# Stuff and Things > Cooking >  2016 Garden

## Toefoot

Getting cabin fever and finished ordering my seeds and bulbs for this year. In the spring I remove from my old seed bank and plant while replacing the bank with new seed, good to rotate.

Building 2 new raised beds this spring for a total of 7 raised beds and 2 in ground gardens. My blackberries and blueberries survived the 1st two years and expect a good amount of production this year, Planting flowers around the vegetable gardens seems to be paying off as well. 

Still have many canned vegetables, sauces and syrups from last years bumper crop.

Putting in some more bulbs around the patio and trying some different things with hanging flowers. Want the back yard to look like a jungle which is a task living in Colorado and the soils.

Anyone else plotting this years vegetable and flower gardens? Compost piles are just begging to join in on the fun.

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Candidus (02-24-2016),michaelr (02-12-2016)

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## Candidus

> Getting cabin fever and finished ordering my seeds and bulbs for this year. In the spring I remove from my old seed bank and plant while replacing the bank with new seed, good to rotate.
> 
> Building 2 new raised beds this spring for a total of 7 raised beds and 2 in ground gardens. My blackberries and blueberries survived the 1st two years and expect a good amount of production this year, Planting flowers around the vegetable gardens seems to be paying off as well. 
> 
> Still have many canned vegetables, sauces and syrups from last years bumper crop.
> 
> Putting in some more bulbs around the patio and trying some different things with hanging flowers. Want the back yard to look like a jungle which is a task living in Colorado and the soils.
> 
> Anyone else plotting this years vegetable and flower gardens? Compost piles are just begging to join in on the fun.


We're just getting started for this year, too, Toefoot.

My wife already has the flower bulbs in the ground and her daffodils are starting to peek up. Pretty soon it's going to be a riot of yellow around the house.

Next week I'm going to start planting some of our vegetable seeds indoors. The last frost in our parts comes around the end of April so by that time they'll be ready to stick in the ground.

That will be the easy part. Last fall one of my neighbors loaned me his tiller and I dug a bunch of 4 X 8 beds, three 4 X 18 beds and one long 4 X bed where I'm going to grow some pumpkins. Between now and the end of April I've got to re-turn all those beds and then amend the soil. The soil in our area is somewhat heavy so it doesn't drain well, and the pH is in the low to mid 5 range, so I have to lighten it up and raise the pH with some garden soil to get it just right. Unfortunately, my compost isn't going to be ready till Fall, so all I can do with that is keep watering and turning it. Once the growing season is over and the leaves start falling I'll be able to work the compost I've got working now into the beds.

In addition to that I've got some blueberry and raspberry bushes I need to get in the ground. Right now I'm trying to figure out where to plant them. The blueberries can handle full sun but the raspberries can't handle all the sun and heat during the summer, so it's going to be a trick to find out where they can get some morning sun and afternoon shade. Most of those spots are already taken by ornamental plants, but I'll find some place for them. I might have to build some kind of enclosure to keep the birds and critters out, otherwise they'll eat everything.

Once that's done I've got some trellises to build. I like the old rustic look so I make mine out of branches from the hardwood trees around the property (primarily oak and maple). It takes a while, but it's worth the time and effort.

Of course, it's maintenance time for all the tools and equipment we'll be using, so that needs to get done, too.

The next two months are probably the busiest time of year around here. I'm not going to have a lot of free time for anything but planting and gardening.

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Toefoot (02-24-2016)

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## Candidus

By the way, the Old Farmer's Almanac has useful tools and guides for gardeners, and they can be customized to your area and specific needs:

Gardening | Old Farmer's Almanac

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Toefoot (02-24-2016)

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## Calypso Jones

Co-op is selling seeds 10% off during February.    I have till tomorrow.    Today the ttemp is 64%...SIXTY FOUR DEGREES LOL after 36 inches of snow from just 2 snows.     ANyway...I cleared leaves, debris and wintering weeds from my front shrub beds.    I do a section at a time.    Felt good.

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Toefoot (03-05-2016)

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## Candidus

> Co-op is selling seeds 10% off during February.    I have till tomorrow.    Today the ttemp is 64%...SIXTY FOUR DEGREES LOL after 36 inches of snow from just 2 snows.     ANyway...I cleared leaves, debris and wintering weeds from my front shrub beds.    I do a section at a time.    Felt good.


And we get an extra hour of daylight in two weeks!

The weather's been great in Virginia, too. I got 20 sweetgum trees cut down around the property yesterday.

Those buggers spread like kudzu and they're just about as difficult to kill...

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Toefoot (03-05-2016)

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## Toefoot

S T R E T C H....

Coffee is brewing and daylight is breaking, looking forward to being outside all day with my hands in the dirt. It will be 58 and sunshine.

Build the last 2 birdhouse and get them mounted, hang the feeders back up. Get my winter much in the gardens and start tilling.

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## Toefoot

Feeling great, get to play all day outside in the gardens in the Rockies. Wife is a cutie pie with her hat on.

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## Candidus

> S T R E T C H....
> 
> Coffee is brewing and daylight is breaking, looking forward to being outside all day with my hands in the dirt. It will be 58 and sunshine.
> 
> Build the last 2 birdhouse and get them mounted, hang the feeders back up. Get my winter much in the gardens and start tilling.


What kind of birdhouse are you building, Toefoot?

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## Calypso Jones

I worked my strawberry patch up a little yesterday.  carried the debris away today.   I'm not sure but I think the 36 inches of snow and below 0 weather has taken a toll on my plants.   I think I've lost some of them.

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## Sheldonna

> Getting cabin fever and finished ordering my seeds and bulbs for this year. In the spring I remove from my old seed bank and plant while replacing the bank with new seed, good to rotate.
> 
> Building 2 new raised beds this spring for a total of 7 raised beds and 2 in ground gardens. My blackberries and blueberries survived the 1st two years and expect a good amount of production this year, Planting flowers around the vegetable gardens seems to be paying off as well. 
> 
> Still have many canned vegetables, sauces and syrups from last years bumper crop.
> 
> Putting in some more bulbs around the patio and trying some different things with hanging flowers. Want the back yard to look like a jungle which is a task living in Colorado and the soils.
> 
> Anyone else plotting this years vegetable and flower gardens? Compost piles are just begging to join in on the fun.


Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how to shield my tomato plants from the heat/sun this year, since .....we've had such a weirdly mild winter, I figure this summer will be Hellishly hot (even moreso than last summer).  Planning to plant the tomatoes close to the back fence this year so I can attach shade cloth to the fence and just drape over the plants.  This will allow me to get out of the work it would take to construct a similar structure like in the infamous Godfather scene where Brando croaks from a heart attack in the midst of a wonderful covered tomato garden.  It's not that I'm lazy.  I just know that with the winds we have here, that cover would be sailing over the fence and onto my neighbor's face (Murphy's Law), creating a possible problem.

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## Candidus

Let's see what I've gotten done since the Sweetgum Massacre...

Went down to Southern States and got most of the seeds we''ll be planting. Got a big bag of bush beans, some lima beans, white corn, zucchini, yellow squash, kale, more spinach, pumpkins and basil seeds. I might throw caution to the wind and sow the kale and spinach this weekend, and get the basil started inside. They took a long time to germinate last year. I was thinking of planting tomatoes from seed this year but it's lookin' like I'll buy seedlings from the co-op again this year. Speaking of which, it's probably too late, but I need to turn the soil in the containers that I grew tomatoes in last year. Hopefully, another couple of frosts and freezes will kill any hornworm pupae that might be buried in there.

For the most part, it looks like the next few weeks are going to be hole-diggin' time. I bought some climbing roses last year that are just beginning to leaf out, so I need to get those guys in the ground, along with the raspberry and blueberry bushes. The wife also has some more roses and some Confederate Roses, which are actually hibiscuses, coming in the mail soon, so we need to get ready for them, too. On top of that, my Better Half found a deal on tree seedlings at the Virginia Department of Forestry, so we're going to scatter 10 red maples and 10 Norway spruces around the property. That's 20 more holes to dig...



In between digging holes I have to start the Spring maintenance on the lawn and garden equipment. There's never a shortage of things to do on the ol' homestead...

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Toefoot (03-08-2016)

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## Candidus

> Yeah, I'm trying to figure out how to shield my tomato plants from the heat/sun this year, since .....we've had such a weirdly mild winter, I figure this summer will be Hellishly hot (even moreso than last summer).  Planning to plant the tomatoes close to the back fence this year so I can attach shade cloth to the fence and just drape over the plants.  This will allow me to get out of the work it would take to construct a similar structure like in the infamous Godfather scene where Brando croaks from a heart attack in the midst of a wonderful covered tomato garden.  It's not that I'm lazy.  I just know that with the winds we have here, that cover would be sailing over the fence and onto my neighbor's face (Murphy's Law), creating a possible problem.


I don't know how you can get around building a structure around your tomatoes, Sheldonna, but I do know a quick and easy way to build a temporary structure around them that is easy to set-up and break down. I built one to protect our somewhat "cold-hardy" gardenias from extreme cold and high winds in the winter using 6' segments of PVC pipe, 4' segments of rebar and some tarps. Not only did the structures hold up to the stress of the wind, they held up to the weight of snow, ice and rain that fell on the tarps, as well.

What you do is drive the 4' segments of rebar into the corners of your bed and then slide the PVC pipe over the rebar. You attach 90 degree elbows at the corners and then inset another segment of PVC pipes into those elbows that will run across the top of your tomato bed. What you will end up with is an inverted U shape like this:

http://patiocoversplace.com/wp-conte...shades_pvc.jpg

Here's an article on it, too:

Garden Shades | Garden Shade Cloth | Patio Covers Place

You could probably use 8-10' segments of 1/2" PVC pipe.

You can put one U-frame on each end of the bed, or if your bed is real long, you can put several more of them in the middle.

Once they're in, you can drape your shade cloth over the frames, and hold the cloth in place using a clamp of some sort. You could also wrap the cloth around the vertical supports in the frame as this guy did with his more elaborate set-up (around the 4:00 mark):




While Reaganite71's set-up is far nicer than my own, my rig is portable and can be set-up and broken down with the greatest of ease, and you can use it for other purposes in other places during other times of the year because you can assemble and disassemble it anywhere and anytime you want. For example, I can use it to cover my gardenias in the winter and then use them to shade my tomatoes or create a fruit cage in the summer.

Food for thought...

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## Sheldonna

Thanks for the tip....but I'm afraid that...with the weird gusts of wind my yard, for some reason, always gets (already broke one brand new umbrella) any kind of such structure that I could manage to build would 'go sailing' up, up and away.  I have tried a version of the top-cover shade cloth and it just never stays put.  That's why I thought about staple-gun attaching the cloth to the fence.  The wind would have to take the whole damned fence with it if it goes.

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## sandhurstdelta

> S T R E T C H....
> 
> Coffee is brewing and daylight is breaking, looking forward to being outside all day with my hands in the dirt. It will be 58 and sunshine.
> 
> Build the last 2 birdhouse and get them mounted, hang the feeders back up. Get my winter much in the gardens and start tilling.


Gardening is on the top 10 list of what Americans do with their spare time.

1 - TV
2 - radio
3 - movies
4 - self improvement
5 - home improvement
6 - gardening
7 - physical training
8 - sports attendance
9 - sports participation
10 - volunteer & church

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## sandhurstdelta

> Thanks for the tip....but I'm afraid that...with the weird gusts of wind my yard, for some reason, always gets (already broke one brand new umbrella) any kind of such structure that I could manage to build would 'go sailing' up, up and away.  I have tried a version of the top-cover shade cloth and it just never stays put.  That's why I thought about staple-gun attaching the cloth to the fence.  The wind would have to take the whole damned fence with it if it goes.


You can build a sheltered garden in Texas as long as you water it.

The Great Plains are sun baked and parched.

The land there is marginal and best for grazing animals like steers, goats, and sheep.

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## Candidus

> Thanks for the tip....but I'm afraid that...with the weird gusts of wind my yard, for some reason, always gets (already broke one brand new umbrella) any kind of such structure that I could manage to build would 'go sailing' up, up and away.  I have tried a version of the top-cover shade cloth and it just never stays put.  That's why I thought about staple-gun attaching the cloth to the fence.  The wind would have to take the whole damned fence with it if it goes.


What you might want to do with your shade cloth is a little trick we used on our MOAB (Mother Of All Banners) at an anti-peacenik demonstration I attended 9 years ago. The wind was blasting out there (25 mph sustained winds), so we cut holes in the banner so the wind could pass through it instead of sending us sailing into Arlington Cemetery:

AmericanIdol006.jpg Photo by bmwcyle | Photobucket

As you can see, we were using PVC piping for the frame, and unfortunately for the ANSWERniks, everything held up beautifully... :Smile:

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## Candidus

Southern States Co-op has their early season herbs and veggies out!

I just bought some cauliflower, cabbage, leeks, thyme and some "Wizard Scarlet' coleus plants for my wife's shade garden:



Those will have to grow inside until early May when the frosts have finally passed in Virginia...

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Toefoot (03-09-2016)

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## Toefoot

I am so stoked knowing that being a dirty foot hippie in Toefoot's love garden is just a month away. I had to build a permanent shade structure for my garden, the Colorado sun and altitude can fry the vegetables.

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Candidus (03-09-2016)

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## Candidus

> I am so stoked knowing that being a dirty foot hippie in Toefoot's love garden is just a month away. I had to build a permanent shade structure for my garden, the Colorado sun and altitude can fry the vegetables.


A little gardening music for our dirty foot hippie friend Toefoot... :Smile:

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Toefoot (03-09-2016)

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## Sheldonna

> What you might want to do with your shade cloth is a little trick we used on our MOAB (Mother Of All Banners) at an anti-peacenik demonstration I attended 9 years ago. The wind was blasting out there (25 mph sustained winds), so we cut holes in the banner so the wind could pass through it instead of sending us sailing into Arlington Cemetery:
> 
> AmericanIdol006.jpg Photo by bmwcyle | Photobucket
> 
> As you can see, we were using PVC piping for the frame, and unfortunately for the ANSWERniks, everything held up beautifully...


Well, shade cloth is already "holey"...it's woven and is not water (or air) proof.  

You'd have to have experienced the devil winds I've had in my BY over the years.  I learned the hard way .....to always put the umbrellas down at night....and never leave anything loose in the yard that could fly away.  It's just a thing/reality I live with...lol.

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## Candidus

> Well, shade cloth is already "holey"...it's woven and is not water (or air) proof.  
> 
> You'd have to have experienced the devil winds I've had in my BY over the years.  I learned the hard way .....to always put the umbrellas down at night....and never leave anything loose in the yard that could fly away.  It's just a thing/reality I live with...lol.


Believe me, I can relate. I live on one of the highest points between Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC and it is really windy. In fact, I had to re-think my gardening after we moved up there on account of the strong winds we frequently encounter.

On the other hand, the wind does have its advantages. For those of us who refuse to grow up, it's a perfect place to get out and

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## Sheldonna

> Believe me, I can relate. I live on one of the highest points between Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC and it is really windy. In fact, I had to re-think my gardening after we moved up there on account of the strong winds we frequently encounter.
> 
> On the other hand, the wind does have its advantages. For those of us who refuse to grow up, it's a perfect place to get out and


Lol....yeah.  I probably would learn to love the wind if I could manage to make it provide me with cheap/free electricity instead of the current ever-increasing-rates provider.

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## Candidus

> Lol....yeah.  I probably would learn to love the wind if I could manage to make it provide me with cheap/free electricity instead of the current ever-increasing-rates provider.


I'd like to figure that out, myself. I looked at some wind systems and they weren't cheap. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places (?).

What this calls for is some good old fashioned Hillbilly Blood ingenuity. There's gotta be a way to rig something like that together...

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Sheldonna (03-10-2016)

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## Candidus

Time to hurry up and order tomato seeds - I should have had them planted 10 days ago.

We order our seeds from a joint up in Wisconsin called Totally Tomatoes:

Garden Seed | Vegetable Garden Seed | Garden Seed Catalog | Garden Seed Company | Totally Tomatoes

I've gotten good results from their seeds in the past.

Because we live in the South it's hot and humid, so it's absolutely necessary to get the most disease resistant tomatoes you can find. I'm going to be ordering the Better Boy Hybrids, which have outstanding disease resistance. I'm also going to give their Big Beef Hybrids a try, too. We've gotten excellent results from Best Boy Hybrids and Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifters, too.

The story behind Charlie's tomatoes is pretty neat:

*Mortgage Lifter Tomato Story*
Radiator Charlie Mortgage Lifter Tomato  Story | Tomato Geek

These plants are real vigorous and can get very tall. The tomatoes/fruit get big too and taste great - the ones we had tended to be a pinkish to light burgundy color:



Superior disease resistance, too. We planted ours in the summer as a succession crop and they did great. They were every bit as disease resistant as the Better Boy Hybrids we grew.

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Zinnia (03-15-2016)

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## Zinnia

I love zinnias. My beds will be full of them.

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Candidus (03-10-2016)

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## Candidus

> I love zinnias. My beds will be full of them.


You sound like my wife, Zinnia.  :Smile: 

In the spring she's all about the daffodils and in the summer it's zinnias, zinnias, zinnias. We've got 'em growing all over the place.

Besides the fact that they're pretty flowers, I like how they can eat up all the punishment the summer sun can dish out and keep on blooming all season long.

Another tough summer flower I've taken a liking to is Celosia. The kind we have is a red variety that I think is called Arabonna Red:



Like zinnias, they're tough as nails, and being wildflowers they do a fantastic job of propagating themselves on their own. I really like the bold red color, which stands out nicely in the landscape...

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Zinnia (03-15-2016)

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## Calypso Jones

I love zinnias, marigolds, nasturtium and then herbs.

This is so sweet.  I have green plain wreaths with just a simple bow hanging on my doors over the winter.   Not Christmas color bows.. but dark greens or deep burgundy with gold....you know ...winter stuff...what i'm saying is nothing bright and nothing sparkly.     At three doors I have these little birds...I think they are wrens...trying to build nests in my wreaths....I can open the blind just a little and they are right there within 12 inches of my face and they're so sweet.  They can't see me.

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Zinnia (03-15-2016)

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## Zinnia

How precious! It's so nice to be able to see birds up close.

I save my zinnia seeds (bought non GMO of course) and I'll have a yard bed (has trees and azaleas in it) that's just wildflowers.

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## Calypso Jones

March has been warm here.  I'm wondering if I can put in zinnias now.   Usually our growing season starts mid may.....a few years in the past we started in april...and then the growing season was awful.    I may throw in a  handful to see what happens.    I save my seeds from year to year too.   And sometimes I try to use the same color...never works.  I get different shades in that color.  It's like opening a present when they bloom. I don't know what i'm going to get.

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## Zinnia

> Time to hurry up and order tomato seeds - I should have had them planted 10 days ago.
> 
> We order our seeds from a joint up in Wisconsin called Totally Tomatoes:
> 
> Garden Seed | Vegetable Garden Seed | Garden Seed Catalog | Garden Seed Company | Totally Tomatoes


Thanks for the tip. I'm working up an order with that tomato and some squash and peppers. BIG THANKS to you!!!

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## Dolly

I'll be planting a big garden again this year. I always put in a row of flowers to cut for inside the house and zinnias  are in it. My g'ma always used to do that and it makes me nostalgic.

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Dr. Felix Birdbiter

I love Zinnias.  The two things I can grow really well at my house is zinnias and coleus.  Coleus of course don't have flowers but the leaves are so varied it more than makes up for that.

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Candidus

> Thanks for the tip. I'm working up an order with that tomato and some squash and peppers. BIG THANKS to you!!!


You're welcome, Zinnia. They've got quite a selection of tomatoes, don't they? My seeds should be arriving in the mail today.  :Smile: 

Outside, the daffodils, forsythia and wild plums are finally blooming, and the first flowers are appearing on our cherry and peach trees. It's nice to the first signs of Spring arriving, and Sunday it will be officially here!

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Candidus

I finally finished planting our vegetable and herb seeds inside last weekend. I've got a bunch of Better Boy, Big Beef and Bella Rosa tomatoes, cayenne and bell peppers, basil and common sage seeds in the trays and now it's time to hurry up and wait until transplant time. Besides digging holes, transplanting the seedlings into larger containers has to be the most tedious chore of the growing season.

The wife took today off to dig a new bed for her irises - I guess she forgot what husbands are for.  :Laugh: 

She bought 200 bulbs of a Dutch Iris mix from K. von Bourgondien & Sons:

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/product/be..._Blends_Mixes:

They're a great company. My wife buys all her flower bulbs from them, and the Jersey Knight asparagus we purchased from them was outstanding. I just hope the irises can handle all the sun and heat they're going to get in their new home.

While the seeds are germinating, I'll be outside turning the veggie beds and digging holes for the raspberries and blueberry plants...

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Zinnia

I'm chomping at the bit to start showing and planting. I'm SO  ready for flowers and vegetables.

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Candidus

Came home Friday to an interesting and unexpected sight - monarch butterflies _everywhere_. The bumble bees are back, too.

All of my tomato seeds have sprouted - it took 6 days for them to emerge, which was quicker than I expected. I will also have to transplant them sooner than expected and we're expecting a couple of frosts this week. I'm not sure how I'm going to wrangle this chore yet - I may have to turn our sun room into a green house for a couple of weeks.

I finished putting the landscape timbers around the beds we dug last fall, and to my dismay the soil in the beds that didn't get amended is compacted again. It's almost like I never tilled them in the first place.

Oh, well...either I dig them by hand or spring for a tiller...

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Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Jen

> Getting cabin fever and finished ordering my seeds and bulbs for this year. In the spring I remove from my old seed bank and plant while replacing the bank with new seed, good to rotate.
> 
> Building 2 new raised beds this spring for a total of 7 raised beds and 2 in ground gardens. My blackberries and blueberries survived the 1st two years and expect a good amount of production this year, Planting flowers around the vegetable gardens seems to be paying off as well. 
> 
> Still have many canned vegetables, sauces and syrups from last years bumper crop.
> 
> Putting in some more bulbs around the patio and trying some different things with hanging flowers. Want the back yard to look like a jungle which is a task living in Colorado and the soils.
> 
> Anyone else plotting this years vegetable and flower gardens? Compost piles are just begging to join in on the fun.


We have large and nicely-shaped, well-defined flower beds all the way around our house.  There are shrubs in some places and a couple of tall flowering bushes in others and hostas in a shaded corner.  Unfortunately, my back will not allow me to get out there and make it beautiful.  It's disappointing.

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GreenEyedLady (04-09-2016),Toefoot (04-08-2016)

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## Candidus

We just learned a nasty little lesson after last Wednesday morning's frost - some "cold hardy" figs and pomegranates aren't as cold hardy as advertised. They'll still get frost burnt.

And we're expecting a second blow Sunday morning... :Frown:

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## Calypso Jones

THE only way to rid your beds of clover is to pull the clover out...over and over till it does not come back.

Same way with hairy bittercress.  Do you know that one?   It's called an exploding weed.  I hate those little devils.   It says you have to take them out with pulling and chemicals...but I wonder if burning the weed would do it?   It dies quickly when the temps start to increase...but those seeds are dispersed if you touch the plant.

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Candidus (04-21-2016)

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## Calypso Jones

13 ways that will allegedly make you want to spend more time outdoors.. it has nothing to do with naked people.  sorry.

http://www.ehow.com/list_6646351_bac...zergnet_987136

*Add Mood Lighting with Mason Jars*You're going to need some lights if you want to enjoy your backyard at night. Try using mason jars to illuminate a fence or patio with a pretty ambient glow.
 (Image: Tim and Mary Vidra)
*Upgrade Your Plants with Mosaic Clay Pots*Another way to up your flower pot game is to add mosaics using tiles you can find at your local hardware store. Break out your inner artist and experiment with different geometric designs and patterns.
 (Image: Jonathan Fong)*Make the Birds Feel at Home*Hanging these gourd birdhouses in your trees will have birds chirping with happiness. Using bright paint to decorate the gourds is a great way to bring in unexpected pops of color, too.
 (Image: Jonathan Fong)*Give Your Old Pots a New Look*Don't toss your old and broken gardening pots in the trash. Instead, use potting soil, succulents and moss to make a mini-garden fit for a fairy. This is a great way to add some magic and whimsy to your yard.
 (Image: Jessica Begum)*Get Wind of These Chimes*Do you hear that? It's the sound of copper wind chimes gently swaying in the breeze. Plumb the pipe section of your local hardware store for supplies, and create a bold yard accessory without using a single power tool. Instead of hanging the chimes from an awning, tie them to the branches of a tree.
 (Image: Sarah Hamilton)

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Candidus (05-02-2016)

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## Calypso Jones

This past weekend I bought a bunch of stuff for my granddaughters  to make a fairy town. I was going to put it in the garden, and I still might, but right now, we're playing with it in their old radio flyer.  I put a lot of little rocks in it....covered the bottom to about 2 to 3 inches deep.   One side is slightly deeper than the other.  My oldest one set up houses, a bridge over a blue marble stream.   Little gnomes, little outdoor tables and chairs, fences, and a garden gate.  Rocks are for paths and borders.  little birds, bees, insects and other small critters.   Fairies will move in soon.

It's so cute.   I put the wagon in the side yard, placed a bucket of sand with an umbrella in it so she wouldn't get sunburned and a rug to sit on as she created.  Tomorrow i'll have a table with drinks and snacks.

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## Zinnia

I was a little late getting my peat pots going, but they're zooming right along and I can't wait to put the plants in my garden. I have heirloom stuff.

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## Candidus

> 13 ways that will allegedly make you want to spend more time outdoors.. it has nothing to do with naked people.  sorry.
> 
> http://www.ehow.com/list_6646351_bac...zergnet_987136
> 
> *Add Mood Lighting with Mason Jars*
> 
> You're going to need some lights if you want to enjoy your backyard at night. Try using mason jars to illuminate a fence or patio with a pretty ambient glow. Vidra)
> *Upgrade Your Plants with Mosaic Clay Pots*
> 
> ...


Great stuff, CJ.

That reminded me of a neat idea one of my wife's friends showed us using found materials - in this case logs:

The old tree stump planter is a classic:



Here's another take:



Then there's the ol' log planters:



And, of course, the How-To:

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Calypso Jones (05-10-2016)

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## Candidus

It's been busy-busy-busy around the homestead lately.

After 3 years I have finally cleared most of the overgrown fields around our house - I'm guessing 10 out of 15 acres. I've got another year or two of bush-hogging the remaining acreage, along with splitting and tearing up the stumps the old fashioned way (by hand, with an axe and shovel) before this legacy of brutality will be completely behind me.

Back in the garden, I got too antsy and planted my tomato seedlings a little too early. No sooner had I stuck them in the ground we got hit with a heat wave and the little guys got subjected to a bit more punishment than they were ready for. The rest of the plants that are still in the seed tray look a lot better than they do - I may have to rotate them into the garden and dig up the others and put them in pots until they come back around.

In the meantime, we're getting ready to plant the rest of our veggies. I've planted the zucchini, yellow squash, okra and sunflower seeds in a seed tray and in a couple of weeks we'll be sowing the corn, bush beans and limey beans directly into the garden beds.

The good news is last month I reported that an April freeze severely damaged our hardy fig trees (Chicago Hardy and Brown Turkey) and pomegranates (Crimson Sky and Kazake), along with our hibiscuses and altheas, but they're all coming back now. It's taken them about 3 weeks to recover, but it looks like they're all going to be okay. I was really bummed about the altheas because I've never seen that happen to them before, and I've taken a real liking to those plants...



Still more digging, planting and transplanting to do this weekend - pretty soon it's going to start getting hot here in the Old Dominion...

----------

Calypso Jones (05-10-2016)

----------


## tiny1

Well, I am a vegetable gardener.
I have my tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers in.  Thursday, is my day off, and I'll finish with Corn, 5 kinds of squash, green beans, cantaloupe, hot peppers(4 kinds) and cukes.  I also plan to put in an asparagus bed.  They last 15-20 years.  I am also thinking about Strawberries.
I have peach, apple and pear trees, a pomegranate, and blackberry bushes, and I hope to put in some ground cherries.
I live in Western Piedmont NC.  My usual schedule is:

SPRING
I start planting in late February.  I plant Sugar Snap Peas, beets, Lettuce.  About March 1, I plant Broccoli Cauliflower, and cabbage.  I put in onions too. 

SUMMER
I plant Corn, Tomatoes and peppers, Green Beans, squash and cukes, cantaloupe, and Eggplant.  Toward the end of summer, I do Brussel Sprouts.

FALL
Once the summer crops finish, I put in Greens, and Winter Squashes, like Delicata and Acorn.
I have about 2-2 1/2 months with fallow ground.

----------

Calypso Jones (05-10-2016)

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## Candidus

Time to update Ye Olde Garden Threade!

The wife and I took some time off last week to play Weekend Warrior and we finally got all the garden beds cleared and most of them turned and amended. I still can't believe we did it, but it saved us about $1000 if we had wussed out and bought a tiller.

After that I planted 17 more tomato plants out front in the beds and then 16 more in some large containers behind the house, bringing the total up to 52 plants. I'm conducting an experiment to see how the plants will cope with the different conditions around our property. The tomatoes in the beds are going to get all the sun, heat and wind Mother Nature can throw at them, while the tomatoes in the containers will be in a somewhat sheltered area that doesn't get sun all day long. We got excellent results from the containers last year so I'm expecting more of the same - the question is how the tomatoes out front are going to fare. It can get real hot and dry down here sometimes and then the plants will start developing problems like blossom end rot and stop producing. Another part of the experiment is going to be planting a second succession crop in mid-summer. I've never planted seedlings in July, so I have no idea if they're going to be able to handle the elements. I may have to help them out by installing a frame with some shade cloth to give them a little relief until things start cooling down a bit in August.

This weekend I have three chores on my hands. The first is to finish turning and amending two medium-sized beds and then one long row. Once that's finished I'm going to plant our corn and green beans. Finally, the one chore that I am actually looking forward to, I have to figure out where to plant my hops plants and construct some structures to support the vines. I'm thinking of conducting the same experiment I'm running on the tomatoes - site one or two out near the garden beds where they are fully exposed to the elements all day, and stick a couple of others in a more sheltered and shady area that should be less stressful on the plants. I've read a lot of contradictory info on growing hops plants, so I'm going to have to figure this out on my own.

As for our ornamentals, my wife's bearded irises are in full bloom and they look fantastic. The rest of the flowering plants are chugging along towards the summer blooming season. Aside from the roses and altheas, the plants I'm looking forward to seeing are our Texas Star hibiscuses (_Hibiscus coccineus_), which is a hardy hibiscus that grows real well in the South. Like yuccas, they're nearly indestructible. They can handle anything and everything that Summer throws at them, and they're really attractive when they reach full bloom:

..

We have several of the red variety pictured above, and there's a white variety that we don't have (yet). They are deciduous, so they die down in the Winter, but they come bag bigger and stronger every year. If you're into low maintenance gardening - who isn't? - this is a nice showy plant for Southern gardeners (up to Zone 5). I really like the tropical look they add to a garden, especially here in Virginia where regular hibiscuses won't survive the Winter.

----------


## Retiredat50

I have lived here in my Florida house for about a year now. When I lived in Ohio (hated it!!) I used square foot gardens. Four raised platforms about 18 inches deep and had tomatoes and peppers. Now, here in Florida I can not grow vegetables  :Frown:  

I have wooded lots on two sides of me so I have a ton, and I mean a ton of wild life in my yard. Between the wildlife and the constant fight with the ferns, various vines and brazillian pepper trees, I spend hours in the yard clearing, pruning and fighting with critters. Anything edible that I plant is eaten by the squirrels and raccoons, especially the raccoons. 

The only upside I have is that a neighbor down the street imports and raises 20 or different varieties of butterflies and my yard is always has 30 or so butterflies running around in it. Oh, and the other upside to where I live is that when in my backyard I have complete privacy  :Smile:  But, I do get jealous reading about other peoples vegetable gardens.

----------


## sandhurstdelta

The only thing I have been growing is wine yeasts for my strawberry/cherry summer wine batches.

I get the frozen fruit and the sugar at the store.

----------


## sandhurstdelta

> I have lived here in my Florida house for about a year now. When I lived in Ohio (hated it!!) I used square foot gardens. Four raised platforms about 18 inches deep and had tomatoes and peppers. Now, here in Florida I can not grow vegetables  
> 
> I have wooded lots on two sides of me so I have a ton, and I mean a ton of wild life in my yard. Between the wildlife and the constant fight with the ferns, various vines and brazillian pepper trees, I spend hours in the yard clearing, pruning and fighting with critters. Anything edible that I plant is eaten by the squirrels and raccoons, especially the raccoons. 
> 
> The only upside I have is that a neighbor down the street imports and raises 20 or different varieties of butterflies and my yard is always has 30 or so butterflies running around in it. Oh, and the other upside to where I live is that when in my backyard I have complete privacy  But, I do get jealous reading about other peoples vegetable gardens.


You need a couple of cats.

The Florida Panther is the only cat indigenous there.

But the European Housecats which were imported from England, France, and Spain during the 1700's to North America are the perfect solution to your problem.

----------


## sandhurstdelta

> Time to update Ye Olde Garden Threade!
> 
> The wife and I took some time off last week to play Weekend Warrior and we finally got all the garden beds cleared and most of them turned and amended. I still can't believe we did it, but it saved us about $1000 if we had wussed out and bought a tiller.
> 
> After that I planted 17 more tomato plants out front in the beds and then 16 more in some large containers behind the house, bringing the total up to 52 plants. I'm conducting an experiment to see how the plants will cope with the different conditions around our property. The tomatoes in the beds are going to get all the sun, heat and wind Mother Nature can throw at them, while the tomatoes in the containers will be in a somewhat sheltered area that doesn't get sun all day long. We got excellent results from the containers last year so I'm expecting more of the same - the question is how the tomatoes out front are going to fare. It can get real hot and dry down here sometimes and then the plants will start developing problems like blossom end rot and stop producing. Another part of the experiment is going to be planting a second succession crop in mid-summer. I've never planted seedlings in July, so I have no idea if they're going to be able to handle the elements. I may have to help them out by installing a frame with some shade cloth to give them a little relief until things start cooling down a bit in August.
> 
> This weekend I have three chores on my hands. The first is to finish turning and amending two medium-sized beds and then one long row. Once that's finished I'm going to plant our corn and green beans. Finally, the one chore that I am actually looking forward to, I have to figure out where to plant my hops plants and construct some structures to support the vines. I'm thinking of conducting the same experiment I'm running on the tomatoes - site one or two out near the garden beds where they are fully exposed to the elements all day, and stick a couple of others in a more sheltered and shady area that should be less stressful on the plants. I've read a lot of contradictory info on growing hops plants, so I'm going to have to figure this out on my own.
> 
> As for our ornamentals, my wife's bearded irises are in full bloom and they look fantastic. The rest of the flowering plants are chugging along towards the summer blooming season. Aside from the roses and altheas, the plants I'm looking forward to seeing are our Texas Star hibiscuses (_Hibiscus coccineus_), which is a hardy hibiscus that grows real well in the South. Like yuccas, they're nearly indestructible. They can handle anything and everything that Summer throws at them, and they're really attractive when they reach full bloom:
> ...


Tomatoes are my own all time favorite vegetable/fruit.

Potatoes are the easiest starch food to grow and I like those too.

Onions are a good underground vegetable crop as well.

Lemons are my favorite fruit.

----------


## syrenn

i am garden exhausted. Sadly... here we do not get enough sun or heat to really grow much in the way of veggies...

that however did not stop me from giving 3 brandywines a go in pots. We shall see. 


finished digging out the beds, amending the soil with all sorts of stuff..... lining it with gopher wire and replanting. The dahlias are in...and the begonias are in their pots. I finished planting all of my mosquito repelling plants.....

----------


## sandhurstdelta

> i am garden exhausted. Sadly... here we do not get enough sun or heat to really grow much in the way of veggies...
> 
> that however did not stop me from giving 3 brandywines a go in pots. We shall see. 
> 
> 
> finished digging out the beds, amending the soil with all sorts of stuff..... lining it with gopher wire and replanting. The dahlias are in...and the begonias are in their pots. I finished planting all of my mosquito repelling plants.....


Just make sure your garden faces south and you will get plenty of sunshine.

You will probably need to water it too.

Some artificial phosphate fertilizer also helps.

----------


## syrenn

> Just make sure your garden faces south and you will get plenty of sunshine.
> 
> You will probably need to water it too.
> 
> Some artificial phosphate fertilizer also helps.


oh i know about south facing and all of that.....

the problem is we dont get enough sunny days.... and usually overcast and fog.

----------


## sandhurstdelta

> oh i know about south facing and all of that.....
> 
> the problem is we dont get enough sunny days.... and usually overcast and fog.


But UV light still shines through even though IR light may be blocked.

----------


## Retiredat50

> You need a couple of cats.
> 
> The Florida Panther is the only cat indigenous there.
> 
> But the European Housecats which were imported from England, France, and Spain during the 1700's to North America are the perfect solution to your problem.


Yeah, we have panthers here, but not in my area. If you mean I need house cats... They are not going to do well against these raccoons. These guys are huge, and not afraid of anything.  Years ago I had a Manx and I don't think even it would be able to hold its own against these monsters.

----------


## Midgardian

> Yeah, we have panthers here, but not in my area. If you mean I need house cats... They are not going to do well against these raccoons. These guys are huge, and not afraid of anything.  Years ago I had a Manx and I don't think even it would be able to hold its own against these monsters.


He lives in Sacramento, the raccoons there are scared of everything, and they tend to stay away from urban areas (which Sacramento is, barely).

----------


## sandhurstdelta

> Yeah, we have panthers here, but not in my area. If you mean I need house cats... They are not going to do well against these raccoons. These guys are huge, and not afraid of anything.  Years ago I had a Manx and I don't think even it would be able to hold its own against these monsters.


Then you need 2 cats AND 1 big dog and raise them together from kittens and puppy so they will love and tolerate each other.

The dogs can chase off the 'coons.  The cats will kill everything else.

Border collies are the smartest dogs.

And Angoras are the smartest cats.

----------


## Retiredat50

> Then you need 2 cats AND 1 big dog and raise them together from kittens and puppy so they will love and tolerate each other.
> 
> The dogs can chase off the 'coons.  The cats will kill everything else.
> 
> Border collies are the smartest dogs.
> 
> And Angoras are the smartest cats.


Yeah, I hear ya, but I would never own a border collie as I am a Labrador or Burmese kind of guy  :Smile:  And as for cats, not a big fan. I am living alone so I will not own a pet. I know that seems weird, but I have a huge fear of having a dog I love and having something happen to me and the dog gets screwed. I know it is crazy, but I just won't do it.

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Northern Rivers (05-14-2016)

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## Retiredat50

> He lives in Sacramento, the raccoons there are scared of everything, and they tend to stay away from urban areas (which Sacramento is, barely).


Lol, I lived in the outskirts of Sacramento for a few years, Citrus Heights. It was a gated community and the constant leaf blowers kept all the wildlife away  :Wink:

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## syrenn

> But UV light still shines through even though IR light may be blocked.



tomato's need heat...yes? So many days above 65?

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## sandhurstdelta

> Lol, I lived in the outskirts of Sacramento for a few years, Citrus Heights. It was a gated community and the constant leaf blowers kept all the wildlife away


We have raccoons everywhere, and skunks, and opossums.

We also have feral cat communities.

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## sandhurstdelta

> Yeah, I hear ya, but I would never own a border collie as I am a Labrador or Burmese kind of guy  And as for cats, not a big fan. I am living alone so I will not own a pet. I know that seems weird, but I have a huge fear of having a dog I love and having something happen to me and the dog gets screwed. I know it is crazy, but I just won't do it.


I too live alone.

If something happens to me the cats have 1 week of kibbles and 1 week of water.

I keep the kibbles feeder packed and 2 big bowls of water out which I change every day.

Within that time one of the neighbors will undoubtedly notice a really bad smell.

----------


## Candidus

> Tomatoes are my own all time favorite vegetable/fruit.
> 
> Potatoes are the easiest starch food to grow and I like those too.
> 
> Onions are a good underground vegetable crop as well.
> 
> Lemons are my favorite fruit.


My wife tried her hand at growing potatoes in a grow bag last year.

They started off really great and then all of a sudden something went terribly wrong. I think they got some sort of root blight or fungal infection. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to inspect the plants so I could figure out what happened to them, so it's still a mystery to me...

On the bright side, our area and soil are great for growing tomatoes. As long as you get a disease resistant variety (like a hybrid Better Boy or Big Beef) and keep the critters from eating them you can grow a year long supply of fresh and canned tomatoes...

----------


## Candidus

> I have lived here in my Florida house for about a year now. When I lived in Ohio (hated it!!) I used square foot gardens. Four raised platforms about 18 inches deep and had tomatoes and peppers. Now, here in Florida I can not grow vegetables  
> 
> I have wooded lots on two sides of me so I have a ton, and I mean a ton of wild life in my yard. Between the wildlife and the constant fight with the ferns, various vines and brazillian pepper trees, I spend hours in the yard clearing, pruning and fighting with critters. Anything edible that I plant is eaten by the squirrels and raccoons, especially the raccoons. 
> 
> The only upside I have is that a neighbor down the street imports and raises 20 or different varieties of butterflies and my yard is always has 30 or so butterflies running around in it. Oh, and the other upside to where I live is that when in my backyard I have complete privacy  But, I do get jealous reading about other peoples vegetable gardens.


We've got a ton of wild life in our area, too - everything from black bear to white-tailed deer to turkeys & hawks. The previous owner tried to raise chickens but the owls picked them off - I guess she didn't protect them from above.

To keep them off my fruit and veggies I've had to construct fencing and cages to keep them out. Last year I had a mysterious situation with my tomatoes arise and I couldn't figure out what was getting at them because they weren't fully eaten and they had a strange bite pattern in them. Eventually, I figured out it was our friendly-neighborhhod crows when I found bits of a tomato in our bird bath where they like to hang out. I put up some wire fencing around the plants and that fixed the problem.

Of course, the deer and birds are no problem in comparison to the black bears who are competing with us atop the food chain. Fortunately, they tend to keep to themselves, but when I take my dog out for a long ramble deep in the woods I usually carry a boom stick to be safe.

----------


## Retiredat50

> I too live alone.
> 
> If something happens to me the cats have 1 week of kibbles and 1 week of water.
> 
> I keep the kibbles feeder packed and 2 big bowls of water out which I change every day.
> 
> Within that time one of the neighbors will undoubtedly notice a really bad smell.


I am not a big fan of cats... I have been thinking about getting a dog, but it would be an inside dog and not really address the critter problem.

----------


## Retiredat50

> We've got a ton of wild life in our area, too - everything from black bear to white-tailed deer to turkeys & hawks. The previous owner tried to raise chickens but the owls picked them off - I guess she didn't protect them from above.
> 
> To keep them off my fruit and veggies I've had to construct fencing and cages to keep them out. Last year I had a mysterious situation with my tomatoes arise and I couldn't figure out what was getting at them because they weren't fully eaten and they had a strange bite pattern in them. Eventually, I figured out it was our friendly-neighborhhod crows when I found bits of a tomato in our bird bath where they like to hang out. I put up some wire fencing around the plants and that fixed the problem.
> 
> Of course, the deer and birds are no problem in comparison to the black bears who are competing with us atop the food chain. Fortunately, they tend to keep to themselves, but when I take my dog out for a long ramble deep in the woods I usually carry a boom stick to be safe.


A month or so after buying this house and moving in I had to put a think wire mesh up around my screened porch because the raccoons would rip the screen and let themselves in. There was no food, they seemed to just be curious. 

I have considered a "caged" in garden, but then thinking about it makes me just want to kill the raccoons, so I am not sure witch way I will go.

----------


## Midgardian

> I too live alone.
> 
> If something happens to me the cats have 1 week of kibbles and 1 week of water.
> 
> I keep the kibbles feeder packed and 2 big bowls of water out which I change every day.
> 
> Within that time one of the neighbors will undoubtedly notice a really bad smell.


 If for some reason I did not begin to decompose normally (no one discovered that the cats were out of food and water because they found my corpse) then I would be honored if the cats ate me.

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## Calypso Jones

*Growing Hens And Chicks – Using Hen And Chicks In Your Garden*


Printer Friendly Version 
                Image by davef3138 

By Bonnie L Grant
Hens and chicks are members of the Sempervivum group of succulent plants. They are commonly called houseleeks and grow well indoors and out, in cool or hot temperatures. Hens and chicks plants are so called because of the rosette shape and habit of the plant to produce numerous babies. A rockery or dry, nutrient challenged location is a good place for growing hens and chicks. An easy to care for garden scheme should include hens and chicks, sedum and sprawling rock cress.
*Using Hens and Chicks Plants*

Hens and chicks (_Sempervivum tectorum_) is an alpine plant, which gives it an amazing tolerance for poor soils and unwelcoming conditions. The mother plant is attached to the babies (or chicks) by an underground runner. The chicks may be as small as a dime and the mother can grow to the size of a small plate. Hens and chicks make excellent container plants both for the interior and exterior of the home.
*How to Grow Hens and Chicks*

Growing hens and chicks is easy. The plants are readily available in most nurseries. They require full sun and well drained, even gritty soil. Hens and chicks don’t need much fertilizer and should rarely be watered. As succulents, hens and chicks plants are accustomed to very little water. A fun project is learning how to grow hens and chicks from the offsets. The chick can be gently pulled off the mother plant and installed in a new location. Hens and chicks require very little soil and can be made to grow even in rock crevasses.
Advertisement    
The ideal temperature for hens and chicks is between 65 and 75 F. (18-24 C.). When temperatures zoom upwards or plummet down, the plants become semi-dormant and will cease growing. Potted plants can be placed in clay pots with a cactus or succulent mix. You can also make your own with two parts topsoil, two parts sand and one part perlite. Potted plants will need more fertilizer than those in the ground. A liquid fertilizer diluted by half should be watered in during spring and summer irrigation.
You can also grow hens and chicks from seed. Online nurseries carry an amazing array of varieties and seeding your own will give you many forms for you and your friends. Seed is sown in a cactus mix and misted until evenly damp, then the seeds are kept in a warm room until germination. After germination, some fine gravel is sprinkled around the plants to help conserve moisture. Seedlings will need to be misted every few days and grown in a bright sunny window. Transplant them after they have reached an inch in diameter.
Hens and chicks plants need little care. The mother plant will die off after four to six years and should be removed. The plants produce a flower when mature and these should be pulled off the plant when they expire. Divide the chicks from the mother plant at least every two years to prevent overcrowding.

~~~~

A dozen fun ways to plant them:
http://www.organizedclutter.net/2013...en-chicks.html

5.  In a vintage ice cube tray.



6.  In aluminum measuring cups.



7.  In a "bird's nest" wire basket hanger.



8.  In a vintage, rusty, metal toy sports car.



9.  In and among a vintage iron horse shoe game.



10.  In old pulleys.



10.  In a vintage toaster.



11.  In the bottom of a chicken feeder.

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Candidus (05-17-2016),GreenEyedLady (05-17-2016)

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## Dr. Felix Birdbiter

The other day I put several okra plants in the ground.  I came out the next day and the plants were gone.  I am now looking for a recipe for Okra Flavored Raccoon.

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Calypso Jones (05-17-2016),Candidus (05-17-2016),Retiredat50 (05-17-2016)

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## Candidus

> A month or so after buying this house and moving in I had to put a think wire mesh up around my screened porch because the raccoons would rip the screen and let themselves in. There was no food, they seemed to just be curious. 
> 
> I have considered a "caged" in garden, but then thinking about it makes me just want to kill the raccoons, so I am not sure witch way I will go.


Wow. Raccoons are amazing critters - they can get into just about anything if they want to.

When my wife and I lived in the city of Richmond (VA) we had some coons running around the 'hood. They didn't mess with us because our Rottweilers would have killed them in a heartbeat, but somehow they managed to find a way to get into our neighbor's house - I think they climbed up a tree , got on her roof and wriggled through a hole in one of her soffits. One evening she came home and one of the buggers was up in her kitchen cabinets rummaging around for food. Needless to say, it scared the daylights out of her.

----------


## Candidus

> The other day I put several okra plants in the ground.  I came out the next day and the plants were gone.  I am now looking for a recipe for Okra Flavored Raccoon.


That critter's got GUMBO written all over him... :Smile:

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Dr. Felix Birdbiter (05-17-2016),syrenn (05-17-2016)

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## GreenEyedLady

Cactus gardens? We're doing pretty good with ours. 
DSCF6531.jpg

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Northern Rivers (05-19-2016)

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## GreenEyedLady

DSCF6494.JPG

----------


## GreenEyedLady

Yes that is a RR track in the cactus garden.

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## Northern Rivers

> Cactus gardens? We're doing pretty good with ours. 
> DSCF6531.jpg


Do you live in orbit?

----------

GreenEyedLady (05-19-2016)

----------


## Northern Rivers

> My wife tried her hand at growing potatoes in a grow bag last year.
> 
> They started off really great and then all of a sudden something went terribly wrong. I think they got some sort of root blight or fungal infection. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to inspect the plants so I could figure out what happened to them, so it's still a mystery to me...
> 
> On the bright side, our area and soil are great for growing tomatoes. As long as you get a disease resistant variety (like a hybrid Better Boy or Big Beef) and keep the critters from eating them you can grow a year long supply of fresh and canned tomatoes...


Get a Monsanto seed catalogue.....

----------


## Midgardian

> Get a Monsanto seed catalogue.....


Are the seeds genetically modified?

----------


## Candidus

> Get a Monsanto seed catalogue.....


I'm already up to my eyeballs in seed catalogues... :Smile:

----------


## Candidus

After taking some more time off from work the wife and I are almost finished with the May planting blitz.

Back in early May I was a bit worried that I jumped the gun with my tomato seedlings, but it turns out I was wrong. The tomatoes I planted in late April are a couple of feet tall and growing like weeds. It's possible the early stresses may have actually strengthened them. My Early Girls have already grown into 3 foot tall bushes and the first flowers began blooming last week. My goal of having some tomatoes ready to harvest in June appears to be coming to fruition.

One thing I am really pleased about is how well the plants I grew from seed turned out. At first they were a bit gangly but they've turned into really stout plants and I think I'm going to plant everything from seed from now on. I have to tip my hat to the folks at Totally Tomatoes - their seed stock turned out magnificent. What's also great is that I still have a bunch of seeds left to start a second succession crop which I will have to start germinating in the next couple of weeks. If all goes well we'll have tomatoes from late June all the way to the first frost in Fall.

As for the rest of the veggie garden, we're harvesting cauliflower and the green beans I planted a week ago have all sprouted nicely. I'm going to be planting them in waves all summer so we stay in beans till Fall. I also got the mammoth pumpkins and sunflowers planted and now I only have some okra seedlings and corn and lima bean seeds to plant and then we can shift into maintenance mode until the succession plants go into the ground in late June and early July.

On the ornamental landscape front, my wife's roses are blooming nicely and pretty soon the hydrangeas will be flowering. They'll breathe a little color into the garden until the Summer-blooming flowers, shrubs and trees start doing their thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Black-eyed Susans I planted a couple of years ago start flowering - they are finally reaching maturity and filling up the little beds in front of our house. It will be interesting to see how the Altheas do after the late frost we got. It's also going to be a while before we see the zinnias start blooming - because of the weather and all the other chores my Better Half couldn't get the seeds planted until last weekend.

The only thing I left to do for the garden is to build the trellises and teepees for the lima beans, squash and cucumber plants, which won't require too much effort. I'm building one trellis and the teepees out of the trunks and branches left from the Great Sweetgum Massacre of several months ago and one trellis will get reassembled from one I broke down several years ago when we moved from our old place. My wife did me a big favor of buying a couple of collapsible bamboo teepes from Gardener's Supply so that is going to save me some work. They look real nice and I'm not about to build one of them myself...



We've got some Heavenly Blue Morning Glories planted around them and last week my wife stumbled across some red Morning Glory seeds so by later in the Summer we'll have some patriotic red, white and blue teepees out in the yard. Maybe the bald eagle who paid us a visit a couple of months ago will come back and complete the scene!  :Smile:

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## Dr. Felix Birdbiter

Speaking of hummingbirds!!

Watch: 'Strolling hummingbird dress' feeds the birds - UPI.com

----------


## Candidus

> Speaking of hummingbirds!!
> 
> Watch: 'Strolling hummingbird dress' feeds the birds - UPI.com


Or would that be bird brains?  :Smile:

----------


## Candidus

With the long holiday weekend ahead thoughts are turning to the great outdoors.


Out in the veggie patch, we're harvesting our first tomatoes from the Early Girls I planted in late April. I finally got the trellis up for the lima beans last week and this weekend I'm going to plant our succession crop of tomatoes, green beans, corn, okra, yellow squash and zukes. If all goes well we'll be pickin' and grinnin' into October.


With that in mind I broke down and bought a 25 quart All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner, manufactured right here in the good ol' USA. It's a 23 pound industrial strength beast and I can't wait to break that bad boy in - for the first time we'll be able to can food that we couldn't process using a hot water bath.


Meanwhile, our ornamental bushes and flowers are starting to bloom. The roses and Annabelle hydrangeas blew up a couple of weeks ago and now the hardy gardenias we planted around our sun room are in full bloom - it smells like a tropical paradise out there. The first of the zinnias are starting to flower and I expect the Blackeyed Susans to do the same this weekend. I guess it will be another week or two on the hibiscuses and altheas, but it's nice to see color around the yard again.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to firing up the grill and knocking back some ice cold Coronas this weekend. I hope y'all have a great Fourth of July!

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## Sheldonna

> With the long holiday weekend ahead thoughts are turning to the great outdoors.
> 
> 
> Out in the veggie patch, we're harvesting our first tomatoes from the Early Girls I planted in late April. I finally got the trellis up for the lima beans last week and this weekend I'm going to plant our succession crop of tomatoes, green beans, corn, okra, yellow squash and zukes. If all goes well we'll be pickin' and grinnin' into October.
> 
> 
> With that in mind I broke down and bought a 25 quart All-American Pressure Cooker/Canner, manufactured right here in the good ol' USA. It's a 23 pound industrial strength beast and I can't wait to break that bad boy in - for the first time we'll be able to can food that we couldn't process using a hot water bath.
> 
> 
> ...



I have a very small area in which to garden (compared to what I had in Houston, that is).  But I have already gotten a basketful of tomatoes and peppers.  The only other things I planted was herbs, which have already harvested basils and mints.  It's been so hot already that the tomato plants stopped producing flowers and the leaves are crisping.  Usually, this only happens in August with June being a good producing month, if not the LAST good producing month.  So, even tho I got a good start on the garden this year (mild March, lots of rain in April, etc.)....it has now been compensated for via the heat kicking in EARLY.  Figures.

That said, I'm not bitchin.  I already got more tomatoes this year than in the last three.  And the peppers are still going full-steam.  No complaints.  I plan to kick back with some Coronas and lime too.  Burgers on the grill Sunday.  And my company (if they make it)....and I will enjoy some ice-cold champagne with orange sherbert or OJ (mimosas) on Monday...hehehe.  Maybe a couple of bottles, in fact!  

Have a great fourth.

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## Candidus

> I have a very small area in which to garden (compared to what I had in Houston, that is).  But I have already gotten a basketful of tomatoes and peppers.  The only other things I planted was herbs, which have already harvested basils and mints.  It's been so hot already that the tomato plants stopped producing flowers and the leaves are crisping.  Usually, this only happens in August with June being a good producing month, if not the LAST good producing month.  So, even tho I got a good start on the garden this year (mild March, lots of rain in April, etc.)....it has now been compensated for via the heat kicking in EARLY.  Figures.
> 
> That said, I'm not bitchin.  I already got more tomatoes this year than in the last three.  And the peppers are still going full-steam.  No complaints.  I plan to kick back with some Coronas and lime too.  Burgers on the grill Sunday.  And my company (if they make it)....and I will enjoy some ice-cold champagne with orange sherbert or OJ (mimosas) on Monday...hehehe.  Maybe a couple of bottles, in fact!  
> 
> Have a great fourth.


A Happy Fourth it was, although the weather didn't cooperate for us up here in southern Virginia.

Speaking of crisping, we're starting to see some of the hot weather you've been experiencing down in Texas, Sheldonna. This is going to be our first heat wave of the year (so much for Global Warming) where we're going to be in the 90s for about a week. I guess all the rain we had over the weekend was a blessing since the plants and grass are going to need it.

Another nice thing about the rain was that it gave me an excuse to rest and blow off chores for a change. I finally got a chance to watch _13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi_, which is a fantastic movie. If I had my way everyone voting in November would have to see that movie before they go to the polls.

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## Sheldonna

> A Happy Fourth it was, although the weather didn't cooperate for us up here in southern Virginia.
> 
> Speaking of crisping, we're starting to see some of the hot weather you've been experiencing down in Texas, Sheldonna. This is going to be our first heat wave of the year (so much for Global Warming) where we're going to be in the 90s for about a week. I guess all the rain we had over the weekend was a blessing since the plants and grass are going to need it.
> 
> Another nice thing about the rain was that it gave me an excuse to rest and blow off chores for a change. I finally got a chance to watch _13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi_, which is a fantastic movie. If I had my way everyone voting in November would have to see that movie before they go to the polls.


Yeah, my ex just rented and watched it and said there was some video missing from the original taping.  Apparently someone (Netflix?) did some "creative editing" re: the part where a call to Obama happened).  Dunno.  Haven't been able to find out anything about that.

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## Candidus

> Yeah, my ex just rented and watched it and said there was some video missing from the original taping.  Apparently someone (Netflix?) did some "creative editing" re: the part where a call to Obama happened).  Dunno.  Haven't been able to find out anything about that.


Interesting - I may have to look into that myself.

Even with that missing, I think the director did a good job of pointing out how everyone in Benghazi got hung out to dry by Obama & Co. from Day One.

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## Sheldonna

> Interesting - I may have to look into that myself.
> 
> Even with that missing, *I think the director did a good job of pointing out how everyone in Benghazi got hung out to dry by Obama & Co. from Day One*.


I haven't seen it yet....but yep, looks like (from what I hear) that is accurate.

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## Candidus

Back to the great outdoors...

Aside from the blazing Southern heat, you gotta love this time of year - the flowers and ornamental trees & bushes are blooming, the summer harvest is in full-swing and the results of my tomato-growing experiment are in.

I tried growing five different varieties of tomatoes in two different locations. One group was out in our field where the plants got full exposure to the sun, heat and wind, and the other was in a somewhat sheltered spot that was less exposed to all three of those elements. The only difference was in the planting time - the plants out in the field had a bit of head start. I grew 5 varieties of tomatoes - Big Beef Hybrid (super disease-resistant), Best Boy Hybrid (another disease-resistant variety), Early Girl, Bella Rosa and a Dwarf Husky Cherry Hybrid. In every case, the tomatoes grown out in the field outperformed the tomatoes in the more sheltered location. Of the 4 regular tomatoes I grew, the Big Beefs performed the best - the fruit were bigger, more numerous and best tasting. The poorest performer was the Bella Rosa - the fruit were fine, but the plants weren't nearly as large and productive as the other varieties.

We also got to break in the new All American pressure I canner I bought this year (made in the USA) and it was a major improvement on our old water bath set-up. I also spent practically an entire weekend cooking vats of chili, Brunswick stew, gumbo and salsa to get rid of the other tomatoes. Last weekend I planted the succession crop of tomatoes - some of them croaked in the hot conditions, but I'm hoping I can get one more crop in before the first frost ends the growing season. Everything else - green beans, lima beans, okra, summer squash and corn is coming along nicely.

On a sad note, I had to add another plot to our pet cemetery which is located in my wife's rose garden. The long run of our black cat Mojo, who lived to be 17 1/2 years, finally ended yesterday. He was a wonderful little soul and he really made me a big fan of his breed. If I ever get another cat or two a Bombay will definitely be on the top of my list.

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## Calypso Jones

bump

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