2010 Season is Upon Us

Well, no official garden this year, I'm sad to say. It's just not in the cards due to my internship. Here are some pics of some of my early bloomers though :) Pics taken on March 7, 2010


Tulip--mail ordered

Tulips--mail ordered

Artemisia--clearance from Lowe's

Columbine--here when we moved in

Heuchera--here when we moved in

Ferns--starts from Connie

The Richard Garden 2009

I was finally able to get the plant material and then actually plant the garden on Saturday May 16th.  When Jon and I were driving north to Bennett's in Lafayette, it was drizzling and then raining.  I was worried that I would have to plant in the rain.  But, by the time we got back, it was sunny again, although breezy.  It was slightly cool, but I was wearing a tank top and jeans.  

I tested the soil, as seen in the previous post, but did not m

ake any plans this year.  I just didn't have the time in front of the computer that I've had before.  Weekends kept slipping by and it b

ecame a

pparent that I was not going to have a chance to spend time doing that, especially if I were to get Jon to the greenhouse with me.  So, anyway, we just wandered through and picked up stuff until I felt like most spots would be filled.  I also figured I could fill in with green beans since I still have seeds from last year in the fridge. 

I planted the following:

1. "Sugar Snack" Tomato, Matures in 65 days, fruit size 1oz.  Best in organic-rich, well-drained soil.  Water freely in dry weather.  Full sun. 
2. Golden Variegated Sage.  Perennial.  Striking gold, green leaves.  Compact growth, good for rock gardens, containers.  How to Grow:  Plant in full sun.  Grows to 18" tall. Prefers moist, well-drained soil.  
3. Italian Oregano. Perennial.  Adds traditional Italian flavor to beef, pasta, sauces, fish.  White flowers.  How to Grow:  Plant in full sun.  Grows 1-2'.  Prefers moist nutrient-rich soil. 
4. "Sugar Baby" Watermelon:  Citrullus Lanatus.  Full Sun.  Space 4-6', maturity 73 days.  Home grown fruit provide sweet, melt-in-your-mouth flavor.  Plants provide high yeilds of tasty fruit.  Best in fertile, well-drained soil.  Keep soil moist, watering freely in dry weather.  
5. "Ambrosia" Muskmelon, cantaloupe.  Matures in 88 days.  Fruit size: 4-5 lbs.  Full sun. (I did two of these)
6. "La Roma" Tomato.  Matures in 62 days.  Fruit size 3-4oz.  Full sun. 
7. Sweet Basil, annual.  Leaves add a spicy clove fragrance and flavor to foods, Use fresh or dried.  Plant in full sun 18", grows 12-18" tall.  
8. "Buttercrunch" Lettuce, butterhead.  Matures in 70 days.  Fruit size 4.5".  Full sun. 
9. "Red Sails" Lettuce, Lactuva Sativa.  Full sun.  Space 12".  Maturity 40-45 days.  Uses: Add leaves to salads, sandwiches, or use as a garnish.  An excellant source of vitamins and minerals.  Care:  Prefers fertile, well drained soil and cooler temperatures.  Keep soil moist, watering freely in dry weather.  
10. "Iceberg" Lettuce, head.  Matures in 75 days.  Fruit size 4-8oz. Prefers fertile, well-drained soil and cooler temperatures.  Full sun. 
11. Roquette (Rocket Salad), Arugula.  Tender young leaves have peppery flavor for salad accent.  Maturity: 35 days.  How to grow:  Plant in full sun 4-6" apart in rows.  
12. "Yellow Pear" tomato.  Matures in 78 days.  Fruit size: 2".  Full sun. 
13. Lime Basil, Ocimum Basilicum, annual.  Vibrant green leaves hold the scent of lime.  Creeping habit.  How to grow:  Plant in full sun 10" apart.  Grows to 6" tall.  
14. "Sweet Banana" Pepper, Sweet Hungarian.  Matures in 75 days.  Fruit size 4-6".  Full sun. 
15. "Thai Dragon" Pepper.  Very Hot.  Matures in 70 days.  Fruit size 3.5".  Full sun. 
16. Cherry Pick Peppers.  Matures in 68 days.  Fruit size 1.25"  Sweet cherry pepper provides a bumper crop of green to red, globe shaped fruits.  Often found at salad bars, so you know it has to be delicious.  Plant after soil and weather have warmed.  Keep well fertilized and watered.  Full Sun.  F1 Hybrid. 
17. Cilantro, Coriander (Chinese Parsley), annual.  Aromatic leaves (cilantro) and seeds (coriander).  A must for Mexican dishes.  Plant in full sun 8-12" apart.  Grows 12-36 tall.  
18. "Victoria Blue" Salvia.  Sun to part shade.  Height 15"  Provides an abundance of brightly colored blooms all season long.  Uses: A reliable choice for borders, containers and rock gardens.  Care:  Best in fertile, well-drained soil kept evenly moist.
19. "State Fair Mix" Zinnia.  Sun to part shade.  Height 36"  Provides an abundance of brightly colored blooms all season long.  Uses: wonderful for borders, beds, window boxes, and containers.  

Before:

After:

Soil Testing

I bought a soil testing kit at Tractor Supply Company for $4.99. 

Green=Ph

Blue=Phosphorous

Red=Potash

Purple=Nitrogen

The soil sample was taken from box #1, close to the trellis edge, 4" deep.

Ph:  Alkaline=8.0, Neutral=7.0, Acid=6.0, Very Acid=5.0

Soil looks between neutral and alkaline. Maybe a 7.5.

According to the test kit, 

beans-6.0-7.5

lettuce-6.0-7.0

onion-6.0-7.0

tomato-5.5-7.5

I will add some lime to the soil

Phosphorous:  It looks between low and very low. 

Potash: It looks decidedly very low. 

Nitrogen:  There is practically no color in the test tube, so that is decidedly very low. 

I will add some organic fertilizer for sure. 

Home Silver Cleaner--tested

I randomly have some silver to polish. We don't have any silver polish laying around, so I looked up a recipe for homemade and tried it. Here's the recipe:

Aluminum Foil, Baking Soda, and Salt. Place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pan, add 2-3 inches of water, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add silver pieces, boil 2-3 minutes, making sure the water covers the silver pieces. Remove silver, rinse, dry, and buff with a soft cloth. This method cleans the design and crevices of silver pieces.

This is from the Michigan State Extension office: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01500631.html

Here's how it turned out:

Before

DuringAfterNot bad!

Vlad the Impaler's Strawberry Patch

So, after I planted the patch and little berries started coming, so did the bunnies. At least that's who I suspect. There is nothing quite like the disappointment of walking out the patch to find that the beautiful berry you were waiting to ripen has a juicy bunny sized chunk missing. I had already tried spreading coffee beans around--I read that they don't like that. And I still don't really want to start spraying stuff. So, I did some internet research. I found a tip that said you could "fork" your garden, keeping the critters at bay. I thought it sounded promising, so I gathered up all the forks, knives and bamboo skewers I could find in the house. Of course one look from my brother resulted in uproarious laughter. Joke's on him cause the forks seem to be working. I have to admit though, it does look funny. Holly thought so too and couldn't resist photographing the patch.

Homegrown Gorgeous

The weekend Mom and Dad were up, June 27-8, I picked a bouquet from the yard. Looks just as good as anything you would get at a florist if you ask me!

Zinnias

'nuf said.