Since the beginning I had been winterizing the garden, which included crop protection because of the snow. I have also been maintaining the fall plants in preparation for spring planting, which is what I will be talking about today.
In regards to this, my tulip and crocus bulbs that I planted earlier have begun to sprout. When they have bloomed, they will spell DCL in an array of beautiful colours.
Now, onto the issues I have been facing:
I had really gotten behind on my weeding because of the rain. The reason that this is a problem is the plethora of weeds that have arisen this past month. Also, there has been a lot of garbage that has been dropped around the garden; I think that an easy solution might be to put a garbage can there that people can use.
Something else that I was trying to figure out was how best to use the smaller planters in the garden. As I recently noticed that by the platform there are 3 barrel shaped planters which needed some plants to add to the overall aesthetic of the garden.
Another huge difficulty I am tackling right now are grubs. I have noticed 3 different varieties of grubs, and they have been eating my fall plants. If you want to hear more about my fall veggies see Entry #8 A Dream Reborn. With the aforementioned grubs the plants are having a difficult time. Past just eating the leaves, they have begun to eat the yield, and I have already lost a cauliflower to them. Other than that, the plants have been doing remarkably well; they have survived the brunt of winter, and are still thriving, thanks to the winter cover.
Despite these issues, I have some ideas to help the garden thrive:
For weeding, I am already well on my way. I have finished the first four planters, and will be finishing the rest in the next following weeks. As for the garbage, I will hopefully be putting a garbage can, and hope that encourages people to help keep the garden clean.
In regards to the grubs, I went Amsterdam for professional advice, and now I have a plan to stop them. In July I can release Nematodes (Roundworms) into the soil and they will eat the grubs. Until then, I will just have to kill them when I see them.
Now, having cleared the first four planters and the planters off to the side, I planted an array of beautiful flowers to put some colour and into the garden for everyone to enjoy.
Here are some pictures of the flowers, although you can’t see all the wildflowers I sowed that day.
So what are the next steps?
I signed up for a pruning class, so that I can care for the apple trees. We need to deal with the ant problem, and need to pruned to be in optimal health. I also need to continue to monitor the soil (pH and temperature) so that I can tell when when it is warm enough to plant, and if I need to remediate the pH balance. I must also weed the last four planters to get them ready for vegetables later this spring. I can’t wait for all the flowers to bloom!