Garden 2010

Well well well...

It's about that time again. Since I grow all my garden business from seeds I have to start thinking about what to start growing and when to get ready for this year's garden.

Here are a few changes to my garden this year that I've planned thus far.

1.) More cucumbers, less tomatoes.
2.) No Corn, that was a waste of time
3.) I don't know how much of my companion gardening really made a difference. So I'll keep the marigolds and the radishes but I'm not too worried about the other areas of placement.
4.) more zuchinni! (and by more I mean one more plant)
5.) more squash
6.) no more kale or collards. they were super hearty but I didn't eat close to what I planted, and its pretty cheap to buy.

I have a friend that works at the food coop in Fort Collins. She said that they have a community food basket that takes perishable food, I knew something like this existed but she informed me they will actually come get it out of my garden if I tag it with flags they will give me... That is an option for me if I wind up with 30 tomato plants again. (I will not)

any other ideas????? My grandpa has mentioned his irrigation system and I think I will have to maybe check into that a little more.

2009 Garden is DONE!

Garden Recap 2009

Since it was my first year in my house, I view the garden experiment as an experience, but since the first frost has now come and gone so has my garden.

My favorite thing out of my garden was all the goodies I used to make salsa as well as the CUCUMBERS. I love fresh herbs and I think I will add a few to my garden next year. I was pretty disappointed in some of my failures including onions, potatoes, and my pumpkins.

Next year I'll move some things around a bit since I now know where the sun hits where and I think I'll eliminate some of the things I planted and also space some things differently. I planted mostly everything heirloom but saved zero seeds so I'm not sure that really was any big deal but everything I ate WAS delicious. As far as additions for next year I'd like to plant a raspberry bush, a few more lilacs for privacy and I'll definitely plant more cilantro and peppers. I have a ton of roses around the house and I'll work at getting some wood chips put around them. My enclosed porch is still a work in progress and its still missing a grill. I think I'd like to work at my canning skills so I can continue to use my goodies as well as invest in a small freezer or dehydrator. I've been trying to get in the habit of making meals and freezing them to save time and money..

Overall, I'd say I really enjoyed this summer and growing my garden from seeds was awesome, but now that I have furniture, I'm not sure that will happen again unless I get some grow lights, which I'm not sure would be cost effective.

I appreciate all the great advice from all my friends and family!

Pictures From My Garden

Heres a picture of the tomato trellis I built yesterday afternoon and my broccoli plants.

My Tomatoes

This year, my inaguaral year of gardening "all by myself" I have decided to plant four different kinds of tomatoes. I'm pretty pumped about them and I have a feeling I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

So far I'd say my garden is organic, and I have decided to grow all heirloom tomatoes rather than hybrids. To be considered heirloom I believe the plant must go genetically UNaltered for at least fifty years,(upon research I have found that they are plants that existed prior to 1951) so they have a historical background.
This historical background rather than hybrid to me isn't a huge deal but the heirloom seeds will produce a plant that is the same as the one you got the seed from. This isn't always the case for hybrids, although a downer is that hybrids are specially bred to defend against disease and will sometimes produce more. I'm growing heirlooms because supposedly they taste better and I'm planning on saving seeds thus saving costs for next year.

Having said all that heres my four choices, all are indeterminates which means all the fruits on the plant will ripen at various times versus all at once.

1.)Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato
Originated in Mexico where these grow wild, these cherry tomatoes are supposed to mature in 60 days. Plants are supposed to grow and sprawl vigorously as well as be pretty disease resistant.

I have a bunch of these plants if anyone wants to give it a shot, let me know!

2.)Black Krim
Tomato that takes 69-80 days to mature and produces medium-large sized fruits good for salads and slicing. Said to originate from around the Black Sea area. Fruits are dark brown to maroon colored.

3.)Brandywine:
Ripe in 90-100 days this is SUPPOSED to be one of the best tasting heirloom tomatoes. I guess its supposed to get be 6-8 feet tall.

4.)Caspian Pink:
Ripens in 80 days and is supposed to be a really great tasting slicing tomato. Originates from the Caspian Sea area in Russia (hence the name)These are supposed to weigh about a pound each. These are supposed to be better tasting than the Brandywine. I'm growing both to give them the taste test. Who wants in?

Finally I should probably plant some romas put I'm a little afraid of canning so I haven't made up my mind yet, plus it seems I'll have tomatoes growing out my ears. I'm not sure the best way to stake tomatoes, if anyone has any good ideas I'd love to hear it, as well as any growing tips.

I'd love to put up a picture of my awesome tomato plants but my camera on my phone is on the blink, so stay tuned.

Peas, Kale, and Collards, Oh My!

I've been slacking on the blog (again) so I suppose two in one day won't kill me. Yesterday after school and after practice, I went home and got my garden on. I had started my sugar snap peas soaking so I needed to get those in the ground. I planted them along my fence to serve as a trellis.

I have my garden pretty planned out by now, but there is only one little corner that is seeing any action since its still too early to plant MOST of what I'm going to attempt to harvest this year. Also in this corner is my small lilac so I've planned around it.

I've been reading that Marigolds are supposed to help detract some of the "bad bugs" from your garden so I planted some around my lilac bush, I'm going to be waiting to see how they turn up. I don't think they are very pretty, but I'm going for function. As with the sticks... I don't have much money to spend on fancy seperators for my garden but I do have plenty of sticks so I'm seperating everything with twigs. (I'm at least arranging them in a nice pattern?)

I've become a fan of kale and collards, so I planted two short rows of the each. I may plant more again, later in a different location, to spread out the harvest some.

I think I've finally finished raking my lawn, although the war against the dandelions is still going strong.

I've been reading some on companion gardening and I think I would like to do a lot more reading on this. If anyone has any tips, send them my way!

Yay! Loveland! Yay Lilacs!

Today I spent the entire day out in my yard. I continued the insane task of raking all my leaves left from the fall since I moved in AFTER it snowed. I also planted pansies next to my strawberries. (The lady at the greenhouse assured me they would be fine outside, even if it snows) I trimmed up my rose bushed and cut down the bush out front to below my window but the most exciting thing I did today was... PLANT MY NEW LILAC! I broke down and bought one on sale that I plan to use start off of to continue my "privacy" lilac fence across the back fence next to the alley.

My lilac bush is called "beauty of moscow" and it is supposed to have pink buds that open to white flowers. Its also supposed to get HUGE and is great for Colorado (aren't most lilacs???) anyway, boring Sunday I know, but I was excited.

The other thing of excitement that happened is that my neighbor brought his chainsaw over and trimmed up my cherry tree which was a plus for the both of us because he wanted the wood for smoking. He also hacked off the bush that was by my driveway so I can now see when I'm backing out. Plus I thought it was ugly.

I'm now off for Wiscotech's first softball game. Happy first week of spring!

Gearing Up to Garden

Since my car engine light came on yesterday on the way to work (and I was ANGRY because I had just had it serviced on Tuesday and I would miss practice to take it in.) I found myself waiting again in Barnes and Noble reading gardening magizines.

I left the dealership motivated and I bought a spade, hand clippers, and soil on the way home. The weather has been eriely warm here on the front range so I got home and used every last ounce of sunlight raking, tilling, watering my lawn, and pruning some of the bushes in the front of my house.

I got a lot done! I even got to talk to my neighbors and found out that the trees in the back yard were indeed cherry trees, where the sun hits what and when, what grows in between my house and the neighbors, the location of Virginia's garden (the little old lady that lived in my house for many many years)and that my neighbor would happily help me remove some of the cherry trees for his smoker.

In addition to this new information I planted some strawberry starts along the east side of my house. The strawberries will be runner strawberries so they will serve as ground cover and they are drought tolerant and ever-bearing. I'm pumped about them.



PS I'm going to get rid of a coulple of the rose bushes that seem to be EVERYWHERE so if someone wants to come dig up a rose bush...

Planning Out My Garden

I've never actually planned out landscaping for a house and garden. I simply have done what I was told in a preexisting garden.

One of the things I'm most looking forward to this summer is trying my hand at my very own garden.

I'm going to try to start this from seeds and while I know it's still too early to start things, I've been busy organizing and planning (ok and I started a few pansies on my windowsill)

So far for my garden I have decided on:

cucumbers
tomatoes
cantaloupe
watermelon
green peppers
green onions
Thai peppers
jalapenos
soybeans (edamame)
strawberries

Although I know they take a few years to develop I'd also like some rhubarb and asparagus.

I would like to line my fence with lilac bushes from Beecher island. And I've gotten seeds for a few different kinds of flowers including columbine, Hungarian poppies, Himalayan poppies, and pansies. I was given some daffodil bulb starts so I will also have those.

As far as what was here when I bought the place...I've counted at least 10 rose bushes around this place so it will be a surprise to see what actually transpires with the plants that remain from years past.

I will have a small herb garden including some chamomile and lavender and I'm hoping to plant them outside a window so i can smell them.


Any ideas? What am I forgetting?

Visions Of My Garden To Be

Kim gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart's Living magazine for my birthday/housewarming present, I got my first issue the other day and I immediately started brainstorming what I would do with my HUGE yard this spring and summer.

As of right now I think I will line my fence with some lilac bushes and I suppose I will HAVE to plant some irises. While my volleyball ladies had a good idea of a sand court, I do NOT want my yard to become the community kitty litter box. There are several rose bushes planted at my house and I'll need to see how those are doing this spring. Other than that, the whole yard is in need of a serious overhaul. I will most likely do some zeroscaping under my pine trees.

I was hoping my friends would help me out with some ideas.....

I Killed My Jade Plant

FYI:

Jade plants don't like freezing temperatures. I forgot to bring it in, this afternoon it dawned on me that its COLD outside....my jade (and rosemary) plant is still out there....Oooops. Rosemary is fine though. Luckily I have another I took from this Jade plant as a starter and its in my classroom, so all is not lost.

My Favorite, Favorite: Vintage Harvest Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are my favorite flower. Unfortunately they don't grow really well in Colorado but the Vintage Harvest Hydrangeas by Hana Bay Flowers in Half Moon Bay, CA are my favorite. I picked one up last year at Whole Foods and saw recently that they had them again.

I have it as a potted plant because I can't keep it outside year round in Colorado. We have below zero nights and they won't tolerate that. I even got mine to flower again this year. I'm a super dork and spent a lot of Sunday afternoons googling and reading up on plants and flowers I like and I learned that hydrangeas won't bloom off of new shoots only off branches that have been established. They are also super cool because you can change the flowering color of a plant by changing the acidity of the soil.

The Vintage Hydrangea page also has a link for care instructions. I'd post a picture of mine, but its not quite as pretty as theirs.