I wanted to repeat this post. I feel it is very important.

Are you ready for Halloween?

Are you ready? You may have the candy bought and the costumes are ready, but what about your yard? There are a few precautions you can take to be certain everyone has a safe and happy Halloween.

This occurred to me because every year when we take our kids trick or treating the same things happen. Leaves cover the sidewalks which makes it difficult to see any unevenness or any other obstacles. I have almost fallen myself when walnuts covered the sidewalk under a walnut tree. Add those to the fact the sidewalk was covered with leaves and it is not real safe when trying to keep up with your trick or treaters.

Clear paths are always best. Leaves can be slippery under hurried feet. Wet leaves can be even worse. Is there any trees that may drop anything besides leaves on the walkways? Walnuts or crab apples or anything like it can cause accidents. A simple raking or sweeping of the sidewalks can go a long way in keeping everyone safe.

Is the sidewalk area well lit? I know Halloween is about the dark and spooky but a little light will go a long way to keep the trick or treaters safe. If you have solar landscape lighting it may be as easy as temporarily relocating a few extra lights near the front of your house.

Do not forget to keep your steps clear of leaves and anything else that may make them slippery. Make sure the pumpkins are situated so they can not get knocked over. This is especially true if they are lit with candles. A few safety precautions can help make it a fun evening for everyone.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

October 27th, 2008

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I wanted to take a moment and re-post this from last year:

It’s time to plant mums

I was planning on picking up a few mums this weekend to add some fall color to the yard. But it’s raining now and is expected to continue through the weekend. Planting may be on hold, but this gives me a great opportunity to offer up some tips and advice on getting the most from your plants.

When purchasing mums there a a few things to remember. Try not to purchase plants that are in full bloom. It’s much nicer if they begin their bloom in your yard where you have more time to enjoy them. Pay close attention to the flower buds. If they look dried out and shriveled, choose a different plant. Be certain the soil is moist and not dry. Another thing to consider is the container. Some are sold in decorative containers. We’re paying extra for those. If you have no intention to keep the plants in those containers (you’re planting them ) look for plants in a simpler pot.

Mums will grow in any average soil but will appreciate the addition of some compost. Well drained soil is necessary for the plant’s growth and the ability to survive the winter successfully. Regular fall watering is necessary if the season is dry.

Mums should be lightly mulched to help prevent multiple freeze/thaw cycles. But don’t mulch too heavily as the plants may suffocate. It is just necessary to mulch the soil under the plant and an area around it. Don’t mulch up over the plant’s stems and foliage. Shredded leaves are a good material to use as mulch. The plants may also be aided by the installation of a burlap covering at the end of the season. This will help protect them from damaging winter winds.

If all goes well the hardy mums should survive the winter. The spring will tell us if our work was successful. The plants will then have all year to grow and add even more color to next fall’s landscape. After a few growing seasons the plants will be large enough to be divided and separated. But we’ll discuss that in the spring when it’s more appropriate.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

September 13th, 2008

My apologies to everyone who has been trying to keep up with TBG and found nothing new lately. Computer problems and my schedule have combined to make things difficult.

I hope to continue bringing information to all of you. Information that you will find useful, helpful and interesting. Please bear with me and I hope things will be back to normal soon.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

It is truly amazing the difference mulch can make in a garden. The weather has been dry but my plants all look great and have only needed minimal watering. The bare soil in my garden paths are hard and dry. This is where the mulched areas show their value. Peeling back the mulch from the rows of plants finds moist, loose soil.

There is one problem with this wonderful system. My main mulch source is grass and leaves. The leaves are more abundant in the fall than summer for obvious reasons. The drier weather has slowed the growth of my lawn and therefore reduces the amount of mulch I have available this time of the year. This is a great time to add more mulch to the garden. The materials that were applied earlier in the season are already beginning decomposition. This builds the soil, but reduces the amount left on the plants. An additional layer now helps to keep moisture in place as well as acting as a barrier against weeds.

This means the search is on for any and all sources of mulching materials. I have been able to obtain a decent quantity of wet straw. This has been wonderful for the potatoes, onions and vining plants. With any luck, I will be able to obtain more straw as well as grass clippings and other material. Anyone growing a garden should keep an eye open for extra mulching materials this time of the year. The difference is unbelievable.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I thought this was a great story with a few new twists on an old favorite. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be trying them all!

http://www.toledoonthemove.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=320856

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Last weekend provided me with the time to complete all the projects on my list. http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?p=1465 With all of those projects finished, I have time to think about what will be coming up.

I have three days off this holiday weekend. That break should allow me some time to tend to my berries. I am still looking for time to spend on my pond and butterfly/bog garden. That may come this weekend as well.

There are a number of things waiting for me as it pertains to topics here. Some items coming soon will include more on mosquito control, protecting the garden from pests of all kinds and mulching in the garden. I also have a post regarding a plant recommendation for a readers landscape and a garden update that will be posted soon.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I found this at www.motherearthnews.com. I thought I would share it.

Similar to strawberry shortcake, with a creamy, Italian twist.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
8 tbsp sugar
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
30 to 40 ladyfingers (sponge cookies)
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Instructions:
Separate egg yolks from whites in two bowls. Beat yolks until frothy. Add 5 tablespoons of sugar and beat 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs form soft peaks. Add mascarpone and beat 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth.

In the other bowl, beat 4 egg whites, adding the remaining sugar little by little until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold mascarpone mixture into egg whites. Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with ladyfingers, and spread half of the mascarpone-egg mixture evenly to cover the cookies. Add a layer of sliced strawberries and repeat the same layering: cookies, mascarpone, strawberries. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving to allow cookies to soften. Serves 6 to 8.

I hope you enjoy it.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I have put together a list of what needs to be completed this weekend. It is all garden related this weekend.

The first thing I need to to is the one thing I do not enjoy, thinning out a few rows of plants. I never like the idea of pulling out plants that are growing. I wish I could just leave them all grow, but spacing is critical. A few extra seeds are planted to ensure ample plants in a row. These extras have to then be removed to allow the remaining plants sufficient room to grow. I have been known to transplant rather than toss extras in the compost pile.

My potatoes all need to be mulched again. They are growing very well and and some have been mulched in twice already. I use mulch rather than mounding my plants with soil. This approach works very well for me.

My onions need a few weeds pulled from their rows. Onions do not compete well with weeds at all. I see a few weeds peeking through the mulch. I will pull the weeds and add another layer of mulch.

The tomatoes, peppers and cabbage will receive a quick hoeing and they will also need mulch. I usually mulch with grass clippings. I also have leaves left from the fall stored in my leaf silos. These make great mulching material.

The cucumbers are growing well and I have already placed cages around them. I will be adding a layer of compost around them. The zucchini will also see an additional layer of compost. I will thin the hills of watermelon and cantaloupe, and add more compost to the hills. As the plants begin to spread I will mulch the area with a layer of straw. Any trailing plants welcome a layer of straw. The crops come in cleaner and healthier if they are not touching the soil.

I can not believe the way my pole beans are growing. I made a support for them by stringing strong rope between poles. I am literally watching them grow every day. I will be sowing a row of bush beans soon for a later crop. The beans do very well with a little compost added to the soil at planting time. A second application of compost never seems to be needed.

I am just sitting back and watching the gourds, pumpkins and sunflowers grow. I may thin the pumpkins yet, but that is about it. As they grow a little more they will also receive a layer of straw mulch. The gourds are planted within rows of Indian corn. This keeps them off the ground as they use the cornstalks as a natural trellis. I added one extra area of birdhouse gourds this year. I will be creating a trellis for them soon. These are growing along the back of my garage and need to grow up rather than out.

The lettuce and other items in our kitchen garden will just receive a quick weeding and/or hoeing.I don’t mulch them with anything other than compost. It does not take long to keep it weed free, and the plants enjoy frequent watering.

When this work has been completed I will tackle those raspberries. That may be next weekend.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Father’s day weekend is nearly over. I hope all the dads out there had a great day. I spent a portion of my day getting a few things done in the yard and garden, and finished the day off with a cookout.

Today also brought us the first day of summer. Spring has left us for another year. I really enjoyed spring this year. I enjoyed it because it actually seemed like we had that transitional season for the first time in quite a few years. The past few years had given us weather that seemed to go directly from winter to summer. It was as if the snow melted and it just got hot and that was it. It was nice to have seasonal temperatures this year.

The rain we received the past few days canceled some things I planned on doing this weekend. My rain gauge recorded just under one inch of precipitation from the showers and storms. Part of me enjoyed the break from my tasks. The heat of summer will make weekends like this a rarity very soon.

I did compile a list of projects that need my attention right now. I will be sharing that with you tomorrow if time allows. The main item on that list is work involving the raspberries. I can not believe how they have grown in the past few years.

Once again, I hope all the dads out there had a great day. Did anyone receive any gardening related gifts?

I’ll see you in the backyard!

You may remember a posting I made some time ago regarding cordless tools:
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/backyard/?p=43

I had been looking to add another battery to my cordless tool collection. I have seen the batteries ranging in price from $36.00 all the way up to $50.00. Today I found a great deal. A drill kit with the 18 volt battery I was looking for was on sale for $49.99, $20.00 off its regular price. That alone meant I was literally buying the battery and getting the drill for free. I then found a coupon, good today only, for $10.00 off any purchase of a single item costing $49.75 or more.

The total cost for the kit including sales tax was $42.39. That gives me the extra battery I wanted, and I have a drill on the shelf which I can use if I ever need a second one. This new drill does not have as many features as my current one, but as far as I am concerned I got it for free. That makes it a great drill. There are wonderful ways to save money out there if you shop smart.

I’ll see you in the backyard!