trudy's Blog

Getting closer to being done
Apr 30, 2007 | 2:44 AM PST
Tags: potatoes , beetles , veggie , coffee , papaya , cocoa , Lady Banks , compost
I got some more out of the greenhouse an placed about the beds.  I lost a couple of Hawaiian Papaya plants, Cocoa Tree and Coffee Tree from the winter.   Just couldn't keep it warm enough in the greenhouse I reckon.  Got all the new plantings watered good.   Late yesterday after noon while watering the veggie garden I noticed some beetles on my tators,  went an got the shop vac  an sucked them up.   I really don't want to use chemicals if I don't have to, so will see what happens next.  I had read that works somewhere online and thought it made sense.  I plugged the end of the vac hose up so they can't crawl out.  Hopefully they will die in the tank.   Got the compost pile going again,  noticed I had several potatoe starts in there so I moved them to the tator bed.  They most likely won't make it, but figured why not try.   They even had little tators on the roots.  They sprang up from some peeling I had thrown in there over the last few weeks.  Also some other stuff I didn't fool with I just turned them into the pile.  For some reason my flowers bloom about a month later than everyone else around here,  my Lady Banks rose is just now starting up.   I've had to cover some of the later cabbage seedlings to keep them from getting chewed down.  Guess its a rabbit feasting on them.   Still have some more planting to do,  but oh so close to being finished with that to.  I think!!!

Update
Apr 29, 2007 | 11:20 AM PST
Tags: rose , chicks , iris moonlight , onions , leeks , potatoes , trellis , mayhaw , Quince Rust

Been awhile since my last entry, back on the 21st my dd's an myself with the g-sons went to the Mayhaw Festival. I was hoping to get up with someone that could give me advise and information about the Quince Rust, but I kept missing the guy somehow. Was an enjoyable day, wonderful live music. DH didn't go, he went brim fishing instead an he an his friend caught 40 all together. I got home that day an planted an herb bed, I had so much excess from seeding out all those seeds I had to do something with them all. It turned out good, I planted lemon balm, borage, thyme, curley parsley, comfrey, curry, transplanted a couple sage plants where I was tearing out a bed that was falling apart. Stuck in a couple Job's Tears only cuz I didn't know where else to put them. I now have some n full sun, part sun and full shade. Surely I"ll know soon where it likes to be.

I've put the baby chicks to the outside pin and they seem so much happier. I've only lost 1 since being out there, DD thinks a snake may have gotten it. I don't know! I went to the feed store on my way back from Macon and with each 25# bag of feed (chicken) they gave u 3 baby chicks. And of course I couldn't turn them down. So for the 2 now that I've lost I've gained 1 chick. Only no idea if they are male or female. I'm keeping them in the back room for now til they get their true feathers, still gettin a little cool at night so don't want to take the chance. The grown hens have really started gearing up on the egg laying to now that the weather has stabled out some.

Last Sunday I cut back some of the Azaleas that had gotten taller than I wanted them to, an I wanted them to bush out better. While doing so I noticed the Akebia had run under the porch so I got that pulled out and wound up on the right trellis, I had planted a Cup & Saucer vine to twine up with the Akebia and its doing great. Can't wait to see it in bloom. I got most of the dead wood pruned out of the roses, most all of them are in full bud, some are blooming and most will be blooming all summer long. Smells so nice while walking out about the yard.

My Mayhaw trees are full of mayhaws, will be interesting as to how many will be useable due to the Quince Rust. I've tried to stay on top of the spraying and feel I have done a pretty good job.

This past Saturday (yesterday) I finished planting my bunching onions an leeks. I put them in with the herb bed and some flower beds only cuz the veggie garden is so full. My one an only zuke plant died overnight, don't have a clue as to why so I bought a replacement and also a 9 pk of Beauregard (sp) sweet potatoes starts. Don't have a clue where those will be planted. What was I thinkig????? I did get the mator stakes in place just gotta tie them but some/most are not big enough to worry about yet. I stopped by a friend/customer on friday to deliver her some eggs and she gave me a couple lilac bushes, graveyard fern and clerodendrum wachaii (sp). All transplanted fine so far except the CW. The main one I wanted. I didn't cut it back, but will today to see if that will do the trick. Even if I loose the blooms for this year it'll be worth it in the long run. Ok, an update on the blooming calander for 2007:

continued week 3:

Gruss an Acchan rose (sp)

Maggie rose

Comtessa de Chomard rose (sp)

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Week 4:

Mrs. R.M. Finch

Reines des Violette rose

Ducher rose

Mrs. Dudley Cross rose

Rose Champion

Graham Thomas rose

Altissimo Shrub rose

Madame Cochet rose

Lavender Lassie rose

Will Scarlet rose

Cardinal Hume rose

Prosperity rose

Moonlight rose

Baron Provost rose

Martha Washington rose

2 tone purple bearded Iris (Indian Chief??)

Red Cascade rose

Praline Festival Iris

Silver Mound (carnation type bloom)

Lafter rose

White American Beauty rose

Little Henry shrub

G. Otto Linne rose

Champney's Pink roe

Unk. Damask rose (pink)

trudy

Almost done
Apr 19, 2007 | 1:26 PM PST
Tags: roses , Iris , Melons , houseplants , flowers , greenhouse , feathers , coop , chicks
This post has been edited by an administrator

I finally got the melon patch planted 2 days ago, I planted Santa Clause, Moon & Stars, Banana, Paradise and Canary. Can u tell we love melons. Still have a good bit of flowers left to plant and the house plants to get out of the greenhouse an placed about the beds, but I'm in no rush. The nights have been in the 50's here, so I know they'll like the cool temps. The baby chicks are growing and doing well, thinking about putting them outside in a coop with a light so they get a chill during the night. At least the larger of them, some are still getting their true feathers and some already have them. Some more flowers have started blooming an here they are:

Lemon Mist Bearded Iris

Unk. Purple Bearded Iris

LaReine rose

Mrs. B. R. Cant

Belinda's Dream

and another rose I can't remember the name, have it written somewhere

Felicia

trudy

Storm on its way
Apr 14, 2007 | 5:25 PM PST
Tags: Black eye susan , Phillipine Violet , Mexican Flame Vines , Spanish Flags , Morning Glorys , Borage , Oakleaf Hydrangeas , Hollyhocks , roses , strawberries , pie filling , storm , chicks

Its been gonna storm all week, but has been missin us.  Staying north,  I didn't want it to be bad weather but just get some of the rain off of it.  So every afternoon when I'd get home from work I get to planting.   Same today,  I did get a lot planted,  more hollyhocks, black eye susans, Phillipine Violets, Mexican Flame vines, Spanish Flags,  Morning Glory trees, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, White Obedient Plant,  Morning Glory bush (questinable as to whether they make it here), Borage,  some lillies I couldn't never seem to get planted also got done today.  Finished up planting the last of the potatoes I've not been able to find the time to plant.  I've not been that good at growing them, so I'll be interesting to see what they do being planted so late.  The other afternoon when it was suppose to rain I got my Lady Banks rose and Lavaglut rose planted.

Friday I picked another bucket of strawberries,  think  I'll put it up as a pie filling this time.  My baby chicks are doing well,  out growing there large box thats for sure.   Had planned to put them outside today, but DH says to wait til after next Wed., cuz its suppose to be back down in the 40's at night til Wed.   I was gonna C & P the bloom list, but this site won't let me.


Well its lightening a good bit now, so its getting closer.  A tornado has already been spotted in Ala north of us.  trudy

Got warm out today
Apr 8, 2007 | 3:11 PM PST
Tags: squash , tomatoe , compost , foxglove , Hydrangea , storm

I added some of the compost to the bed I was gonna plant the yellow squash in, planted all the squash which I hadn't planned on planting that many. Ole well, what I don't want I'll give away (I hope). Still have lots of other stuff to plant. I did get the "Black" tomatoe bed planted. Still have 1 full bed I can plant in, so plan to plant it full of melons. Just gonna amend the soil first, just to tired this afternoon and still had supper to cook. I make myself stop around 6 so I won't be so late getting outta the kitchen. But I got a tray of Pupura Foxglove and a Mixed of colors of Foxglove planted near the pond area. 2 Red Stem Hydrandreas planted that I rooted from a friend of mines mother plant. If I could ever figure out how to post pics I'll add some. Its suppose to storm here for the next couple of days, one reason I wanted to get as much planted as I could. trudy

Last nights frost
Apr 8, 2007 | 9:12 AM PST
Tags: frost , veggies , brugs , lantanas , mexican sage , freeze , strawberries , canning

Didn't seem to hurt much, I had covered the tender things in the veggie garden but the lantanas, brugs, mexican sage and things like that did get bit. I hope they will be ok seeing how it didn't freeze, only frost last night. Tonight is suppose to be frost as well, hopefully this will be the end of it. Ordinarily I would be uncovering things come late morning, but tomorrow I'll be at work when its time to uncover, so I hope things don't "cook" waiting on me to get off work. I tried to transfer some of the entries from my journal over here without luck. Don't know what I'm not doing right, Ole well I'll figure it out sooner or later.

Friday I stopped by a "Pick your own Strawberry Farm" and picked a bucket of berries, they had all but 4 rows covered in preparation for the upcoming cold week end. Figured it was best to get them then just in case the cold ruined them. I had previously dryed them or made jelly but have plenty of that already to do us awhile and wanted to do something different. So I decided to make some of the strawberry glaze that we like putting on cheesecake that I would normally buy at the grocery store. I just can't see buying something I can make myself. And at least I'd know whats in it. I found a recipe online an tweaked it a little for my taste and it turned out great. The true test is how it will hold up for long term storage, don't think it'll be a problem, will see. Here is the recipe:

Strawberry

Glaze

4 c. pureed strawberries

4 c. granulated sugar

8 TBS Lemon Juice

20 drops red food coloring

6 TBS Corn Starch

Wash an hull berries, in a blender liquidfy berries til smooth, I strained the juice to remove the seeds. Put all ingredients into a non stick pot, be sure not to overcook. Once bubbly and as thick as u want it ladle into steriized jars, top with sterile lids. Water Bath 8 oz jars for 10 min., Pint jars for 15-20 min.

trudy