So, the pond. This is from a couple of months ago. A little willow tree, a tiny sprout, went into the bog in a pot last spring. It liked the 24-7 fish water, and either wind or one of those pesky coons knocked the more-than 15 foot tree over so it hangs over the pond. Cassie and Aggie are checking it out. Anyone want a willow tree?

The light freezes we have had so far have killed the cannas and taro and are working on the umbrella grass, and I hope soon to be able to whack most of it out, and have some maneuvering room to do something about the tree. Maybe this winter I can take an ax to the umbrella grass island and get it out of there for good. I love the bog but it has become a jungle, and needs renovating.

Another lovely day, back to the garden - planting and leaf mowing come first, since the weather is changing tonight. I may not get to the bog whacking today. (oh darn.)

Hey, long time no post!

But I am finally back. What incredible weather today - I have cleaned up the veggie garden and planted the winter crops. I put garlic in at Thanksgiving, late, but it is coming up nicely. Half is from some local garlic from the farmer's market, and the other half some good hard red garlic I bought at Sam's.

It is kind of a cleanout garden this winter. I had so many old and new packets of seeds, so for most of them I mixed them all together into ziploc bags. A bag of long carrots, radishes and parsnips, one of short carrots and radishes. A bag of six kinds of chard. Another of all the lettuce based mesclun and one of the Asian green mixes. Bigger seeds that need to be more carefully spaced I left in their envelopes, but all of them were sown with abandon, since some of the seeds are old and I don't know what will come up. It will be a surprise. And if I have to thin a lot, yeah! salads! If they don't come up well, I have lots of mesclun seed still, and assorted greens.
I still have a couple of raised beds to work on, still a bit shady since the ash trees still have about half of their leaves. I will plant chard and parsley behind the daffodil bulbs, and mesclun among them. Giant red mustard and kale in the other bed. It is nice to have decorative things to eat.
The dogs do try to help, so besides the inadequate fences I am laying coated wire grids on top of the seeds I am planting to discourage digging. (Yes, Cassie, I am thinking of you!)
Next, raking some more leaves and bagging for later composting. Maybe mowing them up first, that shreds them nicely and it is easy to empty the mower bag into the paper one. Sort of. I feel good about today's gardening, though. Last winter's garden did well, so I am hoping for more yummy spinach and arugula and greens.
Enjoy the day.