August 13

2006

2007

2006

Gardening in the High Desert
Bloom/Harvest

• Something is eating my lovely pepper
• Basil blooming nicely
• Tom blooming, bust still no fruit
• Harvested one small Ziploc [bag] of regular sweet basil and one of the giant, curly leafed one
• Beans blooming, but only one very slender one out yet

2007

Gardening in the High Desert
Bloom/Harvest

• Veg Bed #1
• Green toms - only 2, I think
• MG [Morning Glory] has 2nd real leaf
• Other 2 vining things reaching for the sun - about 2" tall
• Veg Bed #2
• Alaskan Fancy - 10+ green tomes, some have turned that pre-ripening light white green
• Tom that I thought was a yellow pear has decidedly round fruit forming
• Stunted sun flower blooming under Marigold and Cosmos
• Buds ready to open on Marigold
• Many tiny wax beans
• 2 Cukes growing strong
• Veg Bed #3
• Black eye peas - more nearing harvest; only a few blooms now
• 2 two little yellow squash and 1 zuke ripening
• 2 sunflowers blooming - took pictures - they are about 3 ft tall with 4 inch blooms - need to find out how long it took from seeding to flower. [later, undated note] 2 months from seed to bloom
• 10+ green toms of various kinds
• Lemon basil ready to shear back again
• Regular basil ready for another harvest
• Flower basils are pretty much done [2013-08-11] I usually plant some basils in strategic places around the garden and let them bloom - they attract enormous amounts of pollinators - and in the desert, we need to bring in as many as we can find

Journal

• watered orchard & veg beds
• Took lots of photos - some at night
• Apple Tree Thoughts for Fall Planting
• Grand Gala (pol. grand gala, granny smith)
• Sept Wonder Fuji (pol. grand gala, granny smith)
• Red Fuji (pol gran gala, granny smith)
• That's about $70 for 3 trees
• Sunflower saving strategy - cover ripening heads with paper bags sprayed with deer-off

September 13

2007

20013

2007-09-13

Gardening in the High Desert

• Moved big, fat cat from red round toms to lush growth in VB [Vegetable Bed] 1 - took photos
• Watered apple trees, garden, front fence row
• Garlic order from The Garlic Store came today!

Garlic Order for Summer 2008 harvest:

• Georgian Crystal
• Korean Red
• Siberian
• Polish Hardneck
• Bogatyr
• Surprise Bonus

I am very excited about garlic planting time!

2013-09-13

Gardening in Middle Tennessee.

We are less than 300 feet from a small lake - meaning lots of skeeters - and the wonderous (sic) chirping of thousands of frogs. I have so missed such a chorus. And, of course, I hope all those frogs are eating LOTS of insects!!!

January 27

2007

Gardening in the High Desert

19:36

Lovely warm day

• Granddaughter and I filled the bird feeders
  
• Watered hybrid poplars on north side of metal building
  
• Watered fruit trees using 15 gal ATV tank as [the] water to [the] far back [area] is still frozen - about 5 gal per tree and 15 gal to the large apple tree
  
• Returned some library books last week and got more. P Alan Smith is becoming my next favorite author after Derek Fell, as far as gardening stuff goes
  
• Fruit trees appear to be doing well - no dead looking branches or buds so far
  
• Two [bearded] irises exhibit some frost heaving, but the rest look good
  
• More seed catalogs have arrived to seduce me. I am trying very hard to resist; I have way enough seeds!!!
  
• Trying to learn more about my houseplants
  
• Snow still hanging on on the north side of the house, metal building and back yard fence
  
• Basils and garlic are well represented in this year's catalogs - awesome!
  
• Daughter brought our brought our 1994 garden journal home - awesome and way cool.
  
• Taped some bulb package labels into my journal [2012 Note: I don't know where I taped them as they are NOT in the journal that I am currently transcribing]
  
• Scanned the journal [from 1994] that my daughter found
  
• Rotated ficus this afternoon and opened the drapes for it
  
• The herb growing containers I bough don't have drain holes and are not very big. I hope the plants will be ok. Have to be very careful with the watering.
  

December 30

2005

2007

2008

2005

Gardening in the High Desert
Productive day, today. Nice to feel like I did something after being sick all week. Finally deep watered the trees, put some mulch down, ceased the dogs' pen, washed all their towels and hung their carpet to air out.

The folks at DG (Dave's Garden) seem to think that even with these winds, I won't need to stake bearded irises, and that day lilies should also do just fine. I hope so. I saw some beautiful inspiration photos at DG. [2011 Note: Irises have done well for the last 6 years without staking; dogs kept digging up day lilies and things kept eating them, so I can't say for sure, but I do believe they would be fine, also]

My very own copy of The Vegetable Garden Bible came yesterday. Too sick to even look at the pictures. I've check it out of the library enough to know a lot of it already - just nice to have my very own copy.

Can't wait to feel up to snuff. All these days off and I'm sick. So sick that I barely glanced that the seed catalogs that came the other day. Well, a time for everything in its season.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert
Happy Birthday to Me!

• Filled bird feeders
  
• Cataloged more seeds in my garden database
  
• Finished reading books from the library
  

Perennial Vines - haven't found any I really like yet. Question on seed saving - Can I use used drier sheets to "bag" tomato flowers for seed saving?

2008

Gardening in the High Desert Harvest Eggs 14 Total
3 EE [Easter Eggers], 1 olive
4 Maran
7 SLW [Silver Laced Wyandottes]

December 10

2005

2007

2005

- Saturday

Gardening in the High Desert.
Spent the good part of the morning at our favorite Home Depot.  Spent $700 on wood for backyard fencing.  MDH and son spent the afternoon putting up fence boards.

Stokes seed catalog came Friday.  They had mostly hybrids and I really want open pollinated varieties.  I would like to save seed from year to year.  I may order morning glory and moonflower seeds from them, but probably not anything else.

Bough seed warmer mat kit.  No idea where I will put it yet.  I was thinking of starting some pansies.

Ficus continues to do well.  About once a week they get a deep water of leftover dog bowl water.  Probably several cups.

Sweet potato "eyes" finally sprouting roots rapidly filling up the blue vase.

Continuing to file garden mags and catalogs.  Feels like I haven't really made a dent.

Cinderblock Pond Idea

About 10' x 5' outside dimensions.  4 foot deep - 2 foot in the ground, two foot above.  Fill 3' deep seating ledge.  Not a koi pond.  Maybe some hardy mosquito fish, a few snails.  What about a way for creapy crawlies to exit?  And a shall spot - an island, perhaps, for birds?  Potted plant on island with wick into pond for auto watering.  Step down to be under water about 1 inch.  Platform support to be open on the sides so fish can hid under there.  Pot must be able to handle very freezing temps.  Also need some way of keeping water from freezing in the winter.

So much to do, so little time.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.
Three years in a row ays that the first snow is around the 2nd week of December.

• Watered housplants
• Watered ficus - not sure how it survives

Guess I don't need to water [outdoor] trees this week.

December 02

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.

• After mapping out the 56 cloves of garlic in Veg Bed 3, it seems to me that I wasted a lot of space.  Maybe I can tuck in some basil after everything is up.
• If garlic in the ground does well, I won't waste raised bed real estate on it in the future [Note: Garlic does well everywhere]
• Veg Bed 1 is limited as my irises are still in there - but since I won't be growing toms in there this year, I can use it for my basil garden.
• Veg Bed 2 is becoming my strawberry bed.  Need to feed it well.
• Veg Bed 4 will be the tomato bed - but can I really limit myself to just 8 tomato plants?  I think not.  Going to try a yellow pear [tomato plant] between the root stock shrubs in the orchard area.
• Veg Bed 5 - zukes and cukes.  Also going to try some ground-based zukes and yellow squash
• Veg Bed 6 - beans and blackened peas
• Along East Fence - pole beans and scarlet runner beans
• North fence - MGs [Morning Glories] and moon flowers on the fence; sunflowers in front of the fence
• Corn on the east - pole beans may impact sunlight, so probably won't plant the whole fence row
• A pumpkin vine or two among the apple trees?

NEED TO KEEP A GOOD FEEDING SCHEDULE
And that's about all the veg garden I really want to do.

Now, backyard landscaping is another issue.  Really need to start thinking about what I shall do about that. I know I want green on the fences.  If I can keep things from eating the sprouts, runner beans might be the thing.  MG's, too, and sweet potato vines.  Can I get some oregano established as a ground cover?

December 07

2005

2007

2010

2005

Gardening in the High Desert.
Sweet potato has many branching roots. Moved it to a lg blue vase with a narrow neck a few days ago. Some of the "eyes" appear to be swelling.

Our little ficus tree is doing very well. It like the filtered light and gets plenty of water. Not going to feed as its potting soil is still fresh.

Son put the bags of mulch out by the sweet gums, but I haven't spread it about yet.

About a dozen fence posts are in for the back yard fence. D cut our propane line while digging. She stayed home from work so he could deal with getting it fixed. It's going to be an awesome back yard. [2011-11-17 No, it turned out to just be more desert...]

The hole for the future pond is just sitting happy as can be, big hills of dirt [sand] on the east and west banks. Bought a few bond building magazines for D to peruse.

Love my filing cabinet. Started filing my magazines last night. Waiting with much anticipation for my seed catalogs to arrive. Also will file my seed packets, too, along with other things to file.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.
Of course I have "enough" seeds for a delightful and enjoyable garden. But of course, I need more, more, more. A new type of zucchini, more sunflowers, a fancier morning glory. The seed catalogs don't sell seeds - they sell "The Garden That Could Be."

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.
Stayed home from work ill. Spent 30 min in the warm (30*F) sunshine with the chickens and garden - I swear that that did me more good than Motrin and sleep.

Found a good user for pulled cheat grass. Don't want to put in compost because it will survive and proliferate. So I put it in the chicken run and the chickies trample, toss, and pick at them until theyare dead, dead, dead. They eat a little of it, but not much. They don't like it all that much - but it does provide them with exercise and entertainment.

Turned compost and put ice from chicken bowls on it. Ice melts and seems to add the right amount of moisture. Have at least 50 gallons or more of compost to used before starting new pile. New pile will be slower to cook since it's so cold, but should still be ready for Spring planting. New piles stink to high heavens - all that ammonia being burned off - but the end results are worth it.

Small birds visiting feeder. Need to fill a few times a week now. They aren't comfortable eating when I'm out there, but they were circling and hanging out on the fence waiting for me to leave.

My light/seed starting setup is just about done. So excited. Can't wait until seed starting season. Tomato seeds are on the way. Got my collection of other seeds organized. I probably don't need to buy seeds for years, but the primal urge to acquire seeds is overwhelming.

[Entry later that evening 21:10]

Got my seed starting setup completed - finally. Amazingly, found my timer, so I didn't have to buy one. My heat mat needs an outlet without a timer, though. To early to start Spring seeds, but I'm thinking of a few indoor plants - and maybe an indoor tomato to coddle.

Reading The New Seed Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel.

Going to try two cherry toms for winter indoor toms. Main crop to be started in Feb for planting in April/May and to give away.

FOR INDOOR PLANTS
• 2 - Cherry Toms
• 6 - Basils: lemon, purple, sweet - 2 each
• 2 - clumps chives - 1 garlic, 1 regular
• 2 - Salvias
• Separate my little pot of ivys [into however many plants they will make]

10 - October 02

2005

2006

2007

2010

2005

The sweet gums [trees] are looking decidedly perky this morning. I was concerned that yesterday's dry winds would have been hard on them, but I guess the cooler temps and deep watering helped them. Of course, I took pictures yesterday. Need to add them to my database.

2006

• DONE - See how deep rain penetrated into the ground – not much; 6” only
• DONE – Buy dirt – 2006-10-21
• DONE – Take a nap
• DONE – Remove clothes pins from fruit trees – 2006-10-04 [used with string to keep young branches spread apart]
• How do I put diesel and oil in the tractor?
• [Plant] more peas, please
• Fall cleanup
• More soap making
• Remove Christmas décor from last year
• Wire fence fruit trees [I have no idea what that means now]
• Cut back viburnums
• DONE- Trees? 2006-10-07 none at HD [Home Depot, probably Carson City] [Black Austrian] pines

So much to do before D leave for trainin in South Carolina – and then a blink of an eye and he's of to Iraq.

Strange, but I think I won't have to water this week.

2007

[Accomplished]

• Watered all houseplantsHaven't been in the garden in 24 hours – miss that contact with the Earth
• Filled bird feeders
• Played with dogs
• Dreaming of Garlic
• Put dead lettuce in compost pile

One place I saw said 12 -15 bulbs of garlic per person per year – seems like our family could eat more than than
Garlic Use – Crush, add to butter, put in molds, freeze, pop out of molds, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Instant garlic butter for cooking. I love it!

I am taking a class on jumpstarting your creativity by studying Leonardo da Vinci – It's been a year or more since I've kept a non-garden journal. I wonder if now is the time to start one again?
A year ago D was contemplating spending a year in Iraq – and now, now what are his plans? I am so blessed to have him home. He planted a tree this weekend.

2010

Big fat drops of rain accompanied by the usual winds. Cooled things down nicely. Still, one should not mistake this little rain as actually watering anything. It has barely wet the surface [of the ground]. Had to run to put dog food and chicken food out of the rain, but other than that, not a big deal. Even when there is lots of it, I've always loved the rain.

08 – August – To Do – Week 3

2005

2006

2007

2005

• DONE – buy a heavy duty sprinkler
• Start compost bin (2006-07-01 – still not done)
• DONE – Look at trees [what kind to buy]
• DONE – Visit Nurseries and Garden Centers
• DONE – Get some catalogs
• DONE – Take more photos (2005-10-1 and 2005-10-2)

2006

• DONE – Start withholding water and food from trees; water only one a week. Otherwise they won't harden off well for winter (once/wk for establisehd; 2x wk for new)
• DONE – Last week to fert trees
• DONE – Make Garlic Labels – I am thinking of concrete ones for the generic garlic label and wood burned ones for varieties

2007

• DONE – Look for 1st set of blackey peas to be ripening (2007-08-12 – getting close)
• DONE – How are the squash doing? - 2007-08-12 – Already ate a few; zukes better [tasting] than yellow
• Need bed for fall garlic
• DONE – Space for winter peas – big accident – something smashed some yellow wax beans – so now I've got an area for peas :-)
• Spray Deer-Off around trees and veggies
• DONE – Enlarge,enhance water troughs in orchard (done 2007-08-21)
• Fill bird feeders
• Transplant Russian Sage
• Transplant Lilac to backyard
• Freeze more oregano
• DONE – More photos (2007-08-23)
• Update website
• DONE – Rig support for cherry tom in veg bed 2 – sort of – mostly just wove it through the fencing wire
• Buy concrete and posts – 3 bags per post – get a pallet like before
• Do something for sweet potato vine
• Order fall planted trees

08 – August – To Do – Week 1

2007

2010

2007

• DONE – Water Trees – Back yard, Gala Apple, [September Wonder] Fuji Apples
  
• DONE – Finish tacking fence wire (2007-08-12 started)
  
• DONE – Return [extra roll of] fencing to HD [Home Depot]
  
• Spray Deer-Away
  
• Fill bird feeders
  
• Transplant Russian Sage
  

2010

• DONE – Turn compost
  
• Clean Chicken Coop
  
• DONE – Deep Water Trees
  
• DONE – bag sunflowers [to prevent wild birds from eating the seeds off of the ripening heads]
  
• Dig compost into future garlic bed
  
• Start another compost heap – include more browns – dried stuff
  

08 – August – To Do

2006

2007

Goats

2006

• DONE – Order Garlic before mid-Sept (Ordered 2006-08-12; arrived 2006-09-25)
• DONE – Order the fancy daffs – last spring's were great (Ordered 2006-June)
• Grand Gala Apples are ready for harvest in August in zone 5 (2006-August – no apple harvest this year; 2007-07-29 not this year, either)
• Plant Trees
• [Plant] Winter Rye

2007

• Plant Trees
• DONE – Squash planted mid-June should be ready for harvestsoon (2007-07-29 – 4 zukes almost ready; right on schedule)
• Pick up trash [along fence line]
• Update website
• DONE – Take more photos
• Mulch Trees
• Spray Deer-away

Goats

• Breed angoras in Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov after fall sheering so they will kid after spring sheering

March - To Do - Week 1

2005

2006

2007

2005 - Nevada

• DONE - Research Trees
  
• DONE - Plot the location of things
  
• DONE - Keep tracking weather and wind
  
• DONE - Price tree protection
  
• DONE - Plot shade through a day
  
• DONE (2005-05-23) - Take photos of plants on property
  

2006 - Nevada

• DONE - Continue photographs
  
• DONE - work on website
  
• Plant more peas
  
• Sow more rye
  
• DONE (2006-03-29) - Photograph daffs (Potted)
  
• DONE - Order tree rootings
  

2007 - Nevada

• DONE - (2007-03-28) Start Toms! Red Pear
  
• [Sow] Indoors - Salvia
  
• DONE - (2007-03-31) Take more photos
  
• DONE - (2007--3-31) Work on website
  

March 07

Planting 2007

• Potted rosemary from Wal-Mart (Note: 2011-11-14 this plant is now 2 ft in diameter and two feet strong)
  
• Ginger bulblets (didn't grow)
  
• Avocado seed in dirt (didn't grow)
  
• Garlic for greens
  

Journal 2007

• Worked on chicken coop/greenhouse design
• M watered back yard trees
• Added parrot food mix to my bin of sunflower seeds
• Filled bird feeders & water dish
• Peanuts in shells are too big for feeder, so I thew them over the fence for the evil chipmunks
• Went for a walk around property with the dogs
• Enjoyed potting up some stuff - ginger bulblets, garlic for greens, rosemary and an avocado seed.  Love the smell of the dirt.
• The 20 gal metal trash cans are great for storage
• DJR cleaned the dog pen
• Cypress in front of dogs' pen look poorly
• One [Black Austrian] pine in driveway is decidedly dead
• I love this time of year
• Forcing pots not showing much life
• Warm days mean time to water more
• TO DO - Water front yard trees
• TO DO - Water side hybrid poplars north of metal building
• TO DO - Sprinkle some low growing something in the jasmine tub? Lemon basil?
• Can I really green up the place?
• Spring is seductive
• TO DO - Pull mulch from tubs and put around trees
• TO DO - Start Snap Dragons?

March - To Do

2006

2007

Breeding & Birthing

Goats

Bees

2006 - Nevada

• Look for Ducks at Lake Carson now through September
  
• Ending of the Snow Gease Season at Lake Carson
  
• Canadian Geese have returned to Lake Lahontan
  
• Deer in the Genoa area until April
  
• DONE - Fertilize trees - add spikes if not done in Feb
  
• DONE - Plant Pease
  
• Order chickens - not this year
  
• Buy light meter
  
• Buy food scale to weigh harvest
  
• Get another set of grow lights
  
• DONE - Order more driveway rock (Note 3/06 - MDH built a pickup truck bed hauler and can get it himself for cheap, now. He's so clever with building stuff)
  
• Plant more winter rye & also the yellow clover
  

2007 - Nevada

• March - April - Good time to move day lilies
  
• Plan some vacation days for March, April and May for planting out
  
• Stromberg's Chickens - Turkeys start being available mid-March; Common Geese available; Bobwhite Quail available; Ring neck pheasant available mid-March
  

Breeding & Birthing

Bred on March 1 gives birth on

• Mare - Feb 3rd
• Cow - Dec 8th
• Ewe - July 30
• Sow - June 22

Birthing

• Day old chicks available by mail order
• Mare bred April 1 - birth on Mar 6
• Cow bred June 1 - birth on Mar 10
• Ewe bred Nov 1 - birth on Mar 27
• Sow bred Dec 1 - birth on Mar 21

Goats

• Comb Cashmere Goats
• Crotch does before they kid
• Collect kidding gear
  
• Have fecal samples tested and worm if needed
• Set mouse traps near feed storage
• Check fences and gates for winter damage
• Clean out stalls
  

Bees

• Inspect hives & medicate if needed