Frost April 11, 2012

Well ole mother nature had one last blast of chill left in her. Last evening the temperature in the middle garden dropped to 37 degrees. As we planted a bit earlier than my father has always recommended we chose to buy a little insurance. The low tunnels we installed earlier in the season seem to have done the trick. Not sure of the impact on our strawberries or grapes but we will get a better idea over the next few days.

I can only hope that that this bit of cool weather has set the flea beetles back. They seem to have enjoyed our warm winter and early spring a bit more than anything else. Honeybee activity has been very light this season. Our blackberry bushes are loaded with blooms but we are seeing few honeybees this year. Looks like it may be time to install a couple of hives. 

We are expanding our little patch of garden to encompass another two acres. The soil is some of our fine Mississippi clay. We will work the beds this weekend and plant our first cover crop (soybeans). It will be a year before we build up enough organic material for the beds to be usable. 

Time to head for the office. Back to the gardening later this afternoon. 

Planting has begun in earnest!

This year we ordered our plugs from Harris Seeds, http://www.harrisseeds.com. The plugs arrived in perfect condition! Due to our very early spring we immediately began getting them in the ground. 300 tomato, 300 peppers and 550 herbs went in the ground over the course of last weekend (3/30).

As we violated the old southern rule of not planting before Easter we called on our friends at Johnny’s Seeds (http://www.johnnysseeds.com) for their 4′ low tunnel hoop bender and Agribon AG+19 just to be safe. Thus far we have not needed the protection but we are ready.

Speaking of the low tunnel hoop bender, what a great device! We created 50 hoops is just over an hour from 1/2″ EMT. We started our coin jar to save our change to purchase the 6′ low tunnel hoop bender this summer.

While we have just started our 2012 Spring planting season we are already working on adding an acre of speciality cut flowers to our garden in 2013. The beds must be created, organic matter added and the drip irrigation installed. One thing about dreaming big is that there is always good old fashioned hardwork to be done.

Time to grab a hoe, until next time.

Spring is Early!

We grow over 70 varities of Irises and all of them are in full bloom.

Oceano de Viamonte

My little Portuguese Podengo Pequeno who went Best of Breed Saturday 25 February, 2012 Meri Miss Kennel Club in Hattiesburg

Friends and new beginnings.

Yesterday a very dear friend called to my attention that I have let my blog age. Unlike a fine wine blogs that age are known as stale. Thus I have made the committment to get my backside in gear. It is a time for a new beginning.

My gardening exploits have now leaped to a new year and my soul longs for the first gasp of spring.

Like many, my sojourned mailbox has been filled an array of gardening catalogs from across this great nation. I readily admit that I devour each one. Holding on to them well past their prime.  Alas, they last much longer than the blooms.  As we endure yet another winter rainstorm the grey clouds give way to the vibrant colors of perfectly grown specimens, photographed at their prime and lustfully placed to entice my purchase.  It works! My spring garden has been carefully planned (http://www.growveg.com), a couple of thousand plugs have been purchased (http://www.harrisseeds.com), pounds of seed ordered (http://www.johnnyseeds.com) and the need for the newest gardening tools has been satiated.

This year my garden shall be a bit different from the utilitarian gardens I have always tended.  After reading all the works of Coleman and Byczynski I have made the leap into planting a mixed garden of flower and vegetables. Those who know me reflect on my efforts to do everything in a big way. So why not start out with a couple thousand plugs of my favorite flowers? Go big or go home is my motto.

And thus my blog has a new beginning. My next ramble will be about my lovely new hoe!

How to plant a garden in the mud!

Actually I have no idea how to plant my garden in the mud. We had seven inches of rain last week (week prior to Easter). The ground is saturated. Thankfully the areas of the main garden and onion garden where I have tilled in copious amounts of compost (cotton burr and cow manure) have drained very well. I was able to get some planting done on Saturday (April 23). Sadly, less than a third of my garden is now in the ground. Boxes of seeds are still stacked up in the mud room.

The heirloom tomatoes from Tasteful Garden arrived on Thursday. I was on a mission to get all 35 of them in the ground Saturday.  The plants were robust and healthy.  Nothing like arriving home to six large boxes of plants for the garden. Thankfully the weather held and I was able to get them all in the ground. 

The shallots from my favorite seed company (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) arrived Saturday.  I chose to grow ‘Pikant’ this year. I have a special garden that I set aside for onions, leeks and shallots. It is a sandy loam soil that is amended with a thousand pounds of compost. I ran out of bulk compost and had to purchase fifty pound bags of compost. Thus my aching back can attest to the thousand pound number.  I also planted several rows of leeks, bunch onions and shallot seeds. This is my first year to grow any of them from seed (I always purchased sets) so we will see how it goes.

The pepper plants also arrived and are nestled in their little row of the garden. The plants look fabulous. I can only hope they produce as well as they look.

I am experimenting with cut flowers this year. I ordered the Pro Cut  Gold F1  Sunflower from Harris Seeds. I planted a row in thewide row that will also support our melon crop.  Looking  forward to see how they do in our hot, humid climate.  The fifty tubers of dahlias I ordered from Swan Island Dahlias have all sprouted. I hope to have a row of robust color in a little over two months.

Planted a bit of buckwheat on the fringe of the upper vegetable garden. I was unable to adequately prepare this parcel. I have decided to use a number of cover crops this year to enhance our soils(gumbo clay) tilth.

The Lions of the Farm

I have been intrigued for several years by the Lionhead Rabbits. They quite simply one of the most interesting pets that have joined our family. And to chagrin of my children I think they are cool!  Now the justification for owning them is easy. I want my little farm (my humble apologies to real farmers everywhere) to be sustainable and organic. And nothing produces ‘organic fertilizer’ like bunnies. Now I will tell you that our Lionheads are pets not livestock. We live within the city limits and are not allowed to own livestock. Our Lionheads are pets each with a special name, pedigree and a climate controlled home.  But they bring a certain panache to the farm.

Here is the newest member of our Pride!

A simplier life…

There is much to be said about turning 50.  Life seems to be a bit settled, retirement is now within view (unless the Chair of the House Appropriations is successful in the demise of Medicare), vitamins are a must and the snap crackle pop of my joints are music that I am still around. Like many of my friends I wish life would slow down a bit. I am blessed with a great family, the greatest job on earth but I seem to living in leaps and bounds. The days roll by so quickly.  Now that I attempt to slow things down a bit I find myself focused on issues that five years ago were never in my thought processes.

I have become extremely concerned about our food sources.  It is with great fervor that I have devoured Joel Salitin and Elliot Coleman’s many writings. Neither claim to be experts in the current commercial food production arena but they provide a constant supply of knowledge to change the way my food chain is evolving.  My parents have always had a large garden, my father in law has always had a large garden and I have always had a grocery store.  Now we have the USDA approving genetically modified crops. I cannot argue the good or the bad of this new trend in crop production.  I do have that little internal voice that tells me this is not good. So with a five decade old body, a few tools, fifty pounds of seed catalogs I am off to begin producing much of what I eat.  I have never been one to do things in a small way thus my garden will cover an acre this first year. Probably not wise but no one has ever accused me of being wise.

Melissa and Joey Trailer!

Melissa and Joey Premiere Date

MELISSA & JOEY,” A NEW ORIGINAL COMEDY SERIES

STARRING MELISSA JOAN HART AND JOEY LAWRENCE,

PREMIERES ON ABC FAMILY ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

WITH BACK-TO-BACK ORIGINAL EPISODES AT 8:00 & 8:30PM ET/PT

Burbank, CA (July 20, 2010) – In the new ABC Family original comedy series, “Melissa & Joey,” Melissa Joan Hart portrays Mel, the grown-up former wild child of a political family who is now a local politician herself. When her sister ends up in prison and brother-in-law flees after a scandal hits, Mel must take responsibility for her teenaged niece, Lennox, and adolescent nephew, Ryder. Spread too thin to manage by herself, help comes in the unlikely form of Joe (Lawrence) who, desperate for a job, moves in and becomes the family’s “manny.” “Melissa & Joey” debuts on ABC Family on Tuesday, August 17 with back-to-back original episodes, at 8:00PM & 8:30PM ET/PT. The half-hour series will air regularly on Tuesday nights at 8:00PM ET/PT.

In the second episode, “Moving On,” both Mel and Joe experience issues in their love lives. While Joe is reluctant to move on after the break-up of his marriage, Mel attempts to start a new relationship, but finds it tough being a single woman with Joe living in her house. Meanwhile, Mel must jump into “mom” mode when Lennox has a difficult time adjusting to the new public school. Alexandra Hart Gilliams (Melissa’s real-life younger sister) guest stars as one of Lennox’s friends.

“Melissa & Joey” is a half-hour multi-cam comedy executive-produced by Bob Young & David Kendall, Paula Hart, Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. “Melissa & Joey” is also written and created by Bob Young & David Kendall. The pilot was directed by Ted Wass. Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”), Joey Lawrence (“Blossom”), Taylor Spreitler (“Days of Our Lives”) and newcomer Nick Robinson star. Elizabeth Ho is a recurring guest star.

Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence first partnered together on the ABC Family original movie, “My Fake Fiancé,” in April 2009, which was the No. 1 TV movie of the 2008/09 season in Women 18-34 (1.0 million/3.0 rating) and the No. 1 ad-supported cable movie in Women 18-49 (1.6 million/2.4 rating).

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 98 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today’s families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today’s relationships – told with a mix of diversity, dysfunction, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family’s programming is a combination of network defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals.  ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with “13 Nights of Halloween” and “25 Days of Christmas!” ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.