2009 Garden Re-cap

I started this blog as a garden journal. So, here's the re-cap of the Garden 2009:


The soil in my garden is bad. Bad, bad, bad. I definitely need to do some soil modification.
I planted tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and some herbs.

• the cucumbers didn't grow, had a few fruit (none edible), but ultimately developed white patches on the leaves, withered up, and died

Verdict: try again next year, but maybe plant lemon cucumbers for pickling

• the cantaloupe grew and grew, even had flowers, but never developed fruit.

Verdict: try again next year

• the broccoli was somewhat fruitful, but I didn't know how big to let the heads get before harvesting them so many of them ended up flowering and inedible

Verdict: not worth growing, just buy at store when on sale

• the tomatoes did ok. The plants didn't produce big fruit, but there was quite a bit of it. One of my plants got yanked out of the ground early on.

Verdict: Definitely planing again!! This time I will go to Peaceful Belly Farms here in town. I definitely want to get some green zebra and other fun colorful heirloom plants (Kyle liked the purple brandywine over the orange one)

• the lettuce did great and produced a lot for a long time. I will definitely plant that plus spinach next year.

My blueberry bushes got fried in the garden again this year. My theory was that the first year they were planted, they just had transplant shock. Husband was right: it was just too sunny of a spot for them. Last weekend I transplanted them into whiskey barrels under a big redwood we have in the yard. Hopefully they do better in year three!
I also just planted garlic and strawberry plants that a friend was thinning out. We'll see how they do through the winter and hopefully pop up in the spring. The spinach I attempted to grow in the fall cool season did not grow well because it was hot hot and then froze. I am contemplating trying to winter it over with straw.

And last but not least, I now have a little garden helper:

I'm pleased to introduce Charlie!! She loves to fetch, roll in the yard, and hang out in the garden when I'm working in it. :)

NOTE: I also want to grow Tromboncini squash!!!

It's Fall!

It is officially fall; time for crisp mornings, hot tea and the corn maze! Fall's always been too over shadowed by the dread of the following season to be enjoyable, but this year I'm excited for it.

I am exercising my creative muscles and have been playing around with some photography. In the spring I explored the wide world of my back yard (see past posts for the photos.) I am now excited to find inspiration for a fall line!

Last night Husband took me on adventure to see if there were any blackberries waiting to be picked. Unfortunately, they were all nipped by the frost. We did get to climb trees for sweet plums and picked a few reachable apples. I was also struck with awe of God's color pallette. The desert colors aren't the vibrant, flashy colors of the tropics, but they are saturated nonetheless. I couldn't help but admire the brushed silver, the mustard yellow, the wheat gold, and the sage green. It was getting dark by the time I could take pictures, so I only got these. But here they are: round one of Fall!

N

After excitedly collecting chestnuts for a few weeks, I decided to research further. Apparently there is a difference between a horse chestnut tree and sweet chestnut tree. The sweet ones are the ones people eat. Horse chestnuts are toxic to humans. We have a horse chestnut tree. Ach! Guess I'll be throwing out the collected nuts. Makes me wonder though why anyone would want to plant a tree that is beyond useless and even annoying, but toxic.



On another note, though, I did make way in preserving food that is safe to eat: Grandmom shared her tomatoes with me to have enough to make it worth attempting another canning session. This one turned out better. I'm still learning the art of correct heat at the correct moment, as well as packing the jar with enough produce. Last Sunday we were up in Robie Creek and MIL was talking about the Orchard. She led us to a spot in the hills that is covered with wild apple trees, blackberry bushes, and hoards of rose hips -- which by the way are nasty, horrible, thorny bushes. While most of the apples won't be ready for awhile (the plan is to make applesauce once they rippen), some tiny little green apples were good to go. The apples were prepared and frozen for apple pie. I even froze them in the pie pan so I can just drop the frozen bunch in a crust and put it in the oven!

The blackberries -- gathered by my adventurous husband -- are either eaten or frozen as well. Dr. Laura, husbands who swim through shark infested waters to bring their wives lemonaide? I've got you beat! Husband who tromps through thorns and thistles on steep slopes to bring his wife fresh berries!

We also came across a couple plum trees. . .

. . .and a bush that produced this:

Anyone knows what this is?

Trees

We live in a house that was built in the 1940's. I can only assume most of the wonderful, shade-providing, gigantic trees in our yard were planted at the same time. We definitely have a couple maples -- one attracting hoards of box elder bugs that were thankfully frozen off after the freak warm up before spring set in -- and a redwood. Up until now, it didn't dawn on me to figure out what the trees are. However, after some of the trees' leaves have turned brown and withered up (we took action to bring them back to health), it was discovered that we have a . . .

. . .CHESTNUT TREE!!

(a chestnut tree bloom taken in May)

. . .and a GINKO TREE!!

So now for the mystery trees:

1)

(mystery tree #1 spring bloom)

2)

(mystery tree #2 spring bloom)

(berries and leaves as of today)

3) I think this one is a crab apple, but I'm not entirely sure. This poor guy has a huge hole down his trunk leaving him exposed to bugs and the eliments. We're hoping he pulls through.

String of beads

Triggered by the most thoughtful surprise gift from Husband, I am researching plants to put in the front south-facing flowerbeds. The tulips and grape hyacinth were beautiful and lush in the spring, but now there is nothing but dirt. After the a failed hydrangea experiment, I am thinking of using lavender as the main focus shrub. MIL has also generously offered a harvest from her flowerbeds.
I love our neighbor's yard. Even though it is completely under kept, the plants fascinate me, and it's actually part of my inspiration. (Maybe it's the fact that they never do anything to it and the flowers and plants are thriving that excites me.) The plan so far includes lavender, daisies and ground-cover succulents, and enchanting flowers like the echinops.
My search for plants lead me to the little number pictured above, called String of Beads (Senecio). I am officially coveting this little plant. While I first though I would put it in a bed that drops off so it could hang over next to our driveway, the plant is actually toxic when ingested. It sounds scary, but then again, people keep lilies which are toxic as well, especially to cats. I wouldn't think of planting this in reach of animals or small children, but I definitely have plenty of unreachable spots for a pot in the house. Is it worth it? . . .

Bugs, Slugs and Tomatoes

I discovered this little guy on a tomato the other day. I found out he was a Stink bug nymph (Chlorochroa). They inject their digestive juices into a plant and eat it up. Gross. They lay eggs on the underside of leaves in the spring, and over-winter in leaf cover.

I also keep finding slugs! This guy that I found this morning was huge! I had a major problem with them eating my zinnia and marigold leaves. Both plants looked like skeletons for awhile. I resorted to putting pet-safe slug repelant around my plants. It seemed to work and all flowers game back beautifully, though I am bummed about using the chemicals.

My heirlooms are revealing themselves! Two of the three plants have at least one tomato that's turned. I'm still hoping that the third plant is ripening at the same rate and I just can't tell because it's a green zebra. I'm pretty sure now that I have a pink Brandywine and an orange Nebraska Wedding!

Husband and I had the best BLT's tonight so I'm excited that the heirloom's texture is just fine!

Alli's list of 10 things that make her Terribly happy. . .

I was forwarded the cutest blog of the cutest couple I don't even know. I am stealing their wonderful idea. Here is my list of 10 things that make me Terribly Happy!

1. Husband's jokes that make me double over in care-free, child-like, delighted laughter

2. Rainbows

3. Huckleberries

4. The smell of new born babies

5. Doggies and their soft fur

6. A stimulating intellectual conversation

7. Seasonal clothing like cool, twirly sun dresses in the heat of the summer and cozy scarves in the crisp fall

8. Crepes

9. Undenyably answered prayers

10. Giving the perfect gift