Video Overview of my Garden!

Welcome Wydawake2002! Thanks for following my blog!

My very first garden overview video!

Well, I have been inspired by EG and his garden videos... so I thought that I'd give video a try! My little Canon PowerShot s400 only allows me 3 minutes of video... so each segment is short... and hopefully... sweet!

Overview part 1 Overview part 2

What?? I counted up my tomato plants...

Oh my goodness...

I ordered 40 tomato cages and just used the last of them on my plants... but I was short cages...

So, I walked around my 336 sq' of SFGing wonder... and counted up all my plants...

I have 50 tomato plants!!!

Tomato heaven, here I come!

Strawberry, lettuce, radish Harvest!

I walked by the strawberry patch and noticed bunches of ripe strawberries! This is our first year to have such a grand harvest!

While I was picking... I had a little SURPRISE!!!

Out jumped a hoppy thing.. a Wyoming toad perhaps....

He jumped on my toe then out of the strawberry patch!

I'm so excited about my harvest today... because we're having a small family gathering... and I picked 2 heads of lettuce, 1/2

dozen or so icicle type radishes... and we have these delicious strawberries to enjoy!

Oh... we'll be enjoying grilled burgers... from the steer that our family raised!

Bolting...

My leaf lettuce, arugula, and spinach are all bolting now... However the baby Romaine seems to be doing fine!

Bush Beans... what's happening to the leaves?

Overall my SFG is doing very well! I'm having a ball watching all the plants grow. Seems like every day brings something new!

Bush Bean... trouble...

Then... I walked over to my bush bean 4x4 bed. I noticed some kind of leaf damage yesterday on some of the plants. It's happening to the leaves that are closest to the soil.

Mostly the bottom set of leaves are getting brown spots... then the leaves are turning yellowish... and dying... : (

Today, I'm concerned because it seems to be spreading.

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about... What the heck? I don't see any pests in that bed.

Any ideas on what I should do?

Supper time Update ...

OK... I did some research (what would we do without Google?) and I think that my problem has to do with my plants drying out a bit. We went from unusually moist/cool to our more typical... hot/dry weather. And I think that my beans just got dried out a bit!

Onions... need help!

EG, this is one of my little watermelon plants! It's my first time growing melons.So sad... the main stem on one of my Roma plants must have cracked off in a recent storm that included some pretty good wind. We'll see how it goes... I have 30 something more Romas so I'm not too worried...
Help!!! My onion patch doesn't look that good... some of the leaves are turning yellow. This is my first time growing onion sets... is that normal for the leaves to turn yellow? I did notice a flower blossom budding on one of the plants.
Another yummy harvest of lettuce greens. Some of my plants are starting to bolt..
Look at these beautiful radishes! Hubby got these to go with his lunch... and lots of lettuce on his ham sandwich!

My Popping Corn is sprouting!

Welcome Sue! Thanks for following my blog!

Pulled a few more radishes last night. My husband loves them!

As I walked around my garden last night... I got to my popping corn box... I almost missed them... there were SPROUTS! Yeah!

I've never grown popping corn... my boys (ages 15 & 11) are excited about it... we all love popcorn!

Looks like we're finally getting into some warmer weather... Can't wait to see my garden grow some more!!!!

EG said that he'll have corn soon... And Granny made this awesome stir fry with her garden veggies... Daphne pulled such yummy looking carrots the other day...

We're so far behind in the growing season here in northern Wyoming... it's fun to see what's coming as I read my gardening friends garden updates!

Whole garden photo update...

Rain!
Boy, the weather has been strange this spring/summer here in Wyoming! We've gotten so much rain!

It's raining tonight which is awesome because my beds were getting a bit dry.

Now, on average... our area gets 6" of moisture a year. We're in a high desert. I think that we've already gotten that 6" plus... The countryside is really getting green!

Loving SFG...

I am so enjoying my garden! I love to walk around my boxes and see the growth of my plants! I'm sooo happy that I decided to do Square Foot Gardening (SFG) this year! It sure was a LOT of work getting it set up... but I've pulled less than 40 weeds so far this season... and THAT is just incredible!!!

Whole Garden photo...

Here's the whole garden picture that I took this afternoon from a 2nd floor window.

I think that I can safely put away all my plastic sheeting now... although... typically we a 1 or 2 hail storms in June.

In the 2nd row (front to back) you can see my Wando Peas (a bush variety)... don't they look organized?

Yukon Golds... update

My Yukon Gold Potatoes are starting to flower. They're getting taller and the plants are filling out. If you look at the garden overview photo, my potato box is the 3rd one on the right... my onion box is just to the left of it there in the middle.

When are Potatoes Ripe?

I was just over to Skippy's Garden where Kathy has a great post on potatoes... "When are Potatoes Ripe." I found it to be very helpful! Thanks for that great post Kathy!

Click HERE for detailed information on growing Yukon Golds. I read that they're ready in about 90 days... so that would be August for me.

Sprouting...

-Carrots (a whole 4x4 bed!)

-Beets (4 squares)

-Radishes (too many squares to count!)

-Collards (2 squares)

I was so inspired by the beautiful Collards that so many of you are harvesting... that I planted 2 squares and they're sprouting up!

Harvest...

We continue to enjoy salad greens and some radishes... and a few onions that we plucked because I double planted a few squares.

Gardening Friends!

Love your comments! It's so much fun to read your garden blogs! I'm learning so much!

Cynthia's Mystery Squash... Revisited!

Here's Cynthia's photo of her Mystery Squash...

Sorry to take such a long time getting back to Cynthia's Mystery Squash!

On the day that I read your post, Cynthia, about the Mystery Squash... I happened to look down at my Hollyhocks growing right outside my front door.

Could it be??? Hollyhocks???

The leaves of your Mystery Squash sure look like the leaves on my Hollyhocks!

But I don't know.... so my best guess... is that your Mystery Squash is a Hollyhock plant! Guess it won't be long before we learn the truth... Can't wait!!!

More info on Hollyhocks can be found here.

No more Onions Aaron!

Welcome Red & Green! Thanks for following my blog!

Baby Romaine... looking good!
After I read Granny's blog post earlier today about all the stuff she was getting done... I thought that I'd better kick it in gear!

So... out to the garden this afternoon!

Popping Corn planted...

Finished filling my last 4x4 box and planted some hull-less popping corn! This should be a neat experience... never planted popping corn before... but my family LOVES popcorn!

Flower Boxes...

I have a few smaller boxes that I made up from scrap wood that I will use for flowers. I have Shasta Daisies and Black Eyed Susans sprouting in the inside greenhouse. It's really time to plant them! So will need to get a bit more soil mixed up.

Mel's Mix... My Mixing Station

Here's a photo of my Soil mixing station. I picked up the big red silicone (I think) buckets at Costco. I put my compost mixture in the wheel barrow, slice open a brick of Peat Moss, and dump about 1/3 bag of Vermiculite in one of the red buckets.

Then I dump a shovel full of each component into the middle red bucket... and... mix... mix... mix... then repeat until bucket is filled!

My Helper Today

My son Aaron, age 11, helped me today. I had to keep shooing him out of the onion bed!

Aaron planted 4 broccoli plants and 4 marigolds tonight. Broccoli is one of his favorite veggies... well... maybe 2nd to onions...

BUGS Update...

As I was watering my SFG, I found hoppers... GRASSHOPPERS... little ones... but I am concerned because last year we had hoppers really bad... they ate the folliage from my raspberry bushes! And munch on my Hollyhock leaves... bad... bad... hoppy bugs!

So I googled... and found out that Grasshoppers do not like Cilantro! So tonight I planted bunches of Cilantro in my beds! I went right down the middle of my 4x4 and 4x8 beds with it... running along one of string dividers. I love cilantro... so... it'll work for me!

And I read about putting a molasses/ water mixture in cups to catch them... so I added some cups of this stuff in some of my beds. I caught bunches and bunches of grasshoppers with this mixture last year.

Question...

Do you have a grasshopper solution?

Sunshine all day long... after a night of rain

Hi Ribbit! Thanks for following my blog! Great bug pictures today! That wasp does look kind of scary!
Here's a photo of the leaf lettuce, arugula, cilantro, basil, cilantro, and one little onion that I harvested for my birthday dinner at Mom's house.

Oh boy did it smell good... the basil... and cilantro... and arugula... pungent & spicy... this is soooo exciting!!!

Woke up to Rain this morning... YEAH!!!

Rain!
We are sooo blessed to have rain during the night! My garden is going to LOVE it!!!

Yesterday, I noticed blossoms and little peppers on my cherry pepper plant. Forgot to take a picture, but this is my lettuce bed!

Lettuce Harvest

Today, we're celebrating my birthday with a dinner at Mom's. I'm going harvest a bunch of this lettuce to share. Should be yummy!

We've especially been enjoying the arugula! So spicey... yummy! Didn't plant enough of it!!! Got more in the works though...

Building beds... Filling beds

I'm done building beds... ran out of stuff to fill my popping corn bed... it needs a bit more... will get more supplies on Monday. I also have a few smaller boxes to fill for flowers and a zucchini plant.

I'm am soo loving walking around my garden... watching everything grow!

I built 2 trellises today!

Welcome GrafixMuse! Thanks for following my blog! I love the state of Maine!

I kept looking at my indeterminate tomato plants... and thinking that I'd better get my trellises built!

So today... I built 2!

The hardest part was using the pipe cutter.

But I kept at it till the galvanized pipe came apart!

Had to bang 24" rebar into the ground in the front of the bed... luckily the ground was softened up by the recent moisture... cause this Wyoming ground is HARD stuff!

To build the trellises, I just followed Mel's instructions.

Cynthia's Mystery Squash...

I've been so enjoying reading the blogs of my new gardening friends!!!

Cynthia's been wondering what kind of volunteer plant she has growing... Pop on over there and look at the photo of her Mystery Squash.

Does it look anything like this?

I'll do a follow-up post after I read your comments...

If you think they look alike... then... I know what it is!!!!

Tomato Blossoms!

Welcome to Just Jenn, Dan, and Cynthia! Thanks for following my blog!

Garden photos taken by my son Aaron (age 11). Do you see the blossom on the tomato plant in the middle? Yeah!

Finally finished filling my last 4x8 box the other day thanks to the help from my 15 year old son, Matthew! I mixed... he filled...

Now... I want another 4x4 for the Japanese hull-less popping corn! I'd better get right after it because this corn takes 83 days to mature... that would be the END of August! Wow... Bought the 2x6 lumber today! Will need more Vermiculite... I think...

So.. in my new 4x8 box, Aaron (my 11 year old) and I planted:

-4 sweet yellow banana peppers plants (cause you have to buy them in a 4-pack...)

-4 jalapeno plants (Matthew, my 15 year old actually wanted Habanero Peppers, but they were all sold out)

-2 more squares of Radishes

-2 more squares of beets (can't wait for beet greens!)

-2 more squares of baby Romaine

-2 squares of Mesclun lettuce Mix (love this stuff!)

Aaron has surgery tomorrow... so I'll call this a GREAT DAY and sign off for now!

I picked...

I am sooooo excited! My pre-teen son, Aaron, & I were uncovering the garden this morning... when... he spotted some Radishes that needed to be picked!

So we pulled 1/2 dozen or so radishes... (then replanted more together!!!)

We cut some lettuce leafs... and some spinach... and some arugula.

Aaron loves to eat it all!

So we had greens to go in sandwiches for lunch with radishes to much on too!

Another Garden Giggle...

The other day Aaron came up to help me work in the garden. When I got near him... I could smell this strong... pungent odor... "Aaron, have you been eating chives?" YES!

Well, they were very fragrant!

Another cold night... one more 4x8 box filled...

I'm done filling another 4x8 box with Mel's Mix! Just got it done before darkness set in...

Tomorrow I will plant the rest of my Romas!!! They will be so excited to get out of their cardboard box!

Covered up my precious plants... The next fews days/nights will be on the cooler side. Tonight is supposed to get down to 42 degrees... so I covered up most of my beds.... just to be safe...

I have to take a picture of my garden all covered up from the 2nd floor window... tomorrow! You've got to see how cool it looks!

I put down cardboard in the isles that are missing mulch. The mud was just awful!

We all have them...

Now... we all have them...

They have beautiful, happy yellow faces protruding from lush green lawns... and strawberry patches... and ??? You probably curse their little propeller seeds as they blow into your well manicured, weed-free lawn from your neighbor's place...

LOL!

Susan has a wonderful entry about preparing and eating Dandelion greens... so... if the thought has ever crossed your mind... Dandelions

My first little radish, view of the whole garden

My first little Radish... it's so exciting!

Here it is... my very first itty bitty radish... plucked a little early... just to see...

I've squeezed radishes in all over my garden because my husband LOVES THEM!

So.. I've planted them around the outer edges of my 4x4 filled with corn... and in the squares surrounding my giant pumpkin plant... and wherever there's an empty spot!

Shivery... cold..

It's been cold here during the night... in the 30's & low 40's... so I've covered most of my beds. Looks like a pretty serious operation here...

View of the whole garden

From the 2nd floor window of our new home that we're NOT living in yet...

(more about that here: my house building blog),

I took a picture of the whole garden. Keep in mind that this is new construction... NO landscaping has been done!

Featuring...

10 - 4x4 raised beds

5 - 4x8 raised beds

Eventually, I have have landscape fabric isles covered with cedar mulch...

Crazy Wyoming Women utilizes 320 sq' in her SFG

Yes, I am a bit... well... ambitious! I've thrown myself with great excitement and anticipation... and sometimes exhaustion... into creating a Square Foot Garden!

The promise of practically NO weeds spurs me on!!! Weeds just take over here!

And dreams of jars of green beans, peas, corn, and tomato sauce lining my food storage shelves... to be enjoyed after the growing season.

So, on faith... I've built 10 4x4 raised beds... and 5 4x8 raised beds... that's 320 square feet of precious, weed-free garden... and I have a few 2x2 beds that will be used for flowers.

Weed count: 16 (isn't that something???)

PS... 2-4x8 beds still to be filled with Mel's Mix... this week!

Happy Gardening!

The cold nights return

It's 40 degrees now at 11pm... so just in case, I covered all my precious babies... I mean plants!

My garden looks like quite a serious operation!

Got another 4x8 bed filled and planted!

Yeah... filled another 4x8 bed today... and got it all planted with Roma tomatoes, watermelon, and cantaloupe! That's 3 down... and 2 to go!!!

I'm really happy to be making some good progress!

I decided NOT to give my (30 something) Roma 9 sq' each... just don't have enough room.

Next year...

I hope to plant all Heirloom indeterminate paste tomatoes... will need to do some research... but that way I can trellis them and keep each plant to 1 square' each.

Question...

Do you have a favorite heirloom, indeterminate, paste tomato?

We're receiving some more glorious rain today... and looks like for the next couple days!

Wait... what is that?

Wait.. what is that bright spot in the sky?

Quick... better get out the door and start mix... mixing my Mel's Mix for 4x8 boxes 2, 3, & 4!

Would be so great if I could get my remaining boxes filled.. and my bunches of Romas planted... cause Friday and Saturday are supposed to be rainy days!

More later! Have a great day! Happy Gardening!

Garden Giggles...

So... it was just the other day... and it was rainy and muddy... and I was working in the garden ('cause those darn boxes have GOT TO get filled... or else...)

When I looked at the time... shoot... got to get pre-teen son into the truck... and carpool the neighborhood kids to Art Camp. By the way... where is pre-teen boy???? Hmmm...

I rush home... muddy pants... muddy shirt... wash my hands quick... change my shirt... tracked down pre-teen boy (found at park)... and we're off to pick up neighborhood kids for Art Camp!

Well gosh.. I drop them off... talk to the teacher... then get in the truck... and just happen... to look at myself in the mirror (sorry... didn't take a pic!)!

Mud... smeared across half of my face! (Are you laughing? Cause I am!!!)

And I was wondering why the kids were so quiet the whole way!!!! LOL!!!

Got 1 4x8 box filled, 3 more to go!

I'm keeping at it... even if it is raining. Got to get hose remaining boxes filled!!!

I'm truly happy to report that I got one 4x8 box filled today...

I even started to put in my string grids when I realized that somehow I had my markings spaced out incorrectly... well... they were all cockeyed... so as the sun was setting... I gave up... till tomorrow.

The sun came out from behind the thick clouds just as it was setting. The sunset was incredible! Look at the purple and pinks over the Pryor Mountains!

Even the moon was out brightly tonight!

Day 2 of this awesome gentle rain...

Day 2 of this wonderful, gentle rain!

You've got to understand here... this is dry Wyoming... high desert country... where our average rain fall is a mere 6"/year... So.. a celebration is in order!

Kind of reminds me of not so long ago when I was living in Massachusetts... green... lush... and days... weeks... of rain!

It's like I'm able to see my plants grow... right before my eyes!

Look how my onions are coming up!

And my strawberry patch has blossoms all over! I planted this patch about 3 years ago. I believe that we'll have a bumper crop this year... I can just taste the strawberry jam now!

I'm hoping to get out in the rain & mud again today to continue filling my 4x8 boxes!

I'm soaked and muddy...

Here I am in my favorite, most comfortable shoes... my Keen sandals... all covered in mud!

Got my 8" deep carrot box filled

with Mel's Mix and with Carrots! Yeah!!! I planted a variety that gets about 5"

long.

Also got about 1/2

of one of my 4x8 boxes filled!!! Making good progress here!

Look... a blossom on one of tomato plants! Whooo hooo!!!!

Waiting... ever so patiently to be "grounded" are my 30 Roma Tomato plants.