The herbs are in and not a minute too soon. When we started this garden I was in a hurry, knowing it would quickly be hot and now it certainly is, and it's only the first week of May! Such a different climate in the valley compared to our previous mountain home.The plants here are fennel, rosemary, sage, oregano, lemon thyme and German thyme, lemon mint, mint 'Mojito' and mint 'Julep'. All three mints are planted in larger pots and buried, knowing how they will take over everything if not kept in check. In front of the mints I have planted cilantro seeds.
And then parsley, with more parsley seeds in front, and chives, and finally dill. I bought a bag of red onion sets and just stuck a bunch of them in empty spots. Then I transplanted maybe five clumps of basil from another bed where they were beginning to be covered by squash plants. This trough is just so convenient, but alas, I didn't consider that the holes I drilled in the bottom for drainage would mean dark streams of water on my patio. Not pretty. And too late to move the thing, as it weighs more than a car. O well. As I have stated a million times before, we live and learn.
I was asked how long it takes to water my gardens. I think for both the front and back, hand watering with a shower wand takes about 30 minutes. While everything is newly planted I am taking my time observing and making sure little sprouts don't get smashed down with the spray. Once everything is well established, I will quickly get bored with watering and will resort to my watering sticks.
I got two of these on Ebay in 2009, and now the link is defunct. Darn.Speaking of water...our water garden tub arrived yesterday and we filled it and it looks great. Its small, about 6' in diameter and 2' high, and holds about 390 gallons of water. It is close enough to the house for the electric needed for a pump. I bought some water plants at Home Depot and will soon be getting the filter set up and bringing home some trial goldfish. The grass is almost all dead and Dave is ready to start mulching the rest of the yard.
The water looks so inviting....
With the hot weather, I'd be tempted to turn that pond into a small pool and climb in to cool off. Hold off on the water plants and fish until the swimming pool is too hot to do any good. Speaking of hot, with it being metal, I wonder if the gold fish will survive with the water getting hot from the sun. I think gold fish prefer cold water. If you have problems with the fish you may want to check into that factor. But your new home is sure taking shape and looks gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteCould you put some corrugated material under the tub and tip it so it drains off the side of the patio? Seems like something like this might be a solution? Everything is looking wonderful and like you are settling in just fine! Can't yet here in Wyoming...it is snowing today and the farmers are pulling their hair out.
ReplyDeleteI imagine between the developers rush to get in "lawn" for the sale of the houses, and the poor clay soil with rocks, the neighbours will be adding lots and lots of fertilizers and watering persistently in an attempt to have green lawns. Perhaps they can be brought around to your much wiser use of yard space. Nina in BC
ReplyDeleteYour new yard is looking so wonderful, so quickly! You and Dave make a great team.
ReplyDeleteBe sure your water and plants are happy before adding the goldfish. I can't remember but I think I read somewhere to allow the water to "cure" for a week before plants and then more time before fish. We get the cheap "feeder" goldfish for our pond and they've made it thru a couple of winters now. They start out a about 1 1/2" and are now about 5" long. If you have more mulch left, you may want to surround the tub with it to diffuse the heat.
ReplyDeleteCannot believe the amount of work y'all have done!
I have been warned of the aggressiveness of rosemary. At a retreat center nearby, there are hedges of rosemary, cut as square as any! The bees like it.
ReplyDeleteI love reading "The Empress of Dirt" blog. She had a post on container water/pond gardens. Here's a link: http://empressofdirt.net/backyard-pond-ideas/
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple using stock tanks. I have enjoyed watching your yarden progress.
Thank youu
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