Tours

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

With the holidays fast approaching, holiday and winter garden tours abound! Use this thread to share links of tours in your area.

Once we get back to warmer weather, use this place to share the links of tours in your area.

[Cheryl S.]

Attended a class about gardening in straw bales at a neighboring town's garden club and found it fascinating. Think I have mentioned before my garden is getting too shady for things like tomatoes and peppers to do well. The straw bale technique may be the answer and I think I will try a small plot of about 5 bales this year. The process is to treat the bales with serial doses of nitrogren to get the decomposition process going and after about two weeks the plant starts can be inserted into the bales. The bales act as a raised garden and also provide places for herbs and flowers to be grown on the sides of the bales. I have a good spot on the east side of my yard that gets lots of sun and won't be unsightly for the neighbors. This option will provide me with a way of growing my favorites without working up and amending more soil in my yard, with the plus of few weeds to pull and ease of maintainance. I'm excited to give this a try and see what happens.

[Pamela]

WOW! What an awesome idea!

But... what about field mice? Won't tons and tons of mice want to live with your plants? *LOL*

Still, do keep us posted on your progress, curious to hear the pros and cons of the technique. *thumbs up*

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Interesting!

[Petra X]

I think field mice only live in live grass rather than hay. They are such tiny beautiful creatures anyway.

I'm very interested in the technique but it sounds very smelly!

[Cheryl S.]

Pamela wrote: "WOW! What an awesome idea!

But... what about field mice? Won't tons and tons of mice want to live with your plants? *LOL*

Still, do keep us posted on your progress, curious to hear the pros..."

Someone asked about mice and snakes in the class and supposidly they won't be a big problem and the neighborhood cats might enjoy the mice. I certainly hope so.

[Cheryl S.]

Petra X wrote: "I think field mice only live in live grass rather than hay. They are such tiny beautiful creatures anyway.

I'm very interested in the technique but it sounds very smelly!"

Someone also asked about the smell and we were told it isn't an issue, just like when compost is working correctly there is no smell of rot. We'll see.

[Petra X]

I've never known non-smelly compost and growing up in the country everyone I knew had compost heaps. Mind, it could be none of them were done correctly. Or it could be that none of the compost heaps (most people had more than one) were never 'finished' but always being added to.

[Cheryl S.]

Petra X wrote: "I've never known non-smelly compost and growing up in the country everyone I knew had compost heaps. Mind, it could be none of them were done correctly. Or it could be that none of the compost heap..."

LOL! Maybe it's what different people classify as smelly. I have one and probably don't give it the attention it deserves but it doesn't smell bad to me. I will keep you posted as I go along with the project.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

Back on topic :o) I've heard the garden tour dates in our area are going to be released soon! I sure hope they won't all cost a fortune, I'd like to attend some if I'm able. But then again, just walking around our neighborhood is like being on a garden tour with all that's blooming now! (Only better because it's free!!!) If I do attend any, I'll be sure to share a link with pics or info on the tour.