The Secret Life of Christina's Garden

Tomato Salad

2009-07-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not really a recipe, but it is yummy.
Cut up a bunch of different types of tomatoes
Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and Celtic sea salt.
Top with fresh mozzarella.
Serve with a splash of balsamic vinegar & olive oil.

With this we had pesto pizza with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. The pesto was made a couple of days ago. My son makes a mean pesto with multiple varieties of basil, walnuts and olive oil. Yummy!

A Colorful Harvest

2009-07-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

Left to right:
red bell peppers, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, pink brandywine tomatoes, lemon boy tomatoes, husky cherry tomatoes, sweet 100 tomatoes, early girls, marion tomatoes, royal burgundy beans and zucchini.

7-20-09 Cantaloupes

2009-07-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

We've tied up about 6 melons and have 4 or 5 more small ones starting. I'm hoping for a few more than we had last year. These are 'Ambrosia' melons. We planted them and Hale's Best last year, but these were sweeter.

7-18-09 The Ripening Begins

2009-07-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes are starting to ripen. The Sweet 100 is full!

7-17-09 Lush Greenery & Watermelons

2009-07-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Looking through the Southern bed toward the Kids' Garden. The various basils, Rutgers and Mountain Pride tomatoes.

The Cantaloupe vines are spreading everywhere with lots of tiny melons still starting. About 5 melons were large enough to need tying up (since they are on the vertical section.

Our largest watermelon is now bigger than my older daughter's head. It has now required a 2nd support for its size. The Crimson Sweet seems to be getting larger than I expected.

She is holding the newest one forming. It's weirdly shriveled and wrinkled. Unfortunately we had several that started and yet disappeared leaving black stems. I hope that more will come from the few blossoms still on the vine.

7-17-09 The Garden Ripens

2009-07-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes are ripening. The Marion, Early Girl, Pink Brandywine, German Queen, Bradley, Rutgers, Sweet 100, Bonnie Select Grape, Roma and Yellow Boy have all begun to ripen. I still haven't received any Big Beef, Mountain Pride or Yellow Jubilee. They are getting close.

The Sweet 100 is in the middle of this shot and the Marions are off to the right.

These are the Marions (there are 8 off them).

These are the lovely (and profuse) Pink Brandywine.

The Kids' Garden on 7-12-09

2009-07-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

My little one is almost hidden in the Kids' Garden. We've already cut back the marigolds once, but they keep growing SO tall that we will probably have to pull them. She's counting to see how many melons have started.

7-12-09 A Look at the Gardens

2009-07-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

The girls decided to check out the garden.

Everything seems to be growing very well.

We've already been harvest a little bit of most everything.

Even the melons are growing well.

The basil is getting thick too.

Now just probably a few days until tomatoes start coming in rapidly!

July 10th Harvest

2009-07-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

We're finally getting some vine-ripened tomatoes! We had been pulling some in to the window sill as soon as they blushed because the squirrels have been relentless. After applying some bone meal they've slowed down.

So far I've harvested 'Marion', 'Lemon Boy', 'Early Girl', 'Roma', 'Bonnie Select Grape' and 'Sweet 100'. I think there may have been a random 'Rutgers', and 'Bradley', but they are further behind.

We've been picking a LOT of zucchini for about 10 days now. The banana peppers were slow to get going, but now one plant is producing at a break neck pace!

The 'Royal Burgundy' beans are starting to trickle in, but they have only a small section in the Kids' Garden. The jalapenos will be profuse in another week or two.

The bell pepper plant is full of green ones, but only 1 has started to redden up. That seems to take forever!

The First Harvest from the Kids' Garden

2009-07-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

We pulled 2 zucchini and a few 'Royal Burgundy' beans from the Kids' garden today. My older daughter was busy digging around checking the veggies and was happy to find some ready for picking.

The kids seem to really love the deep purple color of the 'Royal Burgundy' beans, but didn't believe they'd look just like a regular bean inside!

We trimmed back the marigolds (which must have been giant versions, though that's not what the seeds were!) to give the 'Mr. Stripey' and 'Husky Cherry' tomatoes more sun.

Melons Starting to Grow!

2009-07-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

I planted cantaloupes last year and was surprised how well they did. While they did take a lot of room, those sweet melons were worth the space sacrifice. The kids begged to plant them again and try watermelon this year.

In an attempt to save some space, we are trying some vertical growing and see how well that goes. We planted 'Ambrosia' Cantaloupes in one of the main garden beds on 5-20-09. Here's what they looked like on 7-3-09:

We planted 'Crimson Sweet' Watermelon in the Kids' garden on 5-23-09 and here's what they looked on 7-3-09.

Only 4 days later the above watermelon was large enough to warrant support. I decided to use panty hose! What's next to help support it? A folding chair????

Dealing with those Thieves!

2009-07-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to figure out who was eating all my tomatoes. Every time a tomato even hinted at starting to blush, it was eaten. Some just had bites out, but some were eaten up to the stem. Since I cut back my tomatoes, these were a good 15-24 inches off the ground. I had begun to pick them as soon as they started to ripen and put them on the window sill. They ripened quickly and still tasted much better than the store, but not as sweet as vine ripened ones!

Last year I had similar problems and caught the bunnies red-handed (or pawed). After using fish emulsion, the bunnies hated the garden. Fish emulsion was not working this year, so I figured I had a different thief. After checking tracks, eating habits, local gardening blogs, etc. it seemed likely that it was squirrels. I decided to try some good 'ole fashioned bone meal to ward them often. It worked like a dream! They haven't touched them since!

Finally my lovely tomatoes are ripening on the vine... YUMMY!

Kids' Garden status on 7-1-09

2009-07-02T16:17:00.000-07:00

We ended up having to cage in the 'Royal Burgundy' beans in the kids' garden since they were overshadowing the carrots.

You can see the raspberries and the 3 garden beds in the background of this photo. The center is small path for the kids to walk through the garden.

Zucchini & Cantaloupe at the end of June

2009-06-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

The garden seems to be thriving in this heat wave. It has required a LOT of watering. The kids don't mind, especially when I use the sprinkler - because they get to run through it!

Above - the zucchini to the right is actually 3 plants. There is another plant in the kids' garden too. Just to the left are 3 rows of late planted beans 'Top Crop'.

Above - the left is the 'Contender' green beans. We've already pulled 2 harvests of this row. The early rows have given 4. To the right is the 'Ambrosia' cantaloupe plants. There are 3 plants (they were really small, but clearly they aren't now!) They've begun to trail nicely up the supports.

Status of the Tomatoes 6-26-09

2009-06-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Back on the 18th, I severely trimmed the tomatoes (just 8 days ago!) and see how full of fruit they are! Now if I could just stop the bunnies and whatever else keeps eating them!

The End of the Peas

2009-06-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today we pulled up the pea vines (both the Wanda shell peas and Sugar Snap Peas). Both did fairly well even though they were planted a month late! Next year I'm planting earlier and separating them!

They had been providing some nice shade in the morning for the 'Armenian' Cucumbers, but that's over! I think I may put up new support and use it for the cucumbers.

The Progress of the Kids' Garden

2009-06-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Kids' Garden was planted fairly late in the season (5-23-09), but seems to be doing pretty well.

Implementing a modified square foot gardening method, we crammed a lot into a 6' X 6' space. There is a 2' wide path across the middle.

The front row of the garden has:
Husky Cherry Tomato, 1 Row of Carrots 'Big Top', 2 Rows of 'Royal Burgundy' Beans, a 2nd Row of Carrots, Mr Stripey Tomato

The Back row has Watermelon and Zucchini.

Here's what it's looking like now!

We've had to support the watermelon with fencing. We've also had to fence in the 'Royal Burgundy' beans so they don't kill the carrots!

She helps take good care of her garden!

First Tomatoes Starting to Blush!!!

2009-06-19T00:16:00.000-07:00

The first Marion Tomatoes are starting to blush after cutting them back and letting the sun in!

The Heat is Killing the Peas

2009-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

We are hitting the mid 90's this week with very little rain and the peas don't seem to like it.

I put my peas in over 3 weeks late, so I expected this. However I was pleasantly surprised to get as many peas as I did.

Trimming Back My Tomatoes 6-18-09

2009-06-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have always trimmed back my tomatoes. I find that they get way too heavy and the leafy vegetation prevents them from ripening. I also noted that when I started trimming, they produced much more fruit.

When people see how drastically I cut back my tomatoes, they are often shocked and appalled! Here's what the Big Beef, Sweet 100, Rutgers, the 9 Marions looked like after a serious trim!
Check back for the pics after a week or two!

Finishing the 2nd Raspberry Bed

2009-06-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

We finally put in the 2nd Latham Raspberry Bed. There is a Heritage Raspberry at the end of the top bed in the pic (it's older and purchased locally). I'm hoping these guys survive the late planting!

My Tomato Obsession

2009-06-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. I have a problem. They say that admitting it is the first step. I planted WAY too many tomatoes!
I also took a risk and planted my 'Marion' tomatoes early and protected them with a temporary greenhouse. Unfortunately none are coming close to ripening. This happens every year. I see TONS of green tomatoes and just can't wait for them to ripen. Then all of them seem to ripen at ONCE!

This is the first part of the tomatoes. Running from left to right:
Big Beef, Sweet 100, Rutgers, Marion (9 plants set in early), Early Girl (2)

The above photo is that same tomato part of the garden from the other end. From this side you can see the Lemon Boy & behind it is the Pink Brandywine. Just past this is a German Queen, but I forgot to take her pic!

In the other bed Golden Jubilee & Mtn. Pride (2)

Top left - Bonnie Select Grape and Roma

In the children's garden the left on is Husky Cherry and the right is Mr. Stripey

Now PLEASE start ripening!

Tons of Raspberries

2009-06-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

My order of Latham Raspberry finally arrived for a LATE planting, but because the plants were smaller than normal they sent 3 extra canes. That required another bed. Poor Josh thought he was done removing sod, digging and hoeing in amendments. Trooper that he is, he did one more bed!

2nd Harvest of Beans

2009-06-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

My 'Contender' Bush Beans have already been pretty productive. We harvested last week and slow cooked the beans with some bacon like my mom did when I was young. They were tender and delicious, but probably a lot less healthy than just steaming them!

The 1st two rows were planted on 4-4-09. The last row in this bed was planted on 4-25-09. It's just starting to produce full size beans.

This is one of 3 rows planted on 6-6-09 of 'Top Crop' beans.
On left you can see the *tiny* lime basil seedlings planted at the same time.

Planting Blackberries (LATE!)

2009-06-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

My 'Navajo' Blackberry canes finally arrived and were sunk today. The posts for support were put in, but we still haven't run the fencing across yet. Photos will be posted later.
We planted 3 canes for next year.

A Couple of Days of Rain & Heat...

2009-06-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

Kids garden on June 5th.

A couple of days of good rain & high temps:
June 13th

The zucchini in particular seemed to explode!
The 'Mr. Stripey' tomato shot up too!

Looking Forward to Some Great Ingredients!

2009-06-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

I planted Tarragon and love how pretty it is in the garden. I'm also looking forward to fresh leaves to use in the kitchen!

Ok, the romas are about the right size, but now I need them to ripen. I really want to get busy on some fresh sauces!

The basil is doing well. As a matter of fact, I went a little overboard. I have two good sized plants in the garden (one is up at the top right, but barely visible. The other is at the bottom left), but day before yesterday we planted several more varietities:
Sweet, Genovese, Mammoth, Thai, Cinnamon, Lime and Dark Opal.
I can't wait for the pesto!

New Plants in the Garden

2009-06-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I love to try growing new things in the garden. This year we planted some Stevia, although we separated it from the main beds cause we've heard its pretty invasive.

I also have had my first successful planting of peas. Typically I get them in too late or the bunnies get the seedlings. This year I planted English peas and some sugar snap peas. Unfortunatley they have so heavily intertwined that I'm not sure which is which! Anyone have a tried and true (& quick) method for telling them apart!

Ahh... Live and learn. Next year I'll separate them better!

More Shots of the Garden

2009-06-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

The beautiful simplicity of a pea vine in blossom.

The zucchini is starting to spread out.

Look how quickly the Marion tomatoes have bushed back up!

Some Up Close Shots of the Fruit of the Garden

2009-06-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

Some of the summer crops are starting to really develop. I thought I'd take a few shots of them.

The 'Sweet 100' is starting to put out a lot of fruit. Now, its only a matter of time until they are bright red and ready for eating!

This pepper is already rather large. It's a red pepper plant, so we clearly have a lot of ripening to go!

This hilarious looking 'Marion' tomato caught our eye. It's separate little piece, fully attached to the top of the tomato.

Both types of peas ('Wando' and 'Sugar Snap') continue to climb up the strings.

This is the first row of 'Contender' bush beans planted April 4th. They are looking nice, but need to fill in a little. Can't wait for the first batch!

The New Kids' Garden

2009-06-06T00:12:00.000-07:00

Joshua and I laid out the dimensions, he then took off the sod so the soil could be worked and amended.

The kids planted the edge of the entire bed with marigold seeds. They also planted a 'Red Husky Cherry' tomato on the left, a row of 'Big Top' Carrots, 2 rows of 'Royal Burgundy' bush beans, another row of carrots and then a 'Mr. Stripey' heirloom tomato.

On the other side to mounds of watermelon were planted and one zucchini plant.

The white powder is actually grits. The ants have been bad this year so we put out grits which they eat. The grits then expand in them and poof - no ants!

The most recent picture of their garden on 6-5-09.

Petunias

2009-06-05T00:43:00.000-07:00

These were transplanted in this planter on 5-24-09. Just yesterday the sweet alyssum has come up nicely!

It's hard to see in this pic, but the alyssum is quite thick.

The Finished Boxed Gardens

2009-05-30T17:11:00.001-07:00

Hubby finished boxing the third bed of the garden. I love how it looks and how much it helps with the edging, etc.

Also with using grass clippings as mulch, this help keep them in the garden and not get washed away by the rain.

We still need to put down the landscape fabric on all the paths. Right now they get muddy and we still have to keep pulling weeds.

The Garden as of 5-30-09

2009-05-30T00:23:00.000-07:00

The 'Marion' tomatoes were cut back extensively. They are growing too close together after being protected by the mini greenhouse.

The cucumbers, peas and more tomatoes (from left 2 right - 'Big Beef', 'Sweet 100' and 'Rutgers')
The plant in back is a banana pepper.

The broccoli has one small harvest left it in before removal. It's been excellent tasting!

The 3 zucchini plants look so small right now! To the left is a yellow bell pepper.

Status of the Garden

2009-05-24T00:05:00.000-07:00

The beds continue to flourish with good levels of rainfall this year. The tomatoes along the big keep needing cut back to keep sun on the tomatoes and foliage up from the ground where the bunnies want to get it all!

The peas ('Wando' and 'Sugar Snap') seem to be doing well. I've planted some Armenian cukes on the left side of it. I'll support them later.

Broccoli Harvest

2009-05-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

It tasted absolutely fabulous lightly steamed and served with pasta.

A VERY Muddy Garden!

2009-05-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, finally a day without rain. I decided I could sneak in a little work in the garden. Unfortunately it was too muddy to sink the last of the purchased plants. Instead I staked and caged most of the tomatoes, trimming a few extra branches and leaves.

I also managed to get a little weeding done. All this rain has caused EVERYTHING to grow like mad.

We had to harvest most of the Bibb and Red Sails lettuce since they were starting to get munched by slugs. It made for great fresh salads tonight.

Bed 2 - Tomatoes! 5-2-09

2009-05-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

From left to right:
'Big Beef' Tomato
Sweet Banana Pepper (top center)
'Sweet 100' Cherry Tomato (bottom center)
'Rutgers' Tomato
These have mulched with grass clippings

'Marion' heirloom tomatoes (planted early & protected) already starting to blossom!
Posted & first level tied, no pruning yet.

Top Left - 'Pink Brandywine' Heirloom Tomato
Bottom Right - 'Early Girl' Tomato
Right - 'Lemon Boy' Tomato

I planted 'Early Dividend' Broccoli in 3 waves. Some of the plants haven't thrived, but also didn't die. The broccoli seems to be LOVING the rain also!

A VERY Wet Garden

2009-05-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

I planted the tomatoes on 4-27-09 in bed 1. The lettuce was planted on 4-25-09.
The top tomato is Roma and the bottom is Bonnie Grape Select. The lettuce looks overwhelmed. I hope the sun comes out tomorrow and gives us a little break from the rain.

To the left are the 2 rows of 'Contender' green beans. The center (although hard to see) is another row of 'Contender' planted last week. They are just breaking the surface (or swimming!) To the right is a peat pot of 'Ambrosia' Cantaloupe that didn't get sunk before the rain.

The beets are still lagging behind, but the Spinach, 2 lettuces and beans seem to be doing well

Rain, Rain, and MORE Rain

2009-05-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Two straight days of rain (and I mean HEAVY rain) have kept me from my garden. The newly boxed beds (2 of 3 are finished) began to hold WAY too much water, so hubby braced it up on a block to promote drainage. Prior to that it looked like a hydroponic garden!

The lettuce is LOVING all the rain, but its a muddy mess everywhere. I walked around the yard (or should I say squished around the yard) to take a good look at things. I'm praying for a little sunshine now!

Boxing in the Garden

2009-04-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

My sweet hubby is in the process of boxing in all my beds. I love how nice it looks! It also will help keep the size and shape from year to year.

Bed 1 as of 4-25-09

2009-04-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bed 1
At the top of the bed -
Leaf lettuce seedlings
Head lettuce
Sweet Granex Onions

Buttercrunch Bibb and Red Sails

Seedlings: Left to right
Beets 'Burpee Golden'
Spinach 'Bloomsdale'
Mesculun
Lettuce 'Salad Bowl'

In and out of the garden

2009-04-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Sugar Snap Peas 'Oregon' are also breaking through!

There is finally some new growth on hydrangea bushes.

Strawberries continue to fill in nicely!

More spring veggies

2009-04-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Peas 'Wando' are just starting to break through the ground. I know I put them in too late, but we'll see what happens.

Above - up close on one plant of the 'Red Sails' leaf lettuce.

Above - one plant of the head lettuce 'Iceberg'

Above - the top row is 'Salad Bowl' lettuce seedlings
and the bottom is the head lettuce.

Status of My Spring Garden 4-17-09

2009-04-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

From left to right - Seedlings - Beets 'Burpee's Golden'; Spinach 'Bloomsdale'; and Romaine Lettuce 'Parris Island Cos'

Below (from left to right) Leaf Lettuce 'Red Sails'; Bibb Lettuce 'Buttercrunch'; Onions (2 rows that are very hard to see!) 'Sweet Georgia Yellow Granex'
On the right (at the top) returning Rosemary plant and (bottom) Head Lettuce 'Iceberg'

Below are the 1st and 2nd plantings of Broccoli 'Early Dividend' There were 3 staggered plantings this year as we LOVE fresh broccoli. I've had the best luck with 'Early Dividend'. Here in the Mid South they tend to sell it and 'Pacman' but its smaller heads don't seem as tasty. Plus we seem to have less bug issues with 'Early Dividend'

Risk Taking!

2009-04-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

I was brave (or dense!) and planted some Marion heirloom tomatoes in hopes of some early June goodness!
I put them in on 4-4-09. Just like washing your car causes rain, I caused a freeze! 2 nights, in fact!
So I was out with my little portable green house plastic and supports. So far it looks like the 9 tomatoes & 1 red bell pepper continue to do well...

Boatload O' Rain...

2009-04-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night... Ok, well at least an afternoon!
Yesterday we had some lightning-filled thunderstorms that dropped a lot of rain. While I love the rain for my garden, too much at once is never good.

I seem to have some issues with the seeds I've planted so far. Very few of my seedlings are poking through the soil. This afternoon, I'm going through my garden chart and deciding which ones I'm going to replant.

I did notice that our forecast for next week has several nights below freezing. With my Spring veggies its irrelevant, but it delays my ability to start planting some of the summer seeds. I typically push the guidelines for the last frost (sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn't)!

2nd Day of Planting

2009-03-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

I put my first plants and seeds in on March 18th. Today (March 21st) I made my 2nd planting.

In my 2nd bed we planted
Peas 'Oregon Sugar Pod' (an edible pod) 1 four ft. row
Peas 'Dark Seeded Early Perfection' (shelling) 1 four ft. row
I intend to install their growing support next week. Still deciding what we are using.

In my 1st bed planted:
Romaine Lettuce seeds 'Parris Island Cos' in 2 four ft row
...then I decided to risk it and take a chance...
I planted 2 rows of Beans 'Royal Burgundy' that shouldn't be planted this soon, but I'm going to attempt using a floating row cover and see if I can get some early beans! Could be a bust, but the pack of seeds was only $1 and I used half!

Garden Helper

2009-03-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

You know what? I have a special gardening secret. I'm not willing to share, but I will let you see a photo!

I'm guaranteed success with help like this!

Spring Planting

2009-03-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

This past week we had some decent weather and I was able to start my spring plantings.

In the first bed I put in:
Lettuce seeds 'Salad Bowl' 1 four ft. row
Head lettuce plants 'Iceberg' 9 plants
Onions 'Georgia Sweet Yellow Granex' 12 plants
Bibb lettuce 'Buttercrunch' 9 plants
Leaf Lettuce 'Red Sails' 7 plants
Spinach seeds 'Bloomsdale' 2 four ft. rows

In the 2nd bed I started my staggered plantings of broccoli (we LOVE it!)
Broccoli 'Early Dividend' 9 plants
*I've had great success with this particular variety. I get large, full heads with few bugs!

I had fully intended to get some peas planted, but my back gave out! Then the rain came down...

Good progress, but should be further along!

Poor Hydrangeas

2009-03-11T12:53:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe this pitiful bush will soon like the hydrangea pictured on my blog profile! These bushes are now about 7 years old. It amazes me how large they get each year. I've loved their blue color, especially outside my daughters' bedroom window.

Strawberries Coming Along

2009-03-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

The strawberries seem to be coming along fine. I've only had limited luck with Strawberries and really had problems with their invasive behavior.

One question for some of you, is it ok to the leave the leaf debris in the beds, almost like mulch?

Great Weather

2009-03-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

We've been having unbelievable weather here in Mid TN lately. We've had a chance to get the two main garden beds charging. Now my son & I have decided to venture into the world of berry growing. After starting some research, we've decided we will try and grow blackberries, raspberries and blueberries this year.

I'm still deciding between varieties and the exact location in our backyard, but I'm excited to try something new!

A New Gardening Season!

2009-03-07T22:21:00.000-08:00

Garden Bed Prep.

I know...I'm a little late getting started this year, but this is my first vacation week from teaching so far in 2009.

Josh (my son) and I have worked a couple times this week preparing the beds. For my garden plan that consists of:

removing an residual plant material (yeah, yeah...shoulda all been done in the fall!)

double digging the length of the two beds

applying cottonseed meal (10# per 100 sq. ft)

applying mushroom compost (about 3"inches deep)

hoeing in soil amendments

turning over with a shovel

edging the beds with a flat end shovel

Well... we finished one bed completely and the other is about 1/3 done. We got side-tracked cutting back the hydrangea bushes and playing football....

I raked out the one bed and re-measured. Somehow I lost a foot since last year. I know they say people shrink as they age, but I didn't know there gardens did too! :-)

We're expecting rain for the next several days, so we may not get to finish charging the other bed. At least we'll be able to get some broccoli, lettuce and peas (I know they're a little late!) planted in about 10-12 days.

Can't wait to see real plants in the ground! The prep part is boring to me! Especially since we don't have a rototiller!

Not so much gardening again - but COOKING

2009-01-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

Decided to try modifying and combining a couple of recipes I found online. I think I'll call it Sweet & Spicy Veggie Soup (I know - how creative!)
1/2 Roasted Red Bell Pepper
Broil cut side down, sprayed with olive oil cooking spray, cool, and peel the skin. Dice
1/2 Cups Diced Carrots
1 Small Bulb of Diced Fennel (could use celery, but the sweetness of the fennel is wonderful!)
1/2 Yellow Onion Diced (Vidalia would be tasty in season!)
Saute carrots, fennel and onion in 2 Tblsp of Olive Oil
1 Medium Sweet Potato Diced (After microwaved without skin for 4 minutes)
1 1/2 Cups Uncooked Black Eyed Peas
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
2 Cups Chicken Broth
6 Cups Water

Spices
1 Tblsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Parsley

After rinsing and sorting black eyed peas, place them, water and chicken broth in stock pot on high. Once a rolling bowl is reached add sauted onion, fennel and carrot. Turn heat to medium, cover and cook 20 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes and spices. Continue cooking for a minimum of 15 minutes (can simmer all day - smells delish!)

Serve with a great bread, like pumpernickel. Leftovers can be frozen.

technically not gardening, but....

2009-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

OK, the garden is dead for the year, but I can still photograph nature! Here are some of my moon photos from our recent full moon (Dec. 08).

Some of the shots are through the Crepe Myrtle in my front yard (Yes - it's more of a tree than a bush!). The others have my Sugar Maple from the front yard in them.

Oh my...

2009-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

WOW! I've really let my blog go... Things got busy during the end of growing season. I teach at a private tutorial and classes took much more of my time than I expected. My poor garden suffered because of it. It was still pretty kind to me providing our family with great bounty even through neglect.

Holiday Baking

2008-12-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Part of our family's holiday tradition is making edible goodies for the neighbors. This year we made the following:
chocolate dipped pretzels
spritz cookies
chocolate mint kiss spritz cookies
frosted sugar cookies
walnut fudge

Normally I make some type of bread and cocoa mixes, but this year we were short on time.

German Queen and Pink Brandywine Tomatoes

2008-08-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

Pretty German Queen tomatoes and banana peppers. We opened the first jar of our pickled banana peppers. The taste was right, but they were soggy. I wonder what the key to crispness is???

A beautiful specimen of Pink Brandywine. Such a pretty pink and creamy color. Not to mention a wonderful, sweet flavor.

Roma and Roma Grape Tomatoes

2008-08-17T16:26:00.001-07:00

This year I planted regular Romas, which I love because they are so meaty. Of course most use them for sauce, but I love them diced for tacos and salads.

I decided to try the Roma grapes and you can see the size difference in the pic. They really are basically just a smaller version!

I really wish I had planted some small cherry tomatoes for salad. A few years back I grew the little white and sweet 'Snowstorm'. That was a favorite.

Mr. Stripe Tomato - 1st of the Year!

2008-08-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

Finally, Mr. Stripey put out his first tomato, well... actually two!

My daughter thought the inside of this yummy cutie was too cool!

Today's Harvest, Mostly Tomatoes = Heirloom Tomato Salad

2008-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Today had a pretty decent harvest and much is close too. I decided with this nice variety of heirlooms that I should make a fresh tomato salad. Here's my impromptu recipe:

1 Mountain Pride tomato

2 smaller Early Girl tomatoes

1 Mr. Stripey tomato (see next post for cool pic of this cutie!)

1 Pink Brandywine tomato

1 German Queen tomato

1 Roma tomato

1 Roma Grape tomato

Dice all of those, drizzle with a really good (preferably organic) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add a handful (nice, precise measurement!) of fresh grated mozzarella cheese

Chopped fresh basil (I used Thai and Lemon Basils from the garden - so aromatic!)

and a little fresh ground pepper.

YUMMY!

We had this with Lemon Rosemary Chicken & Rice, Steamed Broccoli and Ciabatta Bread.

Mountain Pride and Roma Tomatoes

2008-08-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Mountain Pride Tomatoes were put in on 5-19 and have begun to produce steadily.

The Roma tomatoes were also put in on 5-19. These wonderfully meaty but more pear-shaped tomatoes are starting to get more prolific. This plant has stayed fairly compact with minimal trimming.

Early Girl and Bradley Tomatoes

2008-08-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

My Early Girl tomatoes lived up to their name. The plants were set in the garden on 4-18 and I began harvesting on 6-23 and they have continued to produce heavily. These are good, all around tomatoes. They don't have the unique flavor of some of my heirlooms, but you can't beat the huge production! I've used pole and cage supports because they have stayed heavy with fruit. I've cut them back about every 2 weeks and fed 3 times this summer with fish emulsion. It should have been 4 times, but the dryness made me slow down my feeding schedule. I put in 5 plants. One is looking a little peaked with the lack of rain. I'm trying to water enough, but can't seem to keep up.

The Bradley tomato plant (only 1 put out on 4-17) has been pretty prolific also. It has had more problem with stem rot, but I'm trying to stay ahead of it. These tomatoes are beefy and scrumptious! This is ONE heavy plant. Also caged and staked, but it still wants to pull over. I've cut it back a bunch, but it really wants to bush.

Acorn and Butternut Squash

2008-08-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

My acorn squash looks full sized already. I planted Early Acorn Hybrid on 6-17 and they do look early! I'm trying to use some supports to keep them from overtaking the yard. I have such limited space.

The Butternuts have a good start. I planted Waltham seeds on 6-17. They look as though they have a much longer way to go than the acorns, but their expected harvest is only 10 days apart. Hmmm....

Butterfly

2008-08-11T16:46:00.001-07:00

Butterfly....

The other day while my son and daughter helped me in the garden a HUGE butterfly flitted overhead. I grabbed the camera and went around the house, figuring it headed for the butterfly bush (which I just learned from twitter should be dead-headed....) to snap its pic. There were two of them; a dark one and yellow one. I never could get the yellow one in focus without the setting sun glaring in it, but I did get a couple of shots of the dark one. It's hard to see how big it was, but if you're familiar with the butterfly bush plumes, you have a decent idea.

I really wish I had gotten some pics of the crepe myrtle before it was past its peak...

Fall Squash = Butternut and Acorn

2008-08-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

OOOHH, my little fall squashes are doing so well! This is the first time I've tried growing them. Acorn on the left and butternut on the right.

I used some little fencing to help end them vertical in an attempt for them not to sprawl out all over the yard. It was an idea I took from Square Foot Gardening. I have very limited space yet insist on growing things like squash, melons, sweet potatoes and WAY too many tomatoes!

I wonder how it will work... I still need to put some trellising in the middle and plan on supporting the squash (pantyhose slings??) as they grow. We'll see!

Last of the Melons

2008-08-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

We had to pull the last of the cantaloupes, since the vines were drying up and dying. The largest one looks like it could have used a little more ripening, but the vine was going to have it!

Also pulled out the last of the summer squash, zucchini, sunflowers and 1 dead banana pepper plant. That compost pile is piled high! Time to give it a turn!

We hung the sunflower heads of the deck to dry before removing the seeds. We're planning a split between the family and the birds!

Cooler Temps and Tomatoes

2008-08-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord, we're finally getting a cooler spell. I've needed to get out the garden to tie up tomatoes, trim some back, weed, feed and harvest. It's been so hot, I've done the bare minimum. This weekend with temps in the high 80's I can really spend some quality time there.

Meanwhile I checked on some of heirloom tomatoes on 8-5, there just starting to ripen as I planted them on 5-19 vs. the Early Girls and Bradley that were planted 4-18.

The Pink Brandywines are starting to ripen up nicely. The plants are full of green fruit.

The Mountain Prides have already given about 4 tomatoes and plenty more are getting close.

The German Queens are just starting to ripen and some of them are HUGE!

Looks like spaghetti sauce and salsa are in my future!

Cantaloupes

2008-08-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

The rest of the melons look like they will all ripen at the same time. I wish it was going to be a little more spread out, but I'll take what I can get!

The Beginnings of My Fall Acorn Squash

2008-08-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

I planted seeds on June 17th for Acorn and Butternut squash for the fall. Both sets of vines are getting large.

And then this is one month later

This is 7-24 and 7/29

And now the beginnings of the little squashes themselves! This is from 8-5

So exciting! I've never grown fall squash before!

Sweet Red Pepper

2008-08-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

My Sweet Red Peppers are finally turning red. It seems to have taken forever (it's been the same size for a LONG time)! Sometimes I'm just SO impatient

Whew....the heat......

2008-08-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, another scorcher today. More watering tonight. I've been putting off fertilizing in this heat (fish emulsion) hoping for a slightly cooler day, but I really am getting behind schedule. There's a slim chance of rain in the forecast for tomorrow. I'll pray for it to happen!

The happy looking sunflowers continue to tower over the fence as though looking out at the road!

Cantaloupes, Peppers and Tomatoes, oh my...

2008-08-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

We have now picked 3 melons from the garden and ate 1 today for lunch. Very sweet!

Also picked the first Pink Brandywine tomatoes of the season. I had to slice one right away and eat it with a little salt!

Still getting boatloads of peppers too. I think I see more canning in my future.

We will probably get the dehydrator running today to dry some herbs and maybe some of the veggies too. I've never dried many veggies so this should be an experience!

Using the Garden's Bounty

2008-07-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

I made 4 1/2 pints of salsa today with the help of my teenage boys. I prefer the uncooked variety.

I'm just refrigerating it now, maybe I'll try freezing a jar and see what happens. I'm sure I'll make it several more times during tomato season. This salsa has 4 kinds of tomatoes (Early Girl, Bradley, Roma, and German Queen).

I've been trying to use up my produce, but I can't keep up with the garden. I've made 2 quadruple recipes of zucchini bread (in loaves and muffins, some with pecans). We canned banana peppers previously and have tried cooking summer squash every way possible!

Still after all the baking and cooking the last few days, there are still green bags full and a garden in need of another harvest. A couple of friends have taken some off my hands, but I'm still looking for some new recipes. Especially for yellow squash. If you have anything new and interesting, post it!

I wouldn't mind if the green beans started coming a little quicker. I sure wish I had planted more 'Contender' bush beans. They've been my favorite this year.

Butternut Squash

2008-07-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

I love how pretty squash blossoms are.... Before the plants start sprawling everywhere. I think I may put up some supports and grow these vertically so I don't have them going into the yard!

Pruning the Tomatoes

2008-07-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

It's a bit difficult to reach in to prune and sneak a camera in there too! Just trying to show how to reach in and prune back the suckers and extra branches. Some sites recommend very mild pruning that will still leave you with overgrown tomatoes that can't get enough sun and air circulation. I cut back heavily (some would say severely) yet I get heavy production. The plant puts its energy into the fruit instead of the leaves!

Always prune near the main stem with a clean cut.

Let me show you why I chose today (before the rain!) to get this done:

Before

After

Tomato plants should be watered from the bottom as their leaves are susceptible to rot when wet. Getting the air circulating around them helps them dry out faster.

More harvesting

2008-07-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today I went out and harvest tomatoes (4 varieties), green beans, banana peppers.

I also found our first cayenne pepper and a cantaloupe.

The heat has forced me into working in the evenings when the mosquitos are out, thus limiting my time in the garden. I desperately need to cut back the tomatoes. They are getting quite overgrown. I didn't realize that not everyone cut back their tomatoes, but I find they are easier to manage, have less pests and give more fruit that ripens quicker if you cut back the suckers periodically. Just be sure to cut at the V of stem and try not to cut ones with blossoms already started.

I've made 2 fish emulsion feedings of the garden, but I'm ate on the third. I'm considering using a different product (that is still organic) Vegetables Alive.

Thirsty garden

2008-07-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Even though we had a little rain yesterday, my garden was bone dry today. One banana pepper plant and the squash and zucchini all began to wilt. I spent quite a while watering this evening (It's after 5PM and still in the 90's!) but there are a few that might not pull through.

I picked about 15 tomatoes tonight - mostly early girls but a few bradley and roma.

I think this week will be a salsa week!

Pickling Banana Peppers

2008-07-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

I finally broke down and pickled some peppers yesterday. I used 2 separate recipes, one with apple cider vinegar. So many of the ones picked last week were already squishy so I only made 4 quarts.

7-24 How Does My Garden Grow

2008-07-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

The melons are looking so great, but I'm sure they are not sweet yet. I'm so excited!!

The fall squash is looking great. Rather than thin it too much, I'm thinking of going vertical with them as in square foot gardening.

The Early Girls are starting to ripen more quickly. The Bradley is still slower, but picking up speed. So far the tomatoes from it are extremely tasty! I took a pic of my 2nd oldest between the Bradley and the Early Girls to show how tall they are getting. They are taller than the fence now.

Flowers From the Backyard

2008-07-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

The hydrangea bush wasn't very profuse this year. I don't know if we cut it back to late in the season or what it was. Here are a few pics.

The first sunflower bloom peaks out over the fence. More are getting ready to bloom soon.
I love the pic of the sun setting in the background behind the fence.

Some of My Flowers

2008-07-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

I've focused only on the vegetable garden and missed some of the flowers. I didn't get many pics this year but here are a few:

These are some of what's still blooming in the heat of summer in my front yard.

Spirea - These plants were put in when the house was built, so they are 14 years old.

Butterfly bush. It was in its bloom peak about 3 weeks ago, now only a few left. We only put this one in 2 years ago and its already the height of the house. Drastic pruning needed this fall.

Balloon Flower - These are in my front flower bed for the 3rd year. Something weird though, each year 3 are getting lighter than the others. Hmmmmmm.

First Roma and Mountain Pride Tomatoes

2008-07-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today we harvested 1 roma and 2 Mtn. Pride tomatoes. Yummy!

Of course - more banana peppers

2nd Bean Harvest and 2nd Beetle Spraying

2008-07-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

2nd harvest of beans. Still mostly coming from 'Contender' ones. I'm thrilled to have decent beans this year!

The banana peppers still continue to be prolific. I've given them away, cooked them in stuff, and my oldest eats them raw. But still I can't use them fast enough. I guess I'm going to be conned into pickling some to make my 2nd oldest happy!

I sprayed Organicide again to try and chase off the beetles. I've been looking around the nearby houses to see if someone put up one of this idiotic beetle bags (which only attract the little buggers) but I haven't seen one. I'm guessing they are just bad this year.

The birds have been constant visitors. Especially a cardinal couple and a lone bluejay. The are nested in the front yard.

July 15th in the Garden

2008-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

The squash plants are up and growing well. The sunflowers are over the fence. The banana peppers seem to be flourishing with the cages. I planted the sunflowers by the squash, cucumber and zucchini, but it seems to be create too much shade for the cucumbers. I think they are dying.

The sweet potatoes 'beauregard' seem to be growing well, but I have no comparison. I've never grown them before. I tried putting some slips in last year, but I was too late in the season and they did not get started.

The Tomatoes are Thriving

2008-07-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

The weather has been great for gardening this year. After last year's "Freeze Dried" season its a welcome blessing. We've only had a to water the garden a few times. Unfortunately it seems a bumper year for the Japanese Beetles and Bunnies! The bunnies have been murder on the tomatoes. They skipped the lettuce earlier but have loved the tomatoes. I've had to keep the bases trimmed up. Even with a fenced backyard, they get in!

I have had to stake some of the later tomatoes now too as they are outgrowing their cages.

Partly because you can't buy a decent tomato cage anymore. They are small and weak. So now I have to stake and tie. I have used bamboo in the past but have to replace them every 2 years.

This year I chose these new plastic coated poles from Lowes that have nubby texture to grip the ties. The should last a LONG time.

Even with frequent caging, tying and trimming of the suckers, the tomato plants are huge and getting bigger. They are full of fruit, so the trimming is working. I just wish more would ripen at once! I'm greedy!

First Green Bean Harvest.....and doing battle with bugs

2008-07-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Green beans! The 'Contender' bush beans had a nice sized harvest. Two of my kids helped snap them as I reminisced of snapping beans on the back patio with my mom. My kids normally are not fans of green beans (they actually prefer canned to frozen - EEEEKKKK!) but I promised to fix them in the least healthiest (and best tasting) way - slow cooked with bacon. I also let them stick a little at the end - I know - but I love that taste! They actually liked them. My 2nd oldest had seconds!

Also discovered Japanese Beetles going to town on my runner bean tepee. Sprayed the runner beans with Organicide from Lowe's.

Status of Melons, Red Bell Pepper and Bean Tepee

2008-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at cantaloupe in the south, both plants ('Hale's Jumbo' and 'Ambrosia') have set some good looking melons.

The bean tepee is thriving and the red bell peppers are getting larger, but not ripening yet.

2nd Fish Emulsion Feeding

2008-07-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today I returned to my garden after being gone for 2 weeks. I weeded, trimmed, tied and fed it. Not to mention some serious harvesting!

Planted fall squash, caged the last tomatoes and some of the peppers

2008-06-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Planted a row of acorn squash and a row of butternut squash. The two poles mark the rows until the seedlings sprout.

Today I caged the last of the tomatoes before leaving town for two weeks. Luckily my hubby and oldest (along with my younger two!) are going to care for the garden. Unfortunately none of them LOVE it the way I do!

Some of peppers are getting so full of fruit, their bending the plant over. For the first time ever, I think I'm going to cage my peppers. I had to tie one up that tipped over in the last storm.

The beans are all going nuts. The bean teepee with Ky Wonder and Scarlet Runner beans is filling in nicely. Both the bush beans (contender and tendperpod) are doing well. I've never had much luck growing beans here in the south. I did much better in the north. Hope this year is better.

The sunflowers are starting to come up behind the squash and zucchini

Another harvest

2008-06-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today we harvested LARGE zucchini, summer squash, tons of banana peppers.

Put new support stakes in the already caged early girls and bradley.

How's everything doing

2008-06-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Things are growing well. We've had decent rain and LOTS of heat. Need to finish picking the lettuce before it starts to bolt.

Squash & Zucchini are growing like gangbusters.

Both beds are starting to fill in and green up...

The runner beans ('scarlet runner' and 'Ky wonder') are starting to work their way up the poles.

(From left to right)

bush beans 'contender', carrots, mint (top center), cilantro (bottom center), Mr. Stripey tomato (top right) and apple mint (bottom right)

6-12 garden work

2008-06-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Fed today with fish emulsion

Caged part of the 2nd bed tomatoes (pink brandywine)

caged the German Queen tomato

Put landscape fabric under the melons

can see the sweet potatoes (top of pic) filling in some

Planting 2nd bed - 2nd post on 5-20

2008-05-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

'Hale's Best' and 'Ambrosia' Cantaloupe

Sweet Potatoes 'Beauregard' and Pole Beans 'Kentucky Wonder'

Planting 2nd bed - 1st post on 5-20

2008-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Plantings on 5-20

Pickling and slicing cucumbers

Crook neck squash - 6 plants total

zucchini & crookneck squash

Apple mint, Mr. Stripey & German Queen Tomato

Tomatoes - German Queen, Mtn. Pride & Pink Brandywine

Curled Parlsey & Roma Tomato

First Broccoli Harvest!

2008-05-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

OOOHHHH, yummy! First harvest of broccoli came in today. Steamed and served with a little butter and lemon juice - what a treat! My younger daughter actually danced in her seat at how good her broccoli was! (Yes, she's 4 and she LOVES broccoli)

This was the second harvest of leaf lettuce. It's been very sweet and tender. I was concerned because the spring has been a hot one already.

Caged the early girl tomatoes today, before they get so big I snap vines doing it. I plan on planting most of the 2nd bed tomorrow.

Pictures on 5-12-08

2008-05-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes are doing well.

Broccoli continues to do well and the lettuce is filling in.

Banana peppers and Rosemary and Thyme

First Official Harvest

2008-05-07T22:11:00.000-07:00

Today we harvested loose leaf lettuce and spinach.

The broccoli is starting to form heads.

Tomatoes are looking strong and healthy.

Work Begins on the 2nd Bed

2008-04-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

The first strip bed gets planted with some of the early spring veggies. We are now ready to prep the second bed where much of the summer plantings will go.