Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Business of Spring Continues


I picked this many just today. I've ordered 25 more plants. Does anyone know the best way to propagate strawberries? Mounded hills, or rings, how do you keep them suspended off of the dirt enough? Forget about planters I'm trying to develop a real patch. I want jam and pie and an abundance of these little yummers.


It is time to make decisions and place the plants and seeds. I have rhubarb coming.
I don't know anything about growing rhubarb. We tried last year to raise it from seed, no luck. Advice? Also does anyone like to grow eggplant?




Full flush of the rose arbor. It happens only once a year but this New Dawn is a healthy specimen and it has lasted here in the south. The foliage will remain green and it is hardy. The spectacular blooms and fragrance are worth the small window of time we enjoy them.





A bit of indoor rearranging too.


I drug out some old curtains and bedding. They are still pretty to me. Out of my memories I heard my Grandmother say, "it's so nice to see my old familiar things." So many of my belongings were hers. Whenever she came to visit she enjoyed so much the familiarity of not only her possessions, but the passing down of a way of life, creating a legacy.
She left a large imprint on my life a lasting one. I hope I can do the same.

15 comments:

Grandma Tillie's Bakery said...

Oh I love the old mirror in the bedroom! How wonderful you have your Grandmother's things.

Rhubarb is best grown from a small plant that you can get from a nursery rather than seed. LOTS of fertilizer and my sister (the rhubarb growing queen of Alaska) says ONLY organic steer manure will do! And once they grow big you want to divide the clumps and plant another patch or share with a neighbor. Up here you can't kill rhubarb no matter what you do to it.

Strawberries, my MIL (a master gardener) planted them in raised rows and cut the runners off with scissors. We had strawberries overflowing to where we used to feed our entire church strawberry shortcake--no kidding!

Everything looks amazing--keep up the good work.

Becky said...

Your rose arbor is amazing. I am still waiting for the full flush of spring here an my little hill.

When I drive past those huge strawberry patches it looks as though they do raised rows like Ladies said and it looks like they have put white plastic around the plants. Not sure though but that is what it looks like when I'm driving by.

Angela said...

Picking strawberries already...well I will have to go to the grocery store to get the packaged ones that came from where you are,,LOL

The bedroom looks like a sanctuary..just beautiful

noble pig said...

I can onyl grow grapes so I am useless with the gardening questions but one day I will figure it out.

Michelle said...

I think the rose arbor is just spectacular. I don't have any strawberry plants, but I have been thinking about doing one of those tiered ring planters.

Sadie said...

Raised rows, like several above me have said :) also, the white plastic you see in commercial operations is for a few reasons, one, it helps protect the roots from getting too hot, since they are not as protected, being in raised rows. Also, the plastic helps a ton in preventing moisture loss. they'll need a lot less water. Oh, and it helps keep weeds and other pests away as well. We have strawberries, tomatoes, cukes and pumpkins grown commercially in our county. :)

Britt-Arnhild said...

Lucky you, you already have strawberries ripe.
I bought 20 plants today and planted them outside Marta's old payhouse.

Heidi said...

OK - I have a 'patch' but they are in a 2 foot wide row. When you plant them mound the dirt a little bit like hilling potatoes. Then put a BUNCH of straw around them to keep the weeds down and the moisture in. They 'replant' themselves with the runners, so I always dig the runners up and stick them at the end of the row. This works really well! I also keep the 'aisle' between the rows packed with straw to keep the weeds from starting there. I love strawberries - they are a bit of heaven!

Anonymous said...

Our trees are all still naked here and the few flowers that came out got killed!!! Our Aspens are dropping their mess all over the driveway and there is green color beginning to spread across the lawn.. so it won't be long now. I am sooooo tired of our loooooooong winters. Oy!

Chris H said...

Very pretty bedroom!

joanne said...

I have never seen such a beautiful rose arbor. Fantastic pictures. You are going to have an amazing garden this year.
I love bringing out the things that belonged to my mother/grandmother and using them around the house. It always makes me feel like I am 'home.' Take care and don't worry, as far as I can tell your legacy is going to be just fine ;D

Karen said...

I will be thinking of that rose arbor all day. It's awesome. I will also spend a lot of time and money to try to create one here, only to kill the roses before they're home from the store. I'm good like that.

I'm planting strawberries in hanging baskets this year. I've read that they can produce for 2-3 years before they need replaced. I'm thinking it'll be easiest for me since I won't have to deal with all the runners and weeding. Here's hoping they actually produce.

imbeingheldhostage said...

wow, which thing am I more jealous of, the rose arbor, bedroom or the fresh strawberries?

Gorgeous, I don't know how you leave the house.

Unknown said...

Those strawberries look lucious! Oh my word!

I love Grandma's. I miss mine every day.

Elysa said...

We planted Japanese eggplant last May. It did great! We were still getting some in NOVEMBER!!!! And the nice narrow size makes it great for slicing into coins and stir frying. YUM!