Rain = Growth!

So my volunteer tomato is growing a bit oblong...?

Forget the type of bean this is, but it is finally blooming! So pretty!

The other beans are flowering too! Beans are growing too! 

Red Currant tomatoes are growing like crazy! The plant is over the stakes already!

Got these row stakes on sale at Target for a little over $3! They were originally $12.99!

These are sprouted! Not sure if it is a pumpkin or watermelon...

The Harvest Has Begun!

Another Patio Tomato harvested! Just got my first ripe Black Prince tomato too!

Had a volunteer tomato sprout in one of my large pots at the old house! Thought I needed that pot so I transplanted it into this smaller pot. Finally moved it to the new house to see what it is! Probably a cherry tomato of some sort as they seem the most prolific! 

I forget where I planted what, but I know I planted watermelon and pumpkin seeds here so we'll just have to wait and see what it is that really sprouted!

Check out our grapes! Not sure what kind they are or when they might be ready. 

Some of my plants that I dug up from the old house. The one that is quite brown is an Itoh Peony that went into shock. I'm hoping it recovers...

I totally forgot to harvest my garlic! Went to the old house, saw them and finally thought to myself "Hey! It's past the 4th of July!" Doh! So I dug them up! Some of the ones in the shade didn't look ready yet. At most, they had only one to two brown leaves. I'll give it another few days.

Potted Plants

Bought banana plants to replace the tired pansies growing. I had really wanted Black Elephant's Ear, but they were sold out already. :\ However, these hardy bananas were on sale for $5 each! I got some black Petunias to add to it, but they still felt like they were missing something... So I went digging in my seed box and found a packet of Nasturtiums from 2010! Not too old so hopefully they will sprout! I think that would finish the look and fill the empty space that is bothering me. I planted the whole pack so something has got to grow!!!

I finally ate my first ripe tomato yesterday, a Patio tomato! It was pretty darn tasty! Even my dragon liked it! 

Progress & New Plantings

Flower tree my old neighbor created, which apparently my clematis likes!

Black berries ripening up! There are SOOO many this year!

Sweet potatoes tubering in the cell packs already!

Sweet potatoes 'Beauregard' planted finally and some Sugar Baby watermelon seeds! Planted some Blue Lake Bush Beans on the other side also.

Patio tomato ripening up! Big fruit for such a small plant!

A wee baby apple growing at the new house.

Preying mantis egg cases

This morning I spent it planting new grass seed in the bald spots that we had created for the down spout diversion project. Got the one side all done and viola! Rain happened! How sweet was that?! I had planned on watering it before sunset so the grass nearby it wouldn't get burned. Thanks nature! 

Weird Summer!

It's been such a weird start to summer! It's been POURING! It was just super nice this morning! Great part about it is that I just planted new grass seed and now they are being watered! Yipee!

What's Growing....

Black Krim tomatoes on the way! YEAH!

Carmen red sweet bell peppers!

Growing & Dead

Sweet bell peppers!

Rotted Bhut :'(

Corn has sprouted!

Czech Black

Ripe Alpine Strawberries...they're like nature's PEZ! So sweet!

Zucchini blossoms in the early morning.

Veggie garden today...Black Krim and Black Prince are VERY slow growing!!! The Red Currant is growing like MAD! The sweet bell peppers are growing steadily. Mystery hot pepper one is staying compact, which I find surprising. Mystery hot pepper #2 still hasn't sprouted leaves. I don't expect it to survive, but I water it anyway! The acorn squashes haven't done jack since sprouting. Mustard greens sprouted poorly and I direct seeded a jalapeño, which I think has sprouted as I see pepper-like seed leaves this morning! I still have no place for the sweet potatoes and my back is not up for yanking the weed fabric up. :(

Unusual Year

This year has been especially unusual. It had to have been the coldest Memorial Day weekend ever! It is still cool, which I am not complaining! I am loving the lack of humidity!

Cooler Than Normal Memorial Day Weekend

We're having the most unusual Memorial Day weekend! It is SO cool that I've had to bring in the few plants that aren't tolerating the low temps and having to cover up others! Usually by this time of year it is scorching! Very unusual!

I've got Black Prince, Patio, Black Krim & Red Currant tomatoes planted! I also have Carmen and Flavor Burst sweet bell peppers, mystery hot peppers, collard greens, mustard greens, basil, acorn squash, and sweet potatoes as well as corn to plant! Started my Sugar Ann snap peas, however, not many sprouted :( I did plant some beans too.

New House, New Garden!

Today I finally got to plant a new garden at the new house! Two Black Krim tomatoes, a Red Currant tomato, a Black Prince tomato and a Patio tomato were planted along with two Carmen sweet bell peppers (red) and two Flavor Burst sweet bell peppers (yellow). I also planted my two mystery hot peppers, a collard and my favorite, basil! Need to figure out where to plant my Valerian and Oregano since they will be perennials. My Sugar Ann sugar snap peas have sprouted. There aren't as many as I had hoped for. Will need to plant my beans too. I think I will have those climb the tomato cages. 

Other than that, I moved all my high light plants out into full sun. My Stenosarcus is about done blooming and my Cyprepridium pubescens has been in bloom for a few weeks. Hopefully it won't be mad at me for transplanting it! 

Spring is Here!

Cyp. pubescens in bloom!

Variegated Soloman's Seal in bloom!

This was the most unique find I found at May Market this year!
A Blood Lily! 

Garlic is growing BIG! Peony and Clematis is ready to bloom too!

Tree Peony 'Kopper Kettle' has two buds this year! This stuff blooms SO little! I cannot wait for it to bloom more and to grow more! I have a yellow one too! 

Miniature irises in bloom!

Thornless blackberry has a ton of buds this year! Too bad I won't be able to enjoy them :(

This is why I hate weed block fabric! When your mulch decomposes enough, it all of a sudden forms perfect compost for weeds to go hog wild! 

Got this red Trillium at Hahn's Nursery today. Saw them last time and regretted not getting one so I did this time when I went to get more compost!

My May Market finds! Tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, herbs and a collard green! I can't wait to remove that stupid weed block fabric and plant these! I just need some of those good tomato cages!

Orchid Show Weekend

This past weekend brought our annual orchid show. I didn't have a decent thing to enter! One broken spike, one partially blasted spike and one that hasn't bloomed yet! This was the first time that I have had nothing to show!

I worked for Robert's Flower Supply as usual. All the vendors sold a ton of stuff! Floradise had only SEVEN plants left to take back! I didn't sell as much as I wanted to because the society kept my plants hidden. Someone also stole a plant I had for a friend, which was nice of them to do! Otherwise, I got some nice plants and supplies! I picked up:

Masdevallia venus
Masdevallia norup
Bulbophyllum bicolor
Scaphosepalum fimbriatum
Maxillaria schunkeana
Potinara Love Call 'Nora'
Cymbidium Enzon Shining 'Shiny Yellow' 4n x Minuet 'N.H.' 4n
Neostylis Lou Sneary 'Blue Bird'

Signs of Spring

My New & Improved Meyer Lemon has been tantalizing me for weeks with one bud and tonight, it has finally decided to start opening up! Mmm!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE citrus blossom scent! Not only was I blessed with this & the 70 degree weather today, but I also noticed there were MORE blooms to come! Yipee!

At the new house, I've decided that all the ivy has to go. They are ruining the fence! I will be meticulously chopping all that down soon! Just have to decide where my compost pile will be! I think if the beds in the back aren't planted with anything I will turn those into my food garden. Unfortunately, the gardens have been chemically treated :( No idea how long it will take to undo all that.

Spring

So yesterday Phil, the groundhog, did not see his shadow for once! Spring is supposedly on the way, however, it is still snowing like crazy! I didn't need Phil to tell me spring was close. My dog's shedding early told me what I knew already! Today I see my hydrangea tried to leaf out already. Unfortunately it will be frost bitten considering how sensitive they are.

I may not be able to harvest my garlic this year. I will be getting a larger garden soon! One with more sun so that I can grow to my heart's content! I will be bringing my Cypripediums and Peonies though! And if I can, my saffron crocuses also...if I can find them all. So depending on how quickly our old house sells, I may or may not have fresh homegrown garlic this year and that is quite disappointing to even contemplate about!

Hot Peppers!

So my Bhut Jolokia died some time ago and I have been trying to start a new one from seed. The two plants I have growing....one fruited and it does not look anywhere near a Bhut! The other plant hasn't fruited yet, although it has bloomed. Doesn't surprise me since the first time I started any seeds, one of them was also not a Bhut either! So I posted about this in a chili forum and someone was nice enough to offer me some seeds. I only wanted just a new Bhut, but they were nice enough to send me not only regular Bhut, but I got Chocolate Bhut and Butch T (Trinidad Scorpion) also! I planted them tonight. I hope they sprout and grow well! I can't wait to challenge those who say to me that the like it "REALLY HOT!" }:D

Odd Fall

What an odd fall season it is! Hurricane Sandy left those in NYC, CT, & NJ without power and extensive damages. Some areas got snow! All we got was a few rainy days. I guess we got the eye of the storm? Anyhow...it's been freezing, but this weekend is pretty warm! Go figure! Since the frost came already, I cut all m Dahlias and put them in the coal cellar already. I am trying the pitchers in the basement instead. Not much else to do outside besides clean up! Next year I hope to plant more again! I'll have more to blog about then! Hopefully those stink bugs will have found a new home elsewhere!

Fall Happenings

Earlier this month, on Columbus Day (October 8th), I planted my new Music garlic bulbs. These were HUGE! I got them from Enon Valley Garlic. I mulched them heavily so they ought to be happy campers! I still need more mulch, but have yet to get more. I need to not procrastinate as winter is fast approaching and I will lose things if I don't!

Today was also the first day of the Orchid Festival. I walked in with every intention of not buying everything I like, but I admit, I have an addiction. LOL I am not going back tomorrow! LOL I did pick up a few unique items: Cynoches Wine Delight 'Jem', Bulbophyllum makoyanum, Tuberloabium woodii, Bulbophyllum Ambrosia, Bulbophyllum medusae, Trias picta and Dendrobium peguanum. Looks like I picked up mostly species! I'm not sure why I picked up Tuberloabium woodii though. It's not something I normally would pick, but I guess it looked sweet enough! I will probably tire of it quickly though. Trias picta reminded me of Masdevallias so I had to try it! Bulbophyllum medusae I had once upon a time....but it died. I bought a new one this past spring (quite a large one too), but it didn't do so well with me. It is just barely hanging on, so I got a new one. Dendrobium peguanum I couldn't pass up for $15! It was interesting enough and it was even in spike also that I had to try it! Cynoches Wine Delight 'Jem' was a stunner that I kept eyeing and figured I would regret it if I didn't buy it. I'm not doing awesome with those types, however, I haven't killed the one I have a relative of yet! Knock on wood, I won't! Bulbophyllum Ambrosia just had a really pretty flower I couldn't pass up! So there you have it, my addiction!

I came home and settled my newbies in and went outside to bury my pitcher plants...got one small one buried and got tired of it! I'm going to try something new this year instead....I brought them indoors and placed them in my basement in the old coal cellar. It stays pretty chilly in there....40s? It probably won't like being so dark in there, but we'll see. They are just too big to bury anymore! I filled the bird feeder and called it a day as I was just exhausted from being woken up too early by my husband's alarm and the dog jumping on the bed! :S

Columbus Day = Garlic Planting Day!

Yep, you read that right! A few years ago, I was on a garden tour and this German couple grew the most beautiful and LARGE garlic bulbs ever! I just had to pick their brains! They said:

- Full sun
- Compost and lots of it!
- Plant on Columbus Day
- Harvest on July 4th

I'm a geek, so I had to read about how the pros do it too and it pretty much coincided with the above advice only I do a bit more per the book. I don't get great harvests, but I do get some! I lack the full sun :( I keep trying to convince my hubby we need to move. I need garden space!

Anyhow, I got some great bulbs from Enon Valley Garlic this year to plant since my crop was just non-existant! I highly recommend them because the cloves were GIGANTIC! So I planted them today. Six in my sunniest spot and the rest in my patch with tons of mulch on top! Let's hope they like me better next year!