoe and a cultivator.

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The plots' areas are bordered by a wedge of park along the main highway. A city maintained mounded Perennial bed's really coming into it's own. 

These Poppies were gorgeous. 

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Poppies have so many textures, here the hairy pods are getting ready to explode into orange bloom.

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And the Iris are just really gorgeous. They love rocks around their roots. 

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This is a lovely lavender and purple iris...so elegant.

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Next to the Iris was some Chamomile coming into bloom.

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The large plant in the foreground may be a Echinacea or Black-eyed Susan. Russian sage has nicely matured and adds bluish color. There are lots of other plants I'm not sure of. It will be fun to visit and see what all blooms.

After a thorough weeding of the garden plot, some moving plants around, cages added and some serious cultivating and watering, we headed back to her townhouse to do a bit of planting.

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E has a soft-touch for dogs. This sweet girl came as a Mom with 9 puppies E fostered last year. Puppies always find homes, but Barley is happy now as a member of the household. 

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Willy is E's newest foster/boarder. Willy is a small mixed breed Chihuahua who is looking for a home. He was surrendered by his only 'older' owner who could no longer keep him. He's available to adopt, he's a sweet shy boy with people but manages very well with other dogs. If interested and in the Chicago area, let me know and I'll give you contact info.

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Willie says: Trying to get attention in a four dog home isn't easy!!!

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Pai is E's energetic 1-1/2 year old crazy Corgi. He's adorable but quite the handful. 

Missing because she was under a bush was Vienna, a Dachsund mix...her Majesty to you---who rules the four-footed pack.

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E's trying a new vegetarian meal plan andthis Flat Bread with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh veggies was excellent. The kale salad with veggies, sun-flower seeds (we added some excess beet greens from the garden) and a hot balsamic dressing you let soak in---WAS also excellent. I could only eat two of those hearty slices of Flat bread. 

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Served on vintage Fiesta Ware with mixed cutlery, it was quite a feast to have under the shade of her 

huge Silver Maple tree in the backyard.

After lunch we did a bit of weeding, planting, and back yard clean up. Oh, I forgot we also planted perennials in the front and moved about 30 huge (one at a time) white rocks into the truck to extend the perennial bed that E has been working on. 

Photos for that later...Phew...this was quite the day. 

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E posing in front of her first veggie garden!

Does your community have Community Gardens???

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Your the Star

Happiness is Homemade

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi 

 

Midwest Gardening: Late May and Planting Tomatoes

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oldnewgreenredo

We've been so busy catching up in the garden, greenhouse, and yard. This late UPPER MIDWEST Spring stymied any yard work in the month of April, and then the blistering heat drove us into the house during mid May. 

We always seem to have CRAZY weather. But, this last week we have been killing ourselves with yard clean-up, fertilizing, and planting. Yesterday I filled over twenty-four 8"or larger pots with dirt from the compost pile, for: peppers, cherry tomatoes and flowers. Our little wagon cart got a real workout as I hauled them around the yard.

Here in the Midwest, 

NOW is the best time for
planting Tomatoes! 

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Since we no longer  use peat pots, or starter pods for starting seeds,  I had transplanted small seedlings from our starting mixture (1/3 peat moss with Miracle-Gro potting soil) into larger deep pots 2-3 plants per pot with the same soil. I fertilized once. Here you can see the root formation ---from the larger pots.  Excess weak plants were clipped off early on. We also keep a large fan on in the greenhouse to encourage thick strong stem structure.

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HERE: We trim all but the top three sets of leaves off our plants when we plant them. A sharp knife or scissors will do a good job. All the clippings go to the compost pile.

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Here's a planted drink cup and showing the fabulous LONG roots.

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Fill your holes with water and then plant as deep in the ground as they can go--up to the first leaf branches.

 YES---12" or more deep! 

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Metal tomato cages are placed immediately...so the plants roots will not be disturbed. The plants look short because they are planted so deep. All along the buried stems, roots will grow, making your plant even stronger and give a higher yield. 

(Learned this one from my Mom in law!)

🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅

Fertilize in a week or so to give the plants time to acclimate to their new home.

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🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅

I think I have one more day of planting. It is chilly this morning in the low 50's, with two days of rain forecasted starting tomorrow. 

Wish me LUCK and that my back holds out!

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I can't wait to have a selection of  produce available twenty-feet from my kitchen.

NUM!

Photos and some text are from my garden post in 2019-2020 when we had similar weather pattern.  I guess I'm still on time for a great Midwest Garden.

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I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will post at the following Link Parties, 

I hope you visit them.

All About Home

Wonderful Wednesday

Home Matters

Your the Star

Vintage Charm

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi 

Midwest Gardening: Supposed Spring Gardening April 2022

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I know this photo looks like Spring, but yesterday was only one of two days in April that it was nice. Last week we had snow three times, and we have below freezing temps forecasted this week.

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A few Daffodils have actually poked their pretty heads out. No tulips and Iris are only snips sticking up.

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We have a NEW trellis for the Clematis. I relocated the OLD birdhouse on the play set. The grand is seldom here to play on it anymore. We will begin dismantling some of it and using the materials for projects.

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Only things up on our north beds are two rhubarb plants which are doing nicely, and of course mint, same mint I have been pulling for 38 years.

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We have a few chives here and there and I already made a delicious bacon/cheese/chive spread for Easter. My beds are still covered in winter yuck---but that is sheltering the bees and helpful bugs to keep warm enough until it stops freezing. Not to mention protecting tender perennials.

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Hubby started to till this week, but finding it so very wet with the recent rains. We have moss growing on everything as we have had so few sunny days. We are about 3 1/2 weeks behind last year, weather wise.

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I baked the last of the squash and gourds and froze their goodness last week. Two big ones had gone bad, so I dumped them in the garden, as they were really rotten.

Some huge critter left some big prints in the garden with no beginning and no end???just in the middle---An Alien Critter??

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This is my peas---spot for planting, which I had planned to do today---but it's too wet, we had near an inch of rain this AM. The hose goes to the garden sink, we can easily direct waste water from cleaning vegetables wherever needed.

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Inside the greenhouse it's starting to look GREEN! Some pansies I picked up for the backyard and another special pot full. My reused plant tags are being sorted here. I have to come up with a better system, for sure.

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I planted all this in early to mid-March---Cleomes I re-planted again yesterday, very poor germination. The tomatoes are ready for transplanting. Most tomatoes were in cups--but we ran out of room in the house for more big trays.

All the plants were moved out to the greenhouse Easter week, so we would have room to eat in the kitchen.

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These tomatoes in bigger pots look great and the peppers, too.

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Has anyone noticed how few seeds are in packets this year? 

Since when are they stingy on marigold seeds?

I've really kept track of how many seeds are in the packets and the germination---I'll post soon.

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The Chinese Eggplant will need to be thinned this week, they look great!

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This Dill/Cilantro tray looks miserable...so spindly---when the sun finally came out they baked in the greenhouse. I have them in shade now to see what survives. I really have bad luck with herbs from seed.

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Here's another really skimpy seeds marigold tray. 

I will start some more with my old saved seeds.

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The Kohlrabi look great, the planter holds Chives and lettuce. Normally they are on the front porch by now---but it's going to be too cold.

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Yesterday, I finally started cucumbers (3 kinds) Zuchinni, and yellow summer squash, only a few plants of each. Also some Waltham Butternut Squash our favorite and a good keeper, along with mini gourds, and of course pumpkins for pies and decorating!

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I have three planters of Nasturtiums going ---and they all look great!

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This is Radishes and onions. We usually have fruit for Mother's Day---not this year, it will be later for sure.

We got a notice from our community and county that serious Avian Flu has been found in the area, and we have been advised to turnover birdbaths and remove all bird feeders. So sad, it has hit the farmers in Illinois also.

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We love our little tweety birds, so I filled an entire huge garbage can with dumped out feeders-(feed went to the garbage) filled it with water and quite a bit of bleach to kill any bacteria or virus that might left on them. They will be rinsed and stored, and used again when we have the all clear. 

I'm sure the squirrels will be unhappy at not getting any 'leavings' on the ground, and the bunnies, too. Early AM I see a sweet bunny nibbling the thrown seeds and also the tender grasses created around our patio stones.

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The Bleach---will kill the virus, even though it's the NOT-Green thing to do. Birds are very important to all ecology systems and need to be protected.

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I can't wait for some Spring flowers...

My neighbors yard with the white Narcissus, so pretty. 

Tomorrow the electrical power stack, meter, fuse panel, main power line, and line to the garage are all being REDOne by contractors. This is something we can't do ourselves. Tuesday and Wednesday roofers install a new roof  and  gutter system. They are even going to hook up our rain barrels, and work out proper drainage for our 'on a slight hill house'.

That's if the weather holds!

See you on the other side...of lots of money spent on nothing pretty. 

OOPS---last minute addition

I got one long tray of Bachelor Buttons planted in the greenhouse and then....

WE HAVE TICKS in the GREENHOUSE---&#!@*!!!

More on that later!

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each AD-Free post.

Thanks  ALWAYS  for visiting,

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will post at the following Link Parties, 

I hope you visit them.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi