Gardening Is So Exciting - by Sunscape

Between using #hydroponics, #towergardens, and #growbags I have to admit that I am having a lot of fun gardening this year. Usually, I grow most of my vegetables directly in the ground. However this year I am investing more in using verticle space to maximize the harvest potential.



The lettuce from the first round of hydroponics has been picked, eaten, and enjoyed. Since it starts to get too warm in the greenhouse at this time of year I moved the lettuce seedlings outside.

After rinsing and cleaning out the bin and pool noodles, I refilled the bin with rain water and added nutrients to the water. Next, it was time to rinse the soil from the Arugula roots and put them in the noodles. After one day, the seedlings had acclimated to the new setting and were growing new leaves.



I finally planted shallots around the edge of one of the raised beds. So finally all the Allium family are in their forever home for the season.



I was lying in bed earlier in the week and had a thought. I have this frame where I hang my hammock underneath a tree. The funny thing is I rarely lay in the hammock. It tends to bother my back, so, I thought why not set it up to raise peas. I had a long board and plenty of twine so I got to work and made a vertical trellis for the peas to climb.



I soaked the peas for a few hours until they were plump and planted a row on each side of the board right in front of each line of twine.

I am waiting for the seeds to pop up and start climbing. I thought the tree would offer some cool shade to help the peas flower and produce longer. If this works out I will do this every spring to get a nice start on growing peas. I don't usually bother as our weather turns hot quickly and peas prefer cooler temps.



All the perennials are emerging in the butterfly garden. I did some light weeding and top-dressed with all-purpose fertilizer and leaf compost. Then I planted the Foxglove seedlings I had started back in February. They took beautifully to being planted out and should put on a pretty display later this summer.

I can put out the zinnias and border plants as soon as it warms up. I can't wait to see how it will fill in with all the extra flowers I grew this year.



The hot and sweet peppers are almost ready to plant. They are loving the hot days in the sunny greenhouse.



The tomato plants are getting large and next week I may just plant them in the vegetable garden. Our nighttime temperatures are going to stay above 45°F so they should do well.



I did start a few slicing tomatoes early so I would have a head start on produce. I did end up planting them up into gallon pots.



All the hanging baskets are starting to set buds and will soon be in full bloom. Just in time for putting them out in May.



I am unsure if I am happy with this variety of petunia. It is a robust plant and I wonder how well it will do in the hanging baskets compared to the ground.



I only had one rhizome from my favorite Iris come back this year. That was very disappointing as it is so beautiful and the fragrance smells like bubblegum. I am hoping for a blossom this year. I know Iris gets borers and I have had it for about 15 years or more.



The parsley and cilantro are growing in the small herb tower garden. I planted radish in the bottom row but they haven't sprouted yet.



I have buds forming on my favorite Lilac tree. It is white with a blush of pink as the flowers age. It's fragrance is indescribable and so delightful I could sit in her presence all morning just to enjoy the scent.



Lastly, the back bank is now top-dressed with the bark nuggets and looks fresh. My husband has been hauling the last few yards of leaf mulch from our driveway and putting it at the back of our property for later use. This my friends ends my post for today and I hope you are having fun in your gardens too.

Until next time, this is Sunscape
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