chickensense

My husband tilled the future pumpkin patch Saturday!  Yay!!  I bought 5 bags of organic humus with composted manure which Jesse and I will be mixing into the soil if it ever stops raining.  The short-season pumpkin seeds have been ordered, so after the soil is mixed with the humus/manure all we can do is wait.

This garden area is pretty big, I’m wondering if I should divide it into 3 very long, 3-foot-wide beds, or just keep it one big area for a real-live pumpkin patch. I don’t let anyone walk on my gardens so the soil won’t get compacted because I never want to till again. If this becomes a large pumpkin patch, it’ll have to be all tromped on to plant and harvest the pumpkins. But if I do the narrow beds, who will tell the pumpkin vines to stay off the paths? 

It is a no-brainer really, I never again want to wait on someone to do tilling, so I’ll make long, raised beds. I’ll just share the paths with the pumpkins for a while. And early next spring the beds will already be ready for planting watermelons.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m planting pumpkins that are supposed to mature quickly. One variety, Neon, is a semi-bush type, with 8 to 10 lb fruit, that claims to mature in 60 to 80 days. The other, New Rocket, produces 14 – 22 lb fruit that matures in 86 days. What odd measurements 14 to 22 lbs, and 86 days. Why don’t they just say 15 to 20 lbs, and 85 days?

This is a photo of the garden as it was in spring, on March 30. The bed along the left now contains bush green beans, onions, and several squash & zucchini. The right side, farthest away are the blueberry bushes, then the right corner that you can’t see currently has the lima beans growing like crazy. It really hasn’t been used in a few years, except the outer raised beds which used to have tons of daisies. The drought of summer 2007 and the goats of 2008 killed them all though.

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My cantaloupes are still doing so well. The vines are so thick and heavy, and the leaves so large I’m having trouble training them up on the string.

I am just so amazed at the difference from the weak, spindly plants that are all I’ve gotten in the past. As I said in past posts, I have to attribute the difference to the organic humus and manure mix that I used. There is one other difference, these are heirloom varieties, but I can’t imagine that is the reason for the huge improvement over past years. Whatever–I’m just happy about it.

I’ve spotted 3 baby cantaloupes so far.

 

 

 

 

 

My squash plants are definitely not doing so well though. It is usually the squash that grows gangbusters, but not this year. This year they are barely growing at all. I didn’t add fertilizer at planting time, but then I never have in the past. I added organic humus & manure a couple of weeks ago but that may take a while to show any difference. Another difference this year is that they are farther from the house so I haven’t watered them nearly as often as in the past. In past years I’m afraid I had a tendency to over-water everything I could reach. I guess the squash preferred it that way.

The tomatoes have really improved after I added the humus/manure mix. All except one that for some reason is just fading away. It is odd since they were all in the same six-pack, planted and watered the same.

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I’ve been asking for 2 months for my hubby to till my garden. He planted greens this spring, then just let them go to seed. I had planned that area for watermelon, then pumpkins, but it’s waaayyy too late for watermelon, and getting close to being too late for pumpkins–to have them by Halloween, that is. I did some research today, and found that I have plenty of time to plant short-season pumpkins. I found some that take only 80 days, and right now we have 107 days until Halloween. No problem even if the seeds take a week to get here.

We need the money these pumpkins might bring in–around here a soccer-ball-size pumpkin is $5, larger ones $10 or even $15. I don’t want to count my pumpkins before they are planted, however 25 x $5 = $125, and 15 x $10 = $150, total = $275. $15 for seeds, $10 for humus/manure, and a few dollars for watering–those are the only expenses. Forty pumpkins is a low estimate of the yield I might get, yet I’d be very happy with that for my first try at selling anything I produce.

Sooooo, I ordered 2 types of pumpkin seed from Vesey’s in Canada, and tomorrow I’m going to till the garden myself if hubby doesn’t. (That will be a very bad thing for me, I’ll be in bed in pain for 2 days afterwards, but time doesn’t wait for procrastinating husbands.) I’m anxious to do it tomorrow because the weather report says it will be 83 degrees and partly sunny for today and tomorrow–unbelievably cool for this time of year, it has been in the upper 90’s for weeks. I’ve got to take advantage of it.

I found the pumpkin seeds at Veseys, which is in Canada: 

 

Neon

The catalogue describes it as:

"Be the first gardener around with orange pumpkins! Beautiful shaped medium orange pumpkins have a strong dark green handle. This hybrid forms semi-bush plants which don’t take up as much space and allows for higher density plantings. Can weigh up to 8-10 lbs and have dark yellow to light orange interior. Maturity ranges from 60-80 days. Approx. 35 sds/pkg."

 

New Rocket 

The catalogue describes it as:

"All of the earliness and yield of Rocket but with better color, better shape and a stronger handle. These improvements make one of our strongest pumpkin varieties even better. New Rocket produces somewhat larger fruit weighing 14-22 lbs. Be one of the first to the competitive fall market. Early maturity in about 86 days. Approx. 15-20 sds/pkg."

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Amazing Health Research

From www.wholefoods.com

Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin A on account of its concentrated beta-carotene content. Once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat cantaloupe it’s like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. One cup of cantaloupe is just 56 calories, but provides 103.2% of the daily value for vitamin A. Both vitamin A and beta-carotene are important vision nutrients. In a study of over 50,000 women nurses aged 45 to 67, women who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39% reduced risk of developing cataracts. In another study that looked at the incidence of cataract surgery and diet, researchers found that those people who ate diets that included cantaloupe had half the risk of cataract surgery, while those who ate the highest amounts of butter, salt and total fat had higher risks for cataract surgery. Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells.

More from www.wholefoods.com

While studying the relationship between vitamin A, lung inflammation, and emphysema, Richard Baybutt, associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State, made a surprising discovery: a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency.

Baybutt’s earlier research had shown that animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet developed emphysema. His latest animal studies indicate that not only does the benzo(a)pyrene in cigarette smoke cause vitamin A deficiency, but that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter this effect, thus greatly reducing emphysema.

 

Growing Tips

The names “cantaloupe” and “muskmelon” are used somewhat interchangeably. What is generally called cantaloupe in the west is really a muskmelon, indicated by its webbed surface. Cantaloupes have a smooth and lumpy skin with deep ridges.

Cantaloupe transplants are delicate and roots are sensitive to disturbance. If you need to thin, use scissors. Keep soil intact around plant when transplanting. The plants need lots of water until pollination, however, too much water as the melons are ripening will dilute the sweet flavor. So, reduce watering by about 1/2 during the last month of growth, and stop altogether after you start picking. Most of the sugars in the muskmelon are produced in the last week or so, and too much water will inhibit the production.

To avoid over-ripening, harvest cantaloupes before they naturally separate from the vine. The best way to check maturity of cantaloupes is to place your thumb beside the stem and gently apply pressure to the side. If the stem separates easily, the cantaloupe is ripe.

 

Buying Ripe Cantaloupes

Choose a cantaloupe that seems heavy for its size, and one that does not have bruises or overly soft spots. Cantaloupes have a sweet fragrance when they are ripe and the blossom end (the end opposite the stem) of the fruit should be slightly soft. Avoid melons with a stem, which indicates the cantaloupe was harvested too early. The rind, underneath the netting, should have turned to yellow or cream from the green undertones that the unripe fruit has. Though available almost year-round, cantaloupe’s peak growing and harvesting season is June thru August.

 

Great Web Sites

• Cantaloupe Health Info from WholeFoods.com
• Plant Answers from Texas Cooperative Extension Service
• How to Grow Cantaloupe
• Chart showing vitamin/mineral content of many foods
• Free Online Book: Cantaloupe Culture (copyright 1910)

 

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Mint

Recipe from http://www.cantaloupe.org/

Serves:4
Prep Time:10 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 ripe cantaloupe
• 1 cup of water
• 4 tablespoons sugar (or 8 packets Splenda)
• 4 sprigs fresh mint
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp fresh lime zest
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream (for garnish)

How to Prepare:

Add water, sugar, mint leaves (save a few for garnish), lime juice and lime zest in a small saucepan. Boil for 10-minutes until mixture is reduced and syrupy.

While it is reducing, cut and seed the cantaloupe and scoop the flesh into a blender. (Since bacteria can grow on the surface of most melons, it is important to wash the outside of the cantaloupe before cutting into it.)

Pour the syrup over the cantaloupe through a sieve to remove the mint leaves and lime zest.

Pulse a few times to blend and then puree for a few seconds.

Skim the foam off the top and then place in the refrigerator until well chilled for 2-hours.

Serve in chilled bowls with mint leave garnish and a swirl of heavy cream for garnish.

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More on these daylilies at: My Daylilies from Seed

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These 2 tomato plants came from the same six-pack purchased at Wal-mart. They were planted at the same time (the end of May), right next to each other. Because I was too lazy to haul out and open another bag of organic humus with composted manure, half the plants did not get any in their soil. All the plants had soil with lots of organic material and all were mulched.

The plants that didn’t get the manure are definitely smaller, yellower, and much less lush than those with the manure. While we didn’t do this intentionally, it has definitely proven to us the benefits of adding fertilizer when transplanting.

It has been so dry the last 2 weeks that our plants are suffering, especially those in our big garden, apparently because they didn’t get any composted manure fertilizer. After seeing the difference in the tomato plants, and seeing how well the cantaloupes are doing, we purchased several bags of organic humus with composted manure and spent this afternoon spreading it all around the tomatoes, green beans, onions, lima beans, squash and zucchini. We also spread some around the zinnias seedlings in the round garden and gave everyone a good drink of water. We are looking forward to seeing if the veggies improve now.

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We’ve been seeing a different type of bee in our gardens this year. For the last 3 or 4 years there have been almost no bees at all, so it is nice to see any kind of bee again. In 2007 there was a drought, then when it finally rained the plants acted like it was spring. We had lots of flowers, squash, zucchini, and cantaloupe blossoms but not one single bee to pollinate anything. It looks like it will be much better this year, which is good because my cantaloupe plants already have flowers, as does one of the squash plants in the big garden. 

I don’t know what type of bees these are. Are they bumble bees? They are very large and fuzzy, about the length of my thumb from the knuckle to the end of the thumb nail. Their tail end is all black. They have a single black stripe on their back, amidst all the yellow fuzz.

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Every year we try growing cantaloupe but 2007 was the only time we successfully got a melon. The plants are always weak and spindly, and borers get them and they wither before the fruit ripens. We didn’t even bother to plant any last year at all. But the tiny melon we got that one year was so good that we had to try again.

We thought it might help to grow the plants up on a trellis rather than trailing all over the ground, so when we moved a pile of lumber that had been stacked near some fence posts, we thought it might be a good place to try cantaloupe again.

The weeds and grass underneath the lumber were mostly dead so we just sprayed some Round-Up on what was left. After a few days we chopped up the hard ground a bit, and mixed in some leftover organic humus with composted manure (part of my birthday gift) that we had used on the tomato seedlings in the small square garden.

We made a little hill between the 2 fence posts and planted a seed mix of heirloom cantaloupe varieties we had purchased last year from Bountiful Gardens. We planted the first week of June, right before it was supposed to rain for a few days. That worked beautifully and the seeds sprouted within 4 days, with no work on our part.

We mostly ignored the plants for a while, but when we went to check them 2 weeks later, we found them doing better than we had ever imagined!  They were so sturdy and thick and green. We didn’t water them at all yet they are thriving, whereas the veggies in the big garden, that didn’t get any manure, are dying off. The difference must be the organic humus with composted manure. We’ve never used manure for fertilizer before. I grow mostly flowers, and have always just used compost and the cheapest powder fertilizer that comes in a cardboard box at Wal-Mart for around $3. Even the tomato seedlings we planted with the manure are doing sooooo much better than those without it.

I’m going to purchase a few more bags of the organic humus with composted manure to use in the big garden. The squash and zucchini plants there are doing absolutely horrible though they were planted before the cantaloupe. We’ll see if some manure fertilizer will help them out. 

 

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I finished weeding both long sides of the big garden today. Yay! This garden (photo is from early May) is a rectangle with cross-ties around the edges forming long raised beds. I used to have daisies all along the outside beds but they all died during the summer drought in 2007. So this year I’m planting veggies instead of flowers.

I used to have 4 foot square beds all in the center. but hubby wanted to plant greens so he removed them and tilled it all up. Then he never picked a single green! I think I’ll put in long beds instead of the 4 foot squares though.

The bed at the top left of the photos is where I planted the onions, 6 zucchini and 3 yellow squash that I planted last week. The onions are doing well, and the squash and zucchini have all sprouted.  Yesterday I planted over 100 seeds of mixed green beans (though some aren’t green) in the bed at the bottom left of the photo, after weeding and mulching, that is. They are all bush type bean varieties.

The top right corner of the garden has my 2 blueberry bushes. Last year our goats ate all the berries, and this year I don’t see any buds at all. I put a fence post on each side of the bushes today, so I am ready to drape the bird netting, if we get any buds.

The long bed running across the top of the photo is where I have planted wild flowers. I’ve never done that before so we’ll see how it goes. I’m not too sure about it because I can’t tell what’s a weed and what is not. There are lots of little sprouts there already.

Though they really should be in the herb garden, I have 2 tansy plants next to the blueberries. Tansy is generally extremely invasive, however this variety, Goldsticks, is not. They’ve been there 3 or 4 years and aren’t spreading at all, though they do get huge by the end of summer. I planted tansy as an experiment because it is said to have pest repelling properties. I want to try it in the dog bedding to see if it helps.

Today I also planted 2 acorn squash seeds next to the tansy. These are going to be huge plants because they say to space them 3 feet apart. I’ve never eaten acorn squash but I want to try it baked with brown sugar. (Recipe below.)

Whew! lots of fun gardening today. My shoulders are sunburned though. Bummer.

-= Exported from BigOven =-

Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar

Recipe By: MaggieMae on diet.com

-= Ingredients =-
each acorn squash
brown sugar
margarine
salt

-= Instructions =-
Cut your whole squash in half (lengthwise if its long like a butternut).Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp stuff in the center of each half.Salt the cut sides and place them face down in a baking dish. Add a small amount of water to the pan, enough so the squash is sitting in 1/4 inch of water. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Serve it in the shell-topped with brown sugar, margarine, and salt. Cinnamon is good on top too. Oh and pecans too!

Microwave Directions: Cut squash in half and remove seeds & strings. Cover with plastic cling-wrap. Microwave on high 8-9 min. Let stand 5-10 min. Remove plastic. Cover with topping of choice, and enjoy!

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping.     **
** Easy recipe software.  Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

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We spent a few hours yesterday outside planting. This year I may finally have the big gardens I’ve been wanting.

First we planted 2 six-packs of begonias, along side the impatiens, in the flower bed next to Rosy’s grave. We planted foxglove seed at one end of that garden bed too. We also planted some coleus seed in a huge planter nearby. In the fall we will add some shade-loving perennials as well. It will soon be a beautiful, colorful spot for our beloved puppy’s grave.

At the herb garden, we planted some old lemon basil seed, and seed for a short clumping type of basil. We are suspecting that what we thought was a volunteer strawberry plant in the middle of the herb bed (click the photo for a larger image) may be just a viney weed with similar leaves, because it is growing way faster than normal strawberry does. Perhaps it is wild strawberry? We have those a lot around here.

Then came the really hard work. We had a 3-foot space between two fence posts where the grass had been killed from lumber that had been stacked there. Jesse and I tackled the extremely hard ground with some hoes to break up the clay. Then we added a bag of organic humus with compost and mixed it all in. We topped that off with a partial bag of left-over top soil. We made a ridge and planted a few varieties of cantaloupe along the top. (I’ll post a photo when they sprout.) As the seeds sprout and the vines grow, I’ll run string between the two fence posts and train the vines on them. Hopefully we’ll have better success with cantaloupe if we keep the melons off the ground. It should increase the airflow around the plants to help them tolerate summer humidity a bit better. (Then come fall I’ll plant it all with my very favorite flower, sweet peas. It’ll be so pretty! I can’t wait.)

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The brutally hot and humid summers in the South make it difficult to grow many of our favorite herbs. Ladies Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) and Lavender (Lavandula), for example, both just fade away in the summer humidity. Other herbs, such as Monarda (also know as Bee Balm, Horsemint, Oswego Tea, or Bergamot), suffer from severe mildew due to the heat and moisture.

Some perennial herbs that are very easy to grow in this region (borderline between zones 7 and 8 ) are Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), Catmint (Nepeta xfaassinii), Greek Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea), Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) and of course all types of Mint. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium),  Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and Sweet Violet (Viola Odorato) like it so well here that they grow wild all around. (Violets, Tansy, and Comfrey can be particularly invasive.)

Herbs that do well if given a little extra care are Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Rosemary needs to be covered if the temperature falls below 30 degrees, and due to its shallow roots, it needs frequent, light watering. Parsley will do best planted in the fall to be used throughout the winter because it thrives in cooler weather. Sage does not like “wet feet” (it develops fungal root problems) so it doesn’t survive the spring and fall rains unless grown in very well-draining soil. Thyme needs rich soil and regular watering.

As for annual herbs such as Basil, Borage, Chamomile, Calendula (Pot Marigold), Coriander, Savory, and Dill, we have been successful only with Borage. Our Basil plantings, especially, seem to always turn crispy brown and die. (I’ve read that this may be due to tainted seed.) Calendula and Dill, like Parsley, prefer cooler weather and should be planted in late summer or fall, which we often forget to do.

Northern Mississippi has mostly hard, clay soil. Most plants, including herbs, have a hard time in clay soils, but some actually seem to do best in clay, and many others tolerate this soil type quite well. German Chamomile, Cilantro and Caraway do especially well in clay soils. Lemon Balm, most varieties of Mint, Chives and Fennel all tolerate clay soils. In general, herbs that like a lot of moisture are most likely to take well to clay, because clay soils tend to become waterlogged after heavy rains.

HERBAL TEA RECIPES
Created by Straight from the Farm

Iced Lemon Balm & Pomegranate White Tea

1 c. boiling water
4 tea bags (Pomegranate White Tea or other)
½ c. packed fresh lemon balm leaves, washed
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh lemon balm
Honey or other sweetener to taste
Ice cubes

Place tea bags in a medium size bowl. Crush lemon balm leaves lightly with your hands to bring out the oils (and give your hands a lovely smell) and place in bowl with tea bags. Pour boiling water over bags and leaves. Let steep for several minutes. Depending on the variety of tea you are using, I would recommend leaving it steep for up to 15 minutes to really pull out all of the flavor. Remove leaves and bags, squeezing to get out the concentrated tea. Stir in sweetener to taste. Fill pitcher with a tray of ice cubes and place lemon balm sprigs inside. Pour tea from bowl into pitcher. Fill remainder of pitcher with cold water.

Floral Fantasy Tea

3 parts Lavender
3 parts Yarrow
1 part Chamomile
1 part Stevia

Combine herbs and pour hot water over. Let steep several minutes. Strain out herbs and enjoy.

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See many more of our garden pictures on Flickr

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Green beans, also called snap beans, used to be called string beans. These days they are usually stringless, and come in a variety of colors.

Growing Beans

Green beans’ peak season is May to  October. Pods are picked young and tender, before the seeds inside have fully developed. Most popular varieties have been bred to have stringless pods, but some gardeners prefer the flavor of the old-fashioned ‘string’ types.

Beans are generally planted directly in the garden. Seeds will rot in cool, damp soil, so it is critical not to plant them too early. To get an earlier start, you can put down black plastic before-hand, to warm the soil.

There are 2 types of bean plants, bush and pole. Bush beans begin producing before pole beans and usually come in all at once, making them ideal for canning and freezing. You can plant every couple of weeks to stretch out the harvest, if desired. Pole beans need time to grow their vines before they start setting beans, but they will continue producing for a couple of months.

Cooking Beans

For cooking, choose slender beans that are crisp, bright-colored, and free of blemishes. Store green beans in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in a plastic bag, for up to 5 days. Before cooking, wash beans and break off the stem ends.

TIP: The fewer beans in the pan, the quicker they cook and the better they taste. If cooking more than one pound at a time, use separate pans.

Recipes

There are few vegetables I’ve hated worse than green beans—until a friend introduced me to her Southern Fried Green Beans. Now green beans can go from “yuck” to “yum” in a snap.

Southern Fried Green Beans
Recipe by Lindsay Gaut

Fresh or canned green beans
Bacon (uncooked)
Bouillon cubes (chicken or beef)
Salt

Trim and discard tips of beans; set aside. Fry a few pieces of bacon in a sauce pan over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook on low, but do not stir. Instead shake the pan gently to mix the beans. Add 1 or 2 bouillon cubes, which will slowly dissolve, and salt to taste.

Cook on low about 40 minutes, shaking often, until the beans have shriveled, and look a bit crispy and brown.

 

What could destroy a healthy vegetable quicker than frying? Frying it with beer, of course.

Beer-Battered Green Beans
Taken from clipping out of the Philadelphia Inquirer

1 lb. fresh green beans
1 cup beer (lager works well)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil for deep frying (about 2 cups)
Tomato sauce for dipping (optional)

Trim and discard tips of beans.  In a bowl, whisk the beer, salt and lemon juice into the flour until smooth but still foamy.  Dredge the beans in the batter.

In a large deep skillet, heat oil until it sizzles when a bit of batter is dropped into it.  Fish out the beans from the batter, shaking off excess, and fry about 10 at a time.  Cook until golden brown, flipping the beans over with tongs.  Repeat to cook all of the beans.

Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with additional salt if desired.  If using, heat the tomato sauce and serve on the side with the beans.

(serves 4-6)

(recipe and photo from straightfromthefarm.net)

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A few years ago I bought some daylily seeds from Park Seed. Less then $5 for a packet of 10 seeds–it was the best way to afford to get as many daylilies I wanted. Following the directions on the packet, I planted them in Jiffy pots and keep them in the refrigerator for 6 months. Then I put them under a grow light and held my breath.

I was so excited when the little sprouts appeared! I grew them indoors until the following year. Then I planted most of them in my Round Garden.

It was another whole year before I finally got my first few flowers. They were supposed to be a mixture of colors, but I saw mostly yellows and oranges. (We have tons of wild daylilies around here that are orange so I was a bit disappointed.) I really want some light pink blooms, but haven’t seen any yet. Perhaps finally this season I’ll see more colors.

Last year the goats decimated the daylilies—it seems they consider them a delicacy. They kept breaking in to my fenced garden to eat the daylilies and the roses there.

This year the daylilies are looking so lush and beautiful. I had my first bloom today. A gorgeous magenta flower. And there are many more buds just waiting to open. The show is about to begin!

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My wonderful brother gave me a Wal-Mart gift card for my birthday. I had fun today choosing my gifts. (It is rather amazing, the variety of things you can get at Wal-Mart.)

My favorite is a gorgeous humming bird feeder made from an antique-looking, real-glass bottle. The base and flowers are made of metal.

I also got a six pack of tomato plants, some pink wax begonias for my new shady garden, and a 72-plant, mini-greenhouse for starting the seeds that I received for Mother’s Day.

Then picked up a green metal bird feeder, a 50-lb sack of sunflower bird seed, and a small bag of thistle seed for the finches. We get the most gorgeous yellow and orange finches around here. (I can’t believe how much the cost of thistle seed has gone up in the last 2 years!)

I got a few more odds and ends such as a desperately needed 5-shelf book case, 2 bags of organic humus/manure, a bag of potting soil, some plant labels, and a large citronella candle to place on my new green, iron, patio table and chair set which was my gift from my husband. It is a gorgeous set, with iron flowers on the chairs and a large umbrella too. (Jesse’s gift was a tiki-torch to put next to the new set.)

I think I will hang my new bird feeders at my Stump Garden (on the green pole), where they will be visible from the kitchen windows, the porch, and my new patio table outside. I can’t wait to sit there with a cup of tea to watch the birds.

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It is another Beautiful Day! Breezy, cool, sunny, no mosquitoes yet… heavenly!

My poor 8 year old herb garden is back down to nearly nothing due the drought in the summer of 2007, the goats in 2008. It didn’t help that I didn’t mulch or weed it last fall. Only the catmint, wormwood, and oregano survived. I was surprised to also find a lone strawberry plant. I haven’t had strawberries there since 2004. Amazing.

Because of my failure to weed and mulch all the gardens last fall, I’ve had a zillion times the weeds I would normally have in the spring. I know I’ll also be battling crab-grass for years. So

I’ve been taking advantage of this cool streak to get the weeds out, and get everything mulched. Funds are tight, but I managed to get 2 pick-up loads of mulch and a gallon of round-up, which I’ve sprayed on the grass trying to come up in the gardens, and I’ve sprayed

around the outside of the gardens too since hubby doesn’t like to mow too close to my plants. (There’s a story there but never mind.)

The spring after we got the goats, I moved the rosemary, oregano, and catmint to my Round Garden, which was fenced in for goat protection. I left a piece of catmint behind, which has really thrived–it is now blooming like crazy. I guess the goats didn’t like it. There wasn’t any wormwood then that I saw, but it somehow managed to survive and spread, as did a bit of oregano that must have been left behind.

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Today was much cooler than it has been here in NW Mississippi, highs in the upper 60’s instead of the 80’s, and finally not raining. It is also breezy and sunny– a Beautiful Day!

Roses
First my much neglected roses needed dead-heading (removing the faded blooms). I tried to prune out some of the tangled branches on the floribundas too. It has rained so much the last month, as it always does here in May, that I haven’t gone outside much to enjoy the garden.

You can see in the photo that some mealy-cup sage (salvia) is growing right next to the rose. I planted those seeds 5 years ago and they keep coming back, even though they are supposed to be annuals. Guess they are self-seeding. They’re so pretty.

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My Queen Elizabeth rose (a hybrid tea) is recovering from the very late pruning I did in April. (Hybrid teas need a hard pruning in late winter to look their best.)  She is even blooming already. On the left are Daylilies that I grew from seed (from Park Seed), and some Lemon Balm that is getting almost out of control.

I Hate Onions
I planted onion bulbs I bought a couple of weeks ago. Some have sprouted a bit, some are shriveled and dry. I am curious to see which ones actually grow. I’ve never grown onions before, since I dislike them except as onion rings (go figure). I am trying to eat slow, organic, local, healthy foods now, so I found I actually bought onions to try in some recipes. If I’m going to eat them, I’d rather they be my own pesticide-free, chemical-free onions.

Zucchini and Squash
I also planted zucchini and yellow squash from some old seeds I had. I hope to get a lot of zucchini to use in zucchini bread, etc. I’ve never had yellow squash, though I have grown it lots, but I’ve got some recipes now so I want to try it. I may even try frying some of the blossoms–they are supposed to be good to eat. I have spaghetti squash and acorn squash seeds to plant also later on. I just have to find a spot. (Hmm. Zucchini is a squash. Why is it called zucchini?)

Fried Bacon, Squash & Potatoes

6 bacon strips, sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow summer squash, diced
1 tablespoon fresh minced dill or 1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings.

Add potato to drippings, cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, zucchini and yellow squash. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Return bacon to skillet; sprinkle with dill, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 1 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

From Taste of Home: The Market Fresh Cookbook

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Every fall and spring for 15 years, I’ve been telling myself I’ll plant fruit trees. If I had done it back then I’d have such a wonderful orchard now.  I did once plant an apple tree in the front meadow, but it died after a few years. I learned from the demise of that apple tree, to keep my gardens, livestock, and orchards within sight and easy to reach.

This year I really am going to get some fruit trees, to keep my dwarf peach company, even though it is a little late to be planting.  I’ve been researching the best type of trees for northwest Mississippi.  I’ve read that it is best to grow trees, vines, and shrubs that thrive in your area, and trade for everything else.  It sounded like very good advice.

Best Fruits and Nuts for North Mississippi
Fruits and nuts that are the most care-free to grow in north MS are figs, oriental persimmons, blackberries, and blueberries.  Others that will do well if you give them a little attention are pecans, pears, muscadine grapes, and strawberries. Peaches, apples, and plums need the most “gardener intervention” to get decent yields.

There are many other fruits and nuts to grow, of course.  Some may just need the weather to cooperate to get decent yields. For example, raspberries prefer cold winters and moderate summers, though some varieties have been developed for the high summer heat of southern gardens. They need slightly acid soil, and a sunny site with good drainage and air circulation to do well.

Muscadine grapes are native to the Southeast and will thrive where temperatures do not go below 10 degrees; but with the proper variety, and some TLC, we can also grow bunch grapes.  Neither type of grape likes our clay soil, though.

Commercial plums have always been very susceptible to disease, and native varieties don’t have very good fruit.  Breeders have recently developed new Japanese-type varieties made from crossing native plums with commercial varieties.  Resistance to disease comes from the native plums, while the commercial varieties in the crosses provide better fruit quality.

Only the tart cherries are adapted to Mississippi, and then only in the north part of the state.

Peanuts require at least five months of warm weather.  The best soil for peanuts is well-drained, sandy loam with a deep, friable loam subsoil. Definitely hard to find in Mississippi!

Helpful Links

Fun article on nut trees

Fruit and nut recommendations for Mississippi

North Mississippi Home Gardening Tips

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A great rainy day project is to begin a garden journal. A garden journal isn’t just a diary, it’s important information to help you get the most from your efforts. You won’t find a better source of growing and gardening tips for next year than the ones you write yourself this year.

Your garden journal can be as simple as a notebook, blank paper, and pencil; or free printable garden journal pages found online; or you can purchase software garden journals; or buy spiral bound garden journal books. Suite 101.com has a nice article about journals: Keeping a Garden Journal. Here is another one from Learn2Grow: How to Keep a Garden Journal.

Free Garden Journal Pages to Print

• Variety of Journal Pages, www.gardensandcrafts.com
• Lovely Garden Journal Pages, www.Lowes.com
• Practical 24 Page Garden Journal, www.arbico-organics.com
• Kid’s Garden Journal, University of Illinois
• Very Nice Garden Journal Pages, www.hobbyfarms.com
• Simple Garden Journal Pages, www.greenzonelife.com
• Nice Garden Journal Pages, www.northerngardening.com
• Plain Garden Journal Pages, www.homesteadgarden.com
• Garden Journal Pages, www.roomzaar.com
• Gorgeous Garden Journal Pages, www.blueboardwalk.com
• Cute Garden Journal Pages, www.gardentracker.com(click on worksheets in the left menu)

Garden Journal Software and Books to Purchase

• Garden Tracker Software: $29.95
• 3 Year Garden Journal Book from Amazon.com: $23
• Garden Journal App for Your iPhone: $0.99
• Garden Journal from www.crane.com: $35

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The light purple petals of the La Reina de las Violettes (or however the heck you spell it) rose have fallen everywhere and are looking so pretty.

When I moved the La Reina de las Violettes rose to the Round Garden last year, apparently I left behind a bit of root because a long stem has sprouted at the old location. I cut the tip off a few weeks ago and it has developed side shoots and is going to turn out to be a full-fledged rose bush. So I’ll have 2 gorgeous, purple, fragrant rose bushes.

The dark pink rose is the Cramoisi Superior which smells heavenly, and is loaded with blossoms.

I also have a David-Austin-type rose called “Mary,” which has lovely pink blossoms. Which has just begun blooming.

I love roses!

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It gets so hot and humid in the summer here in Northern Mississippi.  China roses, such as Cramoisi Superior and La Reina De Violetta,  love the heat.  Modern Hybrid Teas tend to wilt in the hot summer months.

I highly recommend the book, The Organic Rose Garden, by Liz Druitt. In addition to gardening advice, she gives lots of information about different roses. The photos are beautiful. I learned about all my roses from this wonderful book.

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My Favorite Rose Sites

• http://www.rdrop.com/~paul/main.html
• http://www.heirloomroses.com
• http://www.antiqueroseemporium.com/
• http://www.vintagegardens.com/
• http://www.roseinfo.com

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What a wonderful day this has been. It was clear and sunny, in the low 60s, with a nice breeze. Everything is starting to get so green, insects are hopping around everywhere, and the birds are chirping; today was definitely a Beautiful Day.

(whine alert — feel free to skip the next paragraph)
I got a late start gardening this year because I’ve been injured. I fell off some steps a month ago and landed on my left hip and shoulder. I have a beauty of a stone bruise on my hip, which made sitting and sleeping hard, but the worst was that I must have tweaked my neck because I lost all the strength in my shoulders and arms. I couldn’t even sit at the computer and type. I spent the first week in bed, trying to read, but I could barely hold the books up. I’ve been getting stronger each day but I have fibromyalgia, which makes recovering from this type of injury take a long time.
(sorry for the whining)

I’ve gotten tired of not being able to do much after my fall, so I started experimenting. I found that if I work for only about 15 minutes, and then rest for a 1/2 hour or so, I am able to work again, and not be doubly sore the next day. I know at first glance you’d think it is good to rest so much, but it is awful–it takes forever to get things done. Still it is better than the last weeks of just sitting around aching.

On the last day of March my husband and son mulched some of my gardens for me so I’ve been itching to plant! I was given some pansies from Angel Wings Nursery in Byhalia back in February. (They said it was too late in the year to sell them so I got them for free.) The poor things have been sitting on the porch for 2 months. I was delighted that I was able to plant them that day in the freshly mulched “Stump Garden.” It has rained so much the last 10 days that they are doing very well, and blooming like crazy. (Some of you may have seen the photo of my goats sitting in the “Stump Garden” last year. It made a great picture but was murder on the garden!

So on this Beautiful Day I have been alternately weeding and reading a wonderful novel called The Widow of Larkspur Inn. First I got out the ant poison for the many fire ant hills in the yard. Then I found some leftover rose fertilizer so I fertilized my 5 rose bushes, and then used the last of the leftover regular garden fertilizer on the round garden’s plants.

Today I sprayed more crabgrass/weed killer on the little sprouts around the plants in the Round Garden. I barely gardened last summer due to returning to work, so crabgrass took over. I know I’ll have a battle with it for the next few years because I let it go like that. At least the garden looks so nice now. The roses are full of buds, except the Queen Elizabeth hybrid tea rose because I pruned it so late (like 3 weeks ago only). Hopefully it will catch up with the others, which are a type that don’t need pruning.

Later in the afternoon, after resting a lot, I went out to the “Big Garden.” It is a large rectangle, bordered with cross ties, and has raised flower beds along the outside edges. The last few years this garden has been mostly ignored (except for the 2 blueberry bushes), even the tough-as-nails daisies didn’t survive. I’ve decided to make one of the borders a wildflower garden. I picked the one with the most sun and the least weeds. I weeded and mulched a 10-foot length of the raised bed. Then I sprinkled a box of wildflower seeds over it and spread them all round with my hand. It is supposed to rain the next couple of days so I will let God water them for me.

My absolute favorite garden books are Month by Month Gardening in the South, and Commonsense Vegetable Gardening for the South. Without them I’d probably only have bare patches of earth.

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I’m so excited! I now have a huge, fenced area for my gardens! Here it is right after I finished the fence. I had to do something because the goats we inherited in December have eaten my rose bushes to nubs, and haven’t even let my daylilies get out of the ground in my flower beds! I ordered these fragrant, old rose bushes online a few years ago—and they aren’t supposed to be pruned; I raised those daylilies from seeds for 2 years in my kitchen, so I hope the goats haven’t killed them.

I’ve had my pencil and paper out all even planning bed layouts and what to plant where. It will be so wonderful! I’ve wanted a protected garden ever since I bought this place 15 years ago! I’ve tried a few times to put up a fence but it I just never got it right enough to keep any creatures out. Until 2 years ago we had a big dog who loved to lie on, dig up, and otherwise destroy my plants, and now we have goats who are even worse for a garden, not to mention deer and rabbits all around. Now, with the fence protecting it I can really pour my heart into the garden—I won’t have to worry so much about waking up each day and seeing a new plant destroyed!

(The arthritis in my left fingers is so bad this week I can barely type so I’ll have to save the description of the building of the fence until another day…)

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