Yes, this is my garden journal for the Garden of Weedin for April, 2010. But, it is much more than simply a planting journal or gardening record. For the Hillbilly Gardener, it is a gardener resource, to use to help in planning my garden, track my low budget gardening efforts, help me keep track of what worked and what did not. This is a garden history journal to remind the Hillbilly Gardener of the many things he saw, experienced and enjoyed in his Ozarks plateau world. It is a gardener resource to be a help planning a garden and as a reminder of all of the good reasons why the Hillbilly Gardener loves his Garden of Weedin and as a tool to help me remember that everything does not always go well. In fact, sometimes in the Garden of Weedin, some things are a downright disaster. My garden journal helps me to avoid experiencing the same disaster more than once. This IS the garden history journal of the Garden of Weedin and the Hillbilly Gardener here on the Ozarks plateau of Missouri. Perhaps my efforts here will help inspire you or help you to avoid some of my mistakes. If this can be accomplished then this garden history journal will have been successful and the Hillbilly Gardener will be happy. the "Hillbilly Gardener"
Thursday / April / 01 / 2010 - The day started beautifully warm and sunny with 62 degrees at 0730 AM. Took a day of vacation today to enjoy the weather and get some cleaning up done outside. For more than 30 years now I have been threatening to take off the very first day of the year that got up into the 70's. Never made it so far, but this year I came close. What an April Fool's Day! Actually, yesterday was in the low 80's and the day before was in the mid-70's. But the third day of year that was in the 70's or above isn't bad. Well, it's official now - "China Pink" is not a garlic well suited to the Garden of Weedin. All but two cloves rotted during our cold, wet winter. The "Chesnok Red" garlic looks pretty good right now. Oh yes, it looks rather ragged right now, but it's just getting started growing after a long winter under mulch. Right now, it looks like I only lost 1 or 2 plants. Pretty good I'd say. I admit, I've never grown too much garlic because most garlic traditionally doesn't do well here in the Ozark's. But, I made a conscious decision last year to start trying to find some varieties and ways of growing it that works here. With raised beds, it shouldn't be too hard to grow garlic if I find some varieties that are well suited to this area and perhaps employ a gardening aid such as some form of bed cover to limit the moisture in the winter. I would prefer not to cover the bed if I can help it though because that would mean having to water all winter. Elsewhere around the Garden of Weedin: The Bloodroot is starting to bloom in the front bed. I love the waxy, brilliant white blooms of this little wildflower and it is spreading very nicely into a well-behaved colony that can be divided for more plants. Both, the Echinacea and Shasta Daisy survived and are starting to sprout out. The Russian Sage survived and is starting to sprout. Two of the three Elecampane plants survived and are starting to sprout. One of the three peach-colored Hollyhocks I moved from the nursery bed survived and is sprouting (I was a little disappointed at that). Three of the four Columbine volunteers I moved last fall survived and are sprouting. The Cranesbill (Wild Geranium) appears to be sprouting pretty well, both in the bed locations as well as in the tub planter. These were dug and moved last fall to make way for the bed renewal project. The red Chrysanthemum that I saved from the bed during the heavy weeding and moved to a large container is sprouting very well with many sprouts. Even though I didn't get out in early winter and get them moved to a sheltered location like I planned, all of the potted perennials have survived and are sprouting very well. (I was truly surprised after the winter we had)
All pretty good results for the bed transformation efforts last year, considering the massive weedy mess I had after my surgery. Overall, I am pleased. My son and I got out and did a lot of cleaning today to take advantage of this really beautiful day. My son changed the oil in the mower and mowed for the first time this year to get the yard cleaned up while I started cleaning on planters and beds. The planters were filled with weeds that sprouted from seeds left in the compost that never got hot enough. This, coupled with the spent stems and leaves that blew in last fall had the beds quite the mess. But they're in good shape now. I started tackling the beds, removing spent stalks, weeds and leaves. While I didn't get nearly as far as I would have liked (the Hillbilly doesn't move nearly as fast as he once did) they're starting to get in shape. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think that science should look at "Dead Nettle" and "Henbit" as a source of natural antifreeze. Both of these weeds grew very well all winter long and I don't think they even slowed down much all winter long. Both of these, along with the purslane are growing rampant everywhere. Well, the Hillbilly Gardener got his first touch of sunburn working outside most of the day. Seems kind of fitting, an April Fools sunburn for the April fool! But I wasn't about to let such a beautiful day pass without giving it all I've got. Both, my son and myself are plumb "tuckered" (Hillbilly slang for "very tired") and my back is killing me from doing all the stuff that the doctor has told me NOT to do, but it was worth it. Tomorrow morning might be a different story though. The Hillbilly Gardener has never had a lick of sense regarding starting in slow and working up to anything. The first few days of the gardening season are always the worst physically! Yes, this is a long entry, but there was a lot to talk about today. Back To Top Friday / April / 02 / 2010 - Finished pulling, hoeing and digging the early weeds and removing the last of the dead tops this morning. Now, it's time to let the beds grow and get a little bit of early fertilizer down. No, on second thought, it's a little bit early I think. It's way to early to be this nice and warm. It's to early to induce a lot of lush growth in the plants. If and/or when we get another shot of cold the new growth will be susceptible to freezing and it will damage the plants. We're going to get another "shot in the shorts" yet I think. I still want to get my onions in the ground though. I dug the area where I'm going to plant the onions. The ground is still wetter than I would like but, they're calling for rain and storms to move into the area tonight so I covered the are with plastic to dry out a little more. Perhaps Sunday I'll get them planted after the granddaughters have they're Easter Egg hunt. One of my tasks for today was to find the rain-gauge and get it out. The garage is a mess with all of the extra stuff we had to store in it over the winter this year. So finding it may be a bit of a challenge. It started in raining right on cue and the rain gauge wasn't out. I predicted that we would have some severe weather with it being as warm as it was and we did. Luckily. it all formed to the East and North of us. I got out after the rains subsided and found the rain gauge, but by then the rains were pretty well over. I'm guessing that we got around 1 to 1 1/2 inches of rain. Saturday / April / 03 / 2010 - This morning broke warm and with that clean, fresh scent of spring after a shower. It was gorgeous this morning. I got out and got the patio in order so we could enjoy our Easter dinner outdoors tomorrow. It was a good day to take the granddaughters for a walk. We took a walk around a few blocks and the tulip trees and Bradford pears are more beautiful than they have been in years. On the subject of Bradford pears, yes they are beautiful in bloom, but the smell is so noxious and so putrid that they absolutely turn my stomach. The only way that I would plant one of them is if it could be planted a long way off and down wind of the prevailing wind. There is no way that I could ever recommend these trees to anyone. How could any tree that is so beautiful be o foul smelling? The smell is something akin to rotting meat mixed with the smell of human excrement but with a twist that actually caused a reaction that causes the stomach to want to evacuate. Back To Top Sunday / April / 04 / 2010 - Easter Morning. Beautiful, warm, sunny, clear and fresh. How fitting for what Easter represents. I got out this morning before getting ready for church and uncovered the bed where I want to plant the onions. It's going to be sunny and warm all day, so the extra air movement will have the bed area in good shape this afternoon. We had company stop by to share dinner with us - my wife's brother and his fiancé. They stayed for the afternoon and we had a good visit. My future sister-in-law is one great gal and really loves to garden as well. She's only been gardening for about 6 years, but is already quite accomplished. I'm rather proud of her.She has quite a problem with getting "Money Plant" to grow and is quite upset at this. One of the hardest things for any gardener to realize and accept is that no matter how experienced the gardener, there are some plants that just will not grow for them. I don't know if it's where they live and their soil, the methodology they employ in trying to raise them or perhaps all of the above, but many, if not most gardeners will have at least some plants that will refuse to grow for us. I, myself have many such plants. Here, it appears that I may have a combination of problems including soil, shade and drainage. I have suspicions that something was applied to the soil around the house that is hindering many plants. For me, Lavender is one such plant. I consider myself an accomplished gardener and I've successfully grown many plants that were considered difficult or even perhaps not possible here in the Garden of Weedin. But try as I may, lavender eludes me. I do have one plant of Hidcote lavender growing in a container, but it was purchased as a plant several years ago and has never done well. This must be one tough plant though because it refuses to die and blooms every year. I put it in a container because the soil around here is far to wet and has far to much clay in it. One of these days, perhaps I'll take the time to lick this problem. Or perhaps, I'll just accept it and "Dance with the one who brung ya". I tend to believe that every gardener should try new plants constantly, but in the end they should concentrate on the plants that do well for them. Anymore here in the Garden of Weedin, I try new plants and if they fail I'll do more study on them. Then I'll try again and usually in a different location or a different manner. If they fail again, I evaluate whether or not they are that important to me. If they are, I might give them one more chance. But if they fail a third time, I don't waste any more time on them generally and will move on to something else until something changes dramatically here in the Garden of Weedin. I didn't get the onions planted today. By the time our company left, it was late and I was tired. I guess I'll wait for another day. P.S. - I forgot to cover the bed back up and it rained last night! Wednesday / April / 07 / 2010 - It rained last night 1/4 inch. Once again we dodged the heavy weather that went to the north and west of us. It's just a matter of time before we get ours. My son got out and covered the bed where I'm going to plant the onions yesterday before I got home from work. It's a blessing to have him around and I really enjoy his company. I would be in a world of hurt without him around. I am proud to call my son my best friend. My original plan was to plant the onions as soon as I got home from work to dodge the rain, but thanks to him I didn't have to. It is supposed to be nice this weekend, so I can get them in then. Perhaps, I can get a few cabbages in also and plant some cabbage seed for a second planting. Having my work hours being right in the heart of the day is a real bummer from the standpoint of doing anything after work. It won't hurt my feelings when that changes I think. However, there's also a lot of good points about working 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM as well. I have time to write and do computer work in the morning before going to work. But still, I leave a little before 9:00 AM and don't get home until after 7:00 in the evening. I think I would rather work the 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM shift sometimes. But, I'm not going to complain. At least the Lord has seen fit to allow me to continue to work for now. But, I don't know how much longer that can or will continue, so I am thankful. One still has to eat and the Hillbilly Gardener has obligations and responsibilities to fulfill. Not being independently wealthily, it's like the old saying - "I owe, I owe - so off to work I go". Saturday / April / 10 / 2010 - Well, it's Saturday and payday weekend. The forecast is for a beautiful weekend. Sunshine, temps in the low 70's and no rain in the forecast. You couldn't ask for a more perfect weekend for getting out and getting work done outside. But payday weekend is something much more , or at least Saturday is. Payday weekend is somewhat traditional in its activities and demands. There is the traditional running all over town paying the bills, shopping and treating the family to dinner at a nice restaurant. Some members need, or want to go here and some there and we as a family unit all dutifully go as a unit, all patiently waiting our turn to go where we want or need. Me, sometimes it's to the local farm and home supply. It's kind of like turning a big kid loose in a "big boys toy store". But this week, it's special. We're stopping by the local nursery to pick up some plants for the Garden of Weedin. I have in mind some cabbage plants for the garden, but I also want to pick up a few bedding annuals for the patio planter for me me and momma because I want her to have some pretty flowers to see when she comes out the back door. This time it's more special because she wants a couple of strawberry jars planted for the front of the house. She usually doesn't take that much interest in the garden, but now she has a desire so I'm going to make it happen for her and let her pick out the plants she wants planted. She chooses some pink begonias to fill the strawberry jars. She picked up enough to fill the sides, but doesn't get anything for the tops of the jars. That's ok, I'll pick up a couple more plants later. Me, I pick up some "Copenhagen Market" and "Early Stonehead" cabbages for early cabbages and a dozen pansies while "drooling" all over all of the other plants that I would love to have. I love a greenhouse so! I would probably live in one if I could. I'm regretting my earlier decision not to start some plants, but it's not to late to start some of the later plants and flowers and I've got several plants that I want to take cuttings of. This would be great way to utilize the light garden, but I've got to make the effort first. The pansies will be pretty sparse in the planters, but there are volunteer marigolds coming up in the planters that I do not want to destroy right now and I want them to grow up just a little more so I can transplant them elsewhere for momma. Marigolds are momma's favorite flower and so I make it a point to plant some for her every year. Marigold's were her mother's favorite flower before she passed away, so I try to honor both of them by planting some for them every year. Before we left this morning I did get out and got some soil dug up and the yard picked up. I can't stand ANY trash in the yard and cigarette butts drive me nuts. Sticks, etc. are also on the target list that must be continually cleared from the yard, regardless of how small. I did get the Pansies planted today, but that was about all of garden work I got done. By the time the days running and shopping was done, we had spent about 5 hours and I was WORE OUT! While we were shopping, I did pick up potting soil for the strawberry jars. I decided to give that potting soil with the polymer crystals for moisture control a try. I've never tried polymer crystals before. I'll write about it later. While in the greenhouse, I looked at the tomato plants they had and they had an excellent variety. The weather says yes to planting tomatoes, but the calendar says it would be foolish to plant right now. We could easily get more freezing weather and snow yet. But I saw a lot of tomatoes being purchased and I couldn't help but think how many unknowledgeable and foolish people there are trying to garden. But, it takes all kinds I guess. Sometimes I do allow myself to dream about being a radio talk-show host of a gardening program so I could warn them. But the stark reality is that these people would not listen anyway. I do think that I will chance the weather a little in a couple of weeks and plant some tomatoes if the weather continues to stay mild. I'll only have a couple of weeks to be concerned with the weather. Back To Top Sunday / April / 11 / 2010 - I got the onions plated today along with some spinach the cabbages I picked up yesterday. The onions were planted about three inches apart in rows about six inches apart. The spacing between plants is to close, but I'll be pulling every other plant for consumption as they grow, so it won't be bad. If I wasn't going to harvest for scallions, etc. while they were growing, they would have needed to be planted about eight to ten inches apart. My youngest granddaughter planted a couple of rows of lettuce and some cabbage seed for later transplants. She was so proud of herself and at 5 years old it's a big thing for her to help Papa. Papa was pretty proud of his little girl as well. I also planted a row of early radishes. The lettuce was "Flashy Trout's Back", a red speckled variety and "Romulus" a bold tasting variety. Both of these were left over from last year but have been kept in a sealed jar in the refrigerator along with the "French Breakfast" radishes and the "Early Hybrid" spinach. We'll se how much of it comes up, if any. These should be ok though since they were kept cool and dry, but the germination may be diminished. The cabbage is a different story though. the seed was ordered last year and was originally back-ordered. It came later in the year and the seed packets were lost in the house until late this winter when momma started her spring cleaning. We'll see if any of them germinate even though they were kept in their sealed, moisture resistant packages. The third Elecampane plant that I though didn't make it has sprouted out, but two of the four Columbines I transplanted have rotted from the excess moisture and a third is not looking good. I pulled the mulch back to let in more air around the plants. Hopefully this will let it survive. I'm really considering digging the one healthy plant and putting it in a container along with the one remaining peach-colored hollyhock. The Butterfly weed is starting to sprout along with the "Joe-Pye-Weed". I had planned on doing a little bit of early fertilizing but that didn't get done today. Normally, it's a little bit early to get too busy with fertilizer for me, but the weather has everything growing like gangbusters. We could easily have more really cold weather and wipe everything out. The more new growth a plant has when cold weather hits, the more it is going to be hurt. No, I didn't mow the yard this weekend. The yard in general isn't really in need of it and the front yard is abloom with wild violets and a little whit flower who's name I can't recall right now. I should remember what it is, but right now it alludes me. I do not spend a lot of effort on the yard in terms of grass seed and fertilizer. It is green and diverse with plant-life of all kinds. Which supports a wide variety of insects. The wildflowers which are blooming right now are providing a lot of valuable food for the honey bees which are getting more and more in short supply. Looking at the bees, there is a hive of wild bees nearby. The darker the bees are, the more wild they are. The native wild honeybees are almost completely black. I really wish I had another day or two to spend in the garden. But, such is the life of a person who was not born rich and famous. Infamous maybe, but famous no. Tuesday / April / 13 / 2010 - A week ago, I was taking in the beauty of the many "Tulip Trees" growing in our area and marveling at how beautiful they were this year. It's been years since they have looked so beautiful! Normally, they are marred by cold weather and frosts here. But this year there has been nothing to damage the blooms and they are all ablaze with blooms. As I was driving to work, I couldn't help but notice how full of blooms and gorgeous the many flowering trees were. The Eastern Redbuds have been blooming for a week now along with the many wild plums. The Dogwoods, pink and white, flowering crabs, Flowering Cherries and Quinces all see to be screaming with color. It's been years since I have seen such a riot of color as I've seen this spring. The weather has been such an enigma and so unusually alluring this spring that a great temptation spreads over me to run out and plant everything I can in the garden. It seems to instill a deep desire to be outdoors and bask in its beauty. But, there is still a caution inside of me that says DON'T DO IT! Winter may still be lurking somewhere waiting to pounce on those who have been lulled into this sense of security. The normal last frost date here is April 10th and I've seen it snow clear up to the first of May. So, I'll yield to better judgment and wait a while longer before planting more tender plants. As I write this morning, I sense a great many emotions at work in me. It is somewhat early this morning and my son has just gotten up causing a sense of pride and joy at seeing him. The weather is warm enough that all of the windows are open in the house and I'm frustrated at the thought of having to stop in a little bit to get ready for work. I have so much that I would like to write, but time will not allow it. I have so many things I wish to accomplish in the Garden of Weedin this spring, but time allowed to dedicate for it restrains me from pursuing them as actively as I would like. It's frustrating. Thursday / April / 15 / 2010 - The French Breakfast radishes and Flashy Trout's Back lettuce are sprouting. The onions look like they're waking up with some growth starting. After having such a very wet winter, I had to actually water everything last night. Back To Top Saturday / April / 17 / 2010 - Quite chilly this morning compared to the past several days. At 9 AM, it was only 50° F outside. But, it is only the middle of April. A lot of rain was in the area last night, but we only got a 10/20 rain (10 drops 20 inches apart). On today's agenda is getting some mulch removed from around the perennials. The mulch did what it was intended to do last winter, but now it is a detriment to the plants. The garage is a mess right now from everything that had to go into it last winter, but if I can locate the vacuum attachments for the leaf blower, I'm going to vacuum the leaves away rather than blow or rake them out because the blower will chop them fine. If not, I'll remove them by hand. There are 2 of the 3 original Butterfly weed plants sprouting in one of the beds that I think I'll dig and plant in large pots. I am also contemplating re-digging the Hollyhock and Columbine and planting them in large containers. I think I may just start with these plants in my quest to convert a large portion of my gardening efforts to containers. However, these are not normally plants that one would think of as "container plants". Well, it's the end of the day an it's been busy and somewhat productive even though there's not a lot to show for it. But I did get on top of the weeding in the beds and bed edges. I devoted much of the day just to maintenance. I've been preaching to everyone that would listen that it is to their advantage to set aside one day a week to nothing but maintenance items that don't get done during the week and it really works! If I don't do anything else this year, I'm going to stay on top of the weeds like I used to. Last year was a perfect example of what happens if you don't. I ain't going there again. The cabbage seeds that I was afraid might not be any good started sprouting through the ground today. I still get amazed after all of these years at watching seeds sprout. When I checked this morning, there wasn't a sprout to be seen and this evening there were many sprouts pushing through the ground. A wonderful sight to see! The "Romulus" lettuce still is not sprouting though. After a week with no sprouts, it may be safe to assume that it won't, but we'll withhold a final judgment for a few more days. The lawn did get mowed though but I didn't bag it this time. A closer inspection of the plant growth in the yard showed that the chickweed, henbit and dead nettle were setting seed. I didn't want the weed seeds in the compost and I really didn't need the compost right now of mulch yet. I have a problem this year that I've never had before - more compost and compostable material than I have places to use it right now. A pleasant problem to have. I didn't dig any plants today like I had planned. By the time I got the other maintenance items done that needed done, it was late in the day and I was tired and sore. But this doesn't mean that the issue was not dealt with. Instead of doing any digging, I backed up a step and took a look at how I would stage the pots. What I came up with was "concrete blocks". Around here, my family affectionately call it - "Oh no, look out, dad had a brain fart", which usually means everyone's in trouble or "I smell work!". I am fortunate to have several blocks that were given to me so my son and I stacked them into random "steps" in a corner of the patio. On each step I'll place a planter to show them off at varying heights. For now, we stacked them up they way we want them to look and arranged several pots on the to get an idea of what they will look like and later perhaps I can get some paint to paint the blocks and make them look more attractive. You know, it looks pretty good even without paint. The paint will just make them look even better. Sunday / April / 18 / 2010 - Really chilly this morning @ 45° F @ 0630. There's a frost warning out for counties just to the East of us this morning. The plans for today are to dig a plant or two and move them to containers and do a little more cleaning in the "out of control" utility area around the patio and behind the garage. Every year, I try to plan just one big project for the year. This year, it's organization and appearance. I know it doesn't sound like much to many, but the Hillbilly Gardener is a frugal gardener that recycles everything I can while spending as little as possible in order accomplish what I want to do. This means that I collect a lot of "stuff". Sometimes too much stuff and it all has to be stored somewhere. No, actually I'm a "Pack-Rat" and I admit it. But, that's a story unto its self. We all have our reasons why we do what we do. I dug and potted the "Blue Flax" plant and one of the "Butterfly Weeds" (asclepia). These were added to the staging area my son and I put together and I think it is going to look pretty good. Especially when we get the blocks painted. The one change we are going to make to them is to orient all of the bottom holes in the same direction so that we can blow debris through them. I got around and did some fertilizing today as well. among these were the potted plants, the cabbages, garlic, lettuce and spinach. I need to do some other fertilizing around the place, but that will wait for another day. Monday / April / 19 / 2010 - My oldest granddaughter received a "Dogwood" tree at school a couple of weeks and she wanted papa to let her plant it here. Bless her heart, she was cognizant of the fact that it needed to planted and that she couldn't plant it in the ground at the apartment where she was living so she found a pot somewhere and made an attempt to dig some soil from around her place and pot it. Well, it didn't turn out like it should have, to say the least. Well my son brought it over this evening so I could plant it for her. What papa will do is to do what I can to keep it alive for here until this weekend and we'll plant it together. We'll start off with a large pot for now and move it to a large barrel planter later. It should be able to grow for many years in a barrel planter. Back To Top Saturday / April / 24 / 2010 - It's "City-Wide Garage Sale" day today. An annual event here that we look forward to and plan for all year long. I have plans for hitting a couple of sales that have advertised yard and garden tools and decorations. But • • • • there is rain and storms moving into the area. The weather service says they should hit this morning around 7:00 AM. Just the time most start to open up and we were planning to get out. What a cruel trick if it happens. But - welcome to spring in the Ozarks of Missouri. We look forward to garage sales and this one in particular. We find so many things we need and can use and save so much money turning another mans trash into our treasures. I have been able to save a LOT of money here in the Garden of Weedin by utilizing this garden resource. After such a wet winter, all spring the rains have been splitting and going around us. So far, we've only had relatively small showers. It rained 1/2 inch yesterday, but that's been the heaviest rain so far this spring. Can we be so lucky today? Now, what in the world does any of this have to do with the Garden of Weedin? It is my opportunity to find much of what I want and/or need for the garden and save a lot of money in the process. Often, I find items that I want and/or need that I otherwise would not buy because of cost. Regarding the garden, the past few days have had some pleasant surprises. At least a few of the "Romulus" lettuce seeds are sprouting. How many will actually sprout, I don't know yet. But at least there are a few for now. Two years ago, I dug a few Iris rhizomes from my sons place to place in the Garden of Weedin. At the time, I was thinking they were all Iris with purple falls and white standards. But this year I had one plant that bloomed with dark mahogany falls and light mahogany standards. What a nice surprise! Sunday / April / 25 / 2010 - Have you ever herded chickens that were all hands? That's the best way to describe taking two small children with you garage saleing. And then the rain! We didn't have any hard rain, just varying degrees of light rain all morning and we took both granddaughters with us. WHAT WERE WE THINKING? Oh, it wasn't that bad, but it was kind of like herding two wet chickens that were all hands. But, it did give them valuable exposure to garage saleing and how far you could stretch a dollar. Each of them was given $5.00 (US) and instructed that it was all they had. When it was gone, it was gone and while both of them did get quite a haul of little toys and this and that, you know what? Each of them ended up with money left over! I was impressed! After about three (3) hours of garage saleing Papa and Granny were wet to the bone and about done in, but the granddaughters weren't ready to give in yet. Papa and Granny just raised the white flag and surrendered to taking everyone to breakfast and going home to unload our treasures and get into something dry. Ok, what does any of this have to do with the Garden of Weedin? Nothing I guess. But, it was all part of the frugal gardener experience as a grandfather and grandmother. While the experience was tiring and taxing, the Hillbilly Gardener wouldn't trade it for anything. For the Hillbilly Gardener, this is all part of the experience of raising the next generation of frugal gardeners. The richness and fullness of life does not have to be measured by a big price tag. Sometimes, the most valuable and satisfying lessons in life are free, or at least very inexpensive. Those who can find happiness in the little things of little cost, will find happiness for a lifetime and much freedom from demands of life. I did pick up a few things I needed and wanted for the garden though at bargain prices. There were large planting containers for a fraction of the cost of new and a new small wheelbarrow for $5.00 to replace the one that has a tub that is splitting. Yes, it has a lot of wear, but, a little elbow grease, sanding and painting and it will serve me for several years. That brings the amount of money I have spent on small wheelbarrows (2) to a grand total of $5.00 and some elbow grease over the last 6 or 7 years. This is what the frugal gardener is about. We are not impressed by the newest and or shiniest in order to accomplish a task. Well, we got about 3/4 inch of rain yesterday and it's raining again this morning and pretty chilly. The forecast is for highs of only around 62° F today with rain and cloudy, so I guess it's just as well that I didn't get by the greenhouse or get to the store to pick up some potting soil. There's still plenty of time for these things. We've still got about three (3) weeks until our last frost date. Ok, that was yesterday. Today, we just had the youngest granddaughter and went grocery hopping. I did pick up some potting soil for the oldest granddaughters little Dogwood tree and some paint for plastics to paint a couple of nasty looking containers. It was misty, windy and chilly all day. Monday / April / 26 / 2010 - I got the granddaughters dogwood tree planted today. It's in a 2-gallon nursery pot for now. It has been damaged from drying out while she had it at her house. But, I think it will be all right. It is still green and showing signs of trying to leaf back out. It's important for Papa to show her that her little tree is important. Oh, and by the way, it rained a quarter of an inch last night also. Back To Top Tuesday / April / 27 / 2010 - Got the yard mowed this evening and the Maple seeds blown off the driveway, sidewalks and porch. What significance does this have to the Garden of Weedin? It rained all weekend here, the grass was already high, they're calling for rain to move back in Friday and rain all weekend again and the forecast id for temperatures in the upper 70's to low 80's for the rest of the week. These are all factors that would make the yard so high that I would have to cut and bale the the yard for hay if I didn't get it mowed right now. Mowing right after getting home from work is not something I look forward to, but the amount of effort required to get it done now is significantly less than if I waited. With the rains we've gotten the last few days and the warm temperatures we're going to have, the grass will grow up to an inch or inch and a half per day. If I waited for the next nice weekend, the grass would be so high that I could loss a Volkswagen in it. Put that Volkswagen up on blocks and I would be a "Redneck" for sure. Another reason for mowing this evening is our new neighbor. She's a single mother with no experience at yard work and taking care of a yard. When I mow, she knows it's time for her to mow. So I guess I'm teaching her by example. What's up with the Maple seeds (helicopters)? Well for about two weeks each spring they're kind of pretty to watch them twirl to the ground as they fall, but they are also a pain as well. They clog gutters and drains and cover the sidewalk and driveway. Then, in a few weeks, I have Maple seedlings sprouting everywhere in the gardens. This year, the helicopters are particularly heavy, hanging from the tree in handful-sized clusters and the limbs are loaded with these along their entire length. Old-timers would often say that heavy seeding of a tree meant that the past winter was exceptionally stressful on the tree or that the coming winter was going to be. I don't know what the future holds as far as winter is concerned, but, I would classify this past winter as pretty stressful in relation to past winters and there has not been a late winter killing freeze to cull the seed production some this year. Fruiting and seed production is nature's way of insuring the survival of a plant and stress will often trigger a survival mechanism in a plant. Often, heavy fruiting can be a precursor of an impending stressful situation. This can often be seen in nut trees. How to explain how a tree or other plant can foreknow about an upcoming event I don't know. But, can anyone explain the mysteries of God? It is enough for me to know that it is and that I can use this phenomena to have knowledge of events past, present and future. As to blowing the seeds away? They were thick and covered everything in sight. Maple leaves piled up thick can pose a "slip hazard" if walked on. I blew them off the driveway between us and our neighbor lady (the new neighbor). Her mowing created a bit of a mess in the driveway with the grass clippings, which prompted her to come over to apologize for making a mess after I had blown the driveway off. I found this to be quite a considerate act on her part and opened the door to instructing her about the potential dangers of allowing organic matter such as Maple seeds to pile up. It also allowed me the opportunity to plant the idea that her two children were plenty old enough to start helping her to mow the yard and that she did not need to be the only one to carry the burden of taking care of the yard. In the garden, the "Flashy Trout's Back" lettuce is not quite an inch tall yet, but is already showing a lot of red speckling in the leaves. It is really getting quite attractive and interesting. There are quite a few of the "Romulus" lettuce seeds sprouting thankfully. After planting the lettuce and radish seeds, I let the youngest granddaughter help water, which resulted in water running everywhere (of course). I knew that this was going to lead to a lot of displaced seeds, but I wasn't quite expecting what I have now. The lettuce and radishes look more like they were sown together in a block, rather than in rows. Oh well, this is a small price to pay for the experience she had and the opportunity to learn about raising a garden. Friday / April / 30 / 2010 - We had heavy storms running around the area today. While they had tornado's to the southeast of us, we only got 1/2 inch of rain and a little bit of wind. I was a little concerned about getting hail. But we dodged that bullet again. Momma had to get out of the house tonight and while she was out, she picked me up a couple of large plant pots for the patio as a birthday gift. Actually, my birthday isn't for a few days, but who's counting. What's this got to do with the Garden of Weedin anyway? Why am I babbling about such nonsense in this journal that appears to have nothing to do with the garden? I guess it's because I'm reminding myself that gardening in the conventional manner is not something that I can continue as much as before. I've talked myself into continuing my efforts to expand my container gardening and momma wants to do what she can to help me succeed at it. For this, I need plant containers - large ones. The small pots of 6 inches an smaller just do not work well for plants you want to keep for long. These, I have a lot of and I will start to use these more and more for annuals to provide splashes of color among the larger perennials. the "Hillbilly Gardener" Back To The Top | 
