the rusty hoe

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

how to plant edibles in the shade

i am at the beginning of designing a landscape that will support as many edibles as possible...only problem is, i have a lot of shade. luckily, there are a number of my favorite fruits and vegetables that will fit in my garden areas with 4-6 hours of sun or less.
first, i wanted to get the perennial foundation plants selected:
blueberries
currents
asparagus
raspberries and lingonberries (in containers)
strawberries (also in containers)
monarda (bee balm)
chamomile
chives
lovage
lemon balm
mint (contained!)
oreganos (plural, because there are lots of types)
little parsley hedges
thyme
i need to place decorative and functional raised beds and/or containers along walkways and paths for annual shade tolerant foods such as
beans
beets-maybe
broccoli
cabbage
carrots
cucumbers
peas
potatoes (already growing this year in bags)
radishes
sweet potatoes
i currently have salad greens in my self-watering planter boxes, and the
spinach
swiss chard
mesclun
mustard
arugula
dont mind less than 4 hours of sun...everything does grow i bit slower with more shade, but plants dont bolt when the heat and humidity kicks in. i need to get drawing!

Friday, March 30, 2012

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

cherry blossom

the cherry blossom festival started yesterday, but the summer-time spring weather may foil the blooms longevity, so hurry down to take a peek.

if you dont think its worth it, you are wrong: its like the biggest, sweetest puff of smoke ever!

after your trist, vote on your favorite variety. when push comes to shove, i choose the kwanzan.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

spring flowers

the groundhog was right and now spring is in full swing in the nation's capital! a morning walk through the city revealed the season's delightful blooms

between the cracks in the sidewalk...

and along side the road.

the smell of jonquils perfumed the air.

some crocus pushed through,

and the hyacinths stood out.

there was an unbelievable magnolia grandiflora, who's blooms have not been browned by a frost this year.

this star magnolia shined!

when we turned the corner, we discovered a lovely decaying garden wall and urn.

otto took a minute to take it all in.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

wheat grass

they rotate the fields near my cabin in virginia: soy beans are followed with corn which is followed by wheat grass.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

moss

a winter walk is punctuated by neon pops of color...

moss is growing in the most beautiful ways...

wrapping some things up...

and carpeting small places.

Friday, March 2, 2012

home and garden

we have had a some rain this week and thunderstorms are expected tonight and tomorrow, so the garden is soggy, and i wont be working in it. i could use some fresh ideas, so off to the home and garden show! the season kicks off this weekend and it seems like every town has one, so go check it out!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012

today

we are having amazing thunderstorms right now, but earlier this evening, the sunset was glowing. what a beautiful day! totally better than yesterday...