Monthly Archives: May 2011

Penultimate Basil Harvest

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

This basil was planted sometime in late October or early November from seeds straight into the ground. We’ve been eating constantly from it since early December and have had enough to give away whole plants. Basil is, hands down, my … Continue reading →

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Slipper Orchids

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Years ago, Grace gave us a pot with what looked like a bunch of fronds living in it. She declared them slipper orchids and we took them home to wait and see. The pot ended up stuck under a tree … Continue reading →

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Infestation

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Today Frank noticed that our bird’s nest fern was infested with …. something. It’s happened before and I’ve washed “them” off. They have sprung up seemingly overnight but I imagine it was the way the sun hit the plant that … Continue reading →

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More Blueberries

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Frank planted 3 more blueberry bushes today. These were Nellie Kelley variety. So now we have 5 blueberry bushes ringing this little shady garden bed. The description of the plant says a healthy bush can produce 3-4 kilos of berries a year … Continue reading →

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Orange Tree

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Today’s addition to the garden is this little Valencia Orange Tree. We put it in a nice sunny spot with plenty of space between it and the mango (out of shot on the right) and the olive (out of shot … Continue reading →

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Mushrooms

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Yesterday Frank and I finally took the plunge and bought a box of mushrooms to grow at home. We’ve been toying with the idea for literally years but we weren’t sure what kind to get and quite honestly the payback … Continue reading →

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Green Tea

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

This little green tea bush went in the ground yesterday. We dug up an old azalea that was well past its prime (and likely older than I am) and put this in its place in our front yard. It’s in … Continue reading →

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Progress report

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Today, with nothing special to do in the garden, I decided it was time for a progress report. I started this journal with the intention of trying a bunch of different things, tracking my successes and failures and learning from … Continue reading →

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Blueberries

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

Blueberry bushes Yesterday Frank planted 2 blueberry bushes (Blueberry Legacy) in front of that little bed I prepared a couple of weeks ago. It’s a very shady spot. The main problem I see is we’ll have to water them because … Continue reading →

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Pros and Cons of Mulching

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Laura Rittenhouse

I am not a natural mulcher. I think it looks nice when first applied but quickly looks old and ratty and always seemed to me a waste of time and money. Then I started losing a lot of plants, particularly … Continue reading →

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