Dog Dayz of August

It’s the first Monday in August 2020...must be time for a garden update! 

First of all, allow me to state the obvious: it is hot. And humid. When I clocked my morning walk today at 7:30, it was already 72° and 94% humidity. The forecast has a chance of rain today, but I’m not holding my breath...been there, waited in vain for that. You can probably tell how hazy that picture is. Hot and hazy.

Anyway...

It’s a good time to take stock of how this year is going in our gardens. One thing is certain, spending copious amounts of time in one’s gardens is a great pandemic survival technique! So, I will count “daily gardening” as a plus for this year so far.

We gathered an amazing amount of blackberries from the four 2-year old plants that are located in what we call “the fence garden.” It’s an area along the backyard wooden fence that runs north to south, which we have tried to protect from the dogs by adding a parallel wire fence, allowing for about three feet by thirty feet of fruit and flowers. Next year we hope to add some blueberries to the mix. The blackberries have finished for the year, so we will be cutting off the canes to prep for new growth for next year’s berries.

The year-old Rose garden is better than we’d initially thought, owing to our fear of losing so many new plants to the drought last Summer through Fall...when the poor babies had little to no established root systems. We did lose a few, but we’ve added six more from an auction of Alba’s roses (she the former president of the Gwinnett Rose Society who passed away late last year and who asked that her roses be auctioned for funds for the GGRS). Every single one of them seems to be thriving! And although the garden itself is starting to look weedy because it has been entirely too hot to work in it lately, it continues to give us bountiful blooms for our dinner table display. 

Also in the plus column was the decision to sow so many flowers in and around the kitchen gardens. The zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers have been attractive assets, both in color and in being pollinator magnets. From mid-morning to early evening, we enjoy the activity of a record number of bees, butterflies, and birds. And we pack the vases of roses with many more colorful blooms!

In thinking about the Kitchen gardens, I think if I had to pick a veg winner this year, it would have to be our beans. We have picked enough to eat and to freeze...and given several “messes” to neighbors. I staggered planting several varieties, starting as early as March, and I pick them on a near-daily basis in order to keep the vines productive. 

However, a remarkably cold and wet April delayed planting of almost everything else, meaning all crops are behind schedule as far as production is concerned. And then Mother Nature turned up the heat and turned off the taps in July, meaning more stress on the already-stressed tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and corn. More stress=less...and smaller...produce. Sigh.

Still we continue to enjoy our little slice of Heaven on Earth here in Georgia...hot and humid as it may be. I am spending some time, researching plants to create a Dye Garden, hoping to make a match between two of my favorite activities: gardening and knitting. Speaking of knitting...here’s a picture of a recently-completed cotton shawl that was done for a Ravelry Mystery Knitalong (MKAL) called “Dog Dayz.” Timely, yes?

Anyway...again...

I’ve identified the area of the yard that will be converted from lawn to flowers, and I’ve started purchasing seeds to start the plants for Fall. I’ve also designated my old crockpot for a dye-pot, and I’m researching how to create dyes from the plants I grow as well as how to dye different yarn fibers. More on that at another time...

Between now and then, though, we came up with a rather unique way to both kill the grass in that area AND beat the heat of August: a play pool on any old rug! Missy M ordered it to be delivered here in time for her week-long staycation this week; Mr. T aired it up with the air compressor; and we filled it and hopped in yesterday! Ahhhh...

Long time...No See

Hello again! It’s been far too long since my last post. And in the intervening years (has it truly been 4 years?!?), we moved from North Carolina to Georgia...so, all new gardens to talk about. I will take the next few posts to catch you up, but for now... I just wanted to jump back in to my blogging journey at my current spot. It’s the first of June, 2020, so that means posting my “first of the month” photo. And here it is:

First of the Month Photo: June 2020

Well, that looks very different from the title photo, doesn’t it? Yes, when we retired, we downsized from 2500 square feet of row gardens with a few raised beds to about 500 square feet of raised beds (unimaginatively called the Raised Bed Garden or RBG) and containers (located mostly in the Garden Pen). You might notice a different pup, too. That’s Logan, my pointer mix garden guard guy...we adopted him in 2017 after we moved to our smaller abode in Loganville (called Casa 303), where we helped our hearts heal after having to say an unexpected goodbye to Abbie (who developed cancer of the spleen).

Logan is one of four current members of Our Drool Gang, the others being Winston (you remember him...Aussie mix); Pepper (another Georgia adoptee...supposed to have been part black lab; turned out to be mixed with either Great Dane or Appaloosa); and Rowan (the family basset hound...you know we have to have one, right? He is technically Missy M’s dog, but he has lived with us since he arrived...when he bonded with then-puppy Pepper.) All of that is to say, if we want to grow anything here, it must be protected by a fence or barrier of some sort. Sigh. We do what we must, right? At least we do not have a deer problem!

As we near the 3rd anniversary of closing on this property, I’m happy to report we have made great strides in putting down roots and making this our own. We started with excellent bones, including mature landscape with trees (including a gorgeous magnolia), flowering shrubs (like the gardenias ), and fencing around the rear and sides, as well as well-established bermudagrass lawn, front and back.

The first thing we added was the garden shed...the exact model as we built in HPNC...but we paid a bit extra to have this one built onsite for us.

Then, Mr. T built the U-shaped, hip-high raised beds...and we promptly enclosed the RBG with a gate. After one season, we knew we needed more growing area that could be a bit more adaptable to changing needs...and the (enclosed) Garden Pen was born. This year, he added a newer version of a feature of the Wayback Garden in HPNC that we missed (visible in the title photo): the tuteur!

Additionally we have planted our roses in our side yard, visible from our Coffee Room just off the kitchen. And we have recently tested the waters to see if any can survive the Backyard Dogs by adding 4 container specimens we bought at a recent estate sale of the former Prez of our local Rose Society. Mr. T took inventory last week of the survivors after the first winter: 33 bushes. Half of the number we had in High Point, but that’s ok...especially when it comes time to do the monthly rose care chores. One of the 6 successful transplants from the HPNC Rose Garden includes Don Juan, in full bloom on a trellis as I write this.

Don Juan

And you know we have our share of irises and day lilies...many brought as transplants when we moved. This is the first year to bloom in their new home for several...and we are doing our best to chart their new locations around the property.

Forever Redeemed 

Elvis’s Cape 

Strawberry Shortcake

So that brings us up to date...sort of. At least it gives us a place to begin...again.

Stay tuned!

Say Hello to Summer

With the thermometer approaching 100 degrees on a daily basis and little (if any) measurable moisture in the rain gauge, we are seeing an alignment of the calendar and our concepts: Summer has definitely arrived in High Point. And nearly everything in our garden seems to be on the fast track to harvest...or wilting. Sigh. 

Kitchen Gardens —

In the Box Garden (shown in the photo above), I've pulled most of the cool season crops (broccoli, lettuce, etc.) and succession-planted most of the raised beds with several varieties of beans. And I have already harvested several pounds of green and burgundy beauties. 

In the Row Garden, I've harvested quite a few Juliets, as well as my first slicer (a Celebrity) for my first BLT of the season. 

I've also gotten a couple of sweet peppers, mini-eggplants, plus the first zucchini and cucumbers. 

I see several tiny watermelons peeping out of the vines. This little Sugar Baby baby may be our first test case on how to support melons on a wire-fence trellis (we're thinking of repurposed T-shirts threaded with wire coat hangers).

Because of some mislabeled seeds, we will have twice as many cukes (like this guy, below)...and no cantaloupes this year. I looked it up...June 10 was the last day to plant them in the Piedmont. 

And more beans...pole, as well as Limas. I sprayed with Sevin to help combat Mesican bean beetles and Japanese beetles...both of which devastated our bean crop last year. I do need to spray again, but it's just too hot. The label recommends temps BELOW 85 degrees (and the thermometer in the center of the Way Back is reporting 101.1 as I type this!)

And in the Block Garden, the corn is getting taller and the pumpkins have germinated. I have to water, water, water all of the above just to keep it alive.

Orchard —

While we have more fruit on the trees than last year when the late freeze zapped all of the flowers, we also have more pests to contend with. I've sprayed once with Orchard Spray, but need to spray a second time. Unfortunately we have usually passed the upper temperature limit of 85 degrees by 9:00 in the morning. Sigh.

Roses —

The first flush of blooms has come and gone on the David Austen English bushes. And now it is time for the hybrid teas to shine! I've fed and applied all-in-one product to the bushes, and I've sprayed with Sevin to protect against Japanese beetles...which showed up extremely early this year. We are now up to 74 roses, including our "bucket brigade:" we set up a temporary 'holding' area for several bareroot roses we got from Jackson & Perkins at their end-of-season sale...$9.95, plus a coupon for no shipping charges. While it's too hot to plant them in their permanent locations, we got 10 (5-gallon) buckets, drilled holes for drainage, and filled with a rose-friendly mixture of garden soil, compost, and leaf mold...and they stand in a shaded area like soldiers getting ready to do battle.

One fella (who was a container rose when purchased at Roses Unlimited on our recent trip to Lauren's, SC) is looking pretty good in his new home next to the fence, sporting a bud already. Don Juan is a red, climbing rose, which will need the support of the trellis and the fence.

Day lilies —

The show has begun! Even though our lack of rain is showing up in smaller and fewer flowers, you can't stop these beauties from producing. Here are a few stars:

Forever Redeemed 

Symmetry in Yellow

Buttered Popcorn 

Purple Pinwheel 

Alabama Jubilee 

Dad's Best White

Berry Patch —

The blueberry harvest has begun, and even though the lack of rain means fewer berries, it does seem the ones we are getting are sweeter. Amazingly, the blackberries are ripening at the same time as the blueberries. And while the grapes appear to be full of fruit, I noticed that the size of the clusters is smaller than last year.

That's how are garden is growing (in spite of the lack of rain). Hope yours is surviving.

Happy hoeing!

April Showers

Today, we had a break in the rain...hooray! I sure hope the water table is making a comeback with all this moisture falling from the skies.

The 2015 Garden begins to give!

Here's the wrap up on the Way Back Gardens from April (look below for upcoming May activities...:):


Things have been rolling right along, with lots of progress in all the gardens.  I got a nice cool season garden planted in the raised beds of the Box Garden, and then eagerly tackled the warm-season planting checklist for the Kitchen Garden, following the average last frost date for our area (typically quoted as being April 15). Since the first two weeks of April have been warmer than usual, I took a chance on getting many of the tender transplants and seeds in the ground, although I am prepared to still have to make a mad dash to cover some tender tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, along with the boxwood basil (in the photo, right) should the weather forecast turn chilly.

I'm happy to report that I got fifteen tomato transplants in Row #1 of the Row garden, along with ten pepper plants and two eggplants...in spite of all the help I received from Abbie and Winston (pictured, below). I planted three each of Park's Improved Whoppers, Juliets, Beefsteaks, and Celebrities; and one each of German Queen, Red Beefsteak, and Better Boy. I've also planted a Bush Goliath in a container on the deck. I remembered that when setting out tomato plants, to set up stakes and cages so as not to disturb the roots later. I also reused the landscape fabric I used last year, having already cut the X-shaped holes in the fabric at just the right distance for planting tomatoes and peppers.

I planted two each (sweet) green bell, yellow bell,  red bell, and purple bell peppers; and one each of Tabasco and Dragon (hot) peppers. I still have seedlings of Better Boys, Park's Improved Whoppers, Cherokee Purple, and Black from Tula, along with Orange Blaze, Mariachi, and Fish Peppers. These will all be ready to go into containers in a couple of weeks, about the same time I plant lima beans, sweet potatoes, okra, and cotton.

Although I missed the April 15th date ("pay your taxes, plant your corn"), I did get four rows of Silver Queen corn into the (muddy, sloppy) rows in the caged Block Garden. Fingers crossed the seeds germinate! I also got seeds planted for pole beans and bush beans in a couple of the raised beds in the Box Garden, joining two kinds of broccoli (pictured below), red cabbage, carrots, spinach, beets, several varieties of lettuce (pictured below), and (for the first time) potatoes. I had a few seed potatoes left over after I planted the grow bags, so I thought I'd trial them in a raised bed "just to see how that would work."

 

 

This year, Mr. T built me a raised bed to dedicate as an herb garden, next to the area dedicated to the asparagus raised bed. While I include herbs here and there all around the Way Back, I think they are pretty enough to be stars of their own show.

We have been enjoying our asparagus, harvesting a few stalks on nearly a daily basis, since just after Easter. I didn't get into the garden for a couple of days during the rains, and a few stalks grew too tall and tough. But, it's nice to be realizing the fruits of our labors several years ago.

First asparagus shoots 2015

Rounding out the report from the Kitchen Garden, I'm happy to see that the garlic (planted in the former home to the sweet potatoes and the onions (planted at the ends of all the raised beds in the Box Garden) are all growing and looking great.

The blueberries have already flowered and are fruiting up nicely in the Berry Patch. We also are seeing lots of strawberries, even though we probably should have been more diligent about weeding and mulching the bed; but honestly I don't remember seeing this number of potential fruit before. I pruned the grape vines and the blackberries rather lightly this Spring, and they are all greening up grandly.

I'm proud to report that all the trees in the Orchard flowered this year...no frost or freeze damage! Hooray. I need to spray the trees after the last of the apple trees finish flowering to ensure some protection against the summer onslaught of pests.

And we finally got the last of the roses we'd planned to move from the back yard to the Way Back planted in the Rose Garden: Mister Lincoln, JFK, and a Chrysler Imperial. We had to remove an Abraham Darby due to suspected RRD, making a total of four roses we have lost to this disease (of which there is no cure...only removal). We planted two more hybrid teas (Pink Peace and Chicago Peace...both from Home Depot) and a Duchesse de Brabant (from Antique Rose Emporium...in memory of our departed Duchess) in containers, and that should do it for planting for this year...except for the perennials and annuals for accents, of course. There is ALWAYS an "except for...," isn't there?

So, here's what's on our 'To Do' List for May*:

Kitchen Garden:

·         May 1^st is the beginning of the recommended planting time for bush lima beans (through July 1^st), okra (through May 31^st), and both sweet and hot peppers (through May 31^st ).  May 15^th marks the date to begin planting sweet potatoes (through June 15^th).  I've got a good start on this one.

·         Continue planting pole beans (through July 1^st), cantaloupe/muskmelons (through June 1^st), sweet corn (through June 1^st), cucumbers (through May 15^th), pumpkins (through June 15^th), summer and winter squash (through May 15^th), tomato plants (through July 15^th), and watermelons (through June 1^st). I currently have transplants-from-seeds almost ready to go in my Bio Dome seed starter in the kitchen.

·         Be sure to remove any suckers on tomatoes to encourage the plant’s energy be used for larger fruit rather than side shoots. (I always attempt to root the suckers; many times I'm lucky and get a freebie tomato!). And, take the precaution I learned while in the Seeds of Change at EPCOT: remove the lower branches on tomato plants to help prevent diseases such as blights that are transferred from water splattering off soil onto leaves.

·         When planting beans (pole and/or bush) and corn, make successive plantings every two weeks to ensure a longer harvest.

·         Plant basil and dill directly in the garden this month.

Orchard and Berry Patch:

·         Fertilize blueberries, blackberries, and grapes this month.  Read more about it in the NC Cooperative Extension publication Grapes and Berries for the Garden.

Rose Garden (and perennials and annuals):

·         To prevent black spot on roses, continue a weekly fungicidal spray regimen, if you don't use the 6-week systemic variety.   The latest research says NOT to remove black spot infected leaves UNTIL you don't see anymore green...thereby giving your rose bush all the help it needs in continuing to produce chlorophyll.

·         Prepare beds for summer annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias; a location with 6 or more hours of sun each day is ideal.

 

Flowers, Shrubs, and Trees in the Front and Backyard gardens:

Azaleas blooming in the back yard

 

·         May is time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, especially caladiums and gladioli. I already have some glads coming up inside a "protected" area, so they seem to have made it through the mild winter we had.



·         Prune and fertilize Spring-flowering shrubs such as azalea (pictured, left) and rhododendron after they have bloomed. We NEED to make this a hard-prune year, as ours are all rather wild looking.

 

·         Remove broadleaf weeds from all landscape planting areas. If left to grow, they will rob water and nutrients from your plants. We have brought nearly 200 bags of hardwood mulch onto our property, spreading yards and yards by cubic yards of the stuff.  We still have lots to spread in the Rose Garden.

Lawns and Grasses

·         According to the Home Lawn Calendar for May from the Center for Turfgrass Environmental Research and Education at NC State, mow tall fescue lawns at 3 to 3 ½”, and at least once each week.  This article also encourages grasscycling, which is the practice of leaving grass clippings on the lawn.  “Grass clippings decompose quickly and can provide up to 25 percent of the lawn's fertilizer needs.”  We actually use the clippings from the Way Back (around the Orchard and the Berry Patch) to "feed" the compost piles.  Good as gold!

·         Lawns need 1 to 1 ¼ inches of water per week.

Other             

• Take some time to enjoy the butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds!  We have a small raised bed Pollinator Garden in the Orchard, with a bird bath; I see that the bee balm, lavender, and pineapple lilies are returning this year...yeah! Soon, I will direct-seed zinnias to fill out the spaces.
• Move houseplants out-of-doors when the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees. We are waiting to move the lemon trees out of the plasticized screen porch...just for their protection, since we are still getting some 45-49 degree nights.
• Be sure to incorporate finished compost into the garden,  and then begin a new compost pile. We have a wonderful barrel-type composter that Mr. T rolled out to the Row that will host the sweet potatoes and okra, so we are ready to begin the process again. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about the subject from the NC Cooperative Extension publication:  Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes.

Remember, May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Awareness Month.  Before you dash outside to your May gardening activities, put on a hat, sunglasses, and adequate sunscreen protection. It's also a good time to visit your dermatologist for a skin check. I'm getting a jump on that this Friday!

Happy hoeing!


==================================
* This May To Do List is updated and revised from an article I had published on GoGreenTriad.com in 2011.

Days of Summer

Alex Trebeck: Lazy days of Summer.

Me: What is NEVER the answer to a question about a garden in August?

Summer is in full swing in The Way Back and brings with it a change in gardening chores for the month of August. As the thermometer soars, enthusiasm for gardening activities typically wanes...at least in the heat of the day. July and August are our hottest months, so we usually don't start a lot of new garden projects...although we do tend to talk about plans for this or that while taking more frequent cooling-off breaks. Still, there is always a mountain of maintenance to-do's in a Summer garden. Plus, we take the first steps for our Fall vegetable garden from mid-July through mid-August.

The best time to do any kind of gardening or maintenance is in early morning when it hasn't gotten so hot, or late in the day after the sun has dropped toward the horizon. Years ago, I promised my mother (who worried about the potential for heat stroke...since that's how her Grandfather Keaton died) that I would "try my best" to follow a rule of "Noon or Ninety, whichever comes first," coming inside to cool off when the clock reached 12:00 or the temps topped 90. In addition to paying attention to the time and temperature, I dress appropriately, keep a cooling cloth (made from strips of an old cotton T-shirt, soaked in cold water) around my neck, take more frequent breaks, drink plenty cooling beverages (water would be best, but I lean toward iced tea), and remember to use sunscreen and bug spray. 

Here's the Garden report for early August:

Kitchen Garden —

• What can I say? I admit I spend the majority of my time here in Summer. I take my morning coffee walk around the garden not only to see what is growing; enjoy the fruits of our labors; snap pictures to document and share; and pick what has ripened; but also to spot problems with weeds or pests before they get out of hand. "Managing by walking around" I call it.

• In Row 1, the okra (mainly Clemson Spineless, joined by a few Burgundy, Green Velvet, and Dwarf...all seed from the Old Salem Seed Exchange in 2013) is starting to produce pods. I have fewer plants than last year, so I hope I will be able to keep up with the harvest (which just overwhelmed me in 2013)!

• Row 1 is the home to my stand of heirloom Nanking green cotton. I hand-ginned the seed from the boles harvested in 2012 and planted 24 "hills," using 3 seeds to a hill (making allowances for two-year old seed). I had a fantastic germination rate, resulting in 1-3 plants per hill. Of course, I have had to replant a few hills due to the dogs using this portion of the garden for their enthusiastic romps, but that was easily done. BTW, someone recently asked me why I was growing cotton? I replied "because I got the original seed from the Old Salem Seed Exchange (and I feel an obligation to grow some and give back), because it represents my own heritage, because it produces one of the prettiest flowers around, and because the growing conditions are right...not to mention that I want to raise enough cotton to hand-spin enough yarn to knit SOMETHING!"

• Also in Row 1, the Beauregard sweet potato vines are running well. This year, I am trialing growing sweet potatoes under black landscape fabric, cutting holes to plant the initial 18 slips. They look happy with this arrangement! My hope is that the fabric will help keep the clay soil moist enough to alleviate its  hardening into a long, solid brick...and make it easier for the tubers to form and then dig. Time will tell whether it is successful. UPDATE: what has eaten the leaves off the sweet potato vines?! We are surmising we may have a ground hog (our neighbor says he has seen one); whatever the critter is, he/she left the vines and just ate the leaves. How odd!

• In Row 2, the cucumbers (Straight Eights and Boston Pickling) growing on the latticework trellis), yellow squash, and zucchini (both kinds of squash are being trialled in tomato cages) are all producing profusely. For the most part, the cukes I am collecting to have enough for pickles; I have made some favorites (at least for me) like marinated (in vinegar and sugar) cucumber and onion slices, veggie cream cheese spread, and gazpacho. I do try to pick the squashes while they are still small and tender, but sometimes they just get away from me. That's when I find baseball-bat sized zukes hiding under the giant leaves.  Can you say zucchini bread? 

• Squash borers and squash bugs can both be fatal to squash, zucchini, and pumpkin plants, and they will attack melons, cucumbers. I check the undersides of Learn more about these pests and how to manage them from this Pender Gardener article: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+76. UPDATE: it looks like the squash vine borers have arrived. Several of my squash plants seem to be showing signs of the frass around the base of the thick vines. Also, because of all the rain and high humidity, the conditions are excellent for mildew. Sigh.

• Row 2 is supporting one of my experiments for 2014: using tomato cages to trellis my melons. [I'm doing this experiment in response to the disaster in the melon patch in 2013, when a raccoon (or something) ate its way through every single melon.)] Since the cantaloupes are vining slowly, they have been easy to train. I only have one 'lope, which I have supported with a zip-tied, vented gallon milk jug, which has drainage holes in the bottom. The excessive temperatures in late June stalled the development of more flowers, so I just have to wait until they recover.

The watermelons are proving more difficult. All three varieties (Crimson Sweet, Sugar Baby, and Jubille) are vining well...perhaps too well. All have produced flowers and fruit, with Crimson Sweet winning the numbers game here. I knew the individual melons would need support when they begin to gain weight, so I cut huge swaths of old, summerweight row cover cloth into slings (or hammocks, as Thomas said) and used clothespins to attach them as supports to the ripening melons. Seems to be working in most cases, with the notable exception of the Jubilees...which can weigh 25 pounds. We found the largest of the developing Jubilees on the ground yesterday, after it had ripped through a hole in its sling and snapped off the vine. I picked the two largest CS and Jubilees and one SB (as you can see in the photo below). UPDATE: flowers have returned to the melon vines after a brief hiatus. Several melons are forming at the ends of the vines, so I am bringing out the plastic pots (overturned) to try to provide some protection.

• Row 3 is home to most of our bean crop: Kentucky Wonder and Garden Advantage are planted on the 30' long bean "fence" (made with two 5x15' net trellises strung over 3 6'-steel fence posts), Scarlet Runners are planted on the bean tower, and Fordhook limas are planted in a three-row bed. Of all those mentioned, the limas are doing the best (which is great because they didn't even flower last year, much less make a crop!). We have suffered repeated losses to either cutworms or bunnies...or both...along the bean fence. Still I kept watering the stubs, and many sent out a second set of leaves on alternate stems. The KY Wonders are beginning to flower (finally) so we may get a crop yet...if I can keep the Mexican Bean beetles (which were a scourge in 2013) at bay. I have used neem as a precaution against all other pests in this row, being cautious to use in the late evening to avoid damage to pollinators. UPDATE: the Garden Advantage bush beans have switched into high production mode. Hooray!

• Dominating Row 4, the tomatoes are ready...finally! We have been picking (and in many cases eating right off the vine) Sun Golds for nearly a month now...both from the one transplant I purchased from Burpee and from the three volunteers I have been trialing in the raised bed, just to see what (if anything) these offsprings of a hybrid would produce. As of this week, I have been picking the almost ripened Beefmasters and Park's Improved Whoppers...6 nice ones today. I say "almost ripened" because we suffered a loss last week of our very first almost ripened Black Krim, when I discovered a squirrel (or some critter) had beaten me to it. Brazen beasties! 

And then Thomas discovered our turtle has returned. He seemed to be enjoying a couple Romas that had fallen off the vine. We don't think a turtle capable of reaching up and pulling the produce down to his level...and at least when a turtle eats, he cleans his plate!

As tomato plants continue to grow and produce, I try to keep the soil around the plants (which is mulched in mushroom compose topped with leaf mold) consistently moist. Inconsistent watering is the reason tomatoes develop unsightly cracks. Also, blossom end rot (those awful black spots covering the bottom of your tomatoes) is most common on tomatoes but can also affect peppers, squash, and melons. BER is the result of low calcium in developing fruits and is most commonly caused by uneven watering. For some reason, we've lost several of the Beefmasters to BER, but only one PIW. 

• The peppers in Row 4 are growing well and starting to ripen, yielding a couple red pimientos, a golden Orange Blaze, and a couple mild bananas. The hot Cherry Poppers (whose peppers grow up rather than down on the stem) are going into high gear now. I burned my tongue on one of the seeds when I was putting up some in a pint jar (with hot vinegar)!

• I've seeded the Fall garden in the raised beds in the Box Garden: broccoli, cabbage, spinach, beets, carrots, and lettuce. Have to remember to keep the beds moist, since the temps can do a great deal of damage to the germinating seeds of Cool Season crops

• The Block garden has corn and pumpkins inside the fence, with the latter growing faster than the former. I struggle to keep up with removing eggs laid on the pumpkin leaves by the squash bugs...who seem to prefer pumpkins to squash at this point. UPDATE: I planted garden (English) peas around the outside of fence.

• The 3 rows of pink-eye purple hull ("Southern") peas have done fairly well, despite being in the direct path of the dogs' romps. They have stopped flowering, but I hope cooler night temps might encourage another flush of peas.

Here're the latest harvest snap:

Orchard —

• Since ALL of our fruit trees were adversely affected by the late freeze in April, there will be no fruit this year. So sad.

• The Pollinator Garden is looking good! Zinnias have filled in, as have the marigolds. A couple of surprise sunflowers have sprung up; that's one of them in the pic above. And the pineapple lilies (new in 2013) have bloomed! 

Berry Patch —

• Blackberries are winding down and need to be pruned to remove the canes that have just produced this year's fruit. To encourage branching on the new canes (which will produce next year's berries), we cut back the vigorous, new growth two or three times for greater fruit production. UPDATE: Thomas cut back the canes that just fruited.

• Blueberry bushes also need pruning now that their harvest is complete. Thomas cleaned out the weeds from the blueberry boxes (as they are planted in raised beds). I need to prune the bushes and and mulch again with a nice layer of leaf mold.

• The 2 Concord grapes have put on too much new vine growth, along with a record amount of fruit production (see pic). Consequently, we had to do some repair work on the fence-trellising system after a severe thunderstorm in late June. The newest grapes (3 Reliance and 3 Flame) are passing their first formative year without much assistance from us; we are simply allowing them to develop good root systems in hopes they begin to flower and fruit next year. Here're the Concords:

• I spent a cloudy morning rejuvenating the strawberry bed, cutting off numerous runners and weeding. I dosed the remaining "Mother" plants with earthworm casings (fertilizer) and mulched them with mushroom compost. I am attempting to root the "daughter" runners in two flats and several hanging baskets; those that "take" will be used to create a new bed this Fall. UPDATE: the runners planted in baskets have done much better than those in the flats.

Rose Garden —

•  According to "The Pruning Specialist" by David Squire, good results have been achieved by using electric hedge trimmers to prune bush roses. Intriguing. While I balk at using this technique with my hybrid teas, miniatures, floribundas, or grandifloras (or on any rose in winter dormancy), I saw promise in managing the exuberant summer growth on my David Austin English-style bush roses...which is usually an overwhelming, two-day job to tackle by hand with pruning shears and loppers. When I suggested 'hedge trimmer' to Thomas, he embraced the idea with great enthusiasm: more power (say that last phrase with a Tim Allen/Home Improvement-inspired laugh)! I'm happy to report that all 33 DA's were successfully Summer-pruned into shape with the Black&Decker...and all the debris loaded into the yard waste toter for disposal...in less time than it took me to hand-prune the 33 HTs, Minis, Fs, and Gs. The Rose Garden looks neat and clean, albeit a bit bare at the moment, but I have high hopes we will see some of those "good results" soon.

• Additionally, mid-July was the time to feed all our roses, as well as get caught up with controlling pests. At this feeding, I used a combination of 1 cup Mills Magic rose food (ordered online here: http://www.millsmix.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=122 ; yes, it's expensive but a truly excellent product...and shipping is included, which is good because I order 40# at a time) and 1 capful granular Bayer 3-in-1 (which contains insect and fungal pest control as well as some fertilizer) per bush. I have also sprayed the roses with neem oil to help with pest control, although I believe hand-removal of Japanese beetles (knocking them into the soap-&-water mixture in my coffee-canister Kill Jug) to be altogether satisfying, safe, and moderately successful. I am currently researching the Bayer product with an eye toward changing this part of my regime in the future, but for now I will use up my present supplies for 2014. 

• The Shasta Daisies I started from cuttings in 2013 are looking beautiful! They have created almost a solid hedge of green leaves topped with flowers bearing large white petals and bright yellow centers. Not only are the daisies perfect companion plants in a rose garden, they make excellent cut flowers to add to summertime arrangements. Other companion plants that are doing well in The Rose Garden include coreopsis, lambs' ears, liriope, Autumn Joy sedum, and dianthus (pinks). The Black Knight buddleas I started from cuttings are nearly six feet tall, and two volunteer giant sunflowers have also added height and color to this area of the Way Back. I replaced a couple of casualties in containers, lost to the cold winter (most regrettably, the agapanthus) with two different Japanese maple trees. Interesting to note: so far, Japanese beetles have not shown any interest in the Japanese maples.

• We have reclaimed the patio in the Rose Garden by doing a bit of furniture rearranging: the rockers moved from the front porch to the patio; the glider moved to behind the Pollinator Garden in the Orchard; and my readers chair moved to the front porch. Fruit basket turnover, right?

Front Yard —

• We tackled the chore of dividing the iris along the front walk and around the lamppost, as you see in the pic above. Here are the instructions we followed when we did that:

"Pick a day in late July or early August when the temperatures are below 90 degrees.   Irises grow from rhizomes, which are elongated stems that grow horizontally below ground and have roots attached to them.  Using a garden fork, lift the whole plant out of the ground. Snap off or use a sharp knife to cut off the vigorous ends of the rhizomes.  Make sure that there are roots attached to each portion.  The center portion is no longer productive, so you can throw it away. Before re-planting, inspect each portion and discard any that indicate the presence of Iris borers or soft rot.  Cut the foliage on healthy rhizomes to about 8 inches.  They prefer dry feet, so replant them 8-10 inches apart in well-drained soil just at or slightly below the soil line.  Don’t pile mulch over the roots.  Mulch can retain more moisture than the rhizomes can handle."    

• We replanted several fans, gave some to our neighbor, and still have a tub full for Missy M's new garden. Thomas moved a crepe myrtle sapling and also spread several bags of black mulch around that area.

• I cut back the stems of the Gethsemane mums down at the mailbox, before they began to form flowers. This allows them to delay flowering until fall. Typically you want to finish this chore by July 15. Never one to squander the opportunity to get new plants for free, I started new chrysanthemums from the cuttings. (Those started in early July should flower this fall.)

Here's how I did it: "Take a four- or five-inch cutting. Pinch off the leaves on the lower one third of the stem. (Stem cells at the base of each leaf produce the most active growth. New roots form there easily.) Remove leaves further up the stem also, leaving three or four small leaves at the cutting tip. Once leaves are removed, put each stem section into a container of water while preparing more cuttings. Pre-moisten potting mix or seed-stating mix in a wide-mouthed pot or planting tray. Use a pencil or dibble to poke holes in the soil about three inches apart. Dip the stem where the bottom leaves have been removed into rooting hormone such as Rootone. Stick one cutting in each hole. Push dirt against the stem to make good soil-to-stem contact. Place pots or a tray with cuttings in bright shade (no direct sunlight). Allow about four weeks for roots to develop. Keep the soil evenly moist while new roots form. For a week or two, expose the container to brighter light but not to full afternoon sun. Don’t let the soil dry out. Plants can then be transplanted to the garden or into larger pots. Keep new transplants well watered for a few weeks. Shield from afternoon sun for two or three days."

Whew! I could use a day off! But there's no rest for the wicked...and the righteous gardener doesn't need any!