Notes for June 28, 2010

Yesterday I picked my first green beans of the season and planted the third.   Picked up storm debris (Thursday evening knocked off the top of a Sassafras tree).   Finished mulching the vegetable garden.  I had to wait until the rest of the tomatoes and cucumbers were well above the ground.   I have cucumbers beginning to form.   Transplanted four volunteer tomato plants into places where others along stakes were not growing as well.  The volunteers were at least twice the size and most of them had baby tomatoes already wehre the "replaced" plants didn't even have flowers yet.   I have cosmos that I planted along the veggie fence beginnning to bloom and some of my sunflowere are about three feet tall.

Notes for June 10, 2010

Last weekend I picked the last of my spinach since it was producing more pollen than leaves (that and I needed the room to prevent shading of other plants).  I also staked all of my tomato and pepper plants.  None are tied yet but at least the stakes are there so I won't damage the roots if I were to put the stakes in later when each plant needs a stake.   Then I started mulching.  I mulched again on Tuesday night since it was pleasant outside and I wouldn't sweat to death.  I got all of the vegetable mulching done that I could.  I have to mulch the rest when the plants are big enough that they won't get buried after mulching.   Yesterday we got some rain and this morning I emptied 0.45" from the rain gauge.

Notes for June 1, 2010

Saturday I finally got out to the garden.  I planted tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.  I also planted a second planting of beans.  The cucumbers I started from seed and I think I lost only one plant while transplanting the cardboard pots (I heard the stem go snap as I planted it).  I planted about 32 of my own tomato plants and I planted about 24 more of the volunteer plants.  I really had to, the volunteers were about 3x larger than my plants.  I had only one pepper plant germinate so I ordered some online to get the shorter season variety.  I had to do alot of weeding before I could get any planting done.  I ended up working about 4 hours after my body said stop.   I picked some more spinach too.  I finished picking the radishes last week.   Now I have lots of mulching to do.

Notes for May 5, 2010

Yes I know I have been delinquent.  But I have a new hobby and it isn't weather dependent.  I have gotten the genealogy bug and have been researching my family tree.  But I have been doing things outside too.   Last week during the week I did cut the grass (or lower the weeds) after I replaced the lawn mower blade, air filter and the spark plug (my annual maintenance).  On Saturday I did start some additional seeds.  I planted a row of string beans and started the following seeds in peat pots: Sunflower, cucumber, marigolds (three varitities, yellow fo the vegetable garden, small mixed and large mixed for the yard), and zinnias.  The zinnias and marigolds are outside and the cukes and sunflowers are inside.   I forgot to start some purple Morning Glory seeds that some one gave me so I will probably start them this weekend.  On my list for this weekend I will probably also set up my cucumber fences (although I won't be planting for a couple of more weeks, I have the time now).   In bloom right now are the azaleas, rhododendrons and the iris have started.  I even noticed that the two new iris I planted last fall are going to bloom!   The family has adopted another dog and now we have a beagle puppy.  Sunday evening when I went to water the garden, he was helping himself to a drink.  The wife said I definitely have an outside companion.  The golden retriever doesn't like to stay out side too long unless you are just sitting on the porch and he'll sit beside you.

Notes for April 28, 2010

I emptied 1.5" from the rain gauge yesterday.   Last night I did the annual tune up of the lawn mower (if you could call it a tune up).  I changed the blade, the air filter and the spark plug.   Then I thinned the spinach and thinned the radishes a second time.   Then I started digging up the free lancing marigolds and cosmos in my veggie garden for later trans planting.    I plan on cutting the grass tonight.   Satuday I am planning to start some annual seeds, plant a row of beans and start sunflowers and cukes in peat pots.

Notes for April 12, 2010

Friday I emptied 0.5" from the rain gauge.   Saturday morning I made a trip to a local garden center and purchased two small bags of bulb tone and a small bag of holly tone. When I got home, the first thing I did was to pick up the piles of branches that I reaked up earlier this week.  Then I mulched the onions since the stems were on average about 5" long.  Then I planted the Easter tulips and hyacinths and the two azaleas, mixing in the fertilizers and a healthy handful of ground up leaves.  After planting, I actually had to cut the grass in the back yard or as I like to say, I lowered the weeds.   My radishes have germinated nicely and will have to be thinned one night this week.  The spinach has also started to sprout.  Indoors the tomatoes have started to sprout.

Noted for April 8, 2010

Well, on a night that felt more like August than April with the sound of peepers instead of crickets, I raked my back yard last night of the branches/sticks that fell throughout the winter.  Now I have about 15 to 20 little piles of debris all over the yard to pick up the next time I get to the yard (probably Saturday).  I needed to get them raked because my backyard will probably need mowing by Saturday.   The plan on Saturday will be to pick up the piles of debris, and plant the Easter flowers we picked up (tulips and hyacinths) and the two azaleas I bought to decorate the church.  Then depending on the time and how much energy I have left I am thinking of mowing the back yard.  After the yards first mowing I usually change the mower blade and air filter and spark plug to be set for cutting grass for the rest of the summer.  The first mowing always mulches up any debris left in the yard which I think is better with an old blade.

Notes for April 7, 2010

Last night I watered my veggies.  My onions are now 4" to 5" tall and the radishes I planted on Saturday have started to sprout.  Its been warm the last few days and is expected to be in the 80's again today and tomorrow.   After I finished watering I came in the house and started some more seeds on the windowsill (under my grow lights).  Now alongside the tomatoes and peppers are some perennials.  I started Johnny Jump Ups, Yarrow, Painted Daisies, James Kelway daisy and some Butterfly Plants.  They are all in peat pots in aluminum baking trays.  The peppers are also sitting on a heating mat.

Notes for April 6, 2010

Yes I am delinquent in writing...   Friday, Good Friday I took off from work.  I picked up some wood ashes from an aunt and uncles house (ok it was three five gallon buckets).  And I stopped at the gas station and refilled the gas can from the shed.  When I got home I ran the mower over the leaves that had fallen in the veggie garden until it was a fine mulch.  Then I put down a fine layer of bone meal, covered it with a healthy layer of wood ashes and then covered that with a layer of finely mulched leaves (from the finely mulched leaf pile from behind the shed).  Then I rototilled the garden in one direction then the other.   On Saturday, another beautiful day, I first planted radish and spinach and I am trying a row of lettuce too.  After planting I finally got the ladder out and took down the outdoor Christmas lights that had been waiting for a warm sunny day to be taken down.  Next I cleaned out the fallen leaves from the flower beds in the front yard, used the leaf blower to blow them into the grass and then mulched all the leaves remaining in the front yard, picking them up with the bagging mower.   On Sunday, yes Easter Sunday, when I probably should have been taking a nap, I started my tomato and pepper seeds indoors (about two weeks late this year).  This year I am using peat pots to reduce plant damage during transplant.  I also bought the cheap aluminum baking pans to put the peat pots in to keep them from falling over and to keep any excess moisture contained.

Notes for March 30, 2010

Guess what? It's raining!  I emptied 2.2" from the rain gauge yesterday afternoon.

Notes for March 29, 2010

Things are moving slow this year, or I probably should say that its me that's moving slow.  I haven't turned the garden yet nor have I started my tomato or pepper seeds.  This past weekend the weather was still a factor.  I was doing some outside work at church on Saturday and after lunch I didn't have that much ambition since it was still chilly.  I did at least go through the grass and my flower beds along the driveway and threw the stones back into the driveway that got shoveled out of the driveway with the snow.  But that's about it.    Sunday it was cloudy and cool and occasionally sprinkled so I didn't work outside.  On Saturday I did empty the rain gauge of 0.25" that rained on Thursday.  And surprise it's raining again today.  We had some steady moderate rain last night and the creeks were up their banks again this morning.  Hopefully tonight I will at least clean out the area in the basement in front of my seed starting shelf.

Notes for March 23, 2010

Thunderstorm in March last night.  I could tell, it was easy, there was an 85 pound golden retriever stuck to my leg.

Notes for March 21, 2010

Yesterday I finally broke Spring.  After my morning errands I was able to work in the yard.  It was unfortunate that I did not get home until 11 and that kind of shot half the day since we had dinner plans.  Anyway, I did stop at my local garden center and it being the first day of Spring, I walked into a 20 percent off everything in the store sale. woo hoo!  I had a $50 gift certificate so I bought a 24 pound bag of bone meal, a shut off valve for the hose (squeeze type) and a hand rake (18" long), and I still had $6 left. When I got home I turned the onion bed after adding bone meal, wood ashes and leaves.  Then I planted yellow and red onions. While shopping earlier this week I found a purple daylily on sale and bought a pack of three.  I then planted them after the onions and learned the old lessons that unless its a new flower bed, you really shouldn't plant new perennials until May.  In the first spot I wanted to plant it, I ended up digging up a hosta that hadn't sprouted yet.  So I changed strategies and planted them in spots where the marigolds were and still needed to be cleaned out of the flower bed. After that I started cleaning up the yard of fallen branches and got two thirds of the front yard done.  Then I ran out of steam.

Notes for January 12, 2010

I have received at least four more seed catalogs since my last entry.  I will look through them all.  Who knows where I will find my next idea (plant etc) that actually works in my yard.  Yesterday I even received two post card packs of gardening gadgets but I didn't see that they came until this morning.   One of my local gardening stores doubles as a Christmas store and each January and February they advertise 40% off all seeds.  Looking at the calendar, I will probably be stopping by there the weekend of the 23rd this month.  I have already started my list although I haven't completed my inventory yet to see what I need.   I have decided to change one thing so far this season.  For my larger vegetable plants, I think I am going to start them from seed in biodegradeable pots.  I lost a couple of tomato, pepper and cucumber plants during transplanting and using the peat pots will eliminate that problem.  I will have to use some sort tray underneath to keep them from falling over as well as catch any water.   I think I am going to try even another variety of green pepper to try to get some earlier than late August.  I found a variety that touts its for short growing seasons but it was only a day shorter in its description than one of the two varieties I grew last year.   I had beautiful success with growing Juliet tomatoes instead of growing cherry tomatoes.  The cherry tomatoes seem to crack more oftten.  I think I will grow them again and look for another variety of grape as well.   I didn't plant my lima beans until late and I think I am finished with that exeriment for a while.  Not sure what I will plant instead, maybe some leaf lettuce or another row of carrots.  I wish I could get better spinach germination, I'm thinking of trying a different variety to see if the germination is better.   It was a little warmer this morning.  It was only 27 when I got up.  The last two days it was 11 degrees.

Notes for January 5, 2009

I have received (so far) 15 different seed catalogs.  Now that the wind is howling and the ground is frozen and lightly frosted, its the perfect time for browsing and planning.   We've had some hard freezing weather (enough for skaters on the local smaller lakes) and a couple of snow storms.  We got 24 inches between Saturday December 19 into Sunday morning.  Every time its gets below freezing or we get some snow, I get bluebirds in my front yard.  They love the berries on my hedge along the road and the droppings from the suet block from the other birds sloppy pecking.  They wait until a piece drops and swoop down and get it.  Sometime they go to the suet block but most of the time they watch and wait for sloppy eaters.