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.

Notes for August 17, 2009

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.

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

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".

Notes For Sunday July 26, 2009

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 July 12, 2009

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.

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!

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 June 27, 2009

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.

Staked and tied!

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 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 from May 28, 2009

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 May 18, 2009

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 October 6,2008

Saturday afternoon I was able to work in the yard. I first used the leaf blower and cleared the leaves out of the driveway into the grass and then cut the grass throughout the yard (mulching the leaves along with it). There weren't that many leaves yet, not enough to bag really for mulch. I had a scare with the lawn mower. I ran over something (a stick I think) that bent the inner mulching housing. I was able to fix it by using a hammer and bending the housing back away from the blade which was hitting it. I had to do this one more time after I bumped into a stump. So I kept the hammer close by for the rest of the day.

I picked tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and peppers. I pulled the Lima beans and the string beans. The Lima Beans weren't really worth it (what I picked wasn't enough for a serving). So I may have learned that I need to plant them earlier. I then thinned the radishes and carrots and weeded the carrots as well. Then I watered the carrots and radishes.

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 19, 2008

Tuesday evening I picked tomatoes and peppers and the last of the cucumbers. Then I watered the lima beans, green beans, radishes (which have sprouted) and the carrots.

On Thursday I watered everything in the veggie garden and realized why about 2/3rds of the radishes sprouted. One-third was one particular packet of seeds.

Tonight I cut the grass, thinned the radishes and pulled the cucumbers and their support fences. Tomorrow I plan on planting some more radishes, picking veggies, pull some weeds in the front flower beds and put the picnic table up against the house. And when I water the radish seeds, I will probably re-water the beans and carrots.

Notes for August 15, 2008

Hey, haven't seen that in several months... we had rain last night and it was just a four days since the last time we had rain. I was going to water tonight if we didn't get any but I emptied 1.1" from the rain gauge this morning. Neat! Just in time for our family vacation. I will be away from my garden for a week starting tomorrow and hoping we get rain at least once while we are gone.

I also noticed that the green beans I planted on Saturday were starting to push up the ground yesterday.

Notes for August 11, 2008

Saturday I did get some yard cleaning done and planted another row of green beans (hopefully October will be nice to me). I did take some pictures over the weekend and I hope to put some up soon. I also picked cucumbers, tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.

Yesterday was an interesting day. The rain that usually passes us by didn't. When I got home from church it started raining and I had to take down the two loads of laundry I hung up before church. Luckily we have room in our basement to hang clothes (which we do all winter). But it rained off and on all afternoon and the thunder and lightning never stopped. It would have been a beautiful thunderstorm had it not knocked out our power. When we got home from church the clocks were stopped at 11:30 and power came back on around 1:30. Power was only on for an hour before going out around 2:30 and not coming back until 5:15 (as I was headed out the door to pick up something for dinner; since the local delivery place was backed up and said delivery would be an hour). Any way, I emptied 1.7 inches from the rain gauge yesterday afternoon and I emptied another 0.6 inches this morning. Very nice!

Notes for July 26, 2008

Had a busy day today. Picked cucumbers and a few cherry tomatoes and green beans. Trimmed tomato plants and tied the new growth to the stakes. Picked the last of the onions and now I have three trays of onions on the picnic table. Pushed the mulch back so that its now up against the Lima beans. Finished mulching the yellow beans. Then I cut the grass. The grass wasn't tall but it was thick in spots so it took me longer. I stopped about every half hour for a drink break. I plan on watering tomorrow if we don't get any rain tonight.

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).