Garden update

sweet potato hill

We worked hard in the garden over Memorial Day weekend. Chuck got the sweet potatoes planted- 25 Beauregard plants, which we think are the ones we liked best from last year, and 25 Vardaman plants. I think next year I may order my slips from Sand Hill Preservation just to get a little choice and variety.

The herb garden is filling out- 5 of a new kind of rosemary called Barbecue are in a pot. Supposedly these yield longer, straight and sturdy stems good for skewering meat to barbecue. In the ground are a cilantro plant, already been harvesting some of it's leaves since it bolts so quickly, a yarrow, a dill, green Greek Basil, purple basil, the bronze fennel, 3 chive plants, and a perennial spinach substitute called Good King Henry. I have read about it for years, but had never seen one- when I ran into them at the Amish greenhouse, I bought it just to see. Around the edges of the bed, in the holes of the cinderblocks I put in an oregano, a Doones Thyme and Wedgewood thyme plant. Still to be placed is a Gota Kola plant- my directions say to plant it in the shade of a grape arbor, but I am not too sure about how that will work. I may put it between the bird bath and the sage plant. In another pot are 3 pineapple sages, and a Gerbera Daisy. Can you see the 2 thistle plants growing in the cinder blocks? I keep trying to remove them, but I never have my gardening gloves when I am out there. Actually, I keep hoping Chuck will take them out for me!
Apparently Boodles has enrolled herself in a gardener apprentice program- she has been digging holes all over the yard.
This afternoon I will be making rhubarb jam and steaming spinach to freeze. We like to add spinach to stirfries and to pizza, and I try to keep a good supply of local on hand. My spinach patch is about to bolt, so I plant to pull most of it today, and plant amaranth where the spinach was. Another spinach crop will go in the ground in the fall.

Tomorrow we are attending a Rain Barrel Workshop put on by the nearby Penn State Extension Center. For $25 we get a rain barrel and instructions on how to best use them. I'm very excited by that- we have one rain barrel, and I would like to have one for each downspout.

What's up in the garden?

Spinach and spring onions

It has been a spotty sort of spring for posting- but my temp job is over now, and I have pictures, taken this morning (5/21.) Most are posted here in Snapfish, since I know there are a few of you out there who have dial-up and may not want to see all the pictures. You know I am all about personal choice!

What's doing well: The spinach, green onions and garlic are looking great. We have been eating spinach salads for a few days. I have not yet pulled any onions, and of course we won't know about the garlic until mid summer, but I am hopeful. Carrots are doing well, too, it seems, although there aren't many. Some seeds washed off, and I suspect a bunny enjoyed some carrot greens. But those that are left are looking good.

carrots

I bought a dozen red cabbage transplants, and they look great; surprisingly the bunnies have either not found them or disdain them, don't know which.

garlic and red cabbage

The potatoes are doing very well, but they always do. Here they are in the cinder block potato bin where Boodles disturbed the baby bunnies a few weeks ago.

What's not doing so well:
Everything I started in the house. Tomatoes- 4 varieties; eggplant, 2 varieties; peppers, 4 varieties; squash, 1 variety. It's not that they are doing poorly, exactly, more like they are in suspended animation. They started off well under the lights, but then just stopped advancing. They have been outside for about a week, and with the exception of the squash, haven't done much out there, either. We have had a cool and rainy spring, so perhaps they are just waiting for the sun. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

tomatoes, started indoors in January

For some reason, the pak choi and the tatsoi have bolted already- again a surprise because it has been such a cool summer. Neither formed a head. I've been pulling them and eating the leaves in salads and as greens, but I am disappointed.

The squash got in a hurry and put on blossoms in the house- I picked them off. Then the leaves and stems turned yellow and I thought the plants were dying. They still may die, but they have put on some new green leaves, so I am not discounting them yet.

Red Kuri squash- started indoors in February

We are experimenting with straw bale gardening this year. You can read more about it here or google it, but basically it is making raised beds out of straw bales. I put squash, eggplant and peppers in, in an attempt to foil the squash bugs and flea beetles. If it is successful, we may do more next year- I really hate the crawling around part of gardening. Later today I will fertilize the straw bales with a dilute fish emulsion. I hope it doesn't draw cats...

Perhaps next year I'll try the asian greens in a bale instead of in the ground.

What's not in the ground yet: Sweet potatoes and beans. They will go in this weekend, perhaps- it has been very chilly up until this week. Black Tuscan Kale, spinach and lettuce will go in August for fall harvest.
Remember to visit Snapfish to see the flowers and herbs. To see the problem with Poppies, go here

Red in tooth and claw

I'd like to think that I understand the circle of life, and the basic facts surrounding prey and predator. But understanding or no, I really hated it when our dog Boodles found the nest of baby bunnies in the potato patch this past week.

Here's a picture with Chuck's finger in it for scale. Most of the bunnies were not hurt. We hope we haven't disturbed the nest so that the mother won't return. I wonder how I will feel about that decision when the bunnies attack the greens...

1000 thanks!

On April 3, I was greatly honored when this blog was named by JD of Walk It Off
as one of her favorites. I was very pleased, because I think JD is one of the most level headed, terrific people I know. We have been friends for about 15 years, and I know I can rely on her absolutely for virtually anything.

I do want to apologize to her for not getting this post done sooner, but I am hoping for forgiveness when I explain the reason I am so tardy. I started a new job on April 6, one JD will approve of since it requires me to walk. Constantly. All over. I am working temporarily for the Census Bureau, verifying addresses for the 2010 census. Today it is raining, though, and cold, so I am putting off my long distance walking until tomorrow, when the forecast is for warmth and blue skies.


Here are the rules as established (or discovered) at this blog http://wiseherb.blogspot.com/.
If you're interested in nominating other bloggers for the award, here are some guidelines:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.


2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!


3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post and let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.


4. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

And here are the blogs I would like to pass the honor on to as well. It's an eclectic bunch, but I am an eclectic person! The list is in no special order.

Craft Gossip Crochet- JD's other blog. I mostly knit or weave these days- (actually I mostly think about knitting or weaving), but I like this one because it is so well researched and offers so much!

Another favorite craft blog is Hook Hand and Heart, written by another highly creative woman I am privileged to know in the real world.

Robbyn, at the Back Forty is always trying something in her move towards independence. I admire her courage.

A Little Greener Every Day is written by another Robin, and I learn something new from her every time I read a post.

"Where Ordinary Women become Eco-Heroes" is the subtitle of The Green Phone Booth. A team effort by a group of 5 young women, posts cover a variety of topics relating to going green.

The information on Farm Girl Fare is always excellent, but the pictures are spectacular. Or maybe I am just partial to cute little lambs, donkeys, etc.

I don't have a Golden Retriever, but I still love A Dog's Life, the Real Story. I do have rescued dogs, so maybe that's why.

They are building bee hives over at (not so) Urban Hennery. Another woman doing something to move towards her goal of independence- I am humbled. Why am I so lazy?

At Shrike and Whozat, you will find pictures of a sweetheart, 4 month old baby who just had heart surgery. Besides knowing baby and both moms in real life, I am blown away by the openness with which readers are invited into the family. Plus, they have nice dogs. (However, once you have the baby, you never again take a picture of the dogs, so you'll have to look at my blog If a Dog's Dream's came true, bones would rain from the sky to see them!)

And finally, Sharon Astyk, at Casaubon's Book. Her topics are interesting, her writing a joy to read. Her recent post on Eating Animal Products Ethically says everything I want to say, in a way I would give my eyeteeth to say it.

There are other blogs I read, also deserving of awards. But the rain has stopped, and I have to go canvass some addresses!

Solar Bird Bath Fountain

Sunday was a gorgeous day. We worked in the herb garden- Chuck moved some peach trees from the herb bed to the front yard. The peach trees are actually volunteers from the compost bin 2 or three years ago. We doubt that we will get good peaches from them, since peaches are grafted and don't reproduce true from seed. But even if the peaches are little peach shaped rocks in the summer, we will still have the blossoms to enjoy in the spring. There are buds on the trees right now- I feel like I should remove them so the tree can put its energy into root growth, but I hate to pick off buds. Maybe I will let them bloom and then take them off the tree.

We cut back the sage plant, and transplanted a bronze fennel to the herb bed. The fennel had been beside the stream for about 5 years- it was extremely happy there, but really was too tall a plant for the spot- it blocked the view of the waterfall. I hope the transplanting doesn't kill it- swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love the fennel, and each summer they swarm it.

While Chuck was clearing out the herb bed, I built a solar powered bird bath. I have wanted a running water bird bath for ages. Large birds manage to bathe in the pond, but the smaller birds have to make do with the creek. Since the creek is artificial, and only has water in it when we turn it on, water isn't as accessible to them as I would like.

I purchased a solar fountain pump from Golden Gadgets for $29.95 plus shipping. I should have checked eBay first, Golden Gadgets had them listed there starting at $19.95, and shipping was cheaper than on his website. The pump will lift water 16 inches, and has a flow capacity of 180 liter/hour. It came with aquarium tubing, and an assortment of different fountain heads.

I used a cobalt blue ceramic strawberry jar as the fountain, seen in the picture below on its side. It has 4 openings, the bottom 3 have a common center, with a hole for drainage. The top pot is has no drainage. It cost $15.00 last year. For the bird bath, I used a large plastic pot saucer, $4.95. In the picture below, the saucer has the bottom saucer from a black pot turned upside down in it, to conceal the pump, and to raise the fountain up enough so the pump can fit underneath. I also used some river rocks to line the saucer, making areas that are shallow enough for the smaller birds to bathe and drink without fear of drowning. The river rocks and the black pot saucer were here at the house, from other projects.

The first thing I did was thread the aquarium plastic through the hole in the bottom of the strawberry jar.

Then I threaded the black saucer onto the tubing, and attached the tubing to the pump. The hardest part was flipping the construction back over and getting the pump under the black saucer.


Then I covered the bottom with rocks.


Several years ago we had bought some tables to cover with stone tiles- the tile cracked on one of the. We decided to use the table base as the base for the bird bath- we didn't want it directly on the ground because there are some feral cats who hang around the yard, and I didn't want to provide a buffet. We sank the legs into the center of the herb bed.

I planted a white sweet alyssum plant in the center pot. After we put the bird bath on the table base, I connected the solar panel- it simply plugged in. As soon as it was plugged in, we could hear the pump working- a very faint whirring. As we filled it with water, it began to work. We had to adjust the depth of the legs to make it level, since at first the water was flowing right out into the garden. The water didn't leap out of the pots, it is a very gentle flow, no splashing.

Now for the bad news- as soon as I took this picture, (the water is flowing- you just can't see it!) Chuck said "What do you suppose will happen if I do this?". He jumped in front of the panel, putting it in shadow. The pump stopped working. When he moved away, it did not start up again. We are not sure why. Chuck plans to work on it to see what the problem is, but we have had a couple of very rainy, gloomy days, and he hasn't gotten to it yet. The forecast Thursday and Friday is for sun so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

In the garden, carrots, spinach, and scallions are up. Here is the spinach,

and the garlic.

And look what else is growing in the garden! Looks like we will need to shorten her tie-out. Last year we caught her playing in the potato bin- that cinder block structure to her right. It's 4 blocks high!

The garden is showing it's green!

The tatsoi and the pak choi are peeking their little heads up in the garden- no sign of the carrots or scallions yet. The picture above shows pak choi.

Seedlings under the light are doing well. I noticed some yellowing leaves, so I bought a container of fish emulsion, diluted it 1 Tsp: 1 quart water and started doing spraying it onto the plants for a foliar feeding. The yellow leaf on the squash plant is not a problem- it's the cotyledon, or seedling leaves.

It should be safe to put the plants in the ground in about 3 weeks. Our average last frost date is April 15.

We planted potatoes today, and spinach. I'll post a picture of the potato bed soon- we built a raised bed from cinder blocks, then layered last fall leaves, the potatoes and then 12 inches of straw. Chuck also thought we should add potash, based on something he read in the Organic Gardeners Encyclopedia.

Garlic- better late than never.

image courtesy of Freephoto.com

Garlic is supposed to be planted in the fall. We usually put it in the ground in November, in a small bed that also contains a sage plant and a couple of peach trees that sprang from the compost bin like Athena from Zeus' head.*

Last fall, though, was a tense and dreadful time, bounded with the fear of, and later the reality of, losing my job. In the wake of learning to cope, the garlic did not get planted.

A week or so ago, Chuck and I went out to dinner with some friends, at a restaurant conveniently located next door to a commercial greenhouse. We got there a little early, and browsed a bit. I was surprised to see pots of garlic for sale. We did not buy them, because we had sworn not to purchase ANYTHING, no matter how cute or green or tasty it looked.

However, on Saturday we were taking the long and winding road back home from a trip to look at hardwood flooring. I told Chuck that if we passed within line of sight of this nursery, I was buying the garlic plants because I just couldn't bear a year without it. (He thought he was safe because it is far from our house and well off the beaten path. However, I was navigating... and have an excellent sense of direction and place.)

Once we arrived at the nursery, though, I was dismayed to find that there were 3 garlic shoots per pot, and the pots cost $2.99. Each. I just couldn't justify making that purchase. I mean, fresh homegrown garlic is, indeed, worth it's weight in gold, I know. But not worth $1.00 a shoot. Sorry.

We decided to take our chances and plant the garlic right now. I flinch to admit it here, but I just went to the grocery store and bought garlic bulbs there. They felt full and fresh. I dug 4 short trenches next to the Asian greens, and planted approximately 40 cloves of garlic. According to Gourmet Garlic Gardens, I can expect a small harvest, perhaps with undifferentiated bulbs. The Virginia Cooperative Extension tells me I have done it incorrectly by not chilling-

"Garlic can be spring planted, but a chilling requirement must be met for the cloves to properly grow, and plants need to reach an adequate size before day length increases, which triggers bulb formation. To meet this requirement, spring planted garlic should be stored under refrigeration for at least 8 weeks prior to planting, and should be set as early in the spring as possible."

I don't care- I just want garlic. We'll see what happens. Next fall, provided we still live here, or expect to live here in the summer, the garlic WILL be planted. Mother Earth News has an article about garlic planting here, should you care to read it. Kenneth Point, who gardens here in Central PA has more to say here.

*We don't expect nice peaches to come from this, since peach trees are grafted and the seed stock doesn't reproduce true. Go here for a good explanation. But hope springs eternal, and Chuck just couldn't bear to trash them. We are also kind to the volunteer tomatoes that jump up, too.