Fleurs

At times throughout the summer I tend to forget about my flowers. It's not that I love them any less than my vegetables but I have more at stake if the veggie garden doesn't produce. However,I do love my little flowers and watching them bloom throughout the summer. I didn't add much to the flower gardens this year but plan on moving some of the Hostas due to deer issues in the back yard. I added the Dahlia bed with two elephant ears in June, and just transplanted Iris bulbs into the flower garden that will add a whole new element next summer!

I had 2 hanging Petunia's. Left them in the sun a bit too long a few different days so they are a little wilted but still producing beautiful flowers for the bees and hummingbird's.



The Dahlia bed. No flowers yet but the buds are there, just waiting for the right day!



Daylillies

I plant seed packets in my pots for the summer. However, I forgot what I planted in this one! Waiting for the flowers to show up so I can remember what I planted.

  

Fushias

Front Porch



Front Porch



2012 Garden - The Stars of Project 24

My Garden stars the following attractions this year:

CARROTS

(I planted carrots last year but absolutely none grew, this was a pleasant suprise!)

TOMATOES

(I was given a box of tomatoes last fall and saved the seeds. I planted 4 greenhouse plants just in case but now have an overabundance of tomatoes! Looking forward to making spaghetti sauce of some sort.)

Habanero Peppers

(I started these inside and transplanted in mid-July. They have flowers but I'm unsure if they will produce in time for the fall. We've still got time. First time trying peppers in the garden.)

TOMATILLOS

(First time with tomatillos, hoping to make a few jars of salsa.)

MARIGOLDS

(I have read over the years that Marigolds help with certain pests. I normally don't like the flower itself, but enjoy it in my garden.)

HERBS

(Spearmint, Thyme, Basil in the garden. I also have Parsley in a container on the deck.)

ACORN SQUASH

(I love acorn squash, but my husband and son do not. I'll be eating some and making the rest into baby food.)

ZUCCHINI

(We love zucchini so much that when I ran out of room I planted the 2 extra seeds away from the rest near my acorn squash. Didn't want to waste a seed!)

SWEET POTATOES

(Again, my boys do not eat these. I will eat a few, give a few away, but mostly make these into baby food for next spring.)

PUMPKINS

(I saved seeds from last year's 'cooking pumpkin' we bought while at a local pumpkin patch. This was, again, a let's-see-how-it-works-out type situation. Turned out well!)

GREEN BEANS

(Last year I planted 2 packets of seeds, and we got no green beans. So this year I tried again. Seems everything I put in the ground grew! We've harvested 2 gallons so far just off the bush beans. We'll pick the pole beans tomorrow and will have at least the same. Bush beans will have to be harvested again soon too! I'm freezing the beans to use over the winter. Will possibly make some baby food with these when thawed.)

ASPARAGUS

(I was hoping to plant up to 15 asparagus plants. I restrained and bought 2. They were supposed to be ready to produce this year but I only got 2 stalks. I let them grow and will cut them down in the fall in hopes of asparagus next year. Gotta keep trying!)

GARLIC and ONIONS

(I planted fall garlic and onions that have been growing nicely. Haven't been able to harvest as soon as I thought we would but they are going to be a better size than the garlic and onions I planted this spring. Nice to have a little bit of each.)



TURNIPS

(Opps! I planted turnips and had no idea what I was going to do with them... so I'm going to blanch and freeze them with my potatoes and some with carrots for baby food. I will only add a small amount fo the baby food carrots, turnips could make baby gassy!)

POTATOES

(Planted Kenebec and Yukon Gold. Grew well last year, growing well again now that they don't have weeds to compete with!)

2012 Garden - Mid-season Project 24

I thought blogging would be as easy this summer as it was last summer. Turns out being pregnant, doing some room remodels, getting Cole to baseball 3 days a week, and working full time does not allow for garden photography or blogging. Bummer!

Here is my garden update:


Walking into the garden.



My garden is approximately 30+ by 30+. It is messy and cluttered and I have way too much planted in each row/section. I cram everything in to see how each grows and to learn more each year

 I love it and it is my sanctuary!



Looking to the left-northwest.



Looking to the right-northeast.

 I have only weeded once prior to today since the end of June (an all day event). It has just been too hot for me to be out on the weekends days and the mosquito's are not kind in the evening we have been home. It is much different this year, I can't squat to weed so I have to literally crawl around on my hands and knees, or sit with my baby-bump constantly in the way. I have to make sure I drink enough water and take breaks.

Today, Cole and I were out in the garden for over 3 hours weeding! My potatoes were in desperate need of space and my walking path was scattered with dead weeds I had attempted to pull during my visits to the garden. He was the best helper. I had to put in him in the pathways because we had an incident in June in which I 'lost' a few onions and garlic due to the little boy helping.  The weather was nice and cool, so we weeded away the morning and after lunch. There are still weeds mixed in with my veggies, but not nearly what was there this morning.

It was such a great feeling to see it look like a real garden again!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

I love when my friends post gardening tips and ideas on Pinterest! This amazing blog had a post about sweet potatoes that I just had to pin and keep forever at my fingertips. It is a basic tutorial on how to grow your own sweet potatoes. Straight and to the point, which is what we all need!

Guess who is the only person in my family of 3 who likes sweet potatoes?? Yup, just me. This winter while planning the garden it didn't seem like a veggie I needed to plant. However, now that we're going to have baby in October or November that means I will not have as much time to get fresh garden produce ready for baby when it starts eating solids. This led to my decision to plant sweet potatoes. The plan is to grow, puree, and freeze the sweet potatoes in preparation of baby needing good homegrown veggies.

The local greenhouse where I will get my starters does not even start selling them until June 1st. So my little plot has been sitting empty for a few weeks, patiently waiting for something to grow. I will plant the sweet potatoes toward the south side of the garden, where they will get the most sun. They require very warm weather so I'm going to do my best to keep them toward the middle each year to maximize the sun for my picky little plans.

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

One of the first Pinterest ideas I decided to try was the toilet paper roll seed starters. While this idea is great in theory, I think I did a few things wrong. Below is the photo I saw to get my inspiration. Perfect little seedlings in a clean looking display.

Looks easy enough, right?

Below is my photo. Yes, mine are much messier, and growing nowhere near as even and perfect as the photo above. I planted eggplant, butternut squash, pole beans, (and tomatoes in the plastic pots). I only had 4 eggplant and 6 butternut squash sprout in the rolls, that was it.

A few things I think I did wrong that I will change if I try this again for my 2013 Garden:

*Watering was difficult because I had the rolls in a cardboard box. I watered often, usually with a spray bottle. But if it was nice out I would give them a better soak and let them sit in the sun. However, the bottoms of the rolls and box ended up getting moldy, yuck! I was happy to get it out of my living room window.

*When I went to transplant into the garden I thought it would be simple. However, I forgot about the 'hardening off' that is supposed to take place. So I lost 3 of my eggplant and 4 of my squash. Hopefully the other little guys will make it. I just thought it would be nice to have some early squash.

*Planting too early may have also been a problem. We started getting beautiful weather really early this spring. I can't remember exactly when I planted my seedlings but it was way too early...

*Location. I do not have a good location for full-day, south sun, or any sun really coming into the house. Next year I need to find a better location... or buy a mini-portable greenhouse that I can wheel in and out of the garage in the spring.

*Soil. I don't think I had enough seed starting soil in my rolls. Will add to the top next year to ensure the sun/heat is getting to every little seed.

Bulbs - Project 25

This week I had an awesome co-worker offer up Dahlia bulbs. I emailed her back (within seconds) saying I would take whatever she wanted to give away which turned out to be the Dahlia's and Elephant Ears! Now, the issue is finding a place to plant there where I can dig them out each fall. I will also have to learn how to care for bulbs. To reference my grandma again, she was an expert on caring for bulbs. She had a box in the garage where she carefully stored all of her flower bulbs, remembering where each one was in the fall to extract safely. This could be my downfall. In the spring I couldn't remember where I transplanted Hostas from last fall!

I'm hoping to add a small raised bed in my flower garden to plant the Dahlia's. This way they are all in one spot to dig out in the fall. I won't need to go on a scavenger hunt to find all of my bulbs, or risk losing some to the Minnesota winter.  The Elephant Ears could be planted in the same spot, as long as I don't over shade my flowers... so I guess we'll try it and see how it works.

Dahlia:
The Dahlia Barn has a great page (with a lot of detail) on how to care for Dahlia's. The biggest thing is understanding that these are going to take a little bit of extra time and care. Careful watering, and careful fall 'harvest' of the bulbs will ensure I have healthy tubers from year to year. I don't know what colors my Dahlia's will turn out to be but I do know they will be a beautiful addition to my garden!

Elephant Ears:
Elephant Ears are a great addition to a garden. Again, my problem is finding a spot for these larger plants!  The tips I got from a wiki-type site sound easy enough. I don't always trust the wiki-how or wikipedia sites just because anyone can add or change the information. These directions seemed very similar to other flower gardening sites.

1. Before planting the elephant ear tuber, wait until the danger of frost is over and the temperature averages 45ºF (7ºC) or more.

2. The adult elephant ear plant will need at least 3 feet (1 meter) of space, at a bare minimum, for proper growth and show in a relatively shady area. A really healthy plant may need as much as 5 feet (1-2 meters) of space.

3. Dig a hole, and if possible, in rich, organic soil about 3-4 times the size of the tuber.

Refill the hole as necessary with loose soil enough so that the tuber will be about 1-2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm.) below ground level when planted.

4. Lay (plant) the tuber with its top up - if in doubt, plant the tuber sideways and let nature figure it out!

5. Cover the tuber with soil and water deeply. After watering, about 1" to 2" (2.5 cm - 5 cm) of soil should cover the tuber.

6. Mark the spot where the tuber is planted.

7. Wait 1 to 3 weeks - maybe more (depending upon air and ground temperature) for first growth to show.

8. Elephant ear plants perform reasonably well in average soil. Periodic fertilization (every 2 to 4 weeks) with a common plant fertilizer will help them do their best.

9. Good drainage is a big plus, but the plant should not be left to go dry for any length of time. When this happens, the droopy leaves will give early enough warning for the plant to recover nicely if watered within a day.

10. At the peak of the warm season, large, beautifully lush foliage can grow to heights of 3 to 5 feet (1-1.6 meters). If any leaves turn brown at the edges, just cut away and new ones will certainly grow.

The plant will start having difficulties when the temperature falls below 50ºF (9-10ºC) or so for more than a few days. Before freezing temperatures take over, the tuber (root system) will have to be dug up. 

11. A healthy plant will have developed multiple new tubers during the growing season. It's best to leave these intact during storage. Separation will not do significant damage though.

12. Trim most of the green vegetation (top growth) off the top of the tubers: leave no more than half to 1 inch of leafy growth on the tuber. Let the freshly trimmed tubers sit in open air so they can visibly dry out before final storage - maybe a couple of days at most will do. Drying out will minimize the potential for mold, and bacteria to develop.

13. Store the tuber during the colder, winter months in a cool, dry place (45-55ºF is desirable). Don't store in a plastic bag: a plain paper bag with plenty of holes for ventilation will do nicely, as will storage in sphagnum peat moss or garden vermiculite.

14. When the warm season comes around again, separate the tubers as necessary, plant anew and enjoy!

Pinterest Tuesday Idea

I love fresh carrots from the garden. When my siblings, cousins and I were younger we would help plant and harvest my grandma's garden. One of my favorite things to do was pick a carrot, 'clean' it on the grass, and eat! Last year I tried to plant carrots. I quickly realized our soil is too heavy (a common problem with my garden).  I planted a row of seeds, and only had one produce, then quickly die...

Over the winter I found a link through Pintrest about growing carrots in pots. This had never even occurred to me before! I have two huge clay pots that were left at he house by the previous owners that I have used for flowers. However, this year they are holding carrot seeds.

One thing I made sure to do was use an organic potting soil and seed starter in the pots. This soil is nice and light so the carrots will stay put but still have a lot of space to grow. I will have to make sure they get watered on a regular basis so the soil does not dry out. So far so good, just waiting for the sprouts!



The 2 large pots hold my carrots, the smaller pot holds spinach. Here, they will get full sun.