Midwest Gardening 2021: Late April- Projects and Backyard!

 Hi, All! I forgot I had started this post and then didn't finish it. 

Gardening has kept us busy and other projects, too! These were taken late April. We were still,  very cold, and dry.

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This  rose is sprouting. YAY! We installed these railings as safety measures for working back there. We are getting older and having something to keep you from falling is a plus!

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The Viburnum (Snowballs) was severely trimmed back last year. I don't expect very many blooms this year.

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This east side bed will be redone this Spring. But, the Daffys love it here and bloom first. I want to do some lattice or something on the cement here and LOTS of new dirt. I think we will dig everything out and start over. 

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My chair is on the burn pile right now---beyond repairing. I will be on the look out for a 'vintage' or 'redo' focal point for here!

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Despite night freezes I got the backyard pond going---the birds love it and use it as a bathing pond and drinks. I have a big pile of blocks in the middle they can stand and drink from.

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I hope to get a few water plants this year. This pond really is very low maintenance, I simply skim it once in awhile. And throw mosquito circles in that are harmless to the birds or critters who use this. Lavender plant just in front is trying!

The fence has more birdhouses, and the chirping is lovely. Can't wait to hang wash.

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Looking forward to the Holly hocks. We are cutting back on veggies along here...the yellow squash was insane last year, and we will just put them in the garden.

The canning larder is quite full, our plan to feed three families, could have been ten.

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Hollyhocks are biennials, so you count on plants refurbishing themselves, I take the stalks and spread the seeds everywhere and hope some restart.

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This area will be adressed. All the wood has been done, the ledge disguises electrical. Thank goodness we did all our wood projects last year. There won't be any wood purchases here at 250% over normal prices.

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There are some winter repairs though. Recommended channeling for these panels isn't enough to hold up to our West Winds. Despite a large 2 story house next store, we get some tough winds all the time.

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The sod we placed in our problem area last year is holding. An edging treatment will be added, I'd love to do rocks but we will see.

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The Heuchera/Coral Bells---varieties around the tree survived and we have had to water end of April and May at least once a week. We are in Very Dry conditions bordering on Drought.

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OUR NEIGHBOR has been very ambitious and stockpiled a huge amount of wood...giving them privacy. 

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Not everything is pretty in storage---here's our hodgepodge of larger containers. Many are going to a friend and our kids this year. Cutting back on containers so we can take a few short trips this year.

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This bush and transplanted Hosta are doing well. I still haven't cleaned out the beds of debris...giving the bees/bugs some shelter from the freezing nights.

LOTS of projects and work to do. Next post will be everything this week, as Spring has finally blossomed in Chicagoland.

Hugs and Are you making a Garden Project LIST?

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Sandi 

 

Midwest Gardening End April 2021: Greenhouse and Plant Starts.

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Hi, Gardeners and Friends!

We had hard frost and SNOW this week in Chicagoland. Not measurable, but sad to look at tulips through flurries. We desperately need moisture, as we have missed the last three precipitation events here.

Spring in the upper Mid-west is elusive sometimes. This year is no exception. This is why we have the greenhouse, but first we start everything in the house. I did starts the first week in March, and then as trays were moved or transplanted we moved them to the greenhouse. Then, I started more seeds. It's been fruit basket UPSET every week, lol.

These photos were take around April 15th. I keep the lids on until the plants push them off, lol.

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We have two large windows in the kitchen, one facing East and the other South. I have often planted one more shelf high, but we had a lot in the living room wall window, too.

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These are Cosmos, which are awfully spindly. 

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This is Dill which is doing quite well. We had a lot of dull dark days, so we put up a couple of plant lights, which helped.

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This is the South window. Peppers and Tomatoes. The top right is coleus that I broadcast seeds in a dirt filled tray. Very Good germination on these. Coleus plants are fairly expensive, large, but I need shade plants...lots of shade plants.

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The day after I took these photos, I transplanted the tomatoes into large plastic glasses in the greenhouse and they have been doing well.

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In the living room I planted all my bulbs, Caladiums and Elephant Ears (in the tub in front). These are usually very slow to grow. The plants you see are Blue Hostas.

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The Hostas took off like crazy and were moved to the greenhouse beginning of last week. Five went to a friends and are planted around a tree, and are doing well.  I moved the Caladiums out there also, and they are finally starting to sprout. 

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I now have two full sized Elephant leaves two weeks later, and I don't know where I'm going to keep them. Tropical, Elephant ears are very temperature sensitive. So they will have to get transplanted to big pots in the house????

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(LtoR) Sweet Potato vine. I wintered over, sharing a pot with a Mandivilla. I have one red bloom on that now. It bloomed until Christmas and then shut down. The yellow pot is another one, then the Rex Begonia which is not happy, two variegated Dracena and a Spathiphyllum.

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This is a photo of the greenhouse last year about this time, but today, we are a bit behind this year, temperature wise! We finally settled on staining all trim country red. It sure will brighten up the yard. I concede to Hubby's choices on things HE builds...keeps the peace that way!

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Inside, the Greenhouse is about half full. I had planted a few pots with annuals, pansies and other stuff for the front porch. The bright green is Scotch moss. Something new I'm going to try here and there and see how they do for a perennial. They are thick masses of plant and roots.

I managed to get 9 pots of Peppermint from some roots I found in one of my dried grass pots.  So I chopped them up and planted in small pots and they are doing very well.

PEPPERMINT WARNING: This is an invasive under ground trailer. If you use peppermint for bees/bugs repellant, make sure you burn the plants in Fall. Do not put it anywhere it can seed or the roots can survive...or you will be weeding out peppermint for the rest of your life. I will try and save one pot to winter over for starts, but carefully.

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Here are some herbs I started. The Chives are from transplants from the yard, and Rosemary. 

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I started two large planters with lettuce onions and spinach.

Soon as we get a break in the weather, I'll plant more lettuce, radishes, and spinach in the ground. We should have food in about three more weeks, maybe less!

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With the diving temps this week, I moved them back into the greenhouse. Pansies are very hardy, but better safe than sorry. I just keep them where it is shady! 

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Here are the transplanted Tomatoes....they were actually happy in the cooler greenhouse.

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I kept them on lower shelves for a week, with filtered light, then moved them into the sun on top.

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I started multiple Zinnia seeds inpots along with lots of other things, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Bachaelor Buttons, and lots else. 

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The garden is dry and clear of weeds! YAY! We will till and plant sometime in May.

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The Day Lilies and Daffodils, make it look like summer. We have to adjust the play set for the Grand. She is 8 now and so tall...she has to duck in her play house! 

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On a loop around the yard, I found this little guy was outside all winter by himself...He looks so annoyed!  I'll rake in a few weeks, giving the bees and bugs a chance to survive longer. Night time temps are freezing, so they have nowhere to hide if they are above ground.

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I took a few other photos of interesting textures. My twenty-year old shelf---finally 

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submitted to the elements. I guess it needed another coat of Poly last year...well, it's a REDO project now! My dad built these for my pottery business, and the pattern I painted on these matched the flower pottery and flower pots I produced. I'm so happy I kept pieces. I know I have one more of these shelves inside the porch safe and sound, so maybe this one will be country red.

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Some of the birdhouses are over 30 years old...but those are the ones the birds like best! This one has been repaired many times.

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We really need moisture, badly a few snowflakes hasn't done it. I've never had to water in April...??? Usually there is standing water in this part of the garden this time of year? 

Mid-West Gardening---you just NEVER know what will be next! I do have to make a new plan for the garden areas. Update my logs, and make sure veggies get moved around for better crops this year! 

Next Gardening Post.

Midwest Gardening April 2021: Perennial Survival and Garden Planning

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      comment and answer every question.

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Sandi 

 

Midwest Gardening: Mid-April 2021 Pt.1

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Hi, gardeners, 

Guess what is blooming?!?!?

I finally have something to post...we have been pressing our noses to the cold windows and hoping for some color.

Two weeks ago, I realized the critters were pulling up my bulbs, or eating the new growth right down to the ground. 

I dragged out every bottle of cayenne pepper, chili-pepper, pepper anything and madly sprinkled it everwhere! 

YAY! it worked.

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Last Fall, you may remember I planted over 100 bulbs. I hope the critters didn't get all the Siberian Iris...we will find out later. 

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The tulips were all different types, so they are blooming here and there.

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This Narcissus is gorgeous...so ethereal.

It's dry again so they were drooping and I had to hold them up to take the photos. The last ten years NW Chicagoland has been drowned in Spring, this year has been quite dry, very dry. With the freezing temps, we can't set up any watering yet.

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The caged Peony is being brave....we have near freezing temps forecasted every night now for ten more days.

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The blues are the periwinkle ground cover. This is only the second year for this flower bed. Hoping all the plants survive and  flourish. I should have taken the bunny down...but he is so cheery and he doesn't eat our flowers!

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Here is another view! The Daffys are holding with the cooler temps.

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These Tulips are new and so pretty. I love yellow flowers, and blue, and red, and ...

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A whole cluster of these peach ones are coming up---gorgeous with purple veining.

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These are red, no pink, no red, ...crimson???

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The lime green Hosta are popping up everywhere and make a perfect backdrop. I transplanted some Zebra grass a few weeks ago from big tufts. It can be invasive if you don't curtail it.

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These are peach and red! In the back are day Lilies and Iris!. I leave the leaves and debris on the ground as long as we have frosts to protect the bees and other beneficial bugs that are hiding underneath.

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I'll leave you with these sweet faces...

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...and the wonderful sound of running water!

The birds love this old pump and trough.

How is Spring coming in your neck of the woods?

See you for Part 2

 I will read and happily respond to every 

      comment and answer every question.

Please Join me at these fine blog parties:

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Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi