8/1/2014 0 Comments Movin' on up!Well, now! I have finally come around and realized it's been quite some time since I've updated this blog. A little over 2 months of silence. Been wondering where I'm at? Well, if you follow my homeschool blog, you already know it's been quite a busy and hectic summer for us. We have a new baby on the way, due in October. So, we've been preparing for another child, as well as preparing for an early start to our studies this year to allow time off around when the baby comes. In the midst of it all, we've decided to switch two rooms in our house to make a schoolroom a part of our study/office and have a designated study space for each of the youngsters. And on top of all of that, we have had a couple of trips to take for family events! This has left the garden pretty well neglected this summer. The okra was half-gone, and mostly gone to seed when I finally got back to unearthing it from the massive weeds and towering cosmos that had taken over. A few tomatoes clung to living - I'll be planting those hardy ones again next year! I know there are some peanut plants that have sprung up and I can see glimpses of. Even a random beet plant has made it so far! A few green bean vines are still trying to produce, even though I can't even get to them right now. I still have more unearthing to do. I can also see the kale growing back there, without my being able to get to it, either! All the while, the lime tree has been drooping lower... and lower... and lower, weighed down by the limes it put on this spring! And underneath it, the Concord grape vine has been quite happy, and my hubby has enjoyed going out to pick the grapes as they ripen. Even the munchkins are getting in on harvesting those! =) So far this year, we've harvested at least 2/3 of a bushel of small limes (the picture is just one of the two pickings). We've just started to harvest, too! I've been taking those up to the farmer's market to sell on Saturdays. I've also been enjoying them myself a good bit. They're great to add to water for a little zest and flavor! Now here it is, the first of August, and I realize the summer has slipped away, and it's time to prepare for fall!! Seeds have begun to arrive - new rounds of things I don't have from my own plants. Yesterday brought spinach, kale (mine won't go to seed!), and some new corn I want to try for the fall. This year I'm going to go a little more standard in my seed-starting, and I've ordered trays to start my seeds in! I'm movin' on up in the garden world over here! =) Speaking of movin' on up - even the old truck I use for market (and play) has gotten a much-needed upgrade of new tires!! Poor hubby was having to air them up nearly every time we wanted to drive the truck. I guess after about 17 years, they need to be replaced. ;) Well, here goes the start of August... my "threshing floor" has been cleaned out and set out to dry this morning. What's my threshing floor? Well, it's our old little 36" kiddie pool. =) It should be completely dry by now! I need to have seeds threshed and ready for planting when those new trays arrive! I also need to get some seeds packaged up and ready for sale both online and at market. It would also be nice to go ahead and plant some of my direct-sow things for fall and see if they'll survive the rest of our summer. I'm hoping for a reasonable next couple of months, with no major spikes in temperatures! We're already on our second cool front, so there's hope!
I also plan to rearrange how I plant my garden this year, now that I know my brassicas can last over a year!!! They will now be planted in the back part of the garden, with the rotational plants going into the front, where I can pick and harvest those more easily, as well as replace them more quickly as spring approaches and it's time to put in THOSE rotational crops! =) How does your garden grow?
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It only took until May! How did your garden fare in that last arctic blast? I showed pictures of mine all covered, and soon thereafter the covers were thrown off, and the hoping that everything wasn't dormant began! I did find a little bit of damage on some of my green beans that were less protected by other plants, but that seems to be all that was affected in this last bout - HOORAY!!!!! But what's this talk about snow into June in Colorado?? It seems that nothing went dormant - hooray! Tomatoes have been growing a good bit, and now I'm seeing some already formed and growing on my Rutgers plants! My San Marzanos also have a few on the vine, as do my Blondchopfkens, and I'm hoping the rest begin to follow suit quickly! =) My squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe have come through just fine, and are finally really taking off. My squash is starting to put on blooms daily now, and the first squash is growing! I hope the others get the hint and come along as well. Unfortunately, between morning sickness, cold snaps, and a head cold passed on by my kiddos, my transplants that I sell have suffered terribly, and I've lost a good lot of them! =( I think slugs may have been involved as well, given the shiny sheen left behind in a number of little peat pots.... Thankfully, I can regrow the better part of these, and still within planting time here! =) So, it looks like in the next few days I will be reseeding squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon, and this time keeping better care and a closer eye on things! Peanuts are also going in, too!
How about in your garden? What's growing? What are you sowing? Are you still harvesting cold-weather crops there, and dreaming of warmth, or are you where the summers are just plain too hot for growing, and you're looking at the last couple of months of your gardening season before a few months' rest? Oooh... and a heads up! I'll soon be starting to post about the growing and production cycle of various plants that I grow, trying to answer questions I never did seem to find an answer to before growing them myself! I'll be providing pictures of the various stages of growth for them, as well. Keep an eye out - I'm still deciding on what order they'll come out! =) 4/16/2014 0 Comments Well, I THOUGHT Spring Had Come...I don't know about in your neck of the woods, but here on the Gulf Coast near Houston, we've been having downright decent spring weather... until a couple of days ago. I was excited, and I have been setting out my overgrown tomato plants from the greenhouse, enjoying watching the growth and the blooms as they've settled nicely into their places in the garden. See? Things were going quite well! Then, well, then Monday came. This is mid-April, y'all. You know, where we are usually hitting closer to 90 than to 40. Not this week! This week the weather decided to see if it could break some record cold levels. Monday started off quite nice and decently warm. The kids and I enjoyed some morning outside time, soaking up the warmth. We went to lunch with my father-in-law, our usual Monday custom. Going in, all was still well. Coming out was a whole different story. We watched it blow in through the windows. The clouds came in heavy and the trees were hanging on for dear life against that wind. Then we had to go out in it. There was no avoiding it - we had to go home sometime! Yep. It had dropped at least 15 degrees, and kept falling through the afternoon. So much for spring weather! I cringed each time I read or heard a weather report... and then that evening, I had to face the inevitable: It was mid-April, with plants growing great... and I had to cover these good-sized tomato plants against temperatures in the THIRTIES!!! I also had to move about a dozen trays of seedlings into the garage, and a couple of avocado trees in pots into the greenhouse! Here's what things were like for the next couple of days: Ahh... but here's the part I adore about this area: It may have hit 30s again last night, but today we're soaring up into the mid 70s, and 80s by the weekend! The covers will come off shortly, the seedlings will come out of the garage, and all will be well. At least for the foreseeable future.
How are things going in your part of the world? Easter is this weekend, and we're quite excited about it here! I have laughed at the memes going around Facebook, talking about not dying the white eggs, and just putting them out in the snow. Hopefully that's not a valid option for you! Happy Easter to all!! I'm sure it's not just me. In fact, I KNOW it's not! This country has been through one rough winter, all the way down even into Florida, who usually gets to escape the cold. Here on the Gulf Coast, it seems like we could count on one hand how many days we've seen the sun so far this year, and we're 1 1/2 months in! So, needless to say, I'm downright giddy over the sunshine that came out yesterday and today, and is forecast for a few more before disappearing behind rain clouds. Even then, we're supposed to stay in the 70s for highs! YIPEEE!!!!! What do things look like in your neck o' the woods? Here, the grass has completely died back. The garden (thankfully!) has survived with the winter crops - I can't believe they've made it through so many hard freezes! Thankfully, we finally roofed the greenhouse and covered the open sides with thick plastic about a month ago. Now my tomatoes are beginning to grow again! A heater in there is definitely helping things along!! Here - I'll throw in some greenery to help reset your sanity: What's inside the greenhouse, you ask? Well, not a whole lot to brag about right now, but it's finally getting somewhere! Here - I'll let you see there, too: Hopefully this coming week of MUCH warmer weather will help send the greenhouse and seedlings into overdrive. I'll try to get a new post up with updated pictures in a few weeks. There should be a massive change! =) What about you? Do you have any seeds started yet? Do you have a greenhouse, or start them indoors? What do you grow, and what are you starting so far? I'd love to hear! =) |
Carmen's Space to WriteI love to garden and craft, which becomes quite interesting with 3 little ones underfoot, and homeschooling the oldest! Archives
April 2018
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