Fall Cleanup Time

Sunday, October 14, 2012 - Yesterday I spent the day saying "good bye" to my vegetable garden for the season. I spent the morning raking leaves in my back yard and then raking the leaves over the top of my garden.

In the afternoon, I tilled the leaves into the ground and raked out the dirt once I was done. I also checked on my strawberry plants which I planted in the fall and  already started to produce runners.

Friday evening we had our first frost of the Fall. It was cold Saturday morning, waking up to temperatures in the high 30's.  I picked the last tomatoes and peppers for the season and brought them in the house preparing for the cold weather.

I am now preparing to think about next spring. What to plant, how to rotate my plants in the garden and the possibility of starting some of plants from seed in my home during the winter months. In the past when I have done this, I have not been met with much success. The plants grow but never seem to be strong enough to plant outside once the growing season begins. It is time for me to do some research in this area to see what I have been doing wrong. If anyone has any suggestions on what do do, please let me know!!!

It also has been time to make sure the bird feeders are filled and cleaned. As you can see from this picture, the finches started their afternoon feast right before 4pm. It will be great to see these finches in another month when their feathers will turn yellow in color.

What a Beautiful Weekend !

Sunday, July 22 - Waking up this weekend to temperatures in the 70's has been quite refreshing. We have had two heat waves this summer with temperatures at times in the low 100's and the heat index hitting 105 on one day.

My vegetable garden has survived these extreme conditions however I am disappointed with the yields from the tomato plants so far . Usually by this time I am picking daily up to 10 - 15 large tomatoes and with the grape variety, I have picked up to 1/2 a bucket at times. Yesterday, I had one of my largest yields of the summer, picking 3 4 heirloom and around 25 grape and cherry.

Last weekend I planted 6 each of  tomato, eggplant and cantaloupe plants. Also, I planted 14 zucchini seeds hoping for a second yield during the end of September.

Rain also has been scarce this summer. We did have a downpour this past week but besides that small amount, rain has been hard to come by. I am sure this has played a reason for the slow yield this summer as the well watering I have been doing just is not the same.

My flower gardens are doing well. My hydrangea tree is beginning to bloom and the limelight hydrangea bush has been in full bloom the last 3 days. It is nice to see these colors this time of year adding a special touch during these hot and humid times.

I am beginning to think about how to expand my garden. Once I determine what I am going to do I will share my ideas with everyone.

Rain, Finally !!!!

Friday, June 29 - I did not mind being awoken this morning by the sound of rain hitting my bedroom window. Finally we had a thunderstorm, typical for South Jersey summer days, especially when we are beginning a heat wave.

The rain we received in my area was the first in 10 days. It is most welcomed with the predicted temperatures for this weekend to be in the high 90's and possibly reaching 100 !!!

Luckily my flower and vegetable gardens are still doing well. We have been watering all areas but as you know, nothing is better than rain water for flower growth and vegetable yields.

My vegetable garden has been providing us and friends with huge numbers of zucchini and yellow squash. Tomatoes are slowly ripening and Thursday I picked my first plum tomatoes.

Another pleasant surprise where the "mystery" plants which have started from the compost pile. We have identified two plants; pumpkins and acorn squash. It is so strange to see pumpkins forming this time of year. The acorn squash is producing long vines which is beginning to tangle with the watermelon and peppers.

Today is a rest day from garden work. Having the day off from work, I plan to head to the shore, hopefully to cool down and relax. This weekend, I plan to do my usual garden chores and hope to begin to clear the brush down by the creek.

Hot Air Balloons

Sunday, June 24 - After taking my dogs out this morning around 6:30AM, I heard the burner sounds from above. Looking over my tree line in the back yard I saw two Hot Air Balloons flying over and beginning to descend.







It was a beautiful site and so peaceful watching and listening to the balloon as they flew slowly out of sight.  The quiet morning added to my excitement as I thought about what I was planning to do the remainder of the day.
I decided with the heat, to cut back those tree limbs which were in the way while I cut my grass. Using a combination of my chain saw, small and large tree cutters, I was able to finish this job in about 3 hours. The task then in hand was the cleanup, picking up all the cut branches and hauling them to the woods.

Summer Time is officially here !!!

Saturday, June 23 - The hot, humid weather we have had the last 3 days has finally left us for a brief time. Yesterday, was a day where I needed to run errands, pick blueberries and also purchase a new weed trimmer.

My wife and I begun our day by going to Mood's Farm to pick blueberries. Mood's located on Rt. 77 in Mullica Hill New Jersey is a great place to go if you want pick various fruits throughout the growing season. This is a place my wife and I visit on a regular basis especially during the early summer and fall. Yesterday we picked 23 lbs of blueberries which we freeze and use throughout the year in smoothies and home baked products.

I have been researching which brand to purchase and decided on a stihl weed trimmer which can use interchangeable attachments. My purchase yesterday included a trimmer and single blade which is used to cut brush.

 Our flower garden is beginning to grow with the hot and humid weather.

 The sunflower seeds, which have fallen from our bird feeders have grown to 4 ' in height and are almost ready to bloom.

 Flowers are starting to bloom and attract hummingbirds throughout the day.

 The vegetable garden is beginning to yield zucchinis, tomatoes, broccoli and yellow squash.

 All of the plants which have grown from the compost pile are doing well and are beginning to flower.

 The raspberries plants are beginning to produce fruit and are now beginning to turn red.

Happy Fathers Day

Sunday, June 18 - Fathers Day 


Happy Fathers Day!!! Today is a day for me to think about and reflect on all my memories with my father. As I think back, I did not appreciate all my father had to offer me as I was growing up and even after I started my family, I did not really understand everything that I had learned from him.

Today, as I look back, I think about the values and the way of life he taught me. Many of the things I learned from him were silent, meaning I learned by the example he set by the way he treated my mother and provided for our family.

By todays standards, he was not an educated man as he finished high school after serving time in the army during WW II. Then thru the mail he taught himself how to become an excellent wood craftsmen which as a hobby he would build furniture, church altars and anything asked of him by neighbors and friends.

It was common to see my father in his garage every weekend and often after work, finishing a project or fixing something that I had broken or needed to be repaired around our home. I cannot ever remember my father calling someone to our home to do repair work as he always had the knack to find some way to fix whatever needed to be done.

I certainly do not have many of the skills that he had. But I certainly try to live my life daily by setting the example he had done for me. To all fathers today, Happy Fathers Day, and I hope you have fond memories like me.

As begin my garden work this morning, I will be thinking about all those good times I had with my father while growing up.

My vegetable garden is really beginning to "take off"! It looks like I will have my first ripe tomato sometime this week and the yellow squash and zucchini are now beginning to mature. The string bean seeds I planted a few days ago are now 2 inches out of the ground and my pepper plants are beginning to form small peppers.

Broccoli and Lettuce Picking

Sunday, June 10 - A hot and humid Sunday in South Jersey today. It is in the 90's with showers popping up in the tri-state area. I hope are area gets some rain soon. The soil is very dry and cutting grass this weekend the dust kicked up reminded me of those hot days in August.

The hydrangeas are beginning to bloom in our garden ! Hopefully by the weekend the plants will be in full bloom. Also, the annuals we have placed in pots, baskets and in our yard are beginning to mature. One of my favorites is this petunia we bought at Kens Gardens. It is beginning to "wave", meaning it is starting to grow over the sides of the flower pot found on our patio.

The blueberry plants are beginning to ripen. We have been getting a handful almost every day and the 3 varieties we planted should give us this amount throughout the month of June.

Today I picked 2 heads of broccoli. Our cool crops have treated us well this year and it looks like with this heat this week, this may be our last week for lettuce.


Here is a picture of the area I cleared last weekend which contained strawberry plants. I transplanted 15 different plants, all which grew from the compost pile this year. I do not know how many will actually survive this heat we are having, however it looks like I will have a late crop of zucchini, cantaloupe and tomatoes this year.


Here is a side view of my vegetable garden I took early this morning. All of my crops are doing well. I am looking forward to the cauliflower which I planted back in the spring to begin to form heads. This is the first year I have tried to grow this vegetable.

This afternoon, I spent a few hours working on my compost pile. It is amazing the amount of heat which is generated by all the ingredients I have added. When I started to turn over all the matter, it began to smolder as the grass and leaves are beginning to breakdown. I also went to my neighbors and added a load of horse manure. I layered the manure with the other parts. This will be a huge benefit for next years crops when I put this compost in the garden next spring. It also will give the manure time to "age", which will help crops grow and not burn the roots when added. (Yes, Janice, I thought of you today.  :) )

Lastly, here is a pic of my clematis I planted a few weeks ago. As you can see, I have plenty of green and  but no blooms. I did add espoma tomato tone as this product has a small amount of nitrogen which is needed for this plant. If anyone has any suggestions on what I should do, please let me know.

String Beans are planted

Monday, June 4 - Today after work, I went out to the vegetable garden and planted a 15 foot row of string beans. I always start this vegetable from seeds as in the past I have had much success with my harvest which will occur the first week of August.

I also moved my basil plants to another location in the garden. I wanted to put them in a more convenient location for my wife so she could gather what she needs without walking thru the garden.

The rain we received today helped the other plants I had transplanted yesterday. Even though there are a few not looking that healthy, I believe the cool weather and the dampness we have this week will help these plants in their "new home".

Now, I know Summer is here !

Sunday,  June 3 - We had a beautiful day today and in fact, when I woke up this morning, it was a little chilly. I went to work in my vegetable garden around 7am this morning. About 15 minutes later, my neighbor came over to lend me his mantis tiller for the work I had ahead of me today.

Around 8am, my neighbor put on his outside speakers for me to hear, "Breakfast with the Beatles". This has always something we have kidded each other about, as when we are both working outside, he puts on his radio to keep us entertained. Also, we both realize that when the music is on it is also summer time!!!

Today, was a long day in the garden. I ripped out the large strawberry bed I had planted 2 years ago. It was amazing to see how only 25 plants had taken up almost half of my garden. The strawberry plants had produced so many runners which had rerooted many new strawberry plants for us to enjoy.

After removing all the plants, I also tilled the area 3 times to make sure all the roots were removed and also to add air to the soil. I usually wait 24 hours to plant, but knowing there was a chance of rain today and tomorrow, I decided to plant 14 zucchini and cantaloupe plants and 5 tomato plants which had started to grow in my garden from my compost pile. Many of the plants this evening, looked shocked from their move, but I am hoping the water from this afternoon and the possibility of rain tonight, will help these plants stabilize.

Tent Worms

Saturday, June 2 - Out early in the morning, I noticed my new hydrangea tree had tent worms. These small worms were moving around in their nested enclosure as the sun was warming their home. I was concerned as the leaves which were touching their web all had died. Luckily, the nest was at the end of two branches, and it was in its beginning stages, which made it easy to remove by cutting the branch.

After work, I spent the afternoon dead heading the purple and white salvia as well as my knock out roses. I also worked on my bird feeders and baths which is now part of my weekly routine.

Sadly, my snap peas and strawberries are done for the season. I have decided to remove the one path of berries tomorrow and till this area to plant the small seedlings which have grown from my compost bin. As some of the plants have matured, it appears I have some tomatoes, zucchini, and cantaloupe to transplant !

Our area was fortunate as the only remains from the heavy rains and winds were leaves on the ground and my grape vine breaking. I hope to take some time Sunday to repair this vine after working in my vegetable garden.

Mildew found in South Jersey

Friday, June 1 - Today we learned that a cucurbit downy mildew has been reported first in Gloucester County NJ. This mildew affects the yield of your harvest, therefore ways need to be considered to eliminate this problem. Please see below what you can do to control this disease:

Pest: Cucurbit downy mildew

Found: Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in areas near Swedesboro/Glassboro (Gloucester County). This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in the mid-Atlantic region this year.

 

Crop(s) at risk: all cucurbit crops in New Jersey.

Potential impact: Significant losses will occur if not controlled properly

What growers should do:
Control of cucurbit downy mildew begins with regular scouting, recognizing symptoms and weekly protectant fungicide applications. Now that downy mildew has been detected growers should scout on a daily basis and add a downy mildew specific fungicides to regular fungicide program. As a note, powdery mildew is also active in cucurbits.

           

Remember, all abandoned cucumber and summer squash fields should be sprayed with gramoxone or disced under immediately after last harvest to kill the foliage! Abandoned fields left unattended after use will only serve as a source of inoculum for other fields once downy mildew makes its way into our area.

                       

Please see the 2012 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for specific fungicide recommendations

 

As we await the severe thunderstorms in our area later this evening, I am hoping the anticipated high winds and predicted hail will not damage any of our fruits or vegetables. Even though I am working tomorrow, I will be rising early to check my gardens for any damages.

Taking care of those rose bugs !

Tuesday, May 29 - Another hot day here in South Jersey. Again the temperatures were in the 90's and when I entered my car on the way home from work, the outside temperature gauge showed me 100 degrees !!! Tonight and early tomorrow morning, we are anticipating severe thunderstorms with hail and strong winds.

With the extreme heat conditions, many of my flower leaves have become bug eaten. Especially my knock out roses, there seems to be more leaves which have been eaten than ever before. I stopped by Lowes on the way home and purchased total rose and flower care. It is a concentrate you mix with water.

My vegetable garden is handling the heat with mixed results. The tomatoes are enjoying this weather and many of my plants are almost as tall as their cages. Also, one of my grape tomatoes is beginning to turn yellow, which makes me think that I will have a red tomato by the weekend.

The eggplant and peppers needed to be watered again tonight. The heat had begun to wilt these plants. I am hoping I watered in time where I did not lose any plants.

We had a pleasant surprise with a tree located in our back yard. For the first time since we lived here, we found this tree to be of the bing cherry variety. My wife picked a colander full of this fruit after dinner tonight.

I also picked another 2 quarts of strawberries and some snap peas. It appears that both of these products are at the end of their cycle. If it does rain as predicted, my strawberry picking days may be over.

Memorial Day - A day of Reflection

Monday, May 28, Memorial Day - It is 6:30am and I have started to water my gardens due to the intense heat we have had and will be having over the next few days. It is also Memorial Day, a day which has been created to honor those who have died serving our country under military times. Also, it is thought by many to be the first day of summer vacation and is found to fall the last Monday in May providing many a long weekend to spend time with family, friends and loved ones.

It is a day when I begin my gardening that I will think of my father who served in the army during WWII and also my son, who is graduating from college this year and will be commissioned in the marines to fulfill his marine ROTC scholarship.

I am thankful for those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy. I am proud of those who have chosen to give of themselves so we as a country can continue to enjoy the lives that we have.

As I do my weekly maintenance gardening, these will be my thoughts today. I do hope everyone will remember the importance of this day in whatever they will be doing. Thank you to our veterans, living and dead for all you have done !!11

Early Morning Gardening

Saturday, May 26 - It is 7:30am and I have finished gardening for the day. I started at 6am, which is my favorite time of day. The only noises heard in my area are the occasional cars which pass my home and the birds which are found in the woods and trees in my back yard.

Today, I fertilized many of my vegetable plants and tomatoes. The tomatoes look great. They are growing rapidly with the warm weather we are having. The amount of small tomatoes and blossoms which have formed are far more advanced this time of year than in the past.

My eggplants are not faring well. They have always been the "weak point" in my garden. For some reason they never seem to grow as well as my other vegetables. Today, I noticed the leaves of each plant have tiny holes and have begun to turn yellow. I sprayed each plant with Natria, a product recommended for plant infested insects.

I finished my chores by filling all my bird feeders and cleaning the bird baths. It is amazing the sense birds have. Within minutes, each feeder was filled with birds, enjoying a morning feast.

A Hot Memorial Day Weekend

Friday, May 25 - Even though I worked 3 nights and did not get home until 8pm, it did not discourage me to spend the last few day light moments in my vegetable garden.

I came home on those late nights and picked the sugar peas and strawberries which had ripened. I have been averaging approximately 3/4 quarts of berries and the peas have roughly filled a medium colander.
We have been blanching the peas and freezing them for later in the summer as well as the winter months.

The remaining vegetable plants are responding well to the hot humid days. Many of my tomato plants have grown at least 4 inches this week and several plants do have small tomatoes forming.

I offered my neighbors lettuce and begged them to please pick what they would like !!! It has been a great crop for us this year, but I am afraid with these early hot and humid days, the lettuce will begin to bolt soon.

It looks like I  have success with my artichokes. One seed which I planted in the garden, is about 3 inches in length and the leaves are beginning to take the form of a mature plant. The other plant is still in a  pot, which I have kept in indirect sunlight.

I look forward to this weekend to continue harvesting my peas and strawberries. I also am going to fertilize my vegetable plants hoping to time it with a passing shower.

Another Beautiful Weekend

Sunday, May 20 - We were blessed again with another beautiful weekend with temperatures in the high 70's and the lows in the 50's each evening. Again, I spent time in both the flower and vegetable gardens.

Sweet peas are doing very well but by looking at the plants, it is evident rain is needed. My strawberries are beginning to ripen faster each day  picking a quart each day.

This weekend I finally settled in with manicuring and performing the normal weekly maintenance needed in our yard. We only went to 1 nursery this weekend, buying plants for a bicycle planter given to my wife by her daughters on Mothers Day.

It is nice to see the knock out roses beginning to bloom. All the rose plants are beginning to flower with the traditional red variety in full bloom by this weekend.

We have had our first insect infestation this weekend. It is bizarre to see the vincas which are planted close to the house. Many of these flowers have leaves partially eaten. My wife and I are investigating various organic insecticides to use on these flowers. However these same flowers, found in our large flower garden have not been effected.





I hope everyone was able to enjoy this weekends weather. Again, the beginning of our week has rain in the forecast. I am not complaining as our ground is still very dry. The mild winds we have today have added to our dry soil. Have a good week everyone. I will be in touch later in the week, hoping to find an organic insecticide to use on my vincas !!!!

Snow Peas and Strawberries Are Ready !

Monday, May 14 - Today I picked my first harvest of snow peas and strawberries. Even though there were not many of each, there were enough snow peas for tonights stir - fry for dinner.

Snow Peas are easy to grow and produce a large yield provided that you pick the peas once they are ready every 2 - 3 days. Also they can be frozen very easy as well as stored in the refrigerator for a 2 week period.

Snow Peas and Strawberries

Mothers Day - A day to smell the roses

Sunday, May 13 - Happy Mother's Day !!!  A day in which we take time to reflect and say thank you for  our Mothers. I do hope for those people who no longer have their mothers, it is a time they can sit back and remember all the good times and memories of times past. Also, it is a time to think about all they taught us so we all can be successful in what we do today.

I am thankful my mother is able to be with me today. Sadly, as each year goes by, I see how she has started to slow down in her daily routine. Once, as an independent women, who was still cutting her grass up to 3 years ago is now, sits happily every day and smiles as she plays with my dogs and enjoys the company of my wife and I.

Today, I am including pictures of two of my mom's favorite flowers; roses and a lilac tree. Both found in my garden today.

I can remember growing up, looking out our back window and seeing the many rose bushes growing up the arbors in the back yards. It seemed these beautiful flowers were found everywhere in my moms gardens. Even today, many of these bushes are still seen in her side garden.

I hope everyone can take the time today, to relax and enjoy this day. With the beautiful weather we are anticipating today in South Jersey, it is time to say thank you for all they have done for us !!!!

A Beautiful Day

Saturday, May 12 - After a week of cloudy weather, we had a beautiful day today. The day started chilly and currently it is 79 degrees with a mild wind; a perfect spring day.

Peas

Again it was a busy Saturday, I spent the day out in the garden but did go one last time to Exley's Landscaping to purchase flowers for my wife for Mother's Day. She picked out two plants; a rose tree which will bloom pink petals and a clematis.

Lettuce

It is almost comical the terrible luck we have trying to grow clematis. The last 4 years, we made attempts to grow this beautiful vine only to watch it slowly die as the summer days go by.

Broccoli and Kale

We did try something different this year. We planted the clematis in a different spot and used soil which was dug out of our flower garden which is very rich and drains well with rain. Also, I planted hostas around this plant hoping this will keep the roots cool.

Strawberries

I have included pictures of our vegetable garden and the crops which are currently giving us goodies to eat. If you look closely you can see the pea pods which are forming and the strawberries which will be ready to pick in a couple days. We have been enjoying lettuce for the last 2 weeks and I am hoping this crop will continue to produce until the middle of June.

I picked my first strawberry !!

Thursday, May 9 - Today after arriving home late from work I picked my first strawberry. Also, more berries will be ready this weekend. With our first harvest in this area usually Memorial Day Weekend, we are treated early this year due to the warm conditions we had in March.

It was amazing to see how all my vegetables are doing. This past week we had rain everyday, including this morning, as well as cloudy skies everyday.

With the sun out today for the first time this week, all the plants started to respond to this weeks weather. The artichoke seed I planted has grown 3 inches and some of my tomato plants have small tomatoes developing. Also, the peas are growing higher than the pea trellises - all of these signs of how much rain water helps vegetation.

In our area, this is the weekend that we usually plant flowers and vegetables. Mother's Day Weekend is usually the date that we no longer have to worry about any serious frost which will impact flowers and vegetables.

When planting attempt to avoid these pairing, the nutrients which these combinations need to grow as well as the diseases and or insects which may be found can cause poor yields from these plants:

Tomatoes and corn, Tomatoes and potatoes and Cabbage and lettuce/strawberries

Hopefully this weekend, with the predicted warm and sunny days, I will be able to take and post some pictures of my new flowers and my vegetable garden.

For those who do read my blog, I have two questions. If you have a topic you would like me to address, please let me know.

Also, I need your help !!!! For years, I have been attempting to grow a clematis. I have planted this flower on the east side of our home where it receives morning sun. It is planted against a chimney which has a trellis for the plant to grow. Also, the soil has excellent drainage and is planted in a raised bed.
Every year, I slowly watch this beautiful vine slowly die.

If you have any suggestions on how I can keep this plant alive and thriving, please let me know.

A Great Gardening Weekend !

Sunday, May 6 - Even though we did not receive the warm and sunny weather that was predicted, it still was a great weekend to be outside and do some gardening.

After work on Saturday, I spent time in my vegetable garden weeding, tilling and planting my last vegetables for this month. I planted in onion sets, watermelon, cucumber, green and yellow squash. I finished the afternoon by putting fertilizer around all my vegetables using Espoma, Garden - Tone.

Sunday, was spent cutting grass and edging the lawn. Also, we planted a Limelight Hydrangea, a Salvia - "New Dimension Rose" and a Broom Lena.

Also the remainder of the day was spent planting annuals in our back flower garden. We hope to finish sometime this week with our goal having our yard ready for Mothers Day.

I plan to take more pictures this when the sun is bright. It will be great to see how things are growing so rapidly !!!!

A Chilly, Cloudy Saturday

Saturday, May 5 - Waking up this morning, I was excited to feel a reasonably warm morning, dew in the air and the sun peeking around the clouds. Again, going outside early, I found the ground wet from the evening rain.

This past week, has been a great spring week in South Jersey. Finally we have had rain almost every day. In fact, there were times, we had incredible down pours which saturated the flower and vegetable beds.

The rain has certainly been the best medicine for my garden. The peas in some spots are almost as tall as the highest pea pole and the white blossoms are increasing as each day goes by.

The newly planted vegetables have benefited from the rain. The transplanted kale and broccoli have "perked up" and are beginning to grow.

My tomatoes plants are all beginning to respond to being planted in the soil. Even though there are still a few yellow leaves on some plants,  all the plants are beginning to grow and also produce yellow blooms.

Last evening, my wife and I went to Creamy Acres. Creamy Acres is located in Mullica Hill, South Jersey. This nursery contains many green houses containing annuals and perennials. Also, herbs, vegetables and homemade jellies can be found in there store. Lastly, garden accents pieces can be purchased such as bird baths, outside thermometers, garden and hanging baskets. It was a good visit for us, as we purchased 5 flats of annuals for our flower gardens.

Today after work, I am going to either go to a few nurseries to purchase a few vegetable plants. Hopefully if there is time, I will also cut the grass. Even though temperatures are not as warm as predicted, it still is a good day to do outside work and finish planting.

Finally, My Vegetables are Planted !

Tuesday, May 1 - Yesterday, after work, I decided to plant my vegetables. It is funny how mother nature works and how things can change so quickly. Over the weekend, we had in our area two of the worst frosts I have seen. My yard was hit in ways which I have never seen before; the spinach leaves in the garden were marked and some of the leaves are brown on the edges. In my flower garden, My crepe myrtles and holly bushes were also hit. I had to prune back the burned look leaves and branches, but from the reading I have done, these plants are hardy enough to withstand this type of weather.

The next ten days seem to be perfect to plant in our area. The lows each evening will not go below the high 40's and some of the days high will be in the 70's.

Last night I planted the following tomato varieties:
1 - early girl, 2 - roma, 1 - brandywine, 1 - oxheart, 1- celebrity, 1 - pineapple, 1 - lemon boy, 1 - yellow pear, 2 - cherry, 1 - cherokee purple and 1 - tomatillo.

Many of these varieties are heirlooms and some are repeat varieties from previous year plantings. The tomatillo plant is one of my favorites. It produces a tomato when mature forms an outer covering similar to garlic. They are used to make salsa.

Other vegetables that I planted: pepper: 4 - green, 1 - yellow bell, 1 - italian long and 1 - habanero. 3 eggplant - italian thin, 4 broccoli and 4 broccoli plants from seed, 4 cauliflower, 4 kale from seed, 1 green squash.


The good news is that I have some room left  for planting. I am going to wait until the weekend to decide what else I should consider. This will also give my plants time to "settle in" and replace those which are not faring well.

Last evening we had a good soaking rain. This was helpful for the newly planted vegetables. Also, I did fertilize the tomatoes using Espoma Tomato - Tone. I will this weekend place Garden - Tone around the rest of the vegetables.

In our area, it is always safe to plant during Mothers Day weekend since there rarely seems to be a frost in our area after this date. The good news for this year is that the lows in the evening until then are not predicted to fall within a concern. Therefore, getting an early start with planting will help produce mature crops during the early part of summer.

Getting the Garden Ready !!!

Sunday, April 29 - Even though we have another frost warning, my vegetable garden is ready to plant.

vegetable garden - April 29, 2012

Yesterday, I raked out the uneven areas and placed lines for planting. The 10 day forecast looks great beginning tomorrow and I plan to plant either Monday or Tuesday evening after work.

strawberries - April 29, 2012

This morning, I sprayed Miracid on my rhododendron, hydrangea, azalea and blueberry bushes. These acid loving plants love this fertilizer which I begin using in the spring and continue every two weeks throughout the summer.

vegetable garden with planting lines

I am hoping this year, after using Miracid earlier in the spring, that my hydrangeas will bloom earlier and last longer.

strawberries

I have included some pictures of my vegetable garden as well as a few strawberry plants. If you look closely, you can see the berries which have already begin forming !!!!

lettuce - April 29, 2012

I also made hummingbird nectar and added this liquid to my feeders hoping the anticipated warm weather this week will bring these birds back to my garden.

Enjoy your Sunday and also this beautiful weather.

Frost hit us hard last night

Saturday, April 26 - What a surprise waking up this morning and seeing the heavy frost we got earlier this morning. Even though frost was predicted between 4 and 8am, I did not think we would be hit this hard.

I got home last evening around 1am as I chaperoned a school function. I could not believe how cold it was and found out this morning after checking the weather, the temperature dipped down to 26 degrees.

Looking out my bedroom window around 6:30am, I could see the frost on the garage roof. As I took our dogs outside I walked to look at my garden, hoping there was no damage to the strawberries. Walking to the vegetable garden, I noticed the bird baths had a thin layer of ice.

The lettuce and spinach had frozen water on their leaves. The strawberries also had frozen water on its leaves however the blooms and the formed berries appeared to be ok. Again, there is a concern that with the early warm weather and now the cold nights we have been having; this drastic change, may have an effect on the strawberry crop this May.

Today my wife and I visited two local nurseries. One nursery in particular was hit by the frost. Some of their annuals were hit even though the owner had covered all of her plants.

Even with this cold weather we had early this morning, the good news, is the return of the warm weather beginning Monday. After checking the 10 day forecast, no low temperature is predicted to drop below 45 degrees. With this forecast, I am anticipating planting my vegetables this Monday or Tuesday!!

Tomorrow I hope to post pictures of my vegetable garden and to show its weekly growth. Until then, stay warm and bring on summer !!!!

Arbor Day

Tbursday, April 26 - Tomorrow we celebrate Arbor Day. A day to help remind us of the importance of protecting our planet and ways to preserve our earth.

As we all the know, the tradition on this day is to plant a tree. I can remember my elementary school days having assemblies as we would all go outside and be involved in planting a tree to help preserve our environment.

I realize that we all cannot continue with this tradition, but it is again a day for all of us to think of ways as well as continue practices to help live a greener lifestyle.

Waiting Patiently to Plant

Wednesday, April 25 - It seems I have spending much of my time checking the weather channel to see when I will begin planting my vegetables. This season, I have wanted to plant my vegetables more than ever and I am hoping the weather will cooperate so I may begin soon.

We are having typical Spring weather here in South Jersey. Days have been averaging highs in the 60's and the low's have been in the high 30's. In fact, last evening a colleague and I were talking to see if we received the anticipated frost and luckily we had not.

After work today I weeded my cool crops. I am planning to spend time this weekend stringing out my garden to see where I will be planting. I have already decided how to rotate my crops and I am interested to see with this years setup, if this will help eliminate the tomato blight I had last year. Also, we are ready to begin picking the red and green leaf lettuce we planted a few weeks ago. I am looking forward to having fresh greens from the garden over the next few weeks.

I did walk over to see one of my neighbors this evening. I always enjoy our visits and particularly enjoy discussing their garden, especially since they enlarged their plot for this year.

I am asking all my friends to "think warm evenings" so the frost will stay away. Hopefully if this occurs we will be able to plant soon.

Visiting one of my favorite Supply Stores !!!!

Monday, April 23 - On my way home from work, I went to one of my favorite stores to purchase bird supplies and feed, and vegetable fertilizer.

Roork's Farm Supply, located in Elmer NJ, carries virtually anything you need for your yard. It handles all types of pesticides; both organic and regular, and anything you need to help you with your gardening. Also, I enjoy this store as the staff is very knowledgable. I have been going there for 4 years and the same people are there always greeting you and willing to help you with any questions you may have.

I chose to go today as there monthly special included the sale on Espoma products. Espoma products are made in Millville NJ and they are highly recommended for fertilizing as well as aiding your soil with the proper nutrients needed to grow flowers and vegetables.

Another reason I chose to purchase from Espoma is that all their products are organic.

This year is the first time I chose to purchase Espoma. After reading  reviews and also talking to various people at garden supply stores, I was told this was the product to use.

Today I bought Garden - tone, Tomato - tone and Tree - tone. After unloading my car I placed Tree - tone around the two new trees in my flower garden. I am hoping yesterdays rain and the predication of more rain to come this week, will help soak this substance into the ground.

Happy Earth Day

Sunday, April 22 -  Happy Earth Day!1!

Dogwood

Earth Day - Aprll 22, 2012 - A day to think about what we all can do to help make our planet a better place to live. Living in my home for the last 4 years, I have made many attempts to live a "greener" life as well as to take care of my property and my environment.  Looking at the above logo, and the words surrounding the earth, these 5 "R's" are powerful words which I hope to install and remember daily. I hope all of you can make a difference and impact in improving the planet where we live. Your local Home Depot and Lowes offer FREE programs for you and your family to take advantage of several projects which can improve our environment.

We have finally started to get the much needed rain we desperately needed. Last evening, we started getting rain at 9pm. Now, it is cloudy but more rain predicted for today with the chance of receiving 1 - 2 inches by Monday morning.

It has been a great week for my vegetable garden. Thursday, my wife picked baby spinach for the first time and today, I noticed white blossoms forming on the peas, meaning pea pods will begin to form within the next few weeks.  

If we do get the rain they are calling for today, I hope to spend sometime working on making rain barrels and preparing my tools for planting. To save time when planting I am going to mark the tool handles with tape with 12 and 18 inch markings. This will help space my plants when  planting.

 Enjoy today everyone and also take a moment to think about what you can do to make our planet a better place to live and help to restore the earth.

Preparing to plant !!

Saturday, April 21 - In our area, it is always been safe to plant your vegetables Mothers Day Weekend as RARELY is there a frost after that date. The last two years I have cheated, meaning I have planted the week prior to this weekend as the weather has been unusually warm and the nightly temperatures have not gone lower than the mid 40's.

I am hoping the same will be true this year. A very good friend of mine who has land which he farms always plants his first crops of tomatoes around this time. He decided to plant this weekend, hoping the rain that is coming tomorrow will give him the extra nourishment needed to get an early start for picking in July.

After speaking to him yesterday, again I have the urge to spend time in the vegetable garden. My flowers and vegetable areas are in good shape for this time of year. The lawn has been cut for the week, and sprinkler hoses has been placed in those gardens were rain water does not always hit those bushes and flowers.

This weekend I am preparing for my vegetable planting. It is my hope that I will be able to plant Saturday, May 5th. With that being said, I want to research what organic means I can use when planting those crops.

Tomorrow, being Earth Day, I hope to post the meaning behind this day as well as how our local merchants plan to celebrate this special day. Reflecting on this special day makes me think about the importance of this day and what we all can do to help preserve our planet.

Hooray, a Little Rain !!

Wednesday, April 18 - We finally received a little rain this afternoon, however not enough to really help our drought or provide any help to our flowers and vegetables. My cool crops are really doing well. Soon, I will be thinning out my lettuce and kale and today, I added extra lines to my peas so they can continue to climb.

It is a slow time for vegetable gardening as it is too early to plant the remainder of my crops. I have been spending time in the garden weeding. I also have been weeding other areas of my property, including removing grass and other weeds in my sidewalk and driveway.

This year I tried something different. In stead of purchasing a commercial product, I used the advice of my mother and used white vinegar. I added the vinegar to an empty dish detergent container and then sprayed the vinegar on those areas I wanted to remove.

This morning, mostly all of these weeds had turned yellow. I used a shovel to remove these weeds and now all these areas have been cleaned. Here is a link that also explains the use of white vinegar in other areas of the household. What a great way to clean up those tough areas which is inexpensive and is not harmful to our environment.

Planting Grafted Trees

Sunday, April 15 - Today, being my last day of a week vacation, I spent my morning and afternoon doing yard work. Early in the morning my wife and I went to Exley's Landscaping to pick out two trees to plant in our raised flower garden.

We chose two grafted trees; a Weeping Redbud and a Hydrangea Tree. The weeping redbud is a beautiful tree. It has small pink flowers and blooms in the early weeks of spring. In fact, it is now at the end of its blooming cycle.

The Hydrangea Tree, will produce white flowers very similar to a hyacinth. Right now it is beginning to form small green buds which will bloom during the early to mid August period. This will be a welcome addition to our garden as it should bloom during the same time as our 2 crepe myrtles trees.

The anticipated rain did not arrive as expected. We did have a small amount last evening and again this morning but watering was a big part of my day making sure the flower beds and vegetable garden were wetted down to survive the high temperatures we had today.

Overall, I had a great week off. I was able to get much yard work done as well as spend time with family and also go on two day trips.

I am not looking forward to the warm temperatures we are supposed to have this week. Temperatures will be hovering in the high 70's with some days hitting highs in the mid 80's.

Winter Crops Are Doing Well !

Saturday, April 14 - Before going outside to water my vegetables, I thought I would provide an update on how my winter or cool crops are doing.

Peas, lettuce, spinach, kale and broccoli are doing well. The first planting of peas are about 2 inches out of the ground and are beginning to latch on to the string supports. The second planting is not too far behind and in fact, are beginning to touch their supports.

Again, the warm weather here in our area is most welcome with temperatures today predicted to be in the mid 70's and tomorrow, high 70's and Monday the chance to be in the high 80's. Spring fever has definitely hit our area and in fact, many people are beginning to talk about trips to the shore.

However the bad news is again the lack of rain. The local news stated last night we are 5.53 " below normal for this time of year. We may receive a shower this evening and the possibility of a thunderstorm tomorrow morning, however with the dryness of our soil, this may not help as it just may run off our ground, not able to penetrate the roots of our flowers and vegetables. The good news - this would help reduce the red flag alerts in our area which is so needed so badly.

In our area we are enjoying the last few days of our spring blossoms on spring trees. As you can see by this dogwood tree in my backyard, the bright colors are welcomed this time of year.

A Great Day Doing Yard Work

Friday, April 13 - What a beautiful day today in South Jersey !!! Today the temperature was in the 70's and the sun was shinning all day. I spent the morning cutting my lawn and edging my property. I also ventured down to the creek found at the end of my property and cut down the tall grass and weeds which where bordering the sides.

The afternoon was spent with my wife at a local landscape store attempting to decide on a tree to plant in our raised flower garden. The local store asked me to return with pictures so they could help in providing samples of what we should consider.


 Before calling it a day, I watered my vegetable garden. I was pleased to see how well my strawberries plant are doing. Also, many of these plants are beginning to blossom. Even though this is a pleasant site, I am still concerned this is too early in the growing season sinc I know frost can occur until the middle of May.