It was a beautiful day to get some work done outside, wasn't it? Good timing before the snow sets in tomorrow morning (2" predicted for my area). I still have a huge mess to clean up in my vegetable garden but I wanted to get more leaves done and a little more cutting back instead, hopefully with some time off for the holiday this week the weather will cooperate and I can make some progress out in the weed....errr...vegetable garden.

Docmom - Wow - glad you are feeling well enough to get outside. Your property is a great size and all level too. Like havingc a clean slate, you can plan just about anything you want and have decades in front of you to work on them. lol.

Mxk3 - What part of the country are you in that they are having snow tomorrow? None predicted here.

This morning, I raked the mown tall grass into a deep pile, where I plan to install a moisture-loving native pollinator garden. We have a low, moist area at the west edge of the property. My husband wants a weeping willow, but one that is already 50’ tall, of course, lol. We won’t live long enough for that, but we can get one started! Will wintersow native wildflowers and purchase a willow tree in the spring.

Martha: Isn't it snowing by you today? It is over here in SE MI. Oh no -- NO WILLOW. Unless it's way back on the property somewhere where you can enjoy the beauty of it but not curse every friggin' time the wind blows. Whatever you do, DO NOT place a willow close to the house like I have:

Grandpa Willow has gotten multiple reprieves over here. He's magnificent, but I am going to sign his death warrant soon -- I can't take the mess any more. The mess is *everywhere* and it never ends -- across the yard into the front walkway, on the roof, in the flower beds, just everywhere. No way am I going to allow Grandpa to sh*t up the new roof and gutters that I'm slated to get -- those willowy branches get stuck on the roof and even worse, in the gutters and very difficult to clean them out.

Prairie: I'm in SE MI, it is snowing as I type!

Docmom so happy to see you are doing better now, and getting the gardens going. You have such a lovely lot!

I absolutely adore willow trees - there was one in the neighborhood of rowhouses I grew up in and I loved it as a child. Funny how that one was in the middle of the city and I feel now like I don't have room for one with almost an acre of land!

I have planted a couple of Hakuro Nishiki willows, though, in a bog garden, and get my willow fix from them! Not in tree form, but I still enjoy the foliage.

:)
Dee

We finally got snow today, but it changed to rain by early afternoon. We have barely had any freezing temps, so the ground hasn’t begun to freeze. My garlic, that was planted very late, has sprouted nicely.

It's good working weather the next few days, glad I have a long weekend to try to get as much as I can cleaned up. The temps are supposed to tank next week here in MI, maybe snow. Hope you can take advantage of the dryness and temps while it lasts.

Oh my, don't willow. The upkeep... My neighbor has one of those big old 50 footers. And it sends it's root runners over 30 feet into my yard.. and only merciless mowing of the areas keeps the little trees in check.

After further reading, and advice from trusted members here, I have decided to forgo any weeping willow. I might plant more native willow shrubs, for the pollinators. Has anyone ever made any willow furniture or baskets?

I spent yesterday hauling cardboard and wood chip mulch to create vegetable garden beds and mulch around my baby trees. Made fantastic progress. Today, my muscles are declaring mutiny. But, I have room to grow more than I can probably keep up with. I will try to get photos later today, though it’s supposed to be cloudy.

DocMom - I think you've made a good decision. I have no experience with having a Willow, but I do remember that there used to be one in our neighborhood and we had a hurricane one year and it was the only tree in the whole neighborhood that came crashing down. Are they known to be shallow rooted, I don't know.

Great to be feeling well enough to be making progress!!

> I will try to get photos later today, though it’s supposed to be cloudy. My digital camera has settings that cause the processing to adjust for several lighting conditions.

Photos taken fifteen minutes ago. For second photo, taken a few seconds after first, cloudiness setting was selected.

Here’s a broad view of the property from the back corner. In the foreground is the vegetable garden area. T-post indicates one of the corners where we will install deer fencing to protect the garden next spring. That area measures 75’x50’, though at a slight angle, so it’s a parallelogram rather than perfect rectangle. Red flags indicate my garlic patch. Far right is my pile of pilfered leaves from nearby subdivisions for future mulch/compost. Far left are what’s left of the pile of wood chips and brush/logs from 5 dying trees we had taken down several weeks go. The wood chip pile used to extend to a point level with the tall stump just to the left of mid-frame. You can see the paler color on the ground. But, we moved most of the chips to cover cardboard meant to smother weeds in the vegetable garden area. Some chips also went to surround young trees and blueberry bushes. Other parts of the garden are covered with pure leaves or mixed leaves and mown grass. We’ll see which method is most effective during the growing season. To the left of the leaf bags is a compost bin for kitchen scraps and weeds. In front of that is an old concrete double sink we pulled out of the bushes. I’m hoping to grow some carrots in it this spring, until my new beds are softened. Closest to the camera is a bed of three rows of asparagus, and strawberries between them and the wood chip pile.

So, that’s my little slice of heaven. I wish I could invite everyone to visit. Happy gardening!

Martha

You're making great progress. I had to laugh over the visual of pulling a sink out of the bushes :0p (but hey, sounds like you have a solid plan for repurposing it!).

I'm a pilferer of leaves myself -- you've got a good pile of bags there, hope you will have enough. DH shredded a big pile of our own leaves, and all but 4 of the 30 bags I got from the nearby sub are gone -- and I put nary a leaf in the vegetable garden. Tonight/tomorrow is my last chance, last yard waste pickup of the season is this week -- I'm going to head out to see if I can round up any more.

Wow, Martha, great shot. I can see why you are excited about that property. It has so much potential. And you have a lot of nice looking trees. I find myself imagining what it's gong to look like when you've had some time to make an impact. And think of all the FUN you're going to have doing it! lol

I forego the wealth of my fallen maple leaves as compost ingredient because I do not want to introduce the grass seeds and weed seeds that raking inevitably collects. For the same reason, I do not seek anything that others have raked.

Four,

I already have so many weed seeds in my soil, lawn, and air floating around that I can’t imagine what’s in the leaves will make a difference. The goal of the leaves is to prevent sunlight from reaching any seeds and prevent germination. Any that do manage to sprout will be much easier to pull.

I wanted to ask a question, because I also use all my leaves and grass clippings and I've never had a problem. I'm just wondering where the "grass seed" come from if you are mowing your lawn on a regular basis? In my experience the lawn never goes to seed, isn't that right?

DocMom - I was just thinking, you said you are forgoing the willow tree and going to substitute shrubs in the willow family for pollinators, will that include pussy willow? I've always wanted one to be able to bring the stems in the house and my yard is way too dry to grow one. Do you have a place for one of those? What other willow shrubs are you considering?

> if you are mowing your lawn on a regular basis.... the lawn never goes to seed, isn't that right? ___ Right, the caveat would not apply to your case.

Oh, thanks, but that makes me wonder if. you allow your grass to go to seed? I thought everyone mowed it short enough that it doesn't.

Nice, docmom! A 75x50 veggie garden sounds marvelous! Are you planning any flower beds as well?

Love the old sink! The only thing I've found on my property is the front end/grill of a car. It was in the wooded area where I was planting some rhodies for privacy. I couldn't pull it out of the ground myself (has probably been there 50 years) so I left it and planted the rhodie in amongst it!

Btw, I do use shredded leaves - I have way too many trees to just ignore that resource! - but I don't usually use grass clippings. But that's only because my "lawn" is not really grass - it's a mix of grass, weedy grass, mosses, weeds, violets, etc. If some of the grass clippings get mixed in with the leaves in the fall, so be it, no big deal, but I don't usually use the "clippings only" as mulch. I have toyed with the idea of using them since my husband bought a lawn tractor about two years ago, and is MUCH better about keeping the lawn mowed; I'm thinking there may be fewer weeds/grass going to seed now, and I hate to waste that resource.

:)
Dee

Prairiemoon2,

I planted a pussy willow in the spring. It will serve as the center of my “moist” native flower bed. I also have a mixed annual/perennial bed near the driveway/road, and a patch of perennials at the edge of my garlic patch, and some scattered patches of spring bulbs, White Snake Root, wild geranium, and columbine in areas of mixed shade. Most of my “landscaping” will be mixed meadow-like installations or forest floor imitations. I will instill wintersown native plugs in appropriate microclimates, and hope they thrive and spread. Each season will bring opportunities for reassessment and redirection. My goal is diversity and support of wildlife.

Martha, are you interested in receiving free milkweeds from Monarch Watch? End of April, beginning of May. Either 32-cell or 50-cell flats; minimum four flats. Best to plant patches of 3-4 plants, 10-13 patches per acre; recommended against large quantities together. Application : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b3sfFUhxWgqYn76mDbc7oKzidXWUbN6lkUEz4GFSUAY/

Four,

My property isn’t quite large enough to qualify for the Monarch Watch program. Plus, I have seeds for milkweed already, and can wintersow plenty for my needs. Thanks for the link, though. I have raised Monarchs for decades, and will continue to plant both milkweeds and nectar sources for them. I also just south of one of the few remaining colonies of the critically endangered Karner Blue butterfly, so I am planting wild lupine for them.

Martha

> just south of one of the few remaining colonies

And as closely north of another.

"Caterpillars with ants are more likely to survive than those that do not have ant attendants." -- in a US Forest Service article about it.

Actually, I am within just a few miles of the nearest Karner Blue colony. I am the first house east of I-31, and the highway ends 2 miles north of us because they couldn’t continue construction due to the presence of the endangered species. So, there are more colonies not far to the south, but I am extremely close to the southern colony in West Michigan.

I can smell it now : you will increase the population, then its status will rise from endangered to threatened, thereby "justifying" resumption of construction. Many such examples of successful results from hard-fought protection measures leading to removal of the protections. Here, motor boat speed limit was increased because fewer manatees were being maimed and killed by propellers thanks to lowered speed limit.

I thought it was Mitchell's Satyr butterfly that was the butterfly there? Anywho, regardless on if it's Karner Blue or Mitchell's Satyr.... MDOT has started finishing that section of highway project. They started late this summer, and plan on having the connection through to I-94 finished in 2022. They got done with the resurfacing project of 31 on the North side of I-94 this summer.

I think you are correct beesneeds. If you read about either of the two, it is the Mitchell's Satry butterfly that lives in Michigan and a bit in Indiana too. They are both very beautiful and need all the help we can give them to help increase their population.

I’d never heard of the Mitchell’s Satyr. I’ll have to do more reading and plant for both. I’m sure Beesneeds knows far more about this region than I do.

On Wednesday I was finding various information about Karner Blue in Michigan, including in Martha's region.

Kerner blues are in the region, a county or so to the north of where docmom is. Not too far away to have the potential of some southern drift. I see lots of blue butterflies, just never thought to try IDing them- I'm more of a bird ID person. Maybe I'll put out some more lupine on the back acres next year just in case and see what happens :)

What I was referring to was the butterfly that had stopped the highway 31 completion years ago- that was the Mitchell's Satyr. Butterflies found dab in the middle of where the construction was going to be- that was around 20 years ago. I'm guessing they haven't found the butterflies there the last few years, and so was finally able to move ahead to finish the Hwy 31 road connection.

Beesneeds,

I have not read anything official, but my neighbors seem to think the route of the highway has been adjusted to bypass the butterflies. That could be a bunch of hogwash, though. I don’t know how to unearth accurate information.

I found an article from Fox 17 in September, 2020 that confirms the route of the highway was shifted to avoid the Blue Creek fen. I live on Blue Creek Rd, immediately east of I-31, so I must be just 2-3 miles south of the fen. I will take a drive north in the morning to check out the area.

Oh my, that would be wonderful if my guess was wrong about the butterflies and they are still there- I guessed they weren't anymore because I figured it would be the only way for that project to proceed.

If you are on Blue Creek, you must be dang near to the original butterfly point. Your neighbors are very much correct in thinking MDOT moved the original route away from the fen, it was originally supposed to pretty much just go north from the Napier point to the current end of 31/196, but that got got bent to a more hard West route:

The orange route option 4 is closer to the original notion of connecting 31 south and north together- but the new route is route 2, that's the one in red that bends west to join in with Main St/business 94.

I took a drive north, just east of and beyond the portion of I-31 that was finished years ago. The area is full of small farms growing blueberries, grapes, corn, etc. There’s also a landscaper/stonescaping business. I couldn’t find signage indicating the protected area, but the signage in the yards of nearby residents made their political persuasion obvious, and they aren’t happy about the recent election results. The Mitchell’s Satyr butterflies aren’t popular, since they are seen as an obstacle to economic progress. So, it’s probably safer to keep their precise location unknown. I’m surprised the drainage from the agricultural surroundings hasn’t caused more serious problems in the fen, especially if my guess at the location is accurate. I also saw several oak patches, which might be the oak savannas that support Karner Blues. There is clearly rampant poverty throughout the area, which is also true throughout many other sections of the region. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if people thought butterflies should be lower on the list of priorities.

Hi, Martha. I read an account by someone who is rehabilitating twelve acres. Then I remembered you. What is growing now?

Four,

Thanks for checking in. We got the deer fencing up around the vegetable garden, with rabbit fencing around the lower portion and extending over the ground about twelve inches. We pounded ground staples into the soil to deter digging, hopefully. My indoor plant lights are overflowing with tomato plants, peppers, herbs, and much more. I took a trip to my sister’s property last week and she donated a trunkful of native shrub seedlings, such as service berry, chokecherry, dogwood, ninebark, high bush cranberry, etc. I transplanted my wintersown native wildflowers into a few beds, and dug dandelions out of the would-be vegetable garden.

I was able to do this all because I was on vacation last week. Otherwise, my job is keeping me insanely busy. Twelve hour days are guaranteed, usually with a few more hours of catch up when I get home. It’s very rewarding, though, and I think I have found a good niche for myself. But, it doesn’t leave much time for online surfing. I hope everyone is well. I will try to drop in periodically.

Martha

Hi Martha, Looking forward to another update and maybe some photos!

Prairiemoon2 and everyone,

Thank you for your continued interest. I will attempt a reasonable update. I did shoot a brief video, but I need to remember how to include a link. Apologies for complete lack of editing or any skill at filming.

Happy 4th of July! I/we are enjoying a weekend at home, trying to repair lawnmowers and maintain some sort of control over the garden. Since my last update, I did get tomatoes, peppers, basil basil, oregano oregano, and some brassicas transplanted. We also stuck some winter squash and pumpkin seeds in the ground. We had terrible drought in May, with barely 0.1 inches of rain the entire month. Normal rainfall for May is more than 3.5 inches. Fortunately, I was able to water enough to keep things alive. June brought torrential rains, with our 3.5 inches falling in less than 48 hours. We are lucky to be situated on a slight hill, so we didn’t have any flooding. The garden (and weeds) are thriving! Oh, except the brassicas. They’ve been munched by bugs and ground hogs, and now they’ve bolted. But But, we got the most delicious strawberries in June, and I just picked our first handfull of red raspberries. I’ve dehydrated basil and oregano, and some kale (the spinach bolted).

I am really excited about my tomatoes. I grew heirloom plants from seed, and all have survived. Most are thriving, and I have green fruits on several plants, some much larger than golf-ball-sized. I’m growing Peron’s Sprayless, Happy Jack, Bonnie’s Best, Brandywine, Pink Brandywine, Black Cherry cherry tomato, and probably more I’m not remembering. I purchased a food mill to separate out the skins and seeds, and plan to can oodles of tomatoes, in addition to eating lots fresh. I just harvested my garlic, which was a bit disappointing, but each year will be better, right right? I will probably dehydrate the garlic, as well as as many tomatoes as I have time for. Tomato powder can be added to anything, takes the place of tomato paste, and is shelf-stable for years. And And, it takes up barely any space.

I also planted a bunch of peppers. Most are sweet varieties, because my sister has dehydrated hot peppers to feed the world for a decade. I have primarily Lipstick, and some sheepnosed pimento. I did plant some pepperoncini for my son, and at least one jalopeno. Surprisingly, I already have some decent sized peppers on the plants, and tons of blossoms.

My pollinator plantings are pretty crowded, since everything survived and is spreading. But But, they can fight it out. I might try to divide some things in the fall, or maybe wait for spring. I should prep some more beds.

Well, there you have it, the update. If anyone has questions, I’ll probably be checking in this weekend and then on rare occassions after that, until my next vacation or long weekend. Best to all.

Martha

Martha sounds like you are off to a good start. I made a grocery order today and noticed how expensive organic produce has become and thought I really need to focus more on finding a way to harvest more organic produce. It seems sometimes like it takes a LOT of effort. I had Broccoli starts that the rabbits ate, and they ate some of the Kale. I had some beautiful Bok Choy and just as I was going to harvest it, some bug put holes all over the leaves. I also have a lot of tomato and pepper plants, more than usual this year. Not as much room as you have for a garden, but I did replace some perennials with vegetables this year.

What I need to do is put more effort into keeping the critters and the bugs out. It does take quite a bit of effort. I know I should be using row covers and I need to fix the fence in such a way that the rabbits don't keep getting in. I'm going to have to make it a priority when the weather cools down so next year I will be in better shape.

Sounds like your first season in the garden can be categorized as a success. And yes, every year as you continue to build healthy soil and learn the peculiarities of your property and garden, hopefully, things will get even more successful. Thanks for the update! And Happy Fourth of July too!

>"I did shoot a brief video, but I need to remember how to include a link."

Martha's Yard Update

So, I finally managed to get the video link. I was unable to link anything via my iPad, so my husband, something of a computer wizard, eventually did it through his computer, after 30 minutes of acrobatic cyber-maneuvers. From my iPad, there was no option to link anything. I tried ”sharing” and ”copying” and ”downloading.” Nothing worked. So, I am on the verge of retreating into hermitage and never touching anything electronic again.

What a beautiful property. I can see your hard work. I hope you continue to dream and that your vision comes together with ease.

I just finished watching your video update and I love being able to actually see what's been going on in your garden by video! You did a great job with the video, going just the right speed. You have a really wonderful property there. Enough room, great large old trees, a meadow. I think your vegetable garden is off to a great start. The high fence that your sister donated should really help out. I wasn't quite sure what you meant about the fencing for rabbits. You said it was keeping the rabbits out, but I didn't follow what you did exactly.

It is a process, and it is full of potential to start off with a level property with all the right bones and be able to pursue so many of the goals you had. Takes a lot of patience and commitment but it's wonderful. You're off and running! lol

YouTube and the video link button at the bottom of each comment section, seems to be easy for me to use, from my Apple Laptop. Just click on the link button below, copy and paste the address from the YouTube video into the space provided. and hit submit and that's all it takes for me. I hope you can figure out an easy way to do it. I don't have an iPad so I don't know what is different from my MacBookPro.

I have to say that you have done great!! You have made so much progress in the short time you have lived in your new home. I am happy for you and your husband to have such a great property. You are close to family and that helps. Please keep us updated on the gardens. Let's hope the rest of the summer has better weather.

Picked our first of many Black Cherry cherry tomatoes. Delicious. Many green tomatoes on the rest of our plants.

Four,

We have both a push mower and a riding mower. The push is for mowing around trees and shrubs, and the ditch. As far as the physical work, ” use it or lose it” is a very apt phrase. It may be wasted time, but not wasted effort.

DocMom - My Mom's favorite saying and she was still working at 84 going up and down 3 flights of stairs multiple times a day. She ran circles around me. [g]