Seedy Saturday - Putting in the 'Stuff'

This past week has been fairly productive. I am starting to get some of the more permanent structure in by way of planting trees. Fruit trees! 

Before this week, I had zero trees in my yard. A couple of stumps which wants to keep send up shoots. And clipping the shoots when they get long is giving me some branches to use for peas this spring to grow on. 

But after a couple of hours in the yard earlier this week, I now have 2 peach, 2 plum and 2 apple trees planted. The peaches and plums are across the front yard. The apple trees are down the side of the house. Because of the orientation of the house, they should all get plenty of sunshine most of the day. I can also see the peach and plum trees from my living room and bedroom windows. The apples from my side bedroom window. I can't wait until they get big enough to start blocking my view of the street in front of my house. And springtime, with the trees in bloom, should be lovely.

On Wednesday, after work, I brought down 4 of the Ikea drawers to make up my strawberry beds. I remeasured where I want the veggie beds which go horizontally behind the house and lined them up at the end of two rows. The drawers are about 6 inches deep, which should be plenty deep as the bottom slowly rots out. Hopefully there will be no weeding needed for these beds.

I took the potting soil out of a couple of tubs I had grown peppers in last year. I added in some granular organic fertilizer and broke up some of the mushroom blocks and mixed it all together. Hopefully, the strawberries will like it. 

There are a couple of the plants which have tiny strawberries forming. A 'proper' gardener would remove them so the plant can spent more energy on growing leaves and such rather than the fruit. But I'm not a 'proper' gardener, so they are staying.

While working in the back on the strawberries, the hawk stopped by to monitor my progress. I have known since last year there is a hawk in the 'hood. But earlier this month, I saw two of them, so I am hoping we have a mating pair. 

I do like my birds coming to the feeder, which seems to have dropped off a bit this year. But I really like my raptors too. So hoping the Hawk family will discourage bunnies and squirrels for making a raid on the garden. 

And in my bid to be totally insane, my second round of seed starting is going well. I was surprised to see some of the seeds to be sprouting in less than a week. 

I will have a lot of Red Dye Amaranth to put out and give away. I have never grown amaranth before, but love the red of the plants. They are supposed to grow 4-6 feet tall and you can sauté the leaves. The seeds have been used by the Hopi people to dye bread, as well as, fibers. Not sure what exactly I'm going to use it for, but it will probably go down a side fence to make an attractive statement in the yard. And I do know some fiber artists who might like some of the seeds. 

Kale is coming along and I'll plant it out in the garden in a few weeks to add to smoothies and salads. At least that's my intention. Marigolds will be sprinkled around the garden to help attract beneficial insects and banish 'bad' insects. These are are large Hawaiian marigolds. They can get really tall.

The Queen Lemon Peach Zinnia I am so looking forward too. Large, multi-petaled zinnia in a bright yellow which fades to a peachy color. I will (cross my heart) save seeds from these.

In fact, one of my goals this year in the garden, after the fortune I have spent on seeds, is to save seeds. As many seeds as I can! That way I can regrow what I like and spend money on new-to-me seeds. 

Being ever optimistic (and stupid), I have started some tomatoes and peppers. And they are coming up. Of course, I planted waaaayyyyy more than I need, but I have people at work who would like plants and also there are a couple of sales I want to contribute plants too. However, this means I will have to bring the large table on the porch where I put plants in the summer, will come inside to house seedlings when I start potting them into cups. 

I put the rest of my strawberry soil mixture on the front herb beds and sow some lettuce and spinach after the rain passed through Thursday and Friday. The kale will be transplanted out there too. They will stay there until the basil is ready to go outside. And I have a ton of different types of basil too. 

So more potting soil and cups are in my future. I love my 'babies'!