Thank you Mother Nature...

Another night of glorious rain!!!  Thank you Mother Nature for watering my garden!
No new photos today... hasn't change much!

OK, if you live in an area that gets rain regularly... you probably think that I'm crazy making that comment!  But... we live in the high desert Wyoming plains where 6" of moisture is about all we normally get... for the year!

Actually, it's kind of amazing what we can get to grow here... in the desert!

We are so totally blessed to have irrigation water!

If you visit Wyoming in the months of about October thru early April, you will be greeted by various shades of beige... beige beige beige... Being a transplanted New Englander... this color gets old fast!!!!

But all that changes with our Spring rains and our irrigation water!  The desert blossoms... and once beige fields turn a luscious green color!  The contrast is very beautiful actually!  Beige & Green!

Here's a photo of one of my favorite places! This is my "backyard" playground!  I hike & kayak here.

Gardening 2015!

Greetings from beautiful Wyoming!!!!

I got a lot of planting done on Memorial Day!

Into my Square Foot Garden:
40 Tomato, mostly Roma... but a few Cherokee too.
36 Pepper Plants, Jalapeño, Habanero, Bell
8 Kale
4 Eggplant

Recently, I've also planted:
20 squares of Royal Burgundy Beans

Because root vegetables do so well here, we decided to dig up the ground, amend it a bit with compost, and plant a bunch of Potatoes!

Next up... Radishes & Greens!

Potato Garden

Brilliant Irrigation!

A friend posted a link for this site on Facebook... What grabbed my attention was the brilliant irrigation system!

We live in the high desert of northern Wyoming where garden irrigation is a challenge.  I've been struggling with it for years!  I love square foot gardening... but my boxes tend to dry out rather quickly.

I just had to share this brilliant system with you!  We've got to give it a try this coming season!
http://gardeninminutes.com/shop/garden-grids/4x4-garden-grid-watering-system/

Potatoes in Feed Bags

I had a few empty feed bags hanging around... so I decided that I'd try growing potatoes in them!

2014... waiting for Spring!

Been a long hard winter here in northern Wyoming!  We had weeks of subzero weather.  I was so cold that I was about ready to fly south!!!

I've been spending a bit of time cleaning and prepping the garden.  I left the corn stalks in all winter... got to get those all pulled up!

I was to the co-op the other day and I just COULD NOT resist buying some seeds!
Radish, Crimson Giant (Olds Seeds)
Parsnip, Javelin Hybrid (Olds Seeds)
Lettuce, Oakleaf (Olds Seeds)
Eggplant, Chinese Long Purple (Olds Seeds)
Snap Pea, Super Sugar Snap (Olds Seeds)
Garden Pea, Little Marvel (Olds Seeds)

I'm going to cover my garden beds with black plastic to help the soil warm up.  And I'm thinking of creating hoop house covers for some of my beds.

Will post a picture later!

Your gardening friend in northern Wyoming (zone 4), Toni

Mandan Corn

I planted it just a few days ago... And it's beginning to sprout!  Yay!

Painted Indian Corn

My son created a small traditional garden space for me and fenced it in to keep our ducks out.  I originally thought that I'd plant potatoes in this new garden...

But then I started thinking about growing corn!

A few years ago, I purchased and planted some Indian Corn.  The ears are so pretty!  They're multi-colored or "painted".  I didn't have a large crop from my first planting but kept the ears and dried the corn.

I was trying to remember the specific name of this Indian Corn... so I went to google for help.  While searching I found Painted Mountain Corn!  It's a beautiful painted corn developed to grow in high altitudes, poor soil, thru harsh weather like wind, hail, and drought.  So... I ordered some!!!

As I continued reading about this Painted Mountain Corn, I came across the name of the Indian Corn!  It's called Mandan Indian Corn!

So... I'm getting this seed in the ground LATE!  It matures in 90 days, which translates into 9/20!  I'm hoping the weather stays nice thru the end of September!

I will consider this year's Painted Mountain Corn crop, an experiment!  

I have a large pasture south of the house and would consider planting a significant crop of Painted Mountain Corn (oh my gosh... I'm turning into a farmer!), if this experimental crop works out for me!

Goal: Grow my own corn feed for my Ducks!  

2013 Garden beginnings...

After a burst of warmth late May followed by a shocking cold, windy, stormy "with hail" beginning of June...

I finally got my tomato and pepper plants in the ground on June 8th!

Now... I'm working on getting my soaker hoses all spread out just right! :)

Only a few lettuce leaves left...

We had a fantastic crop of tomatoes!  I've been busy making tomato sauce and salsa... then canning it all up!

Last week our weather turned from the high 70s to low 40s... over night.  Followed by a killing frost of several nights in the low 20s.

Luckily, we were able to pick everything before the killing frost.

I have tons of tomatoes in various stages of ripening!!!!

And Green Beans to snap and can.

And oh so many Peppers...

Square Foot Garden & Duck Update 6/28/12

The garden is looking good!  I've been mulching with untreated grass clippings and that seems to help retain moisture.  It's so dry here in northern Wyoming!  I have to water often!!!

We bought a a dripline irrigation starter kit by Rain Bird recently, but haven't had a chance to install it.

My Khaki Campbell ducks are 2 months old now!  They're getting pretty big!  The 8 of them run around in a group.   Near the end of August, they should begin laying eggs!

My 2 Muscovy Hens are setting.  I expect little fluff balls in about 2 weeks!  This will be their 2nd clutch.  I understand that they lay about 3 clutches a year.  Here's a picture of Mama Black Hen on her first clutch.

Garden Update 6/9/12

Finally... finished topping off my boxes with soil!  Been working on it for the past couple weeks. 

Don't be alarmed!  The gardening season has just barely started here in northern Wyoming!

Growing in the garden now: bunches of tomato plants (must count them!),  a whole 4x8 bed filled with various Pepper plants, Kale, Celery (first time), Lettuce, Broccoli, Eggplant, Onions, Garlic... and in pots lots of herbs like cilantro, dill, oregano, lemon oregano (oh my gosh does this stuff smell good!). 

Seeded but not sprouted yet: Royal Burgundy Beans, Pinto Beans, Cucumbers, Dino Kale, Radishes, Chioggia Beets...

Flowering: My tomato plants have finally gotten over transplant shock and are now putting on flowers!   My Pepper plants are so tiny, and yet, they're flowering too!

Ducks:  Did I tell you that I added Khaki Campbell ducks to my flock?  I decided to get some of this breed because they lay a lot of eggs... it's the "chicken" duck!  I have 8 of them!  They are about 5 weeks old now and have just started quacking. 

This is what I want to do with my raised beds!!! 

It will protect my tender tomato and pepper plants from the spring winds and coolish temperatures!

Tomato Plants, Ducks, and Grasshoppers...

Bought a nice assortment of tomato plants at the greenhouse including Amish Paste, Orange Wellington, Margherita, and Sun Gold (4 of each).

I planted this yummy variety in one of my 4x4 beds.

Because the nights have been on the cool side here in northern Wyoming, I covered my 4x4 Tomato bed with plastic, creating a mini greenhouse.

Tomato greenhouse over my 4x4 SFG

I got 8 Khaki Campbell ducklings!!!   They are the cutest little guys!!!!   Their fur takes on a yellowish glow in the sunlight.  They have more than doubled in size and are about 2 weeks old now.

After struggling to find a box big enough to keep them in over night, I decided to keep them in their enclosure outside for the night.  I took apart my brand new seed starting system that came with a heat mat... and placed it in an old cooler which I set on it's side.  Then covered the whole straw bale enclosure with a heavy blanket.

This morning my ducklings were all snuggled inside their heated cooler container!

Khaki Campbell ducklings, 2 weeks old

Khaki Campbell ducklings

Khaki Campbell ducklings, 2 weeks old

I am finding grasshopper nymphs around all ready!!!!  GRASSHOPPERS... it's going to be another bad year here in northern Wyoming!!!

Grasshoppers are the whole reason why I got ducks last Spring!!!  PS... My Muscovy Ducks will have ducklings soon!

Ducks are my organic solution to grasshoppers.  Out here... you've got to do something... or they will eat everything!!!!

Khaki Campbell ducklings less than a week old

Getting bigger!

I dropped by the co-op for their customer appreciation day while passing through town last week.  Lots of folks were looking at the baby chicks and ducklings.

Before I knew what was happening... I was handed a "take home" box and began filling it with all the Khaki Campbell ducklings, all 8 of them.

Then I found myself at the checkout...

I guess that I couldn't help myself!  LOL!

Onions, Garlic, and Lettuce planted

Planted a bunch more onion sets, some garlic, and lettuce last night.

I'm still cleaning beds and adding more soil.

Potatoes, some thoughts about growing...

So this year I really want to grow potatoes!

Maybe a couple different varieties including Yukon Gold, Red... it would be cool to do a purple variety too!

I saw that Lowes had these cool Potato Growing Bags with a velcro flap at the bottom for harvesting!

After watching this video on How to Grow Potatoes, I got to thinking about the Feed Bags that I've been saving.  You know... the bags that the Cat Food/Duck Feed come in... they're made of kind of a poly fiber mesh.

Why not use these Feed Bags to grow potatoes!  It solves my garden space shortage dilemma...  I'm thinking that I may give this a try, that is, if my hubby hasn't thrown out my bag collection!!!!

Seed Starts...

Spring is on it's way to Northern Wyoming, I know it is!!!  We have more daylight and warmer temperatures finally!

So, I've started some seeds!
-Tomatoes
-Peppers
-Lettuce
-Spinach
-Swiss Chard
-Kale

So far!

I can't wait for the seeds to begin sprouting!!!!

Slowly clearing out garden beds...

I broke my shoulder last October when it was time to clear out my garden beds... so here it is almost Spring... and I'm finally feeling up to the task.  Yes, I'm getting to it!!!

Spring seems to have sprung (at least for now!) in Northern Wyoming!  Our days are lengthening and the sun feels warmer!

So, I only have 4 raised beds left to clear out!!!  When I'm done with that, I'll start mixing filling the beds back up with more soil mixture.

Oh!!!  I'm trying something new in my soil mix this year!!!  Coconut Fibers!!!  I bought a big bale of it at the Home & Garden show this weekend.  It's going to help retain moisture in my beds!

Seeds Purchased so far...

Royal Burgundy bush beans (grew these in 2010... such a pretty bean!)
Red Salad Bowl Lettuce
Henderson's Bush Lima Beans
Bloomsdale Savory Spinach
Extra Early Sparkler Radish (a favorite from last year!)

Still Winter in Wyoming...

Here in northern Wyoming, it's still winter!  It's been a pretty mild winter for the most part though... in hind sight... wish that I had done my  little winter cold frame project this year!  I could have grown greens all winter long!

Gosh... I am behind.  Don't have any seeds ordered yet!

This winter photo is from a few years ago.