Having fun with the boys lol..Alex is just getting over a cold so he is not in the best of shape lol..

Wrestling ... a brotherly pasttime!

For some reason Danny thought the pine tree needles were "yucky"

And don't forget..he tends to be dramatic! He laid down on the ground an pretended he was hurt..rofl..

One of Danny's favorite things to do is to be anywhere PaPa is!

I love this little picture I took a while back...

He got so engrossed in the little computer...

New babies lol

I got my first little baby from my soil blockers!

A dianthus "village pink"... cute..now for the other 59 to germinate!

Seed blockers

My soil blockers came today! I am out of veggies to try but you can never have to many flowers!

20 impatiens (may need more of these. I love them.)
20 salvia (Sunset - bright red)
20 dianthus (pinks are my favorite right now)



I got the 2" blocker also so I can up pot when ready.
It was very easy to use...after some soil adjusting. First it was too wet then too dry...then is was juuuusst right!

 

For those that don't know what a soil blocker is. 

You pack soil in it to make plugs to start your seeds in. Much better than peat pots!

I got a little one to start them.

 

It makes 3/4' blocks

 

It has little bumps to make impressions in the block to put the seed in.

 

I got the 2" for when the seed is ready to up pot.

 

It has inserts that make the space for the little plugs. Or you can use these for larger seeds such as squash.

You make the blocks...set the seeds in the little depressions..cover with vermiculite...and mist...

NO MORE MESSY PEAT POTS!

There is a lady that has awesome videos to show step by step how to do it!

Part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1rxZq10dGE&feature=channel&list=UL

When your ready to up pot

Part two 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPnNkuujkWo&feature=channel&list=UL

Way cool! 

 

 

Decorated Bed Bed

Ben decided my bed needed some gnomes. I have several of them. He found some small ones and the bed had to be decorated The veggies don't get decorations!

Planting the Bed Bed

Heather and Connie and the boys help fill the bed yesterday.

I could not resist planting lol..

I thought I had thyme but didn't so that spot is empty for a day or two..

Finishing the Bed Bed

While I was napping today darling hubby added the hardware cloth to the bed bed.





He sandwiched it between boards..he ripped an 8ft 1x2 in half and it gave him all he needed.




No, I don't know how he fastened it on! I haven't looked and I am not gonna ask rofl..

I am going to put herbs and flowers in it. Some veggies will probable make it into it I am sure lol...

I got stevia, oregano, basil, thyme, and I don't remember what all last night. Oldest daughter is going to help me make MM after the weekend. She is the only one that hasn't done it before... so I am going to take advantage of it before she learns better

I had some not so good news at the doctors yesterday so I think they are all hitting protective mode...seems the Multiple Sclerosis is acting up and may be hindered by a little heart trouble...all tests have started so won't know for 2 wks..so I am NOT changing the way I live I have beaten this thing for 30+ years..not going to interfere with my garden! I am just really tired all the time..so I will slow down a little and pace myself even more.

Not good

Went to the doctor yesterday. I have been having a little trouble lately. He thinks the m.s. is acting up. And with the chest pains he is checking out the heart too. So rounds of tests...blood (done)...MRI --waiting for appt...neurologist visit (rofl..he was mad I hadn't gone to that one already) --waiting for appt....stress test --- waiting for appt.

So I went shopping rofl..

I bought stevia, oregano, basil, thyme, and don't remember what else.

Ben added the hardware cloth to the bed bed while I was taking a nap with Danny today!

He ripped an 8ft 1x2 and sandwiched the wire between.

Heather said she would help make MM next week..so I will patiently wait lol..I hope..

Hail storm

We had a nasty storm last night. No tornadoes here but they did hit about 60 miles on either side of us!

outside my back door..at first I couldn't figure out why the door was stuck..till I turned on the deck light.

my cart waiting to plant

cold toes

grass full of hail and maple seeds

 

Side walk was slippery

 Piled up around my garbage can

Foiled the Cat Terror

I have a cat that likes to get up in my hanging trough and lay in my radishes and lettuce. Needless to say I have none left.

Was trying to think of what to keep him out when hubby reminded me I had a small piece of hardware cloth I had taken off the cherry bushes..

Foiled!



Can still raise to plant new babies..



Made a loop through each end so I can take it off the chain when I don't need it..so made the zip strips reusable lol hubby would have a fit if I wasted his zip strips lol..


I added more MM so in the morning when it is daylight I can replant. It was getting darker after I got the mix added. And as radish and lettuce seeds are tiny..yup will wait!

Strawberries

They are blooming good..I will have get some tulle tomorrow to cover them. I leave the ends open so the bees can get in but not the birds..except a little bird beak 2 yr old that loves to follow NaNa while she is picking!

I think I will try pvc hoops this time instead of the ugly lath one Ben did last year.

Boxes and Boxes

Well I checked into the cement mixer here in town that they rent out..It is too small..So back to the old method.

Hubby got lots of boxes made today...





One of the three potato bins he made...



This is the new area for the garden.
The 4x6 already there is full of garlic.
The Yellow X's are where I will be moving two of the older 4x4s this fall.
The Red X's are where my two Rutger tomatoes will go with their cages.
The yellow line is where I am moving my swing frame that I grow zucchini to.
The new 2x6 will be for my determinate tomatoes this year.
This leaves two 4x6s for planting..No plans made up yet.

Bed Bed

..this is one of my new beds! This was my Gram's (gr-grandma) who passed in 1969. I inherited it when my grandma passed in 1989. It has sat in a shed since 1996. humm didnt realize how much "junk" sits around till you write it down lol..

Anyway, my hubby made a frame for it today. it measures 2x6! Oh yea! No odd measures! I don't know exactly what for yet..I am thinking herbs and flowers.


Enlarge this image Click to see fullsize


The area it is sitting in will be landscaped with timbers and white gravel next week. So the bed and the cart (daughter got me for M's Day) will be sitting with the butterfly chair (another dd go me for M's Day). The little white table and chairs for the gnomes will be in there too

My family tends to get me my pretties early so I can use them lol..so Mother's Day in April and my birthday presents not in November but in Sept.


We went compost/board shopping Tues. Hubby is putting together another 2x6 for my determinate tomatoes and two 4x6s this afternoon. So I think I will rent a cement mixer to mix the MM this time!

Forgot, he is also building the bases for three potato bins lol..busy man..


PS this post should have showed up yesterday but for some reason it didn't...