only 1/2 full. That way the thing kept working until all of the granuales were dispersed. I have found that loading a whole bag of anything in it, causes spreader to malfuntion and then I resort to hand/broadcasting. Also did 3 sprayers full of WeedBGone on my front parking strip. I hope this works!
Another perspective on "upkeep" is what keeps the tulips standing up when they are past their prime?
Here is a pairing - first blossom and on it's last legs. Both are pink tulip. Perhaps even the same one.
Endings ... compost or the making thereof. I've been working on this pile since December - just before the freezing weather. The pile was to the top of the black compost barrel at the beginning. Weekly, I add my veggie scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. This pile started with a layering of straw, bagged manure, autumn leaves, green laurel leaves, grass clippings. For the longest time, it appeared that the pile was a pretty good refrigerator, as the food scraps, e.g. grapes, looked well preserved. Now, with the weather warmed up a bit, decomposition is in action.
I turn the pile every 10-14 days. I lift up and off the black plastic barrel, move it over and then pitchfork the pile back in. The top has holes in it to let the rain in, to keep the pile moist. There is a bit of science that goes into compost piles.
Beginnings .... Here are the plants I bought yesterday at the sale. We will come back to these pots in a month or so to see how they have progressed.
The pile of walnuts and leaves from the tree in the tulip patch had been here over winter. I have been putting a sack a week into the garbage (can't put these into the compost). Finally finished that off today. Spread some seed, and dusted over with a mix of potting soil and peat. I hope it works!
OSU Master Gardener's Sale today at the County Fairgrounds. Lots of starts for sale. I came home with a wave red petunia, blue trailing lobelia, yellow gerbera daisy, a gazonia (?) the likes of which I do not know - it is only a green leaf righ now, blossoms later. I liked the variety of tomatoes they had , but it's too early for me to mess with tomtoes - I think we have another frost or two in store for us.
Here is my Lambert Cherry tree in backyard. All blossomed out. It popped open last weekend. The tree could use some pruning, but will deal with that in another season. The cherries are delicious. As they say on internet: A sweet cherry variety that's large, round and a deep ruby red. The flesh is sweet, firm and meaty. A superior cherry for out-of-hand eating as well as cooking.
You have to look closely, but there are more yellow danelion heads today than yesterday. But, the good news is that a bunch are looking a bit peak-ed.
The saying is "we be here when you be gone." Ususally thats for employees in offices suffering from a new manager or some such. But, I think the weeds in my yard have been adhering to this saying for a long time. So, sprayed with Weed-b-gone. Used the concentrate - 1/4 cup to 1.5 gallons in the hand pump sprayer. After the application, they are standing as tall as ever. Hmmm...
On a positive note, against all odds - here are the sunflower sprouts. Today, they are green and poking up!
Finally, I am hopeful that my attempt to 'root' some Daphne will take hold (no pun intended). The instructions out of the Western Garden Book, said to clip some small branches, dip in root hormone and place in a growing medium of mostly sand, keep moist. This is another new thing for me to try. The root hormone is a white powder, comes in a small plastic bottle. The pot contains about 40% soil/peat/chips and 60% sand. You poke holes in the medium with pencil such that after dipping branch in r.hormone, insert into the hole in the medium, so that none of the powder will come off. Tamp the medium around the hole. Water. I have about 6 starts (or attempts) in this pot. I haven't found out what to do to find out if roots are really growing.
In the olden days, I was co-owner of a beehive.Still have the white coveralls, pith helmet, netting and smoker. Got a smidgin of honey out of the deal, but buying it at the Salem Wednesday Market is a whole lot easier!
will send you sunflower seeds, you grow and at a certain time each month watch the sunflowers for 30 minutes and count the bees and then report.
I planted my free Sunflower Lemon Queen seeds this week. First time I have ever grown them, let alone from seed. Already, one is actually beginning to sprout! Got the Bi-Mart pots on sale. My plan is to put the sunflowers 2-3 to a pot and place them in the sunshine, outside my kitchen window. It gets all of the afternoon sun. 
About July or August, imagine these sunflowers along this bank of windows. 
And if all else fails, there is the Haagen Dazs Save The Bees program! Click the link - make a bee happy!
Discovered Egans Garden Center today - what a spread! I might have over done my purchase ... but the sun was so inspiring. Me and about 50 other people out there!! Things I bought that I haven't had before: a geranium (moonlight red), blue lithodora, laguna blue lobelia, rasberry blast supertunia, nemesia serengeti yellow, and 2 Earliglow strawberries to supplement my RiteAid berries. I bought a bunch of other plants, too, came home and potted up several containers. I also am trying out 2 small baskets with cocomat liners - haven't done this before.
Here is the set up. I get out the wheelbarrow, and ‘measure’ with a big pot equal parts potting soil, peat moss and small bark chips. Put a few Soil Crystals in for moisture retention. Mix it up. Put some in a pot. But leave enough room for the plant to go in, and room to lay some bark chips on top to mulch the pot. This is a new for me – haven’t done either of these things before – measuring, mixing in peat moss and chips, and mulching the top. So far the plants like it, and when watering, I don’t loose soil off the top.
showers wandered thru their plant offerings. Came back with enough flowers for 2 pots, and decided to branch out into some veggies in containers (fennel, celery and chard). Have no idea what will come of this experiment. Also went to Joann's and bought strawberry pot 50% off; which meant I had to get some strawberries too. These came from RiteAid - not a bustling garden center, but cheap. Another experiment - I've not grown strawberries this way before.
A little backtracking to get this blog started.
I also spread the Scott’s Turf Builder with Moss control (front yard) and Moss Out for Lawns (backyard). Both have quite a bit of moss growing in them. My spreader is cheesy and stops spreading half-way thru so I did the rest by hand. I am letting Mother Nature water it in.
