Tomatoes, squash, peppers Spring 2014

This post is more for me so I can keep track of the garden, but I do read over other gardeners post like this and I do enjoy them...so I hope you like it too.

 

I laid out more tomato boxes, last year I used the smaller concrete bricks, but the concrete glue
didn't hold up as well and I had to re-glue them.  I took apart the back raised bed and used the cinder blocks to make several more tomato boxes.  These didn't have to be glued together and gave me little pockets to plant flowers, herbs and such.

Tomatoes this year:
From Last years seeds from Annie's:

Green Zebra
Juane Flamme
Black Cherry
White Queen
Hillbilly

This years seed from Pikes:
San Marzano
Speckled Roman
Beefsteak

Planted in the pockets around the tomatoes:
Left over seeds from packets various places and collected from last year seed heads:

COLLECTED FROM LAST YEAR:
French Marigolds
Single Red Marigolds
Yellow full head Marigolds
White Vinca

BERPEE ORGANICS
Parsley
Genovese Basil
Cilantro
Alyssum

FERRY MORSE
Zinnia Giant Double Mix
Radish French Breakfast

BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDS
Zinnia Lilliput Mix
Cosmos Bright Lights
Zinnia Polar Bear

Pepper plants were purchased at Pikes all Organic

(1) Gold California Wonder
(1) Sweet Banana
(1) Ancho Ploblano
(3) Jalapeno
(3) Bell Boy


Strawberry seeds from Annie's were directly sewn in the front block squares across the front

Other squares are from seeds planted in other places that too many seedling popped up so I moved them.  I also planted gardenias that I started from cuttings.  And some sweet alyssum that came back from last year.

Summer Squash was planted along the back.  It is Annie's Summer Squash mix seed that include:

Blaco di Triste, Black Beauty, Tondo di Piacenza and early prolific straightneck.

The speedwell also known as virronica is doing very well.  I had to separate it last year into four plants.  This year all but three will need separation again.  This is an awesome plant one of my favoirites.

The second bed had the Annie's Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumbers seeding everywhere, we enjoyed them last year so I thinned them out and transplanted them on the trellis to the left.  The transplanted beautifully.  Along the back trellis is the same squash as the other bed.  On the front are so strawberries I got two years ago from Walmart.  I really don't care for them.  They are small and don't produce well.  The ants have been fighting me on the front left, it will be dry for awhile so they will get some grits.


 

How The Garden Grows in July

Lets start with the things that are doing good and then we will interject a few of the lessons I am learning

The Green Zebra Tomatoes seem to be the winner thus far...though we haven't had one tomato yet.  I didn't start plants indoors this year.  I planted the seed directly in the soil, so that gave them the late start.  And then this wonky weather we have been having - Going from drought to flood.  But the Tomatoes have been hanging in there and I have been adding Bananas, egg shells, compost and manure.  So over all I am well pleased.

This is an Asian Pear tomato, it rained last light so the drops of water give a special effect to the photos. I got the Tomato seeds from Annie's she had an offer of fun varieties. Asian Pear, Green Zebra, White Queen, Juan and Flame (Hillbilly).  All are doing well except White Queen.  She looks a bit frumpy but I am thinking its the flood of rain.  Still I am keeping a close eye on her. Here she is below.

The cages keep tipping over, so I am going to figure out something today to keep them from doing the domino effect.  They are in raised boxes that the cage doesn't fit down over to the ground.  I should have thought of this when I first saw this. 

These are Alex's Mexican Sour Gherkins his vines are flooded with these little jewels.  We are looking forward to trying them and seeing how they are... I was hoping to get enough to pickle.  My cucumbers are producing here and there but not enough for bread and butter pickles...second year this happened.  Also my beets are very tiny and bitter.  I think this is the lesson I was talking about earlier, I inter planted lettuce with the beets and I think the lettuce zapped all the nutrients out of the soil.  I will try again next year.  I am going to pull what is left of them and get the bed ready for the pumpkin seeds I bought.

Trinity's flower garden is just OK the Morning Glories are beautiful and always seem to do good no matter what.  One Cosmo and one cockscomb  is flowering, I think she has too much shade.  The yard is full of mature Oaks and its hard to find a good sunny spot. 

The Hanging baskets are looking lush and sexy, these are the results from the $5.00 root bound 4 ferns I purchased from the Grocery store last fall.  They turned into 14 plants.  The Ivy was from a plant I have had for years.  And I purchased the impatiens to tuck in.  They looked very scraggly last fall when I divided them up.  But with TLC they have turned into show stoppers.

Here is my stairway...the photo doesn't do it justice.  Little ferns are peeking out between the bricks and the Begonias were just trimmed for rooting.  The plant on the red stool (top right) I call Mother.  I got her last year and started taking cuttings.  She has sired over 50 children and grandchildren.  Some of them are in the silver buckets on the right.

Ta Ta For Now

Abelia The Butterfly Attractor

Abelia

Planat Review

The Butterfly Magnet

 

Photo Taken by Alex Duvall age 10

Everyone loves butterflies and the best way to attract them is to plant what they love. Here in my garden it is Abelia. A semi deciduous (deciduous means it keeps its leaves in the fall) shrub that grows to around 7 feet tall. They are in the honeysuckle family so this means that the flowers are scented. This shrb loves the heat of the south.  So give this shrub a spot in your butterfly garden.

I wish you could see all the butterflies...the kids and I counted them and there were over TWENTY!

Casablanca Lillie's - Flower Review

Lilim Casa Blanca

Casa Blanca Lillie's

Look at my Lovely Casablanca Lillie's

They glow at night! I had to tie them to the trellis they just got too big...and they smell like heaven.

They even glow in the dark!

 

These flowers are very easy to grow, they are planted on the south side where they get full sun all day long.  They stand at the perfect hight for getting a good whif.  They do need steaking as the get very tall and the flower heads get heavy.



Plant Review - Christmas Cactus

Schlumbergera

Christmas Cactus

A House Plant Worth Talking About

These are on the top of my list of favorite plants. I admit they had me muddle with the first few I got as gifts. I couldn’t get them to keep the blooms on they always fell off. The trick I found out is that you have to keep them cool. Keep them outdoors as long as you can before bringing them in. Find a nice window with bright light, but far away from any heat source or those flowers will drop like flies.
Also To make sure it blooms this December, give it two tablespoons of castor oil around the roots at Halloween  and put them in a dark room.  
These beauties can be expensive...very expensive. So I wait until after the holidays, after all the blooms are gone. Yes, I know you want all the pretty blooms, but do you really want that pretty price. I have purchased Christmas Cactus in January for less than a dollar each. Then I baby them all year long, re-pot them, nurture them and give them as amazingly beautiful Christmas gifts.
One more note on these. They are very easy to propagate. I figured this out by accident, literally an accident. The cat knocked over one of my biggest ones and a lot of the limbs got broken off. I replanted my cactus and shoved some of the limbs down in the pot. And then planted others in other pots. The cats accident turned into allot of plants and gifts.