Outdoor odds and ends

Haven't posted in a few days, but since it just turned spring thing have been a little slow. I'll try to post an update later this week on the progress of my seedlings. It was a busy weekend as I raked my yard and thatched the lawn to help in the lawn bouncing back. I tried to pick up as many leaves as possible, but Im actually going to let a few stay where they are so they can decompose into the yard or be mulched into the ground during the first cut.

One other project I worked on today was resetting the flagstone wall/flower bed I created 2 years ago. When I first created it, I had no idea how large my property was and made the mistake of just laying it out on where I and the realtor thought the property line was. However, I had a survey done and realized I had a few more feet of property...in Bergen County every inch is a welcome addition! So the stones are reset and I the ground is level so next weekend Ill probably lay some grass seed for my new lawn. One thing that I did discover today was my long time nemesis, Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is a terrible terrible plant, and if I ever find the person who planted it on my property or surrounding neighbor's, I will make them some roots so they can deal with the pain this plant creates.

To offer a brief description Japanese knotweed is sometimes called the godzilla plant or false bamboo. It looks like bamboo, but its not...its much worse. Apparently it was brought to america in the 19th century as an ornamental, but no one realized the harm it would do. You may see it along the roadside along streams, thick stands of cane like structures that offer zero redeeming qualities. I didn't realize I had the plant because when I first moved in, it was the spring and it was not up yet, but when I realized what I had I knew the war was on.

See Japanese knotweed is not one battle and its over. No, its a long protracted war and whoever gives up first is the loser. You can cut it down, it will grow back. You can spray it with weed killer, it grows back. Try digging it up...only it needs less than 1/2 in" of root to create a new plant, and the roots go deep....so you see what I'm up against. I actually employed a multi pronged approach. Year one, hacked down the stands, bagged them for disposable so they wouldn't contaminate a landfill. Next, took a pick axe and axe to the older root structures to dig them out of the ground. As new shoots came up, I hit them with Round Up. I also employed a technique I read online where it was suggested I tarp over the area and eventually the plant dies....DO NOT DO THIS. I did this for over a year, when I pulled the tarp back at the end of last summer...the plant was growing in completing darkness. Granted it looked pathetic, but it was growing. I proceeded to dig out what roots I could, threw everything out and used weed killer. One approach that I may have had positive results with was cutting the canes and pouring weed killer directly into the canes. This gets to the roots quicker, which is what you want to do. I understand I may be doing this for a few more years, but I hope this will also become a tool to educate as there are not a lot of resources out there that discuss this topic. As more shoots come up, Ill take photos and post...and the ones I saw today? Those were dug up and disposed of.

Leeks...not just a plumbing problem

I began the last of my plants from seed....leeks...This is another plant I've never grown before so we shall see how that goes. Its supposed to be very easy grow and it will be great to reap the rewards if they take....we shall see..

Snowball marigolds

So I started from seed snowball marigolds. These offer an interesting twist to your standard marigold in that they are snowball white and thus can be more useful in design with other flowers that incorporate pinks, purples, reds, etc. My ultimate goal for these will be to use them in a circular planting bed that I will construct later this month around a Cherry tree I planted 2 years ago. Closest to the tree and in the center of the circle, I will direct sow a packet of purple zinnias, then plant the snowball marigolds around them. They have a similar texture but the purple and white color combo should be great and not many people have that! Zinnia's typically can grow to 36" in height, with the snowballs clocking in at 24" so it should offer some nice height contrasts. On a side note, I've never grown zinnias before so it should be interesting to see if it will work.

A beautiful March weekend can mean only one thing...

time to Fertilize the lawn. Yesterday I applied Scott's Turfbuilder Plus with Crabgrass prevent er. This is the first time I've ever fertilized my lawn myself so it will be a work in progress. Still, the cost savings was staggering, lets hope the results match! The other nice thing about doing it yourself is that I applied it yesterday afternoon and it rained over night. I did this on purpose as the manufacturer details suggest that after 2-3 it needs to be watered in. Mission accomplished. This fertilizer claims that my yard will get greener faster, slow or prevent crabgrass from taking seed and build stronger roots to help reduce water consumption in the summer.

The outdoor adventure begins

I've always been a fan of the outdoors, growing up I would rather be outside running through the corn fields or having a catch. The best part about it all was that my family encouraged this. My father always had a wonderful garden and though he never entered his vegetables in the county fair, we always thought they were the largest and best tomatoes in New Jersey.

When I finally purchased my house in 2007, I had the opportunity to plant my own garden and continue the tradition. While my flowers came in great for 2007, the vegetables did not have enough time/light so they did not fare as well. Moving forward to last year, I was able put in more flowers, but still had to delay my vegetable garden because I has painted my house in the spring. All of my efforts actually paid off when I was recognized last year when I won the Project Pride Award in my town for having one of the most improved/beautiful landscapes in town. I did not realize how big of a deal this was until my neighbors started telling me more about it, etc. I was truly honored(and will be posting photos soon).

Fast forward to 2009, I was thinking of what a great way to keep track of my gardening process for all to see than to create a blog. Further, now that Spring is just around the corner, its now or never. Not to mention, this could be a great discourse for someone who is looking to get into gardening or has a pointer or two to share. The great thing is, you can garden in your apartment, classroom, or office, you just need to know how much light a window gets or a plant needs.

Last weekend I started my Jersey Tomatoes from seed. I like growing my plants from seed because I have a good idea where they came from and I save so much money that way! They're also great to give to friends and family. I'm just getting some sprouts, but check out this video if you have never tried planting from seed before: