Barbie
Portland, OR
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Just moved in my mid-century ranch with a huge, sunny plot. It's currently overrun with weeds, but I plan a mini barnyard and permaculture paradise.
USDA Zone: 8
Soil: clay
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Yikes! 18 degrees!? I mounded leaves around all my baby plants and they're all supposed to be winter hardy, but I'm nervous. From 50's to teens much too fast.
Jade, I think your parsley is toast. Pick it all now and have tabbouleh for Thanksgiving!
Jade, I think your parsley is toast. Pick it all now and have tabbouleh for Thanksgiving!
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Yeah I think this might be hard on the plants. I picked some lettuce tonight as the snow fell. I pick a lot of parsley last night but wish I had picked all of it.
I also wish I had spread leaves around the hardy banana and young olive trees. Most of the rest of my plants should be okay, I think. I hope.
Jade
Nov 22, 2010
Your parsley should be fine. I don't think mine ever froze completely. But 18 degrees--brrrr.
JanetTateCrum
Nov 28, 2010
Janet: Thanks for the tip. You're right, the parsley was totally fine.
Somehow you don't seem all that envious of our weather? :)
Jade
Nov 29, 2010
I finally have some photos of my garden to post. Helpers and I did most of the planting on October 25th, then I did more smother mulching and a bit more planting the first week in November.
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Here's another angle...
Barbie
Nov 20, 2010
The lower garden will the the little dwarf orchard, berry patch and vegetable plot. You can almost see the baby apple, cherry and pear trees in the back, behind the blueberry bushes.
I ran out of mulch, in case you're wondering. It's all on veggie plot. The rest of the cardboard is to suppress weeds. I might put leaves over the whole mess and/or manure in the spring. It's very hard work to get the wheelbarrow up and down the hill!
Barbie
Nov 20, 2010
The right corner is covered with plastic because i am just trying to kill everything under it. That's where I want to put my chickens and goats, so I'll eventually remove the plastic and put down gravel or something.
That's a walnut tree, and I heard walnut leaves kill some plants so I mushed then all underneath the plastic. Experiment.
Barbie
Nov 20, 2010
Oh, here's a before picture. Goodbye weeds and lawn!
Barbie
Nov 20, 2010
Barbie, what a transformation!
Walnut trees actually put out juglone, the substance that can inhibit or kill some plants, mostly in their roots. Leaves as well, but basically within the drip line or so of the tree you'll have inhibited growth of *some* plants.
You can look up plants that are juglone tolerant and grow them under the walnut tree.
Do you know if it is an English or Black walnut? From what I've read, chickens won't open up a walnut much, but they do enjoy the meat. Goats will eat walnut tree leaves and apparently be fine, though I have no experience with goats or chickens as an adult.
Share more pictures as it develops -- this is fun to watch!
Jade
Nov 21, 2010
Smothering! Planting! I am hard at work getting a decorative border and a little orchard in and preparing my vegetable plot for spring.
The cardboard layer for my border was complicated by 300 bulbs that needed to be planted. I didn't figure they could come up through the cardboard, so I ended up tearing out the sod where I wanted my decorative border and throwing it onto my weedy vegetable plot along with dry leaves. That's the smothering plan. After it gets a little rain soaking, I'm going to put black tarps and/or carboard over the whole mixture and let it simmer over the winter.
The decorative border soil suffered of course from having the sod pulled out to reveal sticky clay. My worm compost bin came to the rescue though; I pulled out handfuls of squirmy worms and loads of rich worm poop (fun!) and mounded it around my new plantings. The worms squirmed right into the soil and should begin to break it up. I'm also going to put down a few inches of sandy loam covered with dry leaves to soak in over the winter. I'll put down dairy manure & mulch in the early spring.
Photos to come! Advice welcome!
The cardboard layer for my border was complicated by 300 bulbs that needed to be planted. I didn't figure they could come up through the cardboard, so I ended up tearing out the sod where I wanted my decorative border and throwing it onto my weedy vegetable plot along with dry leaves. That's the smothering plan. After it gets a little rain soaking, I'm going to put black tarps and/or carboard over the whole mixture and let it simmer over the winter.
The decorative border soil suffered of course from having the sod pulled out to reveal sticky clay. My worm compost bin came to the rescue though; I pulled out handfuls of squirmy worms and loads of rich worm poop (fun!) and mounded it around my new plantings. The worms squirmed right into the soil and should begin to break it up. I'm also going to put down a few inches of sandy loam covered with dry leaves to soak in over the winter. I'll put down dairy manure & mulch in the early spring.
Photos to come! Advice welcome!
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
My guess is that the bulbs actually probably would have gone through the cardboard okay. Too late now, right?
I cannot wait to see photos of all those bulbs in the spring and summer!
I'd love to see some photos!
Jade
Nov 01, 2010
I just bought 280 (!!) bulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocuses, hyacinth) at Costco. The pictures on the bags were so beautiful I couldn't stop myself. Mesmerized by a host of golden daffodils...now I have to plant 280 holes! I need to rent some gophers.
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Lol I had to control myself today at the store from doing that!
ShannonTomey
Sep 16, 2010
Wow, Barbie. I can't wait to see your yard next spring!
Jade
Sep 17, 2010
Thanks for the kind advice on the hedge. I'm still pondering, but here's the objectionable view I'm trying to screen. It could be worse, I know.
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Which direction is north in the picture?
Jade
Sep 17, 2010
Also, do you get water collecting at the bottom of the hill? That may influence what plant choices you make.
Jade
Sep 17, 2010
You have to check out the article on living fences in the most recent copy of Mother Earth news.
Jade
Sep 24, 2010
Plantworking question: I need to plant a fast-growing privacy hedge to block my neighbor's above-ground pool. The bright yellow slide looks like fun IF you're seven but...
The hedge needs to be evergreen and 10-15 feet tall. Kind of neutral greenery is ok since I have room to plant other colorful stuff (dogwoods!) in front of it. I am leaning towards Arborvitae---the biggest I can afford! I'm thinking I'll plant in the fall. Any advice, farmers?
The hedge needs to be evergreen and 10-15 feet tall. Kind of neutral greenery is ok since I have room to plant other colorful stuff (dogwoods!) in front of it. I am leaning towards Arborvitae---the biggest I can afford! I'm thinking I'll plant in the fall. Any advice, farmers?
Barbie
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
What is the soil and light like there. What are you goals? Are you wanting edibles, flowers, ornamentals? Something that looks good with pink dogwood petals in front?
Jade
Aug 12, 2010
Oh thanks, good questions! I'm assuming the soil is the local clay tho I haven't played in it yet. I plan to send samples to OSU or somewhere to be tested. The site is full sun and sloping, so good drainage I think. I want an evergreen, not too spreading backdrop for my ornamentals and edibles. FAST and TALL are the priorities. I'll post a photo as soon as I unpack my camera. I know it's in one of these boxes...
Barbie
Aug 12, 2010
Farmer Barbie,
I know you are thinking of evergreens and they have to be fast growing but have you ever seen a living fence? There are places (mostly in England) that use Willow to create a woven living fence. Because the willow is flexible you can take 6' willow stalks weave them and tie them into a pattern of your choosing place them into the ground and then they will root. I am not sure it will reach the height you have in mind but it certainly would be a show stopper and conversation piece! It is something that my husband first showed me and something that I might be trying next year. Here are a couple of links to get you started
http://www.bluestem.ca/living-willow-structures.htm
http://www.google.com/images?q=living+willow+fence&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=W3ZlTK-8F8H_lgec452TDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDkQsAQwAw&biw=972&bih=680
Samantha
Aug 13, 2010
This is a GREAT idea. Other advantages of willow: you can soak willow chips in water to use it as a rooting hormone for other plants.
Another choice would be to grow black locust. It is a nitrogen fixer, good for the soil. And it's great for coppicing -- one of the best hardwoods for burning and other purposes as well. And it grows fast and looks nice.
Jade
Aug 13, 2010
Oh, and don't forget bamboo!
Jade
Aug 16, 2010
©2012 Email Jade
Portland, OR | clay | Zone 8
Next time you see some, take a picture!
Jade
Dec 20, 2010
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