Good Bye 2013

 I say  "Good Bye" to 2013 because it has not been a good year for me. I won't go into any details, please just take my word for it.

The reason I'm making this post is to say "THANK YOU"!

THANK YOU....to all my readers!  This blog has been the best part of this year. When I started this blog my first thought was "Why would anyone be interested in the gardening that I do in my yard?" I thought I would give it a try and see how it went. I found out that a least a few people were interested. And I'm having fun doing it. I love being a part of the on-line gardening community! I have had readers from around the globe....this surprised me very much. I appreciate all your comments....please keep them coming!

I think this blog will get better with time, but I could use your help. If you have any ideas for making it better, please let me know.

So here's to 2014! May it be a better gardening year for all of us!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 HAVE A SAFE NEW YEAR!


Soooo...... Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!

Seeds for Spring Garden

Hello folks!

Before Christmas,  I couldn't stand it any longer......I ordered seed for my 2014 garden. After extensively searching through their on-line catalog, I placed an order with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. They specialize in heirloom and open pollinated seed, specifically for the hot, humid climate of the southeastern states.

 

Here is a list of what I ordered.

• SPANISH BROCAD FRENCH MARIGOLDS
• MAMMOTH SUNFLOWERS
• GREEN POD RED SEED ASPARAGUS BEAN  (YARD LONG)
• DAIKON RADISH (MIYASHIGE WHITE)
• BLACK BEAUTY EGGPLANT
• JIMMY NARDELLO'S ITALIAN SWEET PEPPER
• ABRAHAM LINCOLN TOMATO
• TROPIC VFN TOMATO (Developed by the University of Florida)
• RIESENTRAUBE CHERRY TOMATO
• MATT'S WILD CHERRY TOMATO
• AMISH PASTE TOMATO
• ASIAN CUCUMBER (SUYO LONG)
• YELLOW CROOKNECK SQUASH
• SLO-BOLT LOOSE LEAF LETTUCE
• WILD GARDEN LETTUCE MIX
• HILL COUNTRY HEIRLOOM RED OKRA
• BUCKWHEAT (COVER CROP)
• CRIMSON CLOVER (COVER CROP)

As you can probably tell, I love growing tomatoes. I haven't ever grown any of these varieties, so this will be a year of experimenting to determine which will grow best in my area. After I find varieties that grow well and taste good, I plan on trying to cross breed some tomatoes and see if I can develop a tomato of my own.

 

A lot of these seed varieties were chosen because they are suppose to be able to take the heat or have good resistance to disease.

 

I'll be starting the tomatoes, pepper and eggplant inside in a few weeks so they will be ready for planting by March.

 

I CAN'T WAIT !!!

 

Also, a big "THANK YOU" to Southern Exposure Seed Exchange for their great, fast service.

They shipped out my order on Dec. 24th and I received it on the 26th.

 

 

Soooo......Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!

 

 

 

 

Free Manure

Hello folks!

This morning I was thinking about the fertility of my new beds and heating up my compost piles so that they would decompose faster.
I was thinking..."If I had some manure it sure would be useful." So I got on Craigslist and typed "Manure" into the search box. Up came an ad that read "Free Horse Manure." I called the number and talked to a gentleman named Mike. He said "Sure, come on out and I'll help you load it." So I did just that.

Here is what I came home with!

 

 

 

 

This is going to be very useful. It didn't have any straw or saw dust in it and he assured me that there were no herbicides in it. He used it on his own garden.

 

 

So I'm going to use my compost sieve to break it down into smaller pieces and apply a couple of inches to my new beds. It should be pretty well decomposed by spring planting time. Then I'll turn all of my compost piles and add some to get them heating up. I can also add so to my worm bin. Worms love horse poo!

 

I think this was a great find and I was invited to come get more anytime I need it! I am pretty excited about this. My house mate started laughing and said "It doesn't take much to make you happy, does it." I replied "I'm a simple man!"

 

 

 

 

Soooo......Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!

Christmas Eve 2013

Christmas Eve!   

What a wonderful, happy day! I hope y'all are doing well today.

Have you got all your shopping done?

Don't forget......Lets keep Christ in Christmas! After all, He is the reason for the season!

Now on to a little gardening.....I harvested my first bunch of Turnips today. WOOHOO!

 

They have grown very well. The largest are about 3 inches in diameter. I'll be preparing these for a Christmas feast! They smelled real good as I was cleaning them to prepare for cooking. I like to cook mine with some smoked ham hocks and a little red Pepper flakes. YUM YUM!

 

I've got enough planted for a few more bunches. Hopefully, I can use them all before freezing weather hits us.  I may have to cover them to prevent freeze damage.

 

Do you have a winter garden? If so, let me know what crops you're growing. I hope you are having good success with it.

 

 

Soooo...... Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING and MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS!

Back to Eden

Hello folks!  I have just watched an incredible film called Back to Eden. It is  about using wood chips to build your soil and to garden in. All gardeners, organic or not, should see this film. I'm seriously thinking of using this method for my future garden area.

Its 1 hour and 43 minutes long , but well worth watching! Try to find time to watch it and let me know what you think.

Click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page to watch the film.

 http://www.backtoedenfilm.com



Soooo......Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!

Digging New Beds 4

 Hello folks! I have finally finished my new garden beds.

This is a beautiful sight for me. It took a long time to get this done, but these will be permanent beds ...it will be worth all the work in the future. I didn't keep track of how many hours it took to complete, but I estimate around 50 hours.

As with the first bed, I still need to dig in some lime.... about 5 pounds per 100 square feet. I'm also adding about 10 pounds of coffee grounds to add some nitrogen. I'm thinking this will help speed up the decomposition of the leaves that I dug in to the bed.

The lime that I'm using is a new product from a company named Sunniland. It is a blend of calcitic lime and dolomite lime. It adds calcium and magnesium and helps raise the ph of our acidic soil. I haven't had the soil tested, but this area is known to have acidic soil. Hopefully it will help.


Soooo......Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!

Winter Gardening

Gardening slows down at this time of year, even in north Florida. I have my winter garden, but it doesn't require much work.....just a little weeding now and then, and harvesting every few weeks.

 It has grown very well. I harvested my first bunch of Collards on Thanksgiving (should have took a photo...didn't think about at the time).

 I'll harvest my first Turnip Greens for Christmas. I'll try to remember to get a photo when I do.

 

 

At this time of year I spend a lot of time going through seed catalogs, planning my spring garden and day dreaming about spring planting. I have high hopes and a lot of excitement about how my garden will turn out. (I do this every year)  I read a lot of gardening books and magazines for new ideas and inspiration.

I'll start Tomato plants inside next month, followed by Eggplant and sweet Peppers. Everything else will be direct seeded in the garden starting in March.

Recently, from you-tube, I have got new ideas about vermicomposting and something called wicking beds. I look forward to trying a wicking bed next year. That may be how I garden once I get too old for digging the earth. You can find a ton of information about wicking beds at "Rob Bob" on you-tube.

So if you aren't busy with your gardening at this time, enjoy the rest and relaxation. It won't be long before we will all be busy...busy ...busy with gardening activity! I don't know about you, but I can't wait!


Soooo...... Until next time......HAPPY GARDENING!