Work and gardening don’t mix sometimes

     The garden on Monday 4-09-12.  Potatoes in the foreground, the onions are next to them but you can’t see them well.

Arrived home from work on Tuesday and my Dad had bought his watermelon, cantalope, and tomato plants.  He as usual was in a hurry to get them in the ground. I managed to put him off till the next day.  So, yesterday after work I planted his 8 tomato plants, my 4 sweet bananna pepper plants, and 4 orange bell pepper plants.  I also planted some carrot seed planting strips.  Planting strips?  Yes something new I found; made by Ferry-Morse.  The seeds are incased in a strip of paper.  To plant you dig a shallow trench, lay down the strip and cover with dirt. Done.
Here’s a picture of the package front.

Today I was too tired after work  to plant anything so I took some pictures of my Herb Garden,  Flower Garden and I put the plastic circles around the tomato plants. 
Note: To make plastic circles you cut a plastic pickle bucket in half and  cut out the bottom; giving you 2 circles.  You place one circle around each plant pushing it into the dirt.  This plastic circle allows water to gather around the plant watering the roots instead of just draining away.  These come in handy during the summer months when you have to water your plants.  At the end of the season save the circles and use them next year.    I promise to take a picture and post it so you can see what I’m yaking on about. :O)
BTW:: If you have a Firehouse Sub resturant in your area they sell their pickle buckets to customers.

     Here’s a pic of my herb garden sofar this year. 

        Back row (left to right):: Lavender and Rosemary
        Front (left to right):: Sage, Basil and Oregano
The lavender and sage are blooming right now.  This is their second year here in the herb garden along with the Rosemary.

Here’s a pic of my Flower Garden sofar this year.

The flower garden remains a work in progress; each year I add more to it.  Last fall I added two hibiscus bushes and I’m waiting to see if they’ve survived the winter.   That is moss covering the ground.  I am hoping that it will cover it completely one day.

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Taters and Tillin’

     Sat. March 31, 2012  The potatoes have finally started coming out of the ground.  I counted 28 this morning.
     My Dad is trying to get the Tiller running so I can till the garden.  He is waiting on a knee replacement and cannot walk as much as he used to so I finally get to use the Tiller.
     Sunday brought the news from my brother that the Tiller needed a new spark plug.  No tilling that day.

     If you haven’t read last years’ Blog you need to know about the Bermuda grass in the garden.  In short…Bale of hay disked with the tractor into the garden 7 or so yrs. ago.  No garden for a couple of yrs. so the Bermuda grass took over.  I’ve been battling it for 5 yrs.  Each yr. the grass is less and less but it remains a nuisance!  Needless to say the garden needs a good tilling.

     Today my Dad and brother were able to get the Tiller started.  My brother brought the Tiller up to the garden and worked one row to see how it was doing. He taught me what levers were what and I took over.  I tilled only the section of the garden I have planted right now since it was 5 p.m. and I’d worked all day.  My Dad watched me and gave me some tips on how to handle the Tiller easier; such as turning at the end of a row.  It was a learning process.

In The Herb Garden
     Last years Sage, Rosemary, and both Lavenders made it through the winter and are looking great.  I bought some Sweet Basil and Greek Oregano today at the local Farmers Co-op and planted them both today.  I love oregano, but I’ve not been able to have good luck with it.  The plants die after about a month in the ground.  Too much water- too little water?  Any suggestions would be great!