CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in May 2017

trolleydriver wrote:Looks like Ottawa will be getting some really nice weather this week with highs going into the mid 80s Fahrenheit by midweek and overnight lows in the 50s and 60s (exept low 40s tonight). I need to get my indoor starts hardened off outside and transplanted soon.

Me, too.

My neighbourhood is a sea of yellow dandelions. I just spent time removing them by hand from my front and back lawns. Of course I could not get all of the roots out so they will be back even stronger. It's really a waste of time anyway considering that most of the neighbours don't bother to get rid of their dandelions. Soon the air will be filled with their little white parachutes spreading their joy wherever they can land.

I'm running really late to the game, but I have my gardens built and the ingredients ready to be mixed.
(This will actually be my third year doing SFG in the Maritimes)

I just finished re-buying the seeds that I intend to use this season and should have everything filled and ready to go this season.

I had previously purchased seeds, but due to my wife's medical issues and our whole yard being torn up, I lost my previous garden and had to start over.  Though on the plus size I'm more than doubling what I originally had.

Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do for a trellis, but I'm sure I'll work something out before too long.

I'd love to have an irrigation system that doubles as my grid, but I think that may be outside of the budget for this year.

Tomorrow entails mixing and filling.  If I have a lot of energy, I'll be headed to the hardware store for lumber to build a compost sifter.

That and of course trying to get some seeds started indoors.

Instead of an annual Tulip Festival I think Ottawa should have an annual Dandelion Festival.  The dandelions are taking over the city. Maybe we should make a movie called "The Day of the Dandelions" which is not to be confused with "The Day of the Triffids"

This photo is taken in front of my neighbours house (many dandelions in the lawn) looking toward our property in the background.



And this is what it looks like at the nearby corner of the street where our community mailbox is located.

I was thinking about Kelejan in Castlegar B.C. and her bear visitor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw1xnuSv1NM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxFIGWm9M6w

I like dandelions in their yellow phase.  It is the uneven growth, and the white phase that are a bit much for me.  I do have my lawn sprayed once/yr.  I just dont like the look of the uneven yard....I know....my neighbor does nothing, and my others do 3x/yr.....I am striking a compromise.  IMO....I do leave instructions for them to steer way clear of the SFG.  And they do.

Good to see you Swamp Troll and welcome from me, your Canadian Regional Host.
Look forward to your progress.

Thanks TD for the picture of the bear in Castlegar. That video was taken by our Mayor.  I also took some time and viewed some videos of Castlegar and it is interesting to see the view of a ride downtown that included a picture of my former store opposite the City Hall.

Another bear came through my place a couple of days ago, this time it was a brown bear.  I alerted my neighbour below me but she did not see it and I assume it had passed through her garden and through a tiny kid's park (where I had never seen a child play they yet) over the railway tracks and down to the Columbia River.

Too much rain around so unable to mow my grass once again and it is getting loooong.

No shortage of dandelions.  I have noticed that over the years the numbers of them have increased and now we all have swathes of yellow that really look pretty, but we all know what happens when they turn to clocks.  After mowing the grass, everything is green again, but next day up come another load.

The cherry and apple trees have quite a lot of blossom on them so I hope to have a reasonable harvest this year in spite of trimming them very hard.

Still so much to do; I am all behind this year due to not doing enough last fall and also to the persistent rain we have had this year so far.

Thank you.  I just finished my days off by almost completely filling my main gardens with MM.  I also was able to top off, plant, and mulch my two blueberry bushes.

This was on top of mowing the lawn.

I may have been able to get more done, but the rains began.

Now I need to sit down and redo my plans for this year's garden as I didn't realize how old the seeds I had from my last garden were.   I'm going to try and use some of them anyway, but we'll see how they do.

trolleydriver wrote:
This photo is taken in front of my neighbours house (many dandelions in the lawn) looking toward our property in the background.



And this is what it looks like at the nearby corner of the street where our community mailbox is located.

Looks like a big ol' wine harvest to me. Along with some yummy smoothie & salad greens.

Given the hot weather we have been getting, I have been expecting a weather warning to be issued by Canada. They just issued one. My mini greenhouse is going to get a workout. Here is part of the warning.


"Conditions are favourable for the development of dangerous thunderstorms that may be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and heavy rain ...  Very strong wind gusts can damage buildings, down trees and blow large vehicles off the road. Remember, severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes. ..."

No new rain last night but even so it is too wet to mow the lawn.  I could try, but it would mean cleaning the underside every few yards.  We need to sun out to dry the grass.

Swamp Troll, you certainly have put me to shame with your efforts.  I hope they will be duly rewarded.

Well Kelejan,

You definitely have some experience on myself, and I am horribly stubborn.  I'm running so horribly behind this year that I am racing to be able to get things in the ground and growing as soon as possible.

Hopefully next year, I'll be able to do things at a less breakneck pace.  Ideally I'd have my seeds sprouted and awaiting transport, with my boxes filled, greens growing and bulbs (onion, garlic) planted.

Oh well.  If wishes were fishes, I'd have some massive tomatoes.

Some herbs self seeded in my front garden. First I thought it was parsley, but now I'm pretty sure it is coriander. How many should I leave by square, and is it okay it it is clumped together? I haven't grown coriander by seed before...Can't wait for the long weekend to be here.

My grass finally got cut, just the main lawn, but I was certainly tired as every two times I went up and down I had to scrape the wet grass off the mower and that was hard work as well. I have left the roadside lawn and all the little area for another day.
The grass was so long because of the continual rain. We are due a thunderstorm in a bit, the clouds are gathering. 

I am hoping for good weather on Saturday as my friend, who has recently returned from Victoria after helping her daughter with her deceased husband, wants to go to our local Garden and Nature Fest where the City gives away two bags of City Compost to each householder. These bags are heavy and one must be careful not to split the paper bags when loading or unloading them.  Last year I caught one of the bags as I was loading it into my friend's trunk and it took a bit of work to clear up. I will make sure I have some plastic sheeting ready to lay down so any spills are contained. Unloading will be a problem as neither of us strong enough to lift the bags up out of the truck.  Oh, for a car that has it's opening level with the car's floor.

Mimi2 wrote:Some herbs self seeded in my front garden. First I thought it was parsley, but now I'm pretty sure it is coriander. How many should I leave by square, and is it okay it it is clumped together? I haven't grown coriander by seed before...Can't wait for the long weekend to be here.

2 or 3 per clump in a square is what I end up with. I dry the leaves and collect the seeds for small batch grinding. Oh, the aroma!

Kelejan wrote: Unloading will be a problem as neither of us strong enough to lift the bags up out of the truck.  Oh, for a car that has it's opening level with the car's floor.

Perhaps moving a wheel barrow next to the trunk, so the bags don't have to go very far and  you can practically dump the bags out?

SwampTroll wrote:

Kelejan wrote:Unloading will be a problem as neither of us strong enough to lift the bags up out of the truck.  Oh, for a car that has it's opening level with the car's floor.

Perhaps moving a wheel barrow next to the trunk, so the bags don't have to go very far and  you can practically dump the bags out?

 Great idea!

Scorpio Rising wrote:

SwampTroll wrote:

Kelejan wrote:Unloading will be a problem as neither of us strong enough to lift the bags up out of the truck.  Oh, for a car that has it's opening level with the car's floor.

Perhaps moving a wheel barrow next to the trunk, so the bags don't have to go very far and  you can practically dump the bags out?

 Great idea!

I do that, Scorpio, but the problem is actually lifting the bag up before letting it  down into the wheelbarrow.  With a trunk that opens fully from floor level, one can slide the bag into the wheelbarrow. I will have to ask my friend to get a new car.

Coming home from grocery shopping this morning, I found that someone had mown the grass that fronts the road.  I was so thankful as I was still tired from yesterday.

I left a message to the person who I thought had done the deed, but had to leave a message.  I hope he lets me know if it is not him otherwise I will not know whom to thank.

Kelejan wrote:Coming home from grocery shopping this morning, I found that someone had mown the grass that fronts the road.  I was so thankful as I was still tired from yesterday.

.

I love when that happens. Especially with driveway snow!
<3

The Farmers Almanac says I can do the following over the next two weeks. I think it is too early for some things (e.g., squash, melon, okra) right now but should be OK by the end of the two weeks (i.e., beginning of June). I may put tomatoes out this weekend but keep some seedlings in reserve just in case.

Your Personalized Planting Reminders

[size=16][size=16]Here are the planting reminders for your location for the next two weeks: [/size][/size]

Sow under cover or indoors: Pumpkin   Sow outdoors or plant out: Beet Broccoli Cabbage (Summer) Carrot Corn Cucumber Kale Leek Lettuce (Leaf) Melon Okra Onion Parsnip Peas Pepper Potatoes (Maincrop) Radish Spinach Squash (Summer) Swiss Chard Tomato (Large) Watermelon

This is absolutely amazing.  Some of these I'll definitely be getting in the ground this week, but some things like the corn and squash, I think I'll hold off a bit for.

Also not sure about the pepper as it is still dropping down to low single digits at night.  Not starting from seed for those this year, so I'll wait a bit to get that one in the ground.

CapeCoddess wrote:

Kelejan wrote:Coming home from grocery shopping this morning, I found that someone had mown the grass that fronts the road.  I was so thankful as I was still tired from yesterday.

.

I love when that happens. Especially with driveway snow!
<3

+1

There are three things at the top of my gardening list right now.

1. Get some of the transplants (e.g., tomatoes) into the SFG.
2. Turn the contents of the 3x3x3 compost bin.
3. Keep building the new 3x7 SFG bed ... lots stil to do on that.

The problem is that it is another wet day here which may hold up progress.

CapeCoddess wrote:

Kelejan wrote:Coming home from grocery shopping this morning, I found that someone had mown the grass that fronts the road.  I was so thankful as I was still tired from yesterday.

.

I love when that happens. Especially with driveway snow!
<3

I especially hate mowing driveway snow.