Author Topic: Peri's Garden Blog is Back! (Read 33037 times)

Dovel · « **Reply #25 on:** July 11, 2014, 05:34:53 AM »

Orion does seem to be a good supervising feline. Perhaps you should let him help with the planting? ~smiles~

Peripherie · « **Reply #26 on:** July 11, 2014, 08:24:58 AM »

Rhedyn - Thank you! I hope to do more than water after this week of storms end. ^_^

Dovel - He would only be helpful if there were things he could chew. I could try to get him to chew the weeds out but I think I would just end up finding them again in the house when he tracked/dragged/threw them up later.

Peripherie · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2014, 03:11:48 PM »

Saturday 7/12: Flower Sadness.

So not really an update on anything that I did in the yard but a sad result of all the storms we have had recently. Two of my vincas that I planted in the flower bed have lost all their blossoms. :( (Those were some heavy crazy storms.) The plants are fine but they will just not be so colorful for a little while. And we are supposed to have more storms early next week.

But the two flower pots on my porch look amazing! :)

We shall see how the flowerbed fairs after the next round of storms. *crosses fingers*

Peripherie · « **Reply #28 on:** July 14, 2014, 07:14:36 PM »

Monday 7/14: Hope!

So I went to water the flowerbed this morning (as it has just been insufferably hot) and I saw a few pink buds already opening/opened from the vinca that was a few days ago completely green:

And my little garden hasn't been 'visited' and destroyed by any local critters and I think I have found one reason why. I recently constructed a raccoon deterrent system to keep them away from my trash and without that to draw them in they haven't been digging up my flowers either! Huzzah!

(raccoon deterrent system = bungee cord

)

Peripherie · « **Reply #29 on:** August 31, 2014, 04:32:25 PM »

Sunday 7/14: RIP Peri's Garden?

Dun dun dun.... What suspense!!

The heat wave is on and my little flower garden is dying. My work life has ramped up and so all the living things at my house (cat not included) are lucky if I remember to water them once in a blue moon.

And the weeds have retaken the fence along the back.

I will try to water a bit later when the heat has died down for the evening and I'll try to remember for the near future how much of a stress reliever looping/killing vines can be.

... to be continued....

Dovel · « **Reply #30 on:** September 04, 2014, 05:39:09 AM »

Weeds have a nasty habit of getting into everything. But I think you did rather well for your first year of gardening. Next year you can plant again and perhaps expand a little but more.

Amazee · « **Reply #31 on:** September 05, 2014, 03:27:44 AM »

Oh how sad. I hate it when flower gardens start to die off. Could you have done anything to stop it from dying?

Peripherie · « **Reply #32 on:** September 07, 2014, 07:59:24 AM »

Quote from: Amazee on September 05, 2014, 03:27:44 AM

Oh how sad. I hate it when flower gardens start to die off. Could you have done anything to stop it from dying?

The short answer: I could have actually watered it daily.

The long answer is that my summer was a bit more carefree and I had time to go and water/weed/care for my garden. Now that work has ramped up and my life has gotten hectic I really only tend to it when it's on death's door. Fall/Winter is coming soon and much of it will die back so I think I'm okay with my gardening experiment coming to a temporary end for this year!

Quote from: Dovel on September 04, 2014, 05:39:09 AM

Weeds have a nasty habit of getting into everything. But I think you did rather well for your first year of gardening. Next year you can plant again and perhaps expand a little but more.

Thanks! *hugs* I think it was a good first try! Next year I want to plant a bit more in front of my little shed as well. :)

Amazee · « **Reply #33 on:** September 07, 2014, 06:18:06 PM »

I know that my mother's garden is still alive and kicking but its getting closer to autumn so it will end up dying soon.

Peripherie · « **Reply #34 on:** November 21, 2014, 07:51:37 PM »

My garden is officially dead for the winter. RIP

I look forward to tending you again come Spring!

Cassandra LeMay · « **Reply #35 on:** November 22, 2014, 10:01:27 AM »

Hey, at least you have learned a lot from this year's experience.

These things come and go and laid some solid groundwork for next years spring.

I'm looking forward to a few new garden pictures, come next year.

Peripherie · « **Reply #36 on:** November 22, 2014, 12:35:10 PM »

Thanks Cass! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. :)

metallliclimbs · « **Reply #37 on:** November 22, 2014, 07:46:19 PM »

It's a pretty neat Idea! I hope you keep up with it.

Peripherie · « **Reply #38 on:** June 16, 2015, 11:09:01 AM »

Saturday 6/16: Resurrection!

So Spring has past and Summer is here. And there is a lot of rebirth and new things in the Peri Garden. The least of which is my new partner in crime, my fella farmer.

He loves to garden, grow veggies, recycle, compost, and take care of outside-y things (including mowing my lawn. *dances*)!

We have had a fun spring trying new things and pretty much just experimenting with things we know little about.

Pictures!

My backyard garden plot one year later. The iris, lantana, and elephant ears have come back and are doing well. I haven't planted any new vinca but I may still. We may also use the front of the garden plot to replant some of our thriving veggies.

Our new composter! Well, it was my mother's but she wasn't using it much so new it lives at my house. We still use my old compost bucket that I DIYed last year to hold the dirt that is already fully composted. We are doing a lot of yummy, healthy cooking and all the ends and tops and extra pieces of veggies go into the compost. Fella also LOVES coffee so all the grounds go in there as well.

Not really a garden project but we have been keeping and collecting cans from various places and houses of friends/families. Fella loves crushing them and we are probably almost ready to turn them in for a tiny refund.

One corner of my/our porch. Fella loves the idea of bucket/planter gardening and using throw-away things to plant in. (We rescued some drawers from off the side of the road to plant things in but haven't gotten to them yet. Soon!)

Basil! :) We bought some starter herb plants and this is one of them. It was originally with the other herbs in the tray but started to bully and overgrow. So we repotted it and it is thriving. What I have learned from mom, who grows her own herbs as well, is that when herbs start to flower you have to pluck them off or it will turn the leaves bitter. We have already used some of the leaves in a yummy stir fry the other day.

More herbs! Thyme, parsley, stevia, and oregano. We haven't used them yet but we have plans.... so many plants. ^_^

Pepper plants and baby kale. The pepper was used in a yummy stir-fry this past weekend. Not sure if we will get more peppers from this plant. It had flowered earlier in the summer but now it is only leaves. The kale may need to be re-potted but we used some of it with the chard we planted on some burgers and it so yummy!

Eggplant! This plant has really taken off. We ate the eggplant in a stir fry that was just amazing. The most spectacular thing is that once we took the big one off the plant another smaller eggplant has tripled in size in just a few days. (You can see the little one that is now not so little in the upper middle of the picture.)

Gerber daisies! :) It was a gift that wasn't doing so well for a while. Fella cut it back a great deal and now it is doing so well. I guess it was just overcrowded. I will say that while it is pretty it is SUCH a thirsty thirsty plant.

We have more plans/plants in the works but right now it is fun to come home and play gardener. (Also I don't think I could have met a better man to help me take my little hobby last summer and turn it into something much more rewarding. <3)

Wistful Dream · « **Reply #39 on:** June 16, 2015, 12:09:01 PM »

It's gorgeous!

Cassandra LeMay · « **Reply #40 on:** June 16, 2015, 12:30:57 PM »

I'm really looking forward to seeing how things will develop this year. Looks like you are off to a very good start.

And congrats on finding someone to share your gardening with. That's awesome.

Peripherie · « **Reply #41 on:** September 20, 2015, 08:24:02 AM »

Update:

My backyard garden... did not fare well this year. It has been SO hot and without lots of mulch and multiple waterings... everything withered. Also, when you are taking care of veggies on the front porch that you can eat... and flowers are waaaay in the backyard that you can't eat. Well, I've been lazy and just never went back there.

We had about 5 eggplants growing but it was only ever one at a time and although the plant is tall and healthy, no more eggplants lately.

However our Cowhorn pepper plant has exploded! We have like 6 peppers growing on that thing right now.

And my guy has added a few pots - radishes, beets, and a bucket containing cat nip.

Pictures when I am not so lazy!

Peripherie · « **Reply #42 on:** October 11, 2015, 02:23:36 PM »

Summer is turning into fall but my porch garden is still going strong.

Cowhorn peppers

Ichiban eggplant

Catnip

Variety of radishes, beets, and herbs

We really don't know how to use them all or use them well just yet. But all and all it has been a fun and tasty experiment. However we have plans, glorious plans, for a full on garden next year!

Oniya · « **Reply #43 on:** October 11, 2015, 08:49:39 PM »

I've never been particularly good with beets, but radishes can either be added raw to salads, or pickled.

Peripherie · « **Reply #44 on:** October 11, 2015, 08:56:16 PM »

Thanks for the tip Oniya!

I am not sure I really like either but my boyfriend bought the seeds and just went ahead and planted them. He is also much more adventurous with recipes and food in general. I just get to eat the yummy stuff he makes!

(I doubt he has ever tried his hand at pickling things though.)

Oniya · « **Reply #45 on:** October 11, 2015, 09:53:22 PM »

This recipe has some good reviews and doesn't require any fancy equipment (it's a 'refrigerator pickle', as opposed to a 'canning pickle', which would require special jars and techniques)

Peripherie · « **Reply #46 on:** October 11, 2015, 10:05:29 PM »

Quote from: Oniya on October 11, 2015, 09:53:22 PM

This recipe has some good reviews and doesn't require any fancy equipment (it's a 'refrigerator pickle', as opposed to a 'canning pickle', which would require special jars and techniques)

But.... do I like pickled radishes?

(I only share things with him that I actually think I want to eat.) *is teasing* I will show him but he is all about not wasting food so I have to be careful or I'll be 5 again trying to get rid of things I don't like down the toilet when I excuse myself to go to the bathroom.

Peripherie · « **Reply #47 on:** October 18, 2015, 06:03:06 AM »

So the catnip plant is flourishing and I have to figure out how to make it drive Orion crazy! :) My boyfriend says he has gone wild just smelling a leaf but when I stick it in his face he just sniffs at it and walks away.

So I wonder if you have to dry it and make it crumbled like the stuff at the store for it to be effective as kitty crack.

Added:

After looking online I think you have to wait till it flowers before it is effective. Our potted plant just has a lot of leaves. (Annnd reading further you have to dry it for 4-8 weeks before using.

)

Oniya · « **Reply #48 on:** October 18, 2015, 12:01:12 PM »

Try bruising the leaf before waving it at him. There's an old saying that if you grow 'nip from seed, the local cats won't care, but if you transplant it, they'll tear it up. My theory on this is that seeing a plant grow is nothing special, but seeing a big plant suddenly there needs Investigating. This leads to lots of physical contact with the plant, which bruises the leaves, resulting in the oils being released.

Peripherie · « **Reply #49 on:** October 18, 2015, 03:21:08 PM »

Thanks I will try that. He currently has a stash of the dried stuff to keep him nipped up for many months but the next time I let him out on the porch I will test it. :)