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Just curious…

Posted on June 19th, 2009 – 7:47 AM
By Robyn Dochterman

What’s everyone up to this weekend? Is gardening a focus, or have you moved on to other summer activities (you mean, there are some?). Got a farmer’s market on your errand list? Or are you eating the fruits of your labor from your own veggie garden yet? (Wal-mart reported a 30% jump in sales of seeds this year, so I know lots more of us are becoming vegetable gardeners).

I’m practically salivating that my favorite U-pick place is opening for strawberries on Monday. The canning jars were delivered today, so now I just need to root around and find the canning pot and I can rock and roll on jam! Speaking of which, should I make straight-up strawberry jam, or add rhubarb to it? Anyone got a preference or fave recipe?

I’m finally ready to begin my biggest summer project, too. I’m going to try my hand at transforming a little courtyard area into a solar-powered bubbler fountain. I’ll be very curious to see how the picture in my head changes as reality sets in.  And those plants I got at the plant sale last month…well they’ll be really happy to be out of tiny pots, finally.

So, what are you up to?

This entry was posted on Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 7:47 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

14 Responses to "Just curious…"

Michelle S. says:

June 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am

Too busy with other summer activities to garden much this weekend, although my husband is building me a trellis today for my tomatoes and beans. I do have another bed that I’d like to fill up with summer veggies. Do you think it’s too late to plant peppers or squash?

sparklegirl says:

June 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am

I did some marathon gardening stints in recent weeks (the kind where my husband pops out of the house mid-afternoon and yells, “Did you remember to eat or are you too busy gardening?”), so I’m mostly looking at smaller projects for this weekend: repotting a few things that outgrew their original containers, perhaps moving a few hardscaping elements, and (/sigh) continuing in the never-ending process of ripping out the self-seeded morning glories that want to take over all of Metropolis. Oo, and thanks to yesterday’s reminder, I may have to hit a Linder’s Flower Mart!

Robyn Dochterman says:

June 19th, 2009 at 8:35 am

Michelle, I’d go ahead and try peppers and squash. You might be pushing it, but then, my peppers have mostly been sitting around waiting for warm weather. Just plant them from starts, rather than seeds, if you can.

sparklegirl, it sounds like you’re very much in the throes of gardening. You go, girl!

Cindy says:

June 19th, 2009 at 8:54 am

Just when I thought the bunnies had moved on to safer territory, because of the presence of several neighbor dogs, I spotted one nibbling away in my hosta garden the other morning. Grrrrrr! Overconfident that this year maybe they’d leave me alone, I took down all the fencing surrounding the perimeters, which were placed to protect emerging hosta since April. I’m putting up the fencing again!!!! I use a LOT of hosta ‘cages’, as well, to protect newly planted ones. Why all the worry? I want everything to grow undisturbed until the Minnesota Hosta Society show in mid-July, where I will enter a few dandies.

Auntie K says:

June 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am

All gardening — all weekend for me. I’m hoping to get everything currently in pots (about 35 things) into the ground. There are always things to move around, too. Tomatoes and peppers are in raised beds — safe from bunnies so far. But, they’ve chomped on my hosta, dianthus and asters. :-( I put a cage around the delphiniums or I figured they’d be next.

I want to get to the Linders sale, too, but promised I wouldn’t go until the stuff waiting to be planted is in the ground.

Mike says:

June 19th, 2009 at 9:12 am

Malmborgs just donated 12 flats of annuals to our community garden. The South Hawthorne Community Garden. I will be trying to round up help from the gardeners to get those flowers into the ground.

Thanks Van at Malmborgs. He was great.

Bridget says:

June 19th, 2009 at 9:41 am

I hit Linder’s sale Wednesday morning on the way to work so have about 20 pots to plant in the shade garden. Also plan to finish the square foot garden tomorrow and plant peppers, herbs and tomatoes. Guessing from the all the pots still at the nurseries, I still have time to get these in.

Geoff says:

June 19th, 2009 at 9:42 am

I’m going to put in 2 more 3′x6′ raised beds, and make a couple of hot-boxes out of some old windows to extend the season a bit, and help make sun-dried tomatoes. And build a trellis.

I may try to get some cucumbers in the ground so I can take a crack at making dill pickles this fall.

Erin says:

June 19th, 2009 at 11:36 am

I’ll be weeding! I have hundreds of tiny maple trees sprinkled between my flowers and veggies.

Erin says:

June 19th, 2009 at 11:41 am

P.S. to Robyn: You should totally sneak some rhubarb into your jam. The tart flavor of the rhubarb will be even more of a reminder of summer on top of your January toast.

James says:

June 19th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

I’m thinking of pulling up my spinach, arugula, and kale and planting something else. They haven’t bolted yet but the spinach and arugula have some flowers. Should I leave them be? Any guesses as to how much more time I’ll have before they bolt?

Geoff says:

June 19th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

James, they’ll start to bolt Monday around 2 p.m.

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/55419?from=36hr_topnav_undeclared

;-)

Robyn Dochterman says:

June 19th, 2009 at 2:31 pm

James, I’ve been working on pulling my arugula and spinach up this week and I suppose my kale is next. I want to get some of it frozen for soup later.

Sounds like there’s still lots of gardening calling us. Yay!

Lynn says:

June 22nd, 2009 at 2:08 pm

I have a Cortland apple tree that already has tiny apples on it.
Last fall the apples were destroyed by worms and insects before they were ripe for picking. Do I need to treat the tree/apples with something to prevent it from happening again this year???

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