From loyal commentor Marvel:
Last year I ended up planting three successive generations of corn — the first two flights were sown during warm spells, only to rot in place when subsequent Spring days turned cold (corn seeds need very warm soil to germinate — sissies one and all). This year I started the corn (“Bodacious”) in the green house, and waited until today to bring the little souls out into the Wilds. We’re looking at a string of beautiful, warm Oregon days coming up and are hopeful this group’ll do well.
Barring a massive plant/weather disaster in coming weeks, this concludes our planting (12 beds-worth plus a green house full of heat-loving peppers) until mid-Summer, when we’ll start installing the Fall & Winter gardens).
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Here north of Boston, I’ve got thirty-nine tomato plants of thirty-three varieties potted (or bagged) out and staked. The electrical crews that showed up at the height of Hurricane Sandy to fight the transformer fire severely topped a couple of oaks just south-west of the driveway extension that serves as my tomato garden, and there seems to be more late-afternoon sun now, which I’m hoping will make the little plants happy. (Last summer’s cold and rain made for a truly dreadful tomato season — the bar is set low.) The potted oregano overwintered itself again, so once we’ve gone back to the local nursery for a half-dozen basil plants (and probably a couple more impulse tomatoes), my vegetable garden will be set for the summer…
How are things in your gardens right now?
Raven
The roses are fading but she has all kinds of purple stuff and poppies bustin out! The magnolia’s are in bloom and she picks them and puts them in the house and I sneeze.
donnah
My rosebushes are going gangbusters, but I don’t garden, so they’re overachieving all by themselves.
No veggies, either, but my husband reseeded our small backyard and the baby grasslings are sprouting nicely.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
We have cucumbers. The biggest is about two inches long. And we’ve put the woven wire across the top of the poles for them to climb along; they’re big enough now to hold it in place.
Not letting the tomatoes set bloom yet. They have more growing to do first.
Raven
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: How do you stop them?
Linda Featheringill
The garden is growing. Like so many weeds. And weeds are growing, too. I need to get out there and pull up weeds. I was afraid to do it sooner because I wasn’t sure how the desirable plants looked at that early stage. That’s what happens when you try new stuff.
I’m looking forward to having a fall garden. Last time I had a fall garden, I had green stuff in bags in NE Ohio until January of 2012. It was really nice. Since the winters are apparently milder in the Philly area, I should be able to have a very nice fall and winter supply of green things.
HeartlandLiberal
Lots of greens: collards, kale, mustard greens. We have so much romaine, buttercrunch, and looseleaf lettuce I give bags of it to the neighbors. Will be harvesting broccoli in a few days. The earliest cabbage has formed small heads, and four heads of it should be ready in another couple of weeks. I planted five varieties, each one successively longer maturing, so harvest would space out over six weeks.
But I am ready to give up on radishes, carrots, and bok choy. They all want to bolt early and run to seed; and the radishes just refuse to form radishes for the most part. The few that do have rippled, broken exteriors and are pithy and hard.
I suspect this is because weather in south central Indiana now consists of a mild winter compared to the past, and Summer starts by the mid May, with spells of temperatures in the middle and upper 80’s as early as the previous average last frost date.
For past six weeks, the pattern has been a few days very, very hot, then a spell of rain with very cool nights, and day time in 70’s.
In fact, we have had so much rain the strawberries started rotting on the vine before we could pick them.
Yesterday I decided that next year I may just till up the whole 1,860 sq ft, plant about 30 tomato varieties in the central, sunniest area, and sow the rest with clover and wild flowers, and go for that long cruise and vacation in the UK we have been talking about.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@Raven: Pinch the blooms off.
Raven
@Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism: Duh. sorry
p.a.
Make sure to get some Thai basil, stands up to spicy food better. Australian basil (smaller leaves, more vertical) looks great and seems to be bug-proof, but tastes meh. If you like fresh desserts on the veranda (vuhrandah since you are in Mass), try chocolate mint.
JPL
My calla lilies are blooming and so is my Easter lily. The Easter lily has been trying to bloom since December because of the warm weather. It got confused and died back but now has risen from the …. (never mind)
edit// I need more coffee because I was commenting to the wrong conversation..
OzarkHillbilly
If the rain holds out till evening, all will be well. Weeded a bunch yesterday (I can see my lettuce again) and got my spinach replanted. May be too warm for it but I have to try. Should be able to finish the weeding today and also get my anti bug flowers finally planted. Broccoli looks good and soon to harvest. Beans are all off and running (except for black beans….????). Corn is showing itself and I thinned them yesterday. Tomas all look good and I continue to battle with the flea beetles for my eggplants. Can’t say for certain if I am winning or not.
Been trying to trap a coon 2 days running but he is a real escape artist. Heard him trip the trap at 4 am with rustling afterwards for a good 15 mins and thought I had him this time. Nope. If I can’t catch him tonite I may have to shoot him. I hope not.
wvng
We’ve had an endless series of unseasonably cool plus some unseasonably hot with a never before seen late late hard freeze that our garden is mostly a mess. About to rip out the pathetic tomato and tomatillo plants and start over. Still getting some 50 degree nights.
Betty Cracker
My husband’s garden is producing astonishing numbers of peppers (primarily Jimmy Nardellos) and tomatoes. We also have a few eggplants that will be ready to pick this weekend, so it looks like I’ll be making my famous eggplant parm.
Shakezula
The rosebush loves the cooler than normal temps but it is nearing the end of its first bloom. The peonies bloomed for the first time this year and we put in an azalea and a hydrangea that are both doing well.
On the food front, we’ve given up on anything but herbs. Not only did a momma groundhog birth two pups under the house, but Sunday I noticed local fauna includes two of the biggest rabbits I have ever seen. The smaller of these bastards could kick Bigwig’s tail.
since this is OT I saw Mark Sanford and his new lady last night. Or rather, I saw an older couple and someone I was with said, Hey that’s …
Ben Cisco
OT, but another life has been sacrificed on the altar of FREEDUMB! – http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Police-Accidental-Shooting-Kills-Joshua-Teen-210210191.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DFWBrand
HinTN
The deer have become so numerous and so bold that after last year’s fiasco I decided to go with Zinnias and Mexican Sunflowers only and sowed the other patches in grass and wildflowers. Wildflowers have been splendid! Zinnias and Mex Sunflowers were planted yesterday. The locally grown shop is getting lots of business from us!
Chyron HR
@Ben Cisco:
It’s okay, I have it on good authority that girl was once filmed beating up a homeless person.
No, wait, this video just depicts a cat that appears to be frowning. My mistake.
jibeaux
Mine is underwhelming, the summer crops are not ready and the lettuces are wilty. Every day I check for ripe blueberries but they remain stubbornly green. The waaaaaaiiiiiiittting is the hardest part.
HelloRochester
My garden, so far, is slamming here in SE PA. Since last year’s tomato crop was such a bust, I decided to pepper them in different parts of the garden to randomize the “shit happens” factor of gardening. Smoke-bombed my groundhog last week, so cauliflower is coming back. Harvested broccoli every day this week so far. Fish are jumping and the beans are high. And the corn babies are filling me with great glad-ness- 2 blocks of a dozen dozen so far, 2 more going in the ground in the next 2 weeks. Zucchini, summer squash, chard, carrots, peas, cantaloupe, watermelon. My star pupil, though, is a grafted Black Krim tomato- I’ve tried 3 times to grow them from seed and haven’t gotten a single mature and edible specimen. Compost, people: use it.
Gary K
Well there’s your problem right there.
Josie
I have tomatoes, peppers, okra, basil and eggplant all producing in pots in the south Texas heat. I have a very small yard and hard dirt, so pots work better for me. Runner beans in hanging baskets have blooms but no beans yet. I am trying zucchini for the umpteenth time. My squash and zucchini always grow and look really pretty until the fruits start to form and then flop over and die one stem at a time, but hope springs eternal.
Violet
The gardenias have gone through their first bloom. My goodness, the front porch smelled heavenly when they were in full bloom! Tomatoes are almost done–stink bugs are out in force–but cantaloupe are coming on and we’re harvesting blackberries almost every day.
Had enough rain that the every other week lawn mowing may not be enough. Glad for the rain, but the grass is going crazy since I put compost down on it in March. One section I didn’t compost and the comparison is kind of amazing. The non-composted section is much less healthy than the rest of the yard.
gelfling545
My roses are blooming a treat. The two I had earmarked for removal due to non-performance are blooming madly. My daughter tilled up the patch that has been my vegetable bed & we’ve re-planted it with some of the more sun-tolerant hostas, daylilies, catmint & roses (none of which will require much attention, which is the goal here.) I finally found my Juliet tomatoes although I had to buy 6 and I only needed 2 at the most so I am finding homes for the other 4. I bought a new forsythia & a burning bush for cheap just because I have wanted them for a while. Now I have to decide where to put them.
I got my pots planted up over the weekend & they are looking nice. I’ve started adding some perennials to the large pots (hostas & some grasses) instead of the tender plants I usually use for height. We’ll see how that goes.
OzarkHillbilly
@Josie:
not saying this is your problem but squash bugs do that.
Persia
The good news is I finished my raised bed last night.
The bad news is I realized that, despite all my hard work, the bed (which is made of, er, ‘reclaimed’ brick) is not a perfect rectangle. I’m about half a brick short on one end.
I have to decide if I want to tear it all apart (and do the hours of work again) or just live with a slightly stupid-looking raised bed.
I have tomatoes, lettuce seeds ready to plant, and the plants to fill it. The question is do I go for the perfect or deal with the okay.
Violet
@gelfling545:
They heard your plans and are working hard to make sure you keep them!
@Persia:
I’d say just fill it in with some other brick or stone and go with it. Once the plants are in there you won’t be looking at the bed.
Joel (Macho Man Randy Savage)
Tomatoes in, copper on.
cleek
peas are fading. something got to them and they went sickly yellow. oh well-o.i got about 6 pods off them.
cukes are blooming, and have completely dominated the trellises i put them on, and are now about to get attached to the garden fence to keep them from overrunning everything else. one tomato plant is about 4′ tall, the other two are about 6″. the various chile peppers are growing nicely. various chards are rocking. brussels are growing. onions look good. rosemary and marigolds are happy as can be. all of this in a 5×5 box.
Persia
@Violet: Good point. And it’s all filled in, there’s just kind of a slope on one side because that side is longer than the other one. Oy.
YellowJournalism
@Ben Cisco: “No charges” against the 19-year-old man that killed a 13-year-old child. If he’d been driving a car, he’d be charged with some form of vehicular manslaughter. (Regardless of age of the driver or relationship to the passengers, charges would be filed!) There needs to be accountability for these “accidents” with deadly weapons.
HelloRochester
@Josie- floating row covers on the squash do wonders.
GregB
The pink rhododendrons are almost done with, laurel is about to pop. White rhodos on the hill are yet to go. Something is eating the hell out of my purple coneflowers.
The veggie garden is all in, lettuce is ready to eat.
I have a yew tree that I have to move from a shady spot so it will grow.
Big brush pile is all burned.
Community garden lot has been planted with lettuce, tomatoes, basil and radishes.
maya
@Persia: As the late Johnnie Cockran would say: “If it don’t fit, you must acquit.” Tear that sucker down immediately.
Here in NorCal, after 4 non fruiting years, will have a bountiful crop of Santa Rosa plums. Now searching for plum recipes and drying ideas. 7 Valley Girl tomato plants in and blooming – but will pinch back – started from last years seeds. Planted bottle brush in several dead spots along fence years ago and they are just swarming with wild honey bees. Love the buzzing sound when passing by.
Yatsuno
@Betty Cracker:
I’m flying down for dinner. :)
gelfling545
@Violet: Maybe I’ll try threatening them yearly.
Violet
@gelfling545: You never know. Might work. Doesn’t cost anything.
mainmati
Here in Silver Spring, MD, our Mediterranean perennial herbs have been able to overwinter in the ground for years now (rosemary, thyme, oregano). We also plant basill of various types. We plant 0ur 20′ x 20′ garden in rotations: cool weather plants (chard, fennel, peas, lettuce, strawberries) succeeded by usually 5 -6 varieties of chili peppers (Bhutanese, Egyptian, Anaheim, Poblano, Serrano and Jalapeno) and tomatoes (2-3 varieties) and sunflowers. We’re strictly organic growers so no chemicals. Our biggest pests, in any event are deer, which like Superman, can leap tall buildings (or tall fences) in a single bound. Grrr.
mainmati
@HinTN: Deer, at least in our area loove to eat sunflowers. Beware.
HinTN
@mainmati: Oh how well I know! They mowed down the regular ones just after they broke through the ground last year. But they completely ignored the Mexican Sunflowers right next to them, so I have hope.
Josie
@OzarkHillbilly: @HelloRochester:
Thanks for the tips on the squash. I will look into both squash bugs and row covers.
carolinadave
@OzarkHillbilly:
Flea Beatles are killing my egglpnat leaves! advice? Had to pull a dozen+ lettuce plants now that the 80s have returned for good in NC (I don’t love the 80’s, lived through them once, thanks)
But I did something new this year, I planted tomatoes right on top of the lettuce and now pulling the bolting lettuce thins out that area of the garden. And parsley loves living with tomatoes.
I’m still waiting for the first tomatoes and squah but it should be in 5-7 days. Lettuce rocked and the last varities of red green and arugula are still going.
carolinadave
also too, Swiss Chard and Kale had a good year. Broccoli and spinach went in too late (it was cold late into winter and spring here) and were low producers. I look forward to reviving both beds in the late summer for a fall crop.
Louisiana Liberal
The corn is about 8 feet high, butternut and New Zealand Blue pattypan squash is taking over the garden, cantaloupe is lousy with flowers but only a few fruits so far, cucumbers are starting to take off like crazy, peppers are still recovering from the weird frosts we got back around Easter, tomatoes are producing relatively well with the cherry ‘maters starting to ripen, eggplant has a few fruits, watermelon starting to threaten the squash for dominance, and beans are loaded with beany goodness. Going to spend the weekend putting in a 660 square foot paver stone patio…wish me luck! Oy my aching back….