What Do I Even Do With These?

We have so many tomatoes, we’re going to have a hard time using them all but I’m sure we can figure something out. 

I just love all the colors of peppers. You can’t see the beautiful purples hiding under there but we have plenty of those.  Despite all the crap we went through, I’ve never seen such a turnout.  I’m so excited everything worked out!

 

The Flood Won't Keep Us Down!

Okay, so now that you know what happened, It’s been forever you guys, I’m sorry. 

 Since that flood, we’ve purchased some new peppers, though unfortunately they’re not heirloom and we didn’t raise them from babies but I’m glad we did.  Here is our first harvest from 2 weeks ago.

 

Multiply that by 4 or more and that’s about how much we’ve pulled out of the garden so far and there doesn’t seem to be an end coming soon.  Yahoo! Talk about too many tomatoes!  This means however we can bring some to work, give some to relatives and still have more than we know what to do with.  How exciting.  This is by far the best pepper turn out I’ve ever seen in one of my own gardens though few are pictured.  More to come. J

The Flood

I just noticed, again, that a post I had thought I had posted, didn’t post (ha!)  We had a massive flood in May.  Most of our hard work we had done literally the weekend before was all washed away, along with a majority of our urge to go on.

 I can’t believe I didn’t see that the post didn’t go up.  But here are some pictures of what happened.

In this one, the line you see used to be a fence.  It's just...gone.

 

And just so you know, this ENTIRE area, we ground clothed and wood-chipped with 2 dump trucks full of chips.  you'd have no idea because they were washed all the way to the other side of the garden where they sit in a pile. See I made it easy for you to see :)

Here are a few pictures of what I've been working on.  The pictures themselves are quite unimpressive but it was late, I did what I could.  Other than that, I suppose what the pictures are of is somewhat unimpressive as well but trust me, I worked my butt off to get what is there.  There is a lot still hiding under the ground as well but it will be exciting to see what comes up.  I have a feeling in the future this will be a lot of maintenance considering I planted things fairly close together for quick, pleasing results. 

Beans and Peas

I will post more when there is more growth and to show you just how many peppers and tomatoes we planted, and some showing just how much space I actually have this year.  It's nuts!

But exciting :)

The Season Begins With Some Dissapointment

We froze the plants.

We got back to the house around 2:30 am to a coating of frost on the windshields of the cars in the drive way. 

Oh no...

Sure enough, most of the tomatoes are dead but we'll see what happens.  We did what we could, brought them inside and sprayed them with water right away but the first half inch of all the pots was frozen so I don't have a whole lot of hope.  Sad.

On a happier note because I can't spend my time dwelling on what happened, I have been assigned a cool project in the corner of the garden.  I also just purchased my first piece of furniture for it!

There she is.  Cost me about 100 bucks but I'm so excited!  Here's the very ugly/rough sketch at what I'm wanting to do.



Get it?  I know that's a terrible drawing but I wanted an idea of what I'm doing.  I also was informed that the corner where drew a 90 degree angle, is actually almost rounded--45 or so instead which gives me even more space to play around with.

So it begins.

Also just received some poppies in the mail which will go there along with gladiolus.

And last but not least, we just got in the purple asparagus for planting.  We just have to find a nice permanent home for them.

The Potter in Me

I have this blog, so I might as well use it.  Hopefully this won't be a regular thing but I guess I don't need to limit myself completely to garden stuff, though that was the original purpose of this blog.  Things change.

As I'm sure I've mentioned, I have access to a pottery studio and things are starting to get very exciting for me.  I have been able to create and use my artistic abilities which I am now able to share with others.  I have recently had a few pieces commissioned by some co-workers which feels great, for others to enjoy what I do.

I have quite a few before and after's to share, you can kind of see the process of what pottery goes through to become the useful form it is at the end.

I hope you enjoy:

Let The Season Begin!

Plants are officially started.  We worked the last two weekends starting peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, melons and flowers.  Most of the flowers are vining plants though of course I bought a few bags of gladiolus.  Vines include Moon Flower, Morning Glory, Nasturtium, some wildflower mix and I'm sure there are others.  The three of us make quite a team, assembly-line-style operation, planting over 300 peat pots in a few hours. I think it's a good start to the season.
Here's the list for this year.  More to be added later in the season, I am sure.

Peppers:
Emerald Giant Pepper
Albino Bullnose Pepper
Thai Yellow Chilli Pepper
Thai Red Chilli Goat Horn Hot
Chocolate Habanero Pepper
Mustard Habanero
Purple Jalapeno
Black Hungarian PepperRed Marconi Pepper Quadrato D' Asti Giallo Pepper
Quadrato D'asti Rosso Pepper
Purple Beauty Pepper

Peas:
Golden Sweet Snow Peas
Mammoth Melting Sugar Snow Peas
Blue Podded Blauwschokkers Garden Pea
Melon:
Ananas Melon
Hale's Best 45 Melon Oka Melon ( Bizard Island Strain )
Plus a gift pack

Tomato:
Ananas Noire or Black Pineapple Vorlon Tomato
Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge
Black Icicle Tomato
Black Giant Tomato
Pink Icicle Tomato
Tsar's Royal Gift Tomato
Orange Banana Tomato
White Tomesol
Ivory Egg
Roman Candle

Squash:
Zucchini Squash - Golden
Zucchini Squash - Gray
Vegetable Spaghetti Squash
Table Gold Acorn Squash
White Acorn
Black Futsu Squash

Eggplant:
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Pandora Striped Rose Eggplant
Japanese White Egg

Misc.:
De Bourbonne Cucumber
Atomic Red Carrot
Cosmic Purple Carrot
Golden Wax Bush Bean
Dragon Tongue Bush Bean

Herbs:
Cilantro, Slo-Bolt
Basil - Lime
Basil - Siam Queen Thai
Basil - Genovese
Dill Bouquet

Seeds Ordered and An Update On My Life

I have purchased $120 in seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.  I've never planted heirloom seeds before and still don't know a lot about them but I plan to learn this year.

As for my life, everything has changed since last summer but for the better I would say.  My eyes have opened up to whole new experiences and opportunities.  I am no longer engaged but I do still own a house in Fridley.  I now live in a small apartment in Wisconsin with my sister which means no gardening there.  Obviously that won't stop me from planting my little heart out. 
I plan to help my ex with the landscaping in Fridley. I welcome the opportunity to work on different spaces all summer.  My current boyfriend lives on a large chunk of land in the valleys of western Wisconsin. Their property is right on a river and the entire place is one giant project.  There's a lagoon that needs much tending too and I hope to add some beauty to it this summer with lillys and hostas, hibiscus and anything else my flower-obsessed self wants to see this summer.  The plan is to make some large planters for around the pond/lagoon because it's almost completely rock out there.  Him and I make pottery together at his neighbors house who is a retired ceramics professor.  So the sky is the limit with some nice looking planters.  That's a few big jobs right there.  Other than that, my boyfriend and his best friend spent all of last summer building raised garden beds.  Sixteen if I remember right.  They also have a large space fenced off to keep the deer (and dogs) out that will be used for squash and melons.

As for my boyfriend, when it comes to plants, he is very much like me.  Research everything.  And he's crazy about vegetables and even more crazy about all the fun stuff you can cook with different kinds of this or that.  It's so nice to share my passion with someone and bounce ideas off each other and introduce each other to new things/plants/flowers/foods.  It will make for a interesting and fun summer.  I cannot wait, though it seems I won't have to wait long considering it is March 12 and it's raining with 70's on the forecast for this week.

Summer here we come.

By This Time Last Year

I think I had much more accomplished and started by March 1st of last year.  I am sad to say I have not even spent time looking through catalogs yet this year.  What a sad thing.
I will have access to a large plot of land this year which is great.  However, the location is in the bottom of a valley where the temperature is 10 degrees colder than anywhere else which shortens the season length.  But I cannot complain for I will have space and flower related projects and someone to share it with.
I will be learning plenty about heirloom seeds and hopefully asparagus as my father has ordered some purple asparagus to split with me.

I cannot wait for the season to begin and have already begun day dreaming about what lies under the snow.

Spring is a coming!

Moved Some Plants, Pleanty To Go

I still have quite the project ahead of me.  I moved a bunch of daylilies, coneflowers, lilies and irises to my friends house.  Hopefully they will settle in but they've been moved to an area thats mostly sand so I'm not sure how they'll do.  Oh well, we'll see what happens next year.  Tonight I plan to move another big load of plants.  There are still pleanty of hostas and daylilies and you name it that need to be transplanted.  I've been away from my house for a month so there is a lot of stuff that needs to be done.  I plan to be "home" soon so I can catch up on fall chores before the frost hits.  I should really head out to the garden and see what's there to harvest.  Maybe make some corn tonight, hopefully have a fresh melon to munch on.  It's nice to feel like things could get back to normal in the garden.  I loved digging in the dirt last night.  Bout time!

Transplanting Question

Lets say I have a BUNCH of flowers I'd like to transplant right now.  Will they be established enough by freeze time that they will come back in the spring?

I'm refering to Hibiscus, Daylilies, irises, coneflowers, etc.  Maybe they each have their own "best times to transplant" but I'm curious as to whether they will all survive.

Another question, will Irises survive out of the soil for one or two full days.  I mean at this point they are fairly dormant anyways but if I pull them now, wait a day and transplant them tomorrow or the day after, will they be okay and come back in spring?

An Entire Season Passed

Unfortunately this was the most chaotic but sometimes wonderful summer of my life.  Sadly enough a lot of real life events got in the way of my gardening.  I neglected the garden and didn't even find the time to cook with most of the produce which is the whole point.  It's sad, I feel like I missed out on a once a year event like the state fair or some great gathering that you're always supposed to go to but I just missed out on summer gardening.  I have a feeling this will effect me this winter being that I didn't get in the dirt as much as possible as usual.  I may have to buy a kiddie pool and fill it with dirt to play in all winter.  That sounds a bit odd but I know I'm going to miss it.  And the flowers :( Thank god I planted some glads on our patio at work or I wouldn't have even seen my favorite flower this summer other than at the state fair.

I plan to go out this evening or possibly tomorrow and move some things, maybe do my last harvest and call it done aside from pumpkins. 

What a bummer, my favorite thing took a back seat this summer.  Hopefully next year I won't let it pass me by.

Long Overdue.

Sorry I've been out for so long fellas.  It's been a busy few weeks and to be honest, I haven't accomplished all that much.  Moved a plant or two here or there and done some weeding but I do have some pics and my first harvest!  Zucchini's, Peppers and Squash already?? Heck yes I'm a happy girl.  Pics to follow some day, guess I never uploaded them. Bummer.

The fact is I'm trying to wait to move anything in case some black dirt magically appears at my doorstep.  I have all sand, nowhere to put the sand, no time to put dirt in and NO TRUCK to get said dirt.  What to do?

Charts and Estimated Maturity Dates

Went to the plot last night.  Everything looks wonderful, no more plant eater problems (yet) and all my plants are getting so big.  I have blooms on my tomatoes, cantaloupe, and peppers.  I can't believe they're already producing this early but I'll take it.  I'm thinking buying grown plants or starting everything is really the way to go.

I am so obsessed.  I just took about an hour figuring out when I planted everything, what their maturity dates are and when I should have produce.  Woooow.  But here they are though they're all in theory and with the weird weather we had I believe some things are simply not going to work like they were supposed to.

Jun 10: Broccoli(old)
Jun 25: Carrots (old)
Jun 26: Musclun
Jun 30: Head lettuce(old)
Jul 10: Dill(new)
Jul 18: Summer Squash, Zucchini
Jul 20: Cucumber Pickle
Jul 23: Cucumber Champion
Jul 25: Onion Sets(old)
Jul 31: Basil(plot), Bush Wax Bean(new), Dill(new)
Aug 2: Pole Bean
Aug 5: Carrots (new), Sweet pea(new)
Aug 7: Tomato
Aug 8: Corn
Aug 10: Peppers(new/plot)
Aug 15: Roma Tomato
Aug 20: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew
Aug 27: Pumpkin

The ( ) are to remind me which location they are at considering I have 3 different places with veggies.
Maturity Estimates:
April 16: (horizon)

Carrots: 70 Days
Onion Set: 100-120 Days
Broccoli: 55 Days
Head Lettuce: 75 Days

May 27: (raised bed)
Carrots: 70 Days
Peppers: 75 Days
Sweet Pea: 55-70 Days
Lettuce/Musclun: 30 Days
Bush Wax Beans: 65 Days
June 1: (raised bed)
Dill: 40-60 Days

May 29: (garden plot)
Corn: 71 days
Pole Beans: 65 days
Cucumber- Picklebush: 52 Days
Cucumber: Bush Champion: 55 Days
Peppers: 75 Days
Pumpkins: 90 Days
Summer Squash: 50 Days
Zucchini: 50 Days
Mtg Lifter Tomato: 70 Days
Rutgers Tomato: 70-80 Days

June 1: (garden plot)

Watermelon Sugar Baby: 80 Days
Cantaloupe: 82 Days
Honeydew: 80 Days
Basil: 60-90 Days
Roma Tomato: 75 Days

June 7: (garden plot)

Cucumber: Bush Champion: 55 Days
Watermelon Sugar Baby: 80 Days

June 11: (garden plot)

Peppers: 75 Days (garden plot)

Although this is useless information for everyone else, it is good for me to be able to look back throughout the summer and be able to compare what was supposed to happen to what really happened.  I think it's fun anyways.

Now I'm Playing Hardball

With the Rabbits and Deer that is.
After damages to my plants the first time last week, all I needed was some more fencing and time. I visited the garden again Friday to find four more peppers without their tops (they had peppers on them already too) and my tomatoes were nibbled on. I was furious but as I had told Derek. Unless you fence it perfectly, you might as well not fence it at all. I hadn’t had time to dig the fence under so it sat there wide open for bunnies to peak their little heads through. Friday night I bought two more six packs of peppers for half off. Two more jalapenos, two habaneros, 2 big berthas and a mix of six different bells, some yellow and red/green. I also got moth balls, and deer and rabbit repellent. I am serious now, I won’t have more fatalities. Saturday I planted out the peppers and then set to digging under the fence as well as adding another 3 feet to the height. My plot wasn’t plowed completely when I started so I had a good two feet of crab grass with runners all over. After digging all of that up, I buried the fence, filled it back in and sorted through all the dirt for the runners so I don’t have a huge weed problem the rest of the year. I didn’t plan on being out there for 3 hours so I ended up with quite the burn.
I still have so many projects to do but I’ve been juggling moving, painting, organizing, planting and gardening. My next outdoor project, finally is the front plots. I need to get some sand out of there, then put some good dirt in then plant away. As posted earlier, I have so many plants to move over from the old house so I need to get started asap! While I was moving some things from the old house, I grabbed some of the blooms and made this cute little bouquet.

I cannot wait till these are growing in my own yard that I can pick every morning if I want. So exciting!

More pictures to come maybe later tonight. My work decided to ban us from use of personal email so I can't really post at lunch anymore.  Oh well.

SUMMER STARTS NEXT WEEK!

Black Dirt Where Are You?

Worried About Plants

I’m trying to think happy thoughts here. I’ve had a heck of a night and quit the crappy morning. Last night Derek and I ran out to the garden plot at about 9 pm to put in a fence. Unfortunately it looks like we were a day too late. One of my pumpkin plants is completely eaten, missing a few leaves on the other one, a few pepper plants are done for as well as one of my cucumbers. I knew it would happen, I’m on the corner closest to the woods and the only plot nearby without a full fence. I feel like I was given a warning because it could have been much worse.


We installed what we could last night while being chewed on by mosquitoes. I didn’t have enough fencing to finish but there’s only a 2 foot gap between my fence and the tall contraption/fence of my neighboring gardener. I went to Menard's right before they closed last night to get a few more posts and the last of what I needed for fencing with a plan to get up at 5 and go install the remainder while also heightening the existing fence I put in. I think I bought 3 foot chicken wire before so it’s not very tall and I’m still worried they will be able to get at whatever they please. It’s all or nothing. You can do all this work but if you don’t do it exactly right, they can walk right in and it’s all pointless and your plants are gone.

My alarm went off at 5 AM, I got up, ready to go. I loaded the car with a shovel, posts, fencing, wire ties and went to grab the wire cutters. Nowhere to be found. I made the mistake of handing them to Derek at one point and now they’re gone. He nor I have any clue where they went. My garden sits vulnerable and possibly more damaged and now I’m at work hoping and nervous about the state of my plants. I already have to replace some veggies and would hate to have to spend a bunch of money again because I couldn’t find those darned wire cutters.

I wish I could go home after work like normal people and take care of things like everyone else can but instead I have school until 8:30, home at 9. Not my best day, I’m sure to most normal people think it’s silly to get so stressed out about plants but give me a break. I’ve been babying peppers since March and spend lots of time and money and thoughts on these silly plants.

Wish me luck that the deer will stay away.

225 Plants?!

Wow I have a lot of work ahead of me.  I'm trying to get organized and plan my front and back garden spots where the rock currently is.  I used my memory and this blog to tally up just how many plants and what kinds I have at the old house that need to come to the new house.  That's how I came up with 225 and I am absolutely positive that is a low number compared to what it really is.  How the heck did I accumulate 225 plants and where on earth am I going to put them all?

I have drawn up a rough and embarrassing sketch of the front and back planting spots and plan to divide out the plants by height, color and necessity (shade/sun).  Where on earth do I start?
I'm going to make a list on here for my own reference and so you can see what a ridiculous chore I have in front of me:
Hostas x 13
Foxglove x 6
Purple Coneflower x 5
Lupine x 7
Daylilies x 16
Phlox x 2
Aster x 2
Bee Balm x 3
Columbine x 5
Lillies x 12
Misc. flower started 10’ x 5
Tulips x 12
Dianthus x1
Mixed spring bulbs x 40
Iris x 18
Rose x 1
Hibiscus x 6
Ornamental Strawberry x 6
Baby’s Breath? X 3
Rose of Sharon x 1 (if not dead)
Salvia x 2
Squigly grass stuff x 1
Evening Primrose (if not dead) X 1
Flowering perennial bush x 2
Yellowing flowering perennial x 1
Hollyhock x 6
Delphinium seedlings x 7
Red, White, Blue Hydrangea x3
Shade:
Jack in the pulpit x 5
Trillium x 4
Spiderwort x 4
Lamium x 4
Other:
Strawberries x 6
Raspberries x 3
Rhubarb x 2
Ferns
Snow something

Some of these may end up in a plant sale when we have our garage sale or maybe I'll just give a bunch away whenever I get a chance.  What I don't have included on there is all of the flowers I started this year, some of which have died since I forgot we don't have gutters in a certain spot of the house where my poppies were sitting.  If those survive I have 4 or 5 different kinds of poppies, snap dragons, carnations, penstemon and coreopsis.  Yes thank goodness some of those are annuals but that adds up fast as well being that I have 8 or so of each. 

Once I get my little drawing all sketched in with plants maybe I'll post those, in the meantime I am studying this website to better design my perennial gardens.

::Edit::
Of course I forgot 3 or 4 peonies. How I'm not sure.

Feeling a Little Guilty

I'm thinking I should have just taken some time off from school during planting season. Yesterday I was feeling a little under the weather and way too exhausted to go to school. I called in so that I could go home and sleep. But did I? Of course not, not with more gardening needing to be done. Silly me, of course I wasn’t going to sleep when there were things to be done. But I feel accomplished now and got some final things done.

Ran over to Bachman's last night and oh boy do they have some cool things. I guess I never knew they had so much! Hundreds of types of plants, many different seeds from different companies, everything you could ever need in the way of trellises, poles, netting for vines. You name it. I’ve been gardening for quite some time now, I’m kind of ashamed I haven’t shopped there before. I found a healthy looking watermelon plant and some honey dew seed that I’ve been trying to track down for days. I didn’t find popcorn seeds but I expected I could only get that online. Oh well, guess I’ll save that for next year.

After Bachman's I ran over to the community garden and planted the remainder of the garden. I added basil, 3 different kinds of watermelon, cantaloupe, a Roma tomato donated by my grandma and 2 honey dew plants. My garden is mostly full though I need to do some hand tilling on the edge where the grass has taken over a good 12 inches of my dirt. That will be a project for this weekend.

Once I got home I started on the new garden bed along the patio. I pulled out some of that dirt, filled it with good garden soil and evened it out. I replanted the carnations, added my white delphinium, and planted seeds for marigolds, and 2 different kinds of zinnia. I also planted something I don’t know the name of which is supposed to get tall and produce purple flowers. This was also a donation from my grandma and I think it starts with a v or something. I’m sure I’ll find out later. Next step is to finish that whole area, add more good soil and plant my hundred or so gladiolus. Yes this should have been done already but what can I say, I’ve been a little busy. I’ll just have a late crop to look forward to. This year I think I’ll follow the rules though and plant them in 1 or 2 week intervals so they are continuously blooming all season.

It’s amazing how much time I spend thinking about flowers and gardens and vegetables. Who knew I’d become such a devoted gardener. “I won’t rest until the garden is planted” haha TGIS (summer)

Community Garden!

Fridley Community Garden is Open!  Enough Said.

This is what happens when I let my fiance do the labeling.

Derek's work again.

Zucchini, tomatoes, jalapenos, habaneros, california wonder pepper, sweet corn, pumpkins, cucumbers, pickle bush cucumbers, summer squash, green beans.