The good news: They're growing on top of the landscape fabric I laid down below my Sonoma Gold Fines, so they pull up easily. The bad news is these aren't your nice big dandelions. They're all microscopic little trailing things, like this clover looking stuff.
And this mossy looking stuff.
A side of me debates how much of it I want to leave and let grow. The moss, most likely, because I don't really mind it. I'm not out for a garden so pristine it comes off obsessive. A natural look is okay with me. But for the bulk of this, I'm going to have to get out my stool on wheels and spend some quality time out here cleaning up from the winter.
In the meantime, I have managed to plant some peas, which are just now poking through the soil. I've also got this spring crop of broccoli and cabbage I just stuck in the ground last weekend.
The shallots I planted in the wine barrels seem to like their home. They'll stay there until June when it's time to pull them up.
And I've got a new crop of bok choi that will be ready to eat before I know it.
So, summer is just around the corner. Next weekend, I'll be starting my tomato and pepper seeds. At some point, I'll get to these weeds and it will all return to the glory of last August. For now, I'm going to spend the weekend indoors, doing some scrapbooking and hoping the weed fairies come clean this up for me. Won't happen, but I can fantasize for a while, can't I?
Hi Lori, I just discovered your blog and am loving it. I'm in the East Bay, and want to expand my garden with the wine barrels. It looks like yours are painted or stained? What did you use? Also, what kind of planting mix are you using in them? There's all sort of confusing around books and the internet about what kind of planting mix to use for containers... and yours seem to be working. THanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting! I love connecting with other gardeners in the area. I used Minwax stain on my wine barrels. I had it around for other projects and thought it would be fun to give them some color. I only stained the outside, as you've got to be careful with chemicals around food crops. As for planting, I've had trouble getting anything to grow in them as well as what I have growing in my raised beds. I'm not sure if it's the barrels or the fact that they don't get quite the sun in this spot as I thought they would. Bok choi doesn't grow as big in the barrels, but the slugs don't seem to find them there, so that's been a big plus. Slugs devour my bok choi in the ground! The shallots seem to be doing pretty good there, though I don't know how big they'll get. We'll have to see. I've put quite a bit of things in there for soil. A mix of SuperSoil potting soil, steer manure, sand, and now I'm mixing in some Miracle Grow moisture retaining potting soil. My ground is clay, so I'm spoiled by the natural nutrients that hold in my other beds. These barrels seem to need more TLC, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't have my mix right last year either. I'm still looking for the ideal mix. But I sure do like how they're stained. Makes them very colorful.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was a fun easy project. If I remember correctly, I went over the stain with a satin clear coat too, though I'm not sure that was necessary. I've been tempted to stain my raised beds too just for kicks, but then I realize I've probably got better things to do. LOL
ReplyDeleteHello Hello,It has been a mild winter in Va. and I have been busy wintersowing and trading seeds,I started a seed trading group on fb which I truly love,It has really did well and I got a garden article published,my first. When the weed fairies are done with yours,send them my way:)
ReplyDeleteTommy, I've checked out your blog lately though I haven't posted. I also saw the great swing you're working on. You do beautiful work! Congrats on getting the article published. Hopefully, it will be the first of many! I'm still waiting on my weed fairies, by the way. LOL
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