Gardening, flowers and veggies: 2013

[Queen K]

Who's stuff is coming up?

I've got cilantro seedlings, arugula and parsley for herbs, I saw an oregano doing well under the snow too. Cleaned out dead leaves from the swiss chard and see lots of new growth pushing up.

Not to mention a neighbour is already moving around his iris because, "this is the time to do it if you don't want to wait til after flowering."

We checked for root growth on the garlic, and there is some. We didn't plant the best way last year so may pay for that mistake yet.

Already doing lots of yard work.

[pbear]

Okay. That's just mean Queenie. I still have a foot of snow almost everywhere!

My project for this year is to find a cheap and easy way to cover my raised garden beds to protect them from the neighbourhood cats and yet still allow me to access them easily for harvesting. Decided against a cage over top because they are 8 feet long and 4 feet wide and I can't easily lift something up and off. Now I'm thinking about putting thin posts at each end and just wrapping the entire bed with bird netting - nothing on top - then I can just reach under the netting to harvest and weed.

Darn cats. I replaced all the top layers of garden soil last year because of their litter box habits and tried spiky rose thorns, chicken wire and garlic spraying to keep them out. Now I have to replace all the topsoil again. Don't want to give up vegetable gardening but I may have to if I can't figure this out.

I do lots of container gardening but want beets, carrots, chard, etc. in the garden beds.

Anyone have any other ideas I could try?

[grammafreddy]

Anyone have any other ideas I could try?

Mousetraps? Cayenne pepper? Rows of tin foil?

I want to know more about composting like you do it, pbear. Would you mind posting a tutorial for me? If I remember correctly, you used pallets, didn't you? And you have three "bins" for different stages of compost? The stoopid city here has a really dumb garbage collection thing going now and I refuse to play with them.

[oneh2obabe]

Do what the nurseries do - pipe and netting.

[pbear]

Thanks Babe. That would work for the low beds really well. For the cuke/peas, I'll do it the other way.

[eMeM]

This site has some fantastic ideas for gardening as well as many other things.
http://thehomesteadsurvival.com/categor ... ble-fruit/

I'd like to try using pallets vertically since my space here is limited. If I do it and ever get my pc fixed I'll post pics. Mean time, here's what comes up when you google images for vertical pallet gardening:
http://www.google.ca/search?q=vertical+ ... ih=416#p=0

[Lady tehMa]

Okay. That's just mean Queenie. I still have a foot of snow almost everywhere!

My project for this year is to find a cheap and easy way to cover my raised garden beds to protect them from the neighbourhood cats and yet still allow me to access them easily for harvesting. Decided against a cage over top because they are 8 feet long and 4 feet wide and I can't easily lift something up and off. Now I'm thinking about putting thin posts at each end and just wrapping the entire bed with bird netting - nothing on top - then I can just reach under the netting to harvest and weed.

Darn cats. I replaced all the top layers of garden soil last year because of their litter box habits and tried spiky rose thorns, chicken wire and garlic spraying to keep them out. Now I have to replace all the topsoil again. Don't want to give up vegetable gardening but I may have to if I can't figure this out.

I do lots of container gardening but want beets, carrots, chard, etc. in the garden beds.

Anyone have any other ideas I could try?

Garden thread, yays!

Only I still have a pile of snow

But, as for idea, a friend of mine uses pine cones in her planters, would a layer of pine cones work for your garden? Spiky, keeps cats from reaching the soil but still allows for water to filter down . . .

[Queen K]

Today was an awful day.
Cold.
Cold.
Foggy.
More cold.

[Lady tehMa]

Sun later this week though, if not today.

Hey, anyone ever try growing a Himalayan Blue Poppy? I'm thinking of trying one in a relatively shady spot (not full shade though). I hear they're not a fan of hot/dry. Since I have clay-ish soil in that area, when it gets wet it tends to stay more wet than the sandy areas so I thought I'd give it a try.

[grammafreddy]

I had to google Himalayan Blue Poppy because I have never heard of them. They are stunning! Where will you get the seeds?

I found this about growing them from seed - seems they are a bit fussy ... http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.ca/2009/0 ... -from.html

I am going to try growing Celosia cristata again. Haven't been too successful so far. I think I need to start the seeds indoors which I didn't do before.

[Lady tehMa]

I had to google Himalayan Blue Poppy because I have never heard of them. They are stunning! Where will you get the seeds?

I found this about growing them from seed - seems they are a bit fussy ... http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.ca/2009/0 ... -from.html

Celosia Cristata is quite pretty.

Himalayan Blue Poppy: I'm going to bypass the seeds and go straight to a plant, both Bylands and Art Knapps will carry it this year (I called).

I might have a harder time finding arinca montana in plant form from the sounds of it. I tried that one from seed and it didn't work, I didn't abrade them though and I hear you have to do that to help them sprout.

I may have a dickens of a time finding sweet cicely locally, I am hoping to find it at Seedy Saturday - I'm not sure of when it is happening; best hit google I guess.

Edit: found it! Kelowna Seedy Saturday, March 9th, 2013
http://www.plantingseedsproject.ca/links.php

[Glacier]

Who's stuff is coming up?

But there's still 6 inches of snow on the ground (though less than half that in Kelowna)!

[Queen K]

A neighbour on Fuller Ave has flowers blooming already.

[Queen K]

I know where there is a blue Himilayan poppy, but it's not in Kelowna.

[Lady tehMa]

NICE!

I have about 3-4 inches of snow on my garden in the back, southern exposure. I was looking in my front garden, under the trees, hoping to see bulbs poking forth. Nope. But what I did find was a little vinca flower! Snow doesn't get under the trees unless I put it there (and I did put some, it melted). Still crossing my fingers for those bulbs though, and hoping. Also, my english daisies look like they're getting close to blooming. I thought my winter aconite would be first up, but apparently not!