More accomplished in the garden...

First to start off, I haven't uploaded a picture of the pond in while or maybe ever - I was checking it out today - mostly looking for growth on of the weeping willow tree on the island - the area is very saturated right now, but the tree is doing great - getting big!The plant below is from a bulb that I planted last fall. I actually put three of them in my front bed. I just can not for the life of me remember what exactly they are. I usually hold onto the package tags so I can refer back, but I must have tossed them this time...when it blooms I'll be suprised I guess. Kind of fun in a way. The new tulips in the front yard have opened up to show their beautiful colors, a light ballet pink (with purple rhody blossoms in the background) and a gorgeous magental purple.

The sunshine today meant the orchard has even more blossoms than before. The picture below is my nectarine tree - the branch pictured is being "trained" horizontal with twine attached to stakes - this is to encourage more buds and therefore fruit! The gorgeous blossoms below are on an Asian Pear tree. I can't get over how pretty they are!

I put together a temporary trellis today...I'm growing green beans and sweet peas on it this season. I started by pounding large stakes into the ground.Then I fitted a net over and attached the ends of the net with smaller stakes. I also strung twine around the two larger stakes.

I think the next portion of this post is going to be gratuitously in honor of Figaro...he absolutely loves hanging out in the garden with me. One of my reasons for getting a cat originally was to have someone to hang out in the garden with me. Lately he has been taking naps in the greenhouse, the warm temperature in there is cozy, I wish I could curl up out there for a nap... The asparagus went in...it has to be planted in a trench that is slowly filled as the tips grow...the first year I can't pick any of the spears - to do so would apparently inhibit root growth, but the longer investment will be worth it, I like asparagus.

The radishes have also been planted. My mother-in-law recommended diazanon(?) to keep worms out of the radishes - I had that issue last year...BUT apparently it is not sold anymore - too toxic. When I found this out I was at the local hardware store...the gentleman who was helping me told me that "old-timers" used salt to keep worms out of their radishes. So that's what I'm trying this year - I like the solution, salt is natural, I put it on my food all the time, it's hopefully a better solution - I guess no solution is better than a solution that is toxic!

The husband offered to put up some more rows for me to plant in...in May I will put corn, zucchini, butternut squash, cucumbers, and a few other items in those rows. Can I tell you how much faster it is to put the rows up with the tractor - I spent more hours than I want to remember last year doing the same thing that took him minutes to finish.

By the way, with all of the gardening I've been up to, I have not had the chance to do any sewing recently - and I miss it!! This weekend is going to be (mostly) devoted to spending time on some sewing projects and making up for lost time. I have several more jute coffee sacks that the husband has collected from a local coffee roaster (they are all fair trade sacks)...I am dying to start turning them into cool stuff!