A semi-productive weekend

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Sandi

It was a semi-productive weekend–I didn’t actually get any gardening done, but I did get a couple of other, related things accomplished.

We drove up to Ada to the Laughing Earth Nursery and bought our tomatoes.  We picked up a dozen different heirloom varieties–they have such a huge selection there!  I chose a yellow one, an orange one, a couple of reds, and of course a yellow pear and a couple of different cherry tomatoes.

The rest of the weekend was pretty busy, so they are still sitting there, waiting to be planted.

Flats of seedlings waiting for planting

I’m sure they will wait there patiently until I have time to plant them, but I’m hoping it will be soon.  I know it’s hard on them to have irregular watering (it’s hard to keep such small containers evenly watered). But life always tends to intrude on my gardening plans.

So they will wait. . . and I’ll get them in eventually. :)

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Hopeful for the weekend

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Sandi

I have high hopes for getting some gardening done this weekend, and it looks like the weather might just be perfect (knock on wood).

I have LOTS of dandelions to dig out (I just hate those buggers) and some other weeds to take care of.  I have shrubs that could use trimming, although this is actually’s Trevor’s job; he’s got a new electric trimmer he’s been dying to use. I also have lots of veggies left to plant.

I know it’s a bit early yet for most veggies, but we have some “Wall-o-waters” that we use around our tomatoes if we get them in early (that almost never happens!) so we could actually plant tomatoes if we were able to pick some up.

It’s so nice to be able to be out and about again–the weather has just been fantastic this spring.

Here is a picture of our newly tilled vegetable garden last Saturday.  If you would have told me, when I first started gardening, that the sight of all that freshly tilled dirt would fill me with such pleasure and excitement, I would have thought you were crazy. . . now I know better. :)

Vegetable garden (just ignore the weeds!)

 

 

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Busy busy

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Sandi

I must apologize for my paucity of posts lately (haha). . . it was nuts at work through Sunday, then I started a new job yesterday.  Add a new computer into the mix (I don’t know how to do photos on it yet) and you have my failure to post since May 2.

I do have news to share, but I’m afraid I can’t do a photo yet at this point.  I also have photos to post, however, so I am hoping I will triumph over my new computer soon.

The good news is, on Saturday I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and I actually got my potatoes, asparagus, and beet seeds planted. (I know, I couldn’t believe it, either!)  So that feels great–and I couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt to be digging in the dirt again.

Anyway, I promise, I will share photos of the beautiful, freshly tilled vegetable garden as soon as I can.

I hope your week is not quite as eventful as mine has been! :)

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What’s looking good

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Sandi

I was out last night and sort of marveling at how many things are blooming and coming up.  I got a nice shot of our young but beautiful Red Splendor Crabapple.

Red Splendor Crab

And a shot of something we discovered a few weeks ago–we have no idea what it is, but it seems to be fairly happy. . . anybody out there recognize this guy?  Tree? Shrub? Weed?

Mystery plant

The Rembrandt tulips in the backyard are also looking stunning at the moment.

Rembrandt tulips

As I mentioned on Monday, it’s quite a work-week for me this week, so I’m not promising a Friday blog entry. . . I will do what I can.  But after Commencement is over on Sunday my life will calm down and I will try to put a little more time into my blogging.  Thanks for reading anyway! :)

 

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No-gardening weekend

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Sandi

Well the weather didn’t really cooperate, so we got no gardening done this weekend–Trevor was hoping to till the vegetable garden on Friday and I had hopes of planting asparagus and potatoes on Friday or Saturday. . . . but apparently it just wasn’t meant to be.

I had a work thing on Saturday and Trevor was down helping out at the lake place, so Saturday was kind of a bust, anyway–it’s probably good the weather wasn’t beautiful or we’d have really felt like we should be out in the gardens.

My new potatoes that came in the mail about a month ago are apparently raring to go.

New potatoes

And the old potatoes from last year are starting to look like they’re going to take over the whole basement pretty soon.

Last year's potatoes

They are really looking scary.  If anyone wants some nice purple potatoes to plant, just let me know.

I spent part of yesterday making Beef Tagine and couscous for three of my favorite girls–aren’t they just too cute??

(The one in the middle belongs to me.) :)

This week at work is going to be a killer, but I’ll try to post as I usually do.  I’ll probably need it as therapy, anyway. ;)

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One last Arb post

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Sandi

I just had so many beautiful photos from our trip to the Arboretum last weekend that I have to share a few more. . . I will have something more original on Monday, I promise. ;)

Here are some gorgeous tulips–they had SO many different kinds and colors that it was just incredible.  But I thought these were particularly pretty.

Tulips

There were also a lot of really cool things there that weren’t actually plants–I thought this gate and this fence were so fabulous!

Cool gate

Nifty fence

And they had a large-ish area with espaliered fruit trees–I’ve always thought these looked really cool but I don’ think I’d ever have the patience to do it (or a reason to, really). :)

Espaliered fruit trees

Well, we’ve got our hands on a tiller (thanks, Ann and Jeff!) and I think Trevor’s going to till the vegetable garden this afternoon. Perhaps I will have the time and motivation to plant my potatoes and asparagus.

Happy weekend gardening to you! :)

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More from the Arboretum

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Sandi

I had so many great photos from the Arboretum from our trip last weekend that I just have to share some more. . . as I mentioned, I couldn’t believe everything that was already blooming down there.

Emperor tulips

Trevor was so impressed with these beautiful tulips, he thinks we should buy some for our yard (the foliage in front is some other plant–not the tulip foliage).  They really are beautiful–they were in the conservatory, and it’s hard to get an idea of how absolutely huge they were from this picture.

Redbud

There were Redbud trees all over the place–I’ll have to do some checking, but I don’t think they are reliably hardy in our zone here in Moorhead–I’m thinking if they were, we would see some of them (they sure are beautiful!).

Daffodils and hyacinths

These dark hyacinths were gorgeous with the yellow daffodils–I just love the scent of hyacinths–it did smell absolutely wonderful there.

More pictures on Friday–I’ve got just a few more that I have to share.  In the mean time, hope you’re having a good week! :)

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Board meeting

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Sandi

On Thursday after work Trevor and I left town so I could attend a Friday meeting of the MN State Master Gardener Advisory Board at the arboretum.

The meetings are always interesting, and the people are great, but I’m not gonna lie. . . the best part is walking around the arboretum after the meeting.  We DID bring the camera this time, and we did get some nice shots–I couldn’t believe all the stuff that was already blooming down there in the south. ;)   At home my daffodils have barely started, and I have one tulip about to bloom, but at the arb everything is going full bore.  I have some photos to share. . . you may be getting these all week, who knows. ;)

Orchid

There was an orchid show going on, and there were some amazing orchids in the conservatory–here’s one more.

Orchid

Outside the tulips were amazing.

Tulips

And more tulips

There was also a sculpture that I couldn’t resist. . . I tried to get Trevor to do some performance art, but he was having none of it.  So I had to do it myself.

No caption necessary

We also had some quality time with some great friends and some shoe shopping (always a win for me) so it was a great weekend.  Now back to the grind!  Happy Monday! :)

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Garden day booty

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Sandi

So, as you may know, I attended the Garden Day workshop in Grand Forks on Saturday.

Well, I made a couple of purchases that I just have to share with you–I’ve got such a weakness for garden art!

Metal birdies

I just loved these little birdies–you probably know of my weakness for birds, too, and I just couldn’t resist them (especially since they were a measly FIVE DOLLARS).  Aren’t they adorable?  I’m not sure that this is their permanent home, but I had to stick them somewhere while I decide on their final placement.

Metal heron

Then there was this beautiful metal heron (at least I think that’s what it is)–I loved the white color and I also loved the cattails.  This piece, also, is probably not yet in it’s permanent home, but I’ve got a few possibilities.  I do like the way it stands out against the blue house and the darker shrubs behind it (which you can’t really see in this photograph, partly because the shrubs haven’t actually leafed out yet–haha!).

Daffodils

Then, I had to share the beautiful daffodils that are blooming right now–if last year is an indication, I should have about another 6 weeks or so of daffodils.  I love their bright yellow cheeriness!

It’s been a crazy week so just a short post–but I wanted to share my fun new garden art acquisitions.

And tomorrow after work I’m off to the cities for another MN State Master Gardener Advisory Board meeting, so no post again until Monday. . . but I promise I will actually bring my camera this time and take some pictures to share with you after I get back. :)

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A beautiful day

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Sandi

Wasn’t Saturday just amazing?

I was almost wishing I hadn’t signed up for Garden Day in Grand Forks. . . almost. ;)

My fabulous gardening friend Ann and I had a wonderful time–although I must admit that, for me, the best part of the day was the great conversation we had on the drive there and back.

But Paul James was fun to see–I’ve been watching his show for years and have always thought he seemed like a really fun guy–he is!  It was good to see him in person.

The class we took in digital photography in the garden was interesting–I’d have to say, I was hoping it would be a bit more advanced, but with such a huge topic I find I always learn at least one or two new things.

Ann and I went a little nuts at one of the vendor booths–they were selling garden art pieces made from scrap metal. . . she bought three big metal items and I bought two. We did get them in the trunk of her car, though, so that was a relief.  I will share a photo later this week. . . it’s been quite the whirlwind around here lately.

One of the other best parts of Saturday was that I was home by 3:00 and actually had some time to putter around the yard a bit–and WHAT a beautiful day for that!  The weather was just amazing.  I did some weeding, pulled some grass, set out the rabbit traps, and then had a beer and did a little reading on the deck. If only every day could be like that! :)

And here’s a little something that’s blooming in my garden now–I just love these little blue Iris reticulata. So cheery and bright!

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