Dinky Do

Mucho Mache

2012-01-31T22:22:00.001-05:00

There's nothing more gratifying than a homegrown meal.
Black eyed peas, north Georgia candy roaster squash with cilantro, and mache:

Big ol' candy roaster squash before roasting:

pretty mache up-close:

and in the garden with spinach:

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2012-01-09T13:35:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year! Stay tuned for spring, but I will continue to check in sporadically from time to time.
I miss the garden in the winter, but overall I am thoroughly enjoying the break. As are my muscles. The absolutely gorgeous weather we had here on Saturday gave me a chance to do some garden cleanup I had neglected. My body is still sore, and I'm not talking about major digging or anything, just odds and ends around the garden. Suffice to say, once spring rolls around, I'm going to have to be more disciplined about taking breaks and stretching.
The warm winter has meant my winter garden has come through like a champ so far.

Arugula

Leeks

Red turnips

Spinach and mache

A field of cilantro--perfect for attracting beneficial insects when it bolts.

Fava beans: not sure if they will make it to spring, but if I get a head start and finally get a decent harvest, I'll be thrilled!

Collards (planted too late to reach maturity before winter, but hanging in there!

lettuce:

And some recent harvests:

I'm calling it now: 2012 will be the year of cool-season vegetables!

Chunkin' Pumpkin

2011-12-14T22:31:00.001-05:00

I thought this bumpy pumpkin might be tasty, especially after I hacked it open and saw that thick flesh. It smelled great, too, but after baking it, I found it flavorless. Of course, sitting on my front stoop for weeks probably did it no favors.

In my attempt to identify it, the closest I could find was the "victor/ red warty thing," but this could be a hybrid. It now resides in the compost pile, where the squirrels aren't even going for it. I'll stick to Hubbard, Kuri squash (my new fave) butternut, and "verified" eating varieties--like the candy roasters I grew--from now on.

winter garden

2011-12-11T15:59:00.001-05:00

After a pleasantly warm early winter, we finally had cold enough temps that it was time to get out the hard freeze protection. My original three beds have plastic greenhouses (gardeners.com), and I'm trying row cover for the rest--testing out just how cold hardy collards and a few other things are. The row cover is tied on in such a way that I can slide it up and down.

One day, I hope to build some super-sturdy wood and plexiglass cold frames so I can avoid unzipping and unwrapping in the morning (and vice versa in the evening). Inside, I have collards, lettuce, arugula, mâché, spinach, radishes, turnips, parsley, cilantro, leeks, scallions, beans, and other perennial herbs. In the coming weeks, I'll show you how they are faring, and how much I am harvesting.

Grass was not working anymore, so I am seeking suggestions for path mulch--this straw won't be the permanent choice. Bark from the county is probably the most economical.

Time to drain the rain barrel too. Winter gardening is not so fun, but I sure do like having fresh greens.

Root of the Matter

2011-11-30T16:26:00.001-05:00

Fall gardening continues to confound me. In addition to having less time for the garden (no hours of post-work sunlight), there is travel, weird weather, and the general fact that I have never got the seed sowing timing right for fall. Nonetheless, I've got a good crop of greens growing, but this post is about roots.
For some reason, I planted a ton of radishes, some of which are now spongy/woody, and not nearly enough of these gorgeous pink turnips. The beets were either devoured or did not germinate.
I like radishes, but I'll never eat all these in time. Pickles to the rescue!

I hope your fall garden is doing well!

Looking a Little Wilty

2011-11-18T10:23:00.001-05:00

Last night was the coldest night we've had so far, but all of these wilty greens will bounce back on this sunny day. I'll have to break out the row cover and plastic greenhouse soon.
Thoughts to consider: What happens when radishes get too big?

The lettuce and these arugula seedlings (I think) took the frost like a champ.

Spinach and larger arugula also doing fine, other than squirrel disruption:

The collard seedlings seem to thrive on the cold:

The fava beans don't look so hot:

The radishes were not well planned. These will be fine, but I imagine many of them are getting too large and need to be pickled or eaten in quantity.

I planted tat soi here, but I am wondering if the package was mislabeled. I don't recall tat soi having wavy leaves?

I can't believe winter has barely begun.

Snowyween

2011-11-01T11:25:00.002-04:00

Here's the freak winter storm in progress, luckily we did not get much--the garden was not at all ready. All of the tiny winter greens did fine though--and this pineapple sage bounced back the next day.

The Dahlias were already drooping.Next year, they will need better staking. Check out the gorgeous color of the blueberry leaves!

The tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra were finally cut down the next day.

This service berry tree is called "autumn brilliance" for a reason.

I'll soon find out if this warty pumpkin is edible.

Hanging on to Summer

2011-10-27T13:47:00.000-04:00

It's becoming futile to leave these plants standing.
Okra, it's time to go, even though I am sad I did not freeze any, nor make pickles. And you are so impressive at your 8 feet.

Tomatoes, you were killer this year. I will always grow heirlooms because I love their unusual forms and great flavor, but this fourth of July hybrid was uber reliable, as were the favorita and sun gold cherry tomatoes..

Eggplant, we'll keep trying, but I am proud you grew so well from seed under lights way back when.

Squash, your reputation as a basket filler cofounds me.

I have more hot peppers than I will ever be able to use (know me? you'll be getting a can soon). I wish I had such success with your tamer cousins.

These are the summer holdouts, and their days are numbered, along with some truly sad looking basil.
While it is sad, I like the change, and the way the beds slowly go to rest and disorder becomes order.

Oops I did it again

2011-10-26T17:34:00.001-04:00

I have a knack for mixing up greens seedlings. In my haste to use some seeds I had saved in spring, I created a new round of "mystery Brassica."
I had spinach, broccoli, and arugula seed heads. None of these look like spinach seedlings. So, either I will have the arugula patch of my dreams, or I will have a lot of overwintering broccoli.
These mystery seeds are growing among my lettuce transplants:

And in this bed I planted tat soi, which I hope these babies are:

The white powder is diatomaceous earth, as port of operation Destroy All Slugs. I also lined my raised beds with copper tape to keep the slugs out. I've been lazy with the beer traps, but I think I have removed enough to minimize the damage.

Rounding out the winter greens are collards, which desperately need dividing:

More arugula (these were purchased plants):

must. have. arugula. pesto.

And more purchased starts, spinach (note squirrel holes):

I also seeded mache here.
I got a late start with all of these, but I expect them to endure the cold temps just fine, especially if I manage to bust out my season-extending plastic greenhouses and row cover.
The garden will be looking very flat soon, especially once the 8ft okra and tomato plants come down.

What happened to October?

2011-10-26T11:47:00.002-04:00

The garden is actually doing pretty well, but you wouldn't know it from the blog. In addition to finding a roofer (ugh) and doing some canning (more on that later!), here's what I've been up to in the glorious mid-Atlantic fall.

Back to the garden soon!

Rainy Day Respite

2011-10-12T15:27:00.001-04:00

It's all gloom today, but I'm still sustained by the gorgeous weather of the weekend. Winter is not here yet, as these flowers attest!

Slugging It Out

2011-10-05T12:32:00.000-04:00

...with slugs.
My beautiful rows of lettuce seedlings have been decimated. Well, not really--still plenty of lettuce going on. But my perfect rows--it was like ombre lettuce--have been marred! A cold and bad weather kept me from getting to the problem sooner, but now I am on slug patrol nightly, hand picking them and setting out beer baited trays, which really work! Thanks for leaving the PBR in the fridge, Gilly.

I have not had this problem before, and I have two theories:

1) My new raised bed is a couple of inches shorter, a more appealing climb for the slugs.
2) The straw mulch has created the perfect habitat for slug city.
Either way, ewwwwwwwww.

But I digress. All is not lost. If I can't get it under control with hand picking and baits, I will try diatomaceous earth. I will also be clearing out as much of the straw as I can and adding some copper tape around the bed. If garden supply companies would sell copper tape that is actually wide enough, this would be a better option, but the stuff is expensive.
Maybe the seedlings that were eaten will bounce back if the roots were established enough, but luckily I did not plant them all and have replacements waiting.

The other slug food of choice in the garden is black eyed pea leaves, but those will be ripped up soon anyway. They are also the culprit behind my chewed up collard and pea seedlings. They have not bothered the radishes, but they slither right through to the other seedlings in here.

I have a new appreciation for large scale organic farmers every day.

99% complete native shade garden

2011-09-28T16:57:00.004-04:00

The native shade garden is nearly complete, really! I finally moved the oak leaved hydrangea out of its too-sunny spot at the opposite end of the bed, and it worked out really well.

This required moving the red twigged dogwood, but that looks better now also. It is one of those shrubs that can take a lot of pruning, so it will look better than this one day. After seeing a photo of "autumn bride" Heuchera, I had to have it, and now it flanks the dogwood.

I knew I wanted one more Itea, because it is just stellar year round--see that red color? I planted it in front of a Clethra, which is full and fragrant in summer, but looks really sad in late winter.

We just need one more tree, and then I will just occasionally plug in a plant or two, as I watch how these plants grow and fill in. The tree will go about where this bird feeder pole is:

This has been a fun and rewarding exercise--with the added benefit of some nice screening and privacy.

Coming Attractions

2011-09-28T16:37:00.001-04:00

I like having herbs sprinkled throughout the garden, but I also have a need to maximize my vegetable growing space, so these two new beds, both getting only part sun, will be the new home for all herbs that can take part sun--parsley, cilantro, mint, lemon balm, dill, thyme, and anything else that works, like lettuce and maybe green onions.

With plans to one day make that shed a habitable space, I can envision a patio with tables and chairs behind the herb beds, and french doors in the space between them.

A Long Overdue Project

2011-09-27T17:35:00.000-04:00

I finally got rid of the monkey grass along the walkway (well, Mr. Do did, it was tough to dig up!). Liriope is fine in the right spot, but ours was so in need of dividing that there was little choice but to dig it up. Also, with no barrier, it was escaping into the grass (and vice versa)--not that our lawn is much to write home about. Neighbors gave it a good home, and I was able to plant something I like. Something that won't look so depressing and awful in late winter/early spring. I chose Sedum and thyme, two spreading ground covers. At the widest part of the bed I planted a mini pine and a Dianthus. As I was digging, a man on the sidewalk commented that it was "different" and something to the effect of "it is yours to plant as you like." I guess he didn't like it! I am sure it will look better when it fills in, and I will like it, so you know what he can do.

Getting the Timing Right

2011-09-27T13:02:00.003-04:00

I never get my fall seeds in the ground on time, but this year has been even worse because of, well... life, and uncooperative weather. Slugs and other critters may also be taking their toll, with all of this rain and the straw mulch I was thinking was a good idea just a few months ago.
Luckily, I did manage to get a bumper crop of radishes planted. There are carrots, turnips, and beets in here too, at least I hope there are! (again, spotty germination, or ???) I'll take a closer look this weekend and see if I can distinguish any beets or turnips among those radishes.
I have some peas and fava beans that are doing okay, but it is far from the lush fall garden I hoped for, but when I am still picking tomatoes and okra and the black eyed peas are still producing, what more can you hope for? I'll have to leave a bed empty next summer--a real challenge.
I'll get my winter greens planted this weekend, but they will mostly be seedlings purchased from the farmers' market and not grown from seed. This winter, I am trying a new green, mache--inspired by the Eliot Coleman four season gardening books. I want to be less reliant on my plastic greenhouse covers and just see what happens. That's the great thing about gardening--you can always start over.

Big ol' squash

2011-09-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

At one time, my north Georgia candy roaster vines had about 15 of these babies (they are literally like carrying a baby, without the squirming), but rain-induced rot and etc. whittled it down to 5. One of those was not quite mature, so I ate it in soup--it did not have much flavor and the lemongrass obliterated that, so I am really unsure how these will taste. Stay tuned for adventures in heirloom squash, as I imagine I'll be baking with these in fall, especially around Thanksgiving.

Aptly Named, the beauty berry

2011-09-26T15:31:00.001-04:00

Falling for Fall

2011-09-20T11:36:00.000-04:00

Well fall came on rather abruptly. We've had unseasonably cool weather--which would actually be quite nice if I did not know it would get even colder--and gloomy rain. We need a new roof. It's football season (ugh).
In the garden, I probably seeded much too late, but I can buy seedlings. My farmers' market has lovely lettuce and other greens. My radishes are coming up, hopefully soon to be followed by beets and turnips. The fava beans are looking nice. At the same time, the garden is still producing peppers, tomatoes, squash, okra, and beans. It's all about the kitchen these days, like this torte from Beyond the Plate. I am going to make this far too much, with every fruit. It's pear season!

When I was little, I wanted to be a florist. Here's my attempt, inspired by Little Flower School and Saipua.

How do you stay inspired in less than stellar weather?

Summer Report Card

2011-09-07T17:42:00.001-04:00

It's time to begin taking stock of the garden's performance this summer--the good, the bad, and the ugly. Lots of ugly here. This evaluation gets skipped for the spring garden, when I am too busy prepping for the big show of summer, but I recall having plenty of lettuce, arugula, and spinach, a first (though tiny) harvest of asparagus, and some sweet English peas. I still need to work on timing for roots and crucifers, and finally get a good crop of fava beans.

1) Schizo about squash. I loved it one week and hated it the next, but you can't argue these results:

Squash requires careful monitoring of the squash vine borer, but with row cover and some triage, it can recover and perform. It is recommended to direct sow, which works well with my vacation schedule, but maybe I should try starting them earlier indoors.

2) Grow Up. I've already said it, but I need sturdy, attractive trellises. They will look nice, maximize my space, and increase my harvest. It will also avoid scenes like this travesty:

3) Pepper Problem. Hot peppers I can grow. Sweet peppers I can not. Figure out why by next year.

4) Cuke Blues. I conquered my bitterness problem by growing lemon cucumbers and using lots of mulch, but I still got a paltry harvest because the plants always get sick, most likely because of cucumber beetles. I am currently decimating the population by catching them in winter squash flowers, but they'll be back, and I need a plan. Or could this be a mildew and not a bacteria or virus?

5) Cherry tomatoes are the bomb, as are "Fourth of July" hybrids. I love heirlooms, especially black ones, but the black prince was prone to cracking while the Fourth of July are still producing. With two cherry tomato plants, we had more than we needed, but I'd still probably grow two next year just in case. Next year, more sauce tomatoes for sure. I could can them, but freezing is just as easy.

6) Beans are the Best. Despite looking like this, the Lima beans did well. My first experiment with black eyed peas was a success, though I should not have fertilized the bed. If I have room, I'll grow more bean varieties next year.

7) Okra. I thought 8 plants would be enough after 12 last summer. Nope, 12 was perfect.

8) Eggplant. Why the low yields? It was a brutally hot summer, but now they are looking great. These are so pretty they will always be room for at least one plant.

9) Herbs. I am learning that varieties matter. I know I like peppermint and not spearmint for example. My oregano is not that tasty, so I need to try several varieties. After reading this article in Saveur, I want to try growing basil for pesto the traditional way. The herbs are moving again, out of their pots and the square bed and into two new beds I have yet to dig, in a part sun area. I also need to figure out why my scallions are not getting any bigger.
10) Fruit! The blueberries did so much better this year than last year, so I am really feeling optimistic about next year. I will need to build some kind of bird-excluding cage that the birds cannot get trapped in like bird netting. I did not refresh my strawberry bed when I was supposed to, so we'll just have to see about those. The blackberries will be trained off the fence so I can try to better protect them from the birds next year. I still was able to pick and freeze several pounds, though some are not fully ripe--that makes them better for jam anyway. The raspberry gave me a small harvest, but the plant is looking nice--poised to impress next year.

Anything missing? What am I not growing that I should be? I can't think of anything, just to continue trying different varieties and increase my yields.

Native Plant Progress

2011-08-29T15:03:00.004-04:00

The native shade garden has had some challenges--dog vomit fungus in the mulch, infiltrating ivy, slugs and rabbits munching away--but overall I'm happy with the results and planning to expand it.
In this photo the compost pile I plonked down in the middle of the bed is strategically blocked by a pot of lemongrass. It's a temporary location. as once fall comes I am moving the large oa- leaved hydrangea at the far right (it gets too much sun). I'll have to do some rearranging and hope to get one or two new trees in here. And more Itea, I definitely need more of that wonder shrub. After maligning the Clethra for its early spring appearance, I grew to love its fragrance and long lasting, bee attracting blooms.After struggling all summer, the Anemone is taking off:I'm looking forward to a carpet of its white blooms next spring.

Curb Appeal

2011-08-29T13:23:00.007-04:00

It's been a long time since we visited the front yard. Not too much to report, but things are filling in nicely. That was the plan, to plant and basically forget it--and hopefully take some attention off the state of the lawn. (The front yard is small, close to the street, and not used, but I want it to look nice of course.) After some initial experiments I've found what I like, and now I just need to keep repeating it.
This captures the color scheme of pink and pops of orange, with gray green leaves and the burgundy of a Dahlia and Sedum. I like chartreuse foliage, too. I think these colors complement our brick.
I am waiting for fall to transplant some of the Sedum and Dianthus, which will need dividing soon anyway. This is economical and will bring some much-needed color to the other side of the house, here in front of this Spirea. A holly sits to the left and a Hibiscus to the right (it will soon die back for winter). I planted a northern seas oats at the backto match the one on the other end of the house and to fill a space.
I also need to extend some color over to this area around the blue shag pine. To its left, I transplanted some Nandina which has not quite taken off yet. The Heather in front of the Nandina offers some winter color.
When the Dahlias dies back for winter, I'll reassess what holes need filling.
My next major project will be to dig up this Liriope, which I detest. I've been whining about it forever, but it will happen soon!On the side of the house, the Japanese Anemone is blooming, the Camelias will soon, and the Hydrangea dries to a nice shade.
Not pictured are the Heuchera and Hellebore, two champs for shade. The hellebore still has its flowers that opened in spring! Three Astilbe that have not bloomed will be moved. I am also hoping to establish some lily of the valley back here. Two Japanese Andromeda have recovered nicely after being moved from a too-sunny spot. I've considered widening these plantings, especially since I planted them under the eaves and created a water problem, but there is the slight complication of a gas line buried here. I sometimes wonder why I even bothered with planting all of this, after all, the only time I enjoy it is when I make my "rounds" around the yard, but it was good practice--and I hope neighbors enjoy it as they walk by.

Full Moon and Fragrant

2011-08-29T13:01:00.006-04:00

The first moon flower of the season opened last week. One of the best floral fragrances around, I noticed it is quite similar to Acidanthera, also now blooming:
While walking through a nearby neighborhood Friday night, I spotted a huge white fragrant night-blooming shrub. It was not the night blooming Cereus that I first guessed. I must walk by in daytime and try to chat up the owners. I am now thinking it is Datura inoxia (not the more common angel's trumpet). That one is quite poisonous, so maybe it would be better potted, but their specimen was huge.
I've always wanted a "moon garden" full of silvery and white fragrant plants, perfect for the patio. A project for next year!

Well That Was Anticlimactic

2011-08-29T11:00:00.008-04:00

Irene, that is. Not that I am complaining. Being from Charleston, SC, which experienced Hurricane Hugo (though I rode it out in a town safely outside the storm's wrath), I take weather events seriously. We were lucky--about 2 inches of rain in my immediate area and high winds. A tree came down a block away, so it could have been a lot worse. As you can see, there are many large old trees surrounding my lot:We made efforts to secure the black eyed peas, a wobbly tomato trellis, and the hot peppers that are so top-heavy they were already falling over without 50 mph winds. Now I have another reason to make sure I build sturdy trellises next summer.
Everything survived just fine, so it's time to get to the fall planting. First step, make room. I have to decide what can go and what I want to eek every last bit of productivity out of. I pulled a non-producing sweet pepper and the black prince tomato because it looked sickly and the fruit was cracking like crazy. I've got green tomatoes to pickle or fry, or maybe make a gratin.
The lemon cucumbers look to be succumbing to powdery mildew or some kind of bacteria or virus.
It's probably in vain, but I trimmed the worst leaves off in the hopes it can hold out long enough for these cukes to get a little bigger:I killed about eight cucumber beetles yesterday, so there goes my theory that my Dahlias were luring them away. Here is one on a cucumber flower, but I found the large squash blossoms the place to catch them:
At least I now know I can grow non-bitter cucumbers, and next year I'll try row covers and experiment with plants that reputedly repel the beetles. I have their predators, they just have too big of a job!
It's a bit of a jungle, but there is plenty of room to start seeds beneath the cucumbers, peppers, and okra as well among the summer squash, tomatoes, and beans.
It's amazing how much the garden changes from season to season. All of this growth will soon be replaced with low growing greens and root crops.

Why to Garden

2011-08-24T14:26:00.003-04:00

Granted, gardening is not everyone's cup of tea, but I feel strongly that if you have a patch of land, you should be growing something edible on it. The Washington Post makes an effort to keep its gardening section alive, and while writer Adrian Higgins gets a lot of love, I really like Barbara Damrosch's work, too. Read her latest column about why "we" garden and why we should, at Washingtonpost.com.

PostVacation Surprise and Fall Preview

2011-08-24T11:46:00.009-04:00

I've been away at the beach, and in the meantime the garden kinda exploded. I carried what I could harvest onto the plane. The garden sitter and cat sitter ate their fill of cherry tomatoes, but the okra was blocked by the winter squash, so some pods got away. The cucumbers--my first that were not bitter!--are now showing signs of disease but will hopefully give us some more delicious lemon cukes.
In addition to coming home to an earthquake (what?) and some lovely fall-like weather, I came home to about 15 candy roaster squash. I conquered the squash vine borer!
I also have a nice crop of summer squash coming:
The eggplant are liking the cooler weather and should produce better through fall:
The lima beans are full of blooms for a second crop, and the black eyed peas are exuberant, and though over-nourished are producing well:
My fall garden planning has been woefully inadequate, but I'll soon sow lettuce, arugula, tat soi, collards, kale, spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, beets, scallions, radishes, fava beans, mache, and maybe a fall crop of peas. I've probably missed the boat on broccoli and cauliflower, and definitely on Brussels sprouts. The timing just never works for me on those, but a winter of greens and roots would be fantastic.

Bloom Day

2011-08-12T11:51:00.010-04:00

It's mid-month, time to head over to May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming across the country in bloggers' gardens.
With my massive border expansion project (aka, the garden that ate summer) complete, there is nothing to do but wait for it to fill in--and watch the hummingbirds.

Of course vegetable blooms can be just as pretty.

Summer Squash as Summer Wanes

2011-08-12T11:30:00.005-04:00

These got a late start due to some poorly planned siting, but the summer squash are finally taking off and will hopefully produce through October. This is "lemon" squash, and it had no trouble with the SVB like the earlier planted winter squash, but I really should not jinx squash.

Preserving Fail ... and Do-over

2011-08-09T15:31:00.006-04:00

The big success in the garden this summer has been the Tunisian baklouti peppers I grew from seed, under grow lights way back in cold winter. Not so successful was my first attempt at drying them. I thought with the 100 degree heat we were having that I could sun-dry them. I placed them in a cardboard box, placed a screen atop that to keep out birds and other critters, and placed the box on top of some baskets so there would be air flow. It was working okay, but then with a chance of rain I began moving the peppers inside and out. The humidity inside and outside probably doomed them. Now they look like this, a total bust:
I could probably salvage some of these, but I prefer to not take any chances with fungi. Luckily, I already had a whole new batch picked--and my second attempt, this time oven drying, was a total success. I had been afraid of oven drying because of the heat and the risk of causing massive coughing attacks, but neither was an issue. I sliced and mostly deseeded them first, then put them in the over for about 4-5 hours at about 200 degrees (the most precise setting my Montgomery Ward gas oven has).
I did not have gloves to wear while slicing the peppers as I should have, but I scrubbed my hands really well with soap and the rough side of a kitchen sponge, and that prevented any unpleasant burning.
I just watched them until they were at the point of "crispiness" while still retaining some flexibility. The color changes dramatically also. Now they look like this, ready for making harissa!
Harissa is a spicy North African sauce that is perfect for stirring into stews or anything else you'd use a hot sauce for. I highly recommend Deborah Madison's recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, which you can grab using Google Books. I am going to replace the New Mexico and guijillo peppers with the traditional baklouti--just for kicks, as the other peppers make a fantastic harissa.
With more on the way, I'll be well stocked with hot peppers for quite a while.

Harvest Time Randomness

2011-08-02T13:01:00.013-04:00

Ah, summer. We never tire of tomatoes--salads every day, dinner most nights, plus some sauce stored in the freezer. I could probably be okay with just one cherry tomato plant next year and more regular (and sauce) tomatoes. Crop rotation is my dilemma, with 6 beds and a love of Solanaceae. That rotation conundrum partly kept me from planting more okra, along with a desire to try squash (why?), though last summer okra was one of my biggest successes, ever. Here is a good demonstration of when to pick an okra pod and when not to (left too big, right just right):
At this stage. the okra comes in fits and starts, and it is hard to use them in their prime. I should freeze them one at a time at this stage, until the flush of pods comes.
Which should be soon judging by the size of this plant--love those flowers!
My other success has been the Tunisian hot peppers. I sun-dried these and already have many more ripening. A good yield! (8 plants, started from seed).
Compare this to my sweet pepper, below (we've eaten one pepper). See how the leaves are curling? Disease? Not enough sun? Nutrient deficiency? Not enough AND too much water? Probably all of the above--I've never had success with sweet peppers (always purchased transplants from the farmers' market). Maybe now that the latest heat wave is over (yep, still summer but less than 100) it can recover.
Beans I would classify in the so-so department. I love growing them, but I really need to amp up the productivity. We've already had some delicious black eyed peas, and last weekend we enjoyed these limas. 12 plants, less than a pound, shelled, so far--not that impressive. Too many factors to name. Next year, more sun and a trellis (look for future experiments in light carpentry). These are semi bush, but I think they'd do better with a place to twine. I prefer them green, but the older white ones cooked up just as tender.
Lima beans actually don't like high heat--when was it ever not in the 90s in summer in the south though? Maybe I'll need to start them earlier next year (though who could have predicted 100 degrees in late May?) and count on doing a second late summer crop. How am I supposed to plan cool weather crops, when my summer crops are all being tempermental that it's too hot and waiting for fall to produce? I need more beds, but I promised Mr. Do that we'd leave grass in the center of the yard--it is smaller than it appears in these photos and it really does make it feel open and airy to have grass in the middle, as I conquer every edge and corner of the yard.
I'm working on a solution.
But that brings in our problem with shade. I am really wishing we did not let this black cherry tree grow (on the right). It is nice shade for the neighbor (and privacy for us), but look how it is shading these two beds in the late morning. I think they are still technically full sun, but just looking at the tomatoes seems to indicate otherwise--though they have actually produced plenty. There is also a sad eggplant in there, but the basil is doing fine (good to know it can take less sun than I thought).
Compare this to the cherry tomatoes on the sunny side (granted, they are different varieties with differing growth habits):
There is also a sweet pepper buried between the cherry tomatoes--you can't even see it behind the purple basil, so I'll have to address that soon. The seed-grown eggplants in front are doing okay, but they need fish emulsion (it really boosted the productivity last year).

In the curcurbit department, I still waver from happy to sad every other day, but today I am optimistic again that the winter squash is going to recover from the squash vine borer. (I had to dig another one out, which I fed to a bird in a very satisfying move). Unfortunately this means its onslaught of the garden path continues unabated, and I've let it slip onto the cucumber trellis:
Where there is obviously little room to spare, but a lot of that green is lettuce and parsley that are setting seed.
And I have my first lemon cucumber! The cuke versus squash battle begins.
The lemon squash is biding its time for world dominance too I suppose:
I am really looking forward to seeing these flower buds open.
The longest growing season deserves a long post.

I caught the hummingbird!

2011-08-02T11:38:00.005-04:00

In photographs of course. It was not easy, but she took a few rests and I was able to stand behind a tomato trellis and capture her as she fed on the honeysuckle. Amazing!

Grubby and yay, humingbird!

2011-07-29T16:45:00.005-04:00

This week I had a garden-related nightmare. I discovered a groundhog-sized grub churning in the soil of a raised bed. And if that alone was not bad enough, before I had to tackle the unpleasant task of killing it, it morphed into a human-sized grub and started chasing me. I have apparently spent too much time digging lately.
However, all that digging resulted in the completion (ha!) of the perennial garden expansion. The Agastache and Monarda were not even in the ground before the hummingbird showed up. I got to watch her from about three feet away--pretty exhilarating distance to watch a hummingbird. She's making multiple visits daily, also visiting the honeysuckle and stopping to rest in the mulberry tree and on the apple sprout. I love her. Given my photography skills, you'll have to settle for a pic of her favorite food, but I did manage to catch the goldfinch in action on my white swan cone flower--I never deadhead them all just so I can see that.
hummingbird favorite, Agastache (anise hyssop)
the goldfinch is a little easier to capture:
happy birding!

Squash Sighting!

2011-07-25T13:06:00.006-04:00

Oh, the saga of the winter squash. Why did I plant this again? I like my raised beds neat and easy to maintain, but with winter squash I have this:
As attractive as those leaves are, this is getting out of hand. I have to watch to keep it from climbing into my cucumber bed. Because this just might be the year I finally get non-bitter cukes, and that is more important than any squash, no matter how pretty.
It might even entertain ideas of going up the tomato trellis, which is already contending with the supposedly bush beans:
I think the okra can handle it though--okra is tough like that.
But then in this weedy patch behind the squash bed I spotted this, and now it is all worth it:
My first "north Georgia candy roaster"! I put a bed of straw under it, which just seemed like the right thing to do. It'll age to a tawny pink, like butternut but with a blue tip (that sold me on it, natch). These things get huge, and if I get as many as someone more adept with squash than I am would get, then this will be hilarious. Have I mentioned that I live in a 900 sq. ft. house, with no root cellar? And by the way, Mr. Do does not really care for winter squash. We do have a shed "piggybacked" on our house, which we first called the murder shed because it looked like some place a serial killer would store implements ... or people. It has adopted the more cutesy moniker of the "bug-out cabin" (TM spoondaddy) If I can seal all of the vole access points, I think this would be the perfect storage place. But I'm not holding my breath--something destructive will surely befall this squash before I even think about harvesting. So let's admire it once more:
By the way, I needn't have worrried about the squash vine borer, as this plant seems determined to survive the mangling I gave it--growing side shoots with abandon.
I may regret pointing these vines toward the flower bed, where I'll have to worry about them tearing down my plants--Baptisia and some new Monarda (along with a scraggly looking old one I transplanted on a 99 degree day). But why I thought this squash could reside in a 4x6 bed I'll never know--it'll be taking over half the yard by September at this rate.
And there are more new plants for it to smother, thanks to a trip to the garden center, where I displayed no restraint in the face of Agastache. Who could? I picked up some in coral and some in pink, plus some Salvia for good measure. I need a large bee population to pollinate all those curcurbits after all!

Southern Gal

2011-07-20T12:41:00.006-04:00

One of my distinctive childhood memories is shelling beans and shucking corn when my mema and pepa would go to the farms on John's Island, SC. Before farmers' markets as we know them now, people in the know would drive out to the source for those famous tomatoes.
Mema would also "put up" the most fragrant pears--something that I hope to one day replicate now that I am canning too.
So it is no surprise that some of my favorite things to grow are southern delicacies. Not only are they delicious, they perform well in the hot summers of Virginia.
The black eyed peas look freakishly healthy--so much so that I worried the soil was too rich and they'd be all leaf. This bed got a dose of Espoma organic fertilizer ("Garden-tone") when I prepared it. I definitely noticed how rich the soil appeared, compared to the clay soil in the beds I dug my first year, mere feet away. I am fairly certain my yard was farmland way back when (most likely hemp).
By July the plants had flowered just fine and have plenty of plump pods. I hope to harvest some for eating fresh this week.
The lima beans also have plenty of flowers and pods, but I am a little concerned about this leaf discoloration
My first impulse was rust, but that is just because of the color and the fact that it is a familiar bean problem. It just does not look like any of the photos of rust that I have found online, and nothing rubs off as I think it would with a fungus. So now I am thinking it is viral or bacterial, but I am not rushing to action since the plants are performing.
Okra comes in a trickle--a pod here and there until all of a sudden your freezer is full, if you're lucky.
Or course I've strayed pretty far from the south as well. I love north African cuisine, so I could not resist these Tunisian peppers:
They worked great in salsa with the cherry tomatoes that are coming fast and furious, and once dried they will eventually become harissa sauce.

Butterflies and Bees

2011-07-19T11:29:00.008-04:00

I have long been interested in gardening for wildlife, so Asclepias was one of the first seed packets I ordered. Unfortunately I had no luck with my haphazard scatter-the-seeds approach, so I was thrilled to finally pick some plants up--and see the results, a visiting monarch.
Not only are the multicolored blooms gorgeous, they are the host plant for monarch butterfly larvae. I hope to see some of the cool striped caterpillars, but I hope this is not a dangerous spot, as it is near the vole habitat, and I read that mice eat monarch caterpillars. A marauding neighborhood cat has taken a toll on the voles, who feast on my compost and bird seed but seem to leave the garden alone (but a sad aside, I think the cat killed a baby robin the other day).
Surprisingly, I have not seen many butterflies on the joe pye weed, but I am enjoying the tall blooms.
But it is all about the bees lately. Look at the gobs of pollen on this one (on a blazing star):
They also really dig the summersweet (Clethra). Clethra takes forever to leaf out in spring, so plant it it the back of a border, but it more than makes up for that with its fragrance, so put it where you'll enjoy it.
I hope the bees are visiting the cucumber and winter squash flowers:
Look, recovering from the squash vine borer attack just fine!
They certainly love the lavender.
I need many more small flowered perennials to attract the good guys. My plan is to fill out my beds with Agastache and yarrow, or maybe Salvia and Penstemom too, but it will have to wait until early fall, when this heat wave and drought breaks--and hopefully some nurseries will be having sales then too.

Just an Update

2011-07-18T12:36:00.005-04:00

It was one of those busy summer weekends, when I did lots of little mundane things, like continue to move plants in the expanded border, thin and transplant summer squash, and edge around the vegetable beds.
Speaking of which, I need a long-term plan for these paths. Mowing it is a drag--well not so much the mowing (since I don't do it) as the edging. I hate to lose any amount of clover though--it is like crack for bees and rabbits, keeping the latter out of my food plants. It is soft to work on, and low maintenance otherwise--versus digging up any more sod and covering the ground somehow.
This eggplant got a little bigger. I ate it.
It is that brief time of year when the day lilies look good.
Their days are numbered. After I get a light meter and determine just how many hours this spot gets, it'll be mine. The shed will get new windows one day (maybe even french or sliding glass doors), so it's going to be edibles or easily transplanted herbs here for now. It is a mucky area that gets waterlogged (in addition to hiding voles), so it needs amendment. The day lilies will go to the curb and get snapped up.
I have entirely too many cherry tomatoes (not a bad problem)--and just enough slicers. Next year, canning tomatoes!
My main project was beginning to take down the finished blackberry vines (floricanes) so I can tame and train the new ones (primocanes, which will be floricanes next year) The fence-as-trellis was not working, but I thank my neighbor for his tolerance. I have wood and wire, and a loosely constructed plan for a trellis.
I only wish the weekend were longer.

Beautiful Beans, and What Is Worth It

2011-07-13T15:43:00.005-04:00

In my third year gardening, I continue to evaluate what is worth growing and what isn't--for both financial and other reasons. Lettuce (all greens really), herbs, and tomatoes are all no-brainers, as they are easy and economical. So are berries, asparagus (worth the wait!), and rhubarb.
Another favorite of mine is beans. The last two summers I had a fair amount of success with lima beans, and this summer I added black eyed peas. Look how gorgeous the flowers are:
The great thing about beans is they don't need much fertilizer (they fix their own nitrogen). They also can be eaten/frozen fresh or dried.
I'm still on the fence about peppers, cucumbers, and squash, but it is fun learning in the process.

Down With SVB

2011-07-13T13:59:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week, I saw my first squash blossom. So excited, I took a picture and all.
This is a winter squash called candy roaster, reputedly a "smaller version" called North Georgia, though I had no idea what I was getting into trying to grow winter squash in a 4x6 raised bed.
As you can see, it is rapidly running, which is working out just fine.
There are bolting lettuce, cilantro, parsley, and arugula in the bed to attract beneficial insects, and some okra that I am hoping will just tower over the squash on the perimeter and withstand the snaking vines.
So far so good, the vines look exceedingly healthy. But I have been busy and, as I soon learned, not checking the leaves as carefully as I should have. For eggs.
A few days later, I saw my first squash vine borer. Or it's frass rather, oozing out of a stem. I knew there was a reason I have avoided growing squash. I sucked it up and prepared to extract the larvae by slitting the stem with a knife. When I have something like this to do, I rarely stop to document--I just want to get it over with.
I don't exactly have the sure hands of a surgeon, so the stem was fairly mangled. But I got it, and buried the affected section of stem with compost and soil. I'm keeping it damp, and a few days later it still looks fine, as does the second of the three plants on which I also spotted the SVB. Now I just have to hope that this bed isn't full of eggs and larvae. Hopefully getting to it before the plant wilted means better chances for the plant, which can re-root along the stem.

Next time I grow squash--in a different bed--I'll use row cover until the SVB is done doing it's thing (laying eggs), around July, which is coincidentally when you need to have the flowers exposed for pollination.
Read about organic controls for SVB and squash bugs at the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. A blog I just discovered, Virginia Naturals, has a good photo of the damage the larvae do to stems as well as the adult SVB. VegEdge also has good photos. I also found this newspaper column helpful.

My other cucurbits seem unscathed so far, but I know I desperately need to thin (and transplant) this summer squash. From the reviews in the link below, it sounds like they may need trellising too.
another heirloom, "lemon" squash:

"lemon" cucumber--hoping these will be less prone to bitterness compared to the variety I tried to grow before.

Found a Cosmos

2011-07-07T16:21:00.003-04:00

I love Cosmos, so it was one of the first seed packets I purchased and attempted to grow in the garden. But alas, my soil was too rich/heavy and I never had any success. Fast forward to this summer, when I just assumed that this pink flower was a wonky coneflower. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a cosmos growing under a coneflower. They can't grow in the same place forever, so a delicate operation is in order--and hopefully lots more cosmos in the future!

Irrigation, stat

2011-07-07T15:55:00.004-04:00

This year it finally hit home what a huge job I have made for myself by um, landscaping more than half of my yard. It's not the digging, it's the watering! Without all of the new plants, I would not be bothering to water the lawn, so I dread the next water bill (they come every three months, so you notice the amount).
I finally found a watering system that helps, though it isn't the magic I need. For the perennial beds that are pretty much static, I bought a kit that has 50' of tubing and 5 "sprinklers" that you attach to the tubing once you decide the right placement (they even include nifty plugs in case you need to move one).
For $40, I don't think this system can be beat, but some minor improvements are in order. If there were at least 2 more sprinklers it would be much better. Also, the spray can be weak at times, but adjusting the water flow usually works that out. For larger plants that need a true soaking, like the service berry tree, this doesn't cut it, so I drag the hose over for that.
I do like that the 360 degree spray can be made one-directional by adding a plastic piece. It seems rugged enough, but will have to come in for the winter.
The positive ending is that once my perennials are established (and the ones I have moved get re-established), they won't need watering quite as much. And all that mulch is certainly helping.
I am still watering the vegetable garden with a hose--it is faster and easier, but not ideal--and I don't know what would be ideal with raised, cedar-lined beds. That is something that I'll have to work out in the future. For now, I am just thankful for the inch and a half of rain we got last weekend.

Varmints

2011-07-07T15:49:00.003-04:00

Just more random ranting about animals...My lovely sunflower, where last year I observed a woodpecker dining on seeds, was unceremoniously dispatched by a squirrel. I spotted the decapitated flower through the fence.

Looking better already--bigger beds!

2011-07-05T13:27:00.007-04:00

The ornamental (mostly) garden expansion process has taken longer than I thought, since I am not super human or anything. After contending with the mulch--and recovering--I had the energy to complete the last of the remaining digging over the three-day weekend.
Here is a reminder of how the too-skinny border looked before:
Eliminating this perfectly round tree island around the Magnolia was a nice bonus:I went in stages. After I conceived the plan, realizing that just widening the border was not going to give me the space I needed, I began by creating a large bed at the right end of the back border--extending out from the lilac corner. This preserved the expanse of lawn that Mr. Do likes, and that I agree makes the yard feel spacious.
I made a walking path across the bed so I can access plants, most important the blueberries. In this new bed, I moved the Amsonia (bluestar), Baptisia (false indigo), Liatria (blazing star), and some of my coneflowers (Echinacea). I admit I do not like the neat, "plant island" mulched look, but the whole point was to give the plants room to grow, and the mulch is smothering the grass (along with a layer of cardboard)--no more sod digging for me! I will eventually plant low growers in between them--maybe more yarrow and Veronica, plus some Agastache, following the advice of this excellent post by Nancy J. Ondra of Hayefield.
Now the blueberries and coneflowers along the fence have ample room to grow, and bulbs like Allium keep it from looking too sparse.
The Liatris in the front are looking gangly because all growing season so far they were crowded and in too much shade--they will bounce back. This combo was partially inspired by the cover of The American Gardener, but you'll have to use your imagination until they fill in.
Some cooler (relatively) and cloudy weather cooperated so I could transplant some large bushes with minimal damage. First to go were the suffering hydrangeas, which found a new home in a bed to the left of Betty the Magnolia, where they now get afternoon shade provided by the garden shed, along with some new Veronicastrum (Culver's root), with sun-loving Scabiosa, lamb's ear, and butterfly weed (Asclepias) in front. I killed (tear) the seedlings I had growing under the Magnolia with leaf mulch, but there's always more seed.
Neither Hydrangea was blooming much before, but I am expecting to see lots more of this now that the shrub is getting the shade it needs
I rearranged a few other plants along the long border over the past few weeks, and this weekend I widened the entire bed about two feet, giving me space to stagger plants (and add two more blueberries!). This part is still in progress, and some transplanting will have to wait until fall, but it is looking much better already. I love it when a plan comes together--now I just need a chaise or hammock to sit in and enjoy the view.

A bounty of sweet shrub

2011-07-05T12:45:00.004-04:00

A thought the sweet shrub seeds I was attempting to grow had spotty germination. Turns out I was wrong--I've now got about seven potential shrubs.
Maybe I'll add them to the newly expanded native shade garden:
... or to the newly conquered (thanks to mulch mountain) corner, where a black cherry tree (Prunus serotina) and a scrubby rose now sit.

Mulch Mountain

2011-06-28T14:22:00.003-04:00

aka, the mulch that ate my weekend. I decided to get some of the free (well, delivery charge--still a deal!) leaf mulch Arlington county offers to use as I extend my flower beds. Let's just say that my math skills are not so hot. We were shoveling for three days, and begging neighbors (passerby even) to take some. This photograph is completely deceiving, as I now realize I should have stepped back. The pile was almost as tell as me! I did not even count the number of wheelbarrows, but I think when you see the finished beds you will appreciate how much mulch I was dealing with.

Smelling like a daisy...?

2011-06-27T14:31:00.004-04:00

My "driveway" garden had developed a stench so repugnant to me that I had begun to have paranoid delusions that someone was tossing their dog waste into the bed. At first, I thought the neighborhood cat was at it again, but when I finally had had enough and was preparing to dig through the bed, it hit me that 1) I was being ridiculous and 2) there was something else at work. I immediately googled "daisies stink" and found the culprit.
The shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum) was only 2% of the "real shady" seed mix I planted here, but it is doing really well. After deadheading, the smell immediately went away!
I actually like the bed looking more neat, so perhaps I will donate the offending plant to a local pollinator garden and replace it with something I can tolerate walking my bike past! Or, maybe I can deal with deadheading the daisy a lot more than I was. I hated to cut them considering the amount of pollinators they were attracting. I am just relieved that smell is gone for now...replaced by the smell of mulch mountain (coming soon).

Dear Mr. Bird and other pest news

2011-06-23T13:22:00.010-04:00

If you are going to taste my first ripe tomato of the season, could you at least eat the whole thing?
Maybe this is the work of a squirrel or my main nemesis, the vole(s). The birds get plenty of raspberries though--this reflective tape affects them nil.
They are getting pretty bold with the blueberries, which are under nets. And I made the mistake of planting the blackberry ON the fence, so they can just come through the other side to snack if I drape a net on it. I think there will be enough to share.
Speaking of voles, I have not noticed a lot of damage--I think because they have so much to eat in the compost pile. And they would be here whether I had a compost pile or not, being safely ensconced beneath the garden shed. However, I have noticed digging around my newest plantings (the native plants for some reason, not the dozens of other perennials). I am trying cayenne to see how that works:
A gruesome fate befell a vole who was sniffing around the blueberries yesterday. I found its head! Yes, its head. I'll spare you a photo of that, but yay for hawks and sometimes cats, like these two (one is hiding in the catnip):
Yesterday I saw a hawk flying overhead with something much larger than a vole--probably a dove. I do worry about Vincent though. He's not hurting anything, just munching on clover as usual.
Finally, the mosquitoes are as bad as ever. Last evening I was reminded to look before swatting though, when I spotted this cute green guy, perhaps a long-legged fly?

I identified the Spanish orchid!

2011-06-22T12:49:00.003-04:00

I shared a photo of this gorgeous wildflower I spotted on a hike in Basque country, and having a hunch it was an orchid, I googled and voila, found it right away at Iberian Wildlife Tours page on Spanish orchids. It is definitely an Ophrys, and I am pretty sure it is the woodcock Ophrys.
I also found the other plant I had identified as an orchid, which has the amusing name of Naked Man Orchid:
The best part about all of this is that these plants were spotted along a popular trail and not disturbed.

Dog Vomit and Worse, White Flies

2011-06-15T16:03:00.006-04:00

Have you ever seen anything like this?
Don't be alarmed, it is just a harmless slime mold (type of fungus), appropriately named "Dog Vomit." It is common in/on wood mulch, like this cedar bark.

In more worrisome news, I have a major infestation of white flies. Because I think pesticides do more harm that good, and the white flies are not going to kill everything, just weaken a lot of plants, I'm going to try the integrated pest management (IPM) route. I have been trying to increse the beneficial insects in my yard, like the tiny predatory wasps that should be taking these guys out. I am either not doing a good enough job attracting them, or the job is just too big.
How do you know it's white flies? Tap a plant, and zillions of tiny white winged insects fly out. The larvae suck plant juices, weakening the plant and spreading diseases.
When the larvae have been parasitized, they are dark in color, so I'll be in my garden with a magnifier this evening, fingers crossed!

My plan is to purchase some lady bugs and maybe lace wings, plant even more tiny flowered plants to attract the good guys, and spray everything with a hose. I've also comee across mentions of using Dr. Bronner's soap, something I always have on hand. Wish me luck!

Bloom Day for Garden Bloggers

2011-06-15T12:50:00.009-04:00

Despite my camera and photo storage problems, I do actually have some pretty flowers in the garden this week! Thanks to May Dreams Gardens for sponsoring GBBD!

This perennial border is just too narrow and crowded, as I have repeatedly whined about. Some cool cloudy weather is giving me a chance to start transplanting and widening. I do like some of the combinations I have going, like this coneflower (White Swan) with Allium. I have moved the small non-blooming Hydrangea (at left) to a spot with more shade, but I don't dare move the Phlox before it blooms, nor the Monarda that is also squeezed in there and blooming for the first time. The Iris can handle a move, and I may have to move the Peony as well.
My lavender has gotten huge, but not necessarily in a good way. I think but need to confirm that the purple flower is Adenophora--I previously thought it was Campanula. It spreads, but not in an aggressive way, and I like it. Believe it or not, there are also Veronica, Dahlia, Liatris, coneflower, and Yarrow in there. Don't worry, plans for a much expanded border are in the works, and at least I have the plant material to work with!
Most of my bulbs did well this year, and I am especially loving the Alliums. Here is one just before opening:
Native honeysuckle will have to be in every garden I ever plant:
Yarrow has the added benefit of attracting beneficial insects. It needs to be supported though, as these are really "floppy."
Another favorite of mine is coneflower. This is "sundown," which changes from pink to coral-orange. This one is between blueberries--that is why it is covered with net.
Here is another sundown (or a purple coneflower) with a different Allium seedpod.
In the native shade garden, the Clethra will bloom soon. I missed the Itea in full bloom (while on vacation) so I can't compare their scents.
Also blooming is the oak leaved Hydrangea, which is unfortunately getting too much sun. I don't want to move a large established shrub in summer, and I am hoping the small tree I plan to add over here (at left) will give it the afternoon shade it needs.
And here is a long view of the native shade garden:
In the front yard, on the shady side of the house, I have another Hydrangea, which is great for cut flowers:
Here is the hydrangea in context, and you can see the Dahlias and Sedums starting to bloom. Something is devouring the Dahlias (a beetle of some sort)--but maybe I should leave them as a trap crop to keep the pest off my vegetables?
Just the sunny part of the front corner, with blooming thyme and northern sea oats closeups below. I am hoping the Dianthus will bloom again.
I need another one of these sea oats on the other side of the house, behind this Spirea. I really like Spirea, but I wish I had known it was invasive before I bought it so I would not have to feel guilty.
The Spirea does pair nicely with this huge Hibiscus and its purple hued leaves:

I'll be adding more Sedums to this side of the house, along with Dianthus. A native honeysuckle is growing on the trellis behind the Nandina.Along the driveway, I have tons of shasta daisies:
Thanks for checking out DinkyDo's flowers!

Last Post-Vacation Update

2011-06-09T14:25:00.003-04:00

I guess 10 days away from the garden in late May only ended up costing me a few quarts of strawberries (not that that isn't sad!). I didn't miss much else. For my last update, the other bed of beans and nightshades is coming along. This one mimics its twin bed, but it has cherry tomatoes, two eggplants instead of two basil, plus a purple basil and a sweet pepper.
I can't remember if I planted lima beans in this bed, and black eyed peas in the other bed, or vice versa. Either way, I'll know soon.
I'm thrilled with how healthy the seed-grown eggplant looks, especially since it was protected from flea beetles in its early days by row cover.
I've even had a few orange cherry tomatoes already, but the bummer is I can't just eat them off the vine because the robins hang out on top of my tomato tower, leaving some undesirable fertilizer on the plants. I'm no germaphobe, but that calls for a good washing.

Big Bed Garden Update

2011-06-09T14:10:00.004-04:00

Still hanging on in "Big Bed" are a smattering of roots (beets, carrots), greens (lettuce, spinach, and arugula), cilantro and parsley in bloom, and fava beans. All of these will be finished by the time the okra and squash I've planted need the room.
I've planted okra around the periphery. If this week's (and last week's) temps are any indication, it may be my best performer again this summer.
In the center of the bed are a winter squash variety that is hopefully somewhat compact, called "Georgia Candy Roaster." I figure I can let the squash roam the lawn if it needs to.
The favas did a little better this year, so if I continue planting them earlier maybe I'll get a decent harvest one day.

Garden Updates Cont.: Seed Bed

2011-06-09T13:57:00.002-04:00

Before vacation, I planted my "heat lovers"--squash, cucumbers, beans. okra. All germinated and are thriving except the summer squash, a variety called lemon. I suspect it is the state of the bed I planted them in:
If it wasn't the shade, then I wonder if Brassica species like this broccoli exude something that prevents germination.
The parsley and cilantro flowers are now propped up and the seed will be harvested. I removed all but one of the broccoli plants (I want to save some seed) and tried again. If it doesn't work out, I'll use this as my "seed bed" for fall crops. The scallions and leeks are doing well.
By the way, did you know how pretty radish flowers are?

First Cat of the Season

2011-06-09T12:21:00.002-04:00

This black swallowtail caterpillar made a brief appearance on my fennel. They are supposed to be distasteful to birds, so not sure where it disappeared to. I have butterfly bush (Buddleia) and the monarch-feeding butterfly weed (Asclepias) as well as lots more flowers with butterfly appeal, so I look forward to seeing many more butterflies this summer.
I'm hoping my effort to attract pollinators and beneficial insects will pay off in the garden, but there is no harm if not because I've discovered many of my favorite plants also attract beneficials.

The bunny problem

2011-06-07T13:02:00.003-04:00

I've already named him!
We've had rabbits come through the yard before, especially when there were hundreds of rotten apples on the ground, but Vincent seems to have made a home in the day lilies. He munches on clover and samples from all over the yard, including the garden--but he actually did me a favor by thinning my beans.
I alternate between wishing he would leave and hoping the resident Cooper's hawk won't get him (at least not in my sight please). Oh, and did I mention I have no idea if he is really a boy? The last thing I need is a nest of bunnies eating everything in sight. You are so cute, but please find a new home.

Patience

2011-06-06T15:20:00.003-04:00

With some plants, it takes a while to get gratification, like with this foxglove, a biennial. Probably worth the wait, but the constant critic in me would like a more vibrant shade of pink.
Patience is such a huge part of gardening, and not a trait I have in abundance. So, I wait for the peas to fill out, for the tomatoes to ripen, for the eggplant and peppers to form, for the beans and okra and squash and cucumbers and scallions to grow. I wait for the berries to ripen. I wait for the cilantro and parsley to finish blooming--while I do enjoy the many pollinators and beneficial insects they are drawing to the garden--so I can harvest their seed and rip them out to make room for heat lovers. I wait to regain my strength so I can continue digging and expand my beds. I wait for my wallet to replenish so I can buy more plants. I wait.

After Vacation Update, cont.

2011-06-06T14:51:00.005-04:00

In the continuing "what a difference 10 days makes" series, we move on to the exciting developments in the "greens" bed. Before vacation, the spinach and arugula had bolted along, but the mesclun was going strong and the peas had just begun to flower. Fast forward ten days, and we have peas (a DinkyDo first)! I probably could have planted them even earlier with the nice spring we had, but I got a decent enough harvest that I would definitely grow them again. More 100 degree weather is coming this week, so the peas are probably not long for this world, but cucumber seedlings are waiting to take their place on the trellis (and hopefully shade some new lettuce).

Propagating Native Plants

2011-06-06T14:26:00.004-04:00

Sweet shrub (Calycanthus floridus) has long been on my list of desired native shrubs--the fragrance, the maroon flowers, I could go on... I tried to buy one once and was foiled by a mislabeled plant, a viburnum with similar leaves that now nicely hides my compost pile.
While perusing shrubs at the nursery last fall, I chatted about sweet shrub with an employee, who generously snapped a seed pod off a bush and handed it to me, "try it." I finally did, and it is doing pretty well--though only one seed from the 12+ in the pod germinated. Not great odds. Now I have to determine when to pinch it to encourage it to grow bushy and lush, and when to transplant it.

Good timing

2011-06-01T14:48:00.005-04:00

While I was excited to go to Basque country, I was a little miffed that all of my strawberries were ripening just as I left. That was a nice perk for the watering neighbor, but disappointing for my first strawberry harvest. Plus, the blueberries were doing much better than the handful from my first year and I thought I'd miss those too. Not to worry, as time was on my side. My neighbor says he is "sick of strawberries" and I've already had over a quart since getting home!
The blueberries are just now ripening. Still planning on reworking this bed so I can plant more.
Just for kicks, I picked some serviceberries (I'm leaving most for the catbirds and robins, who both adore them). They lack the oomph of a blueberry, but they are nice--and pretty hanging on the tree.
Now I have some raspberries and a mammoth harvest of blackberries to come. I heart berries!

Rhubetter

2011-06-01T14:11:00.003-04:00

"Square" garden before vacation:
Last year, I failed to properly prepare my rhubarb bed, plopping it among strawberries as if their culinary partnership would be enough. This year, I dug deep, and with the added help of buying a two-year old plant, the rhubarb seems to be off to a better start. It quadrupled during my ten-day vacation.
The eight hot peppers are doing well--even one fruit already! And herbs, well if I could not grow herbs I'd really be wasting my time.
In the little box at top, I planted some fennel volunteers I dug from the lawn--hoping to see if I can harvest some bulbs before they become a fennel monster.

Feed me beans and nightshades

2011-05-31T15:32:00.006-04:00

In this bed, the sweet pepper, eggplant, basil, and tomatoes are thriving, and the black eyed pea seedlings are up. I chose small varieties of tomatoes this year, so no waiting months for ripe fruit!
Luckily, the eggplant liked the heat under this row cover. Some flea beetles still made their way in, but all three seed-grown eggplants are doing well. Now comes the easy part, just waiting for harvest!

Basque Country Wildflowers

2011-05-31T12:15:00.000-04:00

Ten days away from the garden and all is well. Unfortunately I did not grab any photos of the many small gardens I saw from the window of the train and bus (many were tucked along the tracks or raodways). I did spot some amazing wildflowers like this one while hiking along the coast. Stay tuned for all of the before and after shots of the garden--quite a transformation in ten days!

Birds ... Trauma

2011-05-17T12:55:00.006-04:00

Late last week the robins that nested on my downspout began acting strangely--much more vocal, dive bombing me, etc. I am guessing this was because their two babies would be leaving the nest soon.
Sunday, I was laying out a soaker hose when a ruckus erupted above me. All of a sudden the two babies were on the ground, and they looked robust and feathered. One ended up in a neighbor's yard--I am guessing the robins thought that one could handle life on its own since it flew across the street, or else they had given up on it.
The other one ended up caught in the bird net on my strawberry row! Oh, the guilt. Luckily I spotted it in time and was able to un-entangle it. This was traumatic, for me and the birds. You always hear to not touch baby birds, but this one must have been old enough. It made its way out of my yard into a relatively protected area. The adults are still protecting and feeding it. I made sure to toss them plenty of grubs and worms as I finished off my last raised bed.
I already knew this, but I could never raise chickens (even if Arlington eventually allows it). As a person who, upon finding a nest of voles in her compost pile, placed each one carefully at the mother's nest opening under my shed, I just can't handle "nature's way."

Bloom Day

2011-05-13T16:08:00.012-04:00

There's a fair amount going on in the garden in midMay, but all I see is potential--and work to be done! I learn so much from checking out other garden bloggers' bloom days.

First, the food plants:
Fava beans, love those spots! Maybe I will get a decent harvest of beans this time. I see a warm up coming soon, though, so I may have missed the timing on these yet again. Once they're done, okra is going here, plus winter squash.
Cilantro--already saw a honeybee and a ladybug enjoying these. I'll let this get established for a continual supply of cilantro in cool weather, and get some fresh coriander seed. Flat leaf parsley is blooming too, another pollinator lure.
My first pea flower! (again, the stress of the warm weather coming may doom these, but my tomatoes and peppers are already blooming on the bright side)
black raspberry (the mammoth blackberry is blooming too--I better get the freezer and canning pot ready):
Now the flowers:
The rose I inherited (I'm meh about it, and it sits in the last neglected corner of the yard). Once I solve the shed problem, this corner will be dealt with, but it really needs a rain garden. There is actually a far prettier rose in the center of this one. Roses perplex me.
Tiarella (foamflower) and soon, behind it, the Itea (sweetspire, my new favorite shrub). I'm thrilled at how the native plant garden turned out. It just needs one more plant (I'm thinking a small Fothergilla tree in the empty spot).
Soon, the lavender I gave a much-needed pruning just in time. This is the bed that needs major widening.
This lavender did not recover from the pruning, but I need this space for a blueberry anyway:
Campanula and Veronica (I like the way flowers look before they bloom almost as much as when they bloom!)
Baptisia (false indigo): Sorry for the blur--trying to catch the ladybug!
Iris!
In the front yard, the new Spirea and Dianthus, soon the Dahlias and Sedum. Still waiting to fill that spot behind the Dianthus and to move some to the other side of house for balance.
native honeysuckle, just waiting for hummingbirds!
Heuchera, soon to be joined by Astilbe and Hydrangea:
the "driveway" garden, full of wallflower, Dianthus, forget-me-nots, and columbines
Allium atropurpureum:
The latest inhabitant of my teal pots at the front door, ice plant:
Note to self: enjoy the blooms, and try not to think about all the work to be done!

Harvest Win!

2011-05-13T16:01:00.003-04:00

The parsnips did much better than the carrots--not only are these a decent size, they smelled fantastic when I pulled them out of the ground! It's a paltry harvest, as the old seeds are germinating spottily, so they were a "just because" planting. I am encouraged enought to plant more this fall (or late summer) for a fall and winter harvest. The beets will be the next test subject.

Berry Countdown!

2011-05-13T15:30:00.003-04:00

The berry watch continues. The blues are getting bluer...
the strawberries are getting redder...
and the mulberries are getting eaten by birds (but I may try to snag a few).

Why Do Carrots Hate Me?

2011-05-10T16:48:00.002-04:00

Harvest Fail!
They're small, but they look decent enough, though, if a little pale. Unfortunately I did not taste before roasting. The flavor was something akin to cardboard. Notes to self: 1) perhaps carrots should not be overwintered 2) give up on carrots, except the adorable round ones.

Progress, Finally!

2011-05-10T16:13:00.003-04:00

It was a grueling few days' work, but the new beds are (just about) finished!

This 5' by 5' bed was easy to dig, but then it required a gazillion bags of compost and top soil to fill up the second layer in the middle (I usually place my raised bed borders low and mix the native soil with compost and some purchased top soil as needed). I wanted to make sure I prepared the bed well for the rhubarb--and I better get lots of pie next year!
That second layer is 3' by 3', which is probably the minimum needed for rhubarb, and I am pressing my luck with the 1' third layer box (in which I intend to place mint to keep it from running amuck, but maybe will plant a few flowers instead).
The bottom layer holds herbs and my beautiful seed-grown Tunisian baklouti peppers from Baker Creek.
I am partitioning the two 3' by 8' beds in half, with both getting half nightshades (tomatoes and eggplant, and some sweet peppers I'll purchase at the farmers' market, plus basil). The Listada di Gandia eggplant, also grown from seed, will remain under row cover until it is past the point of flea beetle susceptibility.
The other halves of both beds will be planted with squash (another Baker Creek variety, lemon) and beans (Limas and Black Eyed Peas from Botanical Interests), but I'll wait a few weeks for warmer weather to seed those, some winter squash, and okra (in another bed).
Next project, irrigation!

Berry Sneaky

2011-05-10T16:00:00.003-04:00

Soon after I put the first net on the blueberries, I had to extricate an entangled robin. I made sure to pull the net taught and secure it after that. You would think after all the worms I have made available for those robins they would cut me some slack with the berries.
I've got to remember where I bought these nets, as those above are nearly transparent, but this one is thick and ugly. This morning I managed to scare off some squirrels before they could do any damage, but I think they were actually digging for something else. The service berry is full of berries, and I already caught a squirrel breaking off a snack of unripe(!) berries. I'll have little chance of eating any of these.
Fruit is a pain, so it's a good thing it is so pretty considering the precious little I'll get to eat without making it Fort Knox.

Goldfinches share a sorrel snack

2011-05-06T10:39:00.005-04:00

As I was watching this goldfinch flit around on my patio, I was surprised to see it hop up onto the sorrel seed pod and start snacking, soon joined by its mate (maybe).
This is their usual spot, the finch feeder hanging on our awesome Carolina Gamecock hook.

Plant Death and Renewal

2011-05-05T17:30:00.009-04:00

Japanese maple, ripIt happens, and at least this Japanese Maple was purchased on clearance. It lived through snowmageddon and an awful summer, then something went wrong over its second winter. It is mostly sad because it was one of the first "big" plant purchases we made for DinkyDo. A Spirea "Neon Flash" is taking its place, giving us some much needed early spring color, along with the Dianthus of course.
Another goner was the Gardenia--it was clear it was just not going to thrive--though it also survived a winter of three feet of snow, and then came back from a wet spring after all hope was lost. The moisture problem in this spot was not able to be solved by me. The yew next to it was looking pretty rough, so I moved over some of the expanding Nandina from the other side of the house. The heather was doing nicely, so I added a couple more--failing to bring my tag, I picked them randomly at the garden center.

Before:
After:
Now I need one more plant to fill a space on the front corner (maybe a ninebark), and a couple more Spirea for balance and some color on the other side ... and more Dianthus and Sedum, and then I am really truly finished with the front yard.

Lemongrass Pots

2011-05-05T17:21:00.005-04:00

Grasses looked good in my beloved teal pots, so I thought why not lemongrass? One side looks great, the other side, not so hot.

Both get similar sun, and I would assume water, but one is just not taking off.

Something will eat rhubarb leaves!

2011-05-05T17:09:00.007-04:00

So, I thought rhubarb was not particularly attractive to insect pests? The cabbage worm that I caught snacking on this one apparently did not get the memo.
I won't get to harvest until next year, though the farmer I bought this two-year plant from said maybe this fall. Unfortunately, last year's plants succumbed to the hot dry summer and my ill-prepared bed.
Be sure to check out A Way to Garden's Spring Fling for rhubarb recipes and growing tips. I'm hoping to make some jam and definitely Martha's raspberry-rhubarb galette.

May Harvests, June Plans

2011-05-05T16:21:00.004-04:00

I'm getting lots of mesclun, and the spinach is still kicking, but the arugula, cilantro, and parsley are going to seed--with the latter two sure to attract lots of beneficial insects. I'm hoping the pea vines will cover the trellis and shade out the second crop of salad greens that is coming up, or maybe a warm weather crop will go here.
No one should ever have to pay for lettuce--ever!
In the "root" bed are carrots and parsnips and a smattering of beets, all to be harvested soon, even if baby size (as they are likely to be even after being sown in fall). The favas are doing well, but I am not expecting much since they have not performed well in the past. I'll be planting okra and winter squash in this bed, fingers crossed they don't shade out the blackberry and asparagus too much.
The Di Cicco broccoli is bolting after a few hot days in an otherwise cool spring...
but the rest of the bed is full of scallions, radishes, a few beets and carrots, and the kales that were missed by the cabbage worms.
If the two new beds ever get dug, they'll be filled with summer stuff--beans, squash, peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. The middle square bed is the home for rhubarb and maybe the Tunisian peppers I grew from seed.

Berry Patrol

2011-05-05T11:33:00.007-04:00

Could these strawberries be any more pretty? There is a row longer than 6 ft! I have to enjoy their looks now because soon they will be covered in black netting to keep the birds out. Many berries already forming! That's flowering asparagus poking up on the left.
The other three blueberries have a good amount of fruit, but I planted this one in partial shade--it looks so lush and healthy, but nary a berry!
Eventually I'd like to transform the bed along my back fence (where the other three blueberries are located) into a row of blueberries and move the perennials there forward, forming a much wider bed. You can see here how dinky the bed is, but digging up that grass is hard work!
The blackberry has gone beyond my wildest expectations, and the raspberry (next to a just-blooming native honeysuckle) is off to a good start.

Pass along plants

2011-05-05T11:02:00.002-04:00

I am so lucky to live in an old neighborhood with great neighbors who give me great old plants, like this awesome iris.psss, I want more irises, and more peonies, and lily of the valley, and Solomon's seal.

I've been digging and dividing some plants (Liriope, Nandina, and lilac) and leaving them along the sidewalk--I hope they are finding new homes.

Plant Sale Haul

2011-05-02T11:19:00.003-04:00

The spring native plant sale was Saturday, and I got nearly everything on my list.
Here are the Solomon's Seal and Anemone in place, among the Hydrangea, Clethra, Itea, Tiarella, and a skinny sweet shrub (Calycanthus) a neighbor divided for me--plus lots of wild violets (unfortunately not frangrant ones).Behind the serviceberry's multiple trunks, I planted a Christmas fern, then to the right are the wavy leaves of bloodroot and a black cohosh. More Anemone and Solomon's seal are planted to the left, among more Itea and Clethra and a Dogwood shrub.
The last few plants--Culver's root, blazing star, and indigo--are elsewhere waiting to be planted.

It was a good day at the farmers' market too, where I picked up four tomatoes. Then a rainy day run to the nursery to fill some holes in the front yard. I ended up with a Spiraea, heather, and Amsonia. I've got a lot of digging to do.

Late April garden walk megapost

2011-04-22T18:09:00.009-04:00

On days I have time to get into the garden, it is cool and rainy--hence not many developments, and never good for my photography skills. Here are the few recent projects.

Correcting the pruning fail
Lesson learned: Chamaecyparis (false cypress) needs to be pruned or it becomes the overgrown mess you see here. I still maintain that the company hired to plant this made poor decisions--like the holly too close to the house that I can't bear to remove.
Before
After

What's in bloom
It should be a good year for berries! The strawberries and blueberries are full of blooms, and the blackberry and raspberry vines look great.
The bulbs are finishing up, and the lilac is in bloom.

The "driveway" garden is just getting started. This "wallflower" is anything but.

The bleeding heart looks fantastic!

The vegetable garden
Digging a new bed with a shovel is hard work, and I worry about "destroying soil structure" and all that, but it can't be worse than tilling. And all of this work now means rarely having to weed later--the worst gardening task I can imagine. Plus, I remove lots of root-eating grubs, and the robins feast for days. This one will be filled with herbs, plus it has a second tier in which I'll plant rhubarb (since last year's seemingly died).

The weather has been good for one thing, salad greens. The arugula is in bloom now, but still not bitter.

The overwintered carrots and parnsips are doing well, plus a few beets. The favas are sprouting.
The overwintered broccoli is still a mystery, but I am hoping this is not bolting but will contine to sprout small heads. The wire is for row cover. This bed has lots of radish and scallion seedlings.

My first english peas!

Thanks for Gardening Sustainably

2011-04-13T12:00:00.010-04:00

In honor of Earth Day, Thanks for Today is sponsoring a Gardeners' Sustainable Living Project in which garden bloggers share how they incorporate sustainable practices into their garden.

Anytime you get outside and into the dirt you become more aware of your affects on the environment, and there are many ways to make a difference. You'll notice a considerable amount of overlap among all of these steps taken in my garden.

1) Water conservation
Does this rain barrel meet all of my watering needs? No, but it does help, and it prevents runoff from reaching the Chesapeake Bay. I'll soon add another rain barrel because even though my house is tiny (less than 900 sq ft), this bad boy fills to overflowing after any hard rain. Smart watering (in morning or evening) and practices like mulching also conserve water. Finally, I just don't care about my lawn, I don't water it and I let the weeds thrive. I won't let it die, but I will never have a perfect expanse of grass.

2) Planting more plants, including native plants
Also related to preventing runoff is planting more plants. (By the way, Plant More Plants is a nice local campaign.) This was a bare patch along my driveway when I moved in. It may not look like much here, but it is just about to fill with blooms. And all it took was a packet of seeds.
I was fortunate to pretty much get a blank slate with my yard, and I am slowly filling it, adding large shrubs and small trees (so as to keep a sunny patch for the vegetable garden). I am not a native-only gardener, but I do make a concerted effort to buy native plants because I like them, they are a good fit for the space, or because animals like them--which leads to the next point.

3) Encouraging pollinators and other wildlife
I have been making a concerted effort to attract pollinators. The clover (and lack of chemicals) in my lawn helps a lot, because I actually see honeybees. I also spotted a mason bee last summer so will be putting up a house. I planted lots of small flowered plants like the yarrow above, as well as fennel, because these attract the tiny predatory flies and wasps that keep garden pests in check. I also don't try to remove every last weed because some of them provide food or homes for beneficial insects.
I feed birds, but I also plant their favorite foods like this sunflower and the new serviceberry tree. It is worth any effort to see woodpeckers and hummingbirds feeding in my garden.
4) Composting and avoiding chemicalsWell, who wants to see my compost pile? Instead, here is the native Viburnum that blocks it from my view, Most of my food and yard waste go into the pile, keeping it out of the landfill. Because it is a cold pile that does not kill weed seeds or diseases, I keep this out of my vegetable garden, but when it eventually breaks down I use it throughout the yard.
Needless to say, I avoid the use of petroleum based fertilizers and herbicides. If I have a problem with a weed, I pull it. For fertilizer, in addition to compost I use fish emulsion/seaweed extract and am fond of Espoma products. I have some battles with the squirrels, rabbits, birds, and voles, but nothing too serious yet. We'll see how the nets work when berry season begins. The local cat and hawk are hopefully taking care of things.
It is hard to imagine not taking these issues into account when gardening, for my health as well as the health of the environment. Eating fresh food that I grew myself is really rewarding, but I try to take some time to just sit and watch the flowers, birds, and insects as well.
Happy Earth Day!

April Flowers

2011-04-07T14:46:00.003-04:00

This time of year is usually more about the flowers that aren't in my garden--the cherry blossoms, Japanese Magnolias, and various bulbs all over DC, but this year I've added some of my own early bloomers to the show.bleeding heart
The daffodils that I so unfairly maligned in a previous post have increased in variety and are super fragrant.
Fritillaria! (If you have clay soil, plant these--F. ulva vulpis--and not the "snakeshead" variety, F. meleagris, none of which came up for me. F. acmopetala is also doing fine.)
Magnolia "Betty" with a sporadic bloom that is increasing day by day
The new serviceberry knocked it out of the park. It is such a relief that spring is finally here!

Seedling Progress

2011-03-30T11:37:00.003-04:00

The peppers and eggplants have already been moved to larger pots. I hope they continue to look this healthy, though one of the eggplants is looking a little wonky (upper right). Time to research when to feed and when to start hardening off. I hope it is worth the effort to have Tunisian hot peppers, as I'll likely be coddling these things until May.
Though these things are all better suited to direct sowing, I also started a couple flats of kale, broccoli, lettuce, arugula, and spinach. The problem is my grow light is not wide enough--there is only one bulb, so I do some moving around to try to prevent them from getting leggy.

Going daffy

2011-03-30T11:33:00.003-04:00

Waiting for spring is making me crazy, especially after the brief burst of warm weather we had a couple weeks ago. Now we might even get snow. Make it stop. I ordered a mix of heirloom daffodils and I feel ridiculous for saying this, but buyer beware, as I got none of the daffodils pictured on the package--the small-cupped, orange ones I wanted. These will have to do I guess!

Leek Out

2011-03-30T10:29:00.002-04:00

Le leek, tres chic:
They were small, but I figure they did pretty well since they were relegated to the flower bed sometime last year, where they mingled with irises.

Big Bed

2011-03-21T14:36:00.004-04:00

The "big bed" is 4x6, compared to my existing 3x6 beds and new 3x8 beds (plus a tiered 5 ft square bed that I am still deciding what to do with). It is somewhat difficult to reach the center, so 3 feet wide is the way to go.
Big bed has the smattering or parsley and cilantro that all of the beds have, plus spinach and arugula and the self sowing mesclun, plus rows of roots that I planted in fall: carrots, radishes, beets, and parsnip--the latter two had sporadic germination, but I am noticing the beets taking off now.
This bed did not have okra last year, so that rotation is planned. I am thinking of planting winter squash (another dinkydo first) in the center.
Behind big bed sits my asparagus patch, strawberry bed, and (on the fence) blackberry.

I get to harvest asparagus this year!

The mystery continues

2011-03-21T14:03:00.005-04:00

I am fairly certain the mystery Brassica is broccoli, but no signs of heads yet. The kale seedlings I so painstakingly transplanted after starting them inside under lights were devoured when I was out of town. It looks like slugs, but my beer trap has not ensnared any yet. The dreaded cabbage worms are out already, so I'll be using row cover this spring.
Soon this bed will sprout green onions, carrots, radishes, and golden beets. Here it is getting its spring feeding of compost. I also added some organic fertilizer.
The bed was primarily okra last summer, plus cucumbers that were bitter and yanked immediately. This might be a good bed for peppers this summer.

Salad Days, Here Again

2011-03-21T13:25:00.003-04:00

Here are the latest picks--after an arugula pesto last week and a spinach salad, we're getting flush again with arugula (the overwintered stuff is bolting), and the mesclun is taking off on its own (from last year's dropped seed). I'm leaving the straw piled high because we have cool nights ahead (not that the greens seem to mind, but there are fragile seedlings below) and it is just so nice to not have to contend with the greenhouse covers anymore.
This bed seems problem free, so I'm not rotating yet--I'll stick with the spinach-arugula-mesclun combo through spring, adding a pea trellis over the top. (Peas are planted around the periphery)
Last summer and fall, this bed held okra, eggplant, peppers, and beans, so this might be a good bed for squash--a dinky do first!

Seedling Surprise

2011-03-07T13:15:00.001-05:00

I was about to write off my pepper and eggplant seeds. I was probably not keeping them warm enough for quick germination, and my ever present anxiety about damping off fungus made me pessimistic. Then all of a sudden, a tiny spot of green! I won't make the mistake I made with the kale and let them go a day without light. The timer is set for 16 hours a day.

New Garden Beds Arrive!

2011-03-07T12:57:00.005-05:00

I like my raised beds from Gardeners.com just fine, but I wanted to try something different, and Naturalyards.com was having a 20% off sale plus offers a lot more variety in bed sizes. Their cedar planks are really thick, plus the installation could not be easier. You line up the pre-drilled holes and slide the provided metal poles through. You can see the poles in the photo. I'll be hammering them in some once I finalize the bed--don't want to poke my eye out! The best thing about the poles is that they can be used to install row cover on flexible pvc tubing bent over the bed.

Because the beds are 8 feet long, they come with a metal stabilizer that runs across the bed. I'll use this dividing line to separate my plantings for rotating crops. Once the bed is filled and planted I don't do much digging in to it anyway, but it will be easy to remember not to plunge a shovel in at the halfway mark. Could I have purchased cedar planks at Home Depot? Certainly, but I like supporting this small business, and I like having the ease of installation a kit provides.

I placed cardboard over the grass to weaken it--it will make it a lot easier to dig it up in a couple of weeks when the soil dries up a little. Then I top it with purchased top soil and compost and plant away!

Salad Days

2011-03-07T12:40:00.005-05:00

Having a greenhouse means a jump start on salad season. Today spinach, tomorrow arugula, next week lettuce--look how the purple mesclun pops against the straw.

Seedlings Graduate

2011-03-07T12:14:00.003-05:00

My kale seedlings were doing so well that I went ahead and transplanted them early. Since they are cold tolerant , I figured they would be fine, but they will be protected by the greenhouse covers. They joined the broccoli, in a bed I will have to protect from cabbage "worms."

Bulb Fever

2011-03-07T12:03:00.002-05:00

I chose varieties poisonous to squirrels, but I was a little worried our clay soil would result in rotten bulbs. With the additions of lots of compost, all is well, even the Fritillaria:
Tons of daffodils in front of a lilac:
If you buy potted bulbs from the grocery store in spring, plant them! These daffodils and crocuses are doing fine.
Allium:
Of course these will be a lot more impressive when photographed in bloom, but I am excited spring is coming!

True Leaves Emerge!

2011-03-01T13:54:00.004-05:00

After a shaky start, the kale seedlings seem fine. Some parsley has germinated, but no signs of eggplant or pepper yet.

Double Garden Double Good

2011-02-22T17:48:00.004-05:00

Those white lines will soon be three new garden beds. With the need to rotate crops and the extra room needed for squash (and the fun of it all!), it was time to expand. In the center will be a bed for perennial herbs and rhubarb (I think--we'll see).

Seedling Stress

2011-02-22T17:16:00.005-05:00

You would think sowing seeds directly into the garden would be the more difficult proposition--animals can scratch them up, they are subject to all manner of dangers--but it is the controlled environment of the indoor seedling tray that is stressing me out. After all, out in the garden, lettuce seedlings are coming up on their own, even under all this straw and a winter of barely-above freezing temps.

After setting up a grow light and filling new trays with soilless growing medium, I fretted about the dreaded "damping off" fungus potentially lurking in my covered trays. I doused the trays with cinnamon, reputed to be antifungal, and gave them more air circulation.
When the kale seeds sprouted much earlier than anticipated, I left them away from the grow light ONE DAY, and they got this leggy that fast:They are now safely beneath the grow light and seem to be recovering. I really need to get the rest of my new seeds planted, but do I dare risk my precious heirloom seeds on my first seed starting experiment?
By the way, I heart Baker Creek heirloom seeds. In addition to their awesome selection, they threw in a free packet of flower seeds. The beets, turnips, rhubarb, and squash (one summer and one winter) will be direct-sown, but I need to get the eggplant and peppers (a Tunisian variety perfect for harissa!) going yesterday.

February in the Greenhouses

2011-02-11T14:24:00.004-05:00

Arugula, spinach, lettuce, and the mystery Brassica (I am now thinking it is broccoli)These are soon to be joined by peas, fava beans, carrots, radishes, more lettuce, beets, turnips, and maybe onions.

The End in Near...

2011-02-11T14:04:00.003-05:00

The end of winter that is!
Here is how the garden looks as of early February--lots of buds and new growth emerging. At this point in winter, you take any little sign as encouraging, especially the bulbs (yay, daffodils and Allium--fingers still crossed on the Fritillaria).
Plus, here is a nice piece from the New York Times about gardens in winter. Good tips for gardening in general.

Twig Checkup

2011-01-26T12:00:00.003-05:00

In late winter, it is a good idea to take periodic looks at your woody shrubs and small trees. On a brief foray outside on this icy day, I examined my red-twig dogwood and discovered a broken branch (below). It is probably the result of a squirrel or bird resting on the not-sturdy-enough twig.
I'll need to get this trimmed off soon so that disease does not enter here. At the end of fall, I gave the service berry and Magnolia a once over and found several branches needing removal on the Magnolia. I try to prune as minimally as possible, with clean tools, but in the case of rubbing twigs or damaged bark, it is a necessity.

Random Green Winter Musings

2011-01-18T14:46:00.006-05:00

In warm weather, I am constantly outside this door in my backyard. For now, I must be content to enjoy how much warmer it is in the kitchen with this new insulated door. The Chilewich roller shade is pretty sweet, too. (Yeah my fridge door is a mess.)
Also nice is that the greenhouse-protected garden is providing me with fresh spinach.

Winter will be a lot more bearable, and the garden more fruitful come spring, with this grow light from Johnny's. (It was a snap to put together, and storing it will be a cinch.) It is awaiting trays of seedlings--first up, onion!

Also fighting the winter blues with retail therapy, like these cute green sandals I scored on sale.

Year-round Gardening

2011-01-04T11:25:00.003-05:00

Not much to report from the frozen backyard, and it is so miserable most days I don't even peek out there, but I was thrilled to make a homegrown salad of arugula and radishes--on January 2nd! Not everything in the greenhouses is thriving, but the spinach is also hanging in there, and if it has survived so far, it'll be gangbusters in very early spring.In the meantime, I am perusing seed catalogs and shopping for lights to start seeds. I even took a look at the Farmers' Almanac weather predictions (cool and dry in spring), so maybe this will be the year I get a good spring crop. Spring can't get here soon enough.

Adventures in Canning

2010-12-22T14:51:00.000-05:00

I've found a fun way to use what I grow (and what I buy)--canning!
I started in July after discovering a plethora of canning blogs, starting with Tigress in a Jam. It was too late to join in the can jam, but really inspiring nonetheless. I have a cookbook obsession, so I picked up several books as well, notably Linda Ziedrich's two tomes, The Joy of Pickling and The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves.

I started easy, cherries in brandy. I had experience making limoncello, so that was a no brainer--except for picking out a decent brandy.
Next I tried peach butterscotch, decadence in a jar. Thanks, Well Preserved!
My first pickle was watermelon rind, an unusual southern thing I had never tried. I love using the whole fruit. I tasted it before canning, and it was pleasant even though I am not a huge clove fan. The verdict will come when I share this at Christmas.
Next I decided it was time to try a jam, using the Italian prune plums I love and a little cardamom. This did not set very well, so I definitely need practice, but it is great in oatmeal and yogurt.
Okra was the big success in my garden this summer. I froze much of it, but I had to try pickled okra, a pickle success too.
Summer was fleeting by this point, so I infused more liquor, this time with lemon verbena from my garden, a recipe from a neat little book called The Herbal Pantry.
My Grandma made amazing pear preserves, but mine need work. I tried a raw pack, and I guess "they" are right that you should cook the pears. The texture is not super, but the flavor is just as great as when they were ripe. They also look lovely in a brown sugar syrup.
Pear jam was also not a complete success. I ended up with "pearamel," another decadent sauce.
Pears also went into vodka, though I think the subtlety of Asian pears is overpowered by the spices I included.
Quinces became a bit of an obsession in late fall. The preserves are waiting for the perfect recipe, and the jam set beautifully. The quince brandy may be too much of an acquired taste.
When organic citrus appeared in the stores, I was eager to make marmalade. Put 'Em Up! has a simple recipe. It seems much easier than jam (I guess the pectin in citrus helps). This was super fun and tasty.
Oranges also went into the vin'orange from Imbibe magazine.
Finally, I wanted to make something savory and I found this red onion relish at Kitchenette.

A half-year of canning down, much more to go.

Obsession with my new garden

2010-12-06T14:05:00.003-05:00

Here it is, just like when I planted it, minus some leaves.
This garden is on hold until spring, when I'll fill it out, but in the meantime, I am happy that I chose plants well--not always a guarantee with me--especially with this Itea. Look at that color--and it's holding its leaves in this brutal cold!
The Clethra is not as impressive, though, full disclosure, I let the plant get a little water stressed in its pot before I planted it. Of the two varieties, one is definitely more attractive, but this is where my not-always-choosing the right plants comes out.