The junior gardener #1 remarked that "that plant grows really fast", after watching this time lapse video of a zucchini (courgette to those east of the Atlantic) seedling I have under lights, growing indoors.
Even without time lapse, any of the curcurbit vegetable family (cucumber, squash, etc.) seem to have phenomenal growth as seedlings, and start out quite large. This is why I chose it for the time lapse photos! Kids love this kind of stuff.
You may see a few frames that include a fungus gnat, which looks like a small fruit fly. They are not too big of a problem (nothing like aphids on your indoor plants), and are easily caught by yellow sticky-paper traps that you can purchase in the gardening section of your local hardware store. Alas, I have been negligent in putting out more traps...
Otherwise, I spread a bit more cow manure around the yard. It makes for a lovely weekend casual activity to be followed by tea and phone calls to family. For added challenge, do it while wearing your nice clothes and keep your fingernails clean, while waving to passing neighbours. Be sure to ask them how their spring manure-spreading is going.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
First Flowers and the Veggies Installed
My official first flowers of 2011 are those of Pulsatilla vulgaris, which is not the usual first flower, but welcome nonetheless. These flowers started showing colors on Easter weekend, but waited for today's calm sunny weather to really open up. They are traditionally known for being an Easter-blooming flower, and are very hardy. They get larger and and have more flowers every year, making a spectacular show as a mature plant.
Pulsatilla vulgaris in the sloped rock garden:
They also can be easily propagated. I make sure that several seed heads get spread around the flower bed in late summer, producing new plants all over this flower bed. I also have deep red and white versions of this same perennial flower, though they aren't blooming yet.
We got the vegetable garden seeded today, with the warm dry weather drawing us outside. It felt great to spread the crumbly composted cow manure as a top-dressing in the raised bed for the vegetables. Hopefully the vegetables reward this effort. This is probably the earliest we have planted the vegetable garden, but only cooler-weather veggies went in today, with the beans waiting till later (and tomatoes/pumpkins/zucchini growing indoors). The junior gardener #1 helped put in swiss chard and beets, then left to lounge in the shade and adjust her accessories while the lettuce, carrots, dill, pak choi, snow peas, and spinach were sown. The cute cartoon characters on a packet of giant sunflowers appealed to junior gardener, so a separate weedy patch was cleared for those. I can't wait till she sees those plants grow bigger than her! Go vegetables!
Pulsatilla vulgaris in the sloped rock garden:
They also can be easily propagated. I make sure that several seed heads get spread around the flower bed in late summer, producing new plants all over this flower bed. I also have deep red and white versions of this same perennial flower, though they aren't blooming yet.
We got the vegetable garden seeded today, with the warm dry weather drawing us outside. It felt great to spread the crumbly composted cow manure as a top-dressing in the raised bed for the vegetables. Hopefully the vegetables reward this effort. This is probably the earliest we have planted the vegetable garden, but only cooler-weather veggies went in today, with the beans waiting till later (and tomatoes/pumpkins/zucchini growing indoors). The junior gardener #1 helped put in swiss chard and beets, then left to lounge in the shade and adjust her accessories while the lettuce, carrots, dill, pak choi, snow peas, and spinach were sown. The cute cartoon characters on a packet of giant sunflowers appealed to junior gardener, so a separate weedy patch was cleared for those. I can't wait till she sees those plants grow bigger than her! Go vegetables!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Perennials from Under the Ice
I'm still waiting for the emergence of my primulas from the lump of ice that sits in the shade under the mountain ash tree. I saw this one poking through this morning, looking generally unchanged from its appearance late last fall.
Primula auricula:
I bought a few more P. auricula from Wrightman Alpines last year, providing companions to the beautiful purple-flowering ones I got from a primula-loving gardener in town. These petite perennial flowers are incredibly hardy, and are highly recommended even for Alaskan gardeners. They appreciate partial shade and moderate amounts of moisture. I find growing them from seed to be frustrating, though not impossible. I am looking forward to their exquisite show of blooms in the next few months.
Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks):
Sempervivum also does very well over the winter. I had one type die last winter, but regular snowcover seems to be adequate for most species of these perennial plants. They tend to take on vivid colors --like this deep red-- in cool weather. Come summer, they will be bright green. They are great for rock gardens, where they spread as the loose "chicks" roll away and root themselves wherever they land.
If you are photographically-inclined, you may be able to guess what new equipment I just picked up, considering today's photos. My brother fairly easily convinced me that I was in need of a macro lens, essentially to get really nice close-up pictures of plants and flowers. I will now be out with my 100mm Tokina macro lens, stalking the plants on a much, much closer level...
Primula auricula:
I bought a few more P. auricula from Wrightman Alpines last year, providing companions to the beautiful purple-flowering ones I got from a primula-loving gardener in town. These petite perennial flowers are incredibly hardy, and are highly recommended even for Alaskan gardeners. They appreciate partial shade and moderate amounts of moisture. I find growing them from seed to be frustrating, though not impossible. I am looking forward to their exquisite show of blooms in the next few months.
Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks):
Sempervivum also does very well over the winter. I had one type die last winter, but regular snowcover seems to be adequate for most species of these perennial plants. They tend to take on vivid colors --like this deep red-- in cool weather. Come summer, they will be bright green. They are great for rock gardens, where they spread as the loose "chicks" roll away and root themselves wherever they land.
If you are photographically-inclined, you may be able to guess what new equipment I just picked up, considering today's photos. My brother fairly easily convinced me that I was in need of a macro lens, essentially to get really nice close-up pictures of plants and flowers. I will now be out with my 100mm Tokina macro lens, stalking the plants on a much, much closer level...
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