Garden Through the Seasons 2008

[balkandina]

So, I know most gardeners are itching to get into the garden-and some of you southerners are already started But this is what the garden at Chez Funkrustico looks like around now

back veggie garden and strawbale house

front cottage garden

rock garden

And the view from the front yard that makes all the long winter okay

[bigyellowtaxi]

Hey! I recognize that unmistakable view!  I grew up in that city.   

Pretty winter garden!

[balkandina]

Hey-it's America's Peak!!!

[longtimegeek]

Hey! I recognize that unmistakable view!  I grew up in that city.   

Pretty winter garden!

Bigyellowtaxi, you stole my post!  I am in Larkspur - there just something unmistakable about that big ole mountain. 

[balkandina]

Of course as soon as that snow started to melt we got more snow last night Not too much and it gives me time to peruse the latest David Austin Rose catalog

[ptarmic wumpus]

The high winds took care of most of the remaining snow cover.

The bad plot, covered with cardboard and leafy mulch. The strawberries under the polyspun in the near corner are actually still green.


All of the plots are brown. My camera batteries gave out at this point, so I didn't get a photo of my other plot, but it just has some limp onions and a few scraggly herbs. Some of the horehound is holding on, as well as the rosemary and lavendar (this is the second winter for both).


What this summer's garden looks like right now:

consisting of:
pisum sativum (varietar for pea shoots)
yardlong bean (vigna unguiculata 'Sesquipedalis') var. Red Stripe Seed
chinese cabbage (brassica campestris var chinensis) var. Fong San Improved
Holy basil, red leaf (ocimum tenuiflorum Linn)
chinese cabbage (brassica campestric var chinensis) Frilled Leaf TW
chin-chiang cabbage (brassica campestric var chinensis) Green Baby
choy sum ((brassica campestric var chinensis)) Canton Extra Dwarf
gai lan (brassica oleracea alboglabra) Blue Star
chinese mustard (brassica juncea) Peacock Tail
thai chili (capsicum annuum)
oriental squash (cucurbita) Hybrid Baby Delica

I'll be getting some zucchini and other squash seeds locally, and buying tomato, tomatillo, artichoke, and maybe hot pepper (if I can find the varietar I want, and I usually can't) as small plants in May. Oh, and I need to order a lily, I'm going to try a miniature tub lily instead of lotus this year.  The dwarf papyrus is doing ok overwintering in my house, I think it might make it to spring.

In the meantime, I found a coffee carafe at the thrift store and am going to turn it into a mini terrarium.

[balkandina]

The snow is finally melting this weekend down here-we had the wind,too. It's great you got the rosemary to overwinter so far. I covered mine with a bucket during the deep freeze (along with hay mulch) and would love to see it survive.
My leeks are still in the ground and mulched-I'll dig them up soon.

[Longelegantlegs]

Woohoo, I found it!

Well, I'm starting my herbs in a big half barrel; Right now all I've got is parsley and some chives. I took both ends off a couple of coffee cans and I'm using those to seperate the plants and give them different heights. Tomorrow I'm going to start my cilantro and maybe some lavendar.


That big poof of green on the left is some buttercrunch lettuce and some spinach, which are going to get planted in the yard plot, except for the ones I'm going to try to raise as houseplants.



Nothing survived the winter but my patchouli plant, sadly, and he's looking pretty depressed right now.

[graced]

Oooh, just seeing the herbs makes me itchy to start planting!!! I have a few little sprigs grown from seed that are in the window, but they're a LONG way from being edible.

I think most of my patchouli has made it out of winter alive, as has rosemary and lavender and two big bunches of flat-leaf parsley grown in pots on the porch. I had a Christmas surprise volunteer dill come up and I've been protecting it--and eating it--ever since. Otherwise, I'm herb-less, and sad about it.

Now I'm anxious to go spend the gift card to a great nursery that I got from hubby for Christmas!

Thank you for starting my morning with happy thoughts! 

[Longelegantlegs]

Aw, I'm glad it brightened your day!
Something about little seedlings sprouting in my kitchen makes me feel all Mother Earth-y and happy too.
Of course, now the weather channel is saying high winds and heavy rain tomorrow, so I have to figure out a way to move that stupid heavy barrel INSIDE now...