Sunday, November 9, 2008

Garden update

Well the season almost over with temperatures starting to routinely fall into the 20s at night. However I have been able to preserve my lettuce, cilantro, leeks and scallions by tarping these guys during those chilly nights.

Remarkably until last night I had green and hot peppers still growing, but I gave up with the recent forecasts of constant freezing weather.

So much to do now with house projects and garden clean-up lingering. Still need to dig up my tender bulbs.

My recently planted grass is growing well. My flame-weeding efforts did not kill back the clover but at least there seems to be more grass where there was once almost exclusively clover.

Friday, October 3, 2008

First Frost

Last night, patchy frost. Most of the garden survived with the exception of some hostas along the fence and the sweet pepper plant in the raised bed on the south side against the house. The sweet pepper plant was looking a little wilted this morning but for the most part in tact. I revived with some water. I was under the false impression my plants nearer to structures would escape the frost under the theory that structures would give off heat. Guess not. Looking forward to digging up plants today to salvage indoors especially some late bloomers that have yet to show

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Fall in the yard

Today I made my last attempt to manage the lawn organically. As with any "green" project this was another time consuming adventure. So I took to the clover with the flame weeder all the while paranoid that police were going to come by and fine me for not having a permit to burn. This got me wondering if flame weeding would be a "burning" activity that required a permit and if it is one those regulated activities how crazy to think people can just "willy nilly" pollute my air and the communal environment with nasty herbicides without any regulation whatsoever. Anyway this is my first summer using a flame weeder and I've learned a few things along the way. The flame weeder does not kill dandelions or plantain which are the most prolific in my lawn. Therefore over the summer my husband and I have been hand digging plantain and dandelions with the "weed hog." Today I approached the lawn recovery program first with flames hoping to extinguish most of the clover in the grass. Then I followed with the "weed hog" to get the remaining "tough" weeds. I also torched the "fairy rings" in the grass hoping to resolve that lawn phenomena. Lastly, I overseeded the lawn and watered. Now I will watch and wait for spring to see if my efforts paid off.

With all this lawn talk, one would think I'm obsessed with lawn or something. I'm really not and have actually removed much of my lawn in the past three years of owning this house. However the spaces still covered by lawn require attention to look "nice." I've been struggling the last three years to do this without chemicals or harsh fertilizers. I hope my efforts and sore back will see some rewards.