Less Noise, More Green: April 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015

How to care for seedlings while on vacation

Seedlings under grow lights
Growing season is in full swing here in my zone 6b garden. I'm planting seeds both indoors and outdoors every two weeks and the beds are starting to fill up with lots of lovely little plants. Once the season starts, it is hard to take a break. There is always something to plant, transplant or water! Taking a vacation and leaving baby plants unattended can be stressful but  I just returned home from a week long trip and the plants I have growing indoors under grow lights never looked better. Here's how I kept my seedlings alive and happy!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Transplanting self seeding annuals


Edible Landscape April 2015
Year two of my edible landscape is off and running. This time last year, I was at the very early stages of installing the garden,  having removed the foundation shrubs and hostas but yet to remove the grass. This year, all of the really hard work is done and I am looking to keep my perennials healthy and plant my annuals (veggies, flowers and herbs) when the time is right. What is new this year is dealing with all the self seeding annuals from last year's garden.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Four signs gardening season has begun

Lilac Buds
Lilac buds
As each year passes, I get to know my garden better and become more familiar with it's rhythms. The weather was fabulous yesterday- well into the 60's with just a gentle breeze. I spent several hours working outside listening to the birds and feeling content. As I looked around me I thought yes, the signs are here, the four horsemen of spring have arrived.

Friday, April 10, 2015

My April Garden Chore List


April garden clean up
This is what was lurking under the snow.
The snow in my part of Rhode Island is gone. What a truly horrendous winter we just experienced. Mother Nature is amazing, though. Shoots are coming up and buds are forming, as if to say, "What winter?" The thick blanket of snow was actually a good thing for the perennials and an initial survey of the garden has revealed very few casualties. It is time to look forward and get on with this gardening thing!

Here are my zone 6b gardening plans for the rest of April: