All posts by jane

The Weed Isn’t Weed

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So, funny thing happened on the Lot this Spring. Back in the beginning of May, I gave the Lady’s Mantle it’s annual haircut to get rid of winter damage and dead leaves. That entire area also needed to be weeded and remulched. I then snapped this photo.

Lady’s Mantle in May

That’s when I noticed I had overlooked a plant that was definitely NOT Lady’s Mantle.

Weed in May

Whhhaaaat… How did that get there and is that really what I think it is?!

I scurried inside and retrieved the Other Half. His response was a puzzled look and “Hmm.” I obviously am not an expert on identifying the genus Cannabis, because I immediately had rather nerve-wrecking visions of us being hauled away on charges for growing illegal crops. I felt like we were Sookie and Jackson discovering 30 lbs. of plants we didn’t put there. Except this was one plant, and the Other Half was pretty sure this plant was harmless.

So… I let it grow. Here it is now.

Rough Fruited Cinquefoil

After searching about online, I was able to identify the lobed, yellow five-petaled plant as Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta). It is a perennial herb introduced from the Mediterranean area of Eurasia and considered across most states in the US as a noxious weed. My best guess is some undigested seeds may have arrived via a load of horse manure last season. I will more than likely pull the plant before it goes to seed.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – May 2013

loki bed

It seems we are running a few weeks behind last year’s schedule for blooms. Nevertheless, here are some Bloom Day photos from the Lot for May 2013.

First up is the variegated Solomon’s Seal in Loki’s bed. This plant adores this spot, having nearly doubled each year of it’s residency.  I’m sure the fact the neighbor’s well-fed veggie garden is on the other side of the fence helps it along as well.

Solomons Seal

Next is a little English daisy planted last year. I thought for sure we’d lost it to the blazing hot summer sun last season. But the little plant popped up again this spring among the self-sown Forget-Me-Nots. Hopefully this season it will become better acclimated to the Lot and flourish.

English Daisy

Here is a photo from just down the street. Each spring, you can smell these lilacs from a half a block away. When the lilacs are finishing their show, the spirea hedge beneath them begin to bloom. It’s a nicely thought out combo.

051513_lilac

Also blooming right now are grape hyacinth, lenten rose, tulips, bleeding heart, and star of Bethlehem. Be sure to visit May Dreams Gardens to see what else is in bloom this month.

Brrr, Protecting Plants from Spring Frost

spring, vegetables

Though the cold and wet lingered a bit longer than desired, Spring on the Lot seemed to be more “normal” than last season. The weather has gradually warmed and perennial plants are making their way up out of the ground. Even the balloon flower, one of the last plants out of bed in the spring, has emerged. However, this past weekend called for plunging temperatures and a chance of frost Sunday evening.

Awww Sheet

Time to break out the bed sheets! Around this time the veggie beds have new plant shoots. There are many suggestions to prevent frost damage to a small garden, but the most successful method to date on the Lot is the use of bedsheets.

Sheets for Frost Protection

The 4’x4′ vegetable beds can be covered perfectly by a twin bed-sized, fitted sheet. This traps any heat in the soil of the bed underneath the sheet and around the plants. If the sheet is not fitted, bricks or weights can be placed on the edges of the sheet to create the covering.

Another Option

In addition, we’ve also used empty plant pots for frost protection. In past seasons, late season frosts have zapped some newly emerged perennials on the Lot like the tender fern fiddleheads. By simply placing the pots upside down over the plants so the pot covers the plant and the rim sets on the soil, the same pocket-type of protection is formed. First thing in the morning, all coverings are removed from the plants.

Over the weekend, Ms. A and I gallivanted around the city for our annual nursery crawl. Even though I purchased some great basil plants, the little starter herbs will be staying inside will the Other Half and I for a few more weeks. Plants like peppers and tomatoes will be purchased closer to Memorial Day since we do not have room to protect the plants indoors. Then the growing season will be in full swing!