trudy's Blog

Ups & Downs in the garden
May 20, 2007 | 9:58 AM PST
Tags: potatoes , fish pond , overflow , Amillia , tomatoes , okra , eggplants , beefsteak

Well I had it all writen down, then stepped away an lost it all. Saying I wasn't logged in an couldn't find the page I requested. Really you admin should do something about that delay. The page was saying I was logged in, when I really wasn't. So I continued with my entry. Then to find out I wasn't logged in an all my entry was for nothing.

Now to get back my thoughts an rewrite this.

Not to much has been going on around here, I refilled my fish pond yesterday an left to go to a tournament weigh in an of course forgot about it. While out taking photos this morning I discovered it, oops!! Sure was clean looking, an really full, overflowing on the edges. The plants in the overflow edges where it made its path really loved the extra drink.

I dug some potatoes this morning from where the tops had died, suppose to be a sign that they are done growing. Boy what a disappointment!! The seed potatoes I planted were bigger than the harvest. Don't know what I'm not doing right, I think it must be my soil. Now I have a good size spot to grow something else, pehaps some okra.

I picked 2 beefsteak size Amillia tomatoes yesterday also, first for the season. Although they are a hybrid I don't mind some hybrids in the garden depending on what it is. Also picked a few banana peppers an a cucumber. My eggplants are not growing, I think I have ants on them or something, will have to recheck an treat them.
Well this is my shorter version of what I did have written, it'll do

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