Henbogle

Yesterday, Dan and I turned over the future blueberry bed.  The blueberry bushes are currently at one end of the veggie garden, near the fence.  We will move them, which will give us a change to dig out the luxuriant dandelions growing amidst the bushes, and move them further from the garden, correcting the spacing a bit, and then where the blueberries were, we plan to add a row of raspberries.

We started the bed last fall, laying down a layer of thick cardboard, and newspaper, then alternating with grass clippings, hen bedding, and chopped leaves.  By yesterday, all but one section of newspaper was completely broken down, with no sod in sight.

For the summer, I’ve planted the new bed full of annuals flowers for cutting.  I started lots of zinnias (my favorite) bachelors buttons, cosmos, purple top verbena, China aster and tithonia, and yesterday afternoon, planted the tiny little plants.  The back two rows will be sunflowers, and the front row, nasturtiums.  I have some spares just in case, but I hope all the tiny transplants will survive and thrive, and be bursting with blooms by the time I get home in August.

Today, I tackle the weedy vegetable garden.

While searchiong for a different photo, I came across these snapshots from early in the Henbogle gardening history.

We’ve grown a bit.

I ordered leek plants from Johnny’s this year.  They arrived about 2 weeks ago and it’s been to wet since them to gt them planted.  The starts looked a little worse for the wait, but yesterday with Dan’s help I got them planted.  Dan went through the bed removing our nemesis the quackgrass that had crept in under the fence (see the pile of weeds on the right), then I fertilized and planted.

I followed my usual planting routine.  I made a 4-ish inch deep hole with my garden fork handle handle, and dropped a leek into the hole, then watered well, and will leave the holes to gradually fill in over the summer as it rains. Here’s hoping for good results.  I think next year I will return to growing my own leek, as these were not so pretty, and I’m worried they won’t all survive.  Especially given that they will be ignored most of the summer.

I put the leeks next to the garlic and shallots, which are looking beautiful at this point.  I can’t wait for some green garlic, mmmmm.  To the right of the leeks will  be peppers, planted in paper mulch in hopes we’ll get adequate rain that will go through the paper.  Aughhhh!  There’s so much to do!  Planned departure date: 39 days.

The area beset with knotweed and multiflora rose that Dan dug up and planted with grass this spring is growing grass.  And knotweed, too, of course.  The edges need to be re-seeded with grass, and then we need to either mow or try a carefully targeted treatment of herbicide.  The Cooperative Extension Service suggested Round Up applied at flowering.  I’m just afraid if we don’t treat it really aggressively, it will be right back to where we started.   I need a nuclear option with no lasting side effects!  Or goats.

El from Fast Grow the Weeds suggested a goat or two to browse in there, or anywhere else we need some vegetation subjugation.  It is a tempting idea….

If you click to biggify, you can see the knotweed emerging.  We are going to remove the not-very-happy chokeberries in there, you can see one in the foreground on the bottom photo.  There’s a lovely Fothergilla in there two, but I’m afraid of moving it and transplanting some knotweed rhizomes with it.  It will stay for now, but may be on the doomed list.

Ugh.

On a more positive note, the sun is out today at last!  Since late April we’ve had over 8 inches of rain.  The sun is most welcome!

Ladies and gentleman, sharpen your shovels and trowels. May is plant sale month in Maine, and my annual list of Maine plant sales, which follows, lists an amazing  25 sales.  Sadly, I’m sure there are more of which I remain ignorant. The majority of these events are fundraisers for local worthy causes.  Bring boxes and small bills.  Go  forth and plant!

May 12

8 am – 1 pm Falmouth Football Boosters Fourth Annual Plant Sale, Shaw’s parking lot, 251 Route 1, Falmouth

May 19

10 am – 2 pm Merryspring Nature Center Annual Plant Sale, 30 Conway Road (behind Hannaford), Camden Call 236-2239 FMI

8:30 am- 12 pm Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 21 Bradeen Street, Springvale FMI, call (800) 287-1535

8:30 am -12:30 pm Morris Farm Community Plant Sale, Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Road (Rte 27), Wiscasset. 882-4080 FMI

9 am – 2 pm Tate House Spring Herb And Plant Sale, 1267 Westbrook St., Portland  Email:  director@tatehouse.org FMI

9 am – 4 pm Bowdoinham Plant Sale, Bowdoinham Town Hall, School Street, Bowdoinham

8 am – 12 pm Bath Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, Library Park, Bath 443-2869 FMI

9 am – 1 pm South Portland Land Trust Plant Sale And Bake Sale, American Legion Hall, 413 Broadway, South Portland

8 am – 1 pm Cumberland County Master Gardener Plant Sale, Barron Center, 1145 Brighton Ave., Portland

1 – 4 pm Maine Iris Society, Lewiston High School, 156 East Ave. Median irises and perennials at the Median Iris/Spring Flower Show

8 am – 12 pm Longfellow Garden Club Spring Plant And Pie Sale, North Deering Congregational Church, 1364 Washington Ave., Portland

9 – 11 am Belfast Garden Club Annual Green Thumb Sale, Belfast Boathouse, 34 Commercial Street Call 930-3562 or 342-3391 FMI

8 am – 12 pm Saco Bay Gardening Club Annual Plant Sale, Dyer Library/Saco Museum, 371 Main St., Saco

9 am – 12 pm Old York Garden Club Annual Plant Sale, Grant House, 200 U.S. Route 1, York

8 am – 2 pm School Around Us Plant Sale & Garden Day, 281 Log Cabin Road, Arundel

May 20

8 am -12 pm Southern Maine Daylily And Hosta Society Plant Sale, Southern Maine Community College (2 Fort Road), horticulture building on Slocum Drive, South Portland

May 26-27

Annual Not-Your-Garden-Variety Plant Sale, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens -  12 pm -   4 pm 5/26, 9 am -   4 pm 5/27 Blueberry parking lot, Barters Island Road, Boothbay

9 am – 12 pm Skowhegan History House Heritage Plant Sale, Skowhegan Savings Bank parking lot, Madison Avenue 474-1083 FMI

9 am -12 pm Ossipee Meadows Garden Club Taylor House, Rte 5, Waterboro 247-3604 FMI

3 – 5 pm Kennebec County Master Gardener Seed and Plant Swap and Sale, Diamond Building, Colby College, Waterville  Campus Map 859-5313 FMI

June 2

8 – 11 am Scarborough Garden Club Hunnewell House, Blackpoint Road, half a mile from Route 1 E-mail:  gardenz@maine.rr.com or call 839-4033 FMI

9 am – 12:00 pm  Rhododendron Sale and Silent Auction, USM Gorham campus, next to the campus parking lot off Route 114. Hardy and unusual rhododendrons and azaleas 797-2956 FMI

June 09

1:30 – 4:30 PM Maine Iris Society 52nd Annual Iris Show, Plants will be available to buy including tall bearded, Siberian, Japanese irises, and perennials.  Auburn Middle School, 38 Falcon Drive, Auburn

July 21

1 pm Maine Iris Society Iris Auction (Tall Bearded & Siberian)  Treworgy’s Home and Garden, 120 Flaggy Meadow Road, Gorham

Sept 11

7:00 pm Maine Iris Society Fall Auction Daylilies & Irises, United Methodist Church. – 439 Park Ave, Auburn

Friday, my leek plants from Johnny’s Selected Seeds arrived, but this weekend it was so cold and windy I did not get them planted.  I’m not sure when it will happen now, but preparing a bed in those winds was not happening.  Sigh.  Instead, on Sunday I planted Zinnia seed seeds.  Lots of Zinnia seeds, 60 paper cups worth, a mix of Envy green, Benary’s Giant, and dahlia and cactus flowered.  Some will be for my garden (as I love zinnias for cutting in the late summer) and the rest I’ll be bringing to my Master Gardener program seed, seedling and plant swap.  I just need to say that so far, I am really pleased with the paper cup method.  The amazing bionic gardener Annie’s Granny commented that she uses them successfully, so I am feeling even happier about them.  (In case you are unfamiliar with her blog, Annie’s Kitchen Garden, you should check it out.  I’m tired just reading it — she is AMAZING!)  The paper cups appear to be inexpensive and easy — my favorite word combo, so good news there!

I can’t believe I didn’t think to save the pepper plants I so cruelly thinned a few weeks ago!  What was I thinking?!  Those would have been perfect to re-pot and donate to the swap.  Arghh.  Ah well, I did have a couple late sprouters which I did separate and re-pot.  I also have a good number of tomatoes I can do the same to — but I need to pick up some more potting soil from Johnny’s first.  The seedlings are looking good, and I’ve been regularly exposing them to the great outdoors, so hardening them off should be a breeze.

The swap will be at the end of the month in Waterville.  We’ll have perennials, seedlings all hardened off and ready to go, and seeds to swap for or purchase.  Maine gardeners, let me know if you want more details!

Yesterday I pulled the last of the remaining leeks from the garden.  They were small but exceptionally sweet and tender.  I cleaned and sliced them, then cooked them slowly until nicely caramelized to go atop a pizza.  I also used the last of my frozen pesto on a potato pesto pizza, mmmm.

I ordered leek transplants from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.  They arrived Friday; I am hoping to

get them planted today.  I just love my leeks!

The last of the fall planted spinach will come out today.  I have some spring spinach ready to begin picking.  The slugs and snails have been feasting, though.  Time to get the Sluggo out.