Thursday, May 30, 2019

Spring Gardening Update

Winter carrots and beets gone wild!
Wayne and I got home after six weeks away from our Powell Lake float cabin home. When we left it was early spring and my winter vegetables in the floating garden were good to pick and eat. The weather was cool and rain was plentiful.

While we were gone the temperature rose and rain diminished, only one inch while we were gone. Our good friend John came twice to water, but everything was bone dry by the time we arrived.

My garlic fared well with the dry conditions.

I was amazed at how well the plants were doing under such harsh conditions. For the last three days I've been cleaning up deck containers and the floating garden.

Perennials on the transition float, blueberries and herbs.

Unlike previous years, I won't have a summer garden. I'll maintain my perennials including blueberries, a red currant, herbs, my Dracaena Spike Plants that are getting ready to bloom again, four small cedar and fir trees, and a few containers of volunteer flowers. This will allow Wayne and me to do more cruising on the chuck in our ocean boat.

The floating garden half done.

Watering will still be needed, but not as much and not as often. Plus, it will be good for my soil to lie fallow and allow some of the pests to die off or move on to greener pastures.

Have you even taken a year off from gardening? How did it go for you? -- Margy

18 comments:

  1. The garden really good. PLUS you are so lucky to have a non growing season. where I live it does slow down a bit but then a whole new crop of weeds and problems start growing that prefer the cooler weather. Of course some good things prefer it cooler - strawberries are a winter crop!

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    1. Our winter season puts everything on hold thank goodness. Frost takes care of a lot of things like weeds and my flowers of course. Spring is usually pretty easy, but I let things get out of hand while we were away. Now I'm paying the price. - Margy

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  2. I think this is my off year. Although I am still gardening almost none of the seeds I have started in the green house germinated so I did by sets to put in my containers. We did plant a few tomatoes that we got from Bob's son. I am done---just weeding to do.
    MB

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    1. With all the heat forecast for this summer it might be a good one to cut back on. - Margy

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  3. What luck that things did survive. I am taking a break from gardening this year - not by choice, though our daughters have planted pansies and will soon pot up some geraniums so at least I'll have some pretty flowers to look at. Maybe even some chives - I do love having fresh chives. Happy week ahead and happy cruising about the chuck.

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    1. I understand with your health issues it is a good year to cut back. But flowers do perk us up and take very little work in containers. - Margy

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  4. Never seen a blooming Dracaensa before - stunning! Never seen a floating herb garden either :) So interesting. Your garlics look fine!

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    1. This year I will get one blooming spike on one plant and two on the other. I'll write a post about them once they open. After each bloom dies the plant branches. - Margy

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  5. The garden is looking good Margy. I'm eliminating annual planting this year, going for more maintenance free type gardening. I do still have a few tubs of tomatoes and beans, but not nearly as many as in previous years. Enjoy your summer adventures on the chuck and in your RV.

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    1. It was a sad feeling to virtually everything from the floating garden. I've used it every year since 2002. - Margy

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  6. I love that you're growing trees in containers. I transplanted our 2-ft. olive tree into a larger vessel the other day. I'm focusing on maintaining the flowers in the yard this year. Maybe next year I'll put in a veggie garden, if we have another good winter rain.

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    1. I keep my trees in small pots to stunt their growth. Large heavy pots on the cabin deck are a problem for us. - Margy

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  7. Very nice! sadly I suck at gardening or it is just my period of life. I always forget to water everything and then it dies.

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    1. I've learned a lot just by experimenting. Indoor plants are where I really suck. - Margy

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  8. Margy - it's always interesting to see what a garden does when left to its own devices for a while. Sounds like a good idea to get in some more recreation for yourselves while letting the soil lie fallow. I have not had a vegetable garden for YEARS, so yes, I suppose I have taken a major break from it. LOL.

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    1. I'll keep up with the weeds and the spreading mint if I don't pull it out. My guess is that the soil will just dry out and hopefully not blow away. - Margy

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  9. I haven't been gardening very long, but I never thought about letting the ground rest. I guess every 7 years would be perfect :)
    My Corner of the World

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    1. Thanks for hosting. I've been enjoying all of your blogger friends. - Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy