Seedlings 2016!

 January! Is that time of year again to start the seedlings! I'm going to rock this garden this year. Last year was miserable because I was miserably pregnant. I burned and froze my seeds. :( Ah well. Always a new year. :)

The weather was warm enough that we were able to get out and prep the garden beds. We had one in particular that needed some attention. My dumb cat decided in its non use, she would use a vacant garden bed as her litter box. 😡

At the end of the season last year I scraped off the top two inches of dirt and all the poop and flooded the bed. Then I put bird netting over it and left it. This week we scraped another inch off the dirt and flooded it again, then layered our chicken coop waste, compost, and left over potting soil from our indoor garden on top. We then flooded it again. Hopefully that will take care of it. I intend on growing pumpkins in the bed this year that we will no be eating. Then we'll add more compost at the end of the season again. 

Stupid cat. 

The tomato and melon seeds popped up amazingly fast! And, as usual, I planted waaaayyyyy too many tomatoes. This picture above was after only 3 days. I think almost all the seeds I planted sprouted, so I had to thin and replant more than a dozen tomato seedlings!   

 Here they are! Very little from the rest of the seedlings. I think I'll be heading to the store to purchase some new seeds. :/ but so far, we are off to a great start! Yay gardening season! 😘

Seedlings accidentally

I've never had this happen before. I planted last years seeds and did not intend in using the remains (if there were any) so, I propped the seed packet behind the rows of seed pots as a marker. Today I tried to move one and it ripped, slightly stuck to the bottom of the tray. When I looked inside, the whole packet was full of sprouting seeds! 

I salvaged what I could, as I hate to throw away perfectly good seedlings. 

I am the person who replants the double sprouts into other pots. ;) I can't help myself. 

Hopefully these grow ok. There was a little mold developing on the outer seedlings.

:/

Bees

BEES!!

I have wanted bees for so long, and now I'm finally getting some! My pest control management company is very small. Mom and Pop type. (Matt and Mary Anne) They have several bee hives and in passing told me they were looking for places to set up more. I just about jumped with excitement and practically demanded one. :) That was last year, this year, I finally got a hive. I wanted my own and we came to an agreement that he would teach me what he knows and his techniques and next year I would buy a hive from him and have two in my yard. 

The delivery was somewhat chaotic. They arrived April 2nd, and the hive fell over in Matts trailer on the way. They (the bees) were understandably very  angry. Matt and his son had to suit up and move the angry hive in full gear. They swarmed the property trying to find their bearing.

 

This little gal flew into our car as we were leaving. Had to fish her out with the envelope. She was very disoriented I think. I showed her to the kids and headed to take her back to the hive when she finally flew away.

We waited a couple of days for them to get used to the area before going back to view them. The hive came with a little door and viewing glass which I LOVE. I'm still looking for the perfect size stool to sit and watch them in. It's just so fascinating. 

This is a photo of the hive on the ground. Matt came back a few days later and put it on two sawhorses and the lid on as well. 

This is a photo taken from the viewing window of the hive about a week (9 days, April 9th) after delivery. They already have a comb built and are starting on a second. 

I am very excited to have bees. I love them and have lots of yummy flowers for them to feed on and pollinate. And with all the talk of their decline, I'd like to make sure I have some around. 

:)

Happy Gardening

Beautiful dirt

 Finally! The last step to finishing the garden beds has come.... We have dirt!!

We are spending our weekend unloading thanks beautiful soul into my freshly built beds, and I'm SO excited! 

One step closer to being done and planting! Woohoo!

Fairy garden: newest addition

I have blocked off an area for the fairy garden. We cleared out the grass, laid down landscape fabric and began placing the cinder block walls around it. I'm really excited to get the project rolling but also don't want to rush it. My husband naturally thought this was the silliest idea and didn't understand the point. (That there really isn't one except for self amusement, pleasure and entertainment?) but as I started telling him my ideas and asking for his advice, I could tell he was enjoying himself, just a little. ;0) I liked the idea of containing the garden to a small space so as not to get overwhelmed or out of control. I don't want it to look tacky or trashy. I intend to plant small plants and succulents in the brick tops, and possibly cover the cinder with rock veneer. It's a ways down the road.




My step father gave me an adorable resin fairy door with matching windows and a light for Christmas. (SO CUTE!) I have been anxious to use them but was unsure of the fairy gardens location until recently. So after clearing the area this weekend and prepping it the 'right' way, I was able to put them up......


(See the Easter egg hiding in there? The hunt for Easter eggs was repeated multiple times this weekend. )

I had ordered an adorable dollhouse patio table and chairs to go to the left of the door, but the eBay seller had to cancel my order due to being in the hospital. I'm so bummed! I can't find another one like it! I'm also thinking of making a nice little lamp post/hanger for the light. I'd like it to go above the door.

The tree is a non fruit bearing cherry. It just bloomed its beautiful pink flowers and it made me excited to see it bloom next year with a (possibly) completed fairy garden underneath!

It's got a long way to go, but I'm so happy to be getting started. I love it!