{"id":1518,"date":"2009-07-07T17:34:07","date_gmt":"2009-07-07T21:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/?p=1518"},"modified":"2010-10-08T21:25:17","modified_gmt":"2010-10-09T01:25:17","slug":"time-to-enjoy-the-garden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/2009\/07\/07\/time-to-enjoy-the-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to enjoy the garden"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--CusAds--><p>July has arrived and I think that I&#8217;m just about ready to sit back and enjoy my garden for the next few months.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"back of garden - facing south by triciawd, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dragonden\/3691929265\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ext-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2447\/3691929265_1d27cbbc40.jpg\" alt=\"back of garden - facing south\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>What I mean by this is that from early April until last week or so, every time I visited my garden I had work to do!  From spring clean up, pruning the roses and other plants to weeding to planting annuals to finally completing the big task of adding approximately 30 bags of red cedar mulch on my back and front garden beds.<\/p>\n<div class=\"912745ff53504cd4aef8ff3ef7b9aa95\" data-index=\"2\" style=\"float: right; margin:10px 0 10px 10px;\">\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\r\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-3375789278566919\";\r\n\/* gardengrows_300x250inpost *\/\r\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"4054669721\";\r\ngoogle_ad_width = 300;\r\ngoogle_ad_height = 250;\r\n\/\/-->\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\r\nsrc=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>We put mulch on our garden every year, but the last two years we only topped up the beds with a light layer.  This year we noticed that the previous applications of mulch had really broken down, so we made sure to add a 3 inch layer this year &#8211; hence all the big heavy bags of mulch!<\/p>\n<p>Other than doing a little pruning here and there as the roses grow and become floppy, and or staking the roses and other plants as they grow, most of the work is done.  From here on in the main gardening job will be keeping it watered.<\/p>\n<p>Actually there&#8217;s at least one more job.  My husband and I made up a large garbage pail of <a href=\"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/2006\/08\/05\/stinking-brew-alfalfa-tea\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Alfalfa tea<\/a> about a month ago and it should be just about ready to be applied to the garden.  Alfalfa seems to contain a growth hormone that causes the plants to row quite well once either alfalfa pellets are added to the soil and break down, or in our case once our evil stinking brew of Alfalfa tea has been applied.  It&#8217;s a great natural fertilizer.\u00c2\u00a0 Obviously it&#8217;s also organic.\u00c2\u00a0 We are organic gardeners and never use chemicals on our plants or lawn.<\/p>\n<p>We just have to make sure that we apply it to the garden when most of our close neighbors are indoors!  It&#8217;s stinky!  We usually apply alfalfa tea twice a year &#8211; once in early June and then again near the end of July, but we&#8217;re behind this year, so the garden might only get one dose this year.<\/p><!--CusAds-->\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"IMG_5868 by triciawd, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dragonden\/3691778335\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ext-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2602\/3691778335_5d60fef656.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5868\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Speaking of enjoying the garden &#8230; The first huge flush of roses is just about over.  The roses started blooming in early June and now that first flush seems to be dying down.   Most of my roses are re-bloomers or continuous bloom &#8230; but nothing beats that first Spring flush of roses as it&#8217;s usually the largest!<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"IMG_5848 by triciawd, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dragonden\/3692569084\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ext-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2499\/3692569084_043ecfdfe1_m.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5848\" width=\"240\" height=\"165\" \/><\/a> Other plants in bloom include Lavender, Salvia, Heuchera, some of my hostas, some of my clematis, Gazania, Marigolds, Petunias, Dianthus (Sweet William), Impatiens, Alyssum, Portulaca, Hollyhocks, Lilies, Daylilies, Maltese Cross and the list goes on.  More plants will begin to bloom soon as well!<\/p>\n<p>We also have a number of veggies growing ranging from Tomatoes, Tiny tom and Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peas, a variety of lettuces, spinach and carrots. Plus we also grow strawberries and raspberries. Yummy.<\/p>\n<p>Now if only it would get a little warmer here in Toronto.  It&#8217;s been kind of cool the last two weeks with below average temperatures. It looks like it&#8217;s supposed to warm up a little bit this weekend, but overall it will still be below normal temps for a while.  I do hope summer starts to feel like summer soon.<\/p>\n<p>The only good thing about the slightly cooler temps is that I haven&#8217;t had to water the garden daily or even every second day and we haven&#8217;t really had the air-conditioning on. So we&#8217;re saving money on water and electricity.  But enough already &#8230; It is after all supposed to be summer!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"IMG_5896 by triciawd, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/dragonden\/3691797523\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ext-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2574\/3691797523_4f7618df08.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_5896\" width=\"400\" height=\"285\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<!--CusAds--><p>How is your garden doing this summer?  Are you finished most of the hard work and like me find it&#8217;s time to sit back and enjoy the garden?  And is your weather a little cooler than normal too?<\/p>\n<div class=\"912745ff53504cd4aef8ff3ef7b9aa95\" data-index=\"9\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<br\/> <br\/>\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\r\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-3375789278566919\";\r\n\/* gardengrows_underpost_300x250 *\/\r\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"0957462354\";\r\ngoogle_ad_width = 300;\r\ngoogle_ad_height = 250;\r\n\/\/-->\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\r\nsrc=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<br\/>\r\n<br\/>\r\n\r\n<?php if ( is_search() || is_single() || is_page() || is_paged() || is_category() || is_archive() ) { ?>\r\n<div align=\"center\">\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\r\nch_client = \"dragonden\";\r\nch_type = \"mpu\";\r\nch_width = 468;\r\nch_height = 250;\r\nch_color_bg = \"FFFFFF\";\r\nch_color_title = \"FF9B00\";\r\nch_color_text = \"333333\";\r\nch_non_contextual = 4;\r\nch_vertical =\"premium\";\r\nch_sid = \"gardengrows_betweenposts\";\r\nvar ch_queries = new Array( );\r\nvar ch_selected=Math.floor((Math.random()*ch_queries.length));\r\nif ( ch_selected < ch_queries.length ) {\r\nch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected];\r\n}\r\n\/\/--><\/script>\r\n<script  src=\"http:\/\/scripts.chitika.net\/eminimalls\/amm.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br\/><\/div>\r\n<?php } ?>\n<\/div>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>July has arrived and I think that I&#8217;m just about ready to sit back and enjoy my garden for the next few months. What I mean by this is that from early April until last week or so, every time I visited my garden I had work to do! From spring clean up, pruning the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11,2,16,52,10,37,29,82],"tags":[306,5287,6034,131,3875,140,94,292,5286,484,5281,5285,85,99,5289,5284,4915,166,4945,168,172,173,250,5282,5290,3078,5292,6033,3413,112,5288,1399,190,116,3416,5291,5283,198,5280,429,205,122],"class_list":{"0":"post-1518","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-annuals","7":"category-blooming-today","8":"category-garden-buzz","9":"category-garden-maintenance","10":"category-perennials","11":"category-recreation","12":"category-rose","13":"category-summer-in-the-garden","14":"tag-alfalfa-tea","15":"tag-alyssum","16":"tag-annuals","17":"tag-beans","18":"tag-carrots","19":"tag-clematis","20":"tag-cucumbers","21":"tag-day-lilies","22":"tag-dianthus","23":"tag-fertilizer","24":"tag-first-flush-of-blooms","25":"tag-ganzia","26":"tag-garden","27":"tag-gardening","28":"tag-gazania","29":"tag-heuchera-hosta","30":"tag-hollyhocks","31":"tag-lavender","32":"tag-lettuce","33":"tag-lilies","34":"tag-maltese-cross","35":"tag-marigold","36":"tag-mulch","37":"tag-multiple-roses","38":"tag-organic-fertilizer","39":"tag-organic-garden","40":"tag-peas","41":"tag-perennials","42":"tag-petunias","43":"tag-planting","44":"tag-portulaca","45":"tag-pruning","46":"tag-raspberries","47":"tag-roses","48":"tag-salvia","49":"tag-spinach","50":"tag-staking","51":"tag-strawberries","52":"tag-summer-gardening","53":"tag-sweet-william","54":"tag-tomatoes","55":"tag-watering","56":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feverishthoughts.com\/garden\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}