May 18 – Keep The Orioles Coming!
Another three quarters of an inch in the bucket has shut down any planting plans for today. Not hard to take though considering the corn crop is in and a wheat crop coming on could use the moisture and cooler weather.
Courtesy of A-Home-For-Wild-Birds
The rain hasn’t shut down the activity completely though. The busiest spot in the yard is the oriole jelly feeder. We’ve counted at least ten orioles; Orchard Orioles, Northern Orioles, maybe Scott’s Orioles, both male and female. The Catbirds have joined them at the feeder and the whole flock is fussing and pushing, sure that they are not going to get their share.
Subscribe to the comments for this postMay 13 – Hail Damage Is A Challenge!
Tuesday evening’s inch and thirty hundredths in the bucket was a God-send. The shelterbelt was needing a drink and a good general drench cleaned the dusty foliage off of the hedges and trees. But the thirty minute hailstorm was a surprise and the tattered plants are a disappointment. Fifty years of digging in the dirt has taught me that the few days right after a hailstorm are the worst. Things can look pretty pounded but given some warmer weather and time many things will come back after a time of recovery. Looking the worst are the impatiens and begonias. They are so fragile and crisp that a hail stone can really wreck a lot of havoc. I had just set out five flats and now I had wished I had waited one more day.
However, not all is lost. I cut our first meal of broccoli and put two packages in the freezer for next winters Broccoli Cheese Soup. I am hoping for many more cuttings to come before hot weather shuts down the broccoli patch. To prepare the broccoli for freezing, cut the large heads into small florets with a very short stem. Bring a large pot of water to boil, (I use a handy blanching pot, one with a colander that fits in the larger pot) and put a pound or two of the florets in the colander. Lower the colander into the rapidly boiling water and put the lid on. When the water returns to boiling begin counting the time. Blanch in the boiling water for two minutes and remove to an ice water bath to cool down quickly. When the broccoli is completely cool, drain thoroughly and package in quart zip loc plastic freezer bags. If you blanch larger pieces of veggies, you will need to increase the blanching time a minute or two. You are not cooking the veggie. You are simply heating it to preserve color, flavor, texture and nutritive value. If it takes more than two minutes for the water to resume boiling, use fewer vegetables the next time. Be sure you use freezer bags and not storage bags for long term freezer storage. Mark the bags with a permanent pen because other veggies are green also and deciding what is in the bag next winter is a bit tricky unless it is marked. Press the bags flat so no air remains in the bag and lay them flat at random in the freezer until they freeze solid. Then stack them neatly to make room for all the other garden goodies that are sure to follow.
Spring parade of Alliums
The spring flowering bulbs are bloomed out, leaving a naked stem sticking up that needs to be trimmed off so it doesn’t set seed. Tulips and daffodils need to die down naturally so they can build reserves in the bulb for next year’s bloom. One spring bulb that is often forgotten is the alliums, blooming right now in several sizes and colors. They are in the onion family and therefore not a temptation for rabbits or deer to munch on. If you have missed growing these in the past, plan to order some for planting this fall. Planted near peonies, they really add a whole new dimension to the spring garden.
May 10 – Frost Was A No-Show
Our frost preparations proved to be unnecessary and Saturday dawned bright and cold, but not frosty. We uncovered all the plants and was grateful. The fruit trees and strawberry patch would have taken a hit. My memory may be fading, but I can’t remember any recent year that I have fussed with the cold as late as this year. However, some are contending with hail or tornadoes so I’m content.The wind was relentless today, first from the south and then from the north. I tried to find a sheltered spot to work in and finally succeeded in planting several flats of annuals here and there. The migratory birds are coming through, making yard work a pleasure regardless of the winds. Warblers, catbirds, blue jays and even a hummer waited out the stormy weather in peace. The orioles are working the oranges until there is just a hollow shell left. And for the first time, we have baby squirrels up here at the house. When you garden on a large scale such as this, you are sure to never garden alone.
It was spitting a heavy mist this morning so I quickly pulled a couple of buckets of rhubarb. Chopped it up, spread it out on cookie sheets and froze it. Packaged it in one quart freezer bags and we will be eating Rhubarb Torte when the snow flies. Tomorrow I’ll make a couple batches of Rhubarb Jam….the recipe follows.
Rhubarb Jam
5 cups chopped rhubarb
4 c. sugar
1 (8 ½ oz.) can crushed pineapple and juice
1 (3 oz.) pkg. raspberry jello
Combine rhubarb and sugar and let stand for an hour. Bring to a boil for ten minutes, stirring often over low heat. Add crushed pineapple and boil for five more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Jello. Pour into sterilized jelly jars and seal.
May 7 – Freeze Warning! Ouch!
There is nothing quite as discouraging to an early start to gardening as a serious freeze warning. Most of us have tender annuals out in the flower beds, or tomatoes and pepper plants trying to get a good start for the season’s fruit production. The peach and apricot trees are loaded with fruit also. And just when things look like they are getting a good start, along comes Jack Frost for one last (I hope!) visit. It calls for some serious attempts to avoid as much damage as possible to tender crops.
Shirley's attempt to outwit Jack Frost
After a long day at the flower shop, filling Mother’s Day orders, I came home to an evening of pushing cans down over the small baby plants to protect them from the night’s chilly forecast. With 31 degrees suggested by the weathermen, some plants will really be in a world of hurt by morning, others will be able to handle the short term cold. It is hard to guess what to expect. To be on the safe side, I forked straw over the veggie plants. In the flower beds, I pushed cans over tiny petunia and begonia plants and stuffed the open ends with several layers of crumpled newspapers. Old towels were tucked around the window boxes and tarps were draped over the Oriental lilies that were already two feet tall. Old quilts were spread over begonia beds. Will it be enough? We will find out tomorrow. All the containers were carried back into the garage and the greenhouse was shut up and the heater ready to kick on if the thermometer says it would be a good idea.
May 3 – Window Boxes Bring the Garden Inside!
I pooh poohed window boxes for many years, sure that here in our wind and low humidity there wasn’t a chance to keep one growing from April to October here in western Kansas. The picture in my head just did not translate to success in our growing conditions. I didn’t want to have my project turn up dead in the heat of summer and leave an empty box to advertise my failures for the next several months.
But thumbing through the Kinsman Gardener’s catalog a few years ago had me rethinking the possibilities and since then I’ve come up with some beautiful boxes growing on the north side of my house until frost takes them out in October.
One of Shirley's Window Boxes
It is imperative that the box be as large as possible. In areas of higher humidity and timely rains, small containers might work, but here with our dry air and hand watering, the containers need to hold a lot of soil. I bought the window hayracks lined with coco-fiber. Mine are 44 inches long and the box is 10 inches wide and 10 inches deep.
Choosing the right plants for the specific exposure is important also. One window box is completely filled with tropical house plants and a few impatiens. The box facing north does very well filled with red Dragon Wing Begonias. The box facing west gets afternoon sun and lantana, sun coleus and other heat loving annuals grow and bloom until frost. I use Fertilome potting soil amended with Osmocote and begin a weekly fertilizing program after about 6 weeks. The Kinsman people offer books to guide you through the process if you think you may need some help.