Tomatoes!

Tomatoes are starting to come in! But, I'm also battling leaf spot. I've had to cut out big chunks of tomato plants and hope it doesn't spread further.

Paul Robeson tomato

Hopi Red Amaranth, Black Eyed Susan and Gloriosa Daisies

Evening Sun sunflowers are getting huge, no blooms yet

1st Harvest!

I harvested these yesterday! 

2 Jaune Flamme tomatoes (salad size) and a handful of Green Arrow peas

Jaune Flamme tomatoes are an orange heirloom from France. They are about 4 oz, salad size, sweet with a bit of a zing. Pretty tasty! 

Garden Layout 2014

Not to scale layout of the garden this year. Bell peppers still have to get a bit bigger, then they will go in yet. Green beans are not in yet. 

Squash plot -

Black Krim       Indigo Rose (purchased

Black Krim       Lemon Balm

Green Arrow Peas

Walkway -

3  Paul Robeson

Pepper Bed - 

Eva's Purple Ball    Sage   Eva's Purple Ball

Eva's Purple Ball              Eva's Purple Ball

Crimson Rhubarb Victoria Rhubarb Victoria Rhubarb

New bed - 

Green beans on east and south border

15 year   15 year   15 year

Blueray Blueberry   Quarter Century   Quarter Century

Bluecrop Blueberry   San Marzano Bush   San Marzano Bush   Bell Pepper   Bell Pepper

Jersey Blueberry   Jaune Flamme   Jaune Flamme   Bell Pepper   Bell Pepper

Total of 19 tomato plants, planted 5/20

Also sowed Evening Sun sunflowers behind chicken coop.

Chickens In The Garden

Yesterday was a beautiful day (today too, but it's windy). I let the girls out in their grazing pen and Jon and I moved them over to the garden to get to work. They had so much fun digging through the straw, leaves and newspaper from last year. I might not even till this section... might just plant right in it. I want to extend this bed, which will have to be tilled, of course. Also, I want to add composted manure. Hmm... might have to till the existing bed after all... 

The bluebirds are back. Well, actually they never left. This is the female of the pair that made their home in the wall of our three-seasons room last year. She sat there nicely while I took pictures. 

15 Year Tomato Seedlings

Planted 3/10/14
Sprouted 3/18/14

Today 3/23/14 (yes, they are leggy)

Winter Sown Container List

Sown 3/21/14 using Schultz potting mix, all marked with numbers in paint/grease pen

1. 15 year tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/14/14
2. Jaune Flamme tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/14/14
3. San Marzano Bush tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/14/14
4. Red, Orange, Yellow Bell Pepper (3 seeds) - sprouted 4/21/14
5. Red, Orange, Yellow Bell Pepper (3 seeds) - sprouted 4/14/14
6. Paul Roberson tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/21/14
7. Quarter Century tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/21/14
8. Eva Purple Ball tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/21/14
9. Slavic Masterpiece tomato (rare) (4 seeds) (did not sprout) One did sprout at the end of June and was planted!
10. Red Pear Abruzzese tomato (4 seeds) (did not sprout)
11. Black Eye Susan - sprouted 4/21/14
12. Black Krim tomato (4 seeds) - sprouted 4/21/14.
13. Bluebonnets - sprouted 4/11/14
14. Hopi Red Dye Amaranth - sprouted 4/11/14
15. Pink Coneflower - sprouted 4/14/14
16. Gloriosa Daisy - sprouted 4/14/14

Tomatoes opened 5/10/14

3/30/14 -

Lett 1 - Lettuce blend - sprouted 4/08/14, harvested 4/6/14
Spin SH 1 - Spinach (space hybrid) - sprouted 4/11/14, harvested 4/6/14
Spin SS 1 - Spinach (salad select) - sprouted 4/10/14

5/8/14

MY - Yellow Marigolds
MO - Orange Marigolds
Z - Zinnias
L - Lettuce blend
C - Columbine

Tomatoes!!

It looks like it will be a tomato overload summer if everything works out well... I just started my uncle's 15 year old tomato seeds. I already had Black Krims to start. And now today, I got my free seeds from WinterSown: Red Pear Abruzzese, Jaune Flamme, Slavic Masterpiece (a very rare Russian), Eva's Purple Ball, San Marzano Bush, Quarter Century and Paul Robeson. I guess this means the garden just got a bit bigger. They also sent mixed red/yellow/orange bell peppers (my luck they will all be red) and parsley. Parsley will go in the butterfly garden. 

I also got seeds for Black-eyed Susan, Evening Sun Sunflowers, Hopi Red Dye Amaranth, Pink Coneflower and Gloriosa Daisy. I see a colorful garden in the pasture this year! The sunflowers can also be chicken treats! I'm thinking maybe the section past the bonfire. It has to be in a place where my husband can easily mow around it... hmm... Wherever it goes, it has to be a place where it can be permanent some most, if not all, are perennials.

I am going to attempt to winter-sow the flowers and maybe the peppers. My rough understanding is you put growing medium in milk jugs (water jugs in my case) and put them outside. It makes like a mini-greenhouse and then you can sew directly. I think if I put them on the one side of the chicken coop, it should be protected enough that they won't blow away (I hope!) and get decent sun.