Back Home- The Weeds!

Yes, I am back home in my own garden...my own little piece of paradise, but oh my, the weeds have been taking over while the gardener was gone. That is not the only thing. The first thing I noticed after arriving at 11PM were the bugs. June bugs and mosquitoes.... and other little critters I'm not sure I can name.

This morning we hit the mowing and I began what is sure to be a marathon of weeding in the garden. I saw at least one tomato plant was doing well, so my guess is the others are even better (they are in full sun). I'm thankful for that.

Fields are ponded and unplanted. I feel sorry for the farmers, although there is still time to get some of the crops in if the fields can just dry out. In the South I saw many parched fields and pineapppled corn plants, already tasseling. What a difference a couple climate zones make.

Just checking in.... will blog in earnest now that I am home.

Despite weeds, wetness, and insects humming around my pulse points, it is still good to be home.

Later, friends!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2011 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.

Florida is Beautiful-and Dry, Very Dry

From A Garden Journal, Diary of Ilona's Garden

Looks like Ohio is getting everyone's rain, but saw the terrible news about the tornadoes. I can only imagine the rainforest-like conditions that await me at home. Hopefully my little tomato plants are surviving- I left them protected by clay drain pipe, which is how I always plant them at the beginning. It protects them from wind and sunscald, and I haven't had cutworm problems for the time I've used this method.

I might just get the veggie garden ready and plant for the second part of the season.

They have some pretty flowers blooming here, but not sure what they are, yet. The fields look pretty sad, but since I'm unfamiliar with how they are supposed to look it is unclear how sad they are!

Can't seem to upload the photo card to the laptop, so I won't post pictures until I'm back. At least I have a home to return to- our prayers are with those who don't at this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.

My Daffodils Photo Collage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2011 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.

Rainiest Season Ever

I talked with my husband in Ohio and it is still raining, and quite cool. He heard the farmers have only a small fraction of their fields planted with the corn crop. People aren't able to keep up with the mowing either, although that is a lesser problem.

There are a number of problems for plants in wet, saturated ground. One is that roots needs air to breather and will actually drown when unable to dry out a little. Another situation is the sappy growth of the stems and leaves can be inviting to insects in their weakened condition. Then there is the increased susceptibility to diseases.

It can be a challenge to our gardens on multiple fronts.

Usually the prevention we attempt in providing good drainage so the water will run off, and the general health of the plants is about all that can be done. Otherwise just watch and wait.

In Ohio we can still get plants in and they will establish before the midsummer heat. I usually think of the last week in June as the very end of the season for planting annuals and new plants.

When I get back home I will be putting together some container pots for summer color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.

Rural Report Spring 2011

Here in Ohio, we couldn't wait for spring to get here. We complained about the long winter and the uncommonly frequent snowfall. We fairly longed for spring, more than the usual, and sent each other encouraging reminders and photos to keep each other's spirits up.

And then Spring arrived... but not as we imagined or expected.

It came thundering, and whirling, and blowing. And with rain.... lots and lots of rain. Now we are reminding each other of summer....

How the fields looked in early March, behind my yard.

April field ponded

Same field in May

As you may imagine I have not been planting very much. Instead the chores have consisted of weeding and moving the occasional plant. I did manage to dig up the raised beds and get them ready this past week.

There were bouts of very cool weather and very warm weather. I took some pictures of the flowers. Spring is always nice in my yard... the flowering bulbs and trees performs no matter what happens with me and, to a certain extent, the weather.

Here are a few glimpses...

Snowdrift Crabapple

A Rant On Asparagus

 I found a video by a passionate man on the do's and don'ts of asparagus.... if you have a desire to cook your own asparagus, or purchase in the groceries.

Asparagus video-how-to


A few posts to remember:
Artisan Asparagus
Molly Fisk on Asparagus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.
Photo credit: jdurham from morguefile.com