Thursday, February 17, 2011

Baiting Spring

Several of you asked about what I am doing to prepare my garden for the spring.


It isn't much, but it makes me feel better...like I am doing my part to bring on the spring.

Basically, I stirred up the soil and gave it some fertilizer. Then I covered it with some plastic, and put the windows over it - its my attempt at a little green-house effect.

I'm doing this in part because I want the heat of the sun to bake the moist soil a bit. I also have some hay from last year's garden that I am hoping will break down a bit.

(Last year I did Hay-bale gardening...which I enjoyed but decided not to to this year (I'll post more about that next week.)

The Mister built me another raised-bed to place where last years hay-bales went.


I'll keep them all covered for at least 4 weeks, then I'll turn the soil and fertilize one more time and cover and let rest...that's always the hard part for me.

Hopefully in six weeks time, I'll be planting seedlings and watching my garden grow.

Until then, I followed the advice of my friend The Seasoned Sister, and bought an Amaryllis bulb and some other kind of flower whose package said, "grows quickly" and "suitable for containers". What I really wanted was a Narcissus called a Paper White (also on recommendation of the SS, because they grow fast!) but I went to three different places and was denied...so i just went with what I could find.

So far....this is what I got.

Its' been four days.

And I check on them several times a day like a newborn.

OCD much?

Nah. Not me.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I need to get out and get my hands dirty as well! I have one bed that is really hard.. so I need to try and loosen it up! Any ideas? I also want to make a bed in the ground..

His Girl said...

I love your post title... really does seem like you're setting out a snare to 'catch' spring!

Blue Skies said...

Isn't it so much fun to work in the dirt? We have our "winter" garden in, we'll see if we get anything before I am anxious to stick the "summer" garden in there.
A note on Paperwhites - you may be glad you couldn't find any if you don't like the smell of lilies - they are very very fragrant. I got one as a gift when I was first married and had to put it outside because it was so overwhelming. I'm also the person though who threw a stargazer lily out the window after catching a bouquet on the day I got engaged. I couldn't stand the smell in the tiny car I was riding in.
Have I mentioned lately that I miss you? I just scrapbooked last night our trip to Dallas in '06. It made me miss you all terribly.

Beth said...

Wow, I am inspired. If only I could go outside without risking hyppothermia and frost bite. BUT maybe I can bait some spring here, up north!

CPQ said...

Your industriousness always inspires me.

Remind me to come over at harvest time :)

Love ya! - Let's catch up soon (things are slightly zoo-ish, but let's make it happen)

June Gardens (so to speak) said...

I have little shoots in my garden that I am unnaturally excited about. I feel your pain on this COME ON, SPRING! thing. You really worked it.

SandyM said...

I did a ton of "snipping" today (that I should have done in Oct.) to get ready for some serious gardening tomorrow. Serious as in pick up all the "trash" from today's cuttings, pull some dead stuff, and maybe do a little soil turning. I don't have raised beds; everything is "in-ground" but I could do some of this cover stuff because the beds are contained & not too big. What kind of plastic do you use? And what kind (numbers) of fertilizer do you use? And how much? Do you water the soil before you put the plastic down? I wonder if I would need to put some short stakes at each end to keep the plastic up off the soil? I don't have those pretty windows to use, so I guess I'd just have to anchor the plastic at each end. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the "recognition" & I'm sorry you couldn't find the Paper Whites. Next year when I get some, I'll try to remember to get some extras for you...

stephanie j. said...

I LOVE YOUR GARDEN!!! Even your seedling pots are beautiful. :)

Becca @ My Crazy Good Life said...

I wish I had room in my backyard for that!

We settle for a big bowl-like planter in the front yard. The kids are excited to plant herbs again this year :)