southern NJ Gardener

Update - May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T11:13:00.001-04:00

I was busy in the garden this past weekend. I picked some radishes but it looks like there won't be anymore. I thinking they are starting to bolt.

Mulched the string beans and the sunflowers.

Trimmed most every tree in the yard so I would stop having to duck or hit my head when cutting the grass.

Pulled out two nearly dead shrubs from alongside the house.

Waited until noon and cut the grass.

Started squash and eggplant seeds.

Notes for May 9, 2011

2011-05-09T13:46:00.001-04:00

Saturday I used a borrowed plate tamper and flattened my clumpy topsoil that I placed last week. Spread some grass seed and watered it.

Cut the grass in the front yard.

Planted a row of string beans.

Transplanted volunteer sunflower plants to a row where I want them. Transplanted volunteer marigolds to flower pots for later planting.

On Sunday...

Cut the grass in the backyard.

Watered the front yard grass seed.

Transplanted a sunflower to replace a transplanted sunflower that didn't survive.

Transplanted more marigolds to flower pots.

Installed the fencing for cucumber vining.

Started 40 cucumber seeds.

May already?

2011-05-02T14:33:00.001-04:00

I took good Friday off from work and caught up on the leaves areound the house.

Had some topsoil delivered on Saturday and moved it Saturday and Sunday. Fairly sore today but I used a back support belt so I am not hurting just muscle soreness in my thighs.

Looks like the spinach this year is a total flop. A total of five plants in four rows. Time to plant a row of green beans anyway. I also need to start the seeds for the cucumbers and the sunflowers.

Planted the easter flower bulbs.

Notes for April 18, 2011

2011-04-18T15:12:00.003-04:00

Last week on Monday evening, we had daytime temperatures near 80 and so it was just downright pleasant to work outside after dinner in the limited daylight. So I had a plan and I stuck to it. My plan was only to clear the winter wind blown leaves from another flower bed (since they were about 6 inches deep at one end). I pulled the leaves out and ran them over with the mower several times and then bagged them with the mower. I bagged three very heavy mower bags full. While I was clearing the leaves from the garden, I noticed our year old beagle playing around (on the other side of the fence from where I was working). When I looked a second time, I knew I had to investigate what he had.

He had this little two inch creature and was playing/toying with it like a cat. We think its a vole. Under the leaves were all sorts of habitat trails, so I gues I disturbed him/her from their wintering home.

Tuesday it rained and on Wednesday I emptied 1.0 inches from the rain gauge.

Friday I noticed the radishes starting to push up through the ground.

Saturday it rained and I emptied 2.3 inches from the rain gauge on Sunday. I also noticed the radishes were no longer pushing but were now exposed and the "pushed" ground was washed down.

Finally... progress

2011-04-10T21:53:00.001-04:00

This weekend was finally productive...

Saturday...

Finally got the veggie garden tilled. Added 50 pounds of bone meal, 50 pounds of lime, 15 gallons of wood ashes and 340 gallons of 17 month old composted leaves. Rototiller started on the second pull!

Sunday...

I planted two rows of radishes, four rows of spinach and one row of romaine lettuce. Since I went a little excessive with the leaves, I ended up having to sift the soil for covering the seeds otherwise the leaves would be blocking the germination.

After planting, I cleaned out the leaves from three flower beds and plan to gather up the leaves with the mower tomorrow.

Peppers are doing better

2011-04-08T18:23:00.001-04:00

I was really getting started to get depressed and thought I was going to have to order plants again. So I changed my methods and all have sprouted. I was watering twice a day and I started to give up and said the heck with it and only watered once a day and the rest sprouted! So now I have a pepper seedling growing in each pot!

Things are going slow...

2011-04-03T06:57:00.004-04:00

The last few weekends its either been unseasonably cold or raining. This weekend I am under the weather (pun intended). So I am taking it easy on the laborious work still required to get my yard ready for Spring. Yesterday I did plant my onions but I still haven't tilled the main veggie garden. So much for early radishes.

Here are the daffodils that I transplanted along the back fence. Of course some of you might say there are still leaves to rake behind the daffs or a fence post that needs replacing.

Here are the daffs I planted along my veggie garden. The chicken wire in the front is the fence I put up last week to keep my dogs out of the onion patch. As you can see the veggie garden has been mowed and is ready for tilling.

Here are my tomato seedlings and my setup.

And here are my pepper seedlings.

Dismal, I know, but I have seven with growth (out of 12). Two have doubles, so hopefully I can transplant them. One of the cups you can read "NA" which stands for "New Ace" variety.

I am not planning for much today if anything but trying to keep from getting worse. The headache, stuffy runny nose is enough.

Winter holds on?

2011-03-28T09:16:00.001-04:00

Winter came back this week, making it uncomfortable to work outside so not much got done this weekend. I did however get something done outside Sunday afternoon. Mainly out of necessity. Two of our dogs have been digging holes in my onion patch looking for the bone I buried (in the form of bone meal). So I looked in the shed and I did have a couple of partial rolls of chicken wire and luckily I had one that was long enough and fenced in my onion patch.

All but one of my tomato seedlings have sprouted (one cell did not germinate at all). But since I planted two seeds per cell, I have plenty extra to transplant to the empty cell.

I am again struggling with the pepper seeds. I have them in the peat pots and in an old baking pan on top of the warming mat. I have been watering them twice a day and I have only one germinating so far. Two years ago when I first used the mat and a plastic six pack, I think I had them all germinating in 10 days (today is day 15). Which just makes me more frustrated because I have poor luck getting peppers before September. And I have been trying to grow early varieties (but you can't get them in the store as plants).

And the family is busy next weekend (at least Friday and Saturday) leaving me to work outside but if you look at the forecast... I will be working inside again instead of outside in the rain...(I know its still several days away and it will probably change 6 times before Friday, but its still depressing).

week 2 Part 2?

2011-03-21T10:30:00.001-04:00

As expected I never did make it outside on Sunday. There was just too much to do inside that needed to get done.

As you can see I have a golden retriever. We also have two other dogs. Late last Spring we adopted a beagle puppy from a beagle rescue society. And right before Christmas we inherited an older corgi mix dog from a friend of the family who had a stroke and could no longer take care of the dog (my wife and I were designated godparents a few years earlier). So every night is a three dog night (pun intended). Anyway, Saturday evening I had to chase the two smaller dogs out of my onion patch SEVERAL times (luckily I hadn't planted the onions yet). Apparently they were looking for the bone I buried. But of course they didn't find one but they dug a bunch of holes and found only BONE MEAL! Sunday I kept checking on them and it appears they either got the message to stay out of that garden or they got tired of trying to find the bone? I was thinking that if they were in it again on Sunday I may have to put up a better fence around the onions.

The daffodils are in a strong bloom right now and the forsythia are starting to bud.

Next time I am at the farm/garden center to get dog food, I will also get a couple of air filters and a new blade for the mower. Since I use my mower to mulch leaves, the blade is always worn down enough to make me think that sharpening isn't really an option.

This next weekend I hope to turn the veggie garden, plant the onions and mulch some more leaves piled up in various places in the yard. If I get a nice evening I may get an earlier start but I have some indoor repairs to work on this week as well, and the weather looks to be cooler again so an evening outside appears unlikely at this point.

On the agenda as well this Spring...

We got a new well installed back in November and I need to get some topsoil to fill in the truck ruts. That will be the next priority after the radishes and spinach are planted.

I need to get on the roof and clean the gutters and replace the hardware store gutter covers which work fairly well but some of them are old and need replacing. I don't think the gutters are too clogged. They were once before, and it was then that I noticed that the gutters would drip for several days after a rain. They aren't dripping like that now.

My tomato seeds are starting to sprout.

week 2 part1?

2011-03-19T17:21:00.001-04:00

Week two and I am sore already. Not sure if I will do much (if anything) tomorrow. Couldn't get started until the afternoon today but I feel good about what I got done. I bought some bone meal and added bone meal, wood ashes and leaves to the onion patch and turned it. I bought the onion sets yesterday on the way home from work. I might plant them tomorrow. After that I ran the mower over the leaves that fell in the veggie garden. Pull, pull, snap went the mower cord. So I had to fix the mower first. I thought that running the tiller after that would be too much. After that I had my son help me take down the Christmas lights off the front of the house. Then I raked out most of the leaves from two flower beds and mulched them fine and then bagged them and put them in the finely mulched pile (to be used as mulch and fertilizer). Then my body had had enough and I stopped for the day.

New Season 2011

2011-03-14T09:26:00.001-04:00

Yes, it has been too long. I have another hobby and that has taken the place of writing. I have been researching the family tree but the garden has started its call.

Yesterday was my birthday and on Saturday my wife and I went to the Philadelphia Flower show. I have wanted to go for years and finally did. Now that I have done it, I don't have to go again. About half was displays and the other half was vendors. It was crowded especially when people have to take a picture of their friend in front of some flowers etc and you have to walk around the person who has backed up to take their picture. Grrr.

Sunday afternoon I did work outside for a little while. I went around the yard and picked up the branches that fell during the winter.

Then I came inside and started the tomato and pepper seeds. I started three varieties of peppers (New Ace, Fat N Sassy, and Parks whopper). I planted the seeds in the cardboard/peat pots so I won't disturb the roots when I transplant so I can just plant the whole thing. The pepper pots are sitting on a seed growing heating mat and under a grow light.

I have four different varieties of tomatoes seeds planted (Celebrity, Early Girl, Juliette and Park's Whopper). They are also in peat pots and under grow lights.

Next weekend I hope to get started in the garden and till it and maybe even plant onions. I have to get the onions first as well as a large bag of bone meal. I already have three 5 gallon buckets of wood ashes (from an aunt and uncle). I think I even have some left over from last year. So I will add wood ashes, bone meal and composted leaves to the garden and till it. This year I have a composted pile of leaves that I didn't use last year so I may use that instead of the pile of finely mulched leaves. Speaking of leaves I have plenty more to pick up. I wish I had one more weekend last fall to clean up the leaves and of course the winter winds brings in a bunch more. I have some daffodils wondering when I am going to take off their blanket of leaves. I also have some in bloom up next to the house.

I did hear the spring peepers one night last week, so its not too far away now.

Notes for June 28, 2010

2010-06-28T11:01:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-10T15:24:00.001-04:00

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

2010-06-01T13:29:00.001-04:00

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

2010-05-05T09:01:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-28T07:11:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-12T09:09:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-08T08:47:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-07T07:11:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-06T07:26:00.001-04:00

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

2010-03-30T09:54:00.001-04:00

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

Notes for March 29, 2010

2010-03-29T15:31:00.001-04:00

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

2010-03-23T07:47:00.001-04:00

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

2010-03-21T08:48:00.001-04:00

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

2010-01-12T12:42:00.001-05:00

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

2010-01-05T22:11:00.001-05:00

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.

Notes for December 24, 2009

2009-12-24T15:01:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We are guaranteed a white Christmas this year. We got 24" of the white stuff Saturday night into Sunday. I have never seen that much in December. I am still getting seed catalogs and I got two more this week. More reading for the holidays.

Notes for December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T09:26:00.001-05:00

I picked the last of my carrots on Saturday and I think they are on the menu for tonight. I was able to pick some nice medium size and small carrots. I picked them around mid morning and had to chip the frozen earth around them. The top two inches of the ground was frozen. I could have waited until the afternoon but there were other things on the schedule.

Did some cleaning later on Saturday which including recycling the pile of last years seed catalogs (why is difficult to part with them?). I have a few catalogs already for next year and have started a new pile.

We've had some wind storms and the leaves have started to pile up in the usual places. But they are not posing a threat to my grass or gardens yet.

Saturday afternoon as I went to borrow the extension ladder (to put up the outdoor Christmas lights on the house) from a family member I noticed not one but two red tailed hawks perched in the trees behind my house intently watching the birds at my feeders. In defiance I shouted to them "Leave the birds alone! There are plenty of squirrels!" Then one flew off. When I returned with the ladder, the other was gone.

Notes for Monday November 30, 2009

2009-11-30T08:45:00.001-05:00

Finally a success for the record books. Well ok may be just for the journal. Thursday (Thanksgiving) morning, I picked the last of my radishes and I picked some carrots. The carrots weren't big enough for the dinner meal but they were big enough for the snack tray. And this year they were alot sweeter. Last year the carrots were bitter. So this year I tried a variety known for being sweet and I made sure that I added wood ashes to the soil. I plant my carrots in the same bed that I plant my onions and after harvesting the onions I plant carrots in late August in hopes of some small carrots for Thanksgiving. When I made the soil ready for the onions and then for the carrots, I added ashes and leaf mulch to the soil.

This weekend I also finally put up my two suet feeders for the woodpeckers and nuthatches as well as the squirrel jar. I bought a new silo feeder for the finches. The one I got this summer was already caked up in the bottom half and the birds stopped coming to it about a month ago. Last month I collected about a bucket and a half of acorns and I plan on putting them out for the squirrels in January. I'm interested to see what happens.

I replaced the screens with the windows in the storm doors as well this weekend. It really hasn't been that cold yet for it really to be needed. Even yesterday afternoon was delightful after starting out at 27 degrees. I tried to put up the outdoor Christmas lights yesterday but I had completely forgot that my father-in-law took back his ladder a few months ago (I borrowed it a few years ago and he hadn't needed it since).

I've started to get seed catalogs already but I try not to look at them until after Christmas.

Notes for Monday November 23, 2009

2009-11-23T10:03:00.001-05:00

On Saturday I was able to finish mulching the leaves in my yard. Most of the trees have finished dropping their leaves while a few remaining trees will gradually lose them throughout the winter. So until the next wind storm blows them in from my neighbor across the street, I am caught up. I asked my son to help me and he was able to give me an hour and that helped. I didn't have to do the complete front yard, there weren't that many leaves. I was able to blow the leaves into smaller areas so I didn't have to do the whole front yard. The areas in the back yard were thicker with leaves because I wasn't able to get to them the last few weeks so I ran them over with the mower a few times before I bagged them. This makes nice finely mulched leaves and I pile them separately. I use the finer leaf mulch to turn under in the veggie garden and to mulch in tight spaces (like my onions). So right now all three of my leaf compost piles are over flowing but in another months time they will have settled about a foot.

I still have radishes and carrots to pick and I will be picking them on Thursday. I test picked a carrot on Saturday and it looks like I will have a bunch of baby carrots for snacking on Thanksgiving. Hopefully this variety will be sweeter.

Notes for Monday November 16, 2009

2009-11-16T09:19:00.001-05:00

With the remnants of Hurricane Tropical Storm Ida passing by to our south and then reforming into a typical NorEaster, we got 1.4" of rain over a three day period.

On Sunday morning, I can't remember how many times I went back and forth deciding whether or not to mulch leaves in the afternoon. When I got up it was cloudy and so damp it was dripping off the trees. It didn't look like it was going to dry out enough to mulch leaves. Then when I left for church it was getting brighter and it started to nag at me that if I didn't do it today then when? (especially since the long range forecast looks like we might get rain again just before the weekend). So after I got home from church, I did end up mulching leaves that were still wet but picked up by the mower. I kept telling myself as I was pushing the mower, "I have to do what I can, when I can," and it seemed to fit. At least this time I did get a little further into the back yard and it looks like no more leaves will be falling. There are still a few trees with leaves but those oaks don't seem to give them up until spring. So after I finish the back yard (hopefully next weekend) then all I have left to do is to mulch the leaves as they pile up in my yard from the wind (from either of my neighbors).

Notes for Monday November 9th, 2009

2009-11-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

Well the best laid plans are usually almost always foiled somehow. I was boasting that I still had zinnias, marigolds, daisies and cosmos still in bloom AND I had planned to take pictures of them on Saturday. But Jack had other plans. Saturday morning I slept in and the temperature in the bright sun at 8AM was in the 40's but in the shade of my neighbors fence I noticed that the grass was white as I took out the trash. Watching the news later on Saturday it was said that it got down to 31 degrees in the city of Philadelphia Friday night, so I know it was colder here. Everything had been touched by Jack Frost and not worthy of a photo. Oh well.

Later on Saturday I did work on mulching the leaves in my yard and due to the thickness of the layer, all I got done was the front yard again. It looks like the layer should be thinner this weekend and maybe I will get more of the backyard done. I mulched leaves for about two and half hours. I could have done more but with all the bending over to remove the bagger on the mower, it would have been really difficult to put socks on to go to church on Sunday had I done more. So I stopped to work another day.

I did change my approach a little bit this year. Instead of using the leaf blower to remove the leaves from my flower beds, I used a rake to remove the leaves. This way I don't remove the mulch from the flower beds (last years mulched leaves). I still use the leaf blower to remove the leaves from the driveway and out from under other shrubs and away from other obstacles so the mower can reach them.

I still have radishes and carrots and I did pick some radishes and watered the carrots and radishes. I grow the radishes (which are so easy after thinning) for my father in law. I don't eat them unless they are thinly sliced and mixed in with a good salad. As I watered the carrots and radishes I began to wonder if my carrots will be sweeter this year (I like to pick them on Thanksgiving morning for pre dinner snack). I grew a different variety this year and put additional helpings of wood ashes in the soil. So all I am hoping to get is a bunch of sweet baby carrots. I couldn't help to think that the local farmers are picking carrots right now and of course they are huge compared to mine. So maybe I will plant them earlier next year and pick them earlier too. Right now I plant them in my onion patch after I've picked my onions because I have read that carrots and onions get along. I will have to research it and maybe I will plant my radishes there instead.

Notes for Friday November 6th, 2009

2009-11-06T08:19:00.001-05:00

Wednesday morning the thermometer read 31 degrees when I got up, but there wasn't any visible frost on the ground or on my car. What I did notice was the silence. The silence of winter before the birds wake up when there are no crickets to greet you. The silence that is only broken by passing cars or neighbors getting ready for work.

My cosmos, marigolds, zinnias and daisies are still doing fine. If I remember, I will try to take pictures on Saturday as I mulch some more leaves. There hasn't been many more leaves fallen since Saturday but its supposed to be windy today so I am sure there will be more.

This morning it was 34 degrees and with the recent time change to the clocks, I am now driving to work at twilight and returning home at twilight. Combine that with the leaves falling from the trees and I have the right conditions and the right time to view hawks sitting up in the tops of trees near open fields waiting to spot there next meal. It is always an awesome sight.

Notes for Tuesday November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

As I was thinking yesterday that we really haven't had a frost yet...it was 33 degrees this morning. Close but...my marigolds, daisies, zinnias and cosmos are still in bloom. The cosmos next to my veggie garden are seven foot tall and finally in bloom.

Notes for Monday November 1, 2009

2009-11-02T09:48:00.001-05:00

Here's a short note...

I ran the mower over my fallen leaves on Saturday but left about 3/4ths of the back yard left to do. The leaves seemed to fall as fast as I was picking them up. But at least the layer of leaves is thinner in the front yard. Last week I completed the whole yard in four hours and it was difficult putting socks on for the next few days, so this week I mulched leaves for only two and a half hours. What I mulched last week was three weeks of leaves and that amount seemed to have fallen in just three days.

It rained Saturday night into Sunday but I forgot to check the rain gauge. I emptied the rain gauge on Thusday and there was two inches from Tuesday's rain.

Notes for October 30, 2009

2009-10-30T08:01:00.001-04:00

Where to start? Who knows. Most every fall, my gardening desires wanes (at least until I start receiving gardening catalogs around Christmas time). This year it seems to be worse. The thing that comes to my mind is that anyone over 40 knows that life changes and life doesn't always let you do the things you want to do and you do what you need to do. I still feel guilty though. I feel guilty I haven't written. I feel guilty I haven't read your blogs and looked and commented about beautiful yards, your beautiful nature pictures and of course your silly dog (I've got one too). I want to say I haven't had the time but whenever someone says that I always say "You would have the time, if it were important." But when life changes as it does sometimes seasonally, you have to make do and somethings get pushed aside. You find time enough to do other shorter/not involved things (unlike gardening) to keep your sanity, but I still feel guilty. As I think of it, another factor is daylight. One of my most productive gardening time periods is in the evening after dinner which diminishes as fall begins. Saturdays and Sundays are usually filled with other activities as fall begins again. This will probably change as my kids get old enough to leave the nest (one commuting to college and the other in High school). And since I am the type of person that likes to do things the right way, I end up waiting until I have the time to do it right. A specific change in the yearly schedule that happened this year happened back in June. My mother had to have surgery and then she lived with us for a few weeks and that caused the priorities to shift and therefore time became lost for lower priorities and some things got put off.

I have had more gardening failures this year than successes. I lost a bunch of perennials to the winter. Some perennials that did survive became food for critters that also survived the winter (never seen chipmunks as often as I did this year). I had ground hog take up residence under the concrete slab under my shed but I seem to have chased him off (for now). We haven't had frost yet but it was cold enough in September that ALL my tomatoes died, BUT NOT my peppers. It also was cold enough that all the Virginia Creeper that covers my back fence also died off. I am usually picking tomatoes until Halloween. But not this year, I am still picking peppers (they have reached the point of diminishing returns and are getting smaller). I have an 8 year old stump that I wanted to dig up as a project but that didn't happen. I did get a bunch of dead trees cut down and all the wood went to a friend of ours who uses wood burning stoves. One of the trees had to be cut down by a tree company so it didn't come down on my holly tree, my neighbor's fence or my house.

In addition to the peppers, I still have carrots and radishes in the ground. Not sure how the radishes are going to turn out, I think it got too warm for them for a little bit. The carrots I am hoping to harvest Thanksgiving morning for pre dinner snacks. That is the remaining garden experiment for this year. I picked some on Thanksgiving last year but they weren't very sweet. This year I planted a variety known for its sweetness (or so they say). It has rained periodically lately but I probably should have watered a few times in late September and early October. I also still have lima beans but I don't think they formed many pods and I should have watered. I will definitely look at them and probably pull them when I next work outside to mulch my leaves. I am starting to mulch/collect my leaves weekly as I do every fall up until about Thanksgiving. We don't have leaf collection in my township and I don't have a place to dump them so I mulch them with the mower, bag them and put them in a compost pile to use as mulch in the spring. With the loss of about 10 trees in the backyard over the last two years, there is considerably fewer leaves to mulch in the backyard. Hopefully I will still get enough to have enough mulch in the spring. The winter winds help me collect leaves from my neighbor across the street and one of my neighbors on the side.

We haven't seen the bluebirds since Spring. We'll probably see them when its gets cold. They come to my suet feeders during the winter. Or at least they swoop down from the wire holding the feeders and get the pieces of suet that fall to the ground as other birds are eating. I will be putting out the suet feeders soon. I don't like to put the feeders out when its still above 60 degrees.

I got a new silo feeder for my thistle feed (for the goldfinches) and it is so cheaply made compared to the one I had for years. I will probably look for a better one during the winter. But in either case the silo feeders both collected moisture. Does someone make a silo thistle feeder that has a screen bottom for drainage?

The box for my squirrel in the jar feeder needs to be replaced too. Maybe this winter. If the time presents itself and I have the materials...

Notes for Monday September 14, 2009

2009-09-14T08:47:00.001-04:00

On Saturday as the East coast was getting slogged... I emptied 2.3" from the rain gauge.

On Sunday I picked Tomatoes, Cucumbers and peppers. The cukes are just about done and I will be lucky if I pick anymore.

New Pictures - A Week Late

2009-09-08T19:30:00.006-04:00

Here are two pictures of some Agastache Rupestins. I started them from seed a couple of years ago and they are going strong but look kind of weedy. I saw a hummingbird check this one out a few weeks ago. Now I am going to look for other agastache colors.

Here are the three foot tall zinnias (with some daisies and marigolds).

Here is a remaining patch of sedum (lost several to the winter) and this bunch is in bloom and is complete with bumblebees.

Another thing in bloom at the moment are my chive pots.

Here are my 7 foot tall cosmos tied to the inside of my veggie fence. Most haven't bloomed yet much to my disappointment.

Here are my 7 foot tall tomato plants.

Along the same fence I planted some Tithonia and it full bloom now. It came out bushier than I thought it would.

Notes for Tuesday September 1, 2009

2009-09-01T07:32:00.003-04:00

September already? Can't believe it.

We got back from our vacation (a week at the Jersey shore) on Saturday. There ought to be a law that all vacations need to be a minimum of two weeks. Yesterday was a difficult day to get back into the rhythm (didn't really want to either).

Friday before we left I emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge and hoped that we would get some rain while we were gone. Upon return I emptied 1.5", not sure when we got it though. Then again on Sunday morning I emptied 0.6" from a thunderstorm that rumbled through at bed time Saturday night.

Before we left for vacation I told my neighbors and emailed my friends to please come by and pick some veggies while we were gone. When I got home it didn't look like anyone did. I picked about a bushel of juliet tomatoes, a half a bushel of regular tomatoes, a bushel of cucumbers and about a half a dozen peppers. Still no hornworms!??

On Sunday afternoon I pulled the third string beans (picking about two gallons) and planted a row of radishes alongside where the beans were leaving room for another row in a couple of weeks. There were only about 6 spinach seedlings in the row I planted a couple of weeks ago so I pulled them and planted another row. I also tied several of my cosmos plants to the fence since they were falling over. Some of my cosmos are over 6 foot tall and haven't flowered yet.

I need to take some pictures. Some of my zinnias are about 3 foot tall and in bloom and my five pots of chives are in full bloom and were buzzing with small what looked to be small carpenter bees. The tithonia I planted have really taken over and are alot more bushier than I expected and are full of blooms.

Then later on Sunday afternoon, I cut the grass. I wish I had a combine instead of just my push mower. We had two weeks of wet weather since I last cut it (wet at least for August, the news said that it was the third wettest August on record). I had to keep the deck of the mower raised again and still had to cut it at half width and half speed. While pushing the mower I avoided three toads.

There was no sign of the groundhog the whole week before we left and when we got back his hole had reopened. So on Sunday I threw another handful of moth balls in his hole and filled it the best I could packing the soil in using a 3 foot 2x4. Yesterday morning there was no indication that he had returned but when I got home from work he had started to dig his hole again but didn't get very far so I filled the hole again.

Notes for August 19, 2009

2009-08-19T07:12:00.003-04:00

Last night I picked tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. With the abundance of Juliet tomatoes, I even brought some into work today. I think I might change the number of plants next year. Instead of 12 plants of small tomatoes (cherry/grape or juliet again), I may decrease it to 9 and increase the medium sized tomato plant. I may even try a earlier variety to see how that works.

As I was picking last night I was thinking that I should water the carrot seeds but never did. Mother Nature took care of that for me. I emptied 0.5" from the rain gauge this morning.

Notes for Monday August 17, 2009

2009-08-18T07:46:00.003-04:00

I watered the veggies last night, (haven't had much rain since the beginning of last week). We had a couple of small showers late last week but it wasn't much.

I can't believe I haven't seen any hornworms yet this year. I checked my records and last year I saw them as early as July 15. Because of June's weather my tomatoes are about a month behind, maybe the same for these ugly buggers?

Last night while I was talking to my neighbor out in the yard, I saw a humming bird visit the Agastache Rupestins. It's a three foot tall weedy looking perennial that I started from seed a couple of years ago. They have a slender cylindrical flower similar to Bee Balm but is a pale orange in color. That was the first time I saw a hummingbird visit it. I wonder if they frequent it or if he was just checking it out?

I will be on vacation next week at the Jersey shore enjoying some much needed down time. When I return and now that I am caught up with all the regular seasonal gardening chores, I plan on starting to remove an 8 year old stump by axe and shovel.

Notes for August 17, 2009

2009-08-17T07:38:00.003-04:00

Well on Friday I finally was able to cut the grass. It had been a couple of weeks but at first it didn't need it. Then we started getting rain at regular intervals and my calendar wasn't letting me out there to cut it. Soooo when I finally got to it Friday night, I had to go half speed at half width and raise the deck a notch in order to get it done before nightfall. While I was cutting the grass I avoided, not one, not two, not three but FOUR toads. That's a new record for me. Each were small, about as big as my thumb. It baffled me why so many until I realized they were out there chasing some of the hundreds of crickets I also saw in the thick grass.

Saturday the calendar opened up again and I was able to get a nice chunk of time in the yard. I first harvested some green beans (first picking of third green beans), peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers and the last batch of onions. Then I tended the tomatoes (trimming suckers and tying). There isn't much tying anymore, most of my plants are six foot or taller and have out grown my 8 foot stakes (each stake is in the ground at least a foot). So I trimmed the suckers I could reach and tied the lower/slower growing tomatoes. I am surprised I don't have any hornworms yet. Now that I said that, I will probably pull of several tonight (I plan on watering tonight).

I pulled out all the remaining onions and really didn't get many more. I noticed that the onions that went to flower never really formed an onion. So I think that starting next year I won't let them flower and I will snip the bud off when it starts forming. I added some wood ashes and then turned the onion patch and planted two rows of carrots.

Earlier this week I received two German bearded irises (that I ordered in the Spring, but didn't realize at the time that they wouldn't be delivered until August). So I planted them in the front of the house. I pulled out a low lying evergreen first and planted them there. The evergreen was bare in the middle and the outer edges needed trimmed back which wouldn't have left very much. It needed trimmed, part of it was a trip hazard for my front steps and another part was growing into the driveway and so I wasn't liking it.

After planting the irises, I finished cleaning up the tree debris from the tree I had cut down about a month ago, (my friend came by this week and picked up the cut wood for his wood burning stoves). I also had to fill in the depressions that the falling pieces left. And finally I weeded and mulched the front gardens and the other driveway garden. The other driveway garden is kind of bare. I lost a bunch of perennials there this year. So I will enjoy thinking of what I can plant next year.

Notes for August 13, 2009

2009-08-13T07:15:00.003-04:00

Looks like we had more thunder than rain yesterday. I was surprised this morning when I emptied only 0.2" from the rain gauge. The calendar has settled down and it looks like I will get a nice chunk of time on Saturday. In addition to the regular chores in the veggie garden, I plan on cleaning out the onion patch and planting carrots. We've had some regular rain this year so the grass is need of cutting. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow night because tonight looks like its going to be rainy again. And I have some weeding to do in the flower beds against the front of the house.

2009-08-02T09:17:00.000-04:00

Who needs a fig leaf, I'll use cucumber?

Someone else likes the garden.

Tithonia.

Last Saturday's harvest. Yesterday's was the same.

The cosmos were getting big enough that I had to tie them to the fence.

Friday I emptied 0.25".

Yesterday I picked and pulled the second green beans and then planted spinach in its place. then I picked some peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes (plums and regular). I also picked a few more onions. Next week I am planning to pull all the onions and plant carrots.

This morning we had some heavy rain and I emptied 1.2" after I got home from church.

Now what I want to know is who wished the ground hog on me? We have a juvenile ground hog who has taken up residence under the concrete slab under my shed. We have a box trap set with apple nearby but he doesn't seem interested (there's enough grass all around). Today I put a bunch of moth balls into the hole and filled it in the best I could. Maybe he'll get the message and move on?

Veggies

2009-08-02T09:15:00.002-04:00

It's a jungle out there. Here is the path between the cukes on the right and the tomatoes on the left.

This is something new for me, I have peppers in August! This variety is called New Ace.

Here are my tomatoes getting ripe (Juliet). I thought they were a grape but they are more like a plum and very meaty.

On the left are two rows of green beans next to a row of lima beans, next to a row of peppers.

Here are the tomato plants. The stakes are 8 ft 1 x 2's, each driven into the ground about a foot and a half. Yes my plants are 6.5 ft tall. Saturday I picked the second picking of the second green beans, I picked 5 peppers, 10 cukes and 6 plum tomatoes. Sunday we had another round of storms. This time we got 1.7".

flowers

2009-08-02T09:02:00.003-04:00

The Joe Pye Weed around the mail box is about to bloom.

The Agastache (rupestins) I grew from seed a few years ago are in bloom.

A red daylilly.

These marigolds came up on their own and I left them.

The daisies are blooming and the marigolds in fron but not the zinnias in between.

Friday night we were in Medford Lakes. There are still some people without power or phone and some might not get it back until Tuesday. It wasn't a tornado but it was 80 mph winds. We were spared at home and the wind wasn't that bad either. I did empty 0.5" from the rain gauge.

Notes for Thursday July 30, 2009

2009-07-30T09:59:00.002-04:00

Well after being teased for the last five or six days, I finally got some measurable rain. It had been raining all around us the past week and all we got was occasional sprinkles. Last night's rain was accompanied with strong winds and decent lighting storm. I say "decent" because I like thunderstorms. This morning I emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge and noticed I have some branches to pick up before cutting the grass the next time. Last night when I got home from work I did pick six cukes and two Juliet tomatoes (I thought they were a grape tomato but they are more like a small plumb).

Notes For Sunday July 26, 2009

2009-07-26T08:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday the family schedule allowed me to work in the yard and I was able to take advantage of it and still catch up to the family. And at bedtime I was feeling it.

First, I picked two gallons of green beans. I probably should have picked last week because I realized I really need to spread the planting from three weeks apart to four weeks apart. The row of Lima Beans I planted last week is sprouting now. Then I tied and trimmed the tomato plants. I found two cherry tomatoes that were ripe. Actually they were more like a grape tomato. This year I am trying Juliet (an elongated grape tomato) because I was tired of losing so many cherry tomatoes because they have a tendency to split. And of course they never made it out of the garden and I ate them right there. They aren't as sweet or as juicy as a cherry tomato but they were surprisingly very meaty and very good. I also picked 6 cukes.

Then I finally finished mulching my flower beds and transplanted a few marigolds and cosmos left. I still would like to mulch the front of the house and will probably will do that next.

After mulching, I cut the grass. With the dry weather we've had, I grass didn't need cutting. While cutting the grass I avoided running over a toad. This must have father or mother toad. He was a good size one.

Notes for Friday July 24, 2009

2009-07-24T07:23:00.002-04:00

As I was watching out my office window from work yesterday and the periodic heavy rain, I oftened wondered how much rain I was getting at home (an hour away south). Ok, I was also wishing I was home weeding or mulching, even though it was raining. On my way home yesterday I drove through a moderate to light rain the whole way home and saw many healthy puddles until I was about two miles from home where the raods were practically dry and hardly any puddles. This morning I emptied only 0.15" from the rain gauge.

Notes for July 23, 2009

2009-07-23T07:37:00.002-04:00

Well I didn't do any mulching last night. I wanted to and I was prepared to do so but it rained before I got home from work and there were puddles all over so everything was soaked and I didn't feel like getting wet (sweat would have been enough). Combine that with a family schedule event (which the timing wasn't discussed with me although I should have presumed so) which would have required me to be bathed (if having been working in the yard) before dark. In simple terms, it was my daughter's 17th birthday and we were going to the grandparents house for ice cream cake (which we do every year for both kids) around 7:30-8:00 (so it didn't leave me much time to work outside and I would have had to cut it even shorter to get a shower).

In any case... I emptied 0.6" from the rain gauge when I got home from work yesterday and after dinner I did pick about 10 cucumbers.

Maybe tonight...???

Notes for July 22, 2009

2009-07-22T07:29:00.001-04:00

It rained for most of the day yesterday and I was nicely surprised when I emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge when I got home from work. It's so nice when Mother Nature does the watering chore, now maybe I can get to finishing mulching the flower beds?

A success!

2009-07-20T07:49:00.003-04:00

Last week I had put in some overtime and wasn't getting home until 8:30 or 9:00 for most of the week. Friday morning I sent a text message to my teenage kids and asked them to do a couple of household chores for me. I also asked my daughter to pick some of the cucumbers for me (I hadn't picked since last weekend).

Luckily I didn't have to work on Saturday and was able to start catching up on the household chores. I also had a window of time to work in the garden where I tied and trimmed the tomatoes and picked the third picking from the first green beans. In the past I noticed that the beans drop off dramatically after the third picking so I pulled the plants after the third picking. So now I had an empty row and so I planted Lima Beans. I also picked some more cucumbers.

It wasn't until Sunday while I was watering the veggie garden that I noticed a success that warmed my heart. The first planting of green beans were shading the next door row of green peppers and I have peppers coming. This is a first for me for July since I started gardening here when we bought our house in the fall of 2000. I have a semi wooded lot and I have always said that my garden gets only about 3-4 hours of good sunlight a day. I have lost some trees but the trees lost really didn't effect the veggie garden. Every year I since I started my veggie garden I wasn't getting any peppers until September. I know peppers like full sun and that's the only reason I can think of why I wasn''t getting them during the summer. It seemed like the plants finally decided that in September they better start making peppers because they're weren't going to get anymore sun. Last year I tried a different variety that had a shorter maturation time (by two weeks) and to my surprise I did get peppers two weeks earlier than in previous years. This year I found another variety that's time was even two weeks shorter and its those plants that have peppers on them. The variety is New Ace and it looks like its going to be a staple from now on.

Summer Has Just Started?

2009-07-17T07:41:00.002-04:00

If you don't count the 90 degree day (s) we had in April (yes April), then Summer started yesterday. Yesterday was the first 90 degree plus day and the mugginess was there too. Now maybe my tomatoes and peppers will respond?

I emptied 0.3" from the rain gauge this morning. Not quite enough to not water but I will take it. Especially since I have been working late this week and wasn't able to water anyway (nor pick cucumbers either). So when I get home I haven't had enough time to write in my blog or check out others. This entry is being entered through email.

Notes for July 12, 2009

2009-07-09T18:59:00.003-04:00

Here is a pic of the veggie garden, beans in the front hiding the peppers, tomatoes tied to the tall stakes and cukes in the back on their own fence.

Here are the beans in the front. Each row was planted three weeks apart (the family complained when all three rows had to be picked at once). I started picking last week so I will be picking each week for the next seven which puts me into September. The first row (on the right) I picked their second picking yesterday and I filled two one gallon bowls.

This flower bed has mostly annuals. Our cold winter this past year was down to the negative numbers and the winter winds buried it with a foot of leaves that I was unable to dig out until late and so all but a few volunteer daisies survived. I replanted some volunteer daisies in the back with zinnias in the middle and some marigolds in the front.

Yesterday in addition to the second picking of the first green beans, I picked 12 cukes. Then I tied and trimmed the tomatoes and finished mulching the third green beans. Next week I will pull the first green beans and replant lima beans. When the second green beans are done I am thinking of planting spinach and the third will be replaced with radish. My tomatoes will be super late this year because of the cooler wet June. I will have some grape tomatoes in a few weeks but the bigger varietties will be into August.

Last night Mother Nature smiled on me and provided 0.75" rain, otherwise I was going to water today. Unfortunately is was a noisy rain complete with light show which the thunderstorm proximity alarm didn't like (the 80 lb Golden Retriever) so we had company in bed with us from 1 AM to 2 AM.

What's in bloom?

2009-07-09T18:46:00.002-04:00

We'll start off with a bonus, two for the price of one. We have a dark red daylilly and some white Yarrow.

Here is a lavender day lilly.

And now I have a double bloomer! There is a story to go with this one. Got this one (and others not blooming this year) from the next door neighbor of a relative while attending the annual fourth of July family picnic last year.

Any guesses? How about ONION! Yes, my onions are in bloom.

Here is a look at my onion patch. they are starting to fall over so I will be picking in a few weeks.

Yesterday I watered the veggie garden and the annuals planted this year. Tied and trimmed the tomatoes (thank goodness that most of the stunted one are looking better). I figure the wet and not very warm June has put me back about a month. I also picked 10 cucumbers.

First beans and cukes

2009-07-05T08:37:00.003-04:00

My other day lillies have started to bloom. I planted this one last year.

Thursday afternoon I had a large dead oak tree cut down. It died last summer. I don't know what from. Gypsy moth caterpillars were really bad two years ago and this tree did survive that but then died a few months after spring started last year. I wanted the tree service to it cut down on Friday when I had the day off but it was a cash deal and they finally called me back Thursday afternoon while I was work and said we'll be there in a half an hour. Wouldn't have been a bad day if my wife's car battery hadn't died when she tried to move the car back in the driveway after the tree was cut down.

I had Friday off and I got a bunch done before we went to some local fireworks. I picked the first picking from the first green beans. ( We had them for dinner tonight in a green bean casserole at my brother's house celebrating the 4th and mom's 82nd birthday. They were good). I then tied the tomatoes and trimmed their suckers. The third green beans started to sprout a few days ago.

I finished mulching flower bed #4 and then mulched all of flower bed #5 and began mulching #3. Before I mulched #5, I planted some more marigolds, zinnia and cosmos in flower bed #5. Yes I know I am going out of order but these two gardens needed more attention first (they're the youngest) flower beds 1, 2 & 3 are closer to autopilot.

With the tree down I had to install a post in the ground for the birdfeeder. One end of the hanging wire was attached to the dead tree. I bought a 10 ft 4x4 post a couple of weeks ago in anticipation. I also installed several new posts for the clothesline and removed the hooks from the trees.

This afternoon I watered the veggie garden and the recently planted marigolds, zinnias and cosmos. I really don't like to water in the afternoon but the family schedule left me no choice since we were going to dinner at my brother's house and this morning I did make it to church. After I watered I noticed that I could pick several cucumbers and I ended up picking seven. So this weekend I picked the first fruits of green beans and cukes. Yummy!

2009-07-01T19:47:00.002-04:00

The cucumbers are growing nicely. I grow a seedless burpless, which is the family's favorite.

The Bee Balm is starting to bloom. My teenage daughter has even noticed.

I just planted my third green beans. Each row was planted three weeks apart. I will be picking from the first row (on the far right) this weekend and when its finished in three weeks, I will be picking from the middle row. I noticed the third green beans are starting to sprout.

The tomatoes are growing but in the past they have been bigger but its been a mild (not hot) June with plenty of rain.

It hasn't measurably rained since last week so I watered my veggies tonight as well as the marigold and zinnia I planted along the house on Sunday.

Notes for July 1, 2009

2009-07-01T07:09:00.002-04:00

Yes I watched weather radar do its magic again. There was a nice line of thunderstorms marching across Pennsylvania only to break up as it crossed the Delaware river into the Coastal Plain of southern New Jersey. So all I got last night at dinner time was dark clouds and a couple of sprinkles that would not even warrant turning on the wiper blades. With that being said... I emptied 0.15" from the rain gauge this morning from an overnight shower. Hopefully we will get some more today, otherwise I need to water my veggie garden.

Therapy or penitence?

2009-06-29T07:35:00.002-04:00

I wasn't going to work outside yesterday but I was seduced by the dark side (or should I say warm temperatures and bright sunlight?). It was such a beautiful day and all I did outside during the day was to hang a load of laundry on the clothesline. But by dinner time I felt guilty of not taking advantage of the weather and temperature. So after dinner I worked in the yard.

First thing I did was to transplant two daisies from one flower bed where there are plenty of volunteers to a flower bed alongside the house where all of my perennials perished this winter (except for a few smaller volunteer daisies). Then I planted about 10 zinnias and 10 marigolds that I started from seed in this same garden and in front of the daisies. I wanted to plant cosmos behind all of these because they can get taller but they didn't sprout so well this year. I planted the marigold in front of the zinnias.

Next I moved to one of my five flower beds that run along a fence. On the end of one of the flower beds I had planted a pincushion last year but it too perished this winter so I planted some left over marigolds in its place. Then I just continued down the flower bed weeding and mulching as I went. As I was weeding, it always comes to mind that weeding is great therapy. You can always be on autopilot pulling weeds while your mind is allowed to think of whatever is on your mind. Then when you start pulling the weeds out from under the Holly bush/tree then one has to pay more attention to the weeds or you get a handful of dried holly leaves along with those weeds. So I consider weeding therapy unless the weeds are under the Holly tree and could be considered penitence.

Notes for June 28, 2009

2009-06-28T11:23:00.003-04:00

I've got some transplanting to do. Here's one I found in the driveway. That's one thing nice about Gloriosa Daisies, if you let them go to seed... you'll be finding them everywhere.

Notes for June 27, 2009

2009-06-27T21:05:00.002-04:00

Yes I have Lymes and I had a real anxiety about working outside today. My doctor told me to wear a high sunblock and my brother who recently had Lymes said that he couldn't go outside because the medicine gave him a headache in sunlight. Yesterday on my way home from work I did get a headache (it was bright). After working outside for several hours (and putting on a sunblock before I went outside) I never did get a headache. I wear glasses and my glasses automatically turn dark when exposed to the sun's ultraviolet light. Anyone who has this type of glasses also knows that they don't work in the car since auto glass has been UV treated for years. The headache I got on Friday on my drive home was close to one of those headaches I get instantly when I get beamed with a red laser pointer. So I think I need to find my old clip ons for driving during the day.

I started the day by Tying the tomato plants and trimming off the tomato suckers. About 1/3 of my plants top leaves are curling and seem to smaller. Wonder if its from the wet weather. It does seem to be affecting more than one variety.

Then I transplanted two gloriosa daisies from the veggie garden into the flower bed next to the chimney. Actually its not a flower bed now and it was last year. Everything that was in that flower bed last year died over the winter. This particular flower bed was under a pile of leaves one foot thick (the winter winds pile them there). And we also had temperatures in the negative numbers this past winter. While planting I found a couple of volunteer daisies, so all is not lost.

After I transplanted the daisies, I turned the garden using a spade where the radish bed was and then removed the sunflower twine and their supports. This made me think that I should mulch the 2nd green beans next before planting the third and so I did.

Then I planted 3rd green beans and noticed that the 1st green beans could be picked next weekend.

Then I mulched the remainder of veggie garden and all thats left to mulch in the veggie garden is alongside 3rd green beans after they sprout.

Last night we had three dry thunderstorms. Each storm dumped a bunch to our west and then faded as it got close.

My son cut the grass in the front yard for me this afternoon and I cut the back yard after dinner. My son mentioned that he chased a toad with the mower for a moment. Good to know there are still some around. During one of my breaks I was watching the Red Tailed Hawk circle around and was listening to the Blue Jays give the warning squawk. When I took my cool down break after cutting the grass, all I saw were robins looking for bugs/worms.

notes for June 26, 2009

2009-06-26T18:57:00.002-04:00

I went to the doctor's yesterday and got checked out. He said he didn't need a blood test for confirmation (which wouldn't show it for a few weeks anyway) but I have Lymes disease. I have no other symptoms but a red rash on the back of my arm where I removed a very small tick about a month ago. So now I am taking an antibiotic for three weeks.

In other news...it didn't rain yesterday!

... my Bee Balm is starting to bloom

...heard first cicada

In the veggie patch, I took a stroll through last night and trained the cuke vines back to its fence and away from the nearby tomatoes or the outer fence or just blocking the garden paths.

Another two tenths!!??

2009-06-25T07:35:00.003-04:00

When will it stop? I don't want it to stop altogether but it would be nice to have a few dry days in between! I emptied another 0.2" from the rain gauge this morning. But this rain shower has a little funny story to go with it. My son drove to the local school to go jogging around the track and got caught in last night's shower. I joked with him and said I see you got your shower already. He said "I think my socks are the only thing that might be dry."

Here is a picture of my cukes. I have them planted on a 5 foot inner fence and a piece of white fencing on a frame that some one gave me. To the right are two of my compost/leaf piles. We don't have leaf pick up in our township and I don't have a place to dump them so I pick them up with the lawn mower (weekly in October and November) and dump them into the cinder block contained piles and use the leaves for mulch. The back one is nearly empty and the one in the front I haven't started to use yet. the third pile is located behind my shed and is in just a fence but it is leaves that have been twice ground (or run over more than once before bagging them with the mower). I use the finer mulch to turn under in my gardens.

Here is a picture of my tomato plants. You can see that the paths are mulched but I haven't finished mulching in between the tomato plants (I just planted the marigolds in between when it started raining). Mulching is next on the list.

Here are two rows of green beans planted 3 weeks apart with room for a third to the left where the weeds have taken over (there were radishes there but they are finished). Right before I mulch I will probably plant the third row of beans. Hopefully this weekend but the grass needs cutting too. There is a row of pepper plants to the right of the larger green bean plants. The weather has been nice to the beans and they are larger than in past years. The empty twine trellis in between was for my sunflowers but something ate all three attempts to plant them (I strongly suspect Chip N Dale chipmunk).

Two tenths and a slug

2009-06-24T07:29:00.003-04:00

I emptied 0.2" from the rain gauge this morning and flung off the attached slug from the rain gauge. Well at least I hope Mr. Toad is having a feast on my slugs. The weather this month as every one in the Northeast has said has been wet. I think we have had rain 18 of the 23 days so far. I know its play havoc with the local farmers (or at least the ones who tried to grow strawberries). In May its asparagus, in June its Strawberries and July its blueberries. Well here it is late June and the local stands still have asparagus, the strawberries are done (lasted about a week) and now the blueberries have started. Yesterday was a nice day it didn't rain until bedtime.

Here is a pic of the marigolds and zinnia that I have started from seed that are ready to plant but time and weather haven't been very accommodating.

The onion bed is looking great and a bunch are about to flower. The left half is red onions and the right half are yellow onions. The two rows of green beans are in the back ground. I have a better picture of them that I will probably post tomorrow.

Here are five buckets of chives. I have regular and garlic chives.

Notes for June 23, 2009

2009-06-23T07:23:00.002-04:00

Two years ago I bought a 6-inch pot of Bee Balm...its taking over (tiger lillies to the right and a butterfly weed to the left).

Here's the Butterfly weed a little closer.

Here are two Sedums. I like the larger sedums. I lost three this winter. The three I lost were just as big as these were and when I raked out the winter leaves, they were gone. They have since come back but you have to look real close to see them.

My yellow Stella is in bloom. This is the same one that is on the top of my blog. (I know, it needs some mulch and it will get some when its stops raining long enough).

Here is my white Yarrow in bloom. I read once that the smaller the flower, the more beneficial insects they attract.

Both Saturday and Sunday I saw a "First". We bought our house in 2000 and until this weekend I had not seen in my yard... two chipmunks at the same time. This year I have seen more chipmunks than in any years past, but I hadn't seen more than one at any one time. On Sunday I saw two male cardinals near my feeder. There was one male on the feeder and a female on the hanging wire. Then another male landed on my neighbors fence and then landed on the wire. The female then flew off in the direction the second male came from and then the second male flew after her. Kind of made me think that the female was hanging around with the wrong male and her mate chased her home. :-)

Father's Day or 1-2-3-4- Nap

2009-06-22T20:53:00.005-04:00

Had a couple of late nights and early mornings this weekend, so a nap Sunday afternoon was good. Funny thing was that three other people in the house were also napping (hence the 1-2-3-4). The wife had the nerve of accusing me of snoring on Father's Day. Hmmmmph!

But she made up for it by getting me a digital camera (of course the hints two weeks ago helped). Now this blog will have more pics. Here are some I took today.

Last year some one gave me a 12-inch square brick of Joe Pye Weed. I cut the brick (with a hatchet) into four squares. I planted two of them next to the mailbox. This year, its looking great.

The Tiger Lillies are in full bloom this week, although last year they were about a foot taller (I swear). In this bed I planted a $3.99 Magnolia that's only 15" tall. It's in there and seems to be doing well. Yes I know it won't be seen for a couple of years.

It was in this bunch of tigers that I first spotted the rabbit this year and the following day I noticed that he had eaten some of the painted daisies.

Saturday afternoon I emptied 0.35" from the rain gauge (remember it started raining when I was planting marigolds). Sunday morning I emptied another 0.2".

5-4-3-2-1-speed marigold planting

2009-06-20T19:56:00.003-04:00

Well the weather radar looked like it was going to give me a few hours of time this morning but I forgot to check it again right before I went outside. I got about 45 minutes. It was just enough time to tie up the tomato plants and start to speed plant the yellow marigolds in between the tomato plants before in started to pour. Okay I did get a few other things done. I transplanted four volunteer tomato plants replacing four very small tomato plants that weren't growing well for what ever reason. The volunteers were about 4 to 5 times larger than the ones I dug up. I also planted several cosmos along the fence of the veggie garden. I worked about ten minutes in a light drizzle before I had had enough. This afternoon I emptied 0.35" from the rain gauge. Just after dinner we had a couple of downpours.

Notes for Friday June 19

2009-06-19T07:27:00.002-04:00

I emptied 0.8" from the rain gauge this morning (this rain started Wednesday night).

As I emptied the rain gauge I did do a quick check of the veggie garden.

- Tomatoes are ready to be tied again.
- Three tomato plants could/should be replaced with larger volunteers.

- First green beans flowering, second coming along nicely, must check diary for when to plant third (did check, tomorrow is three weeks, so could plant third this weekend).

- Marigolds, zinnia and cosmos are of nice size ready to plant.
- At least one cucumber plant has a flower.

- Some cucumbers have attached themselves to the wrong fence (not a real problem unless a cucumber grows in a hard to reach spot between the outer fence and the cucumber fence.

- There will be NO sunflowers this year. All have been eaten.

Between the family schedule and the constant rain (no I don't live in Seattle, that's the joke going around here), I'm not sure when life will grant me some time in the garden this weekend. One forecast I saw this morning shows rain/showers from now until next Friday. We are definitely above average for the month of June but we are still behind for the year. We had a very dry January and February and April showers really didn't happen until May.

Surprise! It's raining.

2009-06-18T07:21:00.002-04:00

I never did get out into the yard on Tuesday night. There was too much to do inside when I got home from work. So I thought I might have an opportunity last night, but surprise, it's raining.

The family schedule will prevent me from trying again either tonight or tomorrow night, so I am hoping for dryer conditions on Saturday and Sunday. Yes I know that Sunday is Father's day and the way my week has been going, working outside sounds kind of nice.

Tops on my list to do is to transplant some annuals I started from seed. I have Marigolds to plant in my veggie garden and in my flower beds. I have cosmos to plant along the inside of my fence of my veggie garden and I have zinnias to plant in a flower bed.

Then I have still a good chunk of mulching required in my veggie garden. Once caught up there, I need to mulch my flower beds.

Notes for June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T07:56:00.003-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised this morning. We got more rain during the night. :-) I'll take it. My sandy soil can definitely take it in. During the summer I have to water every 3 to 4 days when it doesn't rain. Anyway I emptied 0.5" this morning.

I never did work outside last night. Between the nearby thunder and honey-do list inside, I thought better to work inside and try again tonight.

I have some transplanting of annuals to do and of course some mulching. I have some yellow marigolds and cosmos ready for the veggie patch and some zinnias to go in another flower bed.

Notes for June 14, 2009

2009-06-15T08:05:00.004-04:00

I emptied 0.3" from the rain gauge this morning and in the next town over they got 2.5" early Saturday afternoon in about an hour and half.

I did end up cutting the grass in the afternoon but when it drizzled in the AM I wasn't sure if it would be dry by the afternoon. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn't get home from church until later than normal and it was dry by that time. But my window of opportunity was limited since I had to take my daughter some where later in the afternoon before dinner. I did guilt my son into helping me but he didn't come out until I was more than half done.

While I was cutting the grass I did come across a toad. I once read that the leading killer of suburban toads is the lawn mower. So I stopped the mower and tried to corner him so I could pick him up and put him in my veggie patch. But he did a circle on me and went for cover in a hole in a stump of a tree I had cut down last spring. What a perfect place, especially since there was a piece of a brick partially covering the hole giving him shade.

I did take a walk through the veggie garden to check things out. The cukes are about 18" tall now so I made sure they knew where the fence is. I grow a vine type of cuke (not a bush variety). It also looks like all the sunflowers I planted last week have been dug up. Looks like I will have to start them somewhere else and transplant them in future. The first green beans planted are about to flower.

The tiger lillies in my yard have started to bloom. The blooms aren't as tall this year. Last year some of the blooms were 6 foot tall.

After I cut the grass I did my customary cooling down while replenishing fluids and sitting on the back patio. There was a nice breeze and sitting in the shade and it felt wonderful. As I was listening to the birds, it sounded as if they were telling each other "there fresh cut grass here!" Not that they are eating the grass but can now walk in the grass (because its shorter) to get at the bugs in the grass.

I am hoping the weather cooperates this evening to do some more transplanting and mulching.

Notes for June 12, 2009

2009-06-12T08:42:00.002-04:00

I emptied 0.35" from the rain gauge this morning. We had a good downpour in the night that woke us up (briefly). Luckily the thunder was at a distance or the golden retriever would have told us it was storming as well.

The family schedule has a busy Saturday but Sunday looks like I will be able to work outside. I have to at least get the grass cut with all this rain we have been getting. Of course I really like to bank this rain until July or August when I am watering the veggies every three or four days as the water just filters through my sandy soil.

Notes for June 11, 2009

2009-06-11T07:47:00.003-04:00

I got a little bit of time last night after dinner and knocked out a few chores and parts of others.

First I transplanted a yellow marigold that was freelancing on the outside of the veggie garden and transplanted it to inside the fence. Then I planted three of the cosmos that I started back on May 13Th. Only three of them were big enough. It was then that I noticed that almost all of the mixed cosmos I started back on May 30Th had been dug up and the roots eaten by some critter. So I replanted some cosmos seeds in seed starting six packs. I guess I'm really going to try to plant my annuals earlier so that they are of a good size by now and maybe not interesting enough for food for whatever critter. I also noticed that the two remaining sunflowers had also been eaten. Hopefully whatever critter will leave them alone after the seeds I planted this past weekend germinate. But if they get eaten, there will be no sunflowers this year.

Next I did some mulching in the veggie garden. The one (smaller) compost pile is nearly gone but I still have one and a half left. I still have a bunch to mulch but I would say that the veggie garden is more than half mulched. I am waiting for some of my marigolds get bigger to transplant so I can plant them in between my tomatoes and peppers and then I will mulch those tomatoes and peppers. In any case I did mulch all of my cukes and one double row of tomatoes (I planted marigolds among them from the freelancing marigolds I transplanted). The second row of green beans will be ready to mulch soon.

Then I cleaned out the dead stems and leaves from my five large pots of chives. I have two kinds of chives, regular and garlic. The regular chives are rounded and the garlic chives are more flat or oval. Now there is a small pile of leaves and stems that will get mulched by the mower (probably on Sunday).

As I reclined on the patio after working in the yard, I did notice that my yellow Stella D'Oro daylilly is in bloom. The rest of my common orange daylillys are are about to explode in the next few weeks.

I also noticed that all the leaves on my beautiful Columbine (see pictures June 4, 2009) have been eaten. They are nothing now but stems and dead flowers. this is so disheartening. I started these Columbine from seed last year and was so glad how they survived the winter and how beautifully they exploded in bloom this year. I was so proud and thought I got to start more from seed next year. Now I'm not so sure.

I have been in this home since the fall of 2000 and its hard finding what works and what doesn't. What will survive the winter and what isn't food for my local wildlife. So far I can really only say Iris and Tiger Lillies. the tiger Lillies I am told they are a favorite of deer. Thank goodness I don't have a problem with them. Last fall I was wondering where I was going to plant any new perennials, every flowere bed was full. this Spring I noticed I had lost a bunch of stuff either to the cold (we had negative temperatures one weekend) or to be being buried in leaves that i couldn't get to until mid Spring. I lost a whole bed of dianthus and gloriosa daisies and several spots of Iris and Daylillies. I lost a Bleeding heart and several hardy Geraniums. My Spiderworts and Yarrow are severely diminished. Several but not all of my large Sedums are down to one stem which were a nice bunch. I wish I had started some new perennial from seed this year but I still have to experiment for what will survive winter and critters.

Notes for June 10, 2009

2009-06-10T08:18:00.003-04:00

Emptied 0.75" from the rain gauge yesterday afternoon. Thought we were going to get more, but it went to our south.

Last week a co-worker of mine showed me pictures of snapping turtles laying egs in his mulch pile (he lives near a small stream). This week I have noticed the remains of several turtles run over.

Summer can't be far

2009-06-09T07:47:00.002-04:00

Last night I noticed my first lightning bug of the season. Two days earlier than last year. I haven't been looking for them or really been outside at night to notice, but last night I was outside for a moment and saw one.

I will never forget one summer night while visiting relatives in Ohio and sitting on the porch in the before bed and listening to the nearby stream. The hillside across the street was covered with lightning bugs.

Staked and tied!

2009-06-08T07:37:00.002-04:00

I finally did get some time in the garden yesterday afternoon but it wasn't until 2 PM.

I picked another handful of radishes and then pulled out the remaining plants since they were all bolting into flowers.

I lost a couple of cucumber plants and so I transplanted one to where I had lost three right next to each other. The plants are now just under a foot tall. In the next week or so I will be moving the vine so it can find the fence.

I planted the remaining volunteer yellow marigolds that I dug up when I planted my tomatoes and peppers. I still have some I started from seed but they are still kind of small. I planted the marigolds in between some of the cucumbers and then in between some of the tomatoes. The rest of the yellow marigolds will go between the rest of the tomatoes and then the peppers.

Something has eaten all but two of my sunflowers and luckily I had another packet of seeds. If these get eaten, I don't think I am going to try to plant them again this year. The rabbits can't get into my veggie garden where I have the sunflowers so my next suspect is the chipmunk. They seem to be abundant this year, or it may be just one. but in any case I am seeing him/her more often this year than in years past.

My second green beans have nicely sprouted. They are all about three inches tall. The first green beans are about a foot tall and have about three to four sets of full leaves.

I lost a tomato plant so I transplanted a volunteer in its place. Then of course I found two more that were bigger and better looking than the one I transplanted. I have a pepper plant that is looking suspect so I might replace it with another volunteer.

Then I staked all of my tomato and pepper plants using 8 ft 1x2's for my tomatoes and shorter pieces for my peppers. I purchased a couple of old bedsheets from the thrift store last winter and cut one up to use for making strips for tying. I first cut into fourths and then made small cuts on the edge about 3/4" apart to rip off a strip as I need them to tie the tomatoes and peppers. Then I tied almost all of the tomatoes and will wait for the peppers to get bigger before I tie them.

Next job: mulching!

Notes for June 7, 2009

2009-06-07T07:17:00.002-04:00

I emptied 0.7" from the rain gauge yesterday. It was a nice even rain all day on Friday, nothing real heavy.

I never did get to the garden yesterday. Between the family schedule and we had a homeowner problem rear its ugly head that I am hoping to get taken care of today. I am hoping to get out into the garden this afternoon.

Notes for Friday June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T08:13:00.006-04:00

Emptied 0.45" from the rain gauge this morning in the rain. I hope the rain continues as they say its supposed to for the rest of the day

I have a long list of garden chores to do this weekend but the family schedule is going to take a large chunk of Saturday. I have much staking and mulching to do. And I need to transplant some annuals (some that I started and some that I dug up in the veggie garden). I have noticed that I have other marigolds coming up in my flower beds and they need to be thinned/transplanted since they are coming up in bunches where I had them planted last year. But the tomato and pepper plant staking is the priority. I may get some time Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon and evening. We have things going on tonight as well and the rain isn't supposed to let up until tonight and tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be beautiful.

As I emptied the rain gauge I observed the cosmos germination. About 50 percent of the mixed sprouted, about 20 percent of the red sprouted and none of the orange have sprouted so far. I guess I have to start them indoors and earlier. Unfortunately I don't have enough room to do as much seed starting indoors as I want.

Notes for June 4, 2009

2009-06-04T07:45:00.002-04:00

Emptied 0.3" from the rain gauge this morning. Looks like the Moses effect is in full summer operation now. You see, the Delaware River acts like a wall of fire and doesn't let much rain cross the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey. Then what does get across is divided like the Red Sea making the storm break up and rain to the north or to the south of my garden. Welcome to the Coastal Plain of southern New Jersey.

On another thing... it really annoys me to see sprinklers in use in the rain. This morning on my way to work I saw someone's sprinklers on and it was raining. I realize they are on timers and its on every day at this time but I think there should be an ordinance that if a sprinkler system is on a timer it should have a moisture sensor so that it doesn't run if its raining or rained recently.

Notes for June 3, 2009

2009-06-03T07:42:00.003-04:00

I bought this Salvia plant last year from a roadside stand.

I started this Columbine from seed last year and I didn't think it was going to survive the winter.

Here are two more Columbine that I started from seed last year and again I am still surprised they survived the winter.

Here is a beautiful yellow Iris.

I still don't remember what this plant is. I started it from seed last year. I tied it up right after taking this picture.

On Friday or Saturday of last week I saw a good size box turtle in the same flower bed as the Salvia. He was about 8 inches long. Didn't think about getting his picture until the next day.

Notes for June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T08:25:00.000-04:00

Cut the grass but didn't have to cut all of it. Some spots weren't tall enough to cut due to the lack of rain. That made me think of watering and so after cutting the grass I watered the veggie garden and the patches of young grass.

I noticed last night that I have poor germination of sunflowers on one side of the garden. looks like I will be doing some transplanting when the seedlings get there first true leaves.

I started 32 cucumber plants. Lost one in transporting them outside. Planted 28 to begin with. Planted the remaining five a few days later after I noticed I lost a few. Last night I noticed I had lost five more (not all in the same spots as before).

Notes for May 30, 2009

2009-05-30T07:51:00.003-04:00

Here is one of the Iris from my yard. This Iris is an original from my yard, meaning it was here when we moved in.
Here is the veggie garden. Onions are in front of the fence on the left. In fron of the fence on the right are daffodils (when they start to wilt, i will mow them over). Just behind the fence are two rows of radishes and then a row of string beans. In between are black posts where I will tie twine in between for supporting sunflowers. Behind the string beans are peppers and tomatoes (too small to see in this picture) and along the back two fences are cukes.

Here are the onions planted in fron of the veggie garden. You can also see the leftover seeds started and starting some more annuals to the right.

Here is a patch of Bee Balm that I planted from one pot two years ago. I love to see this buzzing with hummingbirds.

Here is some Spiderwort. It is a common wildflower here in some areas of New Jersey. I had some at the last place I lived and I fell in love with it. I have some white but I think the red didn't live through the winter.

Last night a friend came over and we cut down some dead oak trees. This morning I cleaned up the debris from the tree felling.

I also started some more Cosmos seeds. I did not get the germination from what I started earlier. So I planted some more mixed and I also planted some of just orange and some of just red. I got a packet of red as a freebie from ordering seeds and I got the orange with an application to join some mail order gardening club. Thought I would give them a try.

I also mulched the first green beans and planted the second green beans.

2009-05-29T08:08:00.006-04:00

Here is a perennial I started from seed last year and I have no clue what it is. I think I grew it because my daughter picked it out because of its pretty blue color. I like the color too. Note the red Rhododendron finishing blooming in the background.

Here is an Iris I bought last year from a retired woman who has a perennial business.

This Iris I got from my brothers house. He remarried and they bought a new house a couple of years ago that had this Iris.

Here is my Mountain Pink in bloom.

Here is one of my Rhododendrons.

I emptied 0.5" from the rain gauge this morning. I was awoken at 4:30 AM with a couple of rumbles of thunder and some heavy rain.

This morning I remembered something else I did yesterday but failed to blog. I tied twine to the posts I put up for the sunflowers. I put three levels of double twine and as the sunflowers grow, I just put the plants in between the double twine. Once the plants are about 4 ft tall, they really don't need any support but until they are that tall, they do need support.

Notes from May 28, 2009

2009-05-28T20:45:00.007-04:00

This Hosta was saved from a friend's house where their Hostas were deer food. Of all the ones they gave me, this one is doing the best. To the right is Agastache.

I bought a white Rhododendron two years ago and this year it bloomed.

This is a painted Daisy (in the chrysanthemum family). It doesn't look impressive because its become rabbit food. Five other nearby have also been eaten. Not surpised because the leaves are similar to carrot leaves.

Can't remember the name of this perennial. I started it from seed a couple of years ago and its been steadily growing in size. I think it was called Centaurea?

Here is a painted Daisy that the rabbit didn't get to. And for a bonus there is some sort of bug on the flower.

Stayed home from work today but didn't get to work in the yard until the afternoon.

Today I planted the remaining cukes, replacing several cukes that had died and picked a handful of radishes.

I fertilized the cukes, tomatoes and peppers with a drink of fish emulsion.

I planted tithonia along the fence of the veggie garden along with 6 of the transplanted marigolds that I dug up last week.

I trimmed several trees of lower branches (two holly trees, a dogwood and several oak trees).

I watered what I didn't fertilize (radishes, beans, onions and two patches of young grass in the lawn).

Then I started mulching the paths of the veggie garden. I didn't mulch around the plants yet, I'd like them to get a little bigger.

Some of the sunflowers have started to sprout and all of the annuals I started two weeks ago appear to have sprouted.

I am planning on planting another row of green beans on Saturday. I hope to start a row every three weeks.

Notes for Monday May 25, 2009

2009-05-25T10:43:00.001-04:00

Emptied 0.15" from the rain gauge this morning. We had a couple of rumbles of thunder and three 30 second downpours.

Everything in the veggie garden seems to have survived transplanting. I will feel more comfortable when I noticed growth, especially the cucumbers since I took them right from the windowsill inside and planted them outside. The tomatoes seem to be fine as well, even the one plant where the stem broke away from the roots and I just planted the stem. (I am sometimes grateful that tomato plants do that).

Next I plan on mulching and giving all a drink of fish emulsion fertilizer

PLANTING!

2009-05-24T08:31:00.004-04:00

Well I got done what I hoped to get done and today I am paying for it as expected.

I started off by transplanting freelancing marigolds and tomatoes (growing on their own in the veggie garden) into six packs to be planted or given away later. I also dug up a couple of baby oak trees and potted them, someone at work wants one.

Next I put up the cucumber fence (5 ft high PVC coated fence).

The I planted tomatoes plants (30: celebrity, whopper and Juliet), pepper plants (14, Fat N Sassy and New Ace) and cucumber plants (24, Hybrid Sweet Success). I started all of these from seed indoors. I didn't have time this year to get manure from the horse farm and so this year I tried something different. All of the pepper plants and all but two of the rows of tomatoes I planted with a handful of finely ground up leaves. I did this to help my sandy soil retain moisture.

Then I planted a row of sunflower seeds.

I wish my marigold/zinnia/cosmos seedlings were about ready to plant, I would be planting them next week. Unfortunately they are just starting to sprout, so I guess next year I will be starting them earlier.

I am still not over my cold so I ended up taking frequent breaks and drinking a water bottle each time. During one of my breaks I did notice a chipmunk running through the backyard.

Friday Night Memorial Day weekend -5/22/2009

2009-05-22T21:10:00.003-04:00

Lots on the list to do this weekend and I was able to get a start on it tonight. I even had help.

The first thing on the list was to cut the grass. I am feeling better and my college aged son even helped me cut the grass. I think he was feeling guilty since I asked him to cut the grass if he got a chance this week. We happen to have two mowers so it took half the time. When my mom downsized, she gave me her mower. I was even more surprised that it started since I used it a couple of times last year just to run it.

After cutting the grass I used my string trimmer that I got for Christmas and had better luck with it this time. I had to fix the string only once this time. I also missed fewer spots.

As I was taking my usual rest (sitting on my back patio and watching the wildlife come back into the yard) and downing a water bottle or one of my kids sports drinks, I noticed my daughter had got in the shower so it was no use going into the house to get mine, so I did some weeding. While weeding I noticed that my yellow Stella D'Oro daylilly is starting to bud as well as some of my common orange daylillies.

Tomorrow - PLANTING VEGGIES!!!

Notes for May 18, 2009

2009-05-18T07:47:00.002-04:00

Watered the radishes, onions, green beans and the patches of grass I put down earlier this year (grass looks nice so far). While I was putting away the garden hose, I apparently disturbed Mr. chipmunk as he dashed past the back of the house.

The green beans have sprouted.

Notes for May 16, 2009

2009-05-16T07:41:00.001-04:00

I've caught a summer cold. It started when I got a lung full of oak pollen last weekend and its developed into a head cold. Needless to say, I didn't work outside today and it only means that I am that much more behind. If I were feeling better I would have borrowed one of my brother's trucks and picked up some manure and then planted my tomatoes and peppers and cut the grass. Maybe I can convince my son in cutting the grass one day next week since he is finished college for the summer.

The dogwood has dropped about 95 percent of its flowers...time to plant tomatoes!

Notes for May 15, 2009

2009-05-15T07:37:00.000-04:00

We had thunderstorms early this morning. There were only a few rumbles of thunder but it was enough to set off the thunderstorm proximity alarm (that's an 85 pound Golden Retriever that likes to curl up between the be pillows with no regard that someone might be using them. The wife usually gets the freindly end, I get the tail). Fortunately there was a fair amount of heavier than light rain to go with it and in the daylight before work, I emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge.

Notes for May 13, 2009

2009-05-13T20:32:00.002-04:00

Started the following annuals in six packs: yellow marigolds, cosmos, mixed marigolds and two different color zinnias. The yellow marigolds are for the vegetable garden, the cosmos will go along the edge of the vegetable garden and in a flower bed, and the zinnias will go in one particular flower bed. The mixed marigolds will be planted throughout the flower beds where needed. The six packs I moved outside (don't have enough room under the lights).

Notes for May 12, 2009

2009-05-12T20:29:00.002-04:00

Watered radishes, green beans, onions and the two patches of grass in the back yard.

I think I saw a orange rhododendron but upon a second look, is more like a Mountain Laurel with larger orange blooms. I wonder what that is?

Notes for May 10, 2009

2009-05-10T20:24:00.001-04:00

Rhododendrons are starting to bloom. My red will be shortly.

Notes for May 9, 2009

2009-05-09T07:42:00.002-04:00

Well I guess I should have known that whenever you have a rabbit in the yard, you will have rabbit damage. Something has eaten two of my pincushion flowers in the front yard garden under my daughter's window.

I planted my first green beans.

I moved the tomato plants outside.

While running errands, it always looked like someone was creating a dust storm in the distance while cutting their grass. However, later I realized it was probably oak pollen since the week was so wet and this was the first dry day.

Notes for May 8, 2009

2009-05-08T07:37:00.004-04:00

Emptied 0.3" from the rain gauge.

The cucumber and Tithonia seeds I started have sprouted.

I have very poor spinach germination this year. I have about four plants out of four rows. Two of the rows were old seeds but I think it just wasn't the right weather for them this year. Every year the weather conditions are usually good for some, great for one and bad for another.

I cut the grass Friday evening and I changed the mower blade earlier this week and it made a big difference. The grass was thick from the rain and I didn't have too much trouble mowing.

I noticed a baby rabbit in the flower bed in the front yard under my daughter's bedroom window while I was cutting the grass.

Notes for May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T07:35:00.005-04:00

Emptied 0.7" from the rain gauge.

The Azaleas and the Columbine are in bloom. The Columbine I started from seed last years seems to be fairing better than the ones I bought last year.

Notes for May 6, 2009

2009-05-06T07:34:00.001-04:00

Emptied 0.75" from the rain gauge.

The Iris are starting to bud.

Notes for May 5, 2009

2009-05-05T14:58:00.001-04:00

The Lillies of the Valley are in bloom and the Iris and pincushion are starting to bud.

Notes for May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

Emptied 0.55" from the rain gauge (again).

Notes for May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

The Azaleas are starting to bloom.

Emptied 0.55" from the rain gauge.

Next year I think I need to start my peppers two weeks earlier and my tomatoes two weeks later.

Started cukes and tihonia seeds indoors.