Last Workday of 2013 at PAR Davies

Hi Everyone,

What a beautiful day to work at PAR and/or your own yard/garden. Workers today were Susan, Jamie, G.A., Mary Elizabeth, and a surprise visit from Carl Wayne! The guys worked on the beds, and they are really moving along. It's a tremendous job, but we won't have to worry about replacing beds…ever. Thanks guys for all the backbreaking work.

Stacks of concrete blocks!

Placing the blocks

What a pretty sight!

Susan and I finally got the muscadine planted. We won't be able to expect a decent crop for three years though. It is self pollinating. I got this plant at Russell's in Collierville, because it had muscadines on it that I could taste test. They tasted just like concord grapes…yummy. Of course the usual tough skin and seeds, but that is typical of a muscadine. We put up a wire for it to climb on and pruned it back a lot. Not much to look at now, but wait until it starts leafing out.

Mary Elizabeth and Susan planted the garlic chives that Pam shared with us. They were planted at the ends of some of the beds. In addition to being tasty and pretty, they are said to deter pests. Mary Elizabeth gave the brussels sprouts a dose of fertilizer.

Mary Elizabeth and Susan with the garlic chives

I checked the soil pH for the blueberry planting, and is is around 6. We will have to get it down to at least 5. On our next workday we will turn over the soil along the fence and add sulfur where we are going to put the blueberries. On the other end we plan on planting raspberries. We have some blackberries struggling on the back fence, which we need to move toward the center where they can get more sun.

No workday next week, but plan to resume after New Years Day--Thursday or Friday, weather permitting. 

Below is a picture of the last of my garden tomatoes. They have been ripening in paper bags, and these are the dregs. I was hoping I could say we had garden tomatoes for Christmas dinner, but not quite….these are going in a salad tomorrow.

The last of the tomatoes

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas…and a safe one.

'Til later,

Dianne