Ready for dirt!

….and the variety pack of heirloom tomatoes that was a free add-on to my seed order! 

Plant markers

I love my plant markers…  they will, of course, be fancier next year but that darn cheap fence that’s been laying around the yard has provided me with an abundance of these….  no more begging the gal at Menards for just a few more paint stirrers!

   

The straw bale project…

…at least the plants are there now instead of in my driveway!!  Now to plant them in the straw…  and add a few more piles with the ones in the first photo for the melon plants (watermelon and muskmelon aka cantaloupe where I come from!).

…squash, eggplant and cucumbers are here:

  

Blackberries

Another plant I thought was a goner this year but it too has come back! 

Blackberries will go here… eventually…

A sea of milkweed!

Now where are those butterflies?  These pictures were taken facing different directions!

    

And the picture below was taken a few days before the ones above from the deck.

Click here for “Plant Milkweed: Monarch Butterfly Populations on the Brink” and a video “Great Migrations – Monarch Butterflies”

Another deal!!

TWO dollars – St. Vinnies…  Do you see a raised bed??  I do!  Apparently Brita did also!

omg…they are going to live!

 

The rabbits and voles didn’t kill them!!! 

…the PLUM tree….

…and the BUTTERNUT tree!!

Rhubarb…

Remember this picture…  not mine…  but I’m on my way!  Not considered an URGENT project! 

 

ps…  the rhubarb is behind the fence right now and doing well!  The raised bed will be good since the dogs like to forage for critters along the fence.

Grapes!!

and LOTS of them!!!

Another grapevine….

…..that I thought was long gone…  so lets see…  the 2 I have I planted years ago and they are just now looking promising…  do you suppose the ones I planted last year will be that was after a few years?!?

no matter which way…

I look at it I can’t figure out what it was but the wood is great and on it’s side I can see a raised bed!  And the 2 separate pieces clearly will be something creative!  Total for ALL of it…  $10!!

Securing the perimeter!

So I’ve read that you have to take steps to keep critters from digging under the fence to get on the deck… if there are chickens there!!!    Or.. the blocks could be used somewhere else in the yard!  I’ll keep my options open!  Any block is 25 cents at ….guess where …. my favorite store….  ReStore!!

The “Long Bed”

I think that’s what I’ll call it.  Every raised bed should have a name so I can keep them straight.  Here’s my goal…  by Sunday – ALL my plants will be in the ground!!!!!!!!!   (Or in the straw as the case may be…)  The tomato plant is the first plant that I’ve grown from seed that I’ve planted!!!  Ta DA!!!

     

From June 2nd..

I’m tellin’ ya…

These guys are tough!  They were planted about 6 years ago and after the first year, were run over when the dogs ran the fence line.  I forgot about them and, lo and behold, last year they appeared! 

 

My first PEPPER!!

 

And the first TOMATO!

 

Blocks for a front wall!

However, right now they are scattered about because I shoved them out of the van when I brought them home!

     

WOW … this used to be a lilac bush!

And was pretty awful so I cut it down years ago but look at the stump…  it’s huge!!  How do I get that sucker out??

TO DO!

 

Strawberries….

no wait…  cucumbers….
no wait…  squash….
no wait…  tomatoes…..

…so many ideas…  so few pallets!

 

  

The first greens from the yard!!

And my salad…  ok…  presentation isn’t my thing – it goes to the same place regardless of how it looks going in… 

    

the first PEPPER!!!

Next will be the straw!

…. after more cardboard!!!   And then squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, and watermelon!

Thanks Kate for the boxes!