July 18, 2011

garden event

This is an event we will hold at our Community Gardens this Thursday evening. We welcome any gardeners, would-be gardeners, or anyone interested in beekeeping to join us. PLEASE JOIN US! July 21 (Thursday) at 6/6:30 p.m. Joan Teebagy – Bees at Rock Meadow (more info) BELMONT COMMUNITY VICTORY GARDEN SUMMER GATHERINGS Join other gardeners for a BYO picnics, fun, and informative presentation. Bring your own lawn chairs. Picnic will start on the hour and the presentation half an hour later. Feel free to bring something to share. Heavy rain…

July 18, 2011

fledged robins

The robins from the nest outside my kitchen window fledged yesterday. On Friday morning, first thing after I turned on the coffee pot, I looked out and the nest was full of two big robin chicks chirping and mouths open. Mom and Dad Robin were in the yard scurrying round and just generally being great parents. And then Saturday morning I hit the coffee button and went to the window and the nest was empty. No note, no babies hanging around the yard. 🙁 Oh well. The season moves on.…

July 17, 2011

butterfly milkweed

It was a big surprise to me to find this bright orange Butterfly Weed today! A few years ago (2008) I bought seeds of Asclepias tuberosa, a native orange milkweed. I raised a couple small plants and tucked then in a few different spots in my garden. Then I forgot about them. I never expected then to survive. What a joy!

July 16, 2011

covered crops

I have a couple patches covered with garden fabric this summer. One is broccoli, the other kale. At first I covered them because of the baby rabbits. Then my husband and son were so nice to put up chicken wire abound my garden to keep the cute bunny out. I left the row cover on the protect the plants from white cabbage butterflies. I am admiring how well my wood planks work as walking paths, patch dividers, AND row fabric holders. Almost time to remove them I think because the…

June 30, 2011

garden work

It was a beautiful hot dry morning after a good rain last night. Today’s garden work:WeedString up the tomato vinesAdmire the giant potato bushesTry to aim the squashes up the trellisCheck on the bagged apples and pearsHarvest half of my garlic, wash and lay out to dry

June 28, 2011

sunflowers under bulletin board

I found some nice Teddy bear sunflowers in a garden store last weekend and bought plants to go under our community garden bulletin board. I had these in my plot last year. They stay short but fill out and keep blooming.

June 24, 2011

rock garden

My patio garden…. Rocks are from the beach last year….

June 23, 2011

community garden pot-luck lunch

We had a fun community garden event last Saturday. Judy arranged it. A pot luck lunch to celebrate the summer solstice. Gardeners brought salads from their gardens. Dianne and Glenn brought a fantastic cauliflower and dill salad, I brought garlic scape pesto, Judy made harvest bread, there was also a big bowl of fresh picked lettuce a gardener brought. I will post my scape recipe soon and hopefully Diane’s cauliflower recipe too. We also did am impromptu seedling share. Katherine had strawberry and magenta silene divisions. I was very happy…

June 22, 2011

young melon seedlings

I tucked my melons under the garlic this year. It’s my third year trying (unsuccessfully so far) to get a fully grown ripe melon. I think this will be the year. The garlic will come out in a few weeks and then the melons can have free run. I’m going to find tomato supports for each hill of melons. I have 7 varieties / 7 hills this year: Melon, Charantais, Savor F1Melon, Charantais, Edonis F1Melon, Anne ArundelMelon, San JuanWatermelon, Ice Box MickeyleeWatermelon, YellowWatermelon, Red Sugar Baby It seems to me…

June 21, 2011

robin nest

I found the robin’s nest. I knew it was near by. Turns out, its about 5 feet from my kitchen window. We’ve had four birds nesting in our 30 x 40 foot back yard this spring: a wren, house sparrows, cardinal and this robin.

weeks and counting until my last spring frost