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Before the Last Frost (3 weeks)
We finally got our spring weather back after a cold week, and I went overboard digging in the yard. I’ve found that in our fenced vegetable garden, there just isn’t enough room to grow melons. I’ve noticed that the neighbors who successfully have grown them have long vines that trail out. For several summers, my vines have not grown long and the leaves have been dwarfed. I’m hoping this new sunny patch will do well. I went ahead and planted…
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Before the Last Frost (4 weeks)
There are 4 weeks left before our statistical last frost here in Raleigh, NC, which is zone 7b. I have trays of tomato and pepper sprouts that could use some liquid fertilizer. In another week they may need larger pots. Looking ahead at the weather forecast, there are still plenty of chilly nights so I’m not risking transplanting sprouts outside yet. It feels like winter has returned in Raleigh, so I was lucky to have that warm week to get…
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Before the Last Frost (5 Weeks)
We are now five weeks ahead of the statistical last killing frost of the season, and looking ahead on my weather app, we aren’t out of the woods on cold evenings. Last week I shared about the importance of supporting pollinators. One way I do this is to plant flowering perennials. This week I’m writing about finding perennials on a budget. Garden Steals If you are a seasoned gardener, you probably already know which nurseries have the best discount tables…
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Before the Last Frost (6 Weeks)
There are now six weeks until the statistical last frost of the season, but looking at the weather this week, you’d think we were solidly into spring. This week we remember our pollinators. In our yard, there is a patch of clover that the bees love. Earlier this week I just seeded more dutch clover, and back in the fall I planted red clover in the vegetable beds. I’m considering letting those go to flowers rather than turning over the…
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Chicken Antics
Our poor little Betty White is terrified of the older hens, and probably should be. Ruby and Tweedledum charge her whenever they enter a space and spot her. They usually just strike once and move on. There’s not been much feather loss, and there has been no blood, but Betty will see one of the big birds coming and hide her head in a corner. When the big ladies leave the run to lay eggs or go into their backyard,…
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Before the Last Frost (7 Weeks)
This week we are talking about cold frames. A cold frame is similar to a greenhouse, except that it is only used in the cold season to help tender seedlings grow before optimum climate conditions by trapping in heat overnight. A cold frame is not climate controlled. My previous “greenhouse” was really just a large cold frame. Here is a great article explaining the two: The Differences Between a Greenhouse and a Cold Frame Our old cold frame Do you have…
