Time at the Farm May 24 - 30, 2022

 

This is a closeup of white yarrow.

I arrived on Tuesday evening after work, Bert was already here.  Saturday through Sunday I kept Blake's kids.  Sunday we had a pool party - Mom, Dad, Nancy, Lisa, Nathan and his family, Josh and the girls, Luke, and Blake's crew plus her new Springer Spaniel puppy Bailey.  

• Wednesday.  Worked.  The weather was very cool, so we caught a break there.
• Up very early before work and outside to the Rose Garden.  I spent about an hour pulling up spent Tall Poppy Mallow.  I thought that made a very pretty show this spring, I was very happy with it.  Such a vivid color! Of course, at some point there will be work with wildflowers because you have to pull them up after they set seed. 
• During lunch I spent more time in the Rose Garden and the Long Border pulling up Tall Poppy Mallow and cutting the stems back of the Ox Eyes. I pulled up lots of the wild aster that has taken hold in the Long Border.  You have to put some oomph into pulling that up, and it spreads by stolons, so it will never be completely gone.  It's not my most hated weed, but it's close to the top. It flowers a white flower, but it's not showy enough to be allowed to stay.
• I walked the Meadow.  It doesn't look too bad actually.  I was feeling pretty discouraged about it last week, but some weeks ago I sprayed herbicide on a lot of patches of invasive grass, and I feel like I did  some good.  I see a couple of Basketflower blooming out there which I'm very excited about.  I gathered seed with Connie Gwyn last summer - a lot of seed - and spread it in the Meadow.  It likes moist conditions, so I spread it at the bottom of the hill.  I only see a couple, but  the viability of wildflower seed is pretty robust, so I will hope to see more later this season or, more likely, over the next several years.
• I pulled weeds in the Star Garden, but it looks pretty good in there.  With the mulch I spread and the new fencing, the mulch is staying in tact and really preventing a lot of weeds.  In the past, armadillos have turned the beds upside down and the mulch "shield" does not work.  
• I dreaded going into the Rose Garden Tuesday evening because I feared the armadillos had gotten in.  But no!  Not a sign of them.  The fencing is working, and it is a game changer for me mentally. 
• After work I sprayed herbicide in the Star Garden and the Rose Garden.  
• Thursday.  Vacation.  Very cool morning.
• Up early, but lingered a bit drinking coffee and walking around.
• I worked in the Vegetable Garden from 7:30 until 12:30.  It was pleasant work due to the weather.  I weeded every bed, I don't think there was a weed left standing after I was finished.  I cleaned up the Grandpa Ott morning glory vines that had taken over amongst my carrots.  I will have the grandkids pull them all up this weekend.  I pulled up all my onions and dug up all my potatoes.  Trimmed the grape vine along the fence wherever it was encroaching.  I will kill it this fall or winter since it is a male.  I don't want all that trouble for no reward.  Picked tomatoes.  Raked the paths.  Sprayed herbicide everywhere.  Turned over the the soil in half a dozen or so beds and sowed buckwheat.  I'm going to use it for green  manure.  First I will let it flower for my bees, but before it sets seed I will turn it over into the soil.  I sowed a packet of Aji Charapita pepper seeds in a bucket.  It's never too hot for peppers.  I sowed a packet of Cardinal basil in a bucket.  I turned some buckwheat plants that I sowed some weeks ago over into the soil in a few spots. 
• Sowed dahlia zinnias here and there throughout the Star Garden.
• In to the house during the hot part of the day.
• Sprayed herbicide in the paths of the Water Garden. 
• I moved some Gomphrena seedlings growing in paths over to beds in the Rose Garden.  They got pretty droopy almost immediately - it's hot, but I think they will make it. They didn't look good the next day either, but I am hopeful.
• Friday.  I worked in Orchard for half the day.
• It looked pretty good in there.  I pulled up all the Tall Poppy Mallow.  I attacked the crab grass and other weeds. Cut back some fruit tree limbs that were in the way.  I cut down peppervine and poisoned the tips. I cut back a bunch of salvia to the ground.  Poisoned ant piles.  I planted 2 Heliopsis in the apple tree bed.  Sprayed herbicide on the paths.
• I sprayed some patches of Bahia grass in the Meadow.  
• In to the house at noon to work. 
• Saturday and Sunday and Monday - kids, kids, kids.
• Monday I watered and set up the sprinklers for the coming week.