2019 Review

Red Flam Grapes - 2019

The best/most productive crop in the garden for 2019 has been the Red Flame grapes. The quantity & quality have never been better. The vines were allowed to reach out across the garden in an array. Only limited pruning was performed to tidy stray vines. I constructed a very unsophisticated system of support using tall wooden stakes and twine leading the vines from the arbor out across the garden. This provided me with much welcomed summer shade while allowing the vines to soak up the sun and produce loads and loads of grapes. The grapes weren’t grocery store big in size; but they certainly tasted superior. I may continue with my remedial method unless Farmer MacGregor constructs a better more permanent structure.

Thornless boysenberries and Santa Rosa plums also performed well.  Earlier in the year, carrots thrived during the cool rainy season. Disappointments were beets being devoured by insects.  Still don’t know the culprits. They continue to destroy my fall beets. Tomatoes and peppers were also duds.

Two trees were removed:  Blenheim apricot & O’Henry peach. A new Blenheim has replaced O’Henry.  The nursery didn’t have any O’Henry’s in stock; so we hope to snag a bareroot peach this coming season. Farmer MacGregor insists. The Granny Smith apple also needs to be removed. I’m thinking of replacing it with a Royal Crimson cherry that has been developed by Dave Wilson Nursery for the San Joaquin Valley.

A variety of onions and garlic has been planted in the winter garden and look to be enjoying the cooler, wetter weather just like me. Hope you all are enjoying your garden too.

Eenie Meenie, Jelly Beanie…

Sweet Olive Tomato

Today, some of the tomatoes are showing great signs of ripening.  Sweet Olive along with the larger Celebrity varieties now have a blush on their skins.  It will be salsa making time soon.  Salsa and catchup are my favorite only condiments.  The recent heat put the Serrano peppers into hyper mode.  I use more peppers than tomatoes in my salsa; so everything is aligning just right.

Now, I'm on the look out for another grape sized tomato variety.  Sweet Olive is determinate - they will all ripen at once.  I'll visit the local nurseries to see what is available.  By planting different varieties throughout the growing season should keep me in salsa for some time.  Has anyone tried the Jelly Bean variety?

Garden Progress in April

 Here's what's going on in the garden after some nice rain before we head into a scorcher of a week.
Several lavender plants are drawing various pollinators into the garden - hummingbirds, bubble bees, bees, and butterflies.

Lavender

The plum tree is alive.  I thought it had been lost after it bloomed in the fall and produced leaves into the winter.  Those leaves looked awful and sad; but it bloomed this spring and produced some fruit.  Most of that fruit has fallen though.

Santa Rosa Plum

The peach tree got away from my pruning shears last year.  Once the fruit has been harvested in a few months, I'll work on slowly trimming it down to a manageable espalier.

O'Henry Peach

Good ol' Granny Smith looks like it is thriving and will provide plenty of apples at the end of the summer.  This tree had some problems with scalding a few years ago.

Granny Smith Apple
 

The Red Flame grapes were pruned a bit today by Farmer MacGregor.  He took down an unfilled Scrub Jay nest that distressed those nest builders.

Red Flame Grapes

The Warren pear tree never bloomed (AGAIN!) and the Fantasia Nectarine lost all of its fruit.  The Bleinheim apricot has had a few prunings so far this spring.  The fruit has a bit of cosmetic damage from the sun and wind.  Hopefully, it won't do a thing to the flavor.

Bleinheim Apricot

A few peas have started to develop.  I'm surprised since the heat came early.  Maybe I'll get a few to sample.

Wando Peas

Celebrity tomatoes have produced well in the past even though there is a nematode problem.  This year is no exception.  There is hope of homemade salsa.

Celebrity Tomato

Thornless boysenberries were covered with netting today to fight off the pesky birds.  This season may not be as bountiful as last.  If so, I'll blame it on my pruning.

Thornless Boysenberries

Serrano peppers are great stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon.  They are also my pepper of choice for making salsa.

Serrano Peppers

Most of the irrigation is only twice during the week.  Basins are filled from the hose.  This method may encourage the roots to push deeper into the soil and not dry out as fast.  I may be wrong since so many encourage drip irrigation.  We'll see.

Augusta West - Not

It's time for the Masters' Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.  That golf course is famous for its azaleas.  My garden is not.  In 2009, we planted a bunch of camellias and azaleas in the garden.  Wrong.  They did bloom, but then they went kaput!  Only one azalea survives today.  Thriving in their place are thornless boysenberries

 George L. Taber Azalea

Garden Update:

Tomatoes (Better Boy):  Farmer MacGregor could not imagine a summer without homegrown tomatoes.  So rather than solarize the raised beds to eradicate the nematodes, he opted to plant a variety resistant to nematodes.  This is what we grew last summer in another bed. Planted last week.

Bell Peppers (Golden Bell):  Three plants should be enough to take us through the summer. Planted today.

Hot Peppers (Serrano):  Pepper poppers are a favorite around here.  MacGregor also prefers home grown salsa. So...Serranos were planted today.

Note:  I still cannot bend so Farmer MacGregor has taken on the task of planting.

Nectarine (Fantasia):  What's nibbling on the nectarines?  Ants?  Grasshoppers?

Fantasia Nectarines

Espalier:  All the espalier fruit trees (except for the Granny Smith apple) had a spring pruning.  Nothing too heavy.  The leaves are necessary to prevent scald.  The most vigorous growth was on the apricot and plum trees.

Bastille Day in Okie Territory

Sure it's Bastille Day.  I tip my big straw hat to the French Marigolds in the garden for thriving where nematodes lurk. Viva la marigolds!  I wouldn't mind experiencing a French celebration once.

Though I didn't celebrate today by eating cake, I did enjoy a French Basque lunch down at the Wool Growers.  Later this evening, while listening to the Buckaroos play down at the Crystal Palace, I twisted my sombrero around to give a nod to my neighbors to the south. Mexico has a pretty great celebration (Cinco de Mayo) here in the USA to commemorate when they beat up the French.

The old radio/boombox cranked out Buddy Allen Owens singing while I collected all the fresh produce to make salsa.  He gave a Hee Haw Yee Haw out to visitors in the audience.  England was the farthest location and 90 was the biggest birthday.  (The gentleman was there celebrating with his girlfriend!)

It's simply a UN experience in the garden.

Going to Seed

A work associate has a wife interested in gardening.  The only problem is - she wants immediate gratification.  She buys full grown plants rather than trying seeds.  But she's young and learning.  A package of seeds costs so much less than a full grown plant and produces so much more.  Plus, the plants are probably healthier when started properly by seed.  I start seeds in place outside most all year round.  The right seed in the right hole works most every time.

Nasturtiums and peppers planted May 28, 2012.

Being contrary to the last statement, I was searching for some bell pepper plants to add to the garden this weekend.  The available specimens were either pitiful or outrageously overpriced ($2.98/seedling!).  I had to revert to my original mantra and grow from seed.

Not only is it the most economical way to garden, but it's convenient too.  Whenever possible and practical, seeds are collected to use the following season.  If the variety works well in the garden, why mess with success?  Collect the successful varieties for later use or trade and share.  Don't forget to label the container.  That's a trick I'm still learning.

Sweet Peas collected in an old peanut butter tub for drying.

Radishes, herbs, beans, and squash can bring fairly fast results.  Sunflowers, sweet peas, and morning glories may grow so fast and furious that they may gain "weed" status in the garden.  What a danged shame more gardeners don't use seeds.

Sadly, Ferry Morse Seed Company is closing down it's operations around the USA.  Hope this is simply a reorganization and not an indicator of the preference of gardeners. 

Try picking up a packet of seeds and see how much more satisfying gardening can be from seed to seed.

Pick a Peck

I pronounce that I have picked about 5 pecks of peppers this weekend.  Certainly much more than that came out of the pepper patch this summer to make salsa, pepper poppers, and share with others; but the final harvest was about 5 pecks.  The plants needed to be cleared out to make way for the garlic and more broccoli to be planted this week.

The pepper processing has begun in the kitchen.  The peppers are being sorted for salsa and stuffing purposes.  Only the big, beefy ones move on to stuffing status while the others will join home grown tomatoes as salsa.

A peck is a unit of dry volume or capacity in the U.S. Customary System equal to 8 quarts.

Garden Update

Lavender is clipped on a regular basis then dried for use in potpourris.  I did notice that lavender buds are being used to toss at weddings in place of rice or birdseed.  I like that choice.

Dove chickies have hatched up in the grape arbor.  Don’t they know that dove season starts on September 1?  Perhaps they’ll simply hang out in the garden for a while.

The tomatoes just will not stop producing.  My freezers are stuffed and I have loads of salsa.  There are little yellow blossoms on most of the plants.  In the background, the apricot is screaming for an espalier pruning.  This will probably be the sixth trim this summer.

Summer sweetness plumps up the peaches as they continue to ripen.  I enjoyed a peach this morning and thought it was great.  Farmer MacGregor didn’t think it was sweet enough yet so I won’t harvest just yet.

The chives are blooming and need to be snipped.  Most all the herbs in the garden are growing well – chives, parsley, basil, thyme,  and rosemary.  The summer savory I planted with the beans never germinated.  I planted twice.  It must have been a dud package of seeds.

I’m not sure how to best preserve the peppers since the favorite way to use them is in salsa or stuff them with cream cheese, wrap them in bacon and bake them.

Pumpkin looks forward with anticipation for the upcoming dove season.

Licorice continues to supervise all activity in the garden between naps.  Looks like she’s ready to take a dive.

Hot Hot Hot

It’s at this time of year when all of us in the garden have been beaten down by the elements.  Gardeners and garden alike are ready to turn the oven off, take a break for a few days, then start planting the fall garden.  Well, not all the garden is ready to toss it all in.  The peppers are in their element.  It’s as if they are collecting the heat of summer into those waxy capsules of ay carambaness.

The Black Hungarian Peppers come in shades of green, red, and black or more like a deep purple.  They are a variety I’ve never tried before because I had never heard of them prior to reading the Baker Creek catalogue.

For the most part they are all a deep shade of purple.  They are hot enough for me.  Farmer MacGregor prefers the Serranos in the salsa to give it a Kung Foo kick.  I don’t need blisters in my mouth to enjoy homemade salsa.

Earlier this summer I found a hornworm munching on one of the Black Hungarians.  I didn’t think peppers were bothered much by pests.  It seems I was wrong.  Last year grasshoppers enjoyed the Serranos.  This year  they seem to enjoy the Black Hungarians.

This handicapped grasshopper was hanging on as best it could to the slick, waxy pepper.  Last fall, there was a grasshopper missing the same leg that hung out in the garden.  I wonder if the garden kitties had a paw in this.

I’m a Pepper. You’re a Pepper.

Remember that Dr. Pepper jingle from the 1970s?  Oh, it’s stuck in my noggin. 

The heat has been turned up in the garden and everything is starting to pop.  Here’s an update:The Black Hungarian Peppers have started to develop.  This variety of hot pepper is definitely living up to its name – BLACK.  All the varieties of tomatoes have fruit.  Carbon won the award for most bashful as it developed last.  Now I need to decide if I want to prune off lateral branches to encourage vertical growth up the string.  Like thinning seedlings, this may take psychological strength. The Butterfly Bush is in full bloom.  It’s about a week behind where it was in 2009.  I guess it’s because of the mild spring weather that its schedule is slightly off.  This variety is Black Knight.  It’s deciduous and blooms on new growth.  In the fall, it needs to be pruned down severely.  If sugar was a flower, it would be a Butterfly Bush.  The scent is sugary sweet to me.Jaune D’Or Ovale radishes are taking off faster than I can eat them.  They will be distributed to friends and neighbors for their enjoyment.  The radishes were planted with a row of Mule Team tomatoes to ward off pests.  So far, so good.  As these are harvested, a new crop will be sown.  These radishes are mild.

More lavender has been harvested and hung to dry.  All the Candy Hybrid Onions have been harvested and are on the drying rack along with the garlic to be used throughout the summer.

Summer Savory was planted in the holes of the cinder blocks where the Borlotto Solista Beans are growing.  Insects are repelled by this herb.  The peppery taste helps flavor the beans.

I also planted some Italian Parsley.  The directions on the seed packet from Victory Seeds directs me to freeze the seeds for 3 – 5 days and to soak them in warm water for 4 hours before planting.  Phewy!  I just sprinkled the seeds in some rich soil and lightly covered them.  They are being irrigated with a drip line.  Hope my shortcut method works just as well.

As always, my supervisor was there to oversee all the work. Licorice had a sister by the name of Pepper.  Good Old Pepper is buried on the other side of the garden wall.  She was a good cat.

So with Black Hungarian Peppers, the peppery taste of Summer Savory, and thoughts of Pepper the Cat, I was humming the Dr. Pepper commercial from the 1970’s.  The video quality stinks; but the tune is just fine.  Enjoy the ride in my time machine.

Summer Crops – Part III

Moving further to the east…

This bed still has a few items leftover from fall.  There were peas on the far left.  Those are long gone.  Next is garlic.  I suspect that will be harvested soon as the greens are drying out.  Beside the garlic are a few remaining beets.  Beets are harvested each weekend and pickled to be used throughout the week.  Carrots are on the far right.  I may harvest those to make some Basque carrots and clear out the bed. 

Hot peppers will be grown here through the summer.  From seed, I’ve started Serano and Black Hungarians.  These peppers will be used to make salsa all summer long.  Wonderful, delicious salsa to enjoy all summer long kind of takes the edge off of disliking summer so much.  Another use for the harvest is pepper poppers.  These are like candy to Farmer MacGregor.

I don’t believe the seedlings I have will fill the bed; so I would like to grow beans.  Cannellini beans.  Lidia’s Italy on PBS   provided a nice recipe using  cannellini beans.  These would be superb to have on hand to add to soups and other dishes.  I’m having a tough time finding a supplier; so that makes me want them all the more.

Meanwhile, here’s the plans for the final bed:

This eastern most bed has been planted with green bunching onions (04/18/10).  They’ve already sprouted (04/29/10).  The sprouts can be thinned soon and used like chives.  Once the onions are about as thick as a pencil, they can be harvested and used in salads, on baked potatoes, and eaten plain.

A dozen metal stakes are now in the bed.  These stakes will have the tomato supports attached to them.  This is the 1st year I’ve strung tomatoes and Farmer MacGregor is blazing the way by constructing fine supports to showoff all the heirloom tomatoes in the garden.  They will take up less space horizontally allowing for companion crops to grow along side and benefit each other.

The tomatoes are on standby ready to be planted as soon as Farmer MacGregor completes construction.  I plan to chronicle how to string tomatoes showing the plans and construction all the way to threading the tomatoes up the twine.

That’s it.  Four raised beds ready to produce a bounty this summer and all it took was a few packets of seed, a ton of labor, and Farmer MacGregor’s know how.  Ain’t he great?

What a Weekend

Here’s what’s been happening in Maybelline’s Garden this weekend.

Ladybugs are everywhere -  the lawn, fruit trees, and even my rear view mirror on the was back from the grocery store.  Here are a few shots of the ladies working on the strawberries and lavender.

Farmer MacGregor was busy constructing the supports for the tomatoes and lemon squash.  He even has plans to make drying racks for the garlic and onions.  Neighbors are in awe of his talent. The green onions were planted in one bed they will share with tomatoes.  The other tomato bed will also house radishes.  Farmer MacGregors supports will allow the tomatoes to be strung up allowing plenty of sunshine to hit the onions.  The companion gardening of placing onions amongst the tomatoes should help with pest control.  The same goes for the radishes. The hot peppers were transplanted into their final stage before being planted in the garden.  They join the tomatoes in the nursery that looks like its making  the best use of cups after a kegger. My mother’s lemon tree is loaded with small lemons.  I squeeze the juice and freeze it in ice cube trays storing the cubes in freezer bags.  Juice is always available that way plus the cut lemons make the house smell great.

I’m pooped.