| Project by justjoel | posted 120 days ago | 318 views | 0 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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Still waiting for the snow to melt off a local “mountain” before I can really plant (this is apparently the local law or lay of the home-gardening land every spring). So, since my garden space is ready much earlier this year than any other, I’ve taken to decorating it some.
The Sofie & Jonas signs are from previous years, but the inspirational road sign is new. My little garden friend (or is he foe?) was fun to make – but I’m not sure if he’s here to guard the garden or waiting to pilfer it.
I had to make my garden fence taller to keep the dogs from leaping it and digging up whatever they felt like. The gates became too heavy for the minimal support this thing has, so I had to frame the entrance, and while this was okay to look at, it needed something else. I only had to look in my garage for materials, (I save “stuff” a bit) and made my little garden friend out of the same stuff (plus an old sprinkler I found while digging up some lawn at a previous house).
The garden itself isn’t much yet; but I’ve got the poles up for the sugar snap peas, and planted some seeds, but not much else (just had a bit of snow here at the end of April so I’m really not behind).
The composter is on its second batch (the “first” batch took all winter and the first part of what might be loosely called “spring.”), and I’m looking for suggestions for something green to climb the trellis (learned that that wasn’t a good place to put the sugar snap peas last year – wrong kind of material for them to climb – thus the pea poles this year). Want to put perennials on either side of the bed that resemble the wood flowers on top, thus the just green (hardy perennial?) climber – and taking suggestions there too.
I also have installed a second fence to keep the dogs out of the yard and garden when we aren’t home, so I can really plant some stuff this year, and I’ll likely be looking to all you experts here for advice (please consider my zone and thin wallet when you suggest something).
Stay tuned; a life-sized, tin man/scarecrow will be going where the white flag is at the end of the pea pole support – might even have a bit of wind-driven animation.
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...
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11 comments so far
MsDebbieP
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8126 posts in 1152 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 120 days ago
that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. What an artist you are!!!! I love it.
I can’t wait to see the scarecrow.
I WANT ONE!!!!
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
justjoel
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37 posts in 533 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 120 days ago
Thanks, Debbie. I’m a little antsy for the actual garden to catch up (well, suppose it has to start first). Would love some plant suggestions from you on the trellis thing.
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...
stefang
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352 posts in 131 days
hardiness zone 7
posted 120 days ago
Wonderful Joel! I love everything you’ve created there. Your children are sure to become enthusiastic gardeners with a place like that. I know what you mean about the weather. I remember a trip from Sacramento Ca to Reno in the open rumble seat of a 1931 model A Ford back in 1954 with friends over Donner’s pass in the winter.
-- Mike the reluctant gardening assistant of Lillian
justjoel
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37 posts in 533 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 120 days ago
Well, looks like your party made it through better than the namesake’s did – (you appear to have all your limbs).
Yeah, you don’t like the weather in Reno? Wait 5 minutes…
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...
MsDebbieP
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8126 posts in 1152 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 120 days ago
that’s all that I’ve grown that climbs
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a) http://www.execulink.com/~yohan
Robin
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2334 posts in 415 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 120 days ago
Joel, I really like all the creativity and fun you have put in your garden through your art. Beautiful. Your mother would appreciate it too, I think. I lived in Truckee and worked in Reno for awhile; I remember how changeable and severe the weather could be.
Climbers – plant some snap peas on the trellis now and replace them with something else when the weather gets warmer. Lots of things grow well up a trellis – beans, cucumbers, squash, gourds – what do you and your family like to eat?
-- Robin, Massachusetts - "Live simply so others can simply live." M. Gandhi
justjoel
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37 posts in 533 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 119 days ago
“Changeable and severe,” yeah, it snowed HEAVILY for nearly an hour yesterday – didn’t stick around, BUT IT SNOWED! Bleh.
CLIMBERS: Already have snap peas planted, and they didn’t thrive on the trellis last year anyways. Looking for an ivy or some such ornamental thing – want GREEN to so it doesn’t compete with the flowers on the top. I love clematis, but maybe too much color (though it wouldn’t hide the trellis itself like ivy likely would). Suppose a local nursery would know what works well in my zone. The trellis is strong, so it could support something that bears heavier veggies, so gourds aren’t a bad idea. Planting tomatoes and yellow squash elsewhere.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions so far – KEEP ‘EM COMING!
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...
superdad
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45 posts in 126 days
hardiness zone 6b
posted 119 days ago
Love the garden. I have to get into my workshop soon and start making up some stuff for mine. Thanks for some ideas. How about grapes? Not sure if they’d grow, but thought I’d make a suggestion.
-- Cooking, weeding, and growing what I can in Brampton. -Joe (Superdad)
justjoel
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37 posts in 533 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 119 days ago
We had a grape vine thing at another house here in Reno, climbed almost too well, so that’s a great suggestion, Superdad – thanks!
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...
Bon
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5174 posts in 932 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 118 days ago
Flowers on your trellis look like daisys so why not try some shasta daisys beside it.You can get a lot of really nice colored daisys now.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
justjoel
home | projects | blog
37 posts in 533 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 118 days ago
Excellent suggestion, Bon – had wanted to do something like that, and Shasta daisys would be perfect. Thanks…
-- It's just Joel in (5b) Reno, no cause for alarm...