How is your garden looking today?

Virginia Bluebells in te front are budding (as is the clematis alpina):

The magnolias in full bloom are stunning, a close up:


Below the mags, primroses are blooming (and the japanese painted ferns are starting to unwind.):

Beautiful!

I located my Japanese painted ferns, too, so at least they are OK.

My magnolias are done -- petals on the ground, thassit -- but my virgina bluebells are in full bloom, whole masses of them.

I weeded two yard bags' worth of garlic mustard today -- evil evil stuff, but hoping to get it early enough to stop it from coming back as strongly next year (and will keep planting groundcover to crowd out its growing spaces...)

I cleaned up all the beds around the house. Pulled dead leaves off and out, weeded the dreaded Normway Maple seedlings. I noticed that the variegated (pineapple) mint is spreading rapidly around the small magnolia bed. Don't know if that's a good thing......

Planted tomatoes, green peppers, crookneck squash, zucchini and eggplant in barrels today. Transplanted monkey grass. Still brawling with hubby about the hostas I planted over a week ago in the front yard. I want to put down a layer of pine nuggets but a couple of the new plantings are 'outside of the line' of an adjoining border and instead of bumping the line out to include the two outsiders, my husband is insisting that we move the plants back but if we do that, they will then crowd the back row of plants so, until we come to an agreement (or one of us caves), the new hosta beds remain undressed.

Azarea in the garden (4/17/2006)..

Pretty!

Got two more yard bags of garlic mustard yesterday. I'm almost there, though, and hope to get them before they seed (they're already starting to flower). I'm hoping next year will be much better.

Wow, soz, that is impressive!

This is close to what I've been dealing with:



I mean, just masses of them. And they grow at this incredible clip!!!

But when I get rid of them, there's a fair amount of good ol' steady ivy and vinca underneath, so I'm hoping those guys will leap unto the breach.

Yuck!

Yep!

Wow. It's a shame they're such a rampant weed, soz. They look so lush & healthy!
Good luck with the massacre!

Completely devoid of morels.

Weather has been crappy and will be this way for the rest of the week :-(

I'm a raw newbie at this, but I want to put in a little vegetable garden.
I was thinking of starting with peppers.
I plan on getting some seedlings and transplanting them.

Suggestions?

I have some but I have to run to a meeting. I'll be back.

Thanks, cjhsa.

OK, peppers love rich, well drained soil and lots of water. Unlike tomatoes, too much water won't usually cause the flowers to fall off. In fact, you'll probably need to thin the peppers so you don't get a bunch of little ones, at least for the larger varieties. Plant in full sun if possible, but at least 8 hours a day.

When you prepare the soil, mix in a good amount of steer manure and a time released fertilizer. I can't tell you what kind I use because for some reason the gods of A2K think I work for a fertilizer company... Oh well, it's all good. If possible, check the soil PH and make sure it's fairly neutral.

Plant hot peppers away from sweet peppers to prevent cross pollination.

When I had a garden, I always planted at least four each of jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, and poblano, and at least six sweet peppers such as green, yellow, and purple bell. There are also some sweet exotic orange banana types that offer awesome flavor.

That's all there is too it. Plant away and enjoy the harvest.

Good stuff, cjhsa.
I see you're in a cold weather state, too. When would you put the seedlings in?

Here, not until at least June 1.

(Apr. 23, 2006)