Kim's Flower, Fruit, and Vegetable Garden

2012-01-04T18:04:00.003-05:00

Is anyone else making diagrams and plant/seed wish lists yet? With temperatures in the teens the last couple mornings, I've been daydreaming a lot about my garden. Luckily it's seed catalog time! They are tempting pieces of eye candy. Actually more than tempting. Downright convincing. After deciding that my garden is greatly lacking in one of the most important elements, fragrance, I starting flipping through them.
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I have decided to add the following fragrant annuals:
1. Old Fashioned Vining Petunia - Evening fragrance.
2. Sweet Alyssum - I think I have a packet of Carpet of Snow that I never used. Nice for edging and filler around other plants.
3. Nicotiana sylvestris - Fragrant in the evening. Large! Planting near porch to enjoy the fragrance at night. Hoping to entice some beautiful moths as well!
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There are so many plants to choose from. It was almost impossible to finally decide on just these three. My perennials, veggies, fruits, and shrubs take up most of my gardens, but I do have certain areas I try to keep open for annuals. I think these three fragrant annuals will help to fill out those areas quite nicely. I've never grown these before, so experimenting with them will be a lot of fun.

American Holly

2011-11-07T09:08:00.001-05:00

Final Harvests

2011-10-17T07:04:00.004-04:00

Most likely the last of the bell peppers and almost the last of the jalapenos. There are a few more out there about half way grown. If frost keeps holding out, they still have a chance.The final container potatoes of the season.The Caroline Raspberries are just putting out another large flush of berries. Some should be ripening tomorrow. There are tons on the plants, but I'm not sure if they'll have enough time to ripen. I think October 15th is pretty close to our average first frost date around here, so they are really pushing it. It'll be nice to get one more sweet treat from the garden before the real cold sets in.

2011-10-15T07:42:00.002-04:00

I just walked past the window a few moments ago and saw another hummingbird. I don't recall ever seeing one this late in the season before. It was a wonderful, morning treat. Oh, and today is the day! GARLIC PLANTING! Or as I would like to think of it, getting a jump on next season. Time to enjoy some cool Fall air and get my hands dirty.

2011-10-12T10:39:00.002-04:00

Harvested the last two potato containers. The potatoes that never died. I planted them back in March or April, and they just kept of going. I think I put 2-3 seed potatoes in each 12" container. Between the two containers, we got around 15 good-sized potatoes. Enough for two meals for the family. I'm definitely going back to only growing potatoes in containers next year. They always yield so much more. And the kids love dumping them out. I have to admit, I do too!

2011-10-04T08:47:00.002-04:00

Hummingbird! 8:20am! Trying to fuel up on geraniums and bluebeard this morning. I thought I had seen the last of them for the season. Stay warm my friend. It's in the 40s right now. Brr.

2011-09-25T17:00:00.004-04:00

I've never seen anything like this before. If you click on the above picture, I believe it will enlarge it. My two Pink Delight butterfly bushes along my backyard were swarming with monarchs. Swarming! There must have been 40 or 50 on just these two bushes. I've never seen so many in one spot before.
Migration is a beautiful thing.

2011-09-24T09:38:00.010-04:00

Over the season I complained about this horribly ugly aster. How I need to move it because it's so tall, turns completely brown, and never looks good. Well, once the drought and heat waves finally passed, and the rains kept coming, she put on a ton of new growth. Quite quickly. She's never looked so good. And the best part...I never thought I'd see this. A bit of sunshine on a rainy day.If it's not aphids, it's the milkweed bugs...
The tomatoes are starting to decline. Spots. Dying leaves. Cracking fruit from all the rain. Starting to look pretty sad. A sure sign that the season is coming to an end.
Just outside of the above picture, to the right, is my Stupice tomato. It has easily produced the most tomatoes this summer, and is by far the worst off. Time to get pulled.
The Pink Delight butterfly bush and Fireworks goldenrod are blooming like crazy in all this rain, but it has left them bent over.
The Oklahoma red zinnia are really laying low, but the Caroline raspberries are loving the huge amounts of rain we have been getting over the last few weeks.

2011-09-20T09:16:00.002-04:00

Yeah. I just got back from my local Lowe's and they had Acapulco Orange and Acapulco Purple agastache on sale. $3.33 each. I purchased my Acapulco Salmon and Pink a few seasons ago at almost $8 or $9 for just one plant from High Country Gardens. I love it and always wished I had more. Now I do!
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Now where to put them....

2011-09-19T13:41:00.006-04:00

Today's harvest. Lucky Cross, Stupice (one), and a few Sun Gold tomatoes. Caroline raspberries. Oregon Sugar Pod peas that I forgot were out there. They have full-sized peas in the pods since they were picked passed their prime. I thought the peas would be hard a lack sweetness since they grew so large. The pods were alright, but the peas inside were quite delicious. I have to remember just to plant shelling peas in the future. We just seem to enjoy them more. Oh, and the brown clumps in the bowl are dried zinnia heads. I am saving some of the seed from my Oklahoma red for next season. These are blooming machines with NO mildew. Tropical Milkweed is again releasing seeds. I saved a few for next season.
Graham Thomas rose. It's been a bad year for roses so far. Only a few blooms in the beginning of the season. Then long periods of drought hit. Then flooding rains. Now that the weather has moderated, all the roses are putting out new buds and flowers are starting to finally starting to open.
Perhaps a week or so before Irene's rains hit, I cut back my blackberries to about 4 feet tall so the laterals would put on more growth. I tossed the prunings into a heap and went inside. An hour or so later I thought, "what a waste". I went out and cut the branches into 8 inch sections. Removed the lower sets of leaves, and tossed them into this container full of used potato soil....from my potato containers. It's been a few weeks and it looks like some of them are hanging on despite flooding rains and neglect. Others, on the left, haven't faired so well.
I had some left over green coated tension wire, so I finally gave my Major Wheeler honeysuckle a place to climb. It was rambling through my azaleas and on the ground. I really want it to travel up along my light post. The green color is barely noticeable from a short distance, so I think the honeysuckle will look quite nice blooming there next season.
Happy Gardening!

2011-09-11T14:08:00.016-04:00

My Darrow blueberry that I found at Lowes a few months ago for $3!!! It's been sitting in it's pot for months, so I planted it today. I'm not too worried about transplant shock since the rootball was still completely intact when I removed it from its container. I have 3 other varieties planted a few feet away for it to cross-pollinate with.Carmine Jewel bush cherry. Arrived in spring as a very small specimen. It was thinner than a pencil. Only about 7" tall and you could see the wrapping of the small plug that they placed in a 2" container. Not nearly worth what I paid for it. Lesson learned about ordering from that company again. Today I planted it in its permanent spot. Again, I'm not too concerned about transplant shock since the rootball stayed intact.Sunshine Blue caryopteris is now in bloom. The bees love it!
Autumn Joy sedum is starting to blush and the bees are really taking notice.
Fireworks goldenrod starting to bloom.
Mystery plant. Just popped up in the newly added section of garden. I'm not sure what it is, but it is getting prettier and prettier each day. Amaranthus?
My back bed. Walker's Low catmint, Autumn Joy sedum, and an aster that is nothing but ugly all season....until just a few days ago when it shot out healthy green foliage. I was going to toss it at the end of the season, but now I think I'll relocate it behind other plants.
Two Caroline raspberry plants are beginning to fill in my 3'x3' raised bed. Oklahoma red zinnia are blooming their hearts out in the bed behind them.
My three Fat N' Sassy bell pepper plants. They made a delicious stuffed pepper supper yesterday.
Oregon Sugar Pod peas. Even though you can eat the whole pod, my daughter insists on still shelling them. Guess I'll go back to just planting shelling peas from now on. I have to admit, I do enjoy popping open the pods and eating those tasty nuggets.
My new raspberry patch. First homegrown raspberries ever. Fall Gold and Carolines.
One of several containers of potatoes that never died. After weeks and weeks of drought, then flooding rains, these potatoes don't know what to do. They were planted back in April or May. They should have died back, but I think the potatoes resprouted after all the confusion. I figure I'll wait and see what happens.
The "shell" garden due to its shape. In the back are my tomatoes. Spirit pumpkin in the middle. Sweet basil that overwintered is front and center. Tango celery, that is passed it prime, to the left of that.
My homegrown jack-o-lantern still remains a possibility. The vine produced three nice pumpkins in early August then quickly declined. Luckily, after the drought was finally over, the vine put down new roots and took off for the second time.

2011-09-10T19:15:00.004-04:00

Some Fat N' Sassy (now called King Arthur) bell peppers. The cool, extremely wet weather has really set them back this year. These were chopped up and became part of our UNstuffed peppers for dinner. Oregon Sugar Pod peas are mixed in. Again, the extreme rain has made them taste very watery. Didn't stop my 3 year old from devouring them all though.Finally, after inches and inches of rain, we were able to get out and have some fun. This morning we started the day by going apple-picking at Weaver's Orchard. A few weeks ago I had my first taste of a Honeycrisp apple. I'm hooked! I'm not much of an apple person...unless they're in a pie...but these are like dessert. Literally the best apple I ever tasted. That's why I ordered a dwarf tree from Starks. Yippie! A new addition to my mini home orchard. I hope they turn out as tasty as the ones we picked from the orchard.

2011-09-03T10:37:00.002-04:00

Funny how I just post that it's the same bird, and a male flies in and stands guard at the feeder.

2011-09-03T10:03:00.005-04:00

My resident hummingbird. She stops by several times a day. Okay, it's probably not the same one each time, but I enjoy the visits nonetheless. Stupice Tomatoes. All are ripening at the same time. TONS of them.
Mucho Nacho Jalapenos. They don't normally crack like this, but the plant has been ignored for a few weeks.
Queen of Sweden Rose. She waited until now to really start putting on a show.

2011-08-28T10:38:00.001-04:00

Come on Irene. I know you like to water, but seriously. Enough is enough.

2011-08-27T15:57:00.001-04:00

Just hanging out. Waiting for Irene. She's going to water my garden for me. I hope she's gentle.

2011-08-26T08:07:00.005-04:00

So my Spring-planted raspberries were starting to be taken over by a monster tomato vine. Not sure which variety. Either a Cherokee Green or Lucky Cross that was left over from earlier in the season. I decided to plant it in a large empty spot by the raspberries. All of a sudden, it took off. Foliage so lush and healthy. It kept growing and growing, but I never saw any tomatoes or flowers. I was sure it was because it gets a lot of shade from the overhanging holly. My poor raspberries were getting buried and were trying so hard to get to the light. I didn't want to have to do it, but I got out the loppers. I would have just grabbed the vine and pulled, but it was so dense I decided to chop away huge chunks first. There were no tomatoes on it anyway, and it had to be done for the sake of the raspberries. First chunk. Gone. Second large chop. Done. Third large cut....WAIT! What is that? Two of the most perfect large tomatoes I have ever seen (with the exception of catalog pictures). Not a blemish on them. No cracks. Just tomato perfection. Chopping stopped! Although the vine is about half the size, these two perfect nuggets of summer perfection are still going strong and the raspberries can see the light of day once again.
I was harvesting pumpkins really early this season. I was worried that I wouldn't have any pumpkins for Halloween. Almost all the vines had completely died. Then, after what seemed like overnight, wa-la! The vines re-rooted themselves and shot up all this new foliage. Next season I will have to make more of an effort to bury the vines in the beginning of the season.We've achieved pollination! All hope is not lost. A Halloween pumpkin!
First berry of the season...a Caroline. These are some big, yummy berries.

2011-08-23T15:29:00.002-04:00

Anyone else feel the earthquake about 1 1/2 hours ago. Felt some good shaking here! Exciting.

2011-08-20T07:22:00.005-04:00

It's a great start to the weekend when you go outside and immediately see this on your carrots. He's my new temporary pet.I also found a ton of monarch eggs on my Tropical Milkweed. It's going to be a fun summer.

Ewws and Ahhs

2011-08-17T14:03:00.006-04:00

First the ewws. EWW!! Aphid infestation on my Asclepias incarnata. Gross. Funny though. The plant right next to it appears aphid-free. Now the ahhs. AHH! I love this time of the year. That monarchs are leaving their eggs on the milkweed. The Black Swallowtails are leaving theirs on the carrots, parsley, and fennel. My daughter and I found these just a while ago.
Below: Monarch Cat.
Black Swallowtail Cat.Two monarch cats and an egg (near the tip of the leaf) that I brought in to raise. So much fun. These were on the Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) that I started from seed this past winter.Two black swallowtails that I also brought in. There is also an egg on carrot foliage in there somewhere.Fun for the whole family!

Mystery Tree and Pentas

2011-08-15T12:08:00.007-04:00

My mystery plant. I cut it to the ground last year (I couldn't pull it out by the roots). It's back. The leaf shape is very interesting, so after looking online I think I found it. A tulip poplar tree. This would turn into a giant tree that would dwarf my house. This is one of those times that I wished I had more land so I could relocate it. It would be beautiful. I don't have the heart to kill it, but I'm going to try to get it out of the ground and pot it up in a few weeks. If it survives, I'll probably gift it to someone. Stars and Stripes pentas. I purchased this plant on eBay this past Spring. I planned on keeping it in a container, but changed my mind and planted it in the garden once the weather stabilized. It is becoming very lush despite its initial small size. The blooms are beautiful, and the variegation is breathtaking. Love it! I will definitely be potting it back up and overwintering it inside this winter. Too gorgeous and carefree not to keep.

Photos of Today's Garden

2011-08-11T19:01:00.013-04:00

Cherokee Green, Stupice, and Lucky Cross tomatoes. It rained very hard the night before I picked these, so the big ones cracked. Still tasted good though!My new birdbath! It looks solid, but it's very light-weight. Love it! It's a Pedestal Bird Bath for Wild Birds by Gardman. It says it's frost and weather resistant. At $30 bucks, it felt like a steal.
A portion of my backyard bed. In the front is one Walker's Low nepeta with Autumn Joy sedum behind it. To the left are two "leftover" tomato plants that needed a home. I believe the front one is Stupice. No clue about the other until it matures. The ugly plant on the right is some sort of aster that I purchased from Jung. It's always been ugly. It puts out flowers though, so I think I'll move it in the Spring back behind other plants to hide the hideous foliage.
A few weeks ago the kids started some cabbage, lettuce, and radishes in the empty spots next to the Caroline raspberries that I added in the Spring. A few of the raspberries didn't survive, so now I'm just making the best of the space until the replacements arrive next Spring.
Fiesta del Sol tithonia. I am absolutely in love with this plant. It hasn't even reached two feet high and is so lush and healthy....Love it!!!! It handled the drought and 100+ days without skipping a beat.
Fat 'n Sassy hybrid bell peppers. Now sold under the name King Arthur.
Two more Spirit pumpkins. Some of the Oregon Sugar Pod II peas I started several weeks ago are planted along the front edge of the bed.
Winona Strawberries that were planted this Spring. They are sending out runners and filling in nicely.
Common milkweed that I started from seed in late winter.
Carmine Jewel bush cherry that I just purchased this Spring. The tips appeared to have some sort of blight in the beginning of the season, so they were cut back a bit to remove the funny looking foliage and stems. Now it's putting on some new, healthy growth. I will be transplanting it in the fall to its permanent position in the garden.
Yukon Gold and Red Norland potatoes that are just starting to show signs of dying back.

2011-08-05T11:00:00.005-04:00

I planted Scarlet Nantes carrots this Spring. Not for myself, but for the black swallowtails. One of the perks is that I do get to eat some of the carrots. Knowing that I was planting them for butterflies, I didn't bother to thin them. Nor did I amend the soil with compost to loosen it up. This location was lawn until I dug out the grass this past Spring. I wanted foliage, not the actual root, so I just planted and hoped for good germination. Good germination is what I got.
This is the result of compacted soil. Forked roots. There small size, most likely due to drought and neglect. The largest carrot on the right was on the back edge of the planting. It had some room on all sides where other carrots weren't crowding it. Obviously it took advantage of the space. Next year, no matter how hard it is. I will have to thin out my carrots. Finding a happy medium between tons of foliage for the black swallowtails to devour and some large carrots for me. In the meantime, the carrots above will be going into a slow cooker stew first thing tomorrow morning.

2011-08-03T09:29:00.003-04:00

The Sun Golds are really starting to churn out tomatoes now. I was just outside picking this bowl of tasty morsels. I looked up and saw tons more starting to develop. Oh my. Last year two Sun Golds wasn't enough. This year, four Sun Golds. I might have overdone it. The dry weather is working to their advantage. Last season, many cracked due to the rain. The great thing about having a drought (I know...I can't believe I wrote that) is that there has been no cracking so far. Each one is a perfect ball of sunshine.

I Have Monarch Cats!

2011-08-02T08:18:00.004-04:00

Yeah! Monarch cats on my tropical milkweed! This is great news since there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of butterfly sighting this season. It's scary. Only a handful of times have we seen a few monarchs relishing in the blossoms....and I guess leaving a few eggs behind! Once the cats are a bit bigger, I'll bring them in for the kids to watch and release.

I will definitely need to plant more than three plants next season. A friend gave me three as tiny starts last fall. I overwintered them indoors. In the same pot. TORE apart the roots and planted them outside. They are thriving despite drought and neglect. Love them and love my monarch cats!!!!

2011-07-31T16:51:00.006-04:00

I made good use of my Sunday morning. I finally processed my first pumpkin of the season. First I cut it in half from stem to bottom. Pulled out all the seeds and slimy guts. :) I rinsed the meaty seeds in my colander to prepare them for roasting. The rest of the guts are now food for the worms in my worm bin.I covered the bottom of my roasting pan and tops of both halves of pumpkin with foil. Then tossed them into an oven at 325. I had to roast this 7.33 pounder for about two hours. Some parts were still a little firm in places, so I microwaved those chunks before running everything through my food mill with a pumpkin attachment. This was a juicy pumpkin, so I drained off the excess liquid after I ran everything through the mill. I took a fork to press out a bit more of the liquid before I placed it in a freezer bag for holiday pies. It made exactly two cups of pumpkin. (Oh, and yes. My oven really is that dirty).I haven't had pumpkin seeds since I was a kid. Why waste 'em? So while the oven was already at 325, I tossed them in with the pumpkin. They were roasted for 10 minutes on both sides while on a sprayed and salted baking sheet.
Seems like a lot of work. Especially since I can buy a couple cans of Libby's pumpkin for only a few dollars. But I will be really proud when I make my first pumpkin pie from my very own pumpkin that was grown with love.

2011-07-29T11:12:00.001-04:00

Our 6th heatwave of the season starts today. Slow cooker is making dinner. Nothing better than the smell of a beef roast made with homegrown celery, garlic, onions, and potatoes. The neighbors will be drooling.

2011-07-28T09:18:00.006-04:00

A portion of my Red Norland and Yukon Gold harvest. I planted about 6 to 8 seed potatoes in a 2 x 3 foot space in a raised bed. I know the drought and extreme heat this summer impacted their numbers. I also found it tough to find the time to water as often as they needed. Even still, the ones we did get looked very healthy and colorful. Next season I am going back to growing them in 3 gallon containers like last season. My containers get much more regular watering than anything in the ground. They did really well last season. Even still, these will taste great in the slow cooker tomorrow night with a roast. Doesn't everything taste better when it was grown in your own garden?

2011-07-25T13:47:00.003-04:00

It's raining!!!!

It just dawned on me that we haven't mowed the lawn in JUNE 28th. Almost a month ago! We really need this.

2011-07-25T06:58:00.003-04:00

Our 5th heatwave of the season may be ending today. I believe there were 9 days in a row over 90. Some over 100. It really took a toll on the shallow-rooted blueberries. Despite supplemental watering during this time of no rain, the leaves still took a good jolt. They held up fine until I went out yesterday morning. Even the night temperatures and humidity didn't let up, and the plants couldn't fight it one more day. We still need a serious rain around here. The weathermen say there is a chance today. One thing that the heat has done is to ripen my pumpkins really fast.Okay. I know this is ready ridiculously early. They were supposed to be my Halloween jack-o-lanterns in the fall. My fault. I planted early to beat out the SVBs which get me every year. So proud of my first, almost-perfect, large pumpkin!
It does have one imperfection on the side that was on the ground. A burrowing nuisance found its way into this spot. No big deal. I'll cut it out when I go to turn this beauty into some pumpkin puree to freeze for holiday pies and muffins. Yeah. I'm so excited about my first big pumpkin ever!

2011-07-22T15:39:00.001-04:00

Holy cow! It is 105 degrees at this moment! Heat Index: 111.

2011-07-20T12:54:00.008-04:00

I've never had success with sunflowers before.....UNTIL NOW!!!! They are loving this heat.
I planted just a small area, approximately 2 square feet of space, because I didn't expect much. Squirrels, birds, or underwatering usually due them in before they get a chance to sprout. This year, with a bit of wet Spring weather at just the right time, they found their time to shine. I wish I knew the variety. I know it's a dwarf. My computer got a virus, and everything was deleted. I lost all my old photos and gardening logs for the last two years. This is why I need to start relying on paper records again....just in case. I'm glad I at least have this journal.
A Golden Acre head of cabbage that I harvested last week. It made a delicious sweet and sour slaw.Three Spirit pumpkins at different maturities. A hybrid, bush pumpkin that is doing well despite the extreme, unrelenting heatwave.There's no way that this one is lasting until Halloween, so I'll be freezing some pumpkin puree sometime soon. I don't regret planting early. I had poor results in past season due to SVBs. This season I have at least 4 pumpkins on this plant. No SVBs. I hope I didn't just jinx myself. Maybe I'll get lucky enough to have one still around for Halloween.Mucho Nacho jalapeno peppers. Mexican, anyone?

2011-07-19T09:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday evening they were calling for a 75% chance of thunderstorms and just short of an inch of rain. 75%. That's sounds like there's a good chance. Wrong! No rain. Still. And I'm out of rain water for my blueberries. Ugh. I'll have to figure out how much vinegar to add to my highly alkaline tap water...

2011-07-18T20:37:00.002-04:00

The forecast has the temps at 90+ for 9 days in a row. That includes that last couple of days. Yikes. To top it off we're on our second long stretch of the season with no rain. No wonder my grass crunches when I walk on it....where there is still grass. Fridays forecast is 100 degrees! Real Feel: 112!!! Reaching for the record of 101. I'm in Pennsylvania. This is nuts!

2011-07-15T13:46:00.007-04:00

I finally had a few minutes to go around and inspect my new fruit trees. Just like in the beginning of the season, I found tons of aphids on the new growth of my Golden Delicious dwarf apple. Ugh. Before, I cut off the heavily infested portions. I don't want to do that again at the expense of branch growth.To the rescue! I found her on my plum tree. I gave her a little ride over to the apple tree. She got an easy meal, and I will sleep a little better at night.My Stanley plum tree which was planted last fall. The leader is growing a bit crooked, so I used some plastic plant ties to straighten it up while it's still malleable.A healthy bunch of Reliance grapes. Eventually they mature to red.Reliance grapes with black rot. Cut off and discarded in the trash....not in my composter. I purchased this variety, because it was labeled disease-resistant. I guess not to black rot. All season I have been removing leaves with signs of black rot along with all grapes or bunches that have been effected. Luckily I still have some great looking bunches. I read somewhere that grapes become resistant to black rot once they reach 5-8% sugar. I'm hoping that time is soon. I would hate to loose them all and I don't want to spray.

Veggies in the Garden

2011-07-14T18:52:00.011-04:00

Red Zeppelin and Copra onions. About 75% of the plants were harvested yesterday. They were a lot smaller than last season, but that's mostly my fault. Lack of fertilization and regular watering stunted them. Who knew?
Salad Bush cucumbers, or as my three-year old calls them, pickles.
The Cherokee Green blossoms that I bagged are looking picture perfect so far. I forgot to remove the bags before my vacation last week, so they grew enough where the clothespin released the bag for them. This was my absolute favorite tomato in 2009! Delicious!
Stupice tomatoes are coming along nicely. I've never grown or tasted this variety before, so I'm anxiously awaiting their ripening.My daughters little hands make our first two Sun Gold tomatoes look huge! They barely survived long enough for me to snap a picture. That girl loves tomatoes. Turns out she also loves blackberries. The first few that were ripe didn't make it two steps before she gulped them as well.
Tomatoes in the back from left to right: Four Sun Golds, Lucky Cross, Cherokee Green, and Stupice. My Spirit pumpkin taking up most of the other space. Salad Bush cucumbers weaving around in the front left. Sweet basil blooming in the front. There are still some onions planted on the front right.
These hot days are rough on the Spirit pumpkin. Looks pretty pathetic, huh? Once the sun goes down, it springs back to life. A good shower with the hose perks it up as well.As with every season, I'm having my ups and downs. Overall, I am pleased. I hope you are pleased with your gardens as well. There is one thing that I have learned over the years that make each year more and more enjoyable. It is more rewarding to grow things that I will enjoy eating. Why did I want to grow broccoli? I wouldn't eat enough to justify the space. I need to be in a really strange mood to WANT to eat broccoli. It would end up being nothing more than a large blooming flower here. Yet I have a hard time resisting the urge to grow something after reading about how great they are in seed catalogs. Self-control Kim. Self-control. Now this doesn't mean that I will no longer experiment with different things and different varieties. I just know that about 90% of my annual flower and veggie plantings need to be something that has been successful in the past. The other 10% keeps me learning and satiates my need to experiment with new things. It's what makes gardening fun for me. What makes it fun for you?
I hope your gardens are full of successes this season! Happy gardening!

2011-07-12T08:14:00.005-04:00

I went away on vacation last week. Unfortunately, the onions didn't enjoy themselves as much as I did. After a week without water in yet another intense heatwave the foliage had begun to wilt and flop over. The bulbs were forming quite until now. I watered them well on Saturday upon my arrival, but it looks like harvest time is quickly approaching despite my efforts. The onions partially shaded by my pumpkin plant are still doing very well.
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Copra and Red Zeppelin onions along with Salad Bush hybrid cucumbers harvested Sunday.Music garlic harvested Sunday. Portion of the border around the house:
Becky shasta daisies, dwarf barberry, Rosy Returns daylilies, mums, Navajo blackberry behind the coneflowers.Below is another portion of the house border:
Adonis Blue dwarf butterfly bush, irises (bottom front), Autumn Joy sedum (just forming buds) Lucifer crocosmia, purple coneflowers.
Another pleasant surprise I found was four Black Swallowtail cats on my Florence fennel. I planted tons of carrots in the same bed, but the fennel has always seemed to be their preference.

2011-06-21T13:12:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a great gardening summer with bountiful harvests!

2011-06-18T14:15:00.013-04:00

This morning I decided to bag some blossoms. I used bridal tulle circles to cover the blossoms. A bagged blossom. The clothespins are holding the "bags" together and their weight is supported by clipping them over the cages. I will remove the bags once I see tomatoes forming.
Fused tomato stems on my Lucky Cross tomato plant.
Copra and Red Zeppelin onions starting to bulb up.
Reliance Grapes
Blueray Blueberry
Newly expanded front garden. The entire middle portion was grass in the beginning of the season. Now it is filled with marigolds, dwarf sunflowers, lots of carrots, and other assorted annuals as fillers.
Scarlet Oklahoma Red Zinnia
Jacob Kline Monarda
Purple Coneflower

2011-06-13T10:30:00.015-04:00

Spirit pumpkin. I've never had one so healthy, so long. SVBs have always been a huge problem. This is a more compact cultivar.Golden Acre cabbage starting to form a head.Florence fennel. A volunteer. Note the black swallowtail caterpillar in the upper portion. He's already about an inch and a half long!
One of my three Sungold tomatoes started blossoming a few days ago. I can't wait for these tasty nuggets!
Sweet Basil planted last season. It overwintered and is now starting to flower. It came in a gift herb kit. I never harvested any of it, so I'm hoping the beneficials will like it. That's why it's still hanging around. Peas are planted on both sides of it. You can see my Spirit Pumpkin in the back left.
Below are my tomatoes, a Spirit pumpkin in the near-middle, Golden Acre cabbage in front of that, onions in the back right, peas lining the lower of the picture.
The birdhouse I built a few weeks ago has found its first resident. A lovely pair of wrens! You can see one on the tomato cage holding nesting material.
Ellagance Purple lavender that I started from seed last season. Smells lovely.
Jacob Kline monarda. Five feet tall already!!! My Endless Summer hydrangea is blooming as well.
Rosy Returns daylily.
Flamenco Torch Lily. More of a light apricot than the orange I expected. Perhaps because it is so shaded by the monarda.

2011-06-12T07:36:00.002-04:00

It had been two weeks since it last rained here. We hadn't seen any since the extreme rains two weeks ago. Last night, the dry spell ended. A nice dousing rain covered the garden and perked everything back up. Flowers are opening. Birds are singing and splashing around in the puddles. It's a beautiful morning.
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If you have some free time, there's only one day left of Facebook's National Home Gardening Club Decoration contest. If you have a moment to vote for my photo....
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http://bit.ly/kDd5aX
Leave a COMMENT or CLICK TO VOTE (likes don't count).
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Thanks. Have a great Sunday everyone!

2011-06-08T14:28:00.004-04:00

Above: Lady Emma Hamilton rose
Scarlet Oklahoma zinnia and other pickings from the morning garden.
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STAY COOL EVERYONE!

Grapes and Strawberries

2011-06-04T09:48:00.008-04:00

My Reliance grape is getting out of control. Spreading onto the lawn making mowing difficult. One large cane that extended beyond the trellis broke during a storm. I realize that it's time to try some summer pruning. I wanted to improve air circulation and light penetration into this monster. Just as I was beginning I found this caterpillar. I'm sure it is great for my grapes. Note the sarcasm. I left him alone though. I will do some research to find out what he might be. Any ideas?
Before:
After:
My raised bed strawberries are doing well. I'm not sure if this is a Sparkle or Sequoia strawberry, but it looks DELICIOUS. I'll let you know later. Whatever it is, I'm going to root the runners and start a new raised bed with them.

2011-06-02T11:19:00.009-04:00

Scarlet Oklahoma zinnia are in bloom. A treat planted for both butterflies (nectar), bees (pollen), birds (seeds), and hummingbirds (nectar).Blueray blueberry plant. In it's second season from Jungseed. It came as an overpriced, small twig. Now I will only buy my blueberries from nurseries/garden centers. For the same price, I can get a large plant. Anyway....The three blueberries I planted from them were beat down a bit by the severe drought last season, but all three sprung back nicely. Earliglow strawberries and planted underneath as an edible ground cover. Both of my Salad Bush cucumbers are flowering. Here is one on the left. These are my favorite variety. The vines only reach 3 feet long, but they are very heavy produces of full-sized cukes. The taste is great as well, and my hubby's favorite trait... they're not too seedy. On the right is a Golden Acre cabbage. These grow quickly and will be fully grown and harvested well before the cucumber needs to use the space.Red Zeppelin and Copra onions from Dixondale Farms. I planted these same varieties from them last season and they turned out to be excellent storage onions. I used up the last of them in January, so this season I planted twice as much.Mixed varieties of shelling peas. I definitely need to quadruple the amount I plant next season. My three year old daughter and I can't get enough!Reliance grape vine. Planted last Spring. It is a monster. Even after havy late winter pruning. I really need to summer prune it a bit to keep it more manageable. I will also replace the 6 foot supports with 8 foot ones early next season.The dwarf Stanley plum tree that I got from Starks last fall has been leafing and branching out well. I'm not sure why, but the leaves are turning red. I found two white leafhoppers (?) on the one leaf. Anybody have a guess as to why the leaves suddenly turned red? We did just go through a 3 day heatwave with high humidity and temperatures in the 90s. Your thoughts???

Butterflies, ID help, butterfly weed, fruit and harvests

2011-05-31T12:13:00.008-04:00

Temperatures are reaching the 90s for a second straight day. I'm finding the heat and high humidity oppressive, but it's not stopping the butterflies from frolicking around!
ID me please! This is a free plant my son brought home a few weeks ago for Earth Day. I was wondering if anyone knew what type of tree it is and how tall it could get. My guess it's a pine...of some sort....
A close-up of the tips of the branches. Can someone ID me please?
I have had a lot of difficulty germinating the Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed) seed that I bought on eBay. Only one of the first batch I planted germinated. That would be the one I have in a large container by itself. I decided to take my chances and use the paper towel method on the few remaining seeds. I dampened a paper towel, tossed the seeds onto the paper, and placed it inside a Ziploc bag in a window with bright, primarily indirect light. Another one germinated after about a week and a half. I carefully removed this one from the paper towel (it came right off) and planted it with the taproot covered in a small peat pot with potting soil.
Carmine Jewel Bush Cherry from Gurneys that I received last week. Self-pollinating.
Daily mixed shelling pea and strawberry harvest.

2011-05-26T20:48:00.001-04:00

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued here. Sitting here daydreaming about getting a white, seedless grape vine....and a dwarf, self-pollinating sweet cherry.

2011-05-25T12:26:00.011-04:00

Bumblebee on bolting Golden Acre cabbage flowers.My bed of Yukon Gold and Red Norland potatoes. There are two Mucho Nacho jalapeno and two Fat N' Sassy pepper plants in the bed. Yesterday I added more straw mulch around the growing potatoes to keep them from turning green. Then I added even more straw around the strawberry plants to keep the berries away from the soil.
I purchased seed for Common Milkweed. Asclepias syriaca. Only one of them germinated. I hope it not only survives, but thrives and multiplies.Nepeta Walkers Low. It may be low but it sure isn't petite. This ONE plant that I added last summer is at least 4 feet wide. This is after I used a shovel to slice off a large chunk to plant out front. The bumblebees are absolutely loving it!Yesterday I placed some clothespins on the dwarf fruit trees I planted in the fall. It may not be attractive, but it will help with maintaining wide angles for the scaffolds. This is my dwarf Golden Delicious apple tree.I found apple aphid clusters on the new foliage of this apple tree. Their buddy, an ant, was hanging out with them. I didn't want to dig out the hose and haul it around the house to blast them off with water. I couldn't find my spray bottle either. What to do? Improvise. My kids' squirt guns came in handy. Not as good as a hose, but it slowly worked.

2011-05-23T18:03:00.010-04:00

Right now it is pouring AGAIN. While there was a bit of a break this morning, I ran out to see what was in bloom. This is what I saw. Alexander Fleming peony. It is supposed to be fragrant, but I guess the wet weather is interfering with that.
Felix Crousse
Felix Crousse up close
William Baffin climbing roses starting to open up.
Golden Zest rose. Lemon-scented! Although not with all the rain.
Jacob Kline monarda. Just added last fall. Initially there were 3 plants but one died. The two remaining are really taking off. I can see how these would get a bit pushy in the garden.
"Climbing" the wall on a trellis is Brite Eyes rose. To the left of it is a Double Knockout rose.
Brite Eyes up close.
Maynight Salvia with a Navaho blackberry flower that just opened.
The rain isn't all bad. Everything is getting pretty lush.

Strawberry Rot

2011-05-23T12:00:00.007-04:00

It has been raining daily for about a week and a half. The extremely wet weather has begun to take its toll on the garden. Today I went out to check on the ripening Earliglow strawberries. What I found was this. Some looked alright. Just under-ripe, but with more rains in the forecast...But as you can see of the berries are showing signs of rot. From what I could find online, it looks like these have leather rot directly related to the wet weather. The berries aren't getting a chance to dry off from day to day. We've had very little sunshine between the back to back storms. Heavy straw mulching is supposed to help prevent this condition, but the daily downpours are winning this battle.
Now with a few more days of rain still left in the forecast, I'm really worried about the other strawberries out there. Where is the sunshine?

Rain. Rain. Go Away.

2011-05-19T10:24:00.007-04:00

How do clouds hold all this moisture? I mean, seriously! All this rain has me a bit worried. I've noticed that my Earliglow strawberries have started to blush. It has rained non-stop for a week and doesn't look like it will stop until Sunday. These might be some pretty bland berries. :( The peonies are getting ready to open. Here's Felix Crousse. I'm hoping he'll hold out for 2 or 3 more days so he doesn't get battered by the storms.
A sole, dwarf cosmos flower. Like a mini ray of sunshine on a dreary day.
The Golden Acre cabbage is in bloom. Very pretty in person. The heaviest storms beat it down a bit. It would actually be quite ornamental planted in a group. I'm hoping to get free seed for next season.
Pink Champagne clematis.
The same clematis with the birdhouse I made. I decided that this would be a nice spot for a lucky bird family. I hope they agree and someone moves in soon!
Now I will go look at the garden through the window. Wishing that the rain will stop. Happy gardening!

2011-05-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

How is it still raining?

2011-05-09T08:58:00.007-04:00

I received the most lovely present ever yesterday from my son. His teacher had them make decorative baskets and gave each kid a flower to bring home. Here's my lovely, pink snapdragon.For Mother's Day my husband took the kids out for a few hours. I built these two birdhouses. I would starve if this was what I did for a living, but they should hold up for a few seasons.Red Zeppelin and Copra onions in the back right. Mixed shelling peas planted along the front edge of the bed. The first blossom arose two days ago.
Asclepias incarnata- Two shoots emerging. These were just planted in the fall. I'm getting ready for the monarchs! Oh, and ignore the weeds in the background. :)
Patriot blueberry in bloom. Much more tough than Blueray and Chandler so far.
Pink Champagne clematis

The Latest Additions

2011-05-05T10:44:00.005-04:00

My father-in-law said last season, "Have you seen the begonias they have now?" So, as a surprise, I bought him a gorgeous Nonstop Yellow Tuberous Begonia at Jake's Greenhouse. I loved it so much that I bought myself one as well. A bright plant for my shaded back porch. I will definitely save the tubers at the end of the season, so I can have these beauties again next year.While I was there I bought an Imperial Blue Sedum that was on sale. I thought it would contrast nicely with all the green foliage around it.
Last night I planted all my new Elephant Bush from Lowes in the top of this strawberry pot. Then I filled in all the pockets with the babies I snapped off a Hens and Chicks that I got a few weeks ago. My other strawberry planter is filled with the remaining Hens and Chicks.

2011-05-01T16:47:00.003-04:00

It finally happened. At 11:26am I saw my first hummer of the season!!!! A male ruby throat!!! He took a long drink and flew away. He popped up again at noon on the button for another drink. What a wonderful morning!!!

2011-04-30T17:43:00.004-04:00

I'm beat. On this lovely afternoon, I planted my tomatoes, peppers, celery, zinnia, asclepias curassavica, fennel, cosmos, and marigolds. I still have a few more leftovers and other plants that need to get planted, but I'm exhausted. That's hard work. Sure feels good though.

Today's Garden

2011-04-30T11:14:00.009-04:00

Post number 2 of the morning.
Unknown iris.Atropurpurea barberry in bloom.Magnifica honeysuckle just starting to bloom. I'm hoping the hummers will find it soon! Reliance grape leafing out.
Scarlet Nantes carrot seedlings. I was worried that my first sowing might not be germinating, so I bought fresh, 20 cent Walmart seed. Now I have a lot of thinning to do.
Stella de Oro daylilies, Green Spice heuchera, Little Lanterns columbine (tucked in behind the heuchera).Three Golden Acre cabbage overwintered in my raised bed without protection. I was wondering if they were going to produce a good head since the spring growth has been so good. Turns out this one is bolting. Am I disappointed? No way. Free seed!

2011-04-30T10:23:00.009-04:00

When the Lowes Garden Center employees recognize you, perhaps you visit too much. :) Hey! Wait a minute! I resemble that remark! For instance, yesterday I went back there to pick up this Kiwi Gold raspberry plant since my Fall Gold didn't make it through the winter. I also saw some hardy Arctic kiwis, but decided against spending $10 each on plants I've never grown or researched before. All I knew was that you need a male and female for pollination.I then drove over to the store to buy groceries. The entire time all I could think about was where can I could put two kiwis in my yard? How will I support the vines? Will they taste like regular kiwis? What will the hubby say when there is one more obstacle to mow around? So I drove home. Groceries in the back....and two hardy kiwis next to me in my car. Here is Meader, the male. The female, Anna, is planted about ten feet away and looks the same.This morning I went out and pruned it down to one central leader. I'll keep training it up to the top of the trellis which is about 5 feet high.
I went to a local orchard last summer that was growing these on high wires.
I was intrigued.
Then a few weeks ago a family member said she had planted several hardy kiwis.
I was interested.
I think my mind was made up before I even left Lowes the first time.
I was coming home with two hardy kiwis!
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Important facts about hardy kiwis:
1. They need super strong support.
2. Don't let them twine around the trellis, because it could hurt the plant and the support once it takes off.
3. You need a male and female for pollination.
4. Spring frosts can kill your entire harvest for a season if it happens when the plants are developing their blossoms.
5. Interesting fact...Protect these from cats. I hear it's as attractive as catnip!

2011-04-29T09:45:00.006-04:00

My desperate attempt to attract hummingbirds. How can they miss this? I did it last season, and I think it worked. But so far...nothing.Irises are now blooming.
My seedlings and indoor plants are hardening off on my front porch after spending about a week on the more sheltered back porch.
The new, expanded front garden. The future home to lots of marigolds, snapdragon, milkweed, a tithonia, a pentas, and fennel to attract butterflies. I also started some carrot seed in the lower left portion along the sidewalk. Not for me to eat, but for the black swallowtails. They LOVE their leaves...A LOT.

Propagating Zinnia From Cuttings

2011-04-25T07:41:00.006-04:00

On April 13th, I wrote about propagating zinnia with their cuttings. I told you I would keep you posted, so here are the results.I love that I used a cheap popsicle container from Walmart. If I hadn't, I wouldn't be sure if it was working or not. Now I can see that it's working. Roots! Four more Oklahoma red zinnia for the garden!

Hummers

2011-04-24T08:23:00.003-04:00

It's a lovely, mild morning. Just sitting out back with the kids waiting for my first hummer of the season to arrive. I might be here a while...
:)

Straw, Berries, and More.

2011-04-23T19:11:00.008-04:00

Tulips and daffodils brighten the yard on a cloudy, rainy day.My peas are finally coming up. Mixed in is an onion that was missed last season and overwintered. In the back are the freshly planted onions. They are off to a good start.
Some of the potatoes are finally coming up. This year I planted Yukon Gold and Red Norland again.
I can't get a picture that does justice to the bleeding hearts. They are so much more beautiful in person.
I bought two bales of straw from a local nursery. Turns out one bale goes a VERY long way. I used it beneath my strawberries to keep the berries and foliage clean. I will also place it around my potatoes once they get taller and tomatoes when they go in the ground.
I also potted up some of my taller tomato plants. I planted them in large, red tumbler cups deeper than they were originally. That way they can develop more roots along the stem. I removed as much of the peat pots as I could without disturbing their roots too much. The roots had already begun to penetrate the peat walls.

Spring and My Latest Additions

2011-04-19T09:01:00.010-04:00

Tulips in bloom.Purchased yesterday at Lowes: Two Tricolor Sedum to act as a ground cover for a large bare patch in the back. I tore of some chunks to fill in some empty spots on a steep slope out front as well.

Also purchased yesterday from Lowes: Two Little Lanterns Columbine plants. I wanted to add more natives and I know the hummingbirds will love these if they find them. The best part is that I hear they self sow!
One columbine is in the lower left. The other in the middle of the photo.
Then I went to a nearby greenhouse for seed potatoes. They weren't out yet, but I still came home with two new additions. This Homestead Purple verbena. It is showing a bit of new growth.
Plus I purchased a quart-sized Hens and Chicks. It had LOTS of babies on it, so I detached a bunch and placed them in potting mix until they get a better root system. These will help fill in my two large strawberry planters this season.
Did you add any fun plants lately?
Happy gardening!

Hummingbirds and Seedlings

2011-04-13T12:33:00.008-04:00

It's that time of year again. Time to put out the hummingbird feeders. Two years ago I saw a hummingbird nectaring on one of my tulips. Now the feeders go out when they are about to open. This is my Jewel window feeder. Pricey and never used. I still put it up...wishful thinking. The little hummers prefer the cheap $4 Walmart feeders. I have three hanging on the clothesline. One in the center as the "beckon" to hopefully draw their attention. The other two are close to the holly branches. They seem to prefer the safety of the branches nearby. You can also seem my new mini-orchard planted over the Fall. I added the new strawberry bed, the center circle, just a few weeks ago. Planted with Winona strawberries.
I started my seedlings later this season. Here are my zinnia and cosmos (on the back left). I decided to pinch (cut) back the zinnia to just above a set of leaves to promote branching. They were growing into the lights and getting pretty tall on a single stem. I've never pinched them before, but it only took a few days to see the new branches starting. These are red Oklahoma zinnia.
From left to right, here are my Citrus Mix marigolds from Burpee, a Sungold tomato in the front (started 3/22), and a taller Fat 'N Sassy pepper on the right (started 2/14). The tomatoes are much smaller than this time last season, but the three week later start makes them much more manageable. My smaller tomatoes caught up in no time in previous seasons, so I don't feel the need for a really early start with these fast growers.
I'm not one to waste anything, so I took my zinnia cuttings and planted them in my seed starter mix. They are inside a popsicle container place within a Ziploc to keep up the humidity. I couldn't find my rooting hormone, so we'll see what happens. I love experimenting with my plants. I'll keep you posted on the results.
Happy gardening!

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-10T18:26:00.016-04:00

Things are starting to show signs of life again. Here is a Heritage raspberry plant that was added last season. Off to the right is a Caroline raspberry added last fall that I ordered from Stark Bros. So far those are still dormant...I hope.I planted peas back on the 6th of March. They are finally starting to come up. I was really worried about these. Especially after seeing my resident mockingbird eating away at the peas on one very cold, frosty morning.
Below is my Frances Williams hosta. The first hosta to emerge this season.
Chives that I left out in this pot, unprotected, all winter. They didn't miss a beat.
My biggest disappointment. I really wanted this one to work out. :( I ordered this Black and Blue salvia last season. It got off to a slow start and then took off. It was absolutely gorgeous. The hummingbirds and bumble bees loved it too. I have a bad feeling about its survival. We're right on the border of hardiness. Although it was well mulched......
Hyacinths are in full bloom right now.
A Golden Acre cabbage that I planted last fall. I planted it too late and it didn't have time to produce a head. It survived unprotected in one of my raised beds...along with two others. I have doubts that it will produce a head of cabbage, but I wouldn't mind some free seed for next season from it.
German Extra Hardy and Musik garlic that was planted in mid-October. It is off to a great start. Very strong and healthy.
I just planted my onion plants from Dixondale Farms. Red Zeppelin and Copra again this season. They stored well into January...when I ran out. This time I ordered a full bunch of each. The only downside about growing onions is that the squirrels like to pull them out, so I have to replant quite a few of them each season. They tug them out. I put them back in.
Karl Rosenfeld peony coming up.
My Alberta Spruce appears happy. It is just starting to put on some new growth. That's a good sign.
One of my absolute favorite spring bulbs. My Tete-a-Tete daffodils. The cutest miniature flowers I have ever seen.

Potatoes and Carrots

2011-04-07T19:55:00.003-04:00

Yukon Gold potatoes and Scarlet Nantes carrots are now planted!

Hail. Hail. Grass Be Gone!

2011-03-28T11:25:00.005-04:00

Boy has it been a cold spring. Temperatures should average in the 50s with 30s at night. Not so here. It's about 10 degrees below normal around here lately. And what is that? Snow? Nope. We had ourselves a nice thunderstorm that produced pea-sized hail this past week.
Despite temperatures in the 30s yesterday, I found myself outside digging and tearing out the grass out front. Now there is no need for my hubby to line trim around the edge or "fancy" mow around the new bird bath. :) I'm sore today, but it's so much fun while I'm working in the garden. It took about two hours, but I was able to save and replant the bulbs that were growing up through the grass. Lots of crocuses, tiny tulips, and a hyacinth or two.
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The best part....Now I have just the spot for my new Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt peony that I ordered! I also ordered an American Revolution, Bright Sunset, and Eenie Allegro daylily that will grace this new section. The border will consist of Citrus Mix marigolds that my children are growing and carrots....for their foliage. Hoping the carrots will serves as host plants for the black swallowtails again this season. Any carrots that endure the constant foliage-munching are just a bonus.

A Case of Spring Fever

2011-03-22T18:32:00.008-04:00

I can't plant much outside right now, but that hasn't stopped me from buying some stuff.
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Stars and Stripes Pentas. A variegated, red pentas. Just trying to tease the tastebuds of the hummingbirds a bit more each year.My new Meyer's Lemon from Gurneys.
I recently visited my in-laws. While sitting outside enjoying the warmer weather, I watched dozens of birds fly in and out of their old Alberta spruce tree. Every year I find myself admiring that tree. Wishing I had one that would make the birds as happy as theirs does. I'm wishing no more! It may not be 30 years old and 8 feet tall, but it's a start. My latest addition from Lowes stands at only 2 1/2 feet tall, but I have high hopes for it.
My new succulent collection also purchased on Sunday from Lowes. These will end up in one of my large strawberry planters when it warms up outside. The soil dried out too quickly for strawberries, but the succulents will be happy there.A welcome sight after a tough winter.

Flowers!!!

2011-03-03T13:39:00.004-05:00

One week earlier than last season, the Ard Shenk crocuses started to bloom! I noticed them yesterday afternoon. I also see the tulip and daffodil foliage peaking through the soil and mulch. It's only in the low 30s today, making these very welcome signs of Spring!

Butterfly Host Plants

2011-02-15T09:03:00.006-05:00

I have been planning my 2011 flower and veggie garden. Last year I had so much fun raising black swallowtail and monarch butterflies. So much so that I have made it a point to add more host plants to my garden this year. Below is my list of plants that I will have in my garden to feed their hungry little caterpillars.
BUTTERFLY (and Moth) HOST PLANTS

Dill, Fennel, Carrots: Black Swallowtails
Asters: Pearl Crescent
Coneflowers: Silvery Checkerspot
Pentas: Tersa Sphynx moth or hummingbird moth
Milkweed: Monarch
Cleome: Cabbage White
Snapdragon: Common Buckeye
Blueberry: Summer Azure
Oak: Red-Spotted Purple; Imperial Moth; Polyphemus Moth; Red-Banded Hairstreak; Dusky Wing Skipper; White-M Hairstreak
Clover: Eastern Tailed-Blue; Gray Hairstreak; Clouded Sulphur
Peas: Eastern Tailed-Blue
Viola: Great Spangled Fritillary; Variegated Fritillary
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I enjoy having them visit so much. The least I can do is serve them dinner. :)

Time to Plant Some Seeds!

2011-02-14T18:44:00.004-05:00

On an unseasonably warm day I got to plant my first round of seeds. One Mucho Nacho jalapeno, 9 Fat 'n' Sassy peppers (now named King Arthur), 12 Burpee Petite Series snapdragons, and 9 Velour Blue and Bronze viola. I also started the paper towel method that I described last season to start some Tango celery seeds. It has felt like forever since I've been able to garden. What a wonderful day!

Ice Storm 2011

2011-02-02T08:47:00.006-05:00

I hope all of you are safe and warm out there. Quite a storm has hit a huge part of the country and is finally coming to an end. This is what I woke up to this morning. There are many other things I can see out the window that I would like to take a picture of, but I'm not going out there!
A male cardinal waiting to take advantage of the feeders and water.The new water wiggler I bought around Thanksgiving is still spinning, despite the cold, with its first set of batteries. Nice! Lots of birds were using it to bathe yesterday. I also have a birdbath heater in there. There's not a spot of frozen water to be seen even during this ice storm.
Ice.

Name Change

2011-01-20T21:14:00.004-05:00

I had been having trouble finding seeds for the Fat n' Sassy peppers that I adore. Turns out that they have been renamed! Surely a marketing ploy which I find very irritating. Now they are listed as King Arthur.

MUST PLANT!

2011-01-02T17:12:00.004-05:00

Seed catalogs are coming in the mail. It has me thinking about what I will be planting this year. With such limited space I need to really be sure that I plant a lot of tried and true plants and limit my experimentation. These are the specific varieties of veggies that I've grown in the past, that I can really depend on every year, and wouldn't be without. These are all very disease resistant, heavy producers in my garden.

Here's my list of 'MUST PLANT!' varieties:

Tomatoes: Sun Gold, Celebrity, Jet Star, Kellogg's Breakfast
Cukes: Salad Bush
Radishes: Cherry Belle
Peppers: Fat n' Sassy bell peppers
Garlic: Music, German Extra Hardy
Lettuce: Little Gem, Jericho

I was wondering if any of you would share the varieties that you just have to plant each year.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful gardening season in 2011!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T09:42:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas! Be safe, and have a happy holiday with family and friends!

Just Couldn't Control Myself

2010-12-06T09:41:00.002-05:00

It's not even winter yet and I have already ordered stuff for the Spring. A Ouachita blackberry plant, Winona strawberries, my beloved Salad Bush cucumber seeds, and...just for fun...a dwarf Meyer lemon tree. I was hoping the Meyer lemon would be sent so I would have something to play with over the colder months, but it looks like Gurney's is waiting until Spring. Next I'll be checking out Dixondale Farms to order my onions for next season. There's still some gardening fun to be had when it's so cold out. It's just of a different kind.

Presents for a Gardener

2010-11-25T12:38:00.006-05:00

Since my birthday is in less than a week from now, I have been looking at fun garden gifts. I thought I would share two of the items I recently purchased. These would make great presents for the gardeners in your life...or for yourself.
Water WigglerAmazon currently has this marked down to less than $25 (originally $40). This is the "PI 4WW Water Wiggler Water Agitator for Bird Baths." It takes two 'D' batteries, but it claims they last for 3 months. I've had mine out for a few weeks and it's going strong. It's a pretty addition to my homemade birdbath. It provides gentle ripples to get the attention of your birds. It is safe to use in a heated birdbath as well.
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Handcrafted Hanging Platform FeederCrafted by Anthony Stokes from Stokes Art & Design Services. I purchased this item from them on eBay under the seller name "gardenaccent". Beautiful craftmanship. Made of cedar and "sealed with a premium UV protective water proof clear wood sealer". Order early, because they aren't made until you order them. They need time to craft and cure them. I believe they even customize designs if needed. Many sizes, designs, and products to choose from. I'm very happy with my purchase!
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Just some fun ideas for the garden.

Gobble Goggle

2010-11-25T08:14:00.002-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Mini Home Orchard

2010-11-24T08:45:00.010-05:00

From left to right: Red Haven peach, Stanley prune-plum, Stark Honeysweet pear, and Golden Delicious apple.
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My mini-home orchard. That's my clothesline cutting through the picture. All but the pear are "supreme" trees from Stark Bros. They were delivered in very good condition. The roots were still moist. Unfortunately the trees were not marked with chalk for the proper planting depth like expected. I have been doing a lot of reading about growing dwarf fruit trees properly (and they came with a planting guide), so I think they will be just fine. Just be sure not to allow the grafted area to come into contact with the soil or it may root you may loose the dwarfing aspect of the tree.
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MULCH: Keep mulch several inches from the base of the trees so that rodents can't find a place to hide. They like to eat away the bark at the base of the tree. If they completely eat their way around the trunk, the tree will likely die. In the pictures it appears as though I mulched all the way to the trunk. I did not. There is a dark brown, recycled rubber tree ring around the tree. Starting around 5-6 inches away from the trunks are thick layers of mulch on top of the tree rings.
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TREE GUARDS: I also ordered some tree guards to protect the young trunks from rodent damage and, in particular, sunscald. Since there are no branches or foliage to protect the young trunks from bright winter sun and reflections off of snow, the guards will help protect the vulnerable trunks. I've also heard of people using an outdoor, latex, white paint on older trees.
Above: Dwarf Stanley prune-plum. Self-fertile. European. Purchased from Stark Bros. A "supreme" tree.
Above: Dwarf Red Haven peach. Self-fertile. Purchased from Stark Bros. A "supreme" tree.
Above: Dwarf Golden Delicious apple. Self-fertile although having another apple or crabapple tree in bloom at the same time will increase the harvest. Purchased from Stark Bros. A "supreme" tree. It's a slightly curved tree, but it was the thickest with an excellent rootball.
Above: Dwarf Stark Honeysweet pear. Self-fertile. Purchased from Stark Bros. The only one that wasn't a "supreme" tree.

Fruit Trees

2010-11-21T09:06:00.004-05:00

Last Tuesday I planted my mini-orchard. Very mini, but it is what I can fit into my yard neatly. Now I am the proud owner of a dwarf supreme Stanley prune-plum tree, a dwarf supreme Golden Delicious apple tree, a dwarf supreme Red Haven peach tree, and a dwarf Honeysweet pear tree. All self-pollinating (although they would probably get more fruit with another variety planted nearby). All were from Stark Bros. I'm not sure if it was worth the extra money to get the supreme trees, but they were well branched. Although when it came to width and height, they didn't appear to be any bigger than the pear tree which wasn't a supreme. I also added three more Caroline raspberries. I can't wait to see them all come alive in the Spring. Pictures of my mini-home orchard will be coming soon!

2010 Garden Review Part II

2010-11-12T13:28:00.002-05:00

2010 REVIEW
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BIGGEST HITS
Salad Bush Hybrid Cucumber - Excellent production and flavor. A must-have, compact cucumber. Vine are about 3’ long. Has yet to disappoint me like other varieties. Canned TONS of pickles using these (not picklers) and they were excellent. Maintained a pleasing texture and crispiness with canning. Seed is a bit pricier and has to be ordered online, but it will definitely be returning next season.
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Reliance Grape- Newly planted in the beginning of the season. Very vigorous, disease resistant. Very happy with its growth so far.
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Apache Blackberry- I planted one in the beginning of the season. It is an upright variety, healthy, and growing vigorously. Branches topped at around 4 feet to encourage laterals. Fruits on previous years growth.
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Red Norland potato- Good production and flavor in container. Beautiful color. Will be back.
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Russet Burbank potato- Very large potatoes in ground. Good flavor and great production. Rough skin. Will be replaced with Yukons.
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Yukon Gold potato- Good production and flavor in containers. Will be the staple potato here next season. Love it!
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Golden Acre Cabbage- Small cabbage that produces quickly. Very easy to grow with great flavor. Successful in Spring and Fall. Will be back.
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Lady Emma Hamilton rose- An excellent David Austin, disease resistant shrub rose. I don’t spray, so this is important. The heavy humidity didn’t take a toll until very late in the season. A light spotting of black spot. No big deal. New foliage is a gorgeous burgundy which sets of the deep apricot-colored blooms. A stunning rose. Branches form a nicely rounded shape. Heavy bloomer. Strong, citrus scent. Love it!
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Scarlet Nantes carrots- I could place these in either category. Last year these were fantastic. Sweet, large, they froze well. A huge hit. This year, well…black swallowtail butterflies used the to lay their eggs on. They would devour all of the young, supple foliage. I would bring them indoors and raise the cats…picking off the young foliage myself to feed them. Although the plants kept pumping out fresh leaves, it took a huge toll on the size of the carrot. Would I have changed a thing? Not for a second. We may not be eating homegrown carrots this winter, but we have lots of great memories of the butterflies we raised and released.
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Sterling onion- from Dixondale Farms. Large, white onion. Storing well so far. Only a few
Began to spoil. Great flavor.
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Red Zeppelin onion- from Dixondale Farms- still storing well, very strong flavor. Lovely red rings.
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Copra onion- from Dixondale Farms, yellow, long storer, small size, but weather was quite dry.
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BIGGEST MISSES - A large part of these varieties landing in the “misses” list was due to the weather. Record heat. Drought. High humidity. Not exactly a recipe for success. Another huge factor was the soil mix that was filling the raised beds. I used Mel’s Mix. A combination of 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite. The peat portion was detrimental to many of my plants because it refused to stay moist or remoisten despite repetitive, deep waterings. My recommendation. DON’T USE MEL’S MIX. Half of the soil in these beds will be removed and mixed into spots with heavy clay soil. The other half will stay in the beds and get mixed with my existing clay soil to help it retain water and nutrients better. With that said, here were the biggest misses:
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Spirit Hybrid Pumpkins - All three plants succumbed to borers early in the season. Willing to try this shorter-vined pumpkin one more time next season.
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Black Beauty Squash- I must be the only one that has yet to grow a successful squash. Of the two I planted, one was eaten by rabbits. The other….just barely hung onto life until the drought hit. Then died. Not willing to save space and try it again. I like zucchini bread, but not that much. I’ll just ask for one or two from my in-laws. They can’t get rid of their fast enough.
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Serendipity Corn- Bicolor, synergistic. Started out so impressive, but it was impossible to get the peat in Mel’s mix within the raised bed to moisten. Would try again. The few ears produced were filled out well with excellent flavor.

2010 Tomato Review!

2010-11-10T20:05:00.003-05:00

2010 Tomato Review:
Overall it was a very tough year for tomatoes here. There was many weeks of drought and my beds were made with Mel’s Mix (Square Foot Gardening “recipe“). The peat was IMPOSSIBLE to keep moist throughout the season. It only compounded the problems with the drought. With that said, here are how the varieties faired:

Cherokee Green- Had two plants. One churned out tons of large cherry-sized tomatoes of average flavor (given crossed seed). The other produced delicious green tomatoes with a lovely yellow blush when ripe. Production wasn’t as great as last season, but due to its great flavor, it will be back.

Cherokee Purple- I may be one of the few that doesn’t care for the flavor of purple and black tomatoes. Maybe this wasn’t the best year for CP, but will not be back.

Aker’s West Virginia - I don’t think I’ve ever had a tomato get hit so badly by disease. A huge disappointment that never produced a decent, uncracked tomato.

Kellogg’s Breakfast- An excellent tomato in the first half of the season. Disease resistance, taste, texture, color, production…everything was perfect. They were also blemish-free. As the dry season really hit, the tomatoes kept coming but were a fraction of the size. These were a huge hit with the family. These will absolutely be back next season!

Sun Gold Hybrid- Wonderful, sweet flavor. Huge producer. Amazing cherry tomato. These will be back next season in numbers. Cracks after heavy rains. My two-year old couldn’t get enough of these tasty treats. I’ve never been a huge fan of cherry tomatoes, but I couldn’t resist grabbing a handful each time I walked by these guys. Fantastic tomato. Do I need to tell you that they will be back next season?

Hillbilly- Beautiful coloring, very large tomatoes. Flavor was too mild. Will not be back. Trying Lucky Cross or Virginia Sweets instead.

Pineapple- Didn’t get any decent tomatoes from this plant. Lots of cracking. Didn’t get a fair try due to the drought and poor position in the garden. Still won’t be back next season.

Box Car Willie- Good production of nice-sized tomatoes. Produced almost as well as the hybrids. Although it is a good tomato, it may not make the shortened list next season.

Jet Star Hybrid- Great production and disease resistance. Good flavor. May be back next season.

Celebrity Hybrid- Great production and disease resistance. Good flavor. May be back next season.

Better Boy Hybrid- Heavy production and good disease resistance. Okay flavor. Won’t be back.

Brandywine- Late season, large tomato, potato-leafed. Cracking after heavy rains. Didn’t get a lot of tomatoes due to late ripening dates and drought. Most likely won‘t be back next season.

Amish Paste- Blossom end rot, low production, wispy foliage, shorter plant. Won’t be back. I’ll try another paste tomato next season.

Isis Candy- large cherry tomato, very productive, attractive star pattern on bottom. Pretty coloring but bland flavor. No competition for Sun Gold. Will not be back next season.

Gold Nugget- small, golden cherry tomatoes, volunteered from last season. Okay flavor and great production. Doesn’t hold a candle to Sun Gold. Won’t be back

Fall Peas, Tomatoes, and Roses

2010-11-07T15:17:00.009-05:00

A mixture of pea varieties. Although they have been blooming pretty well for the last couple weeks, there are very few peas developing. I'm hoping to get a decent harvest before the temps get any lower.Sadly, the tomatoes didn't survive the two frosty mornings last week. It's sad to have to pull out vines with so many tomatoes on them. Some of them were monsters too.
:(
The roses have finally starting putting on quite a show. Why couldn't they have started a few months ago? Here are some of the blooms that have survived the frosts.
Lady Emma Hamilton
Jubilee Celebration
Fragrant Cloud

Brrr

2010-11-02T17:32:00.002-04:00

We were hit with a heavy frost this morning. Sadly, the abundance of Sun Gold blossoms that were thriving in the cooler temperatures will never reach their full potential. I dread telling my 2 year old. They are like candy to her. I guess that means its time to plan for next Spring.
:)

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T20:14:00.002-04:00

I was very productive on this cool Fall day.

Fall weeding - check
Leaves mulched - check
Pumpkins decorated - check
Halloween candy ready - check.....minus the pieces I couldn't resist. :)

Happy Halloween!

Fall Harvesting Begins

2010-10-10T12:08:00.003-04:00

My fall peas are starting to produce. The plants are still only a few inches high, but I hope to get a good harvest before it gets too cold.
On the way home from school my son made this discovery. We took pictures and released him. It's a Gallium Sphinx Moth caterpillar. Beautiful! We've never seen one of these before! Well, now I'm off to fix two of my wren houses. The screws holding their hooks both came out. I found both houses on the ground recently. Time to make some repairs while enjoying this gorgeous weather.

2010-10-06T10:04:00.006-04:00

After weeks of no blossoms during the drought, my roses are finally pumping out the blossoms. Here is my Jubilee Celebration rose with a strong citrus scent. Interestingly, the smaller flower has a strong tea scent. I've never experienced that with roses on the same bush before.Sparkle, Fort Laramie, and Sequoia strawberry plants starting to fill in their new raised bed.From a packet of mixed gourd seeds. This gourd has been growing up and back down my huge American Holly tree. It is approximately a foot long and 5 inches wide. The vine is about 30-40 feet long. This is one of the small ones hanging from the tree. It must have fallen from at least 10 feet up onto concrete hard, dry clay soil and stayed intact. Luckily no one was under it when it fell.
Autumn Joy sedum and a mum getting ready to put on its fall show.
Two of my mystery reblooming irises putting on a stunning show as everything else is fading out.

Still Rainin'

2010-10-05T18:27:00.003-04:00

It's still raining. We were supposed to be adding another inch and a half to the six we already got. The plants seem to be loving it! Pictures will be coming soon!

When it Rains...

2010-10-02T09:10:00.002-04:00

We got 6 inches of rain in 2 days. That is more rain than we had in the last 2 1/2 months. Monday through Wednesday we have more rain in the forecast! I actually enjoyed the change. It has been so hot and humid with no rain. This was a treat. Another lovely treat was that my tomatoes, gourds, and roses have rewarded me with a ton of new blossoms!

$10 Rain Barrel Update

2010-09-23T09:33:00.002-04:00

I have made an update to my July 17, 2009, entry regarding making a $10 rain barrel. I don't know why I didn't think of this cheaper, easier design in the first place, but I wanted to make sure I let everyone know of the improvements. The original post is at this address:

http://kimspagarden.blogspot.com/2009/07/make-your-own-cheap-rain-barrel.html

Happy Gardening!

Impatient Impatiens and Yukons

2010-09-21T12:12:00.004-04:00

The last few years I have been taking cuttings from my red impatiens to overwinter in my sunny, southern-facing window. The hummingbirds always seem to love them, and I would hate to have to keep rebuying them every season when they are so easy to propagate. I just take some cuttings, toss the stems in water, place in a sandwich bag, and wait for them to root. Then I put them in pots until Spring rolls around. Unfortunately, near the end of winter the impatiens always get bothered by spider mites and the foliage would look pretty bad. I've decided that this year I am going to save seed instead and see how that works.
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While trying to grab the seed pods, I quickly learned why they are called impatiens. The second I touched one it burst open in my hand. It startled me how strong the pod unfurled and shot the seeds all over the yard. Above is a picture of the seed, an unopened pod, and the seed pod after it popped open. What a unique seed pod!
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A few days ago I harvest the last of my potatoes. I had two 3 gallon containers with Yukon Gold potatoes that have finally died back. Each of my children got to dump the containers. Below is what we saw upon dumping the first one. You can see the spend seed potato on the middle left....it looks like a rotten potato. The harvest was better than those grown in the garden. I'm absolutely sure this is because I would water these by hand daily whereas the ones in the garden were pretty much neglected. Between these two containers we got 5 pounds of potatoes. Not bad for a 60 cent investment in the seed potatoes from the nursery. They sold the seed potatoes for 50 cents a pound. So I guess I planted about a pound of seed potato and yielded 5 pounds. I consider that a great harvest! I am now hooked on growing potatoes in containers. This is my first season with potatoes, and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning when I get to see what is hiding in the containers. The smiles on my kids faces as they were picking them out of the dirt was priceless. It was like a mini Easter egg hunt. Fantastic!
I also made a decision regarding my raised beds for next season. Last season I had a great harvest in the raised beds despite the wet weather. This dry, hot season has been really tough on the crops in these same beds. I originally filled the beds with Mel's Mix. 1/3 compost. 1/3 vermiculite. 1/3 peat moss. The 1/3 peat moss was the kicker. I will never add peat to my raised beds again. It was impossible to keep moist. I would water heavily and deeply twice a day. The top inch or two would be nicely moistened, but I could reach just a few inches in to the soil and the peat would be bone dry. Water some more. Still dry! So frustrating! No more peat for me! THE SOLE EXCEPTION: In my potato bags to acidify the soil. From now on it will only be homemade compost, bagged manure, and bagged garden soil to top off my beds. Just something I learned along the way that I thought I would share. Happy gardening!
:)

Rain!

2010-09-12T09:16:00.002-04:00

On day 20 of our drought, we finally woke up to some rain this morning! Hallelujah!

Tomatoes and More

2010-09-09T11:39:00.010-04:00

Just released two of the four monarchs that eclosed this morning. It's a bit breezy, but they took off like pros. The other two didn't seem interested, so they'll be my guests here a bit longer.My favorite purchase from this Spring. I almost killed it....accidentally. It was under a gutter that had clogged and was sitting in a container soaked with water. I noticed it was wilted. Huh? Must need water. Get to the container to water it...clearly it had all the water it needed...for the rest of the season. :) I cut off all the badly wilted foliage, poured out the excess water, and let it dry out quite a bit. Luckily new growth popped up and the hummingbirds seem to really like it. I wish I had an entire bed of it, but from reports it's not consistently hardy here in zone 6. I will definitely be trying to overwinter it in the garage though.
Green Zebra tomato. Although I love its unique look, I don't care too much for the flavor. There was a bit of sourness (is that a word?) that made it taste a bit...rotten? I don't know of another way to describe it. I thought it was a fluke, but the others tasted the same way.
Recent harvest of Sun Golds, Isis Candy tomatoes (not fully ripe yet), Blue Lake pole beans, Celebrity, and Jet Star tomatoes.
Hillbilly Tomatoes
Gorgeous coloring inside and out. Unfortunately all but one have had DEEP cracking. Flavor is good, but very mild. Produces large tomatoes averaging around .75 pounds. May not be back next season. I would love to get seed for Virginia Sweets instead.

A Walk in the Park

2010-09-07T11:40:00.001-04:00

I just got back from a walk at a local park. I found four large monarch caterpillars hanging onto the last of the milkweed. The only milkweed plants that are surviving (barely) from this long drought we are going through. So far no rain in over 3 weeks. Lawns are brown. Leaves are falling. Where is the rain?

The Great Release

2010-09-05T15:13:00.004-04:00

My first black swallowtail emerged from its chrysalis last night. This afternoon another one eclosed. Now these two beauties are free to grace our skies and gardens.

ID Me!

2010-08-27T16:17:00.004-04:00

Anyone have an idea of what type of skipper this might be?

Butterflies and Blooms

2010-08-27T11:44:00.014-04:00

Last night when I went to bed my first black swallowtail looked like this. Clinging to the lid of the fish tank.This morning he looked like this. In his beautiful, green chrysalis.The kids harvested more Russet Burbank potatoes this week. One plant grew these bright white, squishy "potatoes" with roots. Strange. I've never seen that before.
Elegant Stinkhorn...looks like a garden gnome sneaking up through the soil.
The Autumn Joy sedum and mum are getting ready to start their fall show.
The sedum attracted this gorgeous Common Buckeye. The first I have seen this season. This is one of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen.
Common Sulphur (right?) enjoying the Pink Delight butterfly bush.
Kellogg's Breakfast tomato blossom.
Rosy Returns daylily.
My container has looked terrible all season due to the really high heat and dry weather. Finally, after three overcast days, it is starting to look alive.

A Morning Hike

2010-08-25T12:58:00.013-04:00

I took the kids on a short hike this morning by a local creek. Trying to find some milkweed since my monarch cats don't like the Asclepias tuberosa. Look what I found. Once I popped off a leaf...the stalk oozed white sap. I found milkweed! I brought it home and the cats have been devouring it ever since. What a relief!Can you find the caterpillar below?
It was huge! An Imperial moth caterpillar!
Can you find the two caterpillars below?
Polyphemus moth caterpillars!
It's experiences like this that make me want to rush right back out the door to see what I can find!

Is This A Form of Asclepias?

2010-08-23T10:15:00.004-04:00

Can anyone tell me if this is a variety of Asclepias? The host plant for monarchs.
Thanks!

Garden Critters

2010-08-22T15:47:00.011-04:00

Swallowtail in three different stages. A maturing cat, a young cat, and an egg (upper right) are all within this picture.My cleome was filled with critters. From bugs to butterflies. Another variation of a harlequin bug.
Check out all the Harlequin bug and babies below. They were covering the cleome. Looks like these two bugs were working on making more as well.
On the underside of a leaf, there were eggs deposited. Black with white stripes. This cluster had some of those and ones that looked like they were hatching.
Tiger Swallowtail.
I have to look this one up.