It's actually not bare, as I seeded it a day before the photo was taken. The big chore will be watering. The area that I am working with right now is 1 acre, and I am watering it with a long long long hose from our house. We have a shared well, and only 2 gallons per minute. So it is a long long long process. I just spent 3 hours out there this morning, watering each spot for only 5 minutes to wet the seeds, and only got 1/4 of the area watered. I will basically be setting up camp there in the cool hours of the day -- good thing I don't have anything else to do. ;-)
Most springs in the PNW are wet wet wet, and summer starts around the 4th of July (actually the 5th, as it usually rains on the 4th). Not this year. This year we are blessed with sun and warm weather. Which is great, but it means I have to water.
Needless to say, I got on the phone today for some quotes on finishing the well on this new property. It is partially complete, and finishing it will be a large expense -- good thing we're so wealthy. ;-) But this well pumps out at 15 gallons per minute and is right at the meadow site. When it is completed, I'll be LOVIN' IT!
Ironically, the actual native wildflower mix has been backordered, and I'm not even planting that yet -- it will have to go in in the fall. So I am planting strawberry clover (clover whose flowers actually do look like strawberries!), and the "color spots": Echinancea (purple coneflower), 5 spot, california bluebells, and evening primrose. To arrive also this fall is black-eyed susan. I'm also planting our future garden area with a summer cover crop of buckwheat and cowpeas.
Fortunately, I have the ability to turn a blind eye to things I don't want to see, and in its place see what I envision as the end product. So I am out there envisioning my meadow and strawberry clover, and while I am at it, I throw a kid or 2 in the picture playing in the meadow. Frogs, butterflies, pails of water, and grass-stained knees also are included. :-)
Oh, and my house is clean now, so I am ready for a baby any moment.
But I will be patient.
I will.
4 comments:
You ARE being patient! I'm sure it's not easy. :) Your soon-to-be wildflower field is beautiful. Can't wait to see your progress and the pictures of you kid(s) in them soon.
I can't wait to see the finished product!
lol...I said I'd always keep my house clean while we waited, and wouldn't you know it, the night we got the call, it was a PIT! I am fortunate to have two sisters who cleaned up for me, but seriously...the clean house is a good idea!!
Can't wait to see the flowers blooming, in more ways than one!
Melba
We're lucky that our well has been very productive so far and has a very good history. We did have to buy a water softener and filtration system so that we could drink it (and so that shampoo would wash out of my hair, it was so hard that I looked constantly greasy), but it's great now.
I've been reading a book on native plants of Saskatchewan. I'd love to plant flowers that are only from the prairie area, but it's hard when most of the ones in there are also ones that deer like to eat.
Post a Comment