I have some big plans in the garden for the year 2012 and I'm going to share them with you, then we can both see how many of them become reality throughout the year. I'll start with the front yard, then move on to the east side yard and finish with the back yard.
Front yard:
I'll be planting an Ein Shemer apple in the spot formerly occupied by Larry in the back corner of the yard, which will require the removal of the basil and the transplanting of the sage, which will go in the back yard. I'm also relocating the gardenias to the back yard, up against the house where they'll get more shade, as they got pretty sunburned last summer. The space between the two solar lamp posts where the gardenias were will become a flower bed with approximately 300 bulbs and will be overseeded with vincas for color once the bulbs are done. I'll be making planting boxes for the wrought iron sections of the fence and will install a drip irrigation system to them. The stuccoed sections of the front and side walls will be painted, probably white. I'm waiting for the plans for extending the front porch and hope to get it built in August or September, at which time the entire roof will be reshingled. The third solar lamp base needs to be framed and poured this month, and the faux slate tiles installed on the bases of each lamp.
East side yard:
This month needs to be spent cleaning and leveling it; then I need to make the raised beds and decide on a substrate for the paths between them. I haven't decided on cedar fence boards, shredded tires or bark mulch. The plan call for 9 beds 5.5'L x 18"W x 15"H and they'll be planted with 10 varieties of hot peppers, 6 types of tomatoes, cilantro, scallions and 2 varieties of tomatillos to comprise my salsa garden. I'm also building a new side gate that will incorporate 4 planter boxes for Climbing Don Juan roses. The entire gate will be built without any screws or nails except the screws for the gate hardware. Lastly, I'll be planting four more grapevines, at least one of which will be a variety new to my gardens.
Back yard:
Besides transplanting the basil and the gardenias, I'll be removing the Climbing Golden Showers, as I'm not happy with the short life of the blooms, and I'll be replacing it with some of the cuttings from my father-in-law's roses that have successfully rooted. I'm also planning on building a three section composting station to replace and/or supplement the current composter. The steel storage shed is going to be sold or donated and I'm putting in raised beds for the greatly expanded vegetable garden, which will include red corn that I hope to dry and grind into meal for red corn tortillas. I also plan on cucumbers, squash, oriental sweet peppers. eggplant, fingerling potatoes, garlic, a couple of different oriental choys and some oriental yardlong beans. Blackberries or raspberries (or both) are also in the plans. Since I'll have so much more planting space available this year, I also plan on a winter garden with hard squash varieties such as spaghetti, acorn and butternut, plus broccoli, red cabbage and brussel sprouts.
There's a lot of work planned for this year, so the big question is, can it all get done with the time and budgetary constraints I have to work within? Only time will tell, but at least they're ambitious plans that give me something to strive for.
Front yard:
I'll be planting an Ein Shemer apple in the spot formerly occupied by Larry in the back corner of the yard, which will require the removal of the basil and the transplanting of the sage, which will go in the back yard. I'm also relocating the gardenias to the back yard, up against the house where they'll get more shade, as they got pretty sunburned last summer. The space between the two solar lamp posts where the gardenias were will become a flower bed with approximately 300 bulbs and will be overseeded with vincas for color once the bulbs are done. I'll be making planting boxes for the wrought iron sections of the fence and will install a drip irrigation system to them. The stuccoed sections of the front and side walls will be painted, probably white. I'm waiting for the plans for extending the front porch and hope to get it built in August or September, at which time the entire roof will be reshingled. The third solar lamp base needs to be framed and poured this month, and the faux slate tiles installed on the bases of each lamp.
East side yard:
This month needs to be spent cleaning and leveling it; then I need to make the raised beds and decide on a substrate for the paths between them. I haven't decided on cedar fence boards, shredded tires or bark mulch. The plan call for 9 beds 5.5'L x 18"W x 15"H and they'll be planted with 10 varieties of hot peppers, 6 types of tomatoes, cilantro, scallions and 2 varieties of tomatillos to comprise my salsa garden. I'm also building a new side gate that will incorporate 4 planter boxes for Climbing Don Juan roses. The entire gate will be built without any screws or nails except the screws for the gate hardware. Lastly, I'll be planting four more grapevines, at least one of which will be a variety new to my gardens.
Back yard:
Besides transplanting the basil and the gardenias, I'll be removing the Climbing Golden Showers, as I'm not happy with the short life of the blooms, and I'll be replacing it with some of the cuttings from my father-in-law's roses that have successfully rooted. I'm also planning on building a three section composting station to replace and/or supplement the current composter. The steel storage shed is going to be sold or donated and I'm putting in raised beds for the greatly expanded vegetable garden, which will include red corn that I hope to dry and grind into meal for red corn tortillas. I also plan on cucumbers, squash, oriental sweet peppers. eggplant, fingerling potatoes, garlic, a couple of different oriental choys and some oriental yardlong beans. Blackberries or raspberries (or both) are also in the plans. Since I'll have so much more planting space available this year, I also plan on a winter garden with hard squash varieties such as spaghetti, acorn and butternut, plus broccoli, red cabbage and brussel sprouts.
There's a lot of work planned for this year, so the big question is, can it all get done with the time and budgetary constraints I have to work within? Only time will tell, but at least they're ambitious plans that give me something to strive for.
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