Garden notes...

We took a deep breath after our hops/septic adventure last week and regrouped.  We think we were much too far away from the septic field to have hit it, but we definitely encountered a suspicious, random patch of crushed gravel about a foot below the soil surface.  What was this doing in the middle of an old pasture?  We're not sure, but we suspect we may have been near the 'reserve' area for our septic system.  This is the area that has been set aside for a new system, should the current one fail.  We've certainly done some learning this week.

So - we tilled up a new area for our hops patch and will give it another go.  Luckily, our rhizomes are growing well in pots, so we still have a little time.  We don't expect much from them this year but we wanted to at least get this thing going.  When you're a gardener, you know you need to be patient, plan ahead and have faith in that which is yet to come.  : )

In other news, the broccoli plants are forming flowers as well as that famous cruciferous 'stank'.  I've sprayed at least one round of Bacillus thuringiensis for caterpillar control and was happy to finally find this product offered at the big box stores.  Our local nurseries don't always have it on hand.  The strawberries are trying to spit out another round of fruit and the raspberries are coming on-line.  Here's hoping the birds stay away.  The snow peas are popping.  I blanched a batch of them this week in hopes of FoodSaver(ing) them for the freezer.  No dice.  Pulled that puppy out of the cabinet after its long winter slumber and was met with sealing silence.  It was old and tired so I expected this outcome sometime soon.  We're biting the bullet and pulling in some reinforcements.  Can't make it through a summer without one!

On a final note, my zinnias started flowering.  Good grief.  The colors are absolutely to.die.for.  Seriously.  This is the 'Benary's Giant Mix' from Johnny's Selected Seeds.  The photos on the website do not do the colors justice.  Rich and delicious they are.  Do yourself a favor and grow some!

Sunday afternoon vacation

What do you do on a Sunday afternoon when you're tired, sweaty and frustrated after potentially digging into your septic drain field while trying to install support poles for your hops plants?

You drop everything and go to the river for a float.  Instant relaxation.  Instant vacation.  Thanking my lucky stars to have this in my 'backyard'.

Cattle panels - not just for cattle!

Thanks to another time-sucking website - a.k.a. Pinterest - I have discovered something very 'pinteresting'.  Cattle panels!  I knew of their existence prior to seeing them on this fun little site, however, they were, in my eyes, previously reserved for my cattle farming neighbors that are dotted up and down our pretty little valley.  No, no.  They are not just for the cattle farmers.  They are for you and they are for me.  Look at all the fun things you can do with a cattle panel!

Thankfully I made this discovery before the 2012 growing season.  I've been trying to solve a tomato support problem for many years now -  without spending a million dollars.  I once had a client who let me purchase these Texas Tomato Cages for his garden.  They were truly fantastic and I highly recommend them if you can afford the price.  I am however, trying to find a better way to make tomato support happen on a shoestring budget.  I like to grow an indeterminate type of tomato called San Marzano.  It's great for sauces and processing which is mainly what I like to do with a tomato since I can't stand to eat one raw (crazy, I know!).  So, by the end of July, these tomatoes are growing like drunken fools, sprawled out all over the place.  They need assistance and those little round cages you get at one of the big box stores ain't gonna cut it!

So, cattle panels it is.  So far, so good.

I purchased 3 panels from our local hardware store and sandwiched two rows of San Marzanos between them.  I plan to tie them to the panels and place side supports through the panel slots as needed (if needed).  The triangular support to the right of the rows I made with the excess panel material that I cut off from the ends.  I zip-tied them together and the resulting structure is VERY sturdy.  That lone tomato is a 'Juliet' which I planted for the husband.  It's a grape-type that's a great little snack (if you like raw tomatoes!).  

These panels appear to be able to withstand the test of time.  They're tough and heavy though, so heads up.  You will also need a good pair of bolt cutters if you plan to trim them down.  The best part is that there will be no storage issues after the growing season is over.  I plan on resting them against the garden fence for the winter.  Voilà!

Did you know?

...that a t-post makes a great furrow?  

It really does!  Now, if I could just get a good germination rate on that sweet corn, I'd be a happy gardener.  Sadly, it won't be a banner year based on what I see growing now.  I've got several rows with just a few sprouts.  At least they won't be crowded!?  Yes, glass half-full.  I try!

June 1

Don't look now, summer is almost over!  Sorry, I try to be a glass half-full person, but da#n if summer doesn't seem to just fly by every year.  I don't know why I'm continually surprised by this.  If you work at a university like I do, and live by an academic calendar, you realize there's not much of it to begin with.  Of course it goes quickly.  Our summer weekends seem to be filled up by the time the solstice even hits.  Thankfully, in garden time, summer seems to last a little bit longer.

Speaking of, the Gap Mountain Garden is just about IN for the season.  We have a few more things to get in the ground, but the corn has sprouted, the tomatoes are already threatening to take over the world and the zucchini and squash are fixing to get over-productive.  I've been through my first round of weeding and caught the little buggars before they really got going.  I think this is key.  I'm a virgo, I can't stand an untidy garden.  This is a horrible affliction, because a garden without weeds is just a bit of an oxymoron.  Woe is me.  Each year, I'm determined to stay ahead of the game.  Each year, I end up with a weed forest.  Every. Single. Year.  I think by the time August hits and the sun is glaring down upon you, zapping every bit of energy you have, you're just d.o.n.e and all standards you had in the relative coolness of late spring, fly far out the garden gate.

So, someone needs to remind me to get back out there in another week or so and get the next round of sprouters - because they will come - with a vengeance!  No doubt, they will make summer seem endless with their repeated appearances.

But... is that a bad thing?  :)

Garden Helpers

War on Slugs

We've been invaded by an insidious, slimy little character.  These dudes are wreaking havoc on our plant material - silently at night - while we're nestled in our beds with visions of fresh vegetables and flowers dancing in our heads.  It's starting to piss me off.  This is not a new problem.  It seems to happen every year - mostly to our seedlings which are trying to make a good start in life in flats and cell packs.

But this year, it seems to be happening everywhere.  The broccoli took a good hit early on but luckily it has recovered.  Almost every strawberry in the patch has a nibble taken from it - but just a nibble.  It seems they like to take a taste from one and then move on to the next.  Why not stay awhile and just finish what you started, slugs?  Why?  

Now it's the pole beans...

and the basil...

and the zinnias!

Time for retaliation, but how shall I do so?  I'm not interested in using chemicals.  We have dogs that could be harmed by such things, and we are trying do things organically.  I've heard all the natural methods, but I've also heard that they don't really work.  At this point though, I suppose it's worth a try. Slugs be damned!