tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91098600108370382622024-03-12T23:31:57.399-04:00Rebecca's Urban Farm BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-65958533787455628052010-04-07T18:55:00.005-04:002010-04-08T14:31:13.936-04:00Did I Wish for Warm Weather?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70bcwDKotI/AAAAAAAADcQ/Zlr2naAHPqU/s1600/IMG_4485.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70bcwDKotI/AAAAAAAADcQ/Zlr2naAHPqU/s320/IMG_4485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457548504191378130" border="0" /></a>This flowering cherry is the gift that keeps on giving..<br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />What was I thinking? It went from about 15 degrees below normal to 15 degrees <span style="font-style: italic;">above </span>normal for the past week. We hit 90 the other day! I've been covering the greenhouse with a tarp every afternoon to keep everything in there from frying. And watering twice a day to keep the soil cool for the peas and lettuce and carrots. Fortunately, temps will be back to normal tomorrow and we're supposed to get some rain, too. Not that we're really lacking for that, we're ahead so far for the year, but it'll be a nice change from the past few days.<br /><br />The cool crops are doing quite well in spite of the heat, this pic shows about a third of my </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70O6pUGSDI/AAAAAAAADcA/Zwe9_H1FoXc/s512/IMG_4563.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 342px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70O6pUGSDI/AAAAAAAADcA/Zwe9_H1FoXc/s512/IMG_4563.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Mangetout Carouby row in the back of one of my 8x4 beds.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">If you're wondering why one of them is out of line, I have no idea. I'm quite sure I was sober when I planted them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The plants in front of that are Chesnok Red hardneck garlic, and I've got Romano Bush beans going in front of those tomorrow morning. My French Climbing beans should be poking through in another day or so, and I hilled the potatoes up for the first time this morning.<br /><br /><br />Speaking of morning, this is what I see when I open the back door..<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70bD2x0UUI/AAAAAAAADcI/Ur2P5aIzga4/s1600/IMG_4556.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S70bD2x0UUI/AAAAAAAADcI/Ur2P5aIzga4/s320/IMG_4556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457548076500930882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Why does Jack always look like he's judging me? It can be quite unnerving to turn around and see that glare of disapproval.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">Dude, I'm sorry I threw a shoe at you, K? The crowing was a little much that day, I wasn't myself.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-14565169021839362702010-04-02T12:59:00.005-04:002010-04-05T10:32:43.954-04:00Cross Your Fingers<span style="font-size:130%;">I planted some of my tomatoes and peppers on Saturday, since the weather has warmed up so thoroughly. If we get a late frost I'll do what I did last year, cover the little seedlings with a layer of soil overnight. It worked like a charm last time, no damage at all to my toms after a 28 degree night in early May. I planted the little 30 inch wide 20 ft long strip on the side of the house with 10 tomatoes and 9 peppers staggered in between and in front of the toms. There'll be some bush beans staggered in between the peppers, I soaked some of my Romano Bush beans the other day and they're starting to sprout. No pics of the bed yet, since the seedlings are hard to see at this stage!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7nykycDzjI/AAAAAAAADas/kkR6aI-IJLs/s1600/IMG_4472.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7nykycDzjI/AAAAAAAADas/kkR6aI-IJLs/s320/IMG_4472.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456659137364741682" border="0" /></a><br />Tomatoes, left to right when facing the bed:<br />Opalka<br />Yellow Brandywine<br />Black from Tula<br />Wapsipinicon Peach<br />Copia<br />Black Cherry<br />Brandywine OTV<br />Cherokee Purple<br />Sungold<br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Opalka</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;">Portugese Thyme in the early morning sun<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">The peppers I planted are Quadrato Rossi. I planted nine more QR peppers in one of my in-ground beds, and the Orange Bells are going into the bed at the end of the garden where the new trellis is. My French Climbing Beans have sprouted and they're getting planted at the foot of that new trellis today. The melons and winter squashes are also getting started while I'm out there.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">I'm growing Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck squash for the first time this year, as well as a variety called <a href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=973%28OG%29">Galeux d'Elysines</a>. I think the kids will get a big kick out of them.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Happy Gardening!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-12044665113994031962010-04-01T10:14:00.005-04:002010-04-01T10:56:51.172-04:00Happy Dance!<span style="font-size:130%;">The first day of April...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I hate winter. I really do. If it snowed with any regularity here, that would be pretty. But no, all we get is cold, dreary, wet weather. So when the earth warms, the air is fresh and sweet, the birds are singing their hearts out, and "the flowers appear on the earth" I just about burst with joy.<br /><br /><object style="height: 344px; width: 425px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wod-MudLNPA"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wod-MudLNPA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />Hubby put up the large trellis for me over the weekend,</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7Su1MZXzFI/AAAAAAAADZ8/l5II8rbLrbg/s1600/IMG_4470.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 194px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7Su1MZXzFI/AAAAAAAADZ8/l5II8rbLrbg/s320/IMG_4470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455177277536455762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> and I've got my French Climbing Beans soaking already. The Purple-Podded Pole is next, and I think I'll start some of my Romano Bush beans, too. The volunteer climbing beans in the garden are doing marvelously, so I'll take that as a green light to start the others!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The trellis is difficult to see in a picture, but it's two widths of 4 ft high 4x2 fencing giving me 8 feet vertically across that 20 foot </span><span style="font-size:130%;">width of fence. That's a lotta beans! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Three of my Calabrese broccoli overwintered, so I let one go to seed and the other two are ready to harvest..again! I'm so thrilled, since I didn't start any spring broccoli because of a lack of space.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7SxJNqyRRI/AAAAAAAADaE/qwywHb_ADXo/s1600/IMG_4469.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 213px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7SxJNqyRRI/AAAAAAAADaE/qwywHb_ADXo/s320/IMG_4469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455179820498568466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7SxejSeqmI/AAAAAAAADaM/pT5ehWqwENg/s1600/IMG_4468.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 209px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S7SxejSeqmI/AAAAAAAADaM/pT5ehWqwENg/s200/IMG_4468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455180187079453282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse are coming along gangbusters, and I got over a hundred Cosmic Purple Carrot seedlings planted yesterday. The Danvers carrots are next, and I'll pot up my Rosa Bianca eggplants and Napolitano basils later today. The baby boy is already yawning (yay!), so I'll go put him down for a nap and get started.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-34839892318981433782010-03-31T20:53:00.004-04:002010-04-01T09:54:18.753-04:00Aha!!<span style="font-size:130%;">Found it! The camera went missing two days ago, and I haven't posted anything because I like to put pictures up of all the goings-on that I talk about. It just occurred to me to look in the seat cushions of the loveseat in the computer room. Bingo!<br /><br />So tomorrow I'll take pics of all the latest progress and boast about how well everything is doing, in spite of the hailstorm Sunday night. See you then!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-5305448427654359712010-03-27T12:32:00.013-04:002010-03-27T19:40:27.451-04:00Breaking Ground<span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to DeBeardedOne and Ruralrose, thanks for following!<br /><br />After reading the blog last night and finding out the girls wanted their own flower garden, hubby went and picked up a load of compost and broke out the shovels.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66VLwnmNGI/AAAAAAAADZc/vcEe_huYIz4/s1600/IMG_4401.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66VLwnmNGI/AAAAAAAADZc/vcEe_huYIz4/s320/IMG_4401.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453460228054332514" border="0" /></a></span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">He's putting in a nice semi-circular bed around the mailbox, and the girls couldn't be more pleased. Especially when they found worms..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S64ySSGADsI/AAAAAAAADW8/5t-O-cZnT7I/s1600/IMG_4403.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S64ySSGADsI/AAAAAAAADW8/5t-O-cZnT7I/s320/IMG_4403.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453351488468291266" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">And yes, ladies, in case you're wondering, the girls</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" > did</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> pick out their own outfits this morning. Oy.<br /><br />So by the time they finished scraping up the turf, it looked like this..<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66O0IQptRI/AAAAAAAADY8/c305FWF4APg/s1600/IMG_4433.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66O0IQptRI/AAAAAAAADY8/c305FWF4APg/s320/IMG_4433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453453225013916946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Then the rich, dark compost went down..</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">(see the little toddler footprints?)</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66PPL2ktqI/AAAAAAAADZE/nHVCLa33Gbo/s1600/IMG_4462.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66PPL2ktqI/AAAAAAAADZE/nHVCLa33Gbo/s320/IMG_4462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453453689834747554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">That shrub in the back is a rosemary we already had in that spot, it'll make a nice backdrop for some herbaceous perennials.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66QS0LLv8I/AAAAAAAADZQ/Ud9_Y35hAeQ/s1600/IMG_4406.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S66QS0LLv8I/AAAAAAAADZQ/Ud9_Y35hAeQ/s320/IMG_4406.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453454851709845442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">And now all we have to do is sow a few more seeds in the greenhouse and pot up the flowers we already started. I'm sure we'll pick up a little something or two at the nursery, as well. Who can resist?</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">I'm thinking a blue clematis for the mailbox post and some <a href="http://www.greengrasslandscape.com/photogallery/Coreopsis%20verticillata%20%27Moonbeam%27.jpg">Moonbeam coreopsis</a>...and <a href="http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/reiman/SalviaMayNight.jpg">perennial blue salvia</a> to contrast with the <a href="http://www.flowerspictures.org/images/flowers/Calendula/calendula-flower-2.jpg">Calendula</a> I've already gotten started.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Yeah, spiky deep blue flowers with deep apricot daisy flowers..and a soft, fluffy border of yellow. It'll be gorgeous!</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">I'll put up some more pics when we get things in the ground</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Gardening!</span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-9316448524090455272010-03-27T12:32:00.010-04:002010-03-27T16:01:55.617-04:00I'm a Sucker for Flowers<span style="font-size:130%;">And foliage, and bark, and... :-)<br /><br />This is the flowering cherry in the front yard in tight bud..</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S640yWiJinI/AAAAAAAADXg/eMNknEISxY8/s640/IMG_4393.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 274px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S640yWiJinI/AAAAAAAADXg/eMNknEISxY8/s640/IMG_4393.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Slowly unfurling and growing lighter....</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S642BbJ45xI/AAAAAAAADX8/js_dNfNCLFc/s640/IMG_4395.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 369px; height: 277px;" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S642BbJ45xI/AAAAAAAADX8/js_dNfNCLFc/s640/IMG_4395.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And now fully open..</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S643APnV4pI/AAAAAAAADYE/mOC1f51Wq14/s1600/IMG_4429.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 276px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S643APnV4pI/AAAAAAAADYE/mOC1f51Wq14/s200/IMG_4429.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453356676123320978" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Simply gawgeous.<br />(double click on this last one, it's worth it)<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The purple tint to the new bergamot foliage makes my heart go pitter patter, too.<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6430t89DVI/AAAAAAAADYU/epsszeKFibU/s640/IMG_4427.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 370px; height: 276px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6430t89DVI/AAAAAAAADYU/epsszeKFibU/s640/IMG_4427.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S65iiyqqmeI/AAAAAAAADY0/EDeCf0XLFr0/s1600/IMG_4437.JPG"><br /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">As does this lovely baby..</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S65genJ6nUI/AAAAAAAADYo/4fR7lpLZPuQ/s640/IMG_4436.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 282px;" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S65genJ6nUI/AAAAAAAADYo/4fR7lpLZPuQ/s640/IMG_4436.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Nepeta 'Walker's Low'</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">How can anyone look at all that beauty and not know there is a God? And He is good. :-)</span><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Coming up next, pics of the children's flower garden being made!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-86134085729233574652010-03-26T13:04:00.006-04:002010-03-26T13:39:57.643-04:00Picture Day!<span style="font-size:130%;">I was planting all my sprouted climbing peas (Golden Sweet and Mangetout Carouby) when I spied a few surprise volunteers..<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zd8O1VgJI/AAAAAAAADUk/mYlnBiJKW9o/s1600/IMG_4370.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452977275682521234" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zd8O1VgJI/AAAAAAAADUk/mYlnBiJKW9o/s320/IMG_4370.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" border="0" /></a>Those are 'Sultan's Golden Crescent' climbing beans! I was so surprised to see them coming up already, this makes me want </span><span style="font-size:130%;">to sprout all my climbing beans and put them in! Of course, I'll need the hubby to install a bit more trellising before that can happen... Hey, tomorrow is Saturday, </span><span style="font-size:130%;">right? Perfect timing! :-)<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The girls puttered around asking for their own garden space while I was laboriously poking holes, dropping sprouts, and watering-in..and I think we'll have to make that happen this year. We've already started some flower seeds (hollyhock and coreopsis) and I've got all kinds of other flower seeds around they'd love. The only thing is to figure out where to put it!<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The peach tree is in full bloom now,</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zhtDAzNdI/AAAAAAAADU8/B46Reh9b8PM/s1600/IMG_4375.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452981412857853394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zhtDAzNdI/AAAAAAAADU8/B46Reh9b8PM/s320/IMG_4375.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" border="0" /></a> and I'm not the only one who noticed..<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zgo4cbL8I/AAAAAAAADU0/luhRB8pVAG0/s1600/IMG_4376.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452980241789824962" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zgo4cbL8I/AAAAAAAADU0/luhRB8pVAG0/s200/IMG_4376.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />Ugh. Be glad my dinky little old camera doesn't zoom in that close. These little critters are destined to have an exceptionally short lifespan, I hope they're living it up in there..</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Now for something more pleasant to look at--<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ziT8nGuVI/AAAAAAAADVE/CRXplsIapQo/s1600/IMG_4379.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452982081154365778" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ziT8nGuVI/AAAAAAAADVE/CRXplsIapQo/s320/IMG_4379.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Hi, I'm Duke. You may scratch my tummy.</span> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zp3ljmPGI/AAAAAAAADV0/UakQsAnxc6g/s1600/IMG_4382.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zp3ljmPGI/AAAAAAAADV0/UakQsAnxc6g/s320/IMG_4382.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452990390022323298" border="0" /></a></span></div></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Little show-off..What<i> is</i> he looking at?<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zqMwLNuvI/AAAAAAAADV8/qyYG4bG6aSg/s1600/IMG_4383.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zqMwLNuvI/AAAAAAAADV8/qyYG4bG6aSg/s320/IMG_4383.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452990753650096882" border="0" /></a><br />Ahhh, his audience. I don't know..<br />Sallie looks neither impressed, nor amused.<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zr5KhM4-I/AAAAAAAADWE/4dqbnEQ5PtI/s1600/IMG_4386.JPG"><img style="width: 266px; height: 200px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6zr5KhM4-I/AAAAAAAADWE/4dqbnEQ5PtI/s320/IMG_4386.JPG" border="0" /></a></div> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-89208212853211290632010-03-25T16:26:00.007-04:002010-03-25T17:40:07.725-04:00Plugging Away<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Sources/GetImage.axd?own=SS&imageid=5858"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 198px;" src="http://www.seedsavers.org/Sources/GetImage.axd?own=SS&imageid=5858" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The Reine de Glaces and Tennis ball lettuces have been interplanted with the Yellow from Parma onions, and I couldn't have asked for better transplanting weather. It's been cloudy and in the upper 60's all day, with rain tomorrow and temps in the lower 60's for the next three days. I wanted to get a picture of the bed after it was planted up, but the seedlings are so tiny you can't see anything in the picture yet! It'll be nice when it fills in, though the landscape designer in me would have preferred to have been planting </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >red</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> lettuces with the spiky green onion foliage. But we don't use much red lettuce around here, so I hadn't started any yet.<br /><br />I potted up more tomatoes: 16 Wapsipinicon Peach, 10 Opalka, 10 Cherokee Purple, and 7 Copia. I'd have kept on going, but I ran out of 4 inch pots! The rest are in our outdoor storage chest, and the spare package of shingles from when the roof was replaced 2 weeks ago is sitting on the lid. I had no idea shingles were SO heavy. I'll ask the hubby to move those tonight so I can finish potting everything up.<br /><br />I've still got lots of tomatoes to go, and the peppers will be ready to move out of the cells soon. I've got Quadrato di Asti Rosso coming out of my ears, and the Orange Bell and Canary Bell are coming along nicely, too. Three Poblanos and four Sweet Banana came up after I'd given up on them, and just one out of my ten Alma Paprika sprouted. You can bet I'll be babying that little guy!<br /><br />Speaking of little guys, this is where mine was while some of that work was going on..</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6vWqQ_364I/AAAAAAAADT8/a2VNTWP-Nng/s1600/IMG_4368.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6vWqQ_364I/AAAAAAAADT8/a2VNTWP-Nng/s320/IMG_4368.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452687795467840386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Who needs a playpen when you have a car?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6vW_DpldhI/AAAAAAAADUE/rny24D8qYEA/s1600/IMG_4369.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6vW_DpldhI/AAAAAAAADUE/rny24D8qYEA/s320/IMG_4369.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452688152661947922" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Gimme the camera, lady, and no one gets hurt.</span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-25312539906797857102010-03-24T13:11:00.007-04:002010-03-24T18:27:05.294-04:00A Thing of Beauty<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">is a joy forever.</span>--<span style="font-style: italic;">John Keats<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6poeD74L6I/AAAAAAAADS8/Fh9oWdrFZ-8/s1600/IMG_4353.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6poeD74L6I/AAAAAAAADS8/Fh9oWdrFZ-8/s320/IMG_4353.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452285164547223458" border="0" /></a></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Catnip volunteer<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pouf22sbI/AAAAAAAADTE/9sByCesn0Fw/s1600/IMG_4356.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pouf22sbI/AAAAAAAADTE/9sByCesn0Fw/s320/IMG_4356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452285446920253874" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;">Roman Chamomile</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ppNsGHtmI/AAAAAAAADTM/COfQ3k9kfN8/s1600/IMG_4348.JPG"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6qRh5yVFDI/AAAAAAAADTc/OwUOcRX6ziM/s1600/IMG_4349.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6qRh5yVFDI/AAAAAAAADTc/OwUOcRX6ziM/s320/IMG_4349.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452330310519034930" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Red Maple</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pnDnkK1VI/AAAAAAAADS0/-5rmKL_8UQw/s1600/IMG_4363.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pnDnkK1VI/AAAAAAAADS0/-5rmKL_8UQw/s320/IMG_4363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452283610743362898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Munchkin, 5 years old today</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Well, I wasn't able to get the onion and lettuce seedlings in the ground last night because the hubby got home from work so late I had to bathe the children and put them to bed all by my lonesome. So I planted the onions this morning and watered them in, and the lettuce will go in late this afternoon. I also potted up all my Yellow Brandwines (12) and gave everything in the greenhouse <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pJ78aCo0I/AAAAAAAADSU/HSDlkMAnFEE/s1600/IMG_4335.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6pJ78aCo0I/AAAAAAAADSU/HSDlkMAnFEE/s200/IMG_4335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452251593061868354" border="0" /></a>a dose of fertilizer. I'm going to fertilize my garlic today, too. This will be the first time I've done so in the three years I've been growing it, but it needs all the help it can get after last winter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The birthday girl pictured above will be assisting with the lettuce planting in about an hour, after which (I have been informed) we will read all the new books she got for her birthday.</span> :-)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-39899045077569948602010-03-23T16:53:00.010-04:002010-03-23T17:39:41.544-04:00I Couldn't Resist<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6krcSZ7ZwI/AAAAAAAADRU/o75n6mpWq1c/s1600-h/IMG_4329.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6krcSZ7ZwI/AAAAAAAADRU/o75n6mpWq1c/s200/IMG_4329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451936588885616386" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I know it's a little early to be potting up the seedlings, but I couldn't resist the urge to pop a few of the largest out of their cells and put them in some 4 inch pots. I did my three Brandywine OTV and 9 of my largest Black Cherrys. That temporarily satisfied my urge, and I'll compare them to the ones still in the cells and see if the growth rate picks up. I've been us</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ing masking tape on the side of the flat/pot to keep track of the varieties. Those little white markers are </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">irresistible </span>to toddlers.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm hoping to get the chance to plant my lettuce and onion seedlings in the garden this evening, it's so warm and sunny today I wanted to wait till the sun started going down to lessen the shock. While I was scoping out the bed I looked at the potatoes I planted last week. Remember that fuzzy, barely visible potato sprout I tried to get a</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ktANL3fEI/AAAAAAAADRc/N_aRKONVFEY/s1600-h/IMG_4332.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 193px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ktANL3fEI/AAAAAAAADRc/N_aRKONVFEY/s200/IMG_4332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451938305471380546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> pic of? You won't need to squint to see it now!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Things have been coming in </span><span style="font-size:130%;">beautifully since the weather warmed up last week. Not only are things like daffodils and flowering cherries coming alive, but my garlic is finally taking off! It's normally over a foot tall by now and this winter was so harsh they barely put on any growth at all. This time last week the foliage was just four inches tall and they've put on two more since then. Here's hoping they make up for lost time, I've been really concerned that I'd have a poor crop this year.<br /><br />I was inspecting the softneck garlic bed when something different caught m</span><span style="font-size:130%;">y eye..tomato seedlings coming</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> up! I had Jaune Flamme tomatoes just behind that bed last year, and they dropped a few fruit and gav</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6kv6UkPt6I/AAAAAAAADRk/h1qhWtcQk-Q/s1600-h/IMG_4334.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 248px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6kv6UkPt6I/AAAAAAAADRk/h1qhWtcQk-Q/s200/IMG_4334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451941502908348322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">e me some freebies. I'm really glad, because my J.F. seeds in the greenhouse haven't sprouted yet!</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">They make an excellent salad tomato, and they're great for sun-drying, too. It got down to 37 F last night, and those little babies loo</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ked just fine! I'm going to lift them out of there and pot them up till the new tomato bed is ready.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />I started a fresh batch of cilantro seeds, Italian parsley, dill, and salad burnett yesterday, and the yellow carrots are next.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">My chives are filling in with such flamboyant gorgeousness (don't know if that's a word, but it's fitting) that it will be a darn shame to cut any of them. I really don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to do it.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6kxn0aybwI/AAAAAAAADR0/QtOXO7_HIWU/s1600-h/IMG_4333.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 369px; height: 277px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6kxn0aybwI/AAAAAAAADR0/QtOXO7_HIWU/s320/IMG_4333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451943384064356098" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span>Fabulous, just <span style="font-style: italic;">fabulous</span>.</span><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-62523301836471306462010-03-22T09:29:00.004-04:002010-03-22T10:05:40.573-04:00My Ultra-Secret Garden Goddess Trick<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/funny-pictures-cat-might-be-a-goddess.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 284px;" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/funny-pictures-cat-might-be-a-goddess.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I was perusing some of the tutorials on various gardening blogs and it occurred to me that I could share a little something, too. Way back in the day before I got married and had children, I did a lot of freelance consulting. I worked at a prestigious local greenhouse/nursery for my horticulture internship, and customers (who nicknamed me "The Garden Goddess") were always asking me to come out and look at their gardens. I got a lot of questions about pruning in the winter time, and I have a little trick for telling if deciduous tree and shrub branches are dead..</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >without</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> scratching up the bark to see if it's green underneath. Whenever I showed someone how to prune the deadwood out, I would grasp the twig/branch between my fingers and close my eyes with an air of deep concentration. (I was sensing the Life Force..) After a moment, I'd declare if it was dead or alive, and cut accordingly. I was never wrong, and people always got a big kick out of it. Then I showed them how I was doing it so they could show their friends.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br />You see, a live branch is filled with moisture, and when it is grasped, the moisture draws the heat from your fingers. This makes the branch feel cold. A branch that doesn't feel cold when held is dry and dead. It's so simple, but it never fails to impress people to watch you do it. Then they love being brought into the secret. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >And</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> you don't have to make a bunch of little scratches all over your tree/shrub while you're pruning it. Try it, it's fun!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-68808191283683265802010-03-21T14:20:00.002-04:002010-03-21T16:21:51.732-04:00Spring Has Sprung<span style="font-size:130%;">First of all, I'd like to thank Robin from Southern Cali for leaving such a nice comment on yesterday's tomato post. And second of all, I'd like to apologize because it won't publish! I tried three times and it <i>said</i> it was published, but I don't see it anywhere. Very strange, I can't figure out what's amiss. I kept backing up and trying again, but I'd reached the definition of insanity..doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Please try again Robin, it <i>must</i> be a fluke!<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">As for today in the garden, I checked on my babies in the greenhouse and that's probably going to be it for the day. We're having family over for our eldest daughter's 5th birthday party, so at most I'm hoping to get a few trays of seeds planted. It's time to start some herbs like dill and parsley, and I need to resow my cilantro because the first flat got burnt to a crisp when the hubby put it in the greenhouse one bright, sunny morning </span><span style="font-size:130%;">with the clear plastic lid still on. It was a thoughtful gesture, too bad I didn't see it before the double greenhouse effect fried them like ants on a sidewalk.<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ZTDwQ1AOI/AAAAAAAADQs/ydLMNFvWSWY/s1600-h/IMG_4276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ZTDwQ1AOI/AAAAAAAADQs/ydLMNFvWSWY/s200/IMG_4276.JPG" border="0" height="200" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Speaking of frying, the roosters are sorely trying my nerves today. There's a red-tailed hawk hanging around, and Ben and Jack seem to feel compelled to stand in the middle of the yard thumping their chests and crowing defiance. I wouldn't care if I didn't have neighbors, but we're friends with all of them and I don't want that to change! I know <i>I</i> wouldn't be too thrilled if one of my neighbors had something making that much noise. I think I'll see if my grandparents would like to take Ben home with them today and I'll bribe the neighbors with some fresh eggs. :-)<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ZSDnc1JJI/AAAAAAAADQk/kuaI34KrPCQ/s1600-h/IMG_4317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ZSDnc1JJI/AAAAAAAADQk/kuaI34KrPCQ/s320/IMG_4317.JPG" border="0" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Looking around the yard it's really noticeable that we had an abnormally cold winter. Generally, the weeping cherry in the backyard is almost done flowering by now, and it's only just begun.<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">The peach tree should also be in full flower, but the buds are only now beginning to color up. That may be a good thing, in case we get a late frost!<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">I had an idea the other day for a new garden bed. (Big surprise, right?) There's a triangular wedge of yard between the path to the kitchen garden, the fence, and the neighbor's property line. It's not very big, but I could fit quite a few herbs in there and save the hubby the trouble of bringing the mower around to that side just to mow that little patch. And I'm ALL about saving the hubby trouble...<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Zg_Q3GlzI/AAAAAAAADQ0/GSrDV-nb7Hw/s1600-h/IMG_4308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Zg_Q3GlzI/AAAAAAAADQ0/GSrDV-nb7Hw/s320/IMG_4308.JPG" border="0" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">You can tell where the neighbor's fence begins because it's stained a slightly different color. The bed would be about 6 feet wide at the fence, and taper up about 10 feet to meet the side of the flagstone path. It gets full sun all summer, and I can see it being a <b>gorgeous</b> herb bed. Mrs. Einck's dill in the back, some purple basil, Citronella lemon balm, German chamomile, and a border of salad burnett. *sigh* It makes me happy already. It looks like I'll have to wait till Tuesday to start, as we're getting some light rain today and tomorrow. In the meantime I'll get busy with the seeds in the greenhouse. Happy gardening!</span><br /><span style="font-size:large;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-39927890001905272002010-03-20T12:43:00.008-04:002010-03-20T14:18:52.555-04:00Tomatoes..Everywhere<span style="font-size:130%;">Thanks for following, Jen! I hope to see you next week at the bookstore.<br /><br />After wildly overexerting myself yesterday I left myself with very little to do today. I need another load of compost before I can begin the new beds I've been planning, and all the beds I prese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UBr17Le1I/AAAAAAAADP0/WHryfccHSqw/s1600-h/IMG_4314.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 195px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UBr17Le1I/AAAAAAAADP0/WHryfccHSqw/s320/IMG_4314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450764776723151698" border="0" /></a>ntly have are waiting to be filled with the seedlings I'm hurrying along in the greenhouse. I was thrilled to see the first pair of true leaves showing on many of my tomatoes, the ones in the center of the pic are Wapsipinicon Peach. I'm trying a lot of new (to me) varieties this year, and I can't wait to see how they turn out. The ones with a * are ones I've never grown before. I've got four kinds of cherry tomatoes:</span><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Today's egg harvest:4 (+1 more after this picture</span><span style="font-style: italic;">!)</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;">Riesentraube*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Isis Candy*</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UIG6BXKXI/AAAAAAAADP8/pu-AELV_KC8/s1600-h/IMG_4312.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 245px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UIG6BXKXI/AAAAAAAADP8/pu-AELV_KC8/s200/IMG_4312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450771838749059442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Sungold*<br />BlackCherry</span>*<br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">For slicing tomatoes I've got:<br />Aunt Ruby's German Green*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Green Zebra</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Black From Tula*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Cherokee Purple*<br />Paul Robeson*<br />Yellow Brandywine*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Plum Lemon*<br />Gold Medal</span> <br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Copia*<br />Wapsipinicon Peach*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Pink Accordion*</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UMBaV1-QI/AAAAAAAADQE/3uRPN5Q-KyA/s1600-h/IMG_4303.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6UMBaV1-QI/AAAAAAAADQE/3uRPN5Q-KyA/s200/IMG_4303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450776142392195330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Henderson's Pink Ponderosa*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Brandywine OTV*<br /><br />Striped Cavern* for stuffing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">And for sauce tomatoes:<br />Opalka*<br />Federle<br />Amish Paste*</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Green Sausage<br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><div style="text-align: right; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">"I'm ready to work Mommy, now please turn down the sun"<br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">I've also got Principe Borghese and Jaune Flamme that I started a week later so they aren't up yet. Those two are good sun-drying tomatoes, I grew Flamme last year and they were really good. This list may seem like a lot to some people, especially in an urban setting, but I plan on preserving as much as possible and selling the rest. Every little bit counts these days. I'll save my pepper list for another day, since this post is already long thanks to the tomato list!<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-56566095865274698702010-03-19T14:50:00.007-04:002010-03-19T15:47:11.299-04:00Call Me Eager Beaver<span style="font-size:130%;">It looks so much better out there I just had to go ahead and take some pics. This is what the area looked like after a winter of neglect..</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PLVV076oI/AAAAAAAADOk/h7cYhJBWz8I/s1600-h/IMG_4305.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 210px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PLVV076oI/AAAAAAAADOk/h7cYhJBWz8I/s320/IMG_4305.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450423541545298562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />The two big pots in the front have mints in them, and the two big ones in the back are my chives pot and my perennial bunching onion pot. I've been dumping the soil from last year's annual pots into the bed on the left, and this is what it looked like after I moved some pots and did some spreading, hoeing, and weeding..</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PLaHrZTWI/AAAAAAAADOs/negVOYtx2y4/s1600-h/IMG_4309.JPG"><img style="width: 286px; height: 172px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PLaHrZTWI/AAAAAAAADOs/negVOYtx2y4/s320/IMG_4309.JPG" border="0" /></a></span></div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ahhhhhhhhh...much better. Not quite done yet, I'll be building up the beds a tad more and we may put newspaper and gravel screenings down in the pathways. It would be a lot more convenient than mowing and weed-whacking the paths, and give it a neater appearance. We're definitely taking down that ramp to the chicken coop, too. We put it up originally thinking the dog wasn't going to get along with the chickens and we'd have to put little fences around the beds and keep them in the garden area. Fortunately (for the chickens, not the dog), the dog got ganged up on by the two roosters a couple of times and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PP_H8Jf5I/AAAAAAAADO0/Y20-UIL-OI4/s1600-h/IMG_4298.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 217px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PP_H8Jf5I/AAAAAAAADO0/Y20-UIL-OI4/s320/IMG_4298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450428657418469266" border="0" /></a>now leaves them all severely alone. So we were able to put a trapdoor opening in the floor of the coop that opens up into the rest of the yard and they go in and out that way.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; margin: 0px auto 10px;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6PKlg_MYdI/AAAAAAAADOc/zu9cKPzkl9c/s1600-h/IMG_4309.JPG"><br /></a> </div><span style="font-size:130%;">The little flap below the open vent window is the egg door, and below that is the stool our eldest uses to stand on and peer into the boxes. We've got three nesting boxes in there for the hens to lay their eggs in. Apparently, that's too prosaic for some of them. A few like to walk on the wild side and lay their eggs in the doghouse. When the rightful owner poked his nose in there this morning he was greeted with screams of outrage. I came running from the garden to see what was going on, and Sally was standing in the doorway scolding Duke like an angry fishwife. I had to pull her out and stroke her to calm her down, and as for the egg she was defending, well, it was <span style="font-style: italic;">delicious</span>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-71566854940755236572010-03-19T12:53:00.006-04:002010-03-19T13:36:57.201-04:00Pleasant Surprise..and One Not So<span style="font-size:130%;">You could have knocked me over with a feather this morning when I saw that my first blog 'follower' was Annie's Granny! Welcome Granny, I'm honored to have you. Granny has the cutest <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OtRuszMWI/AAAAAAAADNk/K4mlko6S9Og/s1600-h/2+gig+chip+425.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OtRuszMWI/AAAAAAAADNk/K4mlko6S9Og/s200/2+gig+chip+425.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450390494153748834" border="0" /></a>dachsunds I've ever seen, they positively put my little J.R. in the shade..<br /><br />But he really does try, I have to give him credit..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OtzSLqGnI/AAAAAAAADNs/IgxameYDPTs/s1600-h/BlackBerry+Pics+105.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OtzSLqGnI/AAAAAAAADNs/IgxameYDPTs/s200/BlackBerry+Pics+105.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450391070614100594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And welcome to Megan, I look forward to getting to know more people who like playing in the soil as much as I do.<br /><br />Now for the unpleasant surprise...only </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >one</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of the 20 asparagus plants I put in last fall seems to have made it through the winter. It was abnormally cold here, averaging 12 degrees below normal all winter, and if I'd known that was coming I'd have planted them deeper. The last time I planted some they completely disappeared by spring, and when I investigated I found all kinds of little critter tunnels deep in the sandy soil of that bed. So this time I planted them in sunken wire mesh baskets, smart no? Or so I thought. They weren't eaten this time, they just died from cold. As far as I can tell, anyway. Thank goodness I got them on sale. I'm thinking I'll accept my fate and do without asparagus, it takes up a lot of space for something that provides for such a short time. At least, that's what I'm telling myself after my second failed attempt. !!!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OwCJODshI/AAAAAAAADN0/W47Z23fHp3E/s1600-h/IMG_4301.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OwCJODshI/AAAAAAAADN0/W47Z23fHp3E/s200/IMG_4301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450393524929540626" border="0" /></a><br />So this is what the bed looks like now, I've got a little patch of French Sorrel in the fence corner, and the rest of the 20x2.5 foot bed is empty save for a couple of broccoli that made it through the winter. The bed goes across the width of the garden area at the western end, and I'm thinking I'll put some trellising up against that 6 foot board fence and use it for melons and winter squash. I could do bush Romano beans in front, interplanted with Mrs. Burns lemon basil. The far end of the bed from this angle runs up to the picket fence keeping the dog and chickens out, and along that fence I've got lots of specialty thymes and yellow onion sets, as seen here..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OxycFhL4I/AAAAAAAADN8/INzvrh9Qx3g/s1600-h/IMG_4300.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6OxycFhL4I/AAAAAAAADN8/INzvrh9Qx3g/s200/IMG_4300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450395454139346818" border="0" /></a>Together they form an L shape along the sunny borders of this area of the garden. When the onions are ready to harvest I'll tuck some Spicy Globe basils in the empty spots. I've got two big 16x5 beds in the center of this space, and tomorrow's post will show the before and after of their clean and prep. Brace yourselves for the before, it's pretty sad. I'm hoping to get to that this afternoon, now that the girls are feeling better. They both had tummyaches when they woke up and slept all morning. They seem to have recovered completely now, so we'll all spend the afternoon outside. If they hadn't timed those tummyaches just so, I'd have taken them to the mall this morning to see an old friend. Hey, if kids were convenient, everyone would have them...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-80492580521460070412010-03-18T13:40:00.010-04:002010-03-18T14:40:05.785-04:00Getting Somewhere<span style="font-size:130%;">It was such a warm and beautiful morning that the kids were able to play outside, enabling Mommy to get some work done in the garden without waiting for the baby boy's nap time. I started with the planting area on the side of the house, which looked like this yesterday..<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JnHCKKaUI/AAAAAAAADMc/YTQnznnsx8g/s1600-h/IMG_4286.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JnHCKKaUI/AAAAAAAADMc/YTQnznnsx8g/s200/IMG_4286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450031869607962946" border="0" /></a><br />I was able to hoe it clear yesterday evening while the kids played in the front yard, so this morning all I had to do was add compost and turn it in. That green line along the side of the house is the hose we have running from the front </span><span style="font-size:130%;">tap to the kitchen garden in the </span><span style="font-size:130%;">side yard. There's n</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JnnRnI6LI/AAAAAAAADMk/aOuCDMojmA8/s1600-h/IMG_4291.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JnnRnI6LI/AAAAAAAADMk/aOuCDMojmA8/s200/IMG_4291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450032423511845042" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">o tap on that side of the house so we had to </span><span style="font-size:130%;">improvise.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Last year when I first made this bed the soil was unalloyed clay, to which I added copious amounts of compost. I didn't see a single worm at the time, and this morning I couldn't turn over a spadeful of soil without seeing 1-3 giant, fat worms. There were so many it was a pain to try to chop up the soil finely, as I cringe every time I see an injured worm writhing in agony at the end of the spade. This was one of the fortunate ones that escaped unscathed.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">They were huge,</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jph38i9gI/AAAAAAAADMs/fKsJ6dfzrcY/s1600-h/IMG_4292.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jph38i9gI/AAAAAAAADMs/fKsJ6dfzrcY/s200/IMG_4292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450034529746220546" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> almost as thick around as my pinky finger. They caused quite a bit of excitement for the children, as did a few Japanese beetle grubs that got carried to the back and fed to the chickens.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The additional compost was carefully mixed in and the top of the bed smoothed with a soil rake, for a final result that looks like this..<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jr6NO7pPI/AAAAAAAADM0/fjxbNuDeO-Q/s1600-h/IMG_4293.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jr6NO7pPI/AAAAAAAADM0/fjxbNuDeO-Q/s200/IMG_4293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450037146800596210" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />That was the "I'm really tired, please take me to bed." face, so I did. After he passed out I finished planting the potatoes (for a total of 10 tubs planted) and gave the tomato and pepper seedlings their first shot of fertilizer.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JtR71I8uI/AAAAAAAADM8/ffuWBLxTrW4/s1600-h/IMG_4299.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6JtR71I8uI/AAAAAAAADM8/ffuWBLxTrW4/s200/IMG_4299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450038653957501666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Grow baby, grow! Speaking of growing, see if you can spot the potato sprouts in this fuzzy, Itriedtozoomintooclose pic.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jv4u8QkMI/AAAAAAAADNE/2wPoIifU77Y/s1600-h/IMG_4294.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6Jv4u8QkMI/AAAAAAAADNE/2wPoIifU77Y/s200/IMG_4294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450041519535853762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm planning on using the old straw from the chicken coop to hill around the potatoes this year. It'll be great in the tubs, since filling them with soil would make the bottom third of the container perpetually soggy. The straw will keep the tubs from becoming waterlogged and make it really easy to get the potatoes out at harvest time. Now all I have to do is keep them hilled up and pray it doesn't get too hot too quickly this summer and kill the tops back before the potatoes have time to get big. I like baby potatoes, but I like to have some big ones, too!<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-87918700911106664982010-03-17T13:27:00.010-04:002010-03-17T14:12:28.959-04:00Potato Planting Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ETzPfrJXI/AAAAAAAADLc/ce5ihJXHPfE/s1600-h/IMG_4281.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6ETzPfrJXI/AAAAAAAADLc/ce5ihJXHPfE/s200/IMG_4281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449658795148649842" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Marc</span><span style="font-size:130%;">h 17th is the universal potato planting date, having something to do, perhaps, with the Irish connotation of potatoes. I planted about a third of my La Ratte fingerlings 10 days ago (the sprouts are already poking through the soil), and another third today. I'd have gotten them all in, but the 17 month old woke up early from his nap so Mommy had to stop <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EURRfw4TI/AAAAAAAADLk/YstGGzEqIkc/s1600-h/IMG_4285.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EURRfw4TI/AAAAAAAADLk/YstGGzEqIkc/s200/IMG_4285.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449659311081972018" border="0" /></a>and get into the house before he destroyed something. I planted the last row in my 4x8 potato bed, planted 5 20 gallon containers with seed potatoes, and used the soil I removed from the potato bed </span><span style="font-size:130%;">to topdress the garlic beds and the potato onions.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I also got</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">a lot of w<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EU7VJ8QSI/AAAAAAAADLs/0-ju3fYoYDE/s1600-h/IMG_4283.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EU7VJ8QSI/AAAAAAAADLs/0-ju3fYoYDE/s200/IMG_4283.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449660033618690338" border="0" /></a>ee</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ding done, and<br />tomorrow I'll prepare the planting strip in the side yard for planting after I finish up with the potatoes. Last year I used it as a basil bed, but this year I want to fill it with high value crops like tomatoes and bush beans. This is what it looked like last summer..</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EWaLQsfrI/AAAAAAAADL0/52bNhiv02nE/s1600-h/IMG_4047.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EWaLQsfrI/AAAAAAAADL0/52bNhiv02nE/s200/IMG_4047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449661663050235570" border="0" /></a>Tomorrow I'll clean and prep it and put up some before and after pics. I love those, they're like magic.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Sprouted seed potatoes..<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EYYkqELSI/AAAAAAAADL8/2_GQcoz0-cM/s1600-h/IMG_4288.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6EYYkqELSI/AAAAAAAADL8/2_GQcoz0-cM/s200/IMG_4288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449663834531048738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">They're no thing of beauty right now, but wait till the lush foliage comes popping through the soil with all the promise of rich, buttery new fingerling potatoes</span>.<span style="font-size:130%;"> Mmmmmmm...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9109860010837038262.post-34471326691098996272010-03-16T16:47:00.004-04:002010-03-16T21:13:49.239-04:00In the Beginning<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_y1WKFMuI/AAAAAAAADJ0/229rIrpVeyk/s1600-h/IMG_4278.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 149px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_y1WKFMuI/AAAAAAAADJ0/229rIrpVeyk/s320/IMG_4278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449341072436441826" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">After years of fruitless lusting and hopeless pining, this little 6x8 beauty arrived in the mail the first of March. Just in time to start the tomatoes and peppers. They were planted on the 6th and began popping up on the 11th. The tomatoes, that is. Peppers like to keep you waiting, they took nine days to start showing.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_2B6jOPxI/AAAAAAAADJ8/DfjtONC0G8o/s1600-h/IMG_4269.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_2B6jOPxI/AAAAAAAADJ8/DfjtONC0G8o/s200/IMG_4269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449344586898882322" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">The pepper flat is the one in the middle, obviously..</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;">All of these will be potted up into 4 inch pots in about two weeks, after which they will be moved to their final home in the kitchen garden.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_4AeIZhSI/AAAAAAAADKE/a6wnIg8zn54/s1600-h/IMG_4280.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S5_4AeIZhSI/AAAAAAAADKE/a6wnIg8zn54/s200/IMG_4280.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449346761113568546" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I have big plans for expansion </span><span style="font-size:130%;">this year, since we have just 144 square feet of raised beds and about the same amount of space in in-ground beds. My goal is to</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> double that, which will be no mean feat considering the size of our lot and the availability of sun. I'll be adding more in-ground </span><span style="font-size:130%;">beds to this area, right about where I'm standing to take the picture. I won't go to the expense of raised beds since that entire corner is fully shaded in the winter by the shadow of the neighbor's house. It can only be used for summer crops so I </span><span style="font-size:130%;">don't need a permanent bed structure. Speaking of summer crops,</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6AAHZXR25I/AAAAAAAADKU/VvknnUL1il8/s1600-h/IMG_4271.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 127px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6AAHZXR25I/AAAAAAAADKU/VvknnUL1il8/s200/IMG_4271.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449355676185910162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"> the placement of the greenhouse on the other side of the property will be </span><span style="font-size:130%;">instrumental to the creation of another garden area. Thanks to the Jack Russell and our little flock of egg-laying marauders,</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> any garden area has to be fenced for protection. If we run </span><span style="font-size:130%;">some low wire fencing from the corner of the </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6AA40T44JI/AAAAAAAADKc/OWC8xsOCfvU/s1600-h/IMG_4273.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_d8CMIYhi-cQ/S6AA40T44JI/AAAAAAAADKc/OWC8xsOCfvU/s200/IMG_4273.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449356525233037458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">greenhouse to the house, I'll be able to convert this unused area on the north side of the house into </span><span style="font-size:130%;">another planting area for summer crops.</span> <span style="font-size:130%;">This is in full blazing sun all summer, conveniently located right by the back door, and I'll have a lovely view of it from the window over the kitchen sink.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> Perfect.<br />Pictures to follow!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0