That's what it's been like around here. I'm going to do a favor for all of you and make you feel better about your own gardens, go ahead - take a good look:
Hey, you can't accuse me of never showing "the real deal"!
Doesn't that make you feel better knowing however bad your garden might look, mine is worse?!
The mess finally got cleared out this past weekend though, that's Sailor/Farmer/Husband and Finnegan spreading the mulch out that will hopefully slow the weeds down a bit. Hubby spent the past two weekends pulling weeds and using the stirrup hoe in this area so I agreed to splurge for some mulch so his hard work might last a bit this time :) Luckily, not too much Bermudagrass here, yet.
Finn scored big points this past weekend! And LOOK... that's one of the artichokes in the foreground that were uncovered, woohoo! Finally, I have successfully established the darn things. Only 3 of them came back this year but whatever LOL.
And this... I'm over it! They are all hardened off and spend the whole day outside, I'm having to water twice daily since they are getting dry out there, but I can't plant since the past 2 nights were down to 38º. Today was 82º but severe thunderstorms, wind and hail expected the rest of the afternoon and evening. They need to go out!
Speaking of being out, I am happy to report that Gordon Gecko is back from his 2 day walkabout. We were all but sure Sprocket had gotten him but as I walked into the kitchen this morning to pack the kids' lunches there he was in the middle of the kitchen floor. Looking at me as if saying "hey it's a big scary world out there and I'm tiny and I'm hungry, you can put me back now".
Back into the enclosure he goes (actually a she LOL)... mom it's safe to come visit again :)
Here comes the lighting, time to power down!
Wow, that looks beautiful post-weeding!
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course--still jealous of all the space. I have a couple 12-inch pots I'm trying to grow perennial berries in right now, but I don't have a place in the light to put them. I just got a community garden plot (4'x8'), so I'm going to try to maximize that space for my summer veggies!
Congrats on the community garden plot! Speaking of maximizing space, did you see all the silly planter boxes in the photo? The kids and hubby will screw together just about anything that will hold soil LOL
DeleteYou're getting some real temperature extremes down there. We're still below freezing at night, but it's only crawling up to the low 50's during the day. 82? Nice! And congrats on the artichokes. Dip in the future?????
ReplyDeleteI would bring the chips!
:)
Sue, it's just crazy! Now our night time temps are much colder than normal for this time of year. The next 7 days look to be highs of 50 and lows in the 30's, my tomatoes just might die before I can get them in! So strange the high was 84 today and after the storm blew through it was chilly an hour later!
DeleteI am tempted to say your garden looks so, so green! But I know that, once our weather picks up, I'll be cursing the green (weeds), too. Maybe I can talk Finn into coming up and giving me a hand! I bet Gordon G. has a lot to mull over - it IS a big world out there when you're a gecko.
ReplyDeleteThat gecko is just lucky I had 2 little boys in tears over my incompetence in cleaning his cage - otherwise I might have left the front door open too LOL.....! Finn does a pretty good job when he sets his mind to it, but he definitely has his days where he's not much of a help :)
DeleteNice work in that garden. It looks fantastic. And so do your plants ready to go out. I hope your weather calms down enough for you to get them planted. It must be difficult to work around them in your small home.
ReplyDeleteSparkless, there is definitely no room in here and I'm so sick of plants everywhere!
DeleteWow, the guys did a great job! Those tomatoes definitely look like they are ready to get in the ground!
ReplyDeleteRobin they are 3 ft tall I think, if I have to wait another week because of our bad forecast I think they might die! I looked at my old calendars and they always go in April 10-15 sometime but I don't know why they are so darn tall this year LOL
ReplyDeleteI love you for posting those "before" pictures of your garden. I truly didn't know yours ever looked like that! I'd really like your "yard boys" to come for a visit again in northern Minnesota. Boy, could we put them to work! And I know Loch would be a big help with the wood cutting. You and me? Why, I think we could take a bottle of wine and lock ourselves in my quilt room. Good idea?
ReplyDeleteP.S. The "after" pictures of the garden as so beautiful. I could look at them all day! (Does that mean there's something wrong with me? Or just really eager to get out in my own garden?? Forecast for 28 here tonight. Gulp.)
Mama Pea, ha! Yes, I refuse to be one of those bloggers that only shows the good LOL! The weeds were especially bad after this mild winter, but that condition exists every year in some fashion!
DeleteDon't feel too bad about your before pictures. Our entire yard seemed to be just weeds... Your after pictures look great, you guys were really busy.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll be able to plant all your things soon.
WTG ,GORDEN EAT UP YOUR MEAL WORMS.AND YOU ERIN,SHOWING OFF ALL THAT HARD WORK,HOW I WISH I WAS YOUNG AGAIN(I KNOW MOMMA PEA DOES IT-SHE CAN DO ANYTHING)WAIT TILL HARVEST TIME ,IT ALWAYS PAYS OFF,EVEN THO YOU DIDN;T REALLY THINK SO WITH YOUR TOMATO PROLEMS YOU HAD LAST FALL,HOPEFULLY THEY DO A LOT BETTER THIS YEAR.
ReplyDeleteWhat faith you have in your fellow gardeners that you can post BEFORE pics AND assume that our gardens aren't as messy as yours (this would be a complete falsehood in my case though)! Maybe I'll do a Before & After just to show ya what a REALLY badly kept garden looks like :)
ReplyDeleteAren't seedlings like teenagers? We love to watch them grow up and care for them, but eventually we're like, will you PLEASE get out of the house and on your own for gawd's sakes!!
Glad you found your Gecko buddy, and alive at that!
I am so glad you were able to find the Gecko!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the original mess in your garden (and thanks for showing the 'real' garden). Every spring I look at my planting area and want to cry. By the time I start planting, it looks like a different garden.
And your plants look great. I was so happy when my seedlings moved outside. I don't really mind watering them when they are outside but taking them all to the sink was a chore.
Most of my garden still looks like that too! Glad the gecko showed up!
ReplyDeleteThat "before" picture looks way too familiar! And I hear you on the relatives being afraid to visit -- we've had snakes escape here.
ReplyDeleteYou really turned the garden around! It looks great now.
ReplyDeleteYAY!!!! gecko is safe again.
ReplyDeleteAnd um, my garden still looks like your before pictures. The weeds are out of control as compared to a "normal" April. I walk out there and get overwhelmed......ugh. My applause to hubby and Finn, the garden is dazzling again!