My veg gardens have sprung right back from that hail storm. It's so weird, but, you'd hardly know it happened now. Doesn't that look good, considering??
Nice rows of beans planted by the kid. I call her the bean queen. It's her part of the garden. At least something gets her out there and off her phone for a hot second. There's something about beans growing that warms me. They're just old fashioned and productive, like an old friend you can always count on.
There's a 'dead' tomato, ha. Remember I showed you how they'd been sliced off by the hail? They came back quick. That's the tallest one, but, they all look great now. That double forked part just happened in the last few days. It's crazy, but..
..they all look good, gettin' bushy now. You can't kill a tomato in Iowa. Jungle growth is comin' on now. It's mind blowing. Got a row of late radishes in front there. And some kind of squash like plant on the ends. I can't remember what those seeds were. I guess I'll figure it out later. Those tomatos have outgrown those rings already. Those stupid rings are useless in Iowa. I just use them to mark for the lawn mower guy in Spring. Young tomatos look a lot like rag weed. You ever notice that?
So, some plants are unknown. Do you ever do that? Plant so much stuff you don't know what it is until it fruits? Or am I the only one? I always think I'll remember it all, but, I never do. I know what that is though! That's a Zuch grown from seed. You can't beat that with a stick! That's my fav, so I planted a lot. Gonna be eatin' fresh Zuchs soon!
I love my little garden. It makes me happy. I have to go check the other side now, where I have my corn patches and turnips and cukes. I can't even count the Coon prints, but, they know they'd better behave. Or no sweet corn!
Well, I'll be danged. This is a true garbage garden. I see actual tomatos growing on the plants out by the garbage cans. If there's any extra space, I utilize it when I'm bored. I swear, if a rusty bucket with a hole in it blows in during a storm, I'll plant something in it. These were just seeds I saved from Winter salad tomatos bought at the grocery store. I threw them in the old lady's junk pots sitting out there..and they took. It's always the stuff you never fuss over and pretty much ignore that will kick ass, isn't it? There's some good looking cukes out there too. Go figure.
33 comments:
Last night it rained forvthe first time in three weeks, and the husband went slug hunting. Geeesh. He killed 86 of them in the garden.
I agree about the wire rings. My tomatoes always end up tipping over about midway through the season. My garden was so dry tonight, we tried tilling between the rows and the tines just bounced off. An hour long watering helped. The deer got my beans, but everything else looks good.
Meissa, you sure have a good husband. You won't get many men to go out on slug patrol.
My plants were wiped out the last time it rained (for 4 days). Also all my sunflowers. I will try planting more flower seeds but I don't know what to do about tomato plants. They are the only veg. I really worry about. Nothing better than a home grown tomato.
I am so envious of your beautiful garden. It is really bizarre (and great!) that your plants were able to spring back the way they have. Mine is not working out so well, as I don't have your skill level, and am struggling with too many things on my plate right now.
Lethal combo for a garden.
I am agitated enough that I can't rest tonight, hence the late (or early) posting. Soup and the internet. Maybe a little chocolate. Puppy pictures. Have I mentioned that we are adopting a new puppy? She is too young to come home with us yet, but will be with us in a few weeks.
Maybe I'll watch Harry Potter. I'm watching "Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives" right now,and it is a little too scary for this particular night.
Anyway. . . nice garden. You should have some great veggies before long.
Christina
Meissa, good husband! I like him a lot so far! We hunt slugs here too. It's a sport. I hate those monsters. We get some a foot long, for real. I'll get pic. They make me sick and I've seen them kill and eat other insects. They aint nice! I'm a skeered of them bastards and if I accidentally touch one, I get traumatized! Get the salt!
Angie, you have a tiller?? I'm impressed already! Have you tried bags of human hair for the deer? They say it works, I don't know. I've never had a deer problem in the garden. I have had a wild deer snort my hair once while I was lounging in a lawn chair, so who knows if that hair thing works. Deer are pretty weird, but, I like them. I'm always willing to share with animals as long as they aren't greedy or destructive.
PS, something ate all my beans too, this is the second planting.
Jane, something ate all my Sunflowers. I have never seen that. I have plenty growing under the bird feeders in the shade though. Do those count for our Sunflower Brigade? I hope so. I won't win shit, but, at least I have some.
Christina, I have little skill, it's just Iowa jungle growth and black soil. The only real work I do on it, is in Spring. I am a lazy fuck when it gets hot.
And YOU are getting a puppy!! OMG do tell what kind, etc! Can we see a pic?? I think I'm too old for a puppy, so I'm jealous. A puppy!!!
We have two tillers...a big heavy duty one and a small between the rows one. We have a shit ton of deer in town...so many that the powers that be are planning a city wide culling. Makes me sick...god forbid you lose a few hosta.
I've been wondering, how does one go about getting an invitation to read Crabbie?
I have tomatoes on my Early Girls but nothing else yet. I just got my butternut squash and yellow squash in yesterday. Hopefully I can avoid the vine borers.
I'm doing my peppers in pots again this year. Last year I put them in ground. On the 90+ degree days the sun actually left scorch marks on them. This way I can move them if the sun gets to be too much.
Pat, have you tried cantaloupe yet?
I wish I had more room :(
@ Christina
What kind of puppy are you getting? Sometimes it seems you and I have parallel lives.... We brought home a chocolate lab about a month ago, and he is terrorizing everyone, but he sure is cute. I forgot how much work a puppy is, it has been awhile for us, but my house feels funny without a dog in it.
Snowbunnie
Oh, Angie, I hate that too. We have so many that they get into town in big herds (like 50 or more) and they come through windows. We had one in the shop, it did a lot of damage. I checked though and it wasn't hurt badly. Shop insurance covered what happened. But, people get mad and they want them wiped out. I get scared for them. I'll admit, they are one animal I can't read. But, they seem so nice and pretty. I hate deer season here. I support decent ethical hunting and I sure will eat a deer steak, but, we have some real rednecks here. They kill anything that moves, any way they can, out of season. They use dogs and spotlights, shoot from vehicles, etc. I despise that. Ukk, it makes me ill.
Jane, I don't know. Do you have an addy to reach him? If not, I can email him for you.
Pan, yep, lots of Cantelope coming up. We call 'em Mush Melons. They do fair in my back yard, not great, but, okay.
Those Early Girls are a nice tomato, aren't they? I like the size and shape, plus they're yummy. I've never noticed that they're really early here, but, they are exceptionally nice.
I like pepper in pots. I have some hot ones in pots, just for pretty. I love the looks of all peppers and I always mix them with flowers. I wish you'd tell me what you do with squash. Except for Acorn, I don't seem to like it any way it's cooked. I think I'm doing it wrong. I didn't plant any this year because of that. But, I hate that I didn't, because I love the blossoms and how they grow. They're just beautiful plants. I wish I had more room tilled. Removing grass to ready it is the problem here. It's too hard to turn over more.
ps, I found out that melons and squash (pumpkins, gourds, etc.) do not care for growing under that fabric. It must get too hot for the roots. But, it's too hard to keep them in line otherwise. I don't expect bumper crops, but, you know, you do what you can. I have to take short cuts and down size now, but, I feel lucky to have any garden at all. Last year I was in the hospital when it all came harvest time. It was almost all lost and rotted. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to do it again.
Pat, I don't have his addy. I had stopped reading for a while because I was having trouble with his post.
I just bought a $15 potted tomato plant. It has blooms on it already. I know I'm crazy for paying so much, but my plants bit the dust and homegrown tomatoes are too good to go without. Also bought a 1/2 priced qumquart plant. I'm now looking for an orange tree and manderine plant for 1/2 price.
Jane, i think he's taking a sabbatical, so there hasn't been anything new in awhile. If he starts writing again, I bet he'll open it back up..
He is alright :) He killed another 50 last night. We use diatomaceous earth, sprinkle each bed and plant really good. Downside, it only seems to work when it's dry. Once it gets wet it's useless. We are gonna try deadline. Our garden is not open to critters so it should work fine.
I did my cantaloupes and watermelons under fabric and they did fine. Plus the fabric keep down the vine borers. I do notice that Iowa seems to get a little more heat and humidity than we do. Also, where I plant mine they get the early morning and mid morning sun. Not the mid and late afternoon scorching sun. That may make a difference.
Have you tried peeling, cubing, and boiling the butternut squash? You can then mash it with a little bit of butter and brown sugar like you do with sweet potatoes. It also makes a delicious soup.
The yellow squash I slice, dip in an egg bath and then into Italian Panko bread crumbs and fry. You can even do the butternut squash this way or you could use cornmeal or flour.
I'll keep a couple for myself, but I have to admit I mainly grow them for my dogs since I make their food. I'm sorry I didn't save some room planting sweet potatoes. I don't seem to do well with root vegetables. My carrots last year were a total bust
I did plant celery the year before last and it was great.
I set my beer cups out in my flower bed and i'm catching bud worms a plenty. I get them every time I buy Home Depot flowers. They've been chewing my flowers down to nubs. If I find the disgusting things alive I provide them with a slow torturous death. I need my buddies the praying mantises to show up.
Warm weather came so late this year I didn't plant anything. Lilacs aren't even out yet. The flowers are almost there but not quite. We have a pathetically short growing season to start with. I'm a little down about it.
Jane, if you email me, I will forward it to him. I think he's moved on to better paying writing gigs though. I'm pretty sure that's the deal with the crabbie site. I miss his gossip take too. He's a talented writer.
I don't think it's stupid to buy a big tomato plant if you love them and don't have good growing luck in your area. There is nothing that can replace the taste of fresh grown. I'd buy big ones too, if they weren't so expensive. But, it would be silly here, I think. Because they'd all fruit at the same time anyway.
Meissa, I've heard a lot about diatomaceous earth. Never tried it or even seen it here. Interesting. The slugs don't really bother my plants much to be truthful, I just hate them. They hang out all over my little patio at night. They get on my house and door. They fuck with my head more than my plants. Man, I hate them.
Pan, I have manits eggs saved, if you need any. I know that's weird, but, when I trim shrubs, I find them a plenty and I save them and clothespin them up front under the overhang. I like them.
PS..sorry, but, squash still sounds gross. I AM amazed that you make pet food though. I'd love to hear about that. I think a lot of people on here would like that info. Email me and we can put together a post on it!
Frim, man, that weird stuff happened here too. Killed all the Spring blossoms, some came back and tried again. Some gave up. Our lilacs were hard hit. No Forsythia at all. Red buds looked for shit. The Magnolias and Crab Apples were magnificent in a second bloom. But, every thing else was puny.
I had volunteer carrots come up from last year! I have never heard of that here. And after that bad Winter? How did they ever survive? So weird. Some were seeded, but, some were the actual plants from last year! I was just scratching my head.
I'm retired.
The husband put a drop of deadline in front of a slug. I wish i had recorded his impersonation of said slug when it met the glob and made a u turn in terror. It was very funny.
You aint retired, Melvin, you just know most of us women don't read sports. You're doing well and I'm proud to know ya.
Meissa, your old man sounds like a blast. I'll bet he's the life of parties. Oh, and can I put your coon vid up top tommarrow? It really is awesome?
Go for it, DD!
Yes he can be fun but he considers himself a wallflower. He turns into a total attention whore when he is on his Swing Bike, though!
So he drew a line with that deadline stuff and the slugs didn't make it very far.
Melissa, what is a swing bike?
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