Rainy Day Number One!

The rain kept me out of the garden. I don't want to till the traditional row garden in this weather. Maybe tomorrow, but I understand we are expecting three days of rain followed by warm, sunny weather. Actually, the rain is a welcome relief, I don't have to be a slave to watering the seeds and seedlings.

Time to Tidy Up

I had a busy morning doing errands.  At a yard sale, I found a nearly-new, four-piece, white wicker set with lime green cushions for the gazebo.  I needed a new cover and surround for the gazebo: the netting came from Ocean State and the canvas cover was purchased online.  Everything should be set up within the week.

Afterwards, I tidied up both the front and back gardens and supplies.  Lots of fun!  

TGIF! Yahoo!

Oh, how I love my Fridays!

• Moved compost from compost bin #2 around tomatoes in three raised beds. The top half of the pile was needing more "cooking" time, but the bottom half is quite usable, although not completely ready. 
• Set up cages and trellises for tomatoes where needed. 
• Labeled tomatoes with new tags. The ones dangling off cages may help control the animal and bird population around the garden.  Wishful thinking. 
• Planted onions around tomatoes in raised beds #1, 11 and 15: Walla Walla, Ringmaster and Red Bull in that order. 
• Watered seeds and small seedlings. 
• Threw away the two sweet potato plants I thought I would grow on in the oval tomato area. 

Corn Transplants

A very respectable work day, I would say!

• Firmed ground around cabbage and brussel sprouts seedlings. Covered cabbage and brussel sprouts bed with Agribon 19. Used fasteners from other covered bed. Will make additional ones this weekend. 
• Tilled area near electric meter on east side of house. Widened bed by clearing some day lilies. Into this bed I planted a dozen or so Russian Mammoth Sunflowers in the rear, three artichoke seedlings in front of them, and then transplanted green cabbage and brussel sprouts from upper raised beds in front of them. 
• Traditional row garden, bed #4 - Tilled garden. Planted densely Blue Lake Pole Stringless FM1 green beans to climb nylon trellis in front of fence.  Planted ten sweet potato slips in 3'x6' section near the edge of the bed.  The intention is for the sweet potato plants to sprawl over the pea stones.  Also planted six Paprika peppers in area near dryer vent. Behind sweet potato slips I planted 2 Mini Red, 2 Mini Orange, 2 Mini Yellow and 2 Sweet Cherry. 
• Finished making tomato labels. 
• In traditional row garden, bed # 2 - Planted three varieties of corn: Silver Queen, Early Bantam, Peaches 'n Dreams - 5 rows each, 10 to a row for a total of 150 corn seedlings.  Gave a sprinkling of organic pelletized fertilizer over entire bed.  In front of corn seedlings I planted 10 okra seedlings. They are rather spindly, not sure if they'll make the transplant. 
• Watered all seeds and small seedlings. 

Day of the Zinnias

Today I planted out four varieties of zinnias: Thumbelina (from window box on deck), Purple, Red and Bright pink, into the front yard flower garden. Took the remaining Thumbelina zinnias and placed them in a ceramic pot for the deck.

I took off the mesh covers that were placed over strawberries and blueberries.  I don't know what I was thinking.  It was too early, the flowers need to be available for pollinators a while longer.

The Agribon 19 placed on the ground over the cabbage and brussel sprouts was a mistake.  It dried out the plants and crushed them; however, no long term damage was done.

I pinched off the leaves on the grape vine that appeared covered with small black insects.

Watered garden AGAIN.  Boy, is it dry and windy!

Time to Plant Asparagus

Favoring a swollen toe and sore back, I went out early to get the asparagus plants in the ground. First I spaded and loosened the soil, pulled out weeds and rocks and then teased out more than 50 asparagus seedlings from thirteen pots.  Into each hole, I planted one seedling on top of a mix of superphosphate (only had enough for those seedlings on the left side of the bed) and organic fertilizer.

A few of the potato plants were hilled up.

I also planted eight hills of Pumpkin, Sugar Pie (Livingston Seed Company, 2014), in four different spots at the ends of two raised beds.  After a good watering, I covered those areas with stiff, black bird netting.

It was again dry and hot, and the grass seed, containers and small seedlings needed watering at least two times.

The sunflowers were limp and lying flat in their container. It was easy to spot the culprit: four worms were having a feast. I hope I picked them off in time.

I worked on the tomato labels.

Planting Out Eggplant and New Brassicas

Here is a list of the chores I finished this morning:

• Moved the kale from raised bed #13 and planted them along with six kale from Holden Farms into the traditional garden bed #1.

• Planted 6 green cabbage, 4 red cabbage and 6 brussel sprout plants purchased from Holden Farms in raised bed #13. I placed Agribon 19 fabric over the plants for now; I need to buy more clips to anchor it over the hoops.
• Transplanted the swiss chard from raised bed #14 into a raised bed outside the hoophouse (south side). 
• In raised bed #14, I planted seven different varieties of eggplant: 3 Diamond, 3 Asward, 1 Black Beauty, 1 Long Purple, 3 Ping Tung, 3 Shooting Stars and 3 Syrian Stuffing,   Behind the eggplant I planted 21 Boston Pickling cucumbers.  

• Weeded the potato bed.  Two potatoes seeds have not emerged. Don't have the heart to yank out two patches of rhubarb, one in and the other out of the potato bed.  I'll dig them out after the potatoes are harvested this summer. 

• The potatoes in the barrels are doing well, too. 

• I still haven't harvested the spinach.  It's first on the list for tomorrow. 

• Converted raised bed #10 into a full broccoli bed: 4 calabrese broccoli (those that remained after the squirrel ate the brassicas) and 12 broccoli plants purchased at Holden Farms. The bed was covered with Agribon 19 over PVC hoops (see in picture below the bed on the rear right side). 
• Covered most of the strawberry plants with netting, i.e., white tulle, blue tulle, cut up gazebo netting. 

• Covered the blueberry bushes with cut up gazebo netting. 

• Clipped off the lower leaves of the tomato plants. 

• Pinched off the two top leaves of the seven coleus plants in the container to encourage lateral growth. 

• Weeded a small area of the flower garden, starting from the top down.  I pulled out the geraniums that were planted midway down and at the bottom of the hill.  I will plant zinnias in their place. 

• The rabbit's ears snapped off as he fell off the table.  Don't you love superglue!!

• The kiwi raspberry bushes are healthy and robust; no flowers/berries have developed yet. 

Planting Out Rest of Tomatoes

Chores completed today:

• Consolidated the onions and garlic in raised beds #3 and #5 to leave room for pumpkin plants to sprawl at the ends of the beds. Pumpkins to be planted the first week in June. 

• Planted one Tiny Tim and two Principe Borghese tomatoes in containers. 
• Planted in raised bed #1 (left to right): tomatoes (2 Pineapple, 2 Abe Lincoln, 2 Green Zebra, 2 Eva Purple, 2 Crimson Cushion, 2 Celebrity, 2 Box Car Willie, 2 Best Boy) and transplanted 3 Red Baron onions and 7 Stuttgard white onions.
• Planted raised bed #11 (left to right): tomatoes (2 Italian Grape, 4 Gardener's Delight, 2 Sungold, 2 Black Krim, 2 Beefsteak, 2 Super Beefsteak). 
• Planted raised bed #15 (left to right): tomatoes (4 Brandywine Red, 4 Brandywine Pink, 2 Brandywine Yellow, 2 Mortgage Lifter, 2 Cherokee Purple).  
• Selected remaining tomatoes to be planted into containers: (2 Independence Day, 2 Yellow Kellogg, 2 Chocolate Cherry, 2 Tigerella, 1 Roman Candle, 2 Japanese Trifele, 2 White Wonder, 2 Oxheart). They are beginning to look weak and spindly. Not sure when I'll get to them. The extra tomatoes will be given away or composted this week. 

Day of Rest

I have taken the day off from gardening!!  I will be back tomorrow.

Postscript #1 - Little Marvel Peas and the Bush Beans have begun to germinate. No sign of Jack Be Little Pumpkin seedlings or Pole beans.
Postscript #2 - The new grass has germinated.

Window Boxes Completed

Today I filled the window boxes with purple and white alyssum and lobelia.  Five alyssum lined the back of the container and five lobelia were placed in front of them. The plants will be pinched back frequently to keep them robust and bushy. I like the simplicity of the boxes; they should fill out in two to three weeks.

I also prepared tomato labels.  The tags will be attached to either the cage, stake or plant itself.  In the past, I've placed small stakes in the ground. The stakes inevitably became dislodged as I cultivated the beds. With such a large number of varieties this year, it will be wiser to secure the tags to the plants themselves.

I assembled and charged one battery for the weedwacker last night.  I was able to edge most of the yard today using one battery. The second battery is in the process of being charged and will be used to finish up the job tomorrow. I am very happy with the new weedwacker. It's a pleasure not having to drag around the electric cord.

I placed a container of Nasturium, Empress of India, in the Spag's crock in the front yard.

Postscript #1 - No sign of grass germination yet.
Postscript #2 - I keep threatening to take down the scare crow.  It does nothing but scare me!

Prepping Window Boxes

I emptied three quarters of the dirt in each window box, loosened what remained and added new potting mix.  I will plant lobelia and alyssum in the four window boxes tomorrow.

We are currently in a water ban.  We are not allowed to water gardens between the hours of 9am and 5pm. I watered twice today, once early in the morning and the other after dinner.

I tidied up the hoophouse and brought in some plants, i.e., basil, peppers, sunflowers, cucumbers, butternut squash, okra, etc. to shelter them from the few cold nights ahead.

I pinched off dead leaves from the eggplant seedlings in the hoophouse.  They are not going into the beds yet.  It is expected to be 40 degrees tonight.

Planting Out Tomatoes

Yes, today was cool and beautiful, but also quite windy, enough that an advisory for a fire risk across Massachusetts was issued. The soil is very dry as well as the air.  I must be more vigilant watering the beans and peas planted two days ago.  I noticed some of the peas weren't planted deep enough.  Many of them rose to the surface and needed to be poked down again.

It may be cool outside, but it reached 85 degrees inside the hoophouse. 

I started planting out the tomatoes into raised beds and the oval bed near the bay window. Two to three inches of compost were added to each bed last fall.  I planted each tomato deeply, half way between the seed and true leaves.  To each hole I mixed in a small handful of epsom salt and organic fertilizer.  The tomatoes were caged, topped off with mulched leaves and given a good watering.

The breakout is as follows:

• The Oval Bed - 15 Italian Roma, 6 Amish and 6 Independence Day tomatoes. 
• Raised Bed #6 - 16 mid-size tomatoes consisting of 4 Jet Star, 4 Marglobe, 4 Rutgers and 4 Thessaloniki.  

What else did I do today?  Here is a photo diary of my observations and activities:

The spinach is going to seed. Time to harvest and freeze it before it becomes bitter.

My mother's watering can, even with its two dents, holds special value. 

I dug a trench and made a pea stone threshold under the garden gate.

Look at the Red Bull onion container on the top.  What an overachiever!

I found a suitable spot for an indoor plant to adjust to outdoor life for the summer. 

I checked on the warm weather seedlings. The corn has really taken off over night!

Moving and screening compost from the bins to the beds. 
Taking my time, doing a little bit every day. 

The coleus urns were moved to a shaded location for the summer. 

I planted Alyssum, Carpet of Snow in center flanked by Alyssum, Royal Carpet.

The reddish leaves of Lobelia, Crystal Palace, look nice against the gray urn.

A large white urn with Portulaca, mixed colors, will fill out in no time. 

A container with coleus seedlings was placed on the west side of house. 

Can you find the grapes? 

This lilac bush reminds me of my grandmother. The scent is heavenly.

It's time to water the flower bed and grass seed again. 

The Morning Glory transplants are not happy!

The shepherd's hook and wind chime were repaired. 

Early Run to Lowe's Garden Center

I was the first customer to set foot into Lowe's this morning at 6:00 am sharp.  I scheduled the pool heater delivery late afternoon and knew I wouldn't have time to pick up a few things later in the day. I bought a 75 foot hose, a nozzle and faucet splitter for the front yard. I also bought six 8-foot stakes and a weedwacker/extra cord.

The hose on the left will be carried to the back yard to water the traditional row garden.

The new pool heater on the left; old one on the right.

I want to do a better job of laying out the tomato plants this year.  I have three or four raised beds available and also the oval bed in front of the bay window.  I hesitate to use the oval space since I grew tomatoes in it last year. But there was no evidence of disease and I am going to take that risk.

I laid out the tomatoes in roughly their location and will get them in the ground within the next few days. The plum tomatoes for canning and salsa will occupy the oval area, two raised beds will be used for heirlooms and indeterminates, another raised bed for semi-determinates ( i.e., Jet Star, Thessaloniki, Celebrity, Marglobe, etc.) and the last one will be for specialty tomatoes (White Wonder, Eva's, etc.). I will also pick and chose which of the extras will find their way into the hoophouse in containers.

This bed will have the long, vining, indeterminant tomatoes, mostly heirlooms. 

Yah!! A bit of rain early this morning and perhaps this afternoon.  No need to water!!  What a time saver!

The only other chore done today was lightly weeding the gardens.

What Do I Do First!

So much to do, so little time...

• Water gardens, hoophouse and grass seed. 

• Move finely ground wood chip mulch to west side foundation. The rest of the mulch remains in the new 3'x5' raised beds around hoophouse. 

• Neatened up border around bay window planting area and trimmed with wood chips. 

• Planted Vinca, Mixed Colors on north side of hoophouse and mulched with finely ground wood chips. 

• Planted containers, the large metal container with African Daisies and lobelia and two large brown urns with coleus in shades of pink, burgundy, green and yellow.

• Planted raised bed #14 with Blue Lake bush beans, Blue Lake Pole Beans, Little Marvel Peas and Jack Be Little Pumpkins. Covered raised bed with black bird nettings overlayed with white tulle. 
• Prepared 4 inch containers for gifts: mint, greek oregano, cilantro, rosemary and basil.
• Prepared large mint herb container for deck. 
• Trimmed burning bush in front foundation. 

• Watered the asparagus seedlings.  Will plant them in front of the north side fence sometime soon. 

• Checked on the newest seedlings, growing well in the partial shade of the back fence. 

Sunflowers, zinnias, cucumbers, butternut squash, etc. 

Three different varieties of corn.

Hallelujah! The Flower Bed is Nearly Done!

I am very ready to return to the vegetable garden, so I put in a good effort to wrap up the front flower garden.  I planted the following seedlings:

• Ageratum, Dondo Blue - Annual
• Grecian Rose, Red Dragon - Perennial
• Pansy, Swiss Giant Mix - Annual
• Sweet William - Perennial
• Columbine, Tequila Sunrise
• Cosmos, Sensation Mix
• Nasturium, Empress of India

The only planting spaces available are a stretch in front of the fence (reserved for Mammoth and Autumn Beauty sunflower seedlings) and the base of the hill (reserved for pink zinnias seedlings).  I have many seedlings left over.  I will use them in containers, intermingle them in vegetable beds and retain some should I need replacements in the flower bed.

This year I have five garden decorations in the flower bed.

Bird Bath

Stork

Sun Dial

Torch

Oil Derrick

Additionally, the following chores were completed:

• Built and erected the green metal trellis for the kiwi plants at the base of the hill. 

Two kiwi plants, one female and one male, need to be tied to the trellis. 

• Attached the overflow rainbarrel to the primary rainbarrel on the west side of the house. 

Primary rainbarrel is on the left; overflow rainbarrel on right. 

• Planted grass seed in three locations in the front yard. 

Patch near the brick walk, unsuccessful getting grass to grow here for years. 

This area get torn up by the plow each winter. 

• Placed a rubber, multi-colored, interlocking mat on the deck to protect us from splinters, particularly "little feet."

Nice cushion under foot.