Transplant Shock

Even though the transplanted Violetto artichoke plants seem to be thriving, it may have been too much stress on the plants. No signs of artichokes on any of the transplants, even the parent plant is barren, so far. It seems too late in the season for them to start now, so I'm germinating more seeds and plan on taking good care of them in hopes of getting artichokes next year. Weeding and mulching need to be done and a rich compost top dressing should help with nutrients. Too bad, I'll miss seeing the artichokes that are pictured below.

Waste Not, Want Not

Liter sized plastic bottles are so useful in the garden. After planting pole beans and setting up the tepee trellis for them to climb, it only took a week or so for the beans to germinate. When they started getting their first true leaves, it was apparent that something was eating them. I haven't seen many snails this year, but there are some slugs and earwigs around. To create a barrier until the plants got stronger, I cut out the bottom of the bottles and placed them around the individual bean plants. Forcing them into the dirt by one inch gave them enough stability to withstand being blown over by the wind. The added heat should help the plants grow faster, creating an additional benefit.

To economize on space, I planted some volunteer Merlot and Lollo Rosso seedlings in the center of the tepee. They should be mature by the time the beans grow tall and full enough to shade them completely. I find most leafy greens do well and resist bolting in semi shady areas. It has also been my experience that woody herbs, such as rosemary and sage, when planted in shady areas have more intense fragrance, and therefore more flavor.

Proof Positive

In early March, as soon as I could find tomato seedlings I started my cloche experiment. Purchasing 2 identical cultivars of the same size, I planted them side by side and covered the plant on the left in the photo above with a 5 gallon water bottle that had its bottom cut off. This provided extra warmth and wind protection. Now in late April the results are in. The plant on the left is 1/3 taller than than its counterpart on the right and has formed blossoms, whereas the plant on the right has just a few blossoms starting.

Roses Are Red...Sometimes

When the garden was first designed, I made certain that it included a winding path from the semicircular patio near the house, to the fully circular patio in the center of the yard. There would one day be an umbrella table and chairs, or a gazebo there. The importance of creating garden "rooms" was being stressed in magazines and books being used for reference at the time. It made all the difference in the perception of the size of the garden too, and separated the spaces nicely. My neighbor's yards are the same size as mine, but feel much smaller with a rectangular path around the perimeter.

Royal Sunset, an apricot colored climber with a fruity fragrance sits at the beginning of the winding path. After the first turn, a climbing cultivar of Westerland spreads across the far fence, mingling with the purple potato vine flowers. But before you get to Westerland with its intense orange/peach coloration, you have to pass Juliet.

One of David Austin's best apricot colored roses, Juliet is lovely to look at and smell, but take care around her thorns; they are like tiny needles and completely cover the stems. Another rose with intense fruity fragrance, Juliet makes a lovely addition to bouquets for the house.

I'll Take Door #1, Monty

The results are in. The 5 gallon water bottle used to heat up the ground for seed germination really worked. I planted a mesclun mix under the first bottle incubator and as you can see, now have arugula, Russian kale, Purple Osaka and red leaf mustards growing. In the same period of time, another bed that went uncovered has only the beginnings of some chard germinating. What a great way to get a jump on the planting season. Best of all, the mesclun mix was several years old and still germinated well. Seeds under the second bottle failed, so they must have been really old. Bottle number 3 warmed up the soil where I planted some mizuna, that has germinated, but not grown very tall...yet.

Incubation Chambers

These 5 gallon water bottles are getting used in another experiment. They're covering the ground where I've set seeds. They'll be pulled off for watering, but will remain over the seeds until the seedlings pop up and are sturdy enough to withstand the onslaught of marauding insects that like to munch on the most defenseless of plants.

It's my hope, or theory that the cloches will increase the soil temperature and help the seeds to germinate in our chilly springtime weather. If I wait for the ground to warm up on it's own, my plants will not have enough time to grow well before the summer foggy season. So far the cloches over the tomatoes are proving my theory that they keep the plants warmer, but without plant transpiration involved, I'm not certain about the soil.