Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tuesday Tidings-Garden Update



Spring has bowed to summer here,
or so it seems.
The temps have been in the mid to high 80's already.
It may be a long, hot summer.

Here's what's growing around Maple Hill this week.



The peas are filling out.
The pods are tough, but the innards are juicy and sweet.
Next time we sow these, we'll try a different variety.





The shallots were just planted on the 10th.







I think they like it here.


The pumpkins are making progess.




I'm not sure how they'll do under the lemon tree,
but with the heat we're having,
they may appreciate the shade.


These were grown from seed, as most of our plants are.



The San Marzano tomatoes need to be thinned.
They will probably be taken out of the square-foot garden
as they take up too much valuable space.
These are the favored tomatoes for making homemade gravy.



The turtle beans took only a couple of days to pop up.
These are a new crop for us.
We love black beans in so many dishes!



They were planted on the 5th of April.



They are surrounding one of our bamboo teepees.



 Unfortunately, something's been making a meal out of the leaves.



I plan to spend some time today
trying to figure out what it is.
I'm hoping that some soap spray will deter further damage.


 

Beets are sprouting.
These are the Chioggia variety.
They will be striped.




The Prizetaker leeks are getting a good start in a container.




The Blue Lake Beans had been direct sown last year,
but nothing ever happened with them.
This year, we decided to start transplants
to see if it makes a difference.
They are a bush variety, so no staking is necessary.
These took only 5 days to pop up.



Two types of potting soil were purchased to try a little experiment.
Of course, now that I have the perfect soil mix recipe,
I'll be making my own concoction.



Both are organic mixtures,
both were planted in tp rolls
on the same day and watered at the same time.



This tomato variety was chosen 
because it's recommended for Southern climates.
The seeds are from last year,
so I'm hoping they're still viable.


We'll see which one pops up first.



Last week, the garlic was harvested.
This was a first-time crop for me,
but I'll definitely be growing it from now on.
We use it every day, and it's so easy to store.
Here, it's drying outside for a few days 
before we bring it inside for use.



The native petunias are blooming all over the place.
They are being used extensively 
in the blue garden out front.
(I'll have an update on that in a later post.)





The morning glories are a welcome sight 
at the start of each day.



The butterfly garden is abundant with phlox, 
cosmos and a variety of other lovelies.



Another plant that I plan to use more in the garden
is this native grass.
We have it around our sprinkler pump,
but I'd love to use it elsewhere.
Seeds have been saved to do just that.




The grass alone is lovely, swaying in the breeze,
and the delicate white and yellow flowers are a bonus.



Another native, this beautyberry,
will soon be loaded with purple berries 
for the birds to enjoy.



These cornflowers were a surprise.
They must have reseeded themselves.
I'm happy that they did!



These lil' critters are always welcome here.



The johnny-jump-ups are making their reappearance.
It's so nice to look out onto the patio 
and see them looking so cheery.



This week I decided to deliver a couple of our 
native salvia plants to neighbors
as part of our Sandy Hook Kindness Chain project.
I wrote the name of the plant on the back,
along with its requirements.
This was made more fun by doing it anonymously.
Love doing stuff like that!!!

Hoping that today you are enjoying 
the wonders of nature in your neck of the woods.





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13 comments:

  1. Congrats on the first garlic harvest. I'm sure they will be put to good use!!
    :)

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  2. Oh it all looks so wonderful , Hope you have a great harvest this year ! Our spring weather is slow but warming up more each day and lots of sunshine . Some flowers are on the brink of blooming , grass has greened up and becoming thicker . Congrats on your first Garlic harvest . Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't spring magical? It's like everything is waking up!

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  3. The garden looks GREAT! You're way ahead of me. We've been cold here this past month. The only thing I'm eating is lettuce and that just came in this week. Our peas are only 4" high. Usually we're eating peas by May 1st and they're dead from the heat by the 15th.

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    Replies
    1. Can't wait to read about your upcoming garden adventures! By this time next year, we should be gardening up there full-time! Whoo-hoo!

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  4. I get so excited seeing everything pop up. I love it. I am interested to see which soil works best!

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    Replies
    1. I'll post an update soon on the two types of soil mix. Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Wow, it has been warm there! Your garden seems to like it because everything is looking great. Totally envious of your lemon tree ;)

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, all week it will be in the mid to high 80's.
      Have a wonderful day!

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  6. I'm never ready for those first hot days of the year. Your garden though, looks fantastic.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. The plants love the heat waaaay more than I do! ;0)

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