During a slower time of life and the year each of these topics might have merited a full post of their own and certainly their own headlines. However work is keeping me busy, and it’s busy time in the garden so you get to read a kind of summary of events.
Camping Cucumbers
As reported previously the cucumbers have been growing vigorously. I started hardening them (and the Atlantic Giant pumpkins) off this week. Monday they spent the day in the window sill, Tuesday they spent about 1/2 the day in the sun outside, and Tuesday afternoon I built them a little hoop house. Tonight (still Tuesday today) they’re going to sleep in the hoop house. With the forecast of possible snow in Fridley from Saturday through next Tuesday they’re going to need something to protect them from the elements. Hopefully it will be sufficient!
A temporary hoop house
To build this hoop house I cut 1 foot long segments from the lilac branches I had pruned last weekend. I hammered them into the ground so that 3 inches were sticking out, then bent the pvc pipes over the sticks. The plastic is just part of a plastic drop-cloth I had leftover from another project, and isn’t anything special. If all goes well the cucumbers will be living free starting the middle of next week, so I figure any type of plastic will do for just last long.
I considered building some cold frames, which I’d like to do eventually anyways, but decided that in the interest of speed I would just build the hoop house. I didn’t have to go to the store for anything!
Camping Cucumbers!
The cucumbers seem adequately happy inside their temporary home. Once they have hardened off I’ll figure out how and where to plant them. Anyone want some cucumber plants?
Rhubarb Suprise
Several stocks of Rhubarb were discovered today after a long absence. This rhubarb family had been lost since last fall, and was presumed dead. There is no word on how they survived without appropriate attention and care but the family seems to be doing well.
I don’t remember even seeing this rhubarb last fall, but there are 3 fairly strong stocks sticking out of the soil right where I planted them last spring. Surprise! I planted these from seed last spring, and transplanted them at the end of last May. If all goes according to plan I should be able to pick some stalks next spring.
I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I bought a ready-to-plant rhubarb plant from Home Depot. I’ll put that in the ground after this frost too and look forward eagerly to strawberry rhubarb pie in years to come.
Rhubarb stretching after a long nap
Pruning the Lilacs
When we moved in the lilacs hadn’t been cared for at all and some branches were nearly touching the power lines. Last year I cut them down to about 8 feet tall and removed about 1/3 to 1/2 of the thick (2 inches +) branches. This year I removed nearly all of the rest of the thick branches. There are still many branches that are thicker and woodier than I’d like, but nearly all are less than two inches thick. I considered cutting the lilacs all the way down to the ground and letting them come up from sprouts again but decided against it. We like our neighbors but we also like a little privacy and the lilacs help keep our kids from bothering their dog.
Thinned out Lilac Bushes
Here’s our brush pile. It currently consists of our Christmas tree and the lilac branches. One of these weekends I cut the branches down to 2 foot lengths to use for bonfires. Long straight branches may be used as supports in the garden again this year.
Pruned off lilac branches
Bunny Trouble
At some point during the winter the bunnies got hungry enough to eat through the grape vines. I’m sure it was the bunnies because they left behind their trademark trail of coco puffs. I am mostly optimistic about the grape vines. What the bunnies left behind is slightly larger than what there was at the start of last year when I planted them. Presumably the grapes will do better this year even starting with the same size branches since the roots will be bigger and since they don’t have to go through the stress of a transplant. Maybe we’ll even get some grapes.
Not everyone is hoppy in Fridley
I’m not sure what it was about this winter, but our yard is covered in tiny rabbit droppings. All along the fence lines, near the base of pretty much every type of plant. Hopefully they won’t be a problem this year.
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