Garden picture

Garden picture

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Second Clean Up Day



Second clean up day in the Demonstration Garden.  More plants were removed from the Native Hedgerow.  These of course were saved for future purposes.  There is now a buffer from the parking lot to the first row of perennials.










 Pallets were used to build a much needed compost bin for our garden waste.  Other types of compost bins are now on display.  A molded plastic Earth Machine, and a compost tumbler.











The front of the building looks great, plants are thriving and new mulch was added.








In the Vegetable Garden:


The raised beds have new trellises added to support peas, malabar spinach and nasturtium.

The seeds have been bought and delivered.

Some summer  seeds have been started, potatoes and onions will be planted  this week with Sugar Snap Peas, spinach and lettuce in the next week or two.







new trellises






In the Native Garden, Broad Leaf Sedge is blooming, so is the ground ivy.  Lots and lots of ground ivy.

Funny how the weeds look like flowers and the perennial flowers look like weeds.









Sedge

pretty weeds

close up of pretty weeds

massive amount of pretty weeds

columbine

Penstemon

Black Eyed Susan
I like trying different planting methods

New seeds

Always label your seeds - yes you will forget!

Under lights 16 hours a day

Packed until needed again



University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.


Saturday, March 10, 2012

CLEAN UP DAY

Today was the first clean up day.  Every spring and fall the Master Gardeners join up as a group to take on the garden. Cleaning up consists of  pruning, planting, weeding, transplanting, adding compost, mulching, raking leaves,  and planning what to do next.






It is so nice to have others to bounce ideas off of, and most importantly,  to learn from more experienced gardeners.  And, as the saying goes, Many hands make light work.



We are always planning ahead








Today the first vegetable was planted - ASPARAGUS!   This is a perennial plant, it will come back every year.   The bed was prepared with lots of compost.  Two  trenches were dug and the plants placed  15 - 18 inches apart.









In the Children's Garden - perennials were planted as well.   3  Sweet Ferns  (Comptonia) were planted.   This is a native deciduous shrub, not a fern.




Comptonia smells very sweet.







Lots of activity in the hedgerow.  Shrubs were taken out and placed in other areas to make a little more room.  Over the years the bed has done what is was supposed to do - grow and multiply!   It was time to thin a little.  In the future, the same will be done for the emerging perennials.





The fruit area is growing exponentially,  more berries were added.  The persimmon  and elderberry trees by the paw paw patch will be moved in the near future as well.
  



   



The Native Garden received some plants from the Hedgerow.  Switch Grass, Winterberry shrub and a Pagoda Dogwood.





Pagoda Dogwood

Switch Grass - doesn't look like much yet.  Just wait!






Just before noon it was a searing  48 degrees.   But as always, the coffee and donuts were  a huge help.




The next clean up day is next Saturday,  March 17.  See you there.





University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.


Saturday, March 3, 2012

March 3, 2011




Very busy week in the garden. Some warm days, some wet days.  Must be spring.  The large vegetable area was tilled and the rebar from the old raised beds was wrestled from the ground.  Plans are being made to add compost to the new garden.  Also, a plan for this bed is being drawn up with the help of  garden planning software found on a gardening magazine website.  Free for 30 days!







No more rebar


2  Jewel Black Raspberry plants, 1 Blue Crop Blueberry, 1 Berkeley Blueberry and a Gold Rush apple tree were  given to the garden this week.







no mulch volcano here





In other parts of the Demonstration Garden:





true sign of
spring





In the native hedgerow, Witch Hazel is in bloom.  It has a wonderful, clean, medicinal odor.
Witch Hazel in bloom




Barrels are going to be set up for use soon





Next Saturday is the first garden clean up day of the year.  Master Gardeners, watch your email for more information from the Demo Garden Co-Chairs.  We always have coffee and donuts!







University of Maryland Extension Master Gardener and other programs are open to all citizens without regard to race, color, gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or national origin.