Saturday the Mr. and the Mrs. dug holes for 18 roses, transplanted 6 and planted 12 bare root roses. The bare roots were fancy and expensive from David Austin Roses. The digging was hard, the planting less difficult and we used up all of my topsoil bags. There are still some manure bags left. This took about 4 solid hours. The Mr. went out to buy some much while the Mrs went to buy dinner. Today (Monday) the Mrs. heaped mulch and watered the 18 roses and planted a Currant "cherry" at the corner of berry row.
The rose varieties are in order of planting left to right from the street:
Mr. Lincoln, Jubilee Celebration, Tahitian Sunset, Pink Simplicity, Mr. Lincoln, Pink Simplicity, Carding Mill, Jubilee Celebration, Jubilee Celebration, Carding Mill, Pink Simplicity, Mr. Lincoln, Pink Simplicity, Carding Mill, Mr. Lincoln, Yellow Tea, Pink Simplicity, Brother Cadfael
Pink Simplicity (tea rose) and the unidentified yellow tea-rose are transplants from elsewhere in the gardens.
Tahitian Sunset and Mr Lincoln are tea roses from David Austen.
Jubilee Celebration and Brother Cadfael are English roses from David Austin and Carding Mill are Own Root English roses from David Austin.
The Mr. Insisted on the red Mr. Lincoln Tea roses and the Mrs. only chose Brother Cadfael because of the name and color. She really wanted to get Lady Emma Hamiltons and Christopher Marlowes as for their names as well but the Marlowes weren't pretty enough to make the harsh cut and the Lady Emma Hamiltons are peach and there were too many peaches in the order already.
The Mrs. thinks that Starlings really needs a "Mrs. Miniver" rose but can't find where to buy one.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
More spring plantings
Tuesday began with a trip to the hardware store for 10 bags of sterilized steer manure and 10 bags of top soil. Miniature princess emblazoned gloves were purchased for Nutmeg and a kneeling pad for myself.
Then we went to Farmington Gardens and purchased bare root strawberries, a concord grape, a boysenberry, some freesia bulbs, and silverskin garlic.
Then we stopped at Aloha Feed and longed over the Americauna chicks and bought a haybale and a variety of seed potatoes.
After lunch the grape and boysenberry were planted in Berry Row and corner bed on the south side of the drive was attended to. The sod was shaved off, the retaining wall rebuilt and the soil broken up. 2 bags of top soil were added and 3 dahlias, the freesia bulbs and 36 ranunculus were planted.
On Wednesday I was up early with the sunshine. I planted seed potatoes from last year's harvest and organic potatoes from the winter that had gone to seed in the North bed near the front door. 5 holes were planted and and I added fresh soil on top of the rhubarb in the corner as it looked like it was growing in a pit.
I also laid out where the roses and tomatoes would be planted in the bed along the drive. Then I added 2 bags of manure and 2 bags of topsoil to that bed. This in addition to the lime that was added on Saturday.
Still unsure about the east bed for the strawberries and thinking I should keep them where they were last year. Trying to find places for the remaining seed potatoes, garlic and remaining onions. Still need to find a place for a mint patch and decide where to move the thymes to.
Need to start indoor seeds including impatiens.
Then we went to Farmington Gardens and purchased bare root strawberries, a concord grape, a boysenberry, some freesia bulbs, and silverskin garlic.
Then we stopped at Aloha Feed and longed over the Americauna chicks and bought a haybale and a variety of seed potatoes.
After lunch the grape and boysenberry were planted in Berry Row and corner bed on the south side of the drive was attended to. The sod was shaved off, the retaining wall rebuilt and the soil broken up. 2 bags of top soil were added and 3 dahlias, the freesia bulbs and 36 ranunculus were planted.
On Wednesday I was up early with the sunshine. I planted seed potatoes from last year's harvest and organic potatoes from the winter that had gone to seed in the North bed near the front door. 5 holes were planted and and I added fresh soil on top of the rhubarb in the corner as it looked like it was growing in a pit.
I also laid out where the roses and tomatoes would be planted in the bed along the drive. Then I added 2 bags of manure and 2 bags of topsoil to that bed. This in addition to the lime that was added on Saturday.
Still unsure about the east bed for the strawberries and thinking I should keep them where they were last year. Trying to find places for the remaining seed potatoes, garlic and remaining onions. Still need to find a place for a mint patch and decide where to move the thymes to.
Need to start indoor seeds including impatiens.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spring at Starlings
Today there was much work done on the grounds. The sad, shabby roses from the bed that runs along the drive were removed, taking care to preserve the daffodils and irises growing amongst them. The earth was amended and turned and is awaiting more soil and new roses. This summer tomatoes are planned for this bed as well.
The 5 cherry trees were trimmed and the twigs brought inside to force the blooms. I left a bucket of free trimmings for all want to take them. I took a bunch to a neighbor.
The war against lupines forged ahead in the Battle of the First Spring. Many lupine lives were lost. The hand trowel had to call in the spade for reninforcement but ultimately Starlings won the skirmish with only a few sore muscles. Many dandelions and weeds were also killed.
Some of the heather in Berry Row were trimmed back to make way for future plantings of grapes.
Most importantly I crossed the Orchard and met our neighbor, Sue. She told me a great deal of history of Starlings. I hope to speak with her again.
The 5 cherry trees were trimmed and the twigs brought inside to force the blooms. I left a bucket of free trimmings for all want to take them. I took a bunch to a neighbor.
The war against lupines forged ahead in the Battle of the First Spring. Many lupine lives were lost. The hand trowel had to call in the spade for reninforcement but ultimately Starlings won the skirmish with only a few sore muscles. Many dandelions and weeds were also killed.
Some of the heather in Berry Row were trimmed back to make way for future plantings of grapes.
Most importantly I crossed the Orchard and met our neighbor, Sue. She told me a great deal of history of Starlings. I hope to speak with her again.
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