Beautiful Dirt-Filled Sunday

Sunday was a nice day, it wasn't too hot and it looked like we might even get a little rain. So we took advantage of the day and spent some time working in the yard. We started pulling the dandelions from the grass, planted the Aspen tree sapling that my dad gave us last summer and worked on getting the flower bed weeded. Shauna & I bought a bunch of flowers at Home Depot on Saturday & I'll get them planted on Monday evening when I get home from work. We also picked up another Jiffy container & some flower seed and planted those that evening.

These little purple Pansies have showed themselves for the past three years. They'll look a little better once they're not choked by the dandelions.

This is another of my projects. That big brown spot there, it's not dirt. It's a fine layer of little pokey burrs. So my plan is to dig the burrs up and work the dirt. Then I'll take the cinder blocks, stack them (we have more), fill 'em with potting soil and plant in 'em. I envision plants that will drape down the sides of the cinder blocks, creating a littel flowering wall. What does everyone think? Sound like a good idea? I'm open to suggestions...

Here's our little Aspen sapling that my dad gave us last summer. It sat out on the back patio while we tried to figure out where in the yard we wanted to put it. We didn't think it survived the winter, but little green leaves appeared. So I stood in the front yard with everyone and said "Pick a place for the tree! Hurry!" Now it has a new home and hopefully will be very happy there!

Things are popping out all over...

...well maybe not all over, but in my jiffy pots they are!

The 'greenhouse' has been living in the shed since I planted them.

Since I just planted them on Sunday I wasn't expecting anything.

I got a surprise when I lifted the lid off.

Look! Little green specks!

We have a couple of cucumbers sprouting.

And four of the basils are popping out, too!

What I really can't wait for is the zucchini. I see steamed zuch, fried zuch (yeah, I know, not healthy, but yummy), and zucchini bread.

LOTS of zucchini bread!

Double Shot of Home Depot

On Saturday I stopped at Home Depot to get plants.

I couldn't find the veggies.

I didn't look hard enough.

So I bought some seeds and set of jiffy pots.

But I forgot something important.

I forgot the potting soil.

So Sunday I made another trip to town.

Not just for potting soil,

I met my dad, sis and her family for a very tasty breakfast at Toki Ona's.

After my hunger was quenched, Dad and I headed to HD.

I found the veggie plants.

Picked up some strawberries, a Thai basil and an onion chive.

Here's the onion chive.

And the Thai basil. It's really pungent.

And the strawberries.

The empty pot is not empty.

There were lettuce seeds in Shauna's Kraft magazine.

So that's lettuce.

I got the Jiffy Pots started yesterday, too.

Banana Peppers, Cheyenne Peppers, Carrots, Zucchini, Cucumbers and basil.

Cross you fingers.

More Dirt for the Garden

Roomie Jeff found us more dirt for the garden.

From the Fairgrounds.

Dirt, horse poop and hay/alfalfa.

Instant compost!

Jeff & Jesse did the bulk of the work unloading it.

I really appreciate all the work that those 2 are

putting into this little garden effort of mine.

You see, they don't like most veggies.

Jeff, he'll eat brussel sprouts (blech!)

and Jesse will eat raw onion on occassion.

So now the bed is ready for planting.

Finally!

I'll pick up the plants today after work

and get them into the ground.

We'll get this veggie party started!

We had alot of dirt left over, so we used it

to fill in the hole left from having the

septic tank pumped last year.

Jeff also took a wheelbarrow load

across the street to his brother's house.

A Garden Update

Friday I made a trip to Home Depot to pick up

the material I needed for our raised veggie bed.

Here's the first section. Roomie Jeff and I built it on the patio

and carried it over to the spot that we cleared.

Here's Roomie Jeff & Roomie Shauna's son Jesse clearing the weeds that he and Jeff weedeated. And a picture of the finished box. Can't you just see the zuchini and other yummy green goodness spilling over the edge?

Farmer Jeff is hauling dirt from the driveway to the bed.

We need a little bit more dirt then I can start planting my

yummy veggies!

Today I think I will work a little bit on the flower beds in the front of the house.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Garden and other updates

Got dirt yesterday. Good dirt. Already has mulch and some other nutrients or whatever in it.

Here's my dirt. Don't ya just wanna take your shoes off and stick your toes in it? Now all I have to do it buy the materials for the raised bed. Home Depot here I come!

In other news:

Dexie the cat is still M.I.A. Roomie Shauna went to the animal shelter to see if she got picked up, but no luck.

Frick & Frack went to the vet yesterday to get fixed. (Yipee! 2 down, a gazillion to go!)

I went to feed my dad's horse, Tank, yesterday morning. He tried to eat my hair.

That's about all I have for you now...

The Garden...The Offender

Mom asked for some pictures of the noxious weeds that have

invaded the flower bed in the back of the house....

Here are the offenders:

And a good note on the garden front...My friends Ken and Judie have a small landscaping company and are currently relocating their tree nursery. They've offered me a load of already prepared soil to put in my veggie garden! For free! Ok, not really for free, but in payment of designing their business cards. The soil gives me more incentive to build the raised bed this weekend.

Let me also introduce you to some of my neighbors:

This is Gunner. He's the English Spaniel belonging to Tracy and Phil next door.

And this is Gunner's buddy, Buddy, the German Wirehair. He's too rambunctous

to stay still long enough to have his picture taken.

That's all for today!

The Garden

I am yearning to start my gardening, but Mother Nature is just not cooperating with me...I think she must be screening her calls. Our weather here in Elko has been a mish-mash of sunshine, rain and snow. And since it's still dropping down into the 30's at night, I know that everything that I plant now will just freeze. That happened to me a couple years ago.

I got started on weeding out the flowerbeds in the front and back of the house this weekend. Surprisingly, some of last years plants survived being covered with snow most of the winter and are greening up already. I also ended up disturbing the home of some red ants, they weren't very happy with me and I now am sporting ant bites on the top of my foot and on my ankle. There's also some kind of noxious weed growing in the back bed that has taken over. It resembles rhubarb, but has a really thick root system that has worked it's way under the concrete walkway. I think I'm gonna have to talk to somebody at the BLM to find out what it is and how to get rid of it.

We also picked a place in the backyard for the vegetable garden and next weekend are going to build a raised bed there. I want to plant zuchini, peppers, pole beans, cucumbers, some onions and maybe some lettuce.

I'll keep everyone posted on the progress of the garden as it grows (hopefully).