The 2020 Garden, Landscape, and Other Stuff Thread...

LEGION 12 said:
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Been pretty pleased with my two City Pickers planters. They provide some versatility in terms of container gardening. Both are in use. One has onions and the other a new planting of celery. Both seem to be doing well.

In other gardening stuff, my planting of red beets this year has been a failure. Only a few germinated for reasons I do not know other than junk seed dated 2020. I'm going to replant but it is a bit late to be planting something like that here.

Later: I replanted the red beets but I am not optimistic about them. Also planted some yellow squash that I like to eat.

My tomatoes have been planted for a couple weeks now. They are doing okay.
 
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LEGION 12 said:
Japanese maple is 3 years old today .
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I have one of those in my front yard (Bloodgood Japanese Maple). It has been about 20-24 years since I planted it. Really nice tree!! Makes a great accent and not a tree that is going to tower over your house and you'll have to cut down. The trunk on mine is probably a good 6 inches across. My latest one in the back yard (Laceleaf variety) is not as big as yours and this is it's second year in my yard. I refuse to spend $500 on a bigger Jap Maple.
 
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Shed's up - now I can make the wind-wrecked 10 X 20 original tarp shed into a nice working area with (you guessed it) a new 20 x 28 plain tarp. What a pleasure to not see and hear the original one flapping in the breeze. Not impressed with uv protection on the original considering the cost to replace it which is not my plan. This one is 7 x 7 with double doors and nicely peaked (snow shedding) roof

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Mower started up easily. Battery is stored indoors all winter and with a trickle charge just started up right away. Of course there was a snug nest under the hood that needed removing. First time I've found snakeskin incorporated into nesting materials ... and along with lots of Daisy fur in the top layer. Critters know their insulation and weather-proofing stuff :thumbsup:

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Something cleaned the hummer feeder overnight ... suspect that racoon with the sweet tooth that came same time last year. Chickadees are using the sugar water all the time and also are sipping from the birdbath set out now. Last year first hummer sighting was on the 6th of May ... waiting, watching :)

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Finally some warm daytime temps are upon us - still freezing temps every night. It is true spring when the winds die down and the sun shines like today.

Happy gardening all. Dodge that bug.
 
First hummingbird sighting of 2020 - 7:53 am this morning at the feeder ... temp at 0.7 C ... and I checked to make sure the sugar water was not frozen after it left. I didn't have time for the binoculars to see if it was male or female, but my visual impression is that the first visitor is a female.
 
taldesta said:
First hummingbird sighting of 2020 - 7:53 am this morning at the feeder ... temp at 0.7 C ... and I checked to make sure the sugar water was not frozen after it left. I didn't have time for the binoculars to see if it was male or female, but my visual impression is that the first visitor is a female.
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Believe it or not, I still haven't seen one at my house.

Some frost potential here on Saturday morning.... it is very unusual to say the least this late. I got another tomato plant (1 gallon-Burpee Whopper variety) to plant in my garden. Think I'll wait until next week to plant it.
 
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I've got all kinds of them around, but they're not hitting the feeders much. There's so much blooming right now I doubt they need them.
 
22-rimfire said:
Believe it or not, I still haven't seen one at my house.

Some frost potential here on Saturday morning.... it is very unusual to say the least this late. I got another tomato plant (1 gallon-Burpee Whopper variety) to plant in my garden. Think I'll wait until next week to plant it.
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It's a guy ... I had a much closer look at the hummer when he was tanking up beside me on the feeder as I refilled the bird bath with water. Watching for Busby's return ... and she will come.

Friday overnight is forecast to drop to under 20F here. Even bright days have been windy and biting cold lately. eisman eisman has all the bloomin' warm temps and happy hummingbirds this spring :D Hey, send some heat our way ...
 
... and I swear that I will never plant seeds in tiny plastic squares again, not even to start them. Too much loss on transplanting to larger pots. Also, the weather was so miserable outside where I did the transplanting that I rushed ... and lost the tomato labels. Yikes, the tomatoes I will be harvesting will be interesting, and perhaps even unidentifiable :eek: but they will be heritage at least. I hope.
 
Try using egg cartons instead of those plastic squares. They're biodegradable. Just stick the whole thing in the ground.
 
:thumbsup: ... thanks .... also I like the jiffy pellets and have made some compostable pots from newspaper in past and will try the natural pots too. I don't need many, just a method that doesn't disturb the roots when transplanting up in size. My issue is that I plant too many, too early and must maintain the seedlings indoors for a couple of months (24th May end frost - hope) and size of pot versus window space is limiting. Egg carton starters are outgrown very quickly ...and you're right, very biodegradable and a good material for starting. Gotta get a handle on my gardening in technicolour :rolleyes: in winter ... but it's kind of a Canadian 'end of winter' wish thing.
 
taldesta said:
... and I swear that I will never plant seeds in tiny plastic squares again, not even to start them. Too much loss on transplanting to larger pots. Also, the weather was so miserable outside where I did the transplanting that I rushed ... and lost the tomato labels. Yikes, the tomatoes I will be harvesting will be interesting, and perhaps even unidentifiable :eek: but they will be heritage at least. I hope.
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Our cats yank the little stakes out of my plants. I have a number of amaryllis... (probably a half dozen varieties) have no idea what the variety is any more in each pot and many are similar.

The Smoky Mountains NP is re-opening this coming weekend (9th) so I read. My sister from PA is driving down on Saturday. They didn't even wait for the details of the partial reopening.... just up and coming. This is the month to see the little bear cubs. I will be meeting them early this coming week for a day regardless of what we see together. Not sure how the driving around will work with the virus around.... thinking about driving myself (caravan style... they stop, I stop....). Decisions decisions.... (I usually ride with them.)

The bad thing about that is I have to leave a lot of my gear inside my vehicle and can't really expect them to haul all that stuff. It is almost like taking a hike.... which camera and which lenses will I carry?
 
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slg98 said:
Rhubarb and garlic doing well for such a cold spring.. Snow this Saturday, great..:rolleyes:

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I think both of those actually prefer the cooler temperatures. Things look real healthy. Not many people grow rhubarb any more. I'm in the mood for some rhubarb pie!
 
22-rimfire said:
I think both of those actually prefer the cooler temperatures. Things look real healthy. Not many people grow rhubarb any more. I'm in the mood for some rhubarb pie!
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Yeah I actually started the garlic in my garage last fall and it grew slowly all winter, my first time doing it. My wife loves rhubarb, makes a few different pies with it!

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If egg cartons are too small try using those pint sized milk cartons. Just make sure you cut holes in the bottoms before planting.
 
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