May

It's been a good month for gardening. We've had healthy amounts of rain and its not prohibitively hot which means I've been able to weed everything.

My veggie garden is coming along nicely. To my pleasant surprise, I have a peach tree, two Idaho potato plants and several watermelon vines (the latter will be transplanted or given away) growing in my compost. Other than Blinky uprooting and subsequently killing one of my marigold plants; my main preventative measure in my tomato and pepper bed; I could not be more pleased with this section.

Occasionally I have to run the sprinkler for the veggie garden and found it amusing that the water created a line of demarcation in the grass. Can you see it?

While letting the dog out at lunch, I noticed my hydrangeas are starting to bloom. Aren't they beautiful? They are a pink hybrid, but one is starting to adopt a purple tinge. While also beautiful, I prefer pink. Will have to get a soil test and amend according.

 

Finally, a butterfly bush bloom to kick start your weekend:

 



How does your garden grow?

Homemade Weed Killers

For the cheap and handy like me:

http://realestate.msn.com/10-homemade-weed-killers?GT1=35009

What's In A Name

At a fall landscape workshop sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service (ACES) earlier this week, I learnt the gardener's definition of a weed. Forget what you've been told. It is simply this...any plant that grows where you don't want it to. Seen those red, ball-shaped, pointy weeds in open fields, near the roadsides and lawns the last few weeks? They're not weeds my friend. They're Spider Lilies and people pay good money for them. Here's a tip...when you see one next fall, dig up the bulb, transplant it into your garden and save $5. BTW, they make excellent cut flowers.

http://www.southernbulbs.com/red-spider-lily/

Theory

The good news is, spring is here. The bad news...unfortunately Auburn is not on board. That's ok though. I've been researching and talking with folks and suspect that the surrounding grass (and weeds) have been fighting with the rose bushes for water and nutrients. And so far, the roses haven been losing miserably.

This morning, my husband, a friend of ours and myself dug up everything surrounding the rose bushes, in order to mulch for water retention, and to effectively fertilize. I also cut back sickly looking limbs to make them look healthier and to encourage lateral growth.

Whether my new theory and efforts work, we'll just have to wait and see. But, I'm trying.