Tag Archives: catnip

Nip! Nom, Nom, Nom.

backyard bed, education, spring

CatnipOur two garden helpers and I spent an hour outside today in the cool weather and bright sunshine. I passed time turning compost and the dead leaves in the raised beds. The other two spent time chewing on and rolling upon the new growth on the catnip.

I also spent some time surveying the backyard of The Lot for an upcoming landscaping class. The four week course, one evening a week, is being hosted at a local church and conducted by a Master Gardener. Since our main view of the garden from inside the house is through the kitchen window, that is the area I will be focusing on for the classes.

Homework after the first class consists of filling out a profile-type sheet on the garden. How much and what type sunlight does it receive? What is the texture and aeration of the soil? How is it supplied with water? What is the drainage? What is the root competition with neighboring trees and/or shrubs? What natural elements is it exposed to? What type of budget, financial and time, do we want to spend on the garden? And most importantly, why do we even want the garden in the first place? What is it’s purpose? These all seem to be fantastic questions that help to make plant selection and planning a bit less overwhelming.

Lady’s MantleAfter filling out the garden profile, I took the camera around The Lot and snapped more photos of the beds. Perhaps it’s because I can be a bit of a softie, but I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I brush back dead leaves and stalks to find brand new plant growth. Though I love Fall in general, Spring in the garden is always amazing.

Bites & Blemishes

disease, pest control, , , , , , , , ,

One thing I’ve found very annoying about gardening is the fact that plants get sick. I know, there is no such thing as easy, non-maintenance gardening. I am also willing to work for beautiful plants. But, it doesn’t change the fact I fret and even get grumpy about plants being chomped on or made ill.

Both the catnip and the foxglove are showing such signs. I snapped pictures so I can try to puzzle out what’s going on with them once I was back to the computer. With the catnip, I’m thinking a combo of the wet spring and dense foliage is causing a type of mildew/blemishes on the leaves. I don’t know yet what is stressing the foxglove. At first I thought it may be some frost damage from a cold snap we had after the plant had sent out it’s first new shoots. Now I think it’s some kind of insect. Will have to research it more.
Edelweiss are budding in the back bed and yellow day lilies are going to open any day in the sidewalk bed. The forget-me-not seedlings are well on their way in Loki’s bed and the moonflower seedlings and new black barlow columbine in the gate bed are growing well. The rose bush in the southwest bed bloomed! The flowers are a very pale pink that turn almost to white after opening.
Also, this week I brought home some different types of ground cover from a co-worker’s garden. Our lot now has some vinca, chameleon plant and bishop’s weed.