Well...

I meant to do this blog more often but I haven't had the heart to write anything lately. The weather continues to be rainy nearly every day. Here it is past the frost free date and my garden is untilled and unplanted. It has also been 20 degrees below normal with twice the adv. rain. My veggie garden is a mud hole and there seems to be no end of rain in sight. Well, we get a partly cloudy day every once in awhile but not anything strong enough to dry out the ground. Last year I was eating stuff from the garden already.  This year I am wondering if I could plant rice. lol.

It is a good time to transplant things as they are don't wilt or lack water for their new roots. I moved some hosta, daffodils, and toad lily.They are all doing very well. I will take a pic of them when the sun shines.

Photo from Michigan Bulb site
Photographer unknown

toad lily link for those who don't know what they are or would like to get their own. This is where I got mine.  They spread very well and are very pretty in the fall. I bought 6 plants three years ago and now have over twenty. They do well in full to partial shade. You can't see it here but they also have lovely spotted green foliage.

Favorite Gardening Magazines

Here are some of my favorite garden magazines:

Fine Gardening is my favorite. It has a good plant reviews. It also sometimes has very interesting gardening plans such as build a patio in a weekend, build a cold frame or build a unique water feature from old issues I own. I love the captivating combination section where they pair plants for impact


Garden Gate is a great mag too. I like their tips and before and after gardens. I love this months section on pruning.


The Herb Companion has lots of tips on growing herbs and incredible recipes.


Organic Gardening is pretty cool. I am not really an organic gardener but it has tips that are great for everyone.


Hobby Farms is a very good magazine. I only get it occasionally if it has something relavent. I loved their issue on raising lavender. They also have good recipes.

Great garden planner

I discovered this site a week or so ago and thought I should share it.Garden Planner This planner is very nice. You can enter last years garden and it will flash red when you try to plant this years crops in the wrong rotation. It allows you to leave perennials in place from year to year. It allows you the chance to enter specific varieties of a plant and to add your own. It also has square foot gardening option. It is free for 30 days and allows you to make 5 plans for free. You can print the plans when you are done. I have not bought the paid version but I am really considering it. It also has a very quick tutorial that made it easy to use.  It was a link from a magazine I have been reading lately.The Herb Companion I have decided to put my herbs in their own mini garden this year. I am going to try them in a sq. ft. garden. It should be an interesting undertaking. If it works I may change some of my garden from rows to sq ft gardening. Row gardening does seem to waste a lot of space in the garden. If you do any sq ft gardening, I'd be interested in hearing how it works for you.

Patio Garden Plan

This is a photo of my patio garden. I will replace the sundial with something else later in the season.
It is basically a filler until I find a statue or small fountain that I like. As you can see the tulips are fading but the anemones and allium are just coming into bloom. I added the glass butterflies and flower oil lanterns for color in early spring. 

Above is a quick sketch of the gardens basic layout.