2021 and a new location

This year will be very different for our garden.   We moved and we have a larger yard, but, face north.  In addition to the direction we have mature trees to the west which will provide shade most of the day.  Wife is looking forward to the yard as it will be a cooler location, but, we will need to pick plants that are shade tolerant.   Next mini project is to map out the yard and with the sheds determine what can be seen from the living and dining rooms.  Another mini project is to plan a ramp so it will be a handicap accessible yard.

Preparation for 2019 gardening season

Now is the time we start looking at what we are going to plant for the season.  My wife and myself start discussing what worked well in prior years, how the backyard was laid out and what supplies we will need for the coming year.  We also start stocking up on some of the supplies we need as the stores are now starting to put out gardening materials.

Last year was a hard one on the plants.  It was so hot that most plants struggled even with watering multiple times of the day.  The planters where we had peat moss mixed in did better as the soil could hold a bit more water than the black earth mixes.

The plantings I had hung on the wall need a mix that is much higher than peat moss and varieties that are heat and drought resistant.

The pots I stacked vertically worked well and that will be repeated.  The clay pots did the best vs the plastic pots.  My wife like them as she got a waterfall of green and colour that she could see from the living room.  She has mobility issues and it is a struggle for her to get out into the back yard so I have been going more vertical with the plantings and picking varieties that grow tall so that the living room window is a window to a wall of colour.

I found that the dollar store trellises worked very well.  I hung it sideways below the top of one fence with hooks and then hung small pots from that.  Part of the plantings died as I didn't use enough peat moss and the plants I chose were for colour only and they were not drought tolerant as the pots dried out quickly.  This year it will be a peat moss mix with plants that can handle the heat and being drier.

What to plant for spring 2018

That is the question my wife is asking me.  We are planning to buy a house this year and we are wanting to limit the number of planters we put in.  It needs to be in light weight containers and can take abuse when we do move them.  That means a soil mix that is mostly peat moss and then plants that like that type of soil.  It is also a good time to go through our old plastic pots and then recycle those that are starting to wear out and then buy new ones when we get a new place.  We also will be planting varieties that can grow in full light, partial light and low light as we won't know which way the yard will face.

Herbs and spices should be OK as I normally put them into smaller and portable pots.  I think geraniums will do well in most conditions and in prior years the planters on the fence line were almost 50% peat moss.  I am hoping the sedums will take the move OK as those planters are quite big and heavy.

It is early (very early), but, I started my initial grass seeding on the west side of the house.  This location is protected on three sides and open to the south.  It gets quite warm there and the grass is already green and growing so it may be safe to start seeding there.  I have been doing this for the last several years and slowly we are getting grass to grow there.  Initially it was a very sandy and rocky soil that had only weeds growing and when my potting soils were exhausted I spread it out there and raked it in.