Gardening thoughts

This is the time of the year I start to save all my egg shells for the day I plant my tomatoes.  After a couple turns in the blender these shells will be the on the bottom of each hole for the new seedling of tomatoes.  It gives that boost of calcium that adds favor and prevents blossom end rot. 

The last few years I have been spraying my orchard with calcium.  On a quiet sunny morning I walk around with a backpack tank and spray the top and bottom of leaves of the fruit trees.  It is so important that fruit get the right amount of calcium while the apple, pear or plum are developing.  As long as I am at it, my roses and all the other favorites are greeting by me the same morning.

Yesterday was a long day outside as we had a sunny day in the 60's.  It is a reminder that once heard from a successful gardener, up in her years, "you can garden forever if you never do one job more than 45 minutes".  Boy, is that true, the muscles start to talk and the up and down gets slower.  Knee pads and my little cart with wheels that I sit are my biggest body savers.

Last year, I received a charming book first printed during WWII in England on how to feed your family from the backyard.  I decided this year, I am going to try taking some of this to heart and use less organic, fine, commercially  made products as fertilizers and use more animal manures, yard compost and teas and oyster shells.  With the help of my chickens and my worm box I have a supply on hand but I must learn to use in a timely manner.

My Haskap berries are fully leaved out and have blossom on while my blueberry bushes are just showing tiny buds.  These Japanese blueberry plants are between 13 and 22 inches high heading toward four and five feet in a few years.  I wonder if they will be successful in this part of the world?

John cut the back lawn yesterday.  He is amazing for his age, I don't know any of his contemporaries still cutting grass.  He is my partner in gardening but I have to say, he rests often in well placed chairs and he forgets his mission occasionally.