tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26099152367123838932012-01-16T17:25:39.170-05:00One couple, one yard: figuring it out as we go alongRachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-56650850282187560662010-04-07T21:31:00.002-05:002010-04-07T21:31:57.832-05:00

Ours seem to bloom about 2 weeks after everyone else's but spring is finally here!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-91946055002787063162010-02-07T10:24:00.001-05:002010-02-07T10:25:33.175-05:00

Another huge snow storm here in Baltimore, possibly the biggest one since they started keeping track of storm totals about 120 years ago. About 3 feet of snow fell in 24 hours. That is more snow in a single day then we often get for a whole year! This winter is turning out to be even snowier than the 1995-1996 winter when I was a junior in high school. We missed so many days that we had a longer

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-32333791250605225992009-12-19T15:40:00.002-05:002009-12-19T15:40:15.863-05:00

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-54885024161407661192009-11-04T07:56:00.000-05:002009-11-04T07:56:33.761-05:00

We have a lot of buds and blooming roses on the bushes right now. More than we had in the spring or summer this year, I think!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-59590787655047417512009-09-28T13:35:00.001-05:002009-09-28T13:35:36.077-05:00

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-62339608142660523292009-08-15T20:15:00.003-05:002009-08-15T20:29:54.285-05:00

So, tomatoes are my favorite food. As such, I only eat them in their prime. Which, here in B to the more is August. Namely nearly my birthday (August 19th. I will be 30. Am scared) week. So, why are all of my tomato plants full of GREEN tomatoes? We have some flowers and some tiny tomatoes but nothing ripe. Well. We have had 2 ripe tomatoes since June (both now in quotes "Early" Girls) and one in

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-19629007060645031282009-07-24T07:10:00.003-05:002009-07-24T07:15:38.027-05:00

It is harvest time! We've been harvesting nearly 2 cups a day from our single bush. Matt bought a net meant for ponds to cover the bush and it worked better than the tree/bush net we had last year at keeping out birds.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-8065158762419193312009-07-09T15:22:00.003-05:002009-07-09T15:24:00.651-05:00

Figs are growing on the tiny (under 2 ft) fig tree that we planted this May. Very surprising.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-12892819544507903702009-07-01T12:22:00.001-05:002009-07-01T12:23:46.152-05:00

The front yard is looking good! This was tiny (and pink!) last year but it has really grown and is now sort of pinky-purple.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-72451543049994419632009-05-24T14:14:00.005-05:002009-05-24T14:23:22.235-05:00

Planted fairytale eggplant, a Rugters tomato and habanero, jalapeno, scotch bonnet, poblano and carmen peppers today in the space near the house where the pond used to be. I hope they do well! I am also hoping that the fairytale eggplant's small size will prevent it from doing what has happened to every other eggplant we've planted: flopping over with the fruit ending up sitting on the ground

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-84308641460591995102009-05-12T14:27:00.001-05:002009-05-12T14:28:40.116-05:00

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-1655978845326627642009-05-09T18:08:00.003-05:002009-05-09T18:17:26.638-05:00

I'd take a picture of how tremendously overgrown our yard is but I don't want to shock or alarm any children who might come across this. It has gone way beyond dachshund height and is creeping up to whippet height in most places. But! It isn't our fault. There has been nary a day without rain in over 2 weeks and the few patches of sunshine we have were not enough to dry out our swampy backyard.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-43906983360468102962009-04-22T16:26:00.003-05:002009-04-22T16:31:34.319-05:00

I was happy to get a break from the rain that was long enough to snap a quick picture of our dogwood. I think it is really doing well!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-63139511920072159022009-04-18T10:46:00.002-05:002009-04-18T10:56:18.737-05:00

Matt went and picked up a Earth Machine compost bin for only $36 at a Baltimore County-sponsored event at Ikea this morning (they are supposed to be there until 3pm)and it looks pretty good. We've never composted before-the bins are normally about $100 and with the dogs we can't exactly have an open pile compost heap. Anyone have any composting tips? What container do you use in your kitchen for

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-74450448190100061122009-04-08T17:43:00.004-05:002009-04-08T17:56:35.880-05:00

Today Matt bought two tiny fig trees. This past weekend we bought two pawpaws. I got to thinking about all of the other trees we have and realized that we have quite a lot of trees! Two dogwoods, a redbud, two crape myrtles, a Japanese cherry, the two pawpaw and two figs, one (or is it two?) mock apples, a fruiting plum (pictured above), a large oak and what I think is an ornamental plum tree,

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-48839837054592286012009-04-03T12:45:00.001-05:002009-04-03T12:45:43.225-05:00

For the first time ever, Baltimore County will host a two-day truckload compost bin sale on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Saturday sale will be held on the parking lot of IKEA Baltimore in White Marsh, 8352 Honeygo Boulevard (across from White Marsh Town Center). The Sunday sale will be held on the parking lot of Franklin High School in Reisterstown, 12000

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-49096315004814914672009-03-25T15:11:00.003-05:002009-03-25T15:15:10.467-05:00

American Native Plants, a wholesale only nursery, recently announced that it will be open to the public for retail sales on Sunday April 5th from 9am-3pm.The nursery carries about 200 species of only native plants. The vast majority of plants are woody plants: trees and shrubs and some vines, however there are a few groundcovers, ferns, perennials, and wetland plants (in the hoophouse) as well.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-75406693720830823892008-08-05T06:20:00.001-05:002008-08-05T06:33:22.060-05:00

I thought you might like a peek at what the lilies look like in the wild.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-78561297243915504772008-08-03T13:00:00.003-05:002008-08-03T13:16:59.157-05:00

This lily really was the most surprising thing in our yard the first Summer we moved in. We didn't see the leaves that appear in the Spring because we moved in in July. Even if we had, we'd still would have been surprised! These flowers are almost eerie, iridescent and a ghostly lavender. They send up leafless stalks about 3 ft tall and then bunches of the flowers appear soon after. Very fun and

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-55855403956748567282008-07-31T07:08:00.002-05:002008-08-01T07:13:27.428-05:00

They are so red! They almost look glowing. I've picked quite a few of the Juliet and we had one really early tomato but this is the first time I've been able to pick two large(ish) tomatoes at once.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-4093112247308059832008-07-20T18:28:00.001-05:002008-07-20T18:29:22.830-05:00

They are blooming!Just two weeks ago they looked like this.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-74343721277493471232008-07-15T12:24:00.002-05:002008-07-15T12:27:51.190-05:00

Our blackberry bush is huge. Last year it was like a foot tall, now it is over 6 and very prolific. We've gotten about 1 cup of berries so far and lots more are coming ripe. We put a net over the bush to keep the birds at bay and it seems to be working well.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-65819782433855837952008-07-13T07:32:00.002-05:002008-07-13T07:33:25.291-05:00

They are doing great and attracting a lot of bees!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-44017842633315666162008-07-05T15:45:00.001-05:002008-07-05T15:46:39.338-05:00

Now taller than us!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-12334781041669282062008-06-24T09:16:00.003-05:002008-06-24T09:18:03.764-05:00

Sorry for the lull in posting, but not much has been happening in the garden lately. A lot of growing, but not a lot of flowering or fruiting. Oddly all of the baby plums on our tree have vanished but the blackberries are going strong.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-35151142807241848752008-05-30T08:53:00.001-05:002008-05-30T08:54:35.935-05:00

Our garden is featured on AT: The Kitchn today.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-74280319106631785722008-05-28T11:20:00.001-05:002008-05-28T11:21:56.163-05:00

The peonies opened yesterday! I am glad they waited until after the rain.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-16770936825589872632008-05-25T08:50:00.006-05:002008-05-25T09:39:59.782-05:00

We got a Home Depot gift certificate as a reward from the bank and we had coupons (one for buy one get one free shrubs, another for $5 off) so we picked up some plants yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't find 2 shrubs we liked (we were hoping to buy one $25 shrub with our gift certificate and then get a free one and pay nothing out of pocket) so we ended up getting another hydrangea for the

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-7145050746790187512008-05-23T14:12:00.002-05:002008-05-23T14:13:25.937-05:00

blackberry bushI am excited for the harvest this year.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-86401849506040160152008-05-20T05:30:00.002-05:002008-05-20T05:32:52.872-05:00

Well, I should have gotten right on the rain barrel purchase because it has done nothing but rain. I worry that my tomato plants are drowning! One of them already has some yellow leaves from overwatering and I haven't had to water them once. The blackberry bush is flowering, but a lot of the flowers are falling off because of the weight of the rain. I am so looking forward to some more seasonable

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-62601668022601844742008-05-10T18:31:00.003-05:002008-05-10T18:36:48.615-05:00

I really want to get a rain barrel this year. Our water bills are crazy high (so high I think they are a mistake as we rarely do laundry, shower together, have only water saving fixtures and are only 2 people) so anything to help is a good thing. Anyone have good luck making their own? Have a good source for buying one? The ones I see online are on the pricy side.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-45034795941682477052008-04-25T15:13:00.001-05:002008-04-25T15:16:05.676-05:00

Here's a picture of most of our yard. It's actually 90% green and in bloom now.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-3968406216222494642008-04-22T18:12:00.003-05:002008-04-22T18:38:38.443-05:00

After the storms of the last few days (we even lost power for a couple of hours!) we are losing a lot of petals from our various trees. The mock apple is holding strong though, and smells great.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-71593144990085986772008-04-20T19:32:00.002-05:002008-04-22T18:40:50.871-05:00

dogwood!Originally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime Just in bloom! It is amazing that just a few days ago they were tiny buds.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-47933806149233018882008-04-17T10:12:00.003-05:002008-04-17T14:13:46.685-05:00

The cherry blossoms are just starting to bloom. Finally! I remember when we first moved in that they bloomed around March 25th and we had no idea what kind of tree it was, so it was a big surprise to walk out one morning to a tree in full bloom. So it is blooming late but I am glad it is blooming at all, it is pretty old and there is a dead branch.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-48346042973855704722008-04-12T23:32:00.003-05:002008-04-17T14:13:01.257-05:00

Spring 2008Originally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime Finally, they bloomed! I love daffodils. I really want to plant more-maybe those pink ones I've seen?

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-52463453803842418002008-04-10T13:20:00.002-05:002008-04-17T14:12:21.452-05:00

first tulipsOriginally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime These opened over the course of the day, this morning they were just buds!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-44525630027417162072008-04-04T06:56:00.003-05:002008-04-17T14:11:50.218-05:00

The most recent signs:Our daffodils are just leaves and no blooms while our next door neighbor's daffodils have been blooming for a week.The cherry trees in Washington DC are blooming. We have the same variety and it is no where near ready to bloom.I understand that DC is probably a little warmer (due to being more urban and being slightly further South) than our yard but what is the difference

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-22456464756254066812008-03-29T08:08:00.002-05:002008-04-17T14:11:25.784-05:00

starting to move into springOriginally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-87228120198781529352008-03-28T13:43:00.002-05:002008-04-17T14:10:47.699-05:00

plum treeOriginally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-45115127305759983612008-03-11T16:20:00.002-05:002008-04-17T14:09:57.957-05:00

giant pussywillowOriginally uploaded by rachel is coconut&lime This is the one thing we ordered online last year that is doing really well. Eventually it will grow to be about 14x14 feet!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-18130202549671110832007-08-12T14:13:00.000-05:002007-08-12T14:18:34.935-05:00

We noticed that our grapes are suddenly ripe. Last year they died before we could pick them, but now we have a ton. I can't imagine what we are going to do with them all.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-69185094626344184892007-08-03T10:53:00.000-05:002007-08-03T10:58:41.455-05:00

We planted some hibiscus in a area that used to be populated by out of control rose of sharon. It grew to about 5 feet tall is now beginning to bloom.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-32339545347319648062007-07-22T15:32:00.000-05:002007-07-22T15:37:08.264-05:00

The cherry tomatoes are ripening and I have already harvested one full sized tomato today. Yum! It seems a little early for tomatoes, normally the cherry tomatoes come first, then a week or so later the larger varieties. I'm not complaining, though.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-23326038398357868142007-07-21T08:54:00.000-05:002007-07-21T09:04:53.537-05:00

We are starting to get a little over run-tons of zucchini and pattypan harvested and we are only two people!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-37006736567103506942007-07-08T16:28:00.000-05:002007-07-08T16:50:16.954-05:00

So far: blackberries, 1 zucchini and 2 patty pan squash. It has been in the upper '90s for a few days now-not the best weather for gardening!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-65593991610886799572007-07-02T13:52:00.000-05:002007-07-02T13:54:29.303-05:00

I discovered this watermelon under our bench. I honestly think it doubled in size overnight!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-78999955585342257772007-06-27T11:17:00.000-05:002007-06-27T11:20:14.108-05:00

Okay, they are super tiny right now, but we have watermelons! I've never grown watermelon before so I am super excited. They are the Sugar Baby variety, so they will stay pretty small-only about 7-8 inches. The plant has gotten huge, it seems to double in size every night.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-12989328196968374902007-06-23T07:44:00.000-05:002007-06-23T07:47:15.454-05:00

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-50681571120394305952007-06-18T14:30:00.000-05:002007-06-18T14:32:20.814-05:00

Our grapes (concord??) are getting big. So far they haven't been too tasty, but maybe this year is the year. We have tons of them and it would be great to actually make something from them rather then have them wither on the vine.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-90584640495533126922007-06-16T13:40:00.001-05:002007-06-16T13:49:08.390-05:00

Violet has taken to sunning herself in the yard.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-12916076919197587092007-06-15T16:42:00.000-05:002007-06-15T16:50:13.035-05:00

First up: The blackberries are blooming and starting to fruit.We have a circle of yucca in the backyard that we uncovered when we moved in. It had been completely overgrown. Now they are healthy and blooming. You can't tell in the picture but the shoot with the flowers on it is over 5 feet tall. Our first blooming hydrangea. Matt thinks it was blue last year, but I am not sure. It is the "endless

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-22929642711795025562007-06-13T15:05:00.000-05:002007-06-15T16:42:18.271-05:00

We finally have some baby tomatoes! Heather had some on Sunday and I was worried my plants were woefully inadequate, but I think she just planted hers first. My mom was over today and she thinks they might be planted too close together, but I think they are okay. They are already doing a 1,000 times better than they did last year.Also: please vote for my cooking blog, Coconut & Lime in the

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-7277442070318572302007-06-10T17:58:00.000-05:002007-06-10T18:00:34.448-05:00

I made some mint gelato from the mint plant we got last month. The first "harvest" of the season!

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-2125427809943519432007-06-08T18:25:00.000-05:002007-06-08T18:28:38.805-05:00

Anyone have any idea what these are? They appear to be some sort of lily and are a really lurid red.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-18616636058351332572007-06-06T14:12:00.000-05:002007-06-08T18:28:56.573-05:00

I bought these back when we first moved in and wanted something that would grow and spread a bit in the area near our mailbox. It was past their blooming season and the picture on the tag was tiny and contained only their Latin name. It wasn't until last year that I realized they were carnations. I had never really thought of carnations as something you can grow in your yard, but you can and they

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-21403416574120069882007-06-04T11:52:00.000-05:002007-06-04T12:04:19.930-05:00

I just learned about this site called Bloomscape. I haven't tried them but they look interesting. After my Greenwood Nursery woes, I am hesitant to try a different online garden place, but maybe they are better?

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-91463426294922866422007-05-30T13:43:00.000-05:002007-05-30T14:17:26.266-05:00

Last year we ordered a few plants from Greenwood Nursery and were pleased with the experience. They sent the plants right out and they came back this year. So it made sense that when we wanted to buy some plants for the yard this year, we'd use them again. This year we bought golden raspberries, a pussy willow tree and some cold hardy hibiscus. We placed the order over the winter and the deal was

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-63955490277705182032007-05-26T11:24:00.000-05:002007-05-26T12:05:52.869-05:00

Matt went with a co-worker to the the tulip dig at Sherwood Gardens early this morning. He dug up quite a few different varieties, most of them in variegated colors in the red and pink family. We had hoped for some more of the black(ish) tulips but apparently they didn't come up this year. Now we are drying the bulbs out in the sunshine. Then we'll cut off the tops, wrap them in newspaper and

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-82975816798471597612007-05-24T17:10:00.000-05:002007-05-24T17:13:52.880-05:00

The Sherwood Gardens tulip dig is Saturday, May 26th, starting at 7 AM. Get there early (with your own trowel) to dig up your own bulbs. They are about a quarter a piece and in many different (and exotic) varieties, so this is a great deal. We got most of our tulips there last year and they all bloomed this year. What you do is dig them up then wrap them in newspaper and plant them in November

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-42260290161870722232007-05-22T14:32:00.000-05:002007-05-22T14:44:46.103-05:00

The peony opened. Isn't it pretty? It is one of my favorites. We also have some pale pink more traditional looking peonies but they haven't opened yet. Maybe today? Also: every once in a while when I am sitting at the computer I get a big whiff of flowers. Roses, mostly. It is wonderful. I want to go outside and sit.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-24346292318976300662007-05-21T17:41:00.001-05:002007-05-21T17:58:49.401-05:00

The peonies are getting ready to burst. The ants are ready.They are so lovely and smell beautifully. I'd love to get more, but we haven't seen them at our usual online shops or in person any where. Matt actually moved the above plant from a different location in the yard to a spot near the fence. We had heard that peonies don't always transplant well, but he just dug it up (a rose of sharon had

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-84865698543677959222007-05-20T08:27:00.000-05:002007-05-20T09:36:46.423-05:00

Isn't it pretty? I am not sure what variety it is, the bush was here when we moved in. Like I mentioned before, when we bought the house (July '05) there were a lot of existing plants and bushes but they were oddly placed. Last year Matt dug a lot of them (roses and peonies mostly) up and rearranged them. He transplanted the roses to a clump all together on one side of the yard and they all are

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-8457810648614770502007-05-19T13:10:00.000-05:002007-05-19T16:43:16.875-05:00

We just got back from Walther Gardens (again) and this time bought some flowers (heliotrope, lantana and celosia) and some veggies (brussel sprouts, patty pan squash and a "sugar baby" watermelon) and the guy threw in some chocolate mint for free. I've been wanting to make mint ice cream, so I can't wait for that to spread a little so I have enough to make it. I also can't wait to see what

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-90302592536272139762007-05-17T18:41:00.000-05:002007-05-17T18:51:29.109-05:00

Azaleas may be considered "the royalty of the garden" but they are not my favorites. Matt likes them and we compromised last year and bought three hot pink bushes. This year only two came back. They are both still pretty tiny, but they really had a lot of blooms. Now he thinks he might move them to somewhere else in the yard, they are sort of out in the "middle" on the back quarter of the yard.

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-56991238420743607062007-05-14T12:58:00.000-05:002007-05-14T14:29:33.228-05:00

Around the corner from my house is a little neighborhood nursery called Walther Gardens. They have been there since before there even was a Walther Blvd and they also run one of the city's first snowball stands. Everything is grown right there and they have a great selection of vegetable and flowering plants. The prices are excellent as well. All of the vegetable plants are only $1 each and

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-79842290790610576972007-05-12T07:29:00.000-05:002007-05-12T07:34:55.978-05:00

While driving to work (ugh) yesterday I heard an interesting story on NPR's Morning Edition. It was about Project Budburst which is tracking climate change in a decidedly low tech way: home gardener observations. They call it "citizen science" and it is quite easy. Basically you identify a plant, figure out when it is going to bloom and record daily observations as it does. You can see the full

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-13805532831963154892007-05-07T18:44:00.000-05:002007-05-07T18:49:08.868-05:00

While we were in NYC this weekend, I really missed our yard. I love the city and we did spend some time in Central Park, but I missed all of the bird and animal sounds we have in our little corner of Baltimore. The lilac is in full bloom now and the whole yard smells heavenly. We noticed that NYC seems to be about a week behind us, plant-wise, the tulips were just coming up and the cherry

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-43191461644639817542007-05-03T17:30:00.000-05:002007-05-03T17:42:28.658-05:00

When we moved in to our house it was July (2005) and we had only looked at it once in late May, so we had no idea what the yard looked like in Spring until nearly a year later. The previous owners were sort of a "buy whatever we like and plop it where ever" couple so we had some oddball plants (giant grasses in the middle of the yard, a dead fig tree, random bushes) randomly placed all over the

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609915236712383893.post-67256819536235623732007-05-02T11:41:00.000-05:002007-05-24T17:37:24.355-05:00

The tulips came a little late this year. Last year Matt went to the Sherwood Gardens annual bulb dig and dug up a bunch of exotic tulip bulbs. We planted them in clumps of the same color, but we deliberately did not know which color we planted in which spot.He planted about 60 bulbs in November and we plan to go back this year for more. It has been a lot of fun seeing them bloom this year-I

Rachel Rappaportnoreply@blogger.com5