Plant It and It Will Grow!

That's the plan right? Plant it and it will grow. It's a plan that works out better at times than other times in my garden! The climate has been good for steady growth here in Central Florida since January. Mild daytime temps with mercury dropping to a comfortable cool at night. I shared with y'all in a previous post the two new planting beds I created in January/February while the weather was nice and cool each day.

Even I wouldn't have believed how quickly those plants were going to take off if I hadn't chronicled the growth in photos. Take photos People! It will encourage you unexpectedly!

I first posted the progress on my Hoe and Shovel Facebook page (don't forget to click over and hit the LIKE button to join in the conversation). I didn't want to leave those of you who don't have a Facebook account out so here it is again just for you. The top photo was taken February 18 and the bottom photo only a short month later on March 23.

And just to stay up to date... here it is a few days ago with a wider angle. I can't tell you how much I am enjoying these new areas. They were just what the garden needed for spring. The new shape curving further out into the grassy area really eliminated that feel of a too-long stretch of grass. Even though there were curves in the perimeter planting beds it didn't feel just-right. (You know someday I'm going to close it in even tighter don't you? We all know it's going to happen... the grass calls to me, "shrink me, shrink me.")

So, what's going on within that new bed?

Rattlesnake pole beans from Baker Creek Seeds are twining up the obelisk so sweetly... just like I saw it in my minds' eye before I ever started this project.

I wanted this bed to be a mix of flowers and edibles. That's the way my 'designated' edible garden works also. But this bed is smack dab in the back garden. I wanted to smell it and see it while milling about that area. Is there anything more refreshing than the scent of fresh herbs and edibles growing?

Another goal for this space was to create enough new plot that squash plants were sure to get enough air ventilation and sprawl space. I've grown squash successfully in the edible garden but because the fall garden lasted so long this season space was limited when it was time to plant spring seeds. I'm pretty quick to solve those kinds of problems... just make more beds when I want to plant something. In this space the squash plants have some relief from the heat with late afternoon shade.

Almost everything in this new bed was planted from seed or divisions or transplants from other places in my garden.
Here's the rundown:
Bulbine 'Yellow Rocket' as edging; small pieces from mother plant divided and planted directly into soil
Nasturtiums from seed (American Meadows)
Zinnias from seed (Burpee)
Tomatoes from seed
Green beans from seed (Baker Creek bush beans)
Pole beans from seed (Baker Creek Rattlesnake)
Sweet peas (seed from Renee's Garden) that sprouted but it must be too hot because they are not doing great.
Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Lobelia (all 4" plants)
Bronze fennel divided from mother plant
African Blue basil (2" organic plants from Mountain Valley Growers)
Broccoli transplanted from seedlings in edible garden (Baker Creek Waltham)
Morning glory vine (cutting start from a friend)
Caladiums 'Red Flash' Mammoths (courtesy of Classic Caladiums)
... and the dollar weed is free. Ugh.

I hope you are loving up your spring garden! Have a great day! Meems

Second Season Edibles

One of the best things about Florida's fall season is the anticipation it brings of refreshing shifts of cooler air. Once they decide to settle in and relieve us of our endless summer the gardener and the garden sing for joy.

With expectation of gentler days and our second spring also comes our second edible season.

Reflections of a personal nature were previously noted here with a list of seeds sown in September. Some of those never germinated and had to be sown twice.

Many seeds came up and are flourishing in abundance.

For me, the green beans are an all-time favorite. After growing my own I can barely purchase them store-bought. So you can imagine the first harvest is an especially delicious treat.

Pole beans have clambered their tender vines all the way to the top of the 8 foot poles and flowers promise fruit to soon be enjoyed.

So many variables effect vegetables grown in the home garden. September gave us record high's in the nineties. October's shorter days offered reprieve even though still very hot and in my area 'zero' rainfall.

Tender and sweet have been the harvests of collard greens which will last through the winter.

Tomatoes are staked and pruned to single stalk.

Tomato tone, fish emulsion and seabird guano is their nourishment.

Fortunately and thankfully the pesky, harmful insects are minimal during this milder growing season.

November has begun with some much needed rainfall and this week more seeds will be sown of those veggies that will not tolerate heat.

Fall is a glorious time to be in the garden! And a glorious time to eat fresh veggies!

Do you have a favorite vegetable from your garden?

Time To Plant Spring Vegetable Seeds

In keeping with our goal to attract more and more beneficial insects to the vegetable garden along with our love for colorful flowers this year purple alyssum, Lobularia maritima was added.
White alyssum is a stand by for edging the beds in the spring garden. It's also been popped into several container gardens for its sweet aroma and soft texture.

Two of the seven beds continue to reap harvests with veggies still growing from the fall season. Mostly lettuces, radish, spinach, and broccoli are left.

Only for some reason the very pretty leaves are minus broccoli heads. I'm still holding out hope with assistance from the abnormally colder nights we're having.

Restoring the vegetable garden has been ongoing over the past several weeks.

Two yards of fresh potting mix was newly shoveled to create raised beds after our well drilling troubles left the previous ones compacted and literally 'a memory' of what was there prior to becoming a construction site.

The few herbs and flowers I salvaged by digging them out and potting them before the heavy trucks ran right through the center of the garden have been planted back into place.

My greatest concern was the need to get things in order in time to plant new spring seeds. It was the plan to try to get them in the ground at least a week prior to last year's planting date. Last week I just barely made that self-imposed deadline and here's what has gone in the ground so far...
Baker Creek Heirloom seeds:
Radish Pink Beauty (these will go into every nook and cranny marking and dividing planting areas as we continue to plant out).
Little Gem Lettuce
Petite Rouge Lettuce
Red Creole Onions
Tokyo Long White-Bunching Onions
Blue Podded Garden Pea
Squash~ Ronde De Nice
Squash~ Early Prolific Straightneck
Carrots~ Danvers Half long

Pinetree Garden Seeds:
Zucchini~ Eightball

Burpee:
Carrot~ Sweet Treat Hybrid
Bean~ Bush Blue Lake 47~ Green Bush Snap

The bromeliad doesn't have anything to do with the vegetable garden except for its cheery greeting as I walk around to the garden. It's worth noting it has been blooming since before Christmas.

There's a bit more work to do in the way of recovery in the veggie garden. And there are more seeds to plant but step by step we are restoring it back to its happy, buzzing, bustling, growing place. Just in time for spring!

No Wrong Choices in the Veggie Garden

These past two months have been 'gardening intense' around Hoe and Shovel.

The one good thing about January being so cold was the opportunity it gave me to get out in the side-yard to expand the veggie garden area. It is one of my favorite times of year to do big projects in preparation for spring without sweating... errrr... perspiring is what I meant to say.

In January and February all thoughts and energy were focused on implementing expansion plans, dreams, and goals in the veggie garden and in the landscape. Once the new beds were dug, soil was brought in to raise the beds and amend the newly unearthed dirt.
Next it was all about the part I feel most comfortable doing. Planting plants. It has been my goal to learn more and more about the age old methods of companion planting. It is the concept of planting with vegetables, flowers, and herbs in order to work with nature to attract beneficial bugs, butterflies, bees, birds, toads... you get the idea... all our "friends" from nature to help with the garden AND to expand my efforts to keep the garden chemical-free.

A Friend Indeed

As a matter of fact, while sitting at the edge of one of the framed beds hand picking and systematically squishing tiny snails Mr. Toad startled me when I came nose to nose with him. A friend! He was doing his job taking good care of the parsley plants.

Once the foundational elements were in place, with baskets full of seed packs, plant labels and all my lists, charts, and diagrams tucked into my handy new guide it was time for seeds and purchased plants to go into the ground.

This is the easy part really. But I tend to belabor it more than I should.

Picture this: me sitting in the middle of the garden Indian style with open book and reference papers spread out while filling out my garden diagram. Three blank copies for rough drafting. Most of the layout was decided prior to seed-planting day but "just to be sure" I felt it necessary to plop myself right where I could 'see' everything all at once to finalize my plan.

Gazania blooms open each day with the sunshine and close back up at nightfall. They are delightful plant friends.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I will be when the information from companion planting charts become more like second nature to me. There are combinations that work against each other you know. And, oh my, my head swirls with notes and lists I'm doing my best to assimilate. Serious stuff like crop rotation, and feeding families, and plant friends/enemies and botanical families and cover crops and performance families and the three sisters interplanted of corn, beans, and squash... and on it goes.

All information researched from wonderful websites on the subject AND mostly from what has become my second Bible, Great Garden Companions, by Sally Jean Cunningham. She gardens in New York. I garden in Florida. Needless to say, there is much adjusting that must be done to the particulars and specifics in timing, seed choices, even flowers and herb choices she uses. More head spinning ensues! But her concepts and easy-to-understand methods are well worth the efforts.

It just wouldn't be right if I didn't give mention to some really good help I get along the way.This little garden visitor helps me to keep things on a bit more of the lighter side of things than my own personality leans toward when working on a project. My most attentive garden assistant is with me on some of these beautiful Florida winter days to water and digging is his very favorite past time. He has the most diligent manner a Mimi just can't resist. For his absolute wonder and amazement for my garden I am most thankful!

Decisions were finalized... Stakes for pole beans in place. ..The soil has been worked and settled in with bone meal and blood meal and mushroom compost. The temperatures are good.

Seeds were planted. Seeds for veggies and seeds for wildflowers. I'll post later about what seeds I planted. (This post is getting way too long.)

Now we move on to planting some purchased veggies and herbs. Just in case my own tomato seedlings don't mature in time. There are trays of heirloom seedlings on the back porch. They are doing well but I'm not certain about the timing of transplanting.

I'm practicing something new this year for transplanting 4" purchased plants. A tip from the pages of Sally Jean's book again.

1. Using a few sheets thick of newspaper laid on the bed and soaked with water

2. Place the pots where they will be planted.

3. trowel a hole right through the paper and plant the plants one at a time.

4. Stake the tomatoes-again right through the newspaper (I use stakes vs. cages simply on Carol's recommendation at May Dreams Gardens- she's the garden guru for such things) . I've never tried cages.

5. Lastly, I covered the newspaper with oak leaves. This method is proving so good at holding in the moisture that now I'm hoping the roots won't rot. LOL If it isn't one thing it's another with gardening.

No Wrong Choices
And just about the time my head feels it could explode with trying to get it all "right" I go back to some words of encouragement ~~~ again from Sally's book. She says, "Just remember that there are really no wrong choices, and with experience, you'll discover which combinations of plants work best in your garden."

I know this to be true in essence. It is the way it has worked out for me in my landscaping adventures. All the fun along the way cannot be measured. It can only be cherished and appreciated.
The Critters We Don't Want

Speaking of landscape. I've been pruning all the dead frost-bitten stuff like a mad woman. Once the seed was planted out I have only to be concerned about armadillos digging, birds plucking up seedlings, peacocks trampling, raccoons wandering through out of sheer nosiness. As I was piling up branches, from all that pruning, to be thrown in the trash heap it dawned on me to lightly lay them over the planted areas. I have never read this or seen this before but it made sense at the moment. Maybe a deterrent to the smaller creatures.

What I didn't account for was one of my neighbor's dogs to come walking right through the center of two of the beds the day after seed went into the ground. Since the soil is very loose her paw prints were left distinctly in the middle of the squash, bean, and radish rows. I must admit, it was distressing. I've spoken to the owner and asked that she not be allowed loose without a leash. He was very apologetic. Still my neatly planted seed is not so neatly planted in those places. No telling what the result will be.

Growing

Here we are today all planted out except for the aforementioned tomato seedlings and a few spots left for succession planting of beans. Now we wait for the seeds and plants to do what they do best. Grow.

It is most interesting that one year ago today we posted about the building of the first ever veggie garden at Hoe & Shovel. You can link back to see what it looked like then. The seeds weren't planted then but I made notes in my journal to plant a few weeks earlier. We've managed to follow those directions.

Now onto the other landscape beds we've carved out for planting. I'm going to plant a few veggie seeds in one of them.

Just for fun... because I'm learning as I go...

I do hope you are enjoying your weekend. Meems

First Harvest and Veggie Garden Update

There is a lot of .... let's say... energy that goes into the production of a vegetable garden. Prior to stepping out into this venture of a small-scale garden of raised beds and sown seed I weighed out, the best I knew how, what it would take to make it successful in terms of energy and time. I can't say I knew exactly what all it would take so I'm learning a whole lot as time marches on and harvesting is beginning.

Nonetheless, it is of import to interject here ... this first time grower of vegetables is having the time of her life. All these years with a vegetable garden just a vision on my "want-to-do-it-someday list", I don't think I could have predicted how much gratification I would get from this type of gardening. The joy of watching over these plants and nurturing them along to harvest has greatly increased my passion for gardening. Just the principle alone of sowing a seed into the ground and provided it has some light, water, and nutrition it will grow into a plant has me in awe. But further that the plant produces fruit that produces its own seed and the cycle starts all over again is something that stirs my soul.

On to the Veggie Garden Update

Saturday I harvested my first (eightball variety) zucchini and (goldbar) summer squash. (Seeds from Pinetree Garden Seeds)

Even though he was very impressed ... hubby claims that stir-fry side-dish costed us $1,000. HA... he's a funny one. It was a bit of an exaggeration. If only I could have gotten by without having a tree removed a couple of weeks ago for the sake of better sun coverage. That's when hubby got involved weighing the cost. Alas, with that short discussion over with ----together we gladly savored the delicious flavors and freshness.

Note to Self: Pay Attention to the Seed Packages

(2) 8 x 4 raised beds - seed sown (except for tomatoes and peppers) March 10 and March 17.

When the seed packages include instructions (Pinetree Garden Seeds all do) they become a necessary tool especially for a first timer. For instance, "Plant 1" deep when soil warms 3-4 seeds per hill. Baseball size fruit grow on bushy plants. 55 days." Each seed variety with its respective instructions.

Next time I sow seed I'll know to pay attention to the instruction- they really do mean what they say. My little raised beds are over flowing with plants even after I've thinned a couple of times.

The lettuce was harvested for the fourth time this morning. Have to say this has been a big (but happy) surprise. The results have been more than I could have hoped and I'll be able to sow this same kind of seed again in late summer for a fall harvest. It is the Heatwave Blend of six different varieties from Burpee. Even though the description claims it can take some heat I had serious doubts it could take our Zone 10 heat. At the bottom of the package there's this little note... GARDEN HINTS: Lettuce grows best in cool weather.

We've had daytime temps in the upper 80's for a couple of weeks now so we shall see how long it lasts.

The first "Fresh Market" tomato is beginning to turn. I've been watching this one (above photo) like a mother hen. Each morning and night and sometimes in between if I'm already outside I take a look to be sure no little tomato-eating-critter has tampered with my first regular sized tomato. Even though I've harvested several of the smaller variety (patio) tomatoes and couldn't be prouder of them (they are very yummy)... I don't know why... but when this one is harvested it will somehow feel like I've grown a real tomato.
Saturday it was decided to remove a row of marigolds that were originally seed sown in front of my lone row of (bush crop) cucumber. It was my design plan to see the marigolds draping over the edge of the bed. Once again it was my fault for not leaving enough room for both rows to have their way. The marigolds did so well standing tall blocking the sun and air space from the cukes. They are now happily adapted to their new home... some in a container and some in the ground at the SW corner of the back garden where it is sunny and fairly dry.

I guess I have caught the seed-sowing bug... if there is such a thing. What seemed so risky and so daunting before I ever tried it now seems so fun ... so challenging in a good, healthy way... in the way that I just have to see if I can make it work. Do I have what it takes to help it grow? What does it take to help it grow? What and when to do what needs to be done. Just figuring it all out is half of the enjoyment. I've still got loads to learn. Every success is the reward that keeps the process going.

Size Does Matter

I'm very excited about my new Taro plants. One is Midnight and I split the Illustris (above) to make two --planting them among the existing purple queen and lavender lantana. White caladiums should be popping up to surround these deep purple lovelies any day now.



It's definitely one of my least favorite things on the "chores" list. But sometimes it has to be done before you can get to the fun part of gardening. Seems I've done it a lot lately and thought I was doing my best to avoid anymore of it for this season.

It was not to be. I just couldn't get away from making one more bed just a little wider and just a little longer.

While there is much being written in the blogosphere by northern gardeners elated to finally have some spring weather and rightly so, I am trying to beat the clock that is quickly moving toward the soon-to-come heat and humidity. There was a 'front' that moved through here last week which produced for us some divinely dry (no humidity) and cooler weather. At least the days start out that way in the mornings... up to 80's in the afternoons but very manageable gardening weather especially in the shade.

SO... these last couple of weeks I have spent oodles of hours (read: days) in the garden. And it's a good thing because I'm still not completely finished with my 'project list'.

There were several sort of random plants I needed to get in the ground. Random... because I bought a few of this 'n that when I was in Tallahassee last weekend. Then on Tuesday of last week I received a shipment of bare root day lilies and irises (ordered in February), a box of 50 hurricane lily bulbs from another source and some seedlings I had gotten at a gardening-talk at the local library. Random... because none of them necessarily went together. So I ended up with lots to get into the ground and lots to figure out... as far as where it was all going to end up. Keeping in mind, I had convinced myself I was finished with new projects and plant purchasing for this spring... I've been doing this since February... I'm supposed to be winding down...

Let the Designing Begin

Most of my new purchases needed a sunny home and there aren't that many options for full-sun around Hoe & Shovel.

So here I go one more time ... finding it necessary to expand another bed which means digging out sod! Ugggghhh! This time the removal was only about 3 feet wide (@ the widest point) and about 12 feet long. Here's the rub... I had just a few weeks ago dug out part of this same area and planted what you see in the above photo. It just wasn't large enough .... already.

One of the beds I enlarged last November was the intended home for the awaiting day lilies. The more I thought about it though I wasn't confident that particular location, offering dappled sunlight in the afternoon, was going to give them the amount of sun they need. Instead I put the largest majority of them in another existing bed (in the back garden- shown below)

which will give them morning sun-- then later in the day ---filtered sun. It was necessary to remove a border row of variegated liriope to make room for them. Don't worry I made a new border in my new expanded bed with what I dug up.

All this bare root ordering/planting is completely new to me. When the on-line seller says bare root --- they mean bare root... root with barely any green growth. It's sort of a learning thing so what I've decided to do is divide up each variety and plant them in completely different spots in the garden. Then I can determine where they do best. I figure surely some will survive and then I'll know under what conditions which plants succeed. (Look closely at the photo to see the slug that already found this brand new growth on one of the day lilies- I was actually taking the picture to show how quickly the greenery is shooting up-- in just 4 days) I'm happy to report some of the lilies and irises already have new growth sprouting out (above photo) after only a few days in the ground.I think enlarging this bed was worth the trouble. It has a much nicer flow giving the overall side-yard area a more complete look. Also as you can see from the opposite-angle-photo below it lends itself to blending/continuing better with the front side-yard plantings.

So here's the run down for making this bed happen:

Moved yellow Bush Daisies to group three together next to Fire Spike.

Moved Butterfly plant next to bush daisies.

Planted Louisiana Iris (bare root)

Planted Day Lilies (Bare root)

Planted Midnight Taro in place of Butterfly plant removed

Planted Illustris Taro ( split it to make two and planted on either side of Midnight)

Planted border row alternating variegated Liriope and Amaryllis

Planted seedlings of Blue Porterweed (given to me by a master gardener at the library talk on day lilies)

Sowed Rudbekia seeds

Sowed Echinacea seeds

Sowed Coleus seeds

Planted 1 white yarrow (also given to me at the library talk)Much of what I've planted is new to me. Isn't that exciting ? I've definitely stepped out of my comfort zone. There's lots of potential for color bursting forth with maturity and growth here in the next months of the growing season. I'm certain to give updates as the blooming begins!

When I bought two of the hydrangea it was my intention to put them together in the very back side of the garden. They will get quite bushy and tall. Instead I put one in the front under the oaks and among the azaleas and palmettos and one in the back. I just had to have one that I could see as I come and go out of the driveway.

Not in this bed:

Planted the two Oakleaf Hydrangea I found in Tallahassee. (I am so thrilled over finding these and the thought of having them in my garden. It was necessary to amend my soil with lime to reduce the acidity around them .... hoping with all my gardening fervor these do well here.)

Planted some Bella Donna Lilies

and the Hurricane Lilies

planted coleus and

sowed some coleus seeds

I moved several other plants around in the back gardens and made a new bromeliad bed I'll include in a post sometime in the future.

After digging the sod it's all fun stuff from there.

The Seed Wants to Germinate

So many butterflies are out and about these sunshiny days. I followed this monarch around today for a bit until it was pre-occupied with drinking from the lantana and didn't mind me getting close enough for this capture.

Note to reader: I wrote most of this post last night, Monday, and didn't get it posted until Tuesday morning which explains the use of the word 'today'; turns out it should now be the word 'yesterday'You get the idea....
As a follow up to my last post here is the run down of the plan for the veggie garden and my quest to conquer my intimidation over seed sowing.

Great advice was given in a comment from fellow blogger and vegetable gardener Carol at May Dreams Gardens. She said, “Remember that the seed wants to germinate and will likely do so even without conditions being absolutely perfect.” Isn’t that simple?... but great words of wisdom and encouragement. Thank you, Carol. Believe me, those words cheered me on today as I finished my seed sowing.

My initial order of seeds came from Pinetree. Since I didn't have much of a clue of what I was doing and since it was all brand new to me, I duplicated some (not all-- because her garden is MUCH bigger than mine) of what Carol purchased this year. You might wonder why I copied her? I’d been stalking her gardening posts reading every one she ever wrote about vegetable gardening trying to learn as much as I could before I ordered seeds. I found a treasure! She has been doing this for a long time. Kudos to her for her always informative & helpful gardening posts!

Well I didn't know how many seeds to order since my space is pretty small. Needless to say, I way over-ordered in quantity.I’m wondering if they can be kept from year to year?If so, what are the rules for storage?
Here’s the purchase list:
Pole Bean- Kentucky Wonder
Cucumber- Bush Crop
Squash- Goldbar
Zucchini- Eightball and Cueball
Leek - Lancelot
Tomato- Black Cherry; Big Boy Bush

I sowed some of each of these seeds last Thursday. All of them direct sown into the raised beds that were waiting empty for the last two weeks. Can I just reiterate--I have lots left over. You may remember I wanted to start small with my two beds. Somehow I didn't realize how quickly that small space would be used up. Uh-hmmm.... first lesson learned- build more boxes?

Which brings me around to the original dilemma and was part of my intimidation- how much to order- how many seeds to use in each row blah, blah. Can I just confess that now I have more compassion for folks who feel that way about landscape gardening. It's easy to blow it off when someone says they wish they knew how to garden but this or that keeps them from doing it... NOW I know how that feels. This counts for another valuable lesson learned.

Late this evening just as I was wrapping up a full day of gardening the last of the seeds I ordered from Burpee came in the mail. Excitement like I had received a present was how I felt when I saw the envelope. This is what arrived today:
Blue Lake Bush Bean
Lettuce Looseleaf
Carrot Sweet Treat

Marigold (for the nematodes)

I used Carol's idea to make my trench with a yardstick- this worked out very nicely for me.

It was perfect timing. The perfect way to end a day full of gardening glory. I already had my tools out and I was dressed for gardening. It wasn't long before my newly arrived seeds were tucked away in the warm, moist soil eager to germinate and do what they were meant to do-- grow.

I’ve decided it doesn’t really matter if my garden doesn't grow exactly like I hope. Gardening is a gift of life and this aspect of it will be a remarkable learning experience. Sowing seed and growing a veggie garden is a dream come true. I will learn as I go and make mistakes along the way just like I have with landscape gardening all these years. And besides… seeds want to germinate. So what if they aren’t sown exactly precisely? I have confidence in them--they will find their way out of the ground with a little water and sunshine.

_______________________________________________

Double Excitement Today!
The first box from my American Meadows order came today as well. 6 bare root Cardinal Flower (above) plants. The size of these was a bit of a surprise. I kind of - well not kind of - I definitely expected a larger plant. Ordering plants through the mail is new to me as well. I immediately put these in the ground as they are to stay wet at all times.

What a beautiful way to end a BEST day in the garden. I dug up, divided, and transplanted society garlic. I'm using it as a border around one of the beds I've prepared for the day lilies and the rest of the mail-order plants I'm still waiting to be delivered.

A really big thanks to all the veteran seed-sowing gardeners who don't mind sharing tips and how-to's and also lending encouragement to newbies. This seed-sowing experience has helped me realize that just because one thing comes easy to us doesn't mean the next thing will. We all need each other and we each have some thing to offer. As different as gardening is in each part of the country it seems sowing seeds is pretty much the same no matter where you live.

What about you? Is there an element of gardening you haven't tried yet because of timidity or maybe like me you're letting the 'unknown' keep you from trying something new? Well that and hubby urging me not to add more to my to-do list. Let's face it, that's never going to happen. :-)