I parused my garden today and was amazed at how many plants are already growing so early in the spring.
My climatis is growing like crazy and my hydrangeas are leafing up already. I actually have a bleeding heart blooming away while it is still March. I compared that to pictures I have taken other years and they aren’t usually blooming until the end of April, beginning of May. Wow, hard to believe that the garden is so confused this year. I am not complaining of course. That couple of weeks of gorgeous summer like weather was a real treat to winter weary folks. It was just the boost I needed to get through the last bits of “winter”.
Sadly though, like many of the plants that were tricked into believing it was spring already,one of my hydrangeas leafed up only to be stopped in its tracks with bitter cold. The frost damage is sad to see but hopefully it will recover when the real spring arrives. One can only hope.

Gracie LOVES her new boots! We can’t wait for a rainy day!

Using a rain barrel is a great way to conserve water and keep your garden watered for free.
It saves one of our most important resources and making a rain barrel is really not that difficult. With just a couple of simple steps you can make your own.
You will need
a plastic barrel
a drill, a hole bit (the size of your spigot)
2 spigots
a short length of flexible downspout
2 hoses
pvc glue
and a jigsaw.
First you need to find a plastic barrel. (We were lucky enough to be given a large plastic barrel that is used to store milk on a farm.)
Drill a hole about 6 inches from the bottom, (bring your spigots to the hardware store and find a drill bit to match the size of it)
Insert the spigot and seal it with PVC glue.
We also suggest installing a second spigot about 6 inches from the top – that way any overflow can go into a hose directed away from the house. Rain barrels fill up surprisingly fast.
If you like, put a coat or two of paint on your barrel (suitable for plastic). Choose a color that makes it blend in well to your background. Then you will hardly notice it while it works for you.
After you select the site for your rain barrel, cut your house downspout about two to three feet higher than the height of the rainbarrel. (plus the hight of the cinderblocks.)
Cut a hole in the top of the rain barrel that fits the flexible downspout.
(*You could of course place your house downspout straight into the rain barrel if you can fit it in without being flexed a bit)
Place the rain barrel on top of a couple of cinder blocks to enhance the power of gravity for hose pressure.
Insert the flexible downspout into the barrel and then fit the flexible downspout onto your house downspout.
Next connect your hoses. (We chose to put a soaker hose on the bottom spigot so it automatically waters an area under our pine trees that is often untouched by rain. We also added a regular hose to the top of the rain barrel spigot that will direct any water that overfills the barrel to another location that hardly gets any water.) Or you can choose to let it fill up and use the water when you need it with a watering can or attaching a regular hose when you need it.
Now sit back and get ready to collect that free run off water that usually ends up washing away down the sewer.
This is really an easy project but if you are not a do it yourself type of person, there are many rain barrels on the market that aren’t very expensive and you can set up easily. I have a Good Ideas Rain Wizard 50 in addition to our home made rainbarrel.
Garden Shoes Online offers the Good Ideas Rain Wizard 50. It comes in several colors as well as contrasting ribbed colors.

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Made of UV resistant resin. Will not fade for years.
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Linkable to other barrels for increased capacity using separately sold linking kit
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Resistant to rust, mold, mildew, and rotting
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High quality brass spigot for hose hook-up and overflow spout
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Screen to keep out debris, insects, animals, and children
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Dimensions: 13″ x 22″ x 23″ at 19 lbs
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50.44 gallon capacity
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1 year Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” ~Roger Miller

Time to dust off the garden tools and think spring.
This should include being prepared for the first nice spring day by knowing which shoes, boots or clogs you will slip on to greet the new year of gardening. Some folks may say they prefer an old pair of sneakers, flip flops or just plain old barefoot.
That’s fine, but wearing a pair of gardening shoes will extend your gardening time and pleasure so more can be accomplished and enjoyed.
I’d dare say that most people that experience a good pair of footwear in the garden will be hard pressed to venture out there again in bare feet. Not to mention the pedicure problems that can be avoided as well as health and safety issues for your feet.
Warm feet that are dry and safe make it easier to stay out there long enough to accomplish the task at hand. So whether you prefer clogs, boots or shoes, there are so many to choose from at Garden Shoes Online.
Do your feet and back a favor !

If you are looking for a way to grow plants that’s easy on the eyes and the budget, consider container gardening.

  It is a great way to accent plants in your yard, deck, porch or garden. It also makes it possible to garden in small places or urban settings.

Containers are a great to  keep herbs in or near your kitchen.  You can even keep lettuce growing in a pot so it is always accessible when it’s time to make dinner.

Choose containers that have enough space for the plants you plan to put in them.

  There are many websites to visit that give  “recipes” for containers. Or you can visit a garden center and use your own taste to choose plants that look good when you put them together.  Be sure to check heights of plants, sun and watering requirements so that they like the same conditions, then place them where you can enjoy their beauty.

“I sit in my garden, gazing upon a beauty that cannot gaze upon itself.  And I find sufficient purpose for my day.”  ~Robert Brault

LOVE
“Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.”
~Unknown

I was reading some of my old blog posts and came across this one which I had written just a month or so after I began my blog.  It was fun to see that I still feel this way about gardening as well as the difference in my posts from then until now.  They were much longer and personal which I miss but I have found that less is more when writing about my life in the garden because bloggers are busy and they don’t want to read a book, just a quick post.  With that said, sorry about the length of this one, it sums up a lot for me, so indulge me please…..

June, 2009~In my garden today, I pruned, dead headed, fertilized, transplanted, watered and admired.  After a few hours of trimming, edging,  and all of the other things I mentioned, my back ached and my hands felt cramped, but my heart was full and my brain completely entertained with the beauty and calmness that a garden brings.

Eventhough I was hungry and tired, I gladly carried on until all the chores  were complete.  Luckily I am blessed with a husband who also enjoys being out there and making our yard and garden a haven for tired souls  that love to be “working” with nature.  When he was done with his duties, he even made dinner for us as I used every available bit of light I could squeeze out of the day- (Today was the longest day of the year).  What I realized as I was out there is that one of the things I love about gardening is that you are never quite done.  You can only do what you can today and save the other million things you think of while you are doing todays things, for tomorrow.

I find myself planning next year’s  tasks while I work on this years garden.  Of course, the forementioned wonderful husband nods and agrees to my big plans as if he intends on carrying out every project I dream up, no matter how large it is or unrealistic it is, he humors my enthusiasm ~I love that about him! OR maybe it is because he can actually see us doing these projects in his “gardener’s mind”  and my day dreams are similar to his day dreams for our garden next year. OR it could be that while I am going on about plans and projects  he has whisked himself away to his favorite fishing stream and he is really dreaming about that “big fish” that won’t get away and he is nodding to himself that he is really going to get that new fly rod he has been wanting and… as long as we are both happy… that’s all that really matters! Isn’t gardening just wonderful?

“My heart shall be thy garden.” ~ Alice Meynell

Planting a raised bed garden is really not anything new.   Take a look around and you will see raised beds in your neighbors yards or in public places.  It’s simply the act of creating a space with borders(wall, wood, stone,etc..) so you can add good soil.  They look really nice in addition to being easier to work than the hard ground with inadequate soil.

The first thing you need to do is select your sight.  Take in to consideration what you will be planting and what type of light it needs.  Usually you would pick a  site with sunshine at least six to eight hours a day.   Next decide how large of a raised bed you would like.    You need to be able to get to the plants for trimming, deadheading, picking or staking.  A good rule of thumb is no more than four feet wide or 3 feet wide if you are up against a wall or fence.  Ideally it is best to be able to get to it from all sides but if you need to place it agains a fence or wall, just make it narrower so you can reach the plants in the back.  There needs to be water accessible near by and leave enough space around the bed for you to work on the garden.  Placing mulch or stones around the bed gives you a place to walk without getting muddy.

• The next step is to decide what you will use to create the raised garden.  Stones and wood are the usual choice.  You want to pick something that will make your bed at least six to eight inches deep.  This would be adequate for most plants and vegetables.  If you choose wood, be sure it is made weather proof by staining or painting.
• Create the foundation by leveling the soil that will be underneath the raised bed.  If there is grass there it is best to remove the sod.  Place newspaper or lanscape fabric over the area so that weeds will not grow though into your new soil.  Some people prefer to have no barrier beneath their bed so that plants can grow deeper.  This is an option especially if you will be growing plants like carrots that need extra depth.  If this is the route you take, simply dig the soil that will be beneath your new soil so that it is loose and even.
• The next step is to  build the raised bed.  If you are using stone or pavers just build them up as you would a wall but go completely around the area you will be planting in.  If you are using wood, using 2 x 6 makes the depth 6 inches which is ideal.  Join the corners with screws and place on the ground  keeping the bed level.  Simply dig down on a side if it is too high or build up the other side if you prefer, level is best.
• The next step is to add your soil.  A mix of compost, garden soil and pete moss will make a nice texture that feeds the plants while also staying loose.
• when this is all complete you are ready to put in your plants.

There are many advantages to raised beds, here are a few:

• ~You add the soil so its’ good right from the start.  This means you don’t have to ammend the soil that is already existing in a garden.
• ~Your plants are healthier since the soil is new and full of nutrients
• ~The beds have better drainage than in the ground (just be sure they get enough water because of this.)
• ~Beds warm up faster in the spring so you can plant earlier
• ~Since you don’t walk in the beds they don’t get compacted
• ~you can build them to a comfortable height for yourself

In the end, it’s all about making gardening easier and more relaxing, so if you have a flower bed with awful dirt, or need your garden higher to make it more comfortable to garden, consider a raised bed, it eliminates a lot of problems and is pretty easy to do.  The rewards will be worth your trouble.

“When all the chores are done, the avid gardener will invent some new ones.”~ unknown

I am re-posting about this fun project since it’s about that time again to put it to use.
We found some vintage windows which inspired this entire project. With a bit of wood found in the garage and a quick trip to Home Depot, we had the makings of a fun weekend.
On a gorgeous day in Spring, my husband got started on building me a cold frame..
First he built it,
then he put on wheels so we can move it into the sun or in and out of the garage if we have a bad frost coming.

Next we painted it,
put the windows on with hinges,
and reused the window hardware as handles.
He added a couple of heavy duty handles on the sides for lifting (you never know)
and there you have it…
a great cold frame to hold all my fledgling seedlings and give them an early start.

~ All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar. ~ Helen Hayes