Ok, new garden idea!
I remain desperate to remove the ugly low non-native pine hedge at the alley side of the yard. I never see any wildlife around it and it does nothing to obscure the view of garages and trash bins.
Eventually the apple and plum trees will obscure the upper part of the view, so I wanted something to obscure the lower part of the view.
My latest concept: the thorn beds!
The ground along that side is thick with big woody roots, so cutting them down and plopping a raised bed on top makes sense. the roots will break down eventually and make nice rich soil, but it's hella hard to plant into.
And, Ty misses our old garden's raspberry bed. I keep raspberries in beds because, as anyone whose grown them knows, they like to escape and run rampant.
But from an aesthetic viewpoint they're just sort of....a big green blob of a plant.
But how cute would it be to do a mixed bed of raspberries and raspberry colored roses? These plants like similar conditions and the roses are good at not being strangled by the berries.
So yeah. Kind of obsessed with this idea.
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𝐁𝐢𝐨 ~ 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 {𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛 1858~1932}
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Starting seeds indoors is a crucial step for any aspiring gardener looking to get a head start on the growing season. While it may seem like an extra effort, the benefits far outweigh the initial investment of time and resources. This comprehensive guide aims to walk you through the entire process of starting seeds indoors, from understanding the importance to reaping the rewards of a successful indoor seed-starting venture. By the end of this guide, you'll be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to successfully start your seeds indoors, setting the stage for a bountiful and thriving garden. Let's embark on this green journey together!
How to Start Seeds Indoors
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Garden transformation: about 50% done!
I've mulched as much as I can with the woodchips I got from the power company, and all my garden beds are set up, irrigation lines have been fed, and we set up a little rose trellis in the middle!
Compost has arrived and is will be the next big hurdle, moving 20 yards of dirt with a shovel and a cart. Very very excited about what's to come, and hopefully there will be no more frosts. Can't wait to get planting!
Hard to believe this was all bahiagrass lawn a year ago.
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Collard greens are one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden. Lovely leaves, right? And so tasty when cooked!
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Give your sweet pea seeds a head start by germinating them indoors late January through March to transplant into the garden as soon as soil can be worked.
By doing this, you will be sure that the seeds won’t rot before they sprout under the soil, resulting in a successful plant with beautiful flowers. It also guarantees that you won’t be wasting your time planting some seeds that might not even sprout at all!
Want to read more: How to Grow Sweet Pea
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Spent multiple hours today raking several years worth of larch needles and piling them into the blueberry bed for water retention, soil enrichment, and acidification. Got a good 10 inches deep of fluffy mulching.
I'll be doing even more a bit later in the year, to mulch all the grape vines for free, but this was more urgent so we could get these flammables up off the ground before hosting a bonfire for the neighborhood kindergardeners.
I am going to be SO SORE tomorrow, so I sure hope these blueberries appreciate it.
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If you're new to gardening, then you'll hear a lot about hardiness zones, but there's more to it than that.
Hardiness zone *only* tells you about how cold you can expect your coldest temperatures in winter to be, but people try to use it for a lot more than that. Here's one example for the US:
Another thing that's important to know if you want to grow perennials, particularly things like gooseberries and apples, is how many chill hours (iirc, hours between 45f and freezing) you get, which is shown in this next map:
I'm guessing North Dakota is in that little bubble because they spend so much of winter below freezing, which doesn't count toward chill hours.
A third consideration, which comes in handy when someone who's used to Texas thinks you should be able to grow papayas near Seattle because it's also zone 8 for hardiness, is the heat zone you're in. Heat zone measures how many days above 85f a location got, historically. Either last year was a huge anomaly (let's hope) or this desperately needs to be updated:
When you combine these three, it gives you a better idea of what you can grow, and what will thrive in your area.
By the way, here's a Chill hours chart from One Green World nursery:
Fruit Tree Chill Hours Chart
Almond: ��400-600
Walnut: 800-100
Filbert (Hazelnut): 800-1300
Chestnut: 300-500
Pistachio: 550-800
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Apple: 700-1000 (Low chill varieties between 200-500)
Apricot: 500-800
Peach: 600-1000 (low chill varieties between 300-500)
Nectarine: 100-500
Asian Pear: 400-500
European Pear: 600-800
Japanese Plum: 500-900
European Plum: 700-1000
Pluot: 400-800 (Low chill varieties between 200-300)
Mulberry: 200-400
Quince: 200-500
Medlar: 200-400
Pawpaw: minimum 400
Fig: 100-200
Olive: 200-300
Persimmon: 100-200
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Raspberry: minimum 800
Blackberry: 200-800
Grape: 150+
Gooseberry: 800-1000
Currant: 800-100
Strawberry: 200-300
Blueberry:
Southern Highbush 200-300
Northern Highbush 800+
Honeyberry: 750-1000
Pomegranate: 100-300
Goumi: 100-450
Pineapple Guava: 50-100
Citrus: 0
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