Arizona Has Taken Off Those Rainbow Shades!

  Arizona is realizing the wrath of two bankrupt (financially and morally) cities in bankrupt California along with other ne’er do wells.  These modern day Gomorrahs view things so totally opposite from me that one day I may take a bite of the mushroom they are enjoying to see what it’s like.

Until then, I plan to throw financial support to businesses in Arizona.  There are organic gardening supply companies, organic beef,  pet supplies, and most anything else you might need.  I can send support via the internet OR I could take a trip and see the desert before the heat takes hold OR I could encourage others to plan their meetings, seminars, conferences, and vacations in the desert southwest of Arizona.

I will not intentionally toss my dollars (as weak as they are) toward Los Angeles or San Francisco.  No way.  Stand firm Arizona for what you believe.  There are many more of us supporting you. Saguaro Cactus Blossom – Carnegica Gigantea

Arizona State Flower

And who didn’t have a crush on Mark Lindsay?

Hello?  Anyone?  Anyone there?  Hello?

Tomatoes Are In!

30 tomatoes are in the ground. 

8 Arkansas Travelers + 8 Carbons + 6 Henderson’s Pink Ponderosas + 8 Mule Teams = 30 tomato plants

The Al Kuffas need to go in; but I ran out of daylight.  I will probably have 36 tomatoes to work with this summer.  As the plants go in the ground, they get an extra kick of Dr. Earth’s All Purpose Fertilizer.

The rest of the plants will be divvied up between neighbors, friends, and the Daughters of the British Empire plant auction.  All the plants are heirlooms and all the plants need to get in the ground soon.

It’s gonna be salsa time before I know it.

Mamas’ Day

Mamas’ Day was great.  The morning started early out in the garden finishing the tomato supports.  It was cool and breezy.  It was so cool I had to grab an extra shirt.  Excellent.  I snagged an onion for dinner and strawberries for a big bowl of fruit salad.  Notice the dust on the strawberry leaves.  A change is coming. I would loved to have tied the twine to the tomato supports and started planting the tomatoes; but my back had different plans.  Stooping over or bending was not in the plans.  I went to the kitchen to get some “upright” work done. The clouds began to roll in.  I had to change to sweat pants and a sweater.  Lovely.  The wind started to blow.  When the rain came some windows had to get shut. Sweet rain.  My babies probably ordered the weather just for me.  They’re good that way.  I really don’t mind that there was one tragedy due to the storm. It was a nice Mamas’ Day.

Lavender Wands

The lavender was harvested today.  I have no idea what the variety is because I just can’t remember.  There were several lavender plants in the front yard and they all took a dive.  The backyard seems to be the best environment for thriving.  Drip irrigation and loads of sunshine are no doubt better than sprinklers under a crepe myrtle.

Snipping the stems in the morning is supposed to give more perfume oil in the harvest.  I don’t know if that’s true; but I clipped this bunch in the morning then went to farmers’ market.  When I returned I started to make a few lavender wands.

These will be donated to the plant auction the Daughters of the British Empire will be holding at their May meeting.  Ladies, if you’re reading this please save your dollars.  These will, no doubt, be responsible for starting a bidding war.  Tomato plants will also be donated.

One Potato. Two Potato.

Volunteer Yukon Gold potatoes are growing amongst the green bunching onions.  They need to be removed to allow for healthy tomato growth.  The bunching onions are planted in the tomato bed not only for eating but to encourage insects to scoot. The potatoes were an unsuccessful project planted last year.  Blight got the best of them after they were mounded.  These sprouts are the result of me not cleaning the bed out properly.These weren’t the only volunteers in the bed.  Peas were also sprouting.  They had to go too.  Now the bed is ready for the tomatoes once Farmer MacGregor installs the tomato supports.  My supervisor approved of my work.  Validation is a good thing.

Long Live the Queen

The Queen of the Garden celebrated her 19th birthday on Cinco de Mayo.  She enjoyed all the treats she could eat then perched up on the steps to oversee her staff (me) work in the garden.  This is a routing (sans treats) she does most every evening.

Here’s what’s going on today:

The Malali Watermelon have sprouted (05/06/10).  They were planted 8 days ago (04/28/10).

 Lemon Squash is planted adjacent to the watermelon.  It was also planted 8 days ago (04/28/10).

Volunteer potatoes are sprouting amongst the green bunching onions.  They will be removed to make way for the tomatoes.  Potatoes and tomatoes do not grow well together because of the spread of blight.  So…the potatoes gotta go.

The lavender will probably be harvested Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, I do not know what variety of lavender I have.

The Red Flame Grape vine is getting a grip on the arbor.  Color and intensity was boosted to see the twining.

Yesterday, the potted citrus (lemon & mandarin) had all the pansies removed, soil fluffed, and were deeply irrigated.  Today, they look a bit better.  I’m confident the lemon will progress; but the prognosis for the mandarin isn’t good.

As the sun sets, the Queen gives her approval to her staff for a job well done then takes a nap because it’s so tiring being the Queen.

Happy Birthday, Your Majesty.

Onion Seeds as Art

Art can be found anywhere.  This was found this evening in the garden.  The onion seed pods are developing and starting to burst.  This shot turned out pretty cool.  It reminds me of performing art…

 

 

 

Measuring Up

I’m adding a measuring stick today to record the progress of a few items in the garden.  Above is a Scarlet Nantes Carrot planted 10/05/09. Jaune D’Or Ovale Radishes planted 04/28/10.

 Evergreen Bunching Onions planted 04/18/10.

O’Henry Peaches planted 01/12/09.  This is the tree’s 2nd season.  Each season it has produced fruit.

Red Flame Grapes planted January 2009.  Like the peach, the grapes are in their 2nd season.  Each season fruit was produced.

Henderson’s Pink Ponderosa planted 03/01/10.  All the tomatoes are ready to be planted in the ground.  As soon as Farmer MacGregor finishes building the supports, the planting can begin.  Some of the tomato plants have buds on them.

Sweet Pinkie Strawberries planted 03/01/09.  This variety is really thriving in the cinder blocks.  During this coming winter they need to be thinned.

This evening’s harvest of Sweet Pinkies.  No chance of me being scooped up as a hand model.  Oh well.

Candy Hybrid Onions planted 09/20/09.

Here’s a seed head on a Candy Hybrid Onion.

Ladybug dining on parsley.

Rio Red Grapefruit planted 02/14/09.  The fruit seems to be staying on the tree this year although some are dropping off.

Variegated Pink Lemon planted in a pot fall 2009.

That’s how a few things are measuring up in the garden today.

Bees Do It

There’s more than just produce in the garden.  There’s a variety of flowers that attract the local bees.  It’s good to have them here to help with the pollination of the tomatoes, melons, squash…you get the point. 

Lobelia

Lantana (yellow)

Thyme

Sweet Peas

Lantana (purple)

Lavender

Nasturtium

Strawberries

Grapefruit

Lemon

Note:  The fancy French radishes (Jaune D’Or Ovale) planted on April 28 look like they have sprouted; but it was too dark this evening to take any photos.

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?