My Garden is Now Underway

Stairs of Beans.

In the foreground are Red & Green Bell Peppers.

Frames in front of the fence and still a lot of compost to haul.
Some of the flowers are planted and in the larger square ones, I planted Dill.

Last - I've started framing the area where the vegetable stand will go.

In this one, I planted Spahgetti Squash, and in the large one I planted Dill.

I'll post more pictures next week.

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Darrell

This message was edited Jul 3, 2005 12:22 PM

It's truly wonderful and I really enjoy seeing how it's progressing. You have done an amazing job Darrel. Ü

Todays pictures of the garden as it progresses.

This is the corn. Slow but sure.

Lettuce. I've already picked the bottom row once, and part of the second row once. I think it's time to pick again. I picked almost two, 5 gallon buckets full the first picking. Some of it though, was from thinning some of the other boxes.

The Spinach is finally beginning to grow a little. It sure is growing slow.

Tomatoes are coming along with lots of flowers now and a tomato growing here and there, about the size of a nickle.

Beans are still growing strong. I'm not sure how long it takes for beans to begin growing beans though. My, "Stairway of Beans".

Left to right....
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Summer Squash
Green Summer Squash

Edited to say, and a kitten. LOL

This message was edited Jul 13, 2005 9:40 AM

Oh, My! It looks so wonderful!

Your garden looks fabulous Darrell. Isn't it a nice time of year when you can really see the results of all the work put in. I had some problems with ants in my corn this year. I am hoping that they didn't do too much damage. Do you use pesticides and if not, what are you using for pest control?

I love the "Stairway of Beans". They make quite a lovely display actually. Good Luck the rest of the summer!

:Donna

Thanks darius.
Thanks Donna.

It does feel good to see the garden growing, Donna. There isn't much for me to do now but wait.

I don't know what to tell you about bugs and all. I don't have any. That doesn't mean I didn't have them or it doesn't mean I won't get them. I just don't have any right now. No, I don't use any pesticides. Although, someone told me I might have to break down and get something for the corn if I get an infestation of moths or some kind. "Whorles" in the leaves.

I did have some kind of mite in my Bell Peppers a while back. I used an empty Windex spray bottle, put some water in it and some, "Lemon Sented - Dollar Store Dish Soap" LOL, in it, and sprayed them for 3 consecutive days in the morning, and at night, I sprayed plain water on them.

According to things I've read about pepper plants and bugs, there is one thing they don't like, and that was soapy water and high humidity. So, by spraying them with soapy water, and keeping the little buggers wet/damp, it killed what ever was on my plants.

I was getting a bit nervous too. I had beautiful plants and then one day, out of the blue, the leaves started dropping off. At first I chaulked it up to, "well maybe that's what they do." But then it got worse and it was spreading from plant to plant. I looked them over carefully and didn't see anything. I then thought, "maybe it's to hot in here or it got too cold last night." (I had them in the seedhouse at that time).

Anyway..........to make a long story short---er? lol

I don't have bugs today. I won't use pesticides. I'd rather find something that I know isn't going to make me sick if I eat the stuff I grow.

Which reminds me....I have been using Epsom Salts on my lettuce and thought afterward. Uh Oh. But, it's ok. I'm no worse for the wear. LOL

Darrell, I just saw this thread, and after reading it all, I can say I'm truly impressed with your Garden. I especially like the bean stairs; they're a great idea for those of us who find bending challenging. And in one of your posts you mentioned growing spaghetti squash - I think that's my all-time favourite squash ever. I've known people to serve it up with tomato sauce, but I like it au naturale - what a wonderful, delicate flavour it has. And the texture is like nothing else. I can't wait to see how your corn and spinach turn out. And good for you for not using pesticides - only good can come out of that. I discovered a pesticide free method of getting rid of slugs this year - coffee grounds-doesn't matter if they're used or not. Keep up the good work!
Christine

Christine, how do you apply the coffee grounds? (Not meaning to hijack Darrell's thread)

Hi Darius. I sprinkled the coffee grounds on the soil in April. Since I don't drink caffienated coffee, I bought a huge can from Walmart, and used it "full strength".

Cool. I will have to get some coffee and try it. I live 15 feet from a rushing creek and the snails and slugs are plentiful.

There's a lot of "cures" out there for slugs, but most of them involve hunting the little cretins down or trapping them. Yuck! This is nice and clean, and your garden smells wonderful after it rains!!

Kinda like...It's Good To The Last Drop smell? LOL

Yup...lol.

Darrel your stairway of beans continues to amaze me. :) You done REAL GOOD!!!

Hey Darrell - You were on our schedule for our NB/PEI trip but now that I found your thread here we will move in!! LOL Hmmm, maybe not, you will put us to work for sure!

I am loving the stairway of beans, especially in light of certain events in our garden.
http://dg.davesgarden.com/forums/t/522566/

We are planning to be up your way towards the end of August.

-Kim

Darrell, your garden is coming along real great. All that work paying off. So disappointing to not get what you thought you planted though. Where did you get those Petunia seeds again? Have you contacted the supplier?

Darrell, I plant spinach/carrots and a pinch or so of lettuce just before snow flies. You get really early germination doing this. Plus, plant your garlic in the Fall, but check with others to see if you can plant elephant garlic before winter in zone 5a. Don't your bean stairs sry out quickly? Lots of watering or not? Thjey look great. Have never seen anything like them. What a TON of work to build them. they look wonderful.

Darius, do you have lily beetle in NC?
Inanda

Thanks again, everybody.

Inanda, I don't know much about garlic. Even though I use a lot of it, I don't know how to grow it. Wanna teach me? ;)

As for the Petunia's....Well, I'm learning. They are in the sun now. I fertilize them now. And I spray them from time to time with regular water. I never grew them from seed before. I had always bought them already in their pots. I don't think it was the seed, or the company.....I think it was my failure to really understand what to do with them.

I have found that when I receive seeds from people, I have no clue as to how to propigate them. Rather than be a pest to the person that sent them, I plant them the way I think they should be planted, and not necessarily as they should be planted. I'm learning. ;)

You can learn faster by looking them up in a germination guide. There have been links to a few of them this past spring, and I'm sure we can dig them up again. Most perennials grown here can be wintersown too.

The colours of your petunias won't change because of anything you did. Seed saved from cultivars of petunias eventually reverts to the wilder form, a smaller hot pinky type blossom. I like it, but that's not what you paid for.

Here's a link to "Starting Plants from Seeds". Hope it answers some questions for you. For me, starting plants from seeds is still a largely unnavigated puzzle...lol.

http://earthnotes.tripod.com/seeds.htm

Kim, your story was hilarious. I am sure it wasn't too pleasant for you at the time, but it had to be done. You are very brave, it is a feat I could not have accomplished. For certain, I would have been beanless and unhappy. Something to tell the Grandkids about. :)

Hey Donna, what did your Silver Wave seeds look like? and where did you get yours?

Hey Brenda, I got my Petunia Silver Tidal Wave seeds from Parks seeds. I remember the seeds were the tiniest seeds I had ever seen. But I was so pleased with them. I got approximately 12 seeds and had 100% germination. I got them late in the year (Mid April) and I had my first blooms in 9 weeks. Ended up getting 4 baskets from the one package. I will definitely buy from them again next year.

They're beautiful, Donna.

Even though I didn't do as well as you, I'm still going to go to them again. Everything I've gotten from Parks has been good.

Edited to say: Wow! What a great site. Thanks, ceedub!

This message was edited Jul 14, 2005 1:01 PM

Darrell you never did say where you got those petunia seeds, was it a trade?

Darrell got his seeds from Parks seeds too, Brenda. He's the one who put me onto them.

Thanks Flowergirl - didn't know I had it in me!

Darrell - Do you have a reliable amount of traffic on your road and will you put up signs for the farm stand?

-Kim

I've got too much traffic out here. Even though I live in the country, I'm on the main road that leads into one of the larger cities of New Brunswick. So, the 5 small towns to the south of me, have to drive by here to get to work or go to a grocery store or go to any of the Mall's, Dept. Stores, etc.

Signs? I don't know. I know I should have something out there, but I don't know what I'm going to do. I thought about getting some stencils and making a sign that says: "FESH VEGETABLES" Other than that, I'm still trying to come up with something.

Hi Darrell:

Holy Cow!! What a lot of work you've put into your garden. If you have spare time next winter, I know someone who would love to have some bean boxes and a step made for their garden (EG).

I wish I had bluekat here to deal with my squirrels and racoons - they're a bane in the city, many more than in the country - and they take my tomatoes (or just one bite out of each) before they are even ripe.

I was trapping the coons and taking them down to a nearby (but not *too* nearby) beach where there are lots of big trees, long grass, garbage cans and a chip truck.
Figured that might be heaven enough for a racoon that they would not wander back here. They make me despair of ever getting a tomato for myself, since I only have room for 4 plants. Even though I'm steaming at the time, it is kind of funny to see a squirrel run off with his teeth sunk into a tomato twice as big as his head.

Maybe this winter I'll try and construct a moveable cage with lumber scraps and chicken wire. I put chicken wire down on the roof garden last fall, and the squirrels that came to dig up the garden and 'plant' their nuts got all tangled in it - one lost his tail, even - and so they avoided it for months after I took the wire up this spring, so I even got most of the wild strawberries I had planted there for myself.

I have friends who live not far from you I think, near St Martin's, and have an exotic animal farm. If you need nice fresh - um - 'compost', I'm sure you could get lots there.

Anyway, I'm rambling. It's after midnight, I'm tired and hot - the basement is 88F with 79% humidity, and that's the coolest place in the house. I'd go out and sleep on the lawn, but this *is* downtown Toronto (G) and I'd probably get rousted by the cops, or shaken awake by a drunk looking for a cigarette or spare change.

Please keep the pics coming, I really enjoy them, though they do turn me the colour of your bean plants from envy . . .

P.S. does anyone know why I can't seem to get angle brackets to show up? Is this a DG wide thing? Thanks!
~marilyn

Donna,

Here are some of my Petunia's
Picture 1

Another one.

Another Petunia.

This message was edited Jul 21, 2005 9:47 AM

Did you say, "MORE" ? j/k