On 3/29/2017 1:17 PM, Nyssa wrote:
The temperatures have been on a roller coaster here in
SE VA, but I took advantage of a warm and not-too-windy
day last week to get the broccoli and bok choy transplanted
into one garden bed and planted some snap peas and onion
sets in another.

I rushed to get 'em done since the weather folk were claiming
we were in for three days of rain, so of course, no rain
came until yesterday. At least not over my garden.

It looks like one of my three remaining blueberry plants
didn't make it through the winter. It was already a replacement
for a previous one that didn't make it. Next to it is a
bare spot where a different variety didn't make it even
after several tries.

I swear this piece of land is cursed! Four rose bushes didn't
make it into year two either on the other side of the backyard.

Meanwhile my under-the-plant-light starts are doing okay.
Four different varieties of tomato, parsley, and some
non-edible flowers (pansies and snapdragons). Well, maybe
the pansies are edible, but not by me.

Nyssa, who just wasted an hour plus gasoline trying to find
a station that has non-ethanol gas for my mowers using poor
directions from my neighbor

It rained most of the morning here and a few hours of the afternoon,
weather heads say more is coming. Looks to be we've received at least
three inches today.

My three year old blueberry plants haven't grown at all and have
supplied us with about four berries. They're coming out soon and I will
plant domestic dewberries and see how they work, I like dewberries
better than I do blueberries so it might be a win win.

Have you had your soil tested Nyssa? That can make all the difference
for your plantings. Our lot sits on top of five feet of clay, put in to
avoid the extra cost of flood insurance. We've been here since 12/12 and
I am going to spread more gypsum to break up the clay and help turn it
into dirt of a sort. Takes three or four years of annual gypsum
spreading to start breaking clay.

I gave up on gas mowers when we moved to this much smaller property.
Bought a Black and Decker battery operated mower and battery operated
weed eater, both are about five years old now and take very little care
and they live in the garage. The mower is self propelled and works well
as long as I remember to sharpen the blade every so often. We started
our marriage 57 years ago on ten acres and have, over those years,
downsized to a 6500 square foot lot with a 1960 square foot house and
even more in driveway and sidewalks. Our backyard just has enough room
to walk around the raised beds, fruit trees, and the 12X12 shed for our
"stuff." At our age that's about all we can handle anymore and I am
partially paralyzed by strokes some years ago plus a couple of heart
attacks. Dear wife is still spry so she does the outside stuff and I
cook and clean, sort of a backwards operation. G

George