Clay- Good for Sculpting. Bad for Plants.

Yesterday as I dug the two holes needed to plant my blueberry bushes I reconfirmed the knowledge that my ground is all clay.  I mean I knew this, but I've been concentrating on digging around in the beds in which have been maintained in the past.  This soil is light and perfect making it hard to imagine that a mere 6 inches below the surface everywhere else in my yard is thick with clay.  I literally could take the clay out of the ground here, mold it and fire it.  It is that thick.  My goal is to eventually turn all of this clay land into viable land to plant.  Until then, I see a lot of pottery in my future ;)

Blueberries

This entire blog is about me buying things and then promptly killing them.  It is amazing how bad I am at gardening, however, I feel like I am learning things.  When I'm 80 years old, I'll probably be the best gardener thanks to 50+ years of trial and error.

So this year, I promised myself and my husband I would not buy anything more.  I meant it.  But yesterday I took my mom to the nursery to get dirt for her square foot garden and to get starter pods for her seeds.  I thought I was safe because hell it is March in Pittsburgh.  Nursery centers have squat..... WRONG!  There were three pallets of blueberries.  I've been wanting blueberries.  So I caved and bought two plants.

This morning, before we get our rain and in the next few days snow, I finally got them planted in what I hope is the perfect spot.  It is hard to tell because our yard is so sunny in spring until all of the leaves grow back in.  For now, I think they are planted in full sun.

If You Aren't Square Foot Gardening, You Are CRAZY!

This time of year comes and I want to be out in the dirt as much as possible.  I want to dig and plant and dig some more.  However, with my recent change in work, I'm now working most weekends.  This is the time my husband and I used to set aside in spring to get the garden going. This morning, I woke up late and had a lazy Sunday off from work.  At about 1:30ish after fighting with the hub about a project, I went outside to clean the clover out of the garden from last year.

Last year, we built two square foot gardens the right way.  We put down cardboard and then topped it with soil and peat and vermiculite just the way it said in the square foot gardening book.  The year prior to last we kind of did the square foot thing, but in a more lackadaisical way.  We failed two years ago, miserably, however last year I think we would have done better had we known how to garden.  You see, no one tells you when to start picking.  So we spent the majority of our time thinking our items needed time to grow and by the time we were picking them, they had already gone to seed.  This year, we are wiser.

So today, hub says, "There's no way you are going to have time to plant today.  That garden bed needs so much work, you are going to be out there cleaning it out forever!"  He ate his words, for one hour later my garden was cleaned out and spring seeds were planted.  Honestly, this was the easiest space to weed and plant.  I don't know why more people aren't using this method!

Tomorrow, I plant some swiss chard and I begin to tend to my containers..... Let Garden Season START!

Spring AGAIN!

A few days ago we "sprung forward" giving us more time to spend in the daylight.  While my body is still adjusting to this time change, Mother Nature is sending up signs of love.... Starting with crocuses.  But I also have Daffodils and Tulips coming up.  In the back I see the signs of my Daylillies and I'm so excited!  I need to get my seeds going for the season as I'm behind.  But I can finally see the light at the end of this crappy winter!