Garden Tour - Now and Than

 

 



The Blue Lake pole beans are filling in nicely around the teepee trellis.  They've made it to the first rung on the teepee and continue to climb.   

 

The Boston Pickling and Straight Eight cumbers have progressed and starting to climb the netting.  I'm hoping for a good crop this season for salads and pickles.  Wished I had planted a few salt and pepper, but there's always next season. 



 

 

 



Tomato Row is looking good.  I see lots of canning and BLTs in my future.  I have two volunteers, below.  It will be interesting to see what emerges.  The two volunteers will make 16 tomato plants for the season.  I had several volunteers in the perennial garden, but I pulled those.   



Check out my neighbor's tomato patch.  I love the circle idea.  I'm assuming they're hybrids since he uses the small cages.  I wonder if it would work with heirlooms?  I also wonder how I would get to the center to harvest, lol.  Okay, scratch that idea.  My arms aren't that long. 

                                                  My neighbor's tomato patch.

 

 

 

 



 

 

My yellow and white onions are doing great.  Wish I could say the same for my garlic, it didn't come up.  Anyone have any ideas as to why?  I'm wondering if it was the soil.  I wished I had planted red onions.  I'll add them next season, but I do have one lone volunteer.  I'll allowing it to go to seed, and will hopefully start my own red onions bunches for planting next spring. 

 

 

I purchased the yellow flowers from my favorite nursery, but didn't keep the tag.  I have no idea what they are, but I love them in the garden.  They look like a variation of the marigold.  

 

  

 

 

It's amazing how a few weeks can make a difference with the plants.  My peppers are doing pretty good.  I have chilies and banana peppers and few white belle.  My first year for the white belle.  I'm anxious to see how they do.   I planted a mixture of chilies, yellow, purple and red.  I also have a Purple Beauty and jalapeno and Hungarian Wax.  What's happening in your garden?

 

Building A TeePee Trellis for Kids

 

 

 

 

 

Last year I used a teepee for my pole beans and it worked well, but I decided to modify it to maximize my harvest.  I added several bars to the teepee so I could plant beans completely around the tee pee.  I left one side open so my grandchildren can have a seat inside while Mawmaw is gardening.   I have an adorable miniature chair that I can place inside the teepee for them to rest. 

It was quite simple and inexpensive to make.  I used the bamboo poles from last season and cuttings from my bamboo squash trellis from last year as well.  I found some string that I had laying around to tie the pieces to the teepee.  Lowes and Home Depot sell bamboo poles that won't break the bank if you can't found a resource locally.  My brother has a yard full of bamboo, so I lucked out.  The poles should be 7 - 8 feet tall and you need at least 4.  More can be used depending on how large and wide you want the teepee.   I used 4 7 foot poles and 5 bars across.  Be sure to secure the poles at the top tightly and get them deep into the ground before you tie on the horizontal poles. 

 I used Blue Lake pole beans, which I planted a week ago.  They have germinated already!  I was quite surprised when I went down to the garden this week-end and these sprouts were waiting for me.  Hopefully, they will continue to rise.  I did plant a few rows of Jade bush beans, which were recommended by a fellow gardener.  Can't wait to try them.  They have sprouted as well.  I need to take a picture a of them.  I used them a companion to my tomatoes and cukes.  Do you plant pole beans or are you a bush bean gardener.  What's your favorite green bean?   


 
                                                                  

Veggie Plants are Blooming

Last week-end I headed out to cut bamboo for my pole beans and squash/zucchini.  My brother has a yard full of bamboo, and offered a few pieces for my garden.  

We cut 7 foot pieces for my pole beans and tied them at the top with twine, and about 10 pieces of various sizes for my other vining veggies.   I planted Blue Lake pole and bush beans and several bush Wax beans in this area.  All are coming up nicely. 

This is the squash trellis I made.  It's amazing how a pole can look straight while you're in one position, and totally off when you're in another.  That will teach me to wait until I have help.  I'll straighten it out tomorrow when I have another set of eyes, lol.

I found this fabulous old peach orchard ladder and decided to put it the garden this year.  It contains my $2.00 clearance daisy from Lowes.  I have more bush beans and Roma tomatoes under it.  I'll pot up a few plants to place on the other steps of the ladder this week-end.  I have just about everything in,  I need to add a few more cukes, dill, red onions and some additional flowers.  Can't wait to make pickles this year.   

My peppers are flowering.  I planted 15 chili, cayenne, Hungarian, jalapeno and  2 sweet.  I have 2 pink Brandy Wine, 1 Hillbilly, 2 Paul Robeson, 1 Beefsteak, and 1 German Johnson that survived.  Didn't do well with my tomato germination, hopefully next year I will be more successful.  I was truly hoping for a few Cherokee Purple.  I searched the local garden centers, and none carried Cherokee Purple for replacements.  Heirlooms are rare in most garden centers in my area.  Not sure where I went wrong.  I think next year, I won't attempt to transplant them as early.  I'll wait until their stronger.     

I'm hoping that my cages will hold the heirlooms.  How do you cage your tomatoes?  I may add a few of the bamboo poles for reinforcement this week-end.  If they get as heavy as the Amish Paste did last year, I'll need it.   What's in your garden this year?