Secret Farm: A garden blog

April Showers and April Flowers

When I went out to check out the garden in the balmy 60+ temps on saturday, I found this little guy. Every year I get a few pansies that reseed in the garden, but this one seems to have actually survived the winter, which is crazy because we had some pretty cold temps. I guess having snow cover really does insulate. I brought it in 'cause I figured it would be easier to enjoy inside this time of year. Then, sure enough, just when I had my pea seeds all nice and soaked and ready to plant - it rained all day sunday!

The tulips are coming up in a few spots, daffodils, and crocus too. It happens every year, but it's always so amazing when the snow melts  - and there they are already coming up. This is why I love spring. It's full of surprises, which are fun, even if you expect them.

What's popping in your neck of the woods?

Carrot Bonsai

This is what I like to call a Carrot Bonsai it is just the top of a carrot cut off and put in water. I was using some carrots that had been in the fridge for a little while and had started to sprout little anemic shoots from the tops where I had broken off the greens. I thought, hmmm, that's kind of interesting, I wonder if they will continue to grow. So, I just cut off the tops like I always do, and then stuck one into a jar top with some water on my window sill, and after a few days I had what you see above. A nice little bit of green for a long cold gray winter. It seems to work with any carrot top - give it a try!

So strange to me that a carrot would do this. I wonder what would happen if I planted it?

What's still growing?

"The Jungle" side view.

"The jungle" full on.

Mini Peppers! Still going despite the cold (40's and 50's) Not ripening though. : (

Yellow Crookneck - smaller but still producing a few. They're about 6 inches long.

Fall raspberries, what a treat. Last year, they froze before they even had a chance.

Blondkopfchen cherry tomatoes. These guys are still going crazy. They aren't very flavorful, but they produce a ton. Good for salads and dipping.

Pineapple Tomato - one of my all-time favs. In one of my wine bottle cozys. It's supposed to keep the varmints out - it kinda works.

And finally, Fall Peas! They are Tom Thumbs - not a very good pea at all, but they produce when they are very small, and can grow in pots. These actually sprouted from some peas that had rotted in a plastic bag in the fridge. (shhhh! Don't tell anyone!)

All in all a pretty good fall. when I can still pick tomatoes mid October, I guess that's pretty good. SO glad I didn't rip everything out yet. I'll probably regret it though when it snows before I can do fall clean-up again.

Next up - get those tulip bulbs and garlic into the ground! "Course it would help if the damn rain would stop!

Cocozelle Zucchini

This is the first and only zucchini I have picked so far this year. I am very disappointed! I know I planted pretty late, but I don't think that's the cause of my squashy woes. Most of my zucchini are turning yellow and shriveling when they get about two inches long. Their flowers aren't even open yet when it happens. Anyone else having this problem? The only thing I can blame it on so far is the weather. It was really hot and dry for weeks and now we are getting tons of rain and it's cooled way off. I watered every day though when it wasn't raining, and the plants look good.

Everyone always says they are swimming in zucchini by now, what gives? I sure hope to be bathing in it soon myself.

Raised Garden August '07

Here's the raised garden as of yesterday (8.6.07) It's a little hard to see, but those are tomatoes on the right and along the back. Beans are in the center, carrots on the left. On the far left in back are 3 of the Romanesco plants - still no sign of a floret or whatever it's called on any of them. Someone told me they took forever, I guess they weren't kidding. Hidden in various spots are some beets, leeks, and scallions.There's some peppers on the right and left hand side, and finally, a bunch of dill sprinkled throughout.

I didn't pack it in as much as I usually do, but instead, this year I went for a more random disorganized approach. Some areas are packed in and others are nearly barren and constantly needing to be weeded. Oh well, one of these years I'll get it just perfect! Then We'll probably have a tornado or something. ; )

btw, that's our garage in the background, not our house!

Time flies...

So, how do the rest of you out there find time to both blog (or do anything else) and garden this time of year? I'm having a really hard time with that, as you can tell...those of you that are left that is.

We are heading into what I like to call; the best time of the summer however. It's that time of the season when all the deliberating, procrastinating and planting has been done. All that is left now is the feeding, weeding and - hurray! - harvesting. I've nearly finished now with planting everything - yes, I know, a bit behind - but then when am I not? I have most of the large raised garden all set, providing all the beans I just planted come up, and only have a few more spots to fill. If it weren't for all that danged volunteer dill I've got all over the place, I'd have a few more holes. I would just rip it out, but I keep thinking I might need it. Perhaps a manic pickle making phase may strike? Never mind the cucumbers are barely in the ground.

So, How do you all do it, and what do you have left to do? What's your favorite time of the gardening season?

Basement Mint?

I went donw in the basement the other day looking to get my seed starting set-up going, and what should I find? Basemint! Some of the lime mint from last year's crop is newly growing in the pot. Miraculously without light or water! I guess that's why you can never get rid of mint in the garden huh?

I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep the mint going though because with all the roots in that pot I usually have to dig it up pretty good to plant the new stuff - we'll see. Or, maybe I'll just make some early spring Mojitos?

Mutant

This here is a Peche Jaune tomato, or rather three Peche Jaunes that have fused together. Not really sure how this happened, but it's kinda cool huh?

Super Ultra Strawberry Blossom

Taken with our new Canon 20D and 100mm Macro lens

First Garden Bounty

Here's the first bounty from my garden! A few sorrel leaves and chives for a lovely Easter egg scramble. Not with easter eggs, however.

Here's the lovely scramble with mushrooms, sorrel, cream cheese and chives.
Hey wait a minute, who's that trying to sneak a nibble? Mooki! Get your paw outta there!

Tomato Panic

Help! My tomato seeds don't seem to be sprouting! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm using peat pots in seed trays, which I've used for a few years now. I've got the plastic covers on snug to make it all green housey, are they too wet? I'm not sure how wet they should be, in the past I never used the covers, and drying out was their problem, not being too wet.

Then there's the heating pad. I've never used one before, and I don't know what the temp. is on it. Is it possible it's too hot? It just feels warm, not hot.

I just don't know what could be wrong. I've got some old seeds (3 that already sprouted) but also some brand new seeds - and none of them has sprouted! I feel like I'm already behind on my tomatoes, and if these seeds don't work, I'll need to start over and be even more behind.

Am I just panicking? Is there something else I should be doing? Anyone have any pointers? Help!

Check out the Minnesota Stories video for more "tomato panic" details!

Tomatoes Tomatoes Tomatoes!

I supposedly planted my last tomato seeds tonight, this of course all depends on germination rates and whether or not another variety strikes my fancy, or a friend or neighbor gives me a plant or two...

Tonight I planted:

Halfmoon China - white
Pineapple - bi-color
Mirabella - yellow cherry
Marmande - red
Black Prince - black
Peche Jaune - yellow fuzzy
Northern Lights - bi-color

I planted 42 seeds in all tonight, 6 of each 2 to a pot. I ain't foolin' around.

Previously planted tomatoes:

Amana Orange - orange
Golden Queen - yellow
Yellow Pear - yellow
Big Rainbow - bi-color
Burbank Red Slicing Tomato - red
Green Zebra - green/yellow stripey
Tigerella - orange/red stripey
Isis Candy Cherry - red/orange
Blondkopfchen - yellow cherry

That's 92 seeds in all- whew! Of course, they won't all germinate, and there are 2 seeds to a pot, so I should end up with a lot less than 92 tomatoes. I hope to have in the end, between 15-20 plants, that's at least 2 more than last year. I was going for a whole rainbow of tomatoes, we'll see what I end up with.

And they're off!

Here are the first 2 tomato seedlings up this year! Looks like so far, the yellows are winning even though they are older seeds. Note the cute little identification signs I made, which can double as picket signs if they feel mistreated. ;) Just a toothpick and a piece of cardboard. I had that little revelation the other day at work. You see, I've always gotten my seedlings mixed up and seperated from their labels every year, I just couldn't figure out a good way to keep them labeled. But I think this will work just great. Anyone else have any ideas?

Here's a pic of the crappy basement growlight set up. I hope it's just temporary, I intend to hang the light from the ceiling instead. It seems like that would work better, but we'll see if it happens. I may also need another light, we'll see how many seeds I start. Then again there's always the growing and repotting....I guess I will need another light. Anyone know a good place to get 'em where they don't cost an arm and a leg?

2 Cherries

Here are the 2 cherry tomato varieties I meant to plant yesterday, but didn't get to 'til today. I planted several of each, even though they are new seeds, because you never know, and I'm sick of getting burned on the germination and having late seedlings limping along come June, or even July! This is how the heartbreak happens people. Get 'em started late and have tons of big juicy GREEN UNRIPE tomatoes when the frost comes, and have nothing but tears for all you blood and sweat. Can you tell this has happened to me before?

I used to be very miserly with my seeds, and then You Grow Girl taught me that I need to plant more than one seed per peat pellet, and pinch off the weak one, it is the way of nature. Survival of the fittest and all that. Plus it really sucks planting a couple seeds of a bunch of kinds and 10 days later giving up and repeating the whole thing.

Extra plants are no big deal, you can always give them away. What you and I need are enough tomato plants for our needs. Right?

I have just one question. How many is enough? And can you have too many? I mean really?

Seedlings...ready. Get set. Go!

The '06 gardening season has officially begun. I planted 40 tomato seeds last night (Old seeds! Old seeds! I'm not totally bonkers!), and put them on a heating pad in their little corner in the basement. Since they are old seeds, some nearly 5 years old, I planted at least 2 if not three seeds per peat pot. None were up yet today - I checked. ;)

Most of the packages say 7-10 days for germination, but they usually seem to be faster, and I've never used a heating pad before, so I'll be more impatient than ever. Of course once they do come up, I need to have the grow light all set up and ready, and I don't even have that figured out yet. I may need 2 grow lights even, in fact I'm pretty sure with all the seeds I'm planning on starting, I'm gonna need 2.

Each year, I think; "Wow I've really gone nuts this time, I've got (blank) tomatoes and (blank) other veggies, where am I going to fit them all in?" And each year, I top myself. At some point I'm going to out-grow my tiny yard - litterally! And to complicate things in the tomato arena, and it'll pretty much be an arena this year, let me tell you, I decided after last year's poor showing in the pots on the patio section, that I'm putting those suckers in the ground. So, it's out with some of the yard, in with something that'll earn its' keep. Chuck doesn't really mow the lawn much anyway, might as well turn it all into a garden!

I am also experimenting with different gardening techniques this year. Both "Square Foot Gardening" and "Lasagna Gardening". has anyone out there tried either one of those? I've got a book on the way about the Lasagna (from the liberry) and this website pretty well explains the square foot concept, which a friend has tried and is doing again. I still have to check it out, but the lasagna technique seems like it'll be perfect for the spot of lawn I'm turning into a tomato patch. It kinda sounds too good to be true, but we'll see.

Well, now I'm off to plant a few more tomato seedlings from the seeds I got from the Seed Savers Exchange today. I can't wait 'til the "last" of my tomato seeds arrive from Tomatofest.com Woooo!

Here are some pix from the seed starting:

Lovely water beading on the oh so toasty peat pots in their little soon-to-be-green house.

Summa those peat pots full o' tomato seeds.

My "beautiful" little tomato corner set up with the heating pad and 1 small tray. I've got one more small one and a large 72 pot one yet to fill....