Tawny Daylily

hemerocallis fulva

aujourd'hui dans le jardin

reconstructing the beds a bit. put up stakes, creating cages for the tomatoes and trellises for the peas.

the sage needed a haircut.

now the thyme has room to grow.

the radishes are taking a beating from the snails. added eggshells today to keep them away.

the lavender never ceases to amaze me.

separating out the sage. many of the leaves are chewed up, from grasshopper nymphs.

those end up in the compost.

ah, sage.

les fraises

what grows in the garden

11 days ago.

peas

tomato

painted daisy (really a mum)

upstairs neighbor climbed out his window and handed me this cypress from the fire escape. (while he was in his socks) it needs to be planted in earth. I have plans for it in the back, back yard.

which I where I transplanted one of the giant onions.

in March I started clearing out the very back of the yard, which goes another 10 feet beyond the wooden fence. the previous two summers it was so overgrown with weeds that I couldn't get back there. decided to nip it in the bud and start pulling early. there are several dead trees, some fallen over and some still in the ground. one came down during a heavy storm, some time between march and now. was wondering why so many dead trees in this one spot. first thing I noticed was overcrowding- too many trees crammed in one spot at the back of the yard, up against the corner of a building. next thing, I looked at the building and saw a large vent- less than a foot from the trees. could have been spewing toxic fumes or could have been blasting too much heat. then, as I was picking all kinds of man-made debris out of the semi-natural forest floor, I kept coming across a stubborn ribbon of sheet metal that I couldn't get loose. Finally, after unearthing enough material from the spot, I pulled hard on the steel cable attached to the ribbon and it started to come free. The darn thing was running straight through a tree.

what's going on in the garden

See the whole set here.

Three Part Compost

a couple of weeks ago I started a third compost bin. the main bin was getting too full, and was too heavy on the food scraps. ideally the bin should be equal parts scraps, green clippings and brown matter such as dry leaves, grass or sawdust. I started my compost two springs ago, when we first moved into the apartment. the first season in the garden was glorious- so much learning and even a few successful crops. last summer was a wash with the running of the store. didn't have time to plant much beyond herbs, and the compost got neglected too. so now I'm back with a vengeance and much appreciation for the time to be able to do this.

last year I did separate some of the compost out into a second bin. here is that one, finishing up nicely. I added some more green/brown to it recently and it has a couple of worms to help it along. Compared with the bagged compost I have it's softer and lacking in wood chips. I might add some chips in a few weeks if it needs it.




Here is the bin I started most recently. I separated a much larger portion out of the main bin this time, layering it with green and brown. It's been sitting inside the dark colored bin with a tight fitting lid getting lots of heat from the sun, and man is this compost active! It has many worms, but also lots of fruit flies and fleas. I stirred it well today and let it sit open for a while- the more air, the fewer bugs. I think I will drill some more holes in this one for better ventilation.


See the white spots all along the edge? those are fruit flies flapping their wings.



worms! these guys are hard to photograph- they burrow back into the compost just as soon as you uncover them.


and here is compost #1. the main bin where the fresh food scraps go.


I've been keeping it covered with white plastic mesh. It works well for keeping out excess sun and rain, while providing air flow. its one drawback is that squirrels and raccoons can lift it up or chew straight through it. not that I mind sharing my compost with them.

I have to say that composting is pretty darn easy once you get the hang of it. since we've been living in a garden level apartment, I can't imagine not having a back yard. there are methods for composting indoors, but you do need space. my red worms found their own way to the compost, but they are the same worms you will use if you do an indoor bin. in nyc the lower east side ecology center provides instructions and resources for crafting your own. it's no harder than drilling holes in the giant bins you see above! as for the electric powered composters, we had one for a short period of time. although it broke down the food pretty quickly, it had a tendency to get jammed. I was forever untangling things from the churner, and ultimately I couldn't get the motor to reset itself.

the end!

more gardening!

yesterday I noticed how overgrown the English Ivy had become and decided to cut it back. I found the original plant, which had been placed at the end of the bed that hugs the east fence. the root cluster was still stuffed full of vermiculite, from the potting soil it originally came with.


here is some of what I cut away.


this little tree is the first thing I noticed that had survived the snow when we moved in in the spring of last year.


some of the leaves have yellowed and have these white spots, telling me that something isn't right. I pruned the little guy back and added compost. I really haven't given the tree any love since I repotted it last year.


but at the same time, it's starting to flower. new leaves are forming.


I'm turning what's left of the veggie patch into an area for herbs and flowers. After everything died last fall, the neighborhood cats took advantage of the bare ground and started pooping there. This was made obvious by the presence of house flies. I rooted through the soil removing the turds, and transferred the dirt to non-edible plants. The cats had contained their activity to two sections of the bed, so I was able to salvage the rest of my good organic soil in this area.


A cutting from the Autumn Fire Stonecrop, which I pruned last year when the plant was feasted upon by birds. The cutting lasted through the winter indoors. To the right is a bit of a sedum variety, which I had placed in the east bed, not knowing what it would do. It ended up being shaded by the many vines, so I transferred it this year. In the pot is what I believe to be a barley sprout. I've been composting the remains of barley tea, and I noticed something sprouting in the bin.


Eucalyptus Cordata in the pot, because it will need to be brought indoors when the weather turns cool. To the right is Lantana Camara. In front are rosemary and sage.

the garden

Precious little time to spend in the garden this summer. The work I put in last year paid off though, and plants grew back prettier than before.




echinacea and lavender



view towards the back. the english ivy has finally gathered around the ladder. I propped the alium (onion) on an old chair, as it grew too tall.



there was just a tiny bit of this species of sedum growing above the step, in the paver cracks, last year. it spreads more slowly than the other stuff I'm cultivating. (the branchier stuff to the left) This year it's growing white flowers!


the lamb's ear came back very thick. then it started flowering, and it's kind of a mess. I will cut it back this week. the autumn fire stone crop behind it is looking good.



picked up rosemary, (hearty variety- want to try leaving it outside this winter. Don't know if I got a big enough plant to survive) peppermint, eucalyptus, and these beautiful roses. the roses will go in the former vegetable patch. the herbs will go in pots.

I have visions of creating a cool environment to hang out in, full of greenery. I shaded the back door to the apartment (which leads to the garden) with a mesh screen, cooling down the bedroom. A kiddie pool and giant mosquito coil incense are what I'm thinking of, along with seating.