Well, change can be a challenge at times. Ever the eager gardener, an article posted spoke to a different way to plant seeds for spring germination. Some seeds need cold, rain, snow, and solar/lunar cycles to initiate their growth. Instead of refrigerating and/or planting in the ground, hoping the seeds germinate, gardeners may plant them in traditional pots leaving them out in the elements. In their natural state, seeds will become seedlings when the moment is right. Unless some critter eats the seeds or they wash away. Also, gardeners do run the risk of plucking them as immature seedlings mistaking them for weeds. This method of potting and leaving out could reduce uncertainty somewhat.
So, I did it. I gathered the seeds, soil, and pots. Here they are set out behind the blueberry bush for the winter. To say there is doubt would be fair. We have had a mighty windy soaker storm push through for hours now. Did they survive this deluge? Are they laying low for months and months only to green up next May or June? Can this erstwhile gardener deal with the uncertainty and let nature be?
In the pots are Penstemon, cornflower and hyssop.
To be continued….
The pollinator habitat project is going forward in my garden. The gardening space in total is about 1/3 acre of mostly open land with sandy loam soil. An open field borders the south side of the property. The north border is tree-lined. There’s plenty of sunshine and the proximity to the Quaboag River means all kinds of birds and pollinators could pay a visit.
The space is overrun with nonflowering rose and creeping jenny. The slope includes a large planting of forsythia. Last winter, I cleaned out and pruned about 2/3 of the bed and it came back well this spring. However, the forsythia may be colorful and an early bloomer, but adds zero value to pollinators.
After clearing out and mowing down the living plant material, soot and ash from the nearby fire pit were spread around. The pile was getting large and needed to be disbursed. This will add some nutrients to the soil. Then, I secured as much free cardboard as I could and started building the layer on which the new garden will be planted. I wanted to cover the cardboard with horse manure as I did in the other location. But, this is about 100 square feet and a little too much for me. I’d need someone to dump the load right on the spot for spreading. In the meantime, I started raking leaves into the space. The rains are returning this week, which will soak the area nicely and set up the decomposition.
What will be planted here? It’s not known yet, there are so many plants and shrubs to consider. The habitat is naturally a moist, shaded space. However, the drought of rain from May through September turned it into a dry shaded space. So, it will be fun reading over what is recommended and consider what to plant. So far, black willow, swamp azalea and Joe Pye weed are at the top of the list.
Mid-October in central Massachusetts and the days are fairly mild. A few light frosts have occurred by now, but most important, steady all day or night rains have returned! A bizarre weather front moved through the area on October 8 knocking down a cherry tree in the yard. The storm lasted maybe fifteen minutes with gusts of wind at 50+ mph and almost horizontal large hail. A glance out the window around 5:30 p.m. and I saw the tree on the ground. The peach tree survived with only a few nicks caused by the falling tree. I thought the low bush blueberries were smashed, but, once cleared, are doing just fine. UGH! A day later and a few hundred dollars provided a cleanup of everything except the big root. Looks like the cherry is shallow-rooted and after three months of drought, was vulnerable to the storm.
Cohosh (homegrown seeds)
Here is Stella lounging over the spot where I planted some spring crocus and tulip bulbs.
The last seed planting Sunday was butterfly milkweed. They prefer dry soil with full sun so they are given the preferred conditions. The colored sand marks their location.
LuceStellare 