Welcome to the Garden Spot

Just as was I starting to stress about what to blog about for my Thursday post, something wonderful happened in the Garden Spot thanks to the head gardener.Take a walk with me out to the garden to see what he was up to today.

The garden beds have been tilled and doctored with shavings and chicken stuff from the chicken house. They will simmer all winter and be ready for planting in the spring.

Tool of the month: Post hole digger. 

Can't believe that we have lived here over 3 years and haven't yet invested in post hole digger. 

We planted the blackberry summer 2011. This last summer it really took off, unlike it's raspberry sisters that it shares the row with. Some of the blackberry canes are nearly 5 feet long. With some research, hubby found that they can be trimmed and trellised. Here is his shipping list:

3 cedar 4'x4' cedar posts 8' long

1 standard cow panel 52''x60''

1 box galvanized staples

1 post hole digger

I am quite excited to see the trellis. It has added a lot of character to the garden. Right now the garden almost looks like a Pinterest perfect garden (with all of weeds gone). I have all kinds of ideas besides just the blackberry climbing on the trellis.  Morning glories, maybe, or a clematis. A bird house on top, perhaps. Shhh. Don't tell him.

The two raspberries that have been in for a couple of years  just have not really taken off, especially the one. We may end up moving them. See how long the blackberry canes are?  We will prune them to a more manageable length then use plastic slip ties to attach them to the trellis. Some growers weave the canes through the wires, but I think I like the idea of tying them in place.

The center of the plant is hearty and thick. 

 We were really surprised to find that the canes had rooted themselves at the end of canes. I didn't know that they would do that, so I think we will plant them back in ground and prune them off. If they don't grow, no big deal. 

Last week ended with Miss Mother Nature's 6th birthday party. Her mother made her a ladybug cake that turned out so cute. It is pink because Ellie has a sensitivity to red dye #40 (the USDA refuses to admit that some children have severe reactions to it), so mamma used a more natural food coloring made from beet juice. 

Week 10 at the university is nearly done. We have a month of classes left. The comp classes are working on their argumentative essays. Outlines due tomorrow. The advanced writing class turns in their annotated bibliography tomorrow. Lots of week end grading. The lit class will be reading Emily Dickenson. She is my favorite. I hope they enjoy her, too. We will see a great video ( I hope the library hasn't purged all of its vhs, otherwise I'll have to have plan B.) 

Oh hey. We had a trick n treater last night! Yes, I was so excited when the doorbell rang. Our first and only since we moved to the Garden Spot. He is the grandson of an old neighbor. I gave him extra candy. And some for his brother. Hope your Halloween was as exciting.

Let's keep our fellow Americans on the east coast in our prayers. They need all the help and support that we can send their way.

And remember to just 

BLOG IT!