Success!

All the singing going on every night as paid off. Pacific tree frog eggs are in the pond. There are several clusters along plant stems just underwater. The darker green area, in the photo, is the reflection of the leaf above the water. There are five or maybe six frogs in the little garden pond. I was starting to worry that they were all males, by the amount of singing going on!

Garden Supervisors

I had an audience today while I did a refresh to the garden bed around the pond. I think they are both Pacific Tree Frogs. But check out their differences, below...

We've been able to see the big guy on the right from the house window...Especially when he starts croaking like he is here in the photo. He's usually on the log floating in the pond.

Here is the link to their baby pictures.

Lead Tomato of 2010

Here's the only baby tomato that sprouted so far. I think I need to move to round two with the seeds. The peas were also being stubborn. Brought them in to the house, from the garage and now several more have sprouted. I hope to keep them safe from my indoor garden pest... and then get the peas in the garden very soon.

Hedglings

I was near North Bend this weekend and spotted this Salmonberry in bloom. Until I looked up the flower, I thought it was one of shrubs from our tree & shrub seedling order (from King Co. Conservation District sale). It's not, but I'll have other flowers from the seedlings I planted.

Yeah! They are all planted now. They've gone into a hedgerow in the making and other spots around the place. So what did we plant?

Shore pine

Cascara - to ensure our supply for the cedar waxwings!

Mock Orange

Red Flowering Current

Serviceberry

Snowberry

Thimbleberry

Evergreen Huckleberry

In another area with more moisture:

Red Osier Dogwood

Pacific Ninebark - 2 from our neighbor

Other shrubs we'll move out of a temporary area:

Oceanspray

Indian Plum

2010 Plant List

The 2010 gardening plan is starting to take shape. Here's the list in progress. I'll be adding notes and making changes as needed. Some new seeds, some old seeds. In an effort to have a rotation plan, I've assigned numbers to groups of plants that will rotate together (roughly). We will see... Vegetables: tbd ~ Okra-Star of David ( first time I'll try it here in WA!) 1a~Cucumbers-Marketmore 97, Organic 1a~Garlic 1a~Tomatoes-Sungold - planted indoors 3/21/10 1a~Tomatoes-Super Marzono - planted indoors 3/21/10 1b~Squash, winter-Delicata, bush 1b~Squash, Patty Pan-Scallop Bush Mix, 1b~Squash, winter-Queensland Blue - from Matron! 1b~Squash, winter-Early Butternut 1b~Pumpkins-Rouge vif d'Etamps Heirloom 1b~Pumpkins-Small Sugar, C.pepo 2~Beans, bush-Roma II 2~Beans, French/Filet-Soleil 2~Beans, pole-Violet Podded Stringless 2~Beans, runner-Scarlet Emperor 2~Onions-Evergreen White Bunching 2~Peas, snap -Sugar Snap - planted 3/21/10, transplanted 4/11 2~Peas, snap -Sugar Sprint - planted 3/21/10, transplanted 4/11 3~Broccoli-Apollo 3~Broccoli-Belstar 3~Radish-Easter Egg 3~Radish-Gourmet Blend 3, 4~Lettuce-Romaine Crisp Mint, organic 3, 4~Lettuce-Butterhead Speckles, organic 4~Beet-Kestrel 4~Carrots-Jeanette F1 Hybrid Organic 4~Carrots-Mokum Hybrid 4~Chard, Swiss-Bright Lights 4~Chard, Swiss-Perpetual Swiss Chard 4~Fennel-Perfection, organic 4~Parsley 3, 4~Lettuce-Romaine Crisp Mint, organic 3, 4~Lettuce-Butterhead Speckles, organic Some of the flowers, herbs, etc. also in the garden: ~Alyssum-Snow Cloth/Carpet of Snow; Wonderland Mulberry Mix ~Anise Hyssop - new growth in early March ~Basil-Christmas ~Bergamot-Bee balm ~Borage ~Calendula- ~Catnip- new growth visible in March ~Catmint ~Chamomile-Matricaria recutita, German Chamomile ~Chives- ~Columbine- ~Coreopsis-Tinctoria Mixture ~Cosmos-Red crest ~Cosmos-Picotee ~Echinacea-Purple cone flower ~Echinacea-Tomato Soup (new) ~Echinacea-Flame Thrower (new) ~Feverfew - new growth visible in early March ~Foxglove- ~Lavender-Munstead (lavendula angustifolia) ~Lavender-others ~Lemon Balm - visible in garden in mid March ~Marigolds-Mr. Majestic ~Marigolds-tall orange (saved seeds) ~Nasturtium-Tip Top Alaska ~Nicotiana-Only the Lonely ~Oregano- ~Poppy ~Poppy, yellow- ~Rampion ~Rhubarb ~Rosemary ~Rudbeckia Hirta-Black-eyed Susan ~Rudbeckia Hirta-Prairie Sun (new) ~Rudbeckia Hirta-Cherry Brandy (new) ~Sage- ~Sunflower-Sunseed ~Sunflower-Italian White ~Sunflowers-mixed

SAGBUTT Saturday- Tomorrow!

Wow - I've been out of touch. I just realized there is a Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk (and Eat) event tomorrow at 11 am !

See Karen's SAGBUTT post for the details.

And see the SAGBUTT Group link for my prior posts about our adventures.

Yeah! Welcome to the 2010 garden season!

Bloom Day February 2010

It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day Feb. 15th. You can find links to blooms around the world at Carol's Bloom Day post at her blog May Dreams Gardens.


Here is what I found at Petunia's Garden:

We've had some mild weather and blooms are running a little early. Above, the neighbor's old wild or ornamental plum tree is starting to bloom.

Forsythia.

Some snowdrops survived in the area where we had a large tree removed.

This young ornamental cherry has been blooming already. I'm glad the large trees are holding off a little longer.

Heather, and a bee!

Money plant adds some interest in the fence row this time of year. You can see a new, green start of it growing at the base of the fence post.

We're back!

Both me, and some sprouts: I was out of town Jan 30-Feb 7 and then had a visitor Feb 7 until today. The chives are loving the mild weather. The visitor wasn't so crazy about the rain (even with the sun breaks).

Above, are some lettuce seedlings from a greenhouse planting in late January.

Is this a sunflower seedling? It is in the greenhouse, also.

I got in the King County Conservation District native shrub order, but didn't get my vegetables ordered before I went out of town. So that's what I'm off to do now!

Seed & Seedling Plans

It's time to order seeds and seedlings and I don't have my list finalized, as usual. I'm going to have some busy weeks coming up and if I don't get it done now, it won't happen. In addition to Petunia's Garden vegetables, we are continuing to plant assorted tree and shrub seedlings on a hillside and have plans for a hedgerow effect in a few other places. For seedlings, there are some nice opportunities coming up: King County Conservation District has an annual Native Bareroot Plant sale. Pre-orders must be placed by Jan. 31 for pickup on March 5 & 6. Any plants not sold through the pre-orders will be for sale on March 5 & 6 also. See the website: http://kingcd.org for plants and more information.

Weyerhaeuser public seedling sale is Feb. 15 and March 20. See this link for more information: Western WA Public Sales Event .

Below, is one of the Tall Oregon Grapes from our first King County bareroot sale.

I'll be posting my 2010 vegetable planning list this week... really!

Pumpkins in January

I haven't made a pumpkin pie yet this winter. Must do something about that!

I did bake this guy and made Honey Pumpkin Butter. It's all gone now. Time to bake another. This is a small sugar pumpkin who lost his stem during harvest.