Something New

I have been gifted with 20 asparagus plants. Of course, they arrived mid-December with the recommendation that they be planted right away. Attempting to over-winter the pots was not advised. Fortunately, the strangest year of weather on record is continuing, and the ground is still soft. (Note the green grass!) Planting them in a two-foot deep trench during the week before Christmas, however, required some assistance from my able lawn care guys. Thank goodness for able lawn care guys looking for a little extra work when the grass isn't really growing and there is no snow to be plowed!

So,  here it is, two-feet deep, 20 feet long, 20 asparagus plants settling in for a long winter's nap. I will go back and add some compost and mulch one day soon. And in the spring, there will be fresh asparagus! Please tell me that deer do not like asparagus?

How Much Rain Can One Yard Take?

It is December 5. The grass is green. Beautiful green. In Zone 6. Knock outs are blooming. Lettuce and radishes are still producing. The lawn is a swamp. Sadly, the hard work (not cheap) done around the house this year to keep the basement dry is no longer keeping the water out. Hopefully the dehumidifier will run through the night without freezing up. Sigh. I am starting to worry about the large trees around the house not being able to hold themselves up in the wet, wet, wet, ground.

We are nine inches over the previous record annual rainfall as of December 1, as the National Weather Service reports.

Thought for the Day

I recently came across this quote from David Mamet:

"Anyone ever lost in the wild knows that Nature wants you dead."

He was speaking in reference to the idea that anything "natural" must be "good" or "better." Of course, the ongoing struggle of humankind is to protect ourselves from nature. We need shelter from the elements. From the moment we are born. Fortunately, our parents intervene!

Someone works to nurture and harvest our food, even if we don't do it ourselves. I know I couldn't live on what I am able to grow in any given year. Especially since I am also feeding "nature" in the form of squirrels, rabbits, assorted bugs, raccoons, and, of course, DEER. We need water, even during a drought. Nature doesn't drop these things on us in ideal quantities in an ideal timeline.

Then, of course, there are the direct attempts of nature to kill us. Things like hungry bears. Tornadoes. Disease-carrying mosquitos. Ice storms.

Can we go "back to nature" or is it simply out to get us? Even if we weren't trashing the environment, complete harmony would be impossible. We can't live without nature. And we can't leave no impacts. But we can do better.

Of course, Mamet personifies Nature for stylistic effect. Still, at the root of it, Nature doesn't care for us. We give to it and take from it. We cause more or less disruption and harm. We have a choice. Nature doesn't.

Fall Color 2011

Leaves are falling fast around here. My oaks that usually hang onto their leaves until after Christmas are blanketing the driveway rather thickly. Another oddity in a year of wild weather. Meanwhile, lots of pretty fall leaves on the other trees. And on the ground.


Sweet gums and maples




Sweet gum



Blueberry

Crepe myrtle



Hazelnut bushes




Oak leaves still hanging on



Sweet gum and maple leaves on the grass



Planning for Next Season

First, there is the fall planting. Lettuce and radishes, cool weather crops. Planted Saturday, sprouting where the earlier same crops were as well as where the green and yellow beans were.

What worked this year, what didn't?

Well, the rhubarb tanked. Again. Too much early rain, rain, rain. At least it didn't bolt from early heat this year. Ack. About half the plants are looking okay at this point, the rest appear gone. I guess I'll see in the spring. Meanwhile, the horseradish continues perfectly content no matter what the weather throws at it. The peas I hoped would shade the rhurbarb a bit came in too late. My fault, should  have planted earlier. Next year. The peas were so yummy, just not very many of them! Mostly they didn't make it into the house. The weather didn't help, along with my lateness in planting. Didn't find out until too late that I should have planted them on St. Patrick's Day or thereabouts!

I will plant more patty pan squash. They did very well, and were quite good. I'm glad I picked them small, per the package directions again, as mine were so much better than the one I got from the CSA that had a terribly tough shell. Almost like a butternut.

Carrots did okay, but had that funny bitterness some carrots have. Not sure how to deal with that. I may do some research over the winter for a possible soil amendment. The plants just looked so healthy.
 
Tomatoes did not do well this year. The weather totally did not cooperate. A good crop of grape tomatoes, a few of each of the other varieties planted. Lots of green ones still on the vine, which may ripen if it ever stops raining. Again. Green tomato pickles for everyone this Christmas. Yumm-o!
 
Green and yellow beans did okay. I needed to put in a bit more effort in training them to the tower, maybe. They were delicious, so I will try again.
 
Lettuce did fine, as always. I also planted this too late. Well, only too late in that there was plenty from the CSA at the same time. There is only so much lettuce a girl can eat and drop off on the porches of her friends and family. The radishes did okay, too. I should have thinned them, though. They didn't really grow to any size. I hate thinning, but I will do it next year. I will.
 
Zucchini did fine. Dependable! It could have used a bit more room. I no longer believe there is such a thing as "container-size." It's a myth. But, with the stuffed zucchini and zucchini-crust pizza recipes now tried-and-true, along with zucchini bread and chocolate zucchini cake/muffins, why not plant it again?
 
Swiss chard did pretty well in the big pot. A big water hog, I often came home to find it wilting, but it always perked right back up. And grew back after each harvest. Good stuff.
 
Basil seems to really prefer the bigger container. I'm okay with that. Next year, no little baskets of basil. I think I'll just put marigolds in them to hang above the veggies. Dill is happy in the little baskets. Happy, happy! Parsley, cilantro, and mint in big pots, too. I had to plant new mint this year. It didn't come back like it always had before. I think the winter was rough on it. And the pot crumbled this spring. New plants, new pot, hopefully it will do okay through this winter. Maybe I'll put it in the shed with the jasmine.
 
The rosemary is doing fine in its pot from last year after spending the winter in the mud room. Smells great, likes to be watered every time you walk by.
 
The raspberries did okay, but not great. But they're still babies, really. The blueberries did nothing. The plants look terrible right now. We'll see what they do next year. No point in pulling them out, it's not like they're in the way!
 
One apple this year. Seriously. One teeny tiny apple. None on the neighbor's tree either. I know there were a few munched by the squirrels and deer, and several by assorted bugs, but this was a really bad year for the apples. Oh well. Next year I will spray. And maybe the weather will cooperate a bit more!
 
The bell peppers did not work. I got a couple itty bitty green ones that fell to the ground. I don't like green peppers. They were supposed to get red. I might try again. Or not. We'll see. Maybe in pots. Sigh. The jalepenos did okay. They got red.
 
The cow peas did great. I picked them once they'd dried on the vine. Cooked them up with some Indian spices. Yummy. Still a few more coming. Essentially they are black-eyed peas. I still don't remember where the seeds came from. Go figure. They just grow over and on everything in their path. I'm not sure where I'll put them next year, but I'll probably plant them again. If I find some seeds!
 
I think that's it. The herb garden is settling into its new grade. So far, so good. So far, no water in the basement since the work was completed.
 
It's okay to be planning for next year already, isn't it?

Watermelon!

Lots of little watermelons formed on the vines, but only a couple made it to harvest. Some eaten by critters, some by bugs, some just seemed to implode. This summer was just so wet. After three years of drought! I think they needed a little more room to themselves, too. Next year.

Meanwhile, the two I have eaten were delicious. Lots of seeds, but so sweet and tasty. They are definitely "personal" melons, even smaller than those minis at the grocery store. The seed packet said to harvest at about 6 inches in diameter, and that is about what you see here. Definitely will plant them again next year. Yummy, yummy.

Oh yeah, I didn't share this one, either.

Tiny Watermelon

Finally tried a watermelon from my garden. It was small -- a Sugar Baby -- to be picked at about 6 inches diameter. It was about that. Beautiful dark green. Hanging from the fence, so no bottom blemish. I did not take a picture, I just cut it in half and scarfed it down. Perfectly sweet, deep red inside. I'm so used to having cold watermelon from the refrigerator, the slight warmth almost startled me. It was so good. There are a few more on the vine; I hope they ripen... Then maybe I'll share... Maybe...

Zucchini Hegemony

I think I know why zucchini are so prolific. Nothing else wants to eat them. The critters of the habitat and beyond will push through the scratchy zucchini leaves and stems to get to anything else in the garden.

And, of course, they are sneaky. Can you see both zucchini in this picture?




Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare zucchini for your dining pleasure. Tonight, I had fresh picked zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with feta cheese, sliced kalamata olives, panko, salt & pepper. Yummy :) It was a small zuke. I ate it all. By myself.

New Bed

15 or so inches of rain for the year so far, and the ground is still hard to dig. I did put in a couple smaller perennials, but I just couldn't see getting the rest of these projects done anytime soon. So, bring on the guys from Springdale Lawn Care to help! One new bed for the lilac my neighbor started from her own and gave to me and the two latest Arbor Day hazelnuts, plus two improved beds for the rest of the hazelnuts and the weeping pussywillow and friends. Aren't they pretty? Worth every penny!

The Visitors

She's bringing the babies now. Argh!

Note that these pictures were taken in broad daylight, early afternoon. A light rain still falling after a morning downpour. The little ones never made it over the fence into my yard. I don't know whether that was due to my arrival or whether it was momma deer's plan. The momma has left a fawn in my yard before while she roamed on, so who knows.

Yes, they are darned cute, but I know the destroyers they will grow up to be...


Oh, and when they start coming TOWARD you instead of running away, it is not a good feeling...

Bean Flowers

Aren't they cute?











Can't wait for the actual beans :)





Perhaps I can cook them up with some thyme or some cilantro...

Sweet Days of Summer?

Well, the jasmine IS in bloom.




Along with most everything else. Like the dianthus, oak leaf hydrangea, hostas, astillbes, a lily, and plenty more not pictured.

And it is 95 degrees.




Of course, my personal favorite is the marigolds blooming in a crack in the driveway alongside some leaf lettuce. Volunteers, all. Go figure.

Hoses are Out

It is 9:20 at night and 84 degrees (Weather Channel says it feels like 87). That is down from a high in the mid-90s. The rain seems to be on a much-appreciated break, but it does mean that the raised beds, containers, and recent plantings must now be watered by me. For the next 10 days! Sigh. This morning, I drained the rain barrel watering the vegetable gardens and containers. Tonight, I hooked up the hoses. Oh, and it is still May. For at least a few more hours.

Why Grow Veggies?

I was telling my niece about all the vegetables I had just planted in my gardens, and she said "you are trying to be eco-friendly by growing your own produce." I kid you not. She is 10.

It got me to thinking, though, about all the many reasons why. And why did I buy a house on an acre lot? Yes, I want to be eco-friendly! But, I have other reasons. I never cease being amazed by God's creation, watching the plants grow, and, yes, the deer and other critters wreaking havoc on them. (I just wish they'd leave a bit more for me.) Nothing beats the taste of something just-picked. Some things don't make it into the house. I love the smell of the earth. And, the act of planting and harvesting ties me to my parents and grandparents and the memories of working and playing in their gardens when I was little. So, with a whole acre of my own, I can plant whatever I want! Flowers and veggies and trees galore! And then, during the drought periods, I can water for hours on end. (It is relaxing for the first hour or so. Really.)


So, here is this year's raised bed, breaking through. Lettuces in the front, radishes to the left, beans (yellow and green) in the middle, corn salad and zucchini on the right, tomatoes across the back. And, the garden tiki standing guard over the sprouting. Beans are new to me this year. But, I could not resist the "bean tower" in the catalog. The beans are growing pretty fast already--I can't wait to see if they climb the tower all the way to the top!

Yet to sprout in the ground-level bed are watermelons, patty pan squash, carrots, and cow peas. Meanwhile, the peas are flowering behind the rhubarb and horseradish in their bed beyond the raspberries and blueberries. And there is swiss chard just planted in a big pot in front of the garage. I should be well-fed. Especially with the CSA share included!

I do hope we don't have another drought this year. But, I now have a great sprinkler collection, so I just have to move the hoses around occasionally :)

There's a Reason They're Called Knock Outs

Cincinnati Weather

87 degrees and muggy yesterday, thunderstorms today, cooling to 60-ish tomorrow. Gotta love the variety. And, we take what we get to the max. The ice cream truck was out in the heat yesterday (I do wish he'd get a new song), somebody was grilling out, and the poison ivy is trying to take over. Note the healthy green leaves and warning-red stems. Got to put on the haz-mat gear to get rid of it without exposing myself to the oil. It makes me itch just thinking about it.


Meanwhile, rain, sun, and heat mean that those April showers really have brought May flowers. Raspberry bush, Scotch broom, thyme, columbine, and yellow knock-out rose. And peas. Lots of yummy peas, coming soon!

Rain and Deer

We just missed a one-month rainfall record in April. Missed it by 0.14 inches! Someone pointed out that the prior record was set in a January, which has 31 days. Since April has only 30 days, and it rained on May 1st, we did hit a 31-day record. It was a record for an April anyway.

Meanwhile, it is May 2nd, and raining. The Reds are rained out for the night. More rain is forecast for tomorrow, Wednesday morning, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Mothers Day). Yippee. The grass is at mid-calf. The weeds are taking over even more than usual, but at least they pull out pretty easily!

And the deer are eating everything and leaving big divets wherever they walk. I sprinkled Deer Scram everywhere on Friday, but it is probably washing away... So, does anyone know how to attract coyotes (without feeding them, of course)? Check out this article from Audubon on urban coyotes. I suppose having urban chickens would do the trick, but I want them eating the deer, not the chickens...

The good news is, the neighbors did away with their big ugly propane tank! Woo hoo! Before and after:

Squish, Squish

That would be the sound of walking on the grass after 11.5 inches of rain so far this month. Yes, I said MONTH. Wish I could save some up for August. Oh well.

The creek is high, the basement is wet, managed to unclog the downspout finally during a brief break in the rain. Check out the lush grass. While it lasts!



And, I used the rest of those few minutes of sun to check out the budding around the yard. Peas are up! Fortunately I got the pea fences in last week--that is one between the peas and the chain link boundary fence :)
















The smoke bush is leafing out beautifully.

















And the barberry is ready to flower.