Journal 3-31-08

Wx 724a: 74 degrees, scattered clouds, 62% humidity. Wind NE 12 mph. (from NOAA)

Later: I went out and took some pictures of everything--I have scattered them throughout this journal to highlight what I've written on previous days. Everything looks happy and healthy.

This morning I started germinating some apple seeds--we'll see if they do anything. It might be exciting to grow a tree from my pre-run apple!

Journal 3-30-08

850a 78 degrees (airport), 60% humidity, partly cloudy (from NOAA)

Yesterday evening I inspected my little rose plant because it was looking rather sad and found that it was very thirsty! It may have been a mistake to put it in the wall bed since it is so hot and dry there. Everything else in the bed can take heat and drought so I will have to be diligent about seeing that the rose gets enough water.

This morning I moved the compost into a closed container because I found that it was overrun with big black ants and that they were moving from the compost to the raised bed. I would rather not have the container covered since it will encourage a great stink, but I also don't want lots of bugs. We'll see how that works out.

I planted mums in the metal Easter pail that I bought last week. I poked holes in the bottom. The pail is pale pink and the mums are lavender, so the color scheme is nice. I put it on the stairs where it will get sun and shade throughout the day.

I think that we're going to Kahala today, so I am going to see if Longs has a cheap outdoor thermometer. I would like to keep track of how hot it really gets out by the wall. Right now (850a) the official Honolulu weather reports 76 degrees (at the airport), 60% humidity, and partly cloudy. Yesterday was similar at this time of day and the temperature got into the mid-eighties. My yard gets full sun in the afternoon and can be amazingly hot. The tomato and Lavender seem to love it! The pepper is rather indifferent at the moment and the rose is whispering, "Agua..." Everything else seems to be doing very well and is staying wet enough.

Later: We went to University and King and I visited the Star Market nursery. I bought a Euphore Milii (delicate pale yellow flower on a thick stalk with large, sharp thorns) and a little cactus of the Hens and Chicks variety. I potted the cactus immediately but am going to wait and put the EM in the stair bed when I finally have it cleaned out. It has been a long job because there is so much junk in there, but the end is in sight.

I've still been fretting about my compost. I have been seriously thinking about looking into getting worms now that they are legal in Hawaii. We'll see, I guess. For the moment the compost will be ok.

You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail

Simon and Schuster, 2005

Useful and practical. Fun.

Martha Stewart Gardening: Month by Month by Martha Stewart

C. Potter, 1991

Very useful and full of pictures. Combo coffee-table book and garden primer. Not really practical for tropical gardening but gives very valuable advice on technique.

First Garden by C.Z. Guest

Putnam, 1976
Illustrated by Cecil Beaton

Lovely, conversational book. Very simple and practical. Eastcoast temperate.

Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch

Workman Pub 1988
(there is a revised version of this available)

Journal 3-29-08

Went to KMart and bought a shovel (my trowel is too small for some of the work I want to do). I also got several packets of seeds and some potting soil. I am planning to plant seeds in the pots on the porch. I will enumerate what I got when I plant them.

The Hibiscus was beautiful this morning--the flowers were bright and vibrant.

Yesterday I bought a Goji Berry bush, but I haven't planted it yet because I want it to go in the bed under the stairs but I have to finish clearing the roots and junk in the dirt.

Later I cleared some more of the undesirable material under the porch until I was bent over and stiff. I will do more tomorrow.

I prepped the soil in a new pot I bought at Goodwill yesterday. I will plant the seeds when the water has drained a bit. I want to see if the holes I poked in the pot are sufficient.

Later: the pot seems to drain well, so I planted Marigolds and Morning Glories. I also put three marigolds in the stair bed next to the Tulip and one in the wall bed.

I planted poppy seeds in the wall bed.

--

This afternoon while I was working on the stairway bed I overturned a large chunk of rock that was sitting at the far end under the stairs. A bunch of bugs came scurrying out, including a small roach that up-ended itself and lay on its back, legs wiggling. Suddenly a lizard appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the roach, gobbling it up with gusto. The lizard moved over to a piece of rubber that was waiting to be thrown away and watched me work for about 25 minutes. He showed me his throat a bit at first, but soon calmed down and just observed my activities. It was really strange because I dug, and tugged at weeds, and went about my business within inches of him and he sat and watched without fear. Maybe the residents of the garden are getting to know me.

Journal 3-28-08

Deadheaded the Tulips. I will now let the rest wither and feed the bulb. I plan to bring it in for the winter and keep it in the fridge.

Journal 3-26-08

Pruned the Hibiscus, cutting off dead branches. Also cut off one branch that appeared diseased.

Purchased a plant at Foodland called "Kalanchoe". All sources indicate that it is a succulent that should be given short days from Sept 1-Christmas. I'll put it in a pot so that it can come in the house this winter.

Journal 3-25-08

Continued to pull weeds and grass from around the M-in-a-B. I have cleared quite a bit of that, as well. I found that it is rotting underneath and some is not in very good shape.

I think I'll leave what's directly under the stairs and clear out the area in the sun in favor of something else.

I started a compost outside in the big black pot that I was using for clippings. I'm trying to be selective about what goes into the compost so that I don't get too many weeds.

Journal 3-24-08

I received a response from mom about the plant under the stairs--it is Moses-in-a-Boat. I'm definitely going to thin it.

My plan, for the moment, is to fertilize once every two weeks. We'll see how that works out.

Pulled lots of grass from the stairway bed.

Journal 3-23-08

Easter. Fertilized everything and tidied. The Hibiscus is looking greener and everything seems to be doing very well. The seedlings are coming up very quickly now--both the seedlings in the bed and those in the pot. Very hopeful.


Zach surprised me with a goose statue for my garden--it is watching over the wall bed!

Journal 3-21-08

Planted an Eggplant in the staircase bed.

Fertilized all beds (including Hibiscus and Cactus) with Miracle-Grow All Purpose. I used half strength.

Thinned under the stairs.

Weeded out the raised bed and disposed of cactus suckers.

While I was cleaning out the raised bed I found part of the rose bush from last year. On closer examination I have concluded that the bush behind the cactus is not a rose, but that the rose was destroyed. Pity--I was rather looking forward to tending it.

Journal 3-20-08

The Tulips were open wide this morning--they were getting lots of sun and plenty of rain. I'm not sure if one, or the other, or both together was responsible for the response.

Bed #1 gets lots of sun and wind and dries out quickly. I'm making an effort to provide plenty of water but I'm worried about overwatering.

Journal 3-19-08

Bought a Tulip this am but haven't planted it yet. I think it'll go by the stairs in the border bed. That bed still needs some prep work. I'll do that when I get home.

Later: Prepped the bed and planted the tulip. It looks very nice.

Journal 3-18-08

Last nite went out and tidied a bit. Thinned the aloe and the Rosemary.

Reading the Garden Primer--need to try to think like a plant!

Journal 3-15-08

Added a small cherry tomato to the bed against the wall.

Removed the dead vine from the cactus in the raised bed against the north corner. The vine was clinging tenaciously but I got it all--it looks much better now. I'm not sure what I want to do about the cactus. Since they are as alien as martians to me. I have to read about it.

Planted Nasturtium seeds along the west border and sunflower seeds against the wall. I hope it doesn't get too crowded.

I thinned out the rosemary and did a little clean-up and weeding. I also cleaned out the bed next to the stairs. It seems to be good dirt, tho there are lots of roots.

The rest of the area under the porch contains a short gree/purple plant that reminds me of a succulent. They are very prolific, and I'm thinking that I'll thin them out. I'd like to identify them first.

Journal 3-13-08

Planted a miniature rose bush early this morning. Pink (fucsia).

According to First Gardener, by CZ Guest, my instincts seem to be pretty good so far.

Journal 3-12-08

Mixed potting mix into the bed. Contains bark, poultry manure, peat moss.

Original soil is loose red dirt--volcanic. The Aloe and Rosemary seem to thrive in it without help, but enrichment won't hurt.

The new bed is 4 feet long by 1 foot wide and is situated against the wall parallel with the sidewalk. It gets full sun part of the day. I planted Habenero Pepper on the north end and a lavender bush on the south end. The pepper is a little puny, but I hope it will perk up. The Lavender is very healthy. I watered generously after the sun was gone.