Finally! Some warm weather!

I've been out in the garden even tho it's been cold. The Fern Garden is beginning to fill in a little, but until it really looks like a "Garden" I'll wait to post a new picture.

My latest area of study is pests and diseases. I've found that many of these pests can be countered by using a special soap. Hurray for a green treatment! Big caterpillars on tomato plants can just be picked off with a gloved hand. Even some smaller ones can just be removed too, but most are so small you just have to treat the whole plant.

Keep a watch on your garden. If you see leaf damage, gray molding or stunted growth, it's time to check for pests!

BRRRRRRR!

So, with this cooler May, I'm waiting for any more additions to my garden! Seems like Mother Nature is trying to tell me to slooooowww dooooowwwnnnnnnn. Sorry, can't do that!

While the weather has been cool, I've been cleaning up areas of the garden that has plenty of sticks and branches blown down. I'll be putting those through the shredder for additional mulch! I also have been surging forward in my studies for Gardening and Landscaping. Now I know for sure that my Dad is a very smart guy. I keep reading over and over how things are done that he already did when I was growing up.

Be sure to watch the lows in temperature and cover your tender plants or bring them in if they're not too heavy. I still have a patio hibiscus in my front room!

Don't let this cool weather get you down, soon enough we'll be turning on the AC to cool off after an afternoon of weeding and watering.....

Here's a look at the finished Shady Fern Garden

Busy Spring!

Yes, it's been a busy spring so far...I've already had issues from "gardener's weekend" sore muscles! A few days ago, a friend and I went to Goode's greenhouse just to look around. I came home with a backseat full of stuff! As I work through my lessons in Gardening and Landscaping, I felt it would be a great addition to my garden to include a shady fern corner. I visited several places and looked for ferns, but until I went to Goode's I came up empty. So, after stocking up on Lady Fern, Christmas Fern, Male Fern, Sensitive fern, Rock Fern, Ostrich Fern and a few others, I came home and began!

First the area was full of weeds and sticks etc so I had to clean it all out. I actually made a scale map based on the size the ferns are to be when mature. Everything I've read says you shouldn't have the ferns touching each other. (No fraternization I guess ;) After that, it was easy to place them and dig them in. The area is extremely rich soil because I've been using it for a compost for years...so I didn't need to add anything. After adding a few impatients for color, I covered the whole thing in chipped branches that we ran through our chipper for mulch. The rain came at a perfect time!

willow avenue pottery

willow avenue pottery

So much to do!

It seems there isn't as much muscle to go around in my garden! I have been raking, dividing hostas and replanting as well as collecting all the winter debris. Spring is really my favorite season as everything turns green again and blooms or begins budding and growing!

My classes are going great...I spend a lot of time on the train reading and re-reading my books. There are so many great ideas in these books, I've begun to make a list of plants I want. Because I have a really shady corner, I think I'll start a fern garden there. So many different ones are available that I'll have plenty to pick from. If you have a really shady place, or a place with dappled sunshine, ferns are very carefree and require little attention after planting. They make a great addition to the garden with many different shades of green and textures. Some are huge, up to 12 feet tall, and some are tiny just barely 2-3 inches. They pair up great with spring bulbs, or perennials for spring through summer color.

Enjoy this best season of the year (and be ready for some sore muscles) when everything begins to grow!