Shutting down of the old Bee Bliss Garden

Two years back due to health reasons we had to shut down the gardens. The hens found new homes, and the bunnies new a new family. I opened my hands and let go. I will always treasure the years in bliss out in my garden. The many hours of study and knowledge shared here in hope that it was not for nought. May you all find joy in your gardens.

Moon Phase Planting

Today Waning Crescent

Feb 21 New Moon

Feb 29 First Quarter

Mar 8 Full

Mar 14 Last Quarter 

2012 Spring Garden is now in process

This year will be so wonderful. The garden will once again come to life. After last years knee replacement surgery the soil and I are now both well rested.

Today we finally were able to make the investment into our fruit trees.

After extensive research we came up the solution to a small yard. We found a tri-apple tree on mmm111 dwarf stock. The three types are Anna/Dorsett/Gravenstein. We purchased two trees and they will also self pollinate.

distance between rows MM.111  14-18ft

RESISTANCE TO SELECTED PESTS
           FRUIT               WOOLLY
           BEARING   CROWN     APPLE     FIRE      BURR
ROOTSTOCK  AGE (YRS) ROT       APHID     BLIGHT    KNOT

MM.111       4-6     Medium    High      Low       Low 

Under the Apple Tree I will plant Nasturtium it climbs tree and repels codling moth. 

Next we bought a dwarf Eureka Lemon

Height: 10'-15' at maturity

Two Southern High Bush Blueberries

mature height at 6'

 Tomato plants of four types 

pomegranate

 Bush beans of Contender and French filet both heirloom varieties. 

Cantaloupe 

carrots

lettuce

peppers

radishes

sunflower mammoth (near cucumbers)

alyssum 

parsly ( by the tomato, roses)

snapdragon

sweet pea

It is time to get your above ground inside seeds

November 2 is First Quarter Moon Time to plant above ground with inside seeds.

It is time to get your annuals planted

Between now and November 2nd get those beautiful flowers in. Remember to pay attention to sun/shade needs. Sit out with a cup of tea and watch where the shine is. Shade lovers to the north of the house close up. Sun lovers farther out away from the shade line. Like wise to the south of your house Sun lovers close up and those that like shade way out by the fence line.

It is the way of the compose to watch for the best places to plant.
Have fun!

South Western United States Fall Flowers at 1200 ft.

This was the site I built last year before it was planted.


In the garden in-spite of the limp.

Oh so sweet to feel sun upon my back. It has been a very long stint without soil under my nails. It is a delight to see moist soil ready and waiting. All the hard work in the flower bed out front paid off this fall. Having had a total knee transplant two months ago hard work is out of the equation at present. Know that a rake was my simple tool. Preparation on the earth was ease this morning and the seeds are all-but jumping into 'safe harbor' to flourish in the coming rains.
The hard work of creating/setting the site in the very beginning of gardening is what makes an estate a gardeners delight. Especially when the land has had a rest the elements have melded into each other. It now becomes the turn of the gardener to be more relaxed of task.
Oh the simple joy of tossing seed on well prepaired ground.
The flowers of spring are now ready to 'fall' into the earth to begin life a-new.

Plant above ground inside seed until     10/11/11

Plant per-annuals annuals and bulbs 10/1/11 thru  10/19/11

Does my heart such good to come home to garden

heat

the garden is still now only the rosemary remains
in the fall a new knee will bring the hope of ease
these next months to plan the crop
the garden is still
even the chickens prefer the lawn and the shade of the wall
summer here
the garden goes into a coma until fall

Harvest

The plants before you are gifts from the soil. The soil was hauled in from a garden that shut down. The tomato was so happy here that they came of their own accord. Best way to grow a plant I think. 

 The tomato plants yielded the first pretty little red tomato yesterday. In fact there were just enough for each of us to have two on our supper plate. The round ones are deep within the foliage.

 These are little golden tear drops.

Very pretty in salads.

 Looking close at the leaves you can see the white has heat damage on leaves. We had high heat fluctuation over the last week or so. The yellow/dark green variegation of leaf is a soil deficiency that called for some Epsom Salt sprinkled on the soil. Avoid the leaves getting wet during heat wave.

wild flowers in bloom

propagating a fern

 My sweet old fern was just busting at the root with rhizomes.

It could not even take a drink.

 Upturning the pot one can see why.

The roots were so tangled and full of little future ferns.

 Slowly and purposefully each root got untangled and stripped of its little jewels.

 Each and every root was carefully drawn through my fingers as the bulbs snapped off to the ground below.

 With dry roots the processes was accelerated.

At one point I thought to cut the root ball into two, no chance.

 Potential ferns.

 My reference gave little detail on the process of doing this.

Following instincts, trusting the process the roots were then transplanted into other pots.

Circling the pot and covering only and inch or two.

 The other old fellow will get the chance once my husband pulls the huge pot from the garden.

From the beige pot above to the huge old black garden pot.
The root ball filled it up!

My sweet lonely lab approved

:)

He misses his Rena Girl (our Golden Retriever) she passed away earlier this month.

Home made bird food

Try this bird food recipe to attract your feathered friends!

• 3 parts melted fat (suet preferred)
• 1 part cornmeal or finely cracked corn
• 1 part peanut butter or other nut butter
• 1 part sunflower kernels or chopped nuts
• 1 part brown sugar
• 1 part chopped dried fruit (currants, raisins, prunes, etc.)

Combine all of the ingredients with enough water to get the consistency of cooked oatmeal. Cook in double boiler until well blended. Put into small containers like tuna fish cans that can be securely attached to feeders or  a tree

Those weeds in the midst of beauty

Click any image to enlarge it

 Have you ever notice that when there is beauty weeds of life come to distract your eyes from it?
Best bet is to yank those weeds early for the longer they linger the more likely they will disturb the roots that hold fast the beauty around and within us.

 It may not look like much yet. 

The poppy's are coming up and soon the color will burst~

The large center bed is coming along. One end of it gets too much shade and is not growing very well. One the spring solstice comes the sun will come more upon it.

 The sweet peas and the bachelor buttons are one the trellis. It will be so pretty as the blue bed comes into color.

 they are so pretty

just into the entry walk the close up is sweet

this what company will see as they come to the door

 Now the back yard flowers are sorta sad. Asylum is bursting, two of the self sewn tomato plants are still alive after the frost. We are having a winter with many more frosts than normal. As is the whole continent

 The broccoli it gone to bolt into flower.
You should see the BEES!
Must of been 100 of them easy.

This gets pulled up daily for the hens.

The hens love it.
Just hens having fun, kids too. They watched them as they debugged the compost.
Some happy birds, and kids. The hens got hold of a VERY large larva of a hummingbird moth.
Oh they fought over it

Weeded the bed a little. So not what I had hoped for and worked too hard on. Remember this is the garden I alone dug down 6 inches of stones. Removed them and trucked in all the soil that fellow gave me. I think it was his tomato plants that came with the soil. It will be fun to see what they are. They look as a bush variety so far.

Remember to pull those weeds in your life and in the gardens early. Don't let them mess up all the beauty within and around you.

Getting ready for the spring garden

Today will be a rainy day
checking my lists for what goes in next
the compost is doing well and so I will need to dig in the treasure
broccoli is needing to be harvested today

Saving Seeds

 This is Kale seed. Last year the healthiest plants were let to bolt in the hot weather at seasons end. When they had grown a healthy seed the seed heads were plucked to dry. They have dried well over the long hot summer. Now at falls planting they are all well ready. Now in the other climates this is done in springs end into their summer. We have the seeds here in late spring. Getting ready begins with keeping eye on the healthiest of each of your crop.

 Tossed last week these are already germinated into a promise of good harvest a few weeks out. Love Kale, so good for using in those dishes that call for greens that won't just wilt out.

 The process of shelling seed is one that the day was spent on. Many others had already been accomplished. Alas I was behind on this duty.

 This is seed of a orchid tree. One that was a volunteer on my side yard. It is so pretty now. Perhaps I could do a seed swap with some of you if your interested.

 This is the snapdragon the husk is really hard and the seeds tiny. Even if you go for a walk all you need to do is collect a few seed heads, just ask them first.

 Now some seed is so tiny. Oh the variety of shapes and sizes amaze and amuse me.

Remember to save seed and trade seed. Keeping those old heirloom varieties going.

Planting today all day

After all the work the last week or two on the soil preparations today was the big day. Over 21 things went into the soil. The list on side bar is the total so far. Mostly.

Morning in the garden

 The gnomes turned their back to me when the realized that the rest of the seeds can't go in until after the 5th. I told them it is time to tend the things in and get the earth ready for those to come. Looks like that free plant at the foreground right hand might be a tomato. Nice it will make fine salad with the cucumber next to it. Again that south bed is a bit of a miff to all of us too ( the gnomes and I) It is just not friendly. The PH needs to be tested and trouble shot. Me thinks too much nitro. The radish is just not performing. Had to cover the carrot. Seems a cat likes me till. Some cayenne will be a cure once I can get to the herb shop. It is cheaper there than the grocery.

 This end of center bed had yet to be amended  and turned. This week another task to tend too.

 The french marigold is happy. As is the broccoli in the back right.

 Well after sitting a spell they came to terms with the work ahead and decided to give me a break. As long as I keep at it. Least they could do is offer a little help digging that earth up. After reasting a while in the cool of the shade a humming bird came to visit a while.

 Well after a second go at it this bed will be ready at weeks end.

It was planted prematurely. The compost had not been added and it was taken for granted that it would not need it. However each year we must add compost to keep this clay soil even.

So by weeks end chard and kale will go in again.

All the clods broken down now, tomorrow it will get a good watering from the raid tank.

Another day in the garden and the soil on my hands is a reminder that we are all conected.

The coop was cleaned today as well and the compost will yet continue to grow.

It was 3 feet tall and now is only a little left.

And the circle of life turns, turns, turns.

Time to plant Root crop, bulbs and perennials Oct 23-30 Here in Az

He thought they were for him, at least a dog can hope

 The large center raised bed will be for carrots season.

We eat carrots every day.

The bed is fine tilde no rocks at all.

The depth of it is all so, it has been a big job.

 Tip here 

When planting carrot and parsley soak the seeds overnight

 cucumber and chive

 This an unexpected gift from compost.

I think it is a tomatoe plant. I never remove a self sewed plant.

I figure it liked it enough to grow there it must be a happy plant

 There are a few early buds on the cucumber.

Tip here NEVER touch a cucumber until your ready to pick it.

Funny plant that way, oh yes I learned the hard way :)

 The Radish is a little leggy. I think there is too much nitro in the soil.

This bed is against the South wall. Too much shade.

 If you look at the left corned. Another gift a little basil plant. 

I have been longing for fresh basil.

 The peas are being eaten by somebody.

This is the third replant.

 That 3 foot compost pile did real well in the summer heat.

It is almost all gone. I have yet to dig it in the far bed. Had a failed crop of Swiss chard.

Going to replant it and the kale next week.

The broccoli is doing well on the far right in image

 Strawberry pot still hold a little promise. I need to get a nice stepping stone for the bench corner. The cushions that I got will the money my dad left me are now on the bench. Water tank hold a fair amount.

 Once carrots were in the earth I just had to step back and admire that beautiful earth. Center row is the longest to harvest. Near the edge is the smaller ones. That way the kids can easily reach them when they are ready in 55 days or so.

Well get your root stocks in this week or you'll need to wait for another lunar cycle