Gourds & Gardening (A Busy Week)

I meant to do a daily blog this week. However, we were so busy, all I did was get a few pictures in. I was off this past week, since schools were out, so I tried to make the most of the time I had.

 My seedlings were getting leggy and needed to be re-potted. As you can see from the photo, I don't use fancy flower pots. I used recycled soft drink and juice bottles. I use Metro Mix from the local Farm & Garden Center. A bag that I can't even lift (really) costs about $15.
 I let the tomato seedlings get a little leggy, then I plant them up to their true leaves. That long, white stem will grow roots all over, making the plants stronger. (Works for me, anyway...)

These are flowers, mostly delphiniums. I also re-potted some fig-leaved hollyhocks and a few herbs. I WISH I had a greenhouse, but I don't. I have a potting bench outside. Good enough, I guess.
We planted onion, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage this week. I had planned on getting them out earlier, but it has just been too rainy. Honestly, the garden could have used another turning, but we needed to make the most of the time we had. Hopefully, we can turn the rest of the garden before anything else goes out.

 This is my sweet helper putting compost into the onion holes. We used double staggered rows for the onions and cabbage this time. I've never tried it before, but I read how it was great for saving room. We'll see.....

Here is my helper putting water in the holes.  She was having fun. :)
We also checked the strawberries to see if any were coming up yet.  These were looking pretty good:

 We had to add a few replacement plants, too. Hopefully, they will all be coming up soon. The strawberry planter is a 3-tier pyramid that my husband built a few years ago.

I've had some gourds drying in the shed all winter. I left them on the vine until the vine died, then I brought them into our 3-sided shed. I placed them where the air could circulate around them but where they hopefully wouldn't be disturbed. Sadly, one of my dogs did, indeed "disturb" a few of them.

I decided to make bowls out of the ones with broken necks.  I took the ones we want to use for birdhouses to my dads.  He has a hole bit for his drill.  Honestly, I should have cleaned them first.  I do things out of order sometimes.....

He put drainage holes in the bottoms, and a couple holes in the sides for circulation. Then, he put holes in the top for hanging.

He put 1 1/2" holes in each gourd. This is the standard size for bluebirds. One of the gourds is really too small for bluebirds, but we went with a 1 1/2" hole in it also.

We cleaned them out and saved the seeds.

We added wire for hanging.

And here they are awaiting inspiration.....

I'll post pics later...

Have a wonderful week!

Beth :o)