The Great Escape

Last minute, long weekend, Ft. Walton Beach, no oil on beach.  Throw in an old hotel with a tropical garden.  Oh yeah, I am there.

But wait, I just bought seedlings, and they won't survive even a few days without care in this heat without constant attention.  No problem, seedlings are going to the beach, too.

Now, let's see that tropical garden.  Wow, yep, that is a tropical as it gets on the northern Gulf Coast.

And how about a 3 to 4 story tall rock grotto in the middle of the pool, with a swim in bar, and full grown palms on top.  Yep, this place speaks to my heart.

Made a friend at the beach too, and he's got a little Captain in him.

OK, last shot.  The bar at the beach.  Yeah, I told this was a great place.  Unfortunately, what should have been a miserable crowd was hardly anyone.  First, was the economy in general, and then the bad publicity of the BP Oil Spill.  Yes, these folks were hurting.  It was our pleasure to visit and contribute some money to the local economy.  They'll recover, but the pain will be remembered.

Well, back to the real world, and to the garden, yehaw!

Oh, funny story.  I found a little cubby hole in those beautiful tropical gardens and set my box of seedlings out to get a little sun.   A few hours later, when I checked on them, my box of seedlings was gone, kidnapped.   Some time later, I ran across one of the grounds keepers and explained my situation.   He quickly told me they were over in "the shop" and pointed me in the right direction.   Before I made my way that way, another of the groundskeeper showed up at my door with seedlings.  He explained they were all avid gardeners, and had assumed that a friend had dropped them off for them.  All ended happily, and the seedlings made it back to Louisiana soil.

What the Rains Bring, the Sun Taketh Away

The rains shut off like a faucet, then the heat and sun kicked in.  Temps cames close to the 3 digit mark.   I was just getting around to planting the fall garden, when a far better idea hit, long weekend on the Floriday panhandle.  There was no way my new flat of seedlings would make even a few days without being watered, so I through them in the truck too.  This was the first time I ever took seedlings on vacation.  They enjoyed the beach, and were no trouble at all.   Well, not much trouble.  There was this slight kidnapping by the grounds crew who snatched them up from the little spot in the gardens where I put them to get some sun.

The Rain Not in Spain

Almost forgot to mention the rains.   Great for most plant growth, but making the fall garden prep just as problematic as they did for the spring garden.   I am enlarging considerably from the spring garden, so that means bringing in a small tractor to break the new ground.   Soils are awefully wet, but with a little sun and heat they will dry out fast.  We got no rain today, so I am hoping for Sunday or early next week.   This good part is that this did give me some time to add some soil amendments and compost, that will be tilled in well on original bed creation.

The Grapes of No Wrath

It is grape harvest time again.  My grapes were given to me as seedlings from a friend who now looks down upon them from heaven.  He told me they were "Champanele" grapes.   I didn't realize at the time what a unique grape Champanele was.  One thing for sure, its resistance to Pierce's disease make it one of the very few grapes we can grow reliably this close to the coast in our humid subtropical climate.

Here is one definition of the origin of the Champanele grape vine: "Champanel (from a cross of Vitis champini X Worden, a Concord seedling) is a rampant grower and widely adapted. It is reported to be long-lived in Mississippi and resistant to black rot and downy mildew. It was one of three dependable varieties in San Antonio tests. The others were Lukfata and Valhallah."

Other sites refer to this grape as Champanel grape (Vitis labrusca). 

Hybrid of a hybrid of a hybrid.  One thing for sure is, it's a mut.

Burning the Dead and Dying

Before heading out of town, I spent the evenings earlier this week removing the dead and dying, and delivering them to the burn pile.   It began with two Mimosas, a Plum Tree, and an Apricot tree.   All succumbed not to the unusually cold winter, but the also extremely wet winter.

Next was the Silk Floss Tree, and two large Triple Trunk Phoenix Robellini palms.   These did succumb tot he extremely cold winter, our coldest in nearly 20 years.   The palms saddened me the most, but onward we shall go.  Gardens are never static.  They continually evolve with the patterns of the weather, the large and the small, the strong and weak, and the cycle of life and death.  And so do gardeners, for that matter.

The vegetable garden is cleaned out and leveled from the spring/summer crops.   It is ready for tilling so that the fall/winter garden may commence.   Of course I'll put in some late summer plants, too, maybe a few more peppers, some cucumbers, and a few fall tomatoes.   But mostly I am looking forward to the greens that grow so well here all winter long.

Bamboo Explosion

As I was pulling out of the driveway this morning, I notice a literal explosion of growth in the Alphonse Karr Bamboo fence row.  I'll snap a picture tomorrow morning, since that is when the best light happens.   I cannot express how delighted I am with the bamboo's performance in providing a quick and attractive visual border.  One hundred feet of fence of 8 feet high wooden would have cost between 1200 and 1500 dollars, would have been busted up in hurricanes, and lasted 15 to 20 years.  This cost me less than $400 dollars, any minimal damage in hurricanes will recover on it's own, and it will last for many decades.  Only drawback is that you have to wait 2 to 3 years for it to grow in, but that is a small inconvience compared to the benefit noted above.

Rains Have Returned

The rains have returned, and pretty much right on target.  Things were just starting to get dry and a little dusty.  Of course, it all had been perfect, I would have preferred them to return later in the week, just after I got the vegetable garden tilled up.  Now that will have to wait a week, but we are still in good shaped.   If I get it done in the next couple of weeks, we'll still be on schedule for the fall planting.

I am still harvesting field peas, although I don't mind saying this is one of my least enjoyable crops.   Constant harvesting of small amounts does not bode well for efficiency.  Next year, I either need to not plant them, or plant a whole lot more of them.   I can see now, that this is one crop that is only efficient in large quantities.

I mowed the expanded portions of the garden down to Golf Green height, then I spread out the roughly 100 gallons of compost.   It didn't go far, but over the next 3 weeks I will prep this area extensively with bio active ingredients.  

The 3 beds adjacent to the tower, making up the cross bed will be tilled and used for a winter crop, afterward, in the spring I will till a final time, and expand the grape vine planting in those areas.   This will give me roughly a 3x increase in the feet of Grapevine plantings leading to some wine making in 2 to 3 years.

Back Roads are Often the Best Roads

These best roads are also not only the fastest, but also the most beautiful.   The are no mountains of hill tops vistas in Louisiana.   Really, the greatest places are best seen from the water, but that not available, a back road that follows a natural waterway is the next best thing.

Here a few shots of Acadiana's back roads, of which this is one of so many.

Figs Ready Now

The figs are just starting to ripen.  My in-laws Celeste figs began to ripen last week.  I have a cutting from it, but it is still too young to make fruit, although it is trying.   Our Texas Everbearing is just starting to have harvestable fruit now.   The LSU purple is still a couple of weeks off.   The combination of varieties should provide fruit here over a 4 to 6 week period.   Nothing is better than a fresh fig off the tree.  I have to say, that of the ones I have or have access to, the LSU Purple is by and far the taste winner.   I have an LSU Gold, but regretfully have never tasted its fruit.  Bad site, hurricanes, you name it.   It will be transplanted to a better location in the fall.  Then we will see.

New Dawn Gains the WolfBerry

Got a new addition to the gardens.  Who can't love a fruit called a Wolfberry.  Next full moon, I'll have to do my howling next to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry

Wolfberry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org

Wolfberry, commercially called goji berry, is the common name for the fruit of two very closely related species: Lycium barbarum (Chinese: 寧夏枸杞; pinyin: Níngxià gǒuqǐ) and L. chinense (Chinese: 枸杞; pinyin: gǒuqǐ), two species of boxthorn in the family Solanaceae (which also includes the potato, toma...

Transition Time

Even though it is mid summer, it is time to transition to the fall garden. I pulled the frames out from the raised tomato beds.  Next out will be the tomato stakes, and then arrives the tractor mounted tiller.  Wouldn't normally need that here, but I am breaking new ground.  No till worked OK for the spring, but I'll be bringing in the tractor now for some cropping for the fall, and then for the winter crops as well.  I'll do no till again next spring, but I will need far more Oak leaves than I had this year, 2 to 4 times as many.  This is due to the fact that not only did I not have enough last year, but also because I am doubling the size of the vegetable garden.

Pictures to be added later.

Wow, Its Been Two Weeks

Time flies when life gets a bit chaotic.   Since my last entry, the summer rains have arrived.  On one day, we got well in excess of 4 inches of rain.  The bayou rose nearly to the level it was during the back to back hurricanes of Gustav and Ike, but of course it did not stay that high nearly as long as it did back then. 

Between the heat and the bugs, the tomatoes are done for.  As soon as it dries out a bit, I'll pull them and get the soil ready for the next plantings.   But the Dixie Lea Field Peas and the Edamame are doing wonderfully.

Finally Had to Happen

I can't remember the last time, but I spent the entire weekend indoors.   Didn't even look out of the window that much.  Have to admit, the week before this was one of the hardest in my recent memory, or even long term memory, for that matter.

A Fruit Inventory

I did a quick inventory today, by memory of what we have here at New Dawn.  Many of these trees are still small, but they will grow.

Blueberries (3)
Jujube (1)
Mayhaw (1)
Pear (2)
Pawpaw (1)
Plums (2)
Mulberry (2)
Pomegranate (6)
Texas Everbearing Fig (1)
LSU Gold Fig (1)
Celeste Fig (1)
LSU Purple Fig (3)
Loquat (5)
Arboqina Olive (1)
Ruby Red Grapefruit (2)
Rio Red Grapefruit (1)
Ponderosa Lemon (1)
Lisbon Lime (1)
Meyer Lemon (1)
Variegated Lemon (1)
Louisiana Sweet Orange (1)
Variegated Orange (1)
Moro Blood Orange (2)
 
That is what I recall off the top of mind, but there may be more.

Even The Best Laid Plans

We had a great Father's Day.  First my Dad, then Cel's Dad, then tradegy struck.  Mom fell in her home, off to the ER.   Cel went first to get her back home, while I cleaned up and then headed over there to provide nurse duty for the next 2 days.  Finally back at home, but still no rain, ugh.   I watered as best I could, but we really, really need rain.  Not just a little rain, but lots of rain. 

OK, I confess, the break from the weeds is welcome, but it is taking its toll on the things I treasure as well.  Truly established plantings are OK, but anything less than 2 or 3 years old is beginning to suffer.   Especially the vegetables.   And the really frustrating part is that it seems to be raining all around us.

A Statue Wearing High Heels

There's a giant doing cartwheels a statue wearin' high heels.  Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn. - Credence Clearwater Revival

OK, really, there's no giant, she's barefoot, I'm looking out my front door, and its way to hot for the happy creatures to be dancing.   So don't bother me about details, lol.
 
It's another scorcher.  There are thunderstorms in the area, but they are doing a great job at missing us so far.  We continue to hope.   One thing is for sure is that I have to quit using city water to water the garden.  At this rate, I'll be the next person to have the $64 Tomato.   I can either put down a well, which makes sense long term, but there is always that short term cash issue.  The other way is to tap the bayou.  Water quality is not great, but should be sufficient for irrigation.  The nature of the bank does make this a logistical challenge.   I need someone more experienced than me to come brainstorm this one with me.

Getting Tired of Eating Them, So It's Time to Put Up Dem Maters

Even with the bugs and heat taking their toll, the Tomatoes are coming in faster than we care to eat them, so its time to put some up.   Tomatoes are by far one of the easiest vegetables to store, with proper preparation that is.  Fortunately, that preparation is quite easy.  Slip them in some boiling water until the skin splits, move them to some chilled water to make them easier to handle.  Remove the skins, which is quite easy at this point, put in Ziplocks, squeeze out the air, and freeze.

Making New Plants

With the right environment, many plants are very easy to reproduce from cuttings.  One little known is the tomato.   For folks in our area, Zone 9, there is little need to buy fall tomatoes or grow them from seed.  Just pick your best producing tomatoes from spring, take some cuttings in late June or early July, put them in the right environment to root, and whalla, you have your tomatoes for fall.   While going through some antique (junk) shops on vacation recently, I ran across this perfect little propagator (terrarium).   Should be great for propagating cuttings, holding most of the moisture with just a tiny bit of air circulation.  Not too bad for $20 with stand.

Another source for fall tomatoes, especially if you like to take a gamble on type, is to throw all of your bad tomatoes, bug damages, etc. in the compost bin.   Till it up good about mid June and then wait for the seedlings to pop up in the compost.   Now, this way you never know what you'll get, but that is a big part of the fun.

False Indigo

False Indigo is a delightful little plant. Tough as nails, too.   I don't remember where we got this start from, perhaps a friend, or an old abandoned house.  Cel probably remembers.  Either way, this is a very troublefree plant, yet non-invasive, a very unique quality.

If You Want Blood, You Got It, and a Few Other Blooms, Too.

When the heat finally let up, I finished the porch cleanup.   Then did a little watering of the Tomato plants.   Oops, now that I am writing, I forgot to lock the chicken coup.  Be right back.  Headed out with the flashlight, but after being allowed to roam free all day, they were back in the coup waiting for me to come make them safe.

Hmmm, now what else.  I put some Cajun Delight Okra seeds in the seed starter.  I took the plastic top off of the Earth Box, and as I suspected, the soil was quite dry.   The upwards water percolation was just not happening.   I'll water it as a standard planter box to see if I can salvage the two tomatoes planted in there.  I was out there 2 hours, so I know I did some other stuff, but I'll be darned if it is coming to mind right now.  Oh well.

OK, how about some pictures.  First, the Blood Lilies have arrived.   Neatest things you ever saw.

And a little Jacobina, set back by winter, but not down for the count.

And I guess we can finish up with some Christmas Berry.

Heat is Brutal

Its a tough one out there today.  Cel put up tomatoes this morning, then she mowed the 3 acres today, then went out and picked 3 more grocery bags full of Tomatoes from the garden, and weeded it, too.   Somedays I prevail, but others she just plain puts me to shame.  I mostly cleaned up a month worth of poop being left around here and there.   The crawfish boiling equipment went up for the season.  The beach stuff was consolidated and stored in the attic where it will be nearby.  The crawfish may be over for the year, but the beach certainly isn't, if the BP oil doesn't ruin them all, that is.

I filled all of the gas cans, treated with Stabil in preparation for the hurricane season.   Always good to have fuel on hand, as just before, during, and for a while after gas can be hard to come by.  I keep 30 gallons in the shed.  I'll fill up the boat tank as well, so that's another 24 gallons at hand.  Oh, and another 2 - 1/2 gallons of 2 cycle for the chainsaw, blower, and tiller.   While I am not likely to need a tiller after a hurricane, the chainsaw is a must as many limbs and sometimes trees are down that need to be cleaned up.  Fortunately only once, during Hurricane Lily, did I have a tree come down on the house.  It took out a third of the garage, the greenhouse, and tried it best to take down the back of the house, which fortunately it was unsuccessful at doing.  Although it left several holes in the roof ruining floors, furniture, etc.  Still, having seen the destruction hurricanes can do here in the coastal regions we felt fortunate.

Hey, I got off track.   Back to the garden.  Well, its too hot to even go look.  I'll reserve that till the early even hours just before dark.  I may even snap a picture or two.

No Garden Work Today, Friday is House Cleaning Night

Long weeks, long days with work then outside work, but things change on Friday.   When I get home for work on Friday I don't venture outside, it's house cleaning time to set the proper stage for the weekend.  If I finish early enough, I get a few minutes outside, but most Fridays I don't.   But that's OK, really.   I enjoy a break from the heat one day a week, like today.   I am done, and there is at least another hour of daylight out there, but I think I'll watch it fade through the window with a cool beverage in my hand.

I always like to include a photo, I think a I took a few a couple of days ago, let's see.

Here we go, how about a pretty little mushroom growing in tall grass, both provided by recent rains.

I am Star Struck, Well Maybe Star Fruit Struck

My Star Fruit tree, which was 2 years old was really not meant for this climate.  So when our past colder than normal winter killed it, I wasn't surprised.   But what did surprise me this week is that it appears to be coming back from the roots.   We'll see what happens as time passes, but for now it is a very pleasant surprise.

It was hot and hard work, but I got the last 2 acres mowed today, so now I am a day ahead of schedule.  All I have left now is 3 to 4 hours of weed whacking and I'll have this place back under management.   The beginning of the rainy season was not the time to skip 3 weeks of maintenance.  I felt more like I was making hay, rather than mowing.   At any rate, if I have some energy after work tomorrow, and get that weed whacking done, I'll have a relaxing birthday weekend ahead.  Yeah!

I even got in a little extra work.  The old potato/spinach/onion bed that I till a couple of week ago, already had weeds 4 inches high with all of the recent rain, so I whipped out the Mantis and whipped it up again.  An 8 foot by 10 foot bed takes about 5 minutes with this little beast.  Yes, I know I am supposed to be working my way to no-till, and I am, but in between nothing is as sweet as fresh tilled earth.

I also tilled up the compost bin(pot).  I make compost a little differently than most folks.   One day while going down the road I noticed this humongous plastic pot.  I am guessing it is 150 to 200 gallons.  I didn't have a clue what I was going to do with it, but it was free, so I threw it in the back of the truck.  Over the months I throw in everything, leftovers, used paper towels and their cardboard tube center, the cardboard center for toilet tissue rolls, old potted plants, cardboard boxes, paper, just about anything that will rot.  Once it is full, I stop and let it rot down, but occasionally I stick the Mantis in, mix it up and rip anything resisting rot to shreds.   After a few rounds like that it finished up pretty quick and I get 2 batches of approx 75 to 100 gallons of compost a year.   And let me tell you, it is fine stuff.   My best tasting and best producing tomatoes are in the bed that I tilled a batch into in early spring.

Adapting is Sometimes Necessary

Plans last weekend and again this coming weekend, along with frequent rains are causing some variation from the normal Saturday morning yard routines.   So, today I mowed the front acre.  Tomorrow will be the middle and Friday the rear.   And sometime over the weekend I will have to find time for the once a mount weed whacking.

For today's image, I'll leave you with this funny little Bell Pepper.   It is oddly shaped, but coloring up in a quite beautiful fashion.  It may just find it's way into an omelet in the morning.

Today Was a Better Day

Felt a little better today.  Did some work out in the chicken coop freshening things up.   I planted the last few straggling seedlings.  Pick the Tomatoes for the day, and then started a new batch of compost tea.  Then I finally picked up the mess that had accumulated on the boat over the last month.  The most popular use of a boat is to catch things, I think.   Hmm, I tossed out some dead potted things into the compost bin, and pulled a few weeds that had popped up in the compost.   I bagged the potatoes that were recently dug from the garden, and hung the onions to dry as well.  A few photos were taken along the way, too, just to document the day.

Might Be My First Merlitons, Ever

I tried two Merliton vines this year.  One petered out, but the other has a foothold on St. Joe's Tower.   Here it is reaching the 10 foot mark.  No sign of fruit yet, but the summer is still early.   I remember these growing across the top of my Grandparents chicken coup, so growing my own would be super.  Passing on the legacy.

Today Was Pretty Much a Nothing Day

Didn't feel well, and didn't venture outside other than to feed the chickens.   I did stumble upon this one mushroom.

Beauty is Everywhere, and Sometimes Just Slaps You in the Face

I was out of town earlier today.  I pulled in a parking, with an overgrown edge, and there they were, staring, begging for me to capture their beauty before they fade.   The Trumpet Vine is not in favor today, being a bit invasive in certain circumstances, but it is a beauty, non-the-less.   One can hardly blame today's gardeners, with life being so busy, but it is a shame to see so many beautiful plants fading away being labeled invasive, weedy, messy, etc.   But indeed, it is their very nature that will keep them alive and with us, not needy of our help at all.  Perhaps, that is why indeed many gardeners don't like them.  They plant themselves where they choose, expand where they choose.  They give us the impression that they own us and not the other way around.  What gardener would like that?  God for sure.

The Rains Awaken Much Beauty

These rains are bringing one beauty after another.  As is typical, Louisiana is a rainforest existing between droughts.   It was a very dry spring, but summer can the rains, and the awakening of many things that struggled through a very tough winter.

Darth Maul Visited My Garden Today

I went out in the garden this morning, and God was not there. But Darth Maul was, all 3 inches of him, and he was ready to take me on. Good thing I misplaced my Light Saber or he would be in a thousand tiny pieces.

Here is one more for the evening. This Althea was blown over by Hurricane Gustav and Ike, and then went over again during this super wet winter, but is making a fine recovery. Althea are pretty tough plants. I love its whiter than white flower with a dash of scarlet.

Great Harvest of Tomatoes Today, In Spite of the Stinkers, But They Got Their Share

Really nice harvest from the Tomatoes today.  And half again as many went to the Stinkbugs.  The DE I put on yesterday really seemed to have knocked them back from the numbers I saw yesterday, but there were still more than a few around.  I hit the plants with DE again this afternoon, only to have a rainshower pop up an hour later, so I just went out and hit them again.

Heirloom Don't Only Come in Vegetable Form

Our old heirloom daylilies finally popped open. We got a start from a long ago abandoned homesite.  Nothing fancy in the daylilly world, but nice to look at, and tough as nails.  I am sure these will outlast me on this planet.

Stinky Little Pest They Are

I was just saying a day or two ago, that I was having a light pest year on the Tomatoes, and how I was wondering it was the organic program.  Past years have been nightmarish with Stinkbugs here laying waste to many a great Tomato.

I thought this year would be different, but today it appeared as if they arrived overnight like a plague.  There were 5 or more stinkbugs on literally every fruit.  I pulled out my Dust Mizer and hit them with DE.  Hopefully that will put a dent in them.  If not, there are more powerful organic pesticides, but judging by their numbers, I need to be very observant and progress fast. 

Fig Crop is On The Way

With a few rains, finally, the fig crop is developing.  This is LSU Purple.  Until I tasted them, the Texas Brown Turkey was my favorite, but LSU Purple just may be the finest tasting of all figs.  And the size is good too.

Chicken Tractor on the Move

I have moved the chicken tractor out from under the Oaks in early spring when we had the gnat invasion/infestation.   I moved it out in the open, which provided some breezes to help with the gnats, but now that the intense sun and heat of summer arriving, it was time to give them some relief from that.  Since the chicken tractor has no wheels yet, it is a drag and sweat operation.   By next spring's gnat season, I have to get busy with the wheels.  And be ready with some organic gnat-i-cide, too. 

Here is my Orpington Hen setting on a combination of 6 Orpington Eggs and 6 Mallard Duck Eggs.  The duck eggs are another future story.

Here is my Orpington Rooster.   My second hen did not feel like posing, haha.

The Dog Yard

Almost forgot to put up a finish shot of the dog yard.  There is a small doggie door behind the Avocado tree in the upper left of the yard.  It is next to the house, directly behind the recovering Silk Floss Tree.  The Silk Floss will be coming out soon.  Other than learning to stretch a chainlink fence, which was not bad after I bought the proper tools to do it, the only other issue was no section was level.  On the sides I went with the incline.  On the long side, I wanted the fence level with the wall, so I have to use some garden edge blocks to hold the built up soil on the inside of the yard.

Well, its technically not quite finished still.  I have to cut off the tops of those t-post I used for the intermediate post.   And I'll spray paint them to match the color of the green fencing of course, but those are minor details and will have to wait until after the height of the spring/early summer gardening season is past.

Note - Also in the picture is my Rio Red Grapefruit, towards the outside of the fence on the left side.  In the center is a clump of Canna native to South Florida along with a Washingtonia filibusta palm.  On the far right inside the fence, not really noticeable is a recovering Variegated Lemon.   Outside the fence on the far right is another Washingtonia filibusta and a Tung Oil tree.  At the outer right edge of the photo is a clump of Bordelon bananas and at their base you can see the small Mamou tree (Erythrina herbacea).

Grapes Grapes Grow Today, We'll Make Wine Another Day

These Champanelle Graps were given to me as cuttings.  They just get better every years as the trunks thicken and the vines get stronger.   Here are some shots of this years crop.

22 Tomatoes in These Photos Alone, and Some Olives, Too.

Well, Tomato production will now outpace our ability to eat them.  The kitchen counter is loaded, and this is just a section of two of the 19 plants.  I think it is safe to call this year's organic minimum till, heavy mulch effort a success.  I have not weeded these tomatoes since the day they were put in, nor do I expect to have to do so.

On the unusual front, it looks like our Arboquina Olive is gonna hold fruit this year, and a good bit of it as well.

What a Difference a Week, and a Wee Bit of Rain Can Make

It finally rained a few days before we left town to head for the beach.  It rained again while we were gone.   And after the horrible winter the gardens were wrecked.  It didn't help that I had not the desire to get out and clean up the carnage.   It was just depressing all the way around, but with the moisture came the recovery.  Slow for sure, and some things are just truly dead, never to return.  But there were some surprises, and some hardy plants that just needed some rains to show.

Well, all of a sudden, things sprang to life, and everything is looking up.  These of course, were all expected to return.

I'll show you some other surprising recoveries later.

Tomatoes

The tomatoes are coming in strong.  Here's to the organic methods.  Very little tilling and soil prep with organic fertilizing and a healthy mulch of oak leaves.   I must admit I am astounded at the health of the plants, the lack of pest issues, and the quality of the tomatoes.   Assuming that these beds will just get better, I can't wait for next year.   This is about a third of this weeks harvest.

A Little Petunia Never Hurt Anyone

Winter Harvest is Done, Almost

The heat of summer is moving in early, again. I harvested the Irish potatoes and onions today. They are done and the beds retilled. Not sure what comes next in that spot. Maybe some melons. The tomatoes are in high gear finally. We harvested about 40 today, and the plants are overloaded with green tomatoes with well over 100 on the vines, and one monster, about 6 inches or more across.

And this is will beds with minimal soil prep, all organic, planted late, and with a healthy cover of Oak leaves.

So, what's left to harvest.  Remember those Yukon Blue Potatoes.  They are doing awesome.   After digging the first plant, I saw they were still producing, so I left the rest in.  I will easily have a 20 to 1 return on those.   The few beets I made are left, along with the Kale and Swiss Chard.  All look great.   I'll get to the beets next week.  Not sure about the rest.