Across the Street

(This post was started about a week ago.)  I don't remember whether I've done a post about my gardening attempts across the street this season.  I have been very behind in gardening, so was glad when I was able to get some of it cleaned up recently.  I think another few hours, and it will be in better shape.  One of the main obstacles to gardening here is the number of trees that block light much of the day.  This one is a black walnut tree, and there are not many plants that can grow near them because of a chemical in the roots.

Marigolds seem to do OK in this area.  They didn't get as much water as they'd like, though, so have struggled a bit.

I planted the Mexican sunflowers late, and they are blooming much shorter than usual.

The fennel has reseeded right under the walnut tree, but the seedlings are not in the photo.  The irises are doing OK.

I have trouble getting things to grow in the shade next to the fence.  I had a few Money plants, and now have lots!  They are biennial, so next year, there will be a sea of purple blooms here, followed by lots of "coin" seedheads.  Wow!  We'll be rich!  I think I should thin them a bit. Anyone in town want some transplants next spring?  That's a Sweet pea vine on the dealy that used to have a mirror on it.

It's nice to find plants that will do well under the trees.

I don't remember whether this is Solomon's seal or False solomon's seal.  A friend gave me this start a few years ago, and it is not spreading so far, but comes back.  I'm not sure what the dark green vine is.  Do you know what it is?

The same friend who gave me the Solomon's seal also got me started growing an heirloom self seeding annual, Kiss me over the garden gate.  It gets from 4 to 6 feet tall.  I didn't get these watered much this summer, so they have struggled.  They are growing right under the walnut tree, where they did very well the previous couple of seasons.

I have been meaning to get more compost and other soil in this area, in hopes of keeping the rabbits out, but have read somewhere that they will probably be able to get up there.  The carrots are doing pretty well, but the lettuce I planted a few weeks ago, did not get enough water to grow.

I don't remember how many Ground cherry plants there have been in the past, maybe because I didn't know what they were.  I've learned there are different kinds.  These look like the Virginia groundcherries in my Weeds of the Great Plains book, published by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.  I will refer to some of the information I looked up in it about some of the other plants in this post, as well.  Oh, and there are at least four kinds of Virginia groundcherry in our region.

The berries are poisonous when green, but not when ripe.  I have tasted a few, but they were probably not as ripe as they should have been.  The husks turn light brown when they are ripe.  I've noticed that the flowers came on at different times, so they will ripen at different times as well.  Birds and small mammals eat the berries.

I wasn't sure if the zinnias would bloom, since I didn't get the seeds planted until June.  I planted 6 hills/clumps of summer squash, but only one looks like it may produce.  Insects have made short work of the others.

I'm glad the zinnias did bloom, because I've seen butterflies on them. 

The tomatoes and peppers have struggled, but have produced some.

Looking to the north, there is a place where I have placed some branches and other things I don't want on the compost pile.  There is a mulberry tree coming up.  I am thinking about letting it grow to see how it will do right next to another tree.

This Nasturtium is back in the main part of the garden.

Looking back to the north, and eastish, I pulled up lots of Lambsquarters last week, defining the area where I plan to let them grow next year.  We ate lots of them this summer, raw, and cooked, but there were too many, and some were blocking the path.  The plant is one that came from Europe, so it's not native.  Songbirds eat the seeds, so we aren't the only ones who eat it.

There are several clumps of Anise hyssop in the yard.  There is also some catnip, and I have taken to smelling the leaves to see which is which if I'm not sure.

I decided to pull the Horseweed, after letting a few plants grow most of the summer, since they are native to our area.  It is on the pile next to the compost, where I put things with seeds that I don't want to risk putting in the compost.  I learned that this is one of the few weeds that has spread to Europe.  I don't know if I ever knew what variety of red raspberries these are, because I got them from a friend's plant sale that she has in her yard. 

They produced pretty well this summer, but I didn't harvest regularly, so the birds probably got a few more than we did, but maybe we will get more next year.  They are doing well enough that I want to plant some more next year.  If something will grow over here, I need to take advantage of that.

I planted a couple varieties of Viburnums and a Mock orange in hopes of blocking the view of the neighbors.  There are also some weeds I'm letting grow.

This is Mapleleaf goosefoot, a native plant.  Someone told me the birds like to eat the seeds, but the book I'm referring to doesn't mention it.  It says Native Americans ground the seeds into flour, and made green dye with the leaves.

I have Pokeweed, another native, coming up all over the place, but only let one or two grow each season so the birds can have the berries to eat.  Some people eat the greens when they first emerge in the spring, but they become poisonous at some point, so I haven't tried doing that so far.  Some people make dye with the berries.

This is one thornless blackberry plant yhat is spreading around.  I'm not sure if one is supposed to pin down the stems where you want them to root, or if they will do it on their own.  They haven't yet.  The day after I took these photos, I dug buckets of compost, and some were put in this area and around the raspberries previously shown.

Heading back west, there are perennial Geraniums I had moved from the curb areas back home when they put new curbs in.  A number of years ago, I gave the renter at that time some Bellflowers, and she put them in this area.  They are trying to take over.  I have hoed them a couple times this summer, and need to again.  I have a theory/hope that if I keep after them, they will at some point, give up.

This looks like some kind of Aster growing in with the Bellflowers.  I'll be careful of it next time I hoe the Bellflowers.

I see one of the Bellflowers is blooming.  They are a pretty flower.  I wish they didn't spread so far and wide.

I was tickled that this fence kept the rabbits out, and I was able to harvest some some green beans, but then all of a sudden, some kind of insects ate up the leaves.

Continuing to walk toward the west, facing northwest, this is a very healthy Anise hyssop plant that seems to like where it's planted.

I forgot to show the beets coming up.  I suppose they won't have time to develop before the cold weather, but maybe we'll get some greens.

There is an area, about 3 by 4 feet on the north side of the garage, where some wild four o'clocks vie for spots to grow with whatever other weeds are there.

I included this photo looking east to show the path I widened by pulling out a lot of the Lamb'squarters.

I am not know how to identify many kinds of trees.  Do you know what these are?  They have not been well maintained.  I wish they never would have been allowed to grow here.  I don't think they were planted by people.

Here's another weed that I don't know.

The previous renter made this pile of parts of trees.  That's her old strawberry bag, too.  I keep forgetting to dump the dirt out and see if it can be recycled.  I planted this Goldenrod a number of years ago.

I should have planted the Aster on the other side of it.  Oh, maybe it's a volunteer.  I don't remember.  I was pleased to see the praying mantis on it.

I went back over to find more weeds to take photos of.  I wonder what kind of thistle this is.  It is close to the street side of the garden, so I'll probably dig it out.

I didn't find this one in the weed book yet.  Do you know what it is?

I am pleased that I got some compost put around and planted garlic.  It is later than I usually get it planted.  The ones I planted at home a week or so ago are coming up, so, hopefully, these will be fine.  I hope to plant another row of raspberries next to the row of garlic.

I seem to be keeping the bindweed and honeyvine milkweed pulled enough so that they are not taking over.

I pull most of the Spanish needles when I come across them.  I just read that they are native, and the seeds are eaten by quail, pheasants, songbirds and small mammals.  My problem with them, is that they stick into my clothes if I'm not careful, and their poke hurts.  Have any of you eaten them?  I just learned that some Native Americans and early pioneers boiled and ate the young leaves as greens.

Here's a closer view of the seeds.

What kinds of weeds do you either let grow for the critters or eat yourselves?

Gardening Challenges Across the Street

I keep going back and forth whether I want to keep attempting to garden across the street.  I wanted to put compost there this year, but it did not happen.  There are a number of problems that I'm not sure can be overcome.  Still, my newest idea is to put lots of compost there, maybe even create raised beds, and plant lots of asparagus, strawberries, and raspberries.

Here's what it looks like from the street next to our driveway.

In the past, there were lots of flowers in the front area.  I have just been using a soaker hose to water a few areas, so the ones that are getting a little water have survived in all the heat and lack of rain.

The kiss me over the garden gates that are getting some water from the soaker hose are doing much better than the ones that are not.  Actually, that one looks dead, poor thing!

This is one of my favorite old fashioned flowers.

These sweet basil plants are from the seeds I planted late spring.  It looks like I am not going to get to making pesto, but maybe I'll at least blend some with olive oil to freeze.

Here's the view to the west.  The fence is there to deter rabbits, but I should have done more with it than I did.

The pokeweed has not been watered, but is thriving quite well.

It looks like the birds are happy to have it here.

I tried growing strawberries in the area next to the fence, but they only lived two or three years, and did not produce strawberries.  The area under the trees is full of weeds and some flowers I have plopped there over the years.  Can you see the money plant?

I meant to cut some to dry, but missed the right time to do it.

Facing back east, I really wish we'd have gotten this area filled with compost.  I ended up planting tomatoes and peppers, putting organic potting soil between the plants, then adding my own compost and more potting soil later.  It still needs more.

I was very upset when I saw how the rabbits had eaten my pepper plants.  I don't think they've done that before.  It must be because of lack of other food.

A couple plants are still trying to produce.

Like at home, I did not get Larry to help me support the tomato cages, and most are tipping over.

We have not gotten any ripe tomatoes from here yet, but there are a few green ones.  (The fence in the background was the neighbors' that they were getting rid of, and I stuck there in case I get an idea for what to do with them.  Do you have any ideas?

I planted lettuce, beets, carrots, etc in this area, but between the heat and the rabbits, none survived, so I gave up watering once we started having watering restrictions.

This dried up plant used to be a very hearty agastache.  I'm sad for it, but maybe next year will be better.

I did not water this area, either, but the lambs quarters and other weeds are thriving.  I like to let some weeds grow for whatever critters may make use of them.  There is plenty of room for them here.  I do try to pull most of the sumac, though.  It turns into a tree.

I planted green beans in this area, since they are a favorite of the rabbits, but either they found a way in there, or some insects ate them down.  Man, this is depressing looking at these photos!

I let the ground cherries grow for the birds.  I though of trying some, but they got to them before I did.

This is the area I grew some potatoes in.  They produced about 4 or 5 a plant, which is pretty skimpy.  The bushes are a couple viburnums and a mock orange.  I really don't know when they are supposed to be pruned, and have not done a good job with them.  They were planted to hide the view in the back.  This summer, the neighbors said they are planning on putting up a privacy fence like the one on the right, which is where the back yard on this same property is.

I had put a lot of parsley and bronze fennel seeds in this area for the caterpillars, but again, I didn't keep the ground moist enough for how hot it was.

A local woman on FB identified this plant for me, and I'm pretty sure she said it's native.  I tried to find what she said, but didn't come up with it.  I'm thinking she said it had some value to wildlife.

Here's a close up of some blooms. 

I did not situate the compost so it can be turned, but it must be breaking down, because it used to be up to the top of the fence.

The raspberries I planted last year produced a little last year but not this year.

I had a notion to try to keep this mulberry tree trimmed to a shorter stature and see if we could get some mulberries, but since the neighbors are going to get a fence, I'll give up that idea.

The perennial geraniums that I had moved from my curb beds when they did the street work are doing OK without water.  They did get a little early on, though, when I was watering the potatoes.

Verbena bonariensis does well with little water.

The green in the middle is a volunteer tomato plant.  We'll see if it continues to do OK without water.

There are some wild four o' clocks near the raised bed.

The family that rents the house here did some tree trimming, and chose this spot to put the branches, because they knew I had another area with some for the critters.  I ended up moving some of mine, though, when I was mad at the rabbits.

One of the main challenges to gardening in this space was not here when my mother-in-law had a garden here.  When the previous renters were living here, a number of trees were allowed to grow in it.  The landlord cleaned up the smaller ones in the main area, but not along the edges.  This is facing east.   I was pleased that the next door neighbors cut some trees down, causing the garden to get a little more sun.  When they did it, I discovered the tree in the compost pile is a walnut tree, and yes, I am aware one is not supposed to plant anything in its drip line.  Larry and I are thinking about offering to pay to cut it down.

This is the area to the south, and that is the neighbors' garage.

Facing south is another walnut tree, and I'm not sure what the evergreens are.  I actually had a very nice crop of tomatoes and peppers under the walnut tree a couple years ago.  We have not made it to the platform in the tree.  That belongs to the previous tenants.

Facing north, these are the trees that are a few feet from the other neighbors' fence, where I tried to grow strawberries.

We made it back to the newly discovered walnut tree, where the compost pile is.

Even though I get discouraged, I keep thinking I want to try again.  I need to improve the soil, and I'll need to find a way to protect the plants from the rabbits.  Do you have any ideas for me?