New Pictures - A Week Late

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

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.

First beans and cukes

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!

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

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 June 11, 2009

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 May 30, 2009

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.

Notes for May 13, 2009

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 October 15, 2008

Its now officially mid October and I'm still picking. Last night I picked tomatoes (cherry and regular) and a couple of peppers. Then I watered my radishes (which are starting to form) and my carrots (which are getting bushier).

What kind of made my day yesterday was when as I entered my veggie garden, I waited for the monarch butterfly to finish as he was on the cosmos drooping over the gate into my garden.

Notes for October 11, 2008

Yes its October and I am still picking. Today I picked tomatoes and a pepper and then watered the tomatoes, peppers, radishes and carrots.

I didn't cut the grass or mulch leaves. This morning I had to go to my mothers place and do some work for her, so pushing a mower will have to wait until next week.

I still have flowers in bloom, but its any of my perennials. I have marigolds all over the place (kind of nice that I started them from seed and planted them all over) and my cosmos are in bloom (red, pink and white). Did I mention that they are 7 feet tall. I swear to you that I did nothing to them but water them every few days as I did my veggies. The stems are an inch thick at the bottom.

Notes for September 24, 2008

Last night I picked tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and peppers.

I then watered my Lima Beans, Green Beans, radishes and carrots.

The radishes I planted on Saturday have not germinated yet.

Did I mention that some of my cosmos are nearly 7 feet tall?

The sunflowers in my garden are starting to get eaten, there are sunflower shells all over my veggie garden.

Notes for September 8, 2008

The opportunity presented it self and so I cut the grass (or lowered the crab grass) yesterday in the late afternoon. As I was pushing the mower I noticed some more storm damage to the garden. Several of my cosmos and nearly all of my peppers had fallen over so after I finished with the mower I tied them up. I had placed stakes with the peppers when I planted them and I tied the cosmos to the fence. I also lost a sunflower which now makes two broken over and leaving about ten still standing.

Tonight I plan on pulling the remaining wax beans and maybe plant radish or spinach or both.

My Sedum is in bloom and they look great.

Notes for September 5, 2008

Last night I picked a pepper, a couple of cucumbers, a bunch of tomatoes and a heaping of cherry tomatoes. After picking I watered the veggie garden.

I noticed last night...

... that the cosmos which most are in bloom are getting unruly (they are getting wider at the top and blocking my path.

...am I the only one who has to reach UP to pick cherry tomatoes?

...I wonder how well the sunflowers will fair tomorrow in the wind and the rain expected from Tropical Storm Hanna?

Notes for August 29, 2008

We haven't had any rain in two weeks... so I watered the veggie garden last night.

All of my sunflower heads are pointing at the ground now and half of the plants are leaning pretty good from the weight which makes it intersting to move around the garden. The other night when I picked the wax beans I remember hitting my head on a sunflower head as I was on my hands and knees.

The stalks of my cosmos are about a half an inch thick.

Notes for August 28, 2008

I picked about 30 tomatoes and about 60 cherry tomatoes last night and about 6 cucumbers.

Some of my cosmos are about 5.5' feet tall. they come up to my nose.

The wife cooked up some of the wax beans for dinner last night and I actually thought they tasted sweeter than green beans (if that's possible).

Notes for August 13, 2008

Here is a picture of some the Sedum I have. It seems to done very well in my yard with very little care.

Last night I picked a bag of cucumbers (although they are slowing down now), a bag of cherry tomatoes and a bag of regular tomatoes. I also noticed that one of the cosmos has a small bloom on it, a white one.

Notes for July 18, 2008

Last night I picked green beans from the second row. I almost hated to pick them, they were kind of limp. Everything needed water. I really should pick beans the day after I water. But unfortunately, we all have to deal with the cards we're dealt with and last night was the first chance I had this week to tend to the garden since the weekend.

After picking beans, I watered. I watered everything. When I say everything I mean everything in the veggie garden (tomatoes, cukes, peppers, cosmos, marigolds, beans, sunflowers, beans and onions) and then I water all the flower beds in the backyard (watering mainly the perennials I planted this year and not so much the iris or tiger lillies that are already established).

My lima beans have sprouted and looks like I got good germination. The yellow beans I planted two weeks ago are ready to be finished mulching. The cosmos are looking healthy (nice thick stem). Most of my tomato plants are averaging 6 feet tall (remember they only get about 3-4 hours of direct sunlight, so its like they are looking for sun, which gives me later season tomatoes but I am usually picking until frost in November), my sunflowers are over 6 feet tall. I will be picking some of the onions this weekend (about 97 percent of the stems have fallen over and some of them have turned brown, and that's when I know that they are ready to be picked). I plan on leaving them on the picnic table for at least a few days and then putting them in the shed for a couple of weeks. Anyone else do onions?

Surprisingly I did not find any hornworms on my tomatoes last night. I have two cherry tomatoes getting ripe so it won't be long. I'm pretty sure that both of those tomatoes probably won't make it out of the garden. I love to eat a few when I am outside. When I am picking, I usually eat about a half a dozen (at least, yum).

Notes for June 9, 2008

I was able to cut the grass Thursday night albeit later than when I wanted to start. But if I was going to get any other yard work done this past weekend, I had to cut the grass Thursday night and with the current heat wave (we've been in the 90's the past two day and is forecasted today and tomorrow) it was better sooner than later. I wanted to bag the clippings but since I got started late I didn't (one of my compost piles is completely empty and I wanted to start filling it again in order to bury kitchen scraps this summer).

Saturday in the heat I did work outside but I took a gallon of water with me and drank it all during frequent breaks. I got all of my tomatoes and peppers staked (but not tied). I will need more stakes next spring due to the amount that broke during installation (I start with 8 ft 1x2's for my tomatoes and as they break I use them for the peppers and other posts). I planted the remaining perennials I started from seed (Cupid's Dart, Dames Rocket, Yarrow, Pyrethrum and some Columbine). Then I continued mulching. I mulched one and a half flower beds. Wanted to do more but I was starting to get a headache (which is my body signal to stop working in the heat) and the flower beds I was going to do next, I had just planted the perennial seedlings, so I wanted to wait for them to establish themselves a little bit.

I did notice on Sunday the cucumber and cosmos seedlings were starting to come up in the six packs I started them in last week. However, the germination is still not that great, about 10 have not sprouted yet. I think next year and every year after, I am going to start them in six packs and not in the ground and start them in early May.

Before I mulched, I used up my fish emulsion fertilizer and gave all of my tomatoes and peppers a drink and I noticed the bottle starting to leak and so I used it up and gave a bunch of my new perennials a drink as well.

Notes for June 4, 2008

Was able to work outside last night after dinner. It was such a wonderful evening, not hot and there was a breeze most of the time. I didn't water much since rain was forecasted (and it did rain throughout the night and was still raining this morning and more is forecasted today). I watered the newest perennials and the seedlings still in pots.

I am not happy with the germination of my cucumbers. I had 5 sprout out of about 50. The same goes for the row of cosmos I planted along the edge of the veggie garden. I counted two. So the first thing I did last night was to start some more cucumbers and cosmos, but this time I started them in the six packs and will transplant. I really don't understand what happened to the cukes. The past years I have had no problem with germination in place. Maybe next year I will start them in the six packs and transplant them.

My sunflowers are about 5 inches tall and I thinned them some but will have to thin them some more.

Then I started to mulch some more. The first area I mulched was my row of yellow marigolds in the veggie garden. I thinned them fist and transplanted the ones I thought worth saving (I now have about 8 in pots to transplant later) and then weeded the area before I mulched. Then I mulched two of my flower beds.

My mulch is probably really considered leaf mold. It is in three compost piles and is a combination of ground up leaves, grass clippings, pulled weeds, shrubbery trimmings and sometimes kitchen scraps.

Notes for May 18, 2008

Wanted to get a quick entry before going off to church...

Emptied 0.9" from the rain gauge yesterday. Planted sunflower seeds and cosmos. Transplanted marigolds and planted my red Rhododendron. And I picked some radishes. I also moved my tomato and pepper seedlings from indoors to outside so I can plant them next week (hopefully).

Never did pick up the manure for planting my tomatoes and peppers (I have a good chance of using a pick up truck late in the week).

Its a beautiful sunny morning today but its supposed to be gray and thunder storming this afternoon.