January 22

2006

2008

2011

2006

Gardening in the High Desert

Seed Orders

Bought 200 seeds of a lavender moonflower.  Never seen lavender ones advertised before.  [Finally got a few blooms in 2011 from a rabbit ravaged vine.] [Purchased from Onalee's Seeds] Also bought a few more seeds.  We'll see.

D has put up 10 more fence posts and is out of concrete now.

Should I get a Mantis Tiller? [2011-11-18 I did not, and I'm glad I didn't.  The sand is easy enough to just hoe up, and I do not have that big of a plot.]

Ordered some [used] "backyard bird" and "backyard wildlife" books from Amazon.com.  Had so much fun watching birds and such with my brother at his house.  Ordered a bird ID book, too.

From Onalee's Seeds - $27.50 Onalee@aol.com

• $15.00 - Impomoea Alba - White Moon Flowers
• $12.50 - Impomoea Turbinata - Lavender Moon Flowers

Plants of the South West $28.50 (Rec'd 1/28/2006)

• $2 - Lemon/Apple Cukes [2011-11-18 - Grew this in 2011 - seeds still viable - did not check germination rates, but it was over 50%
• $8 - High Desert Wildflower Mix 1 ounce
• $5 - 2 Pkt Blue Gama Grass
• $2 - Yellow Pear Tomato [2011-11-18 - These were also still viable in 2011]
• $2 - Sugar Snap Peas
• $2 - Mexico Miget Tomato [2011-11-18 - These were also still viable in 2011]
• $5 - Shipping

Prairie Garden Plant Ideas

(medium tall)

• Butterfly weed
• Columbine
• Cream False Indigo
• Narrow leave purple cone flower
• Nodding pink onion
• Orange Cone Flower
• Prairie Smoke
• Prairie Spiderwort
• Purple Con Flower
• Purple Prairie Clover
• Western Spiderwort
• Wild Petunia
• White Aster
• Prairie Dropseed Grass
• Blue Sky Aster (short)
• Downy Sunflower (tall)
• Little Blue Stem Grass
• Prairie Blazing Star
• Blue Gama Grass
• Big Blue Stem
• Prairie Sage
• Common Ox-eye

[2011-11-18 Note: Need to check if they are on the state "invasive" list.  Also, need to see what is poisonous to livestock, incase some escape from the "Prairie" to the "Pastures."]

Prairie Garden Tips

• Grow some samples in know places so you know what the seedlings look like
• Photograph samples for future 

Sweet Potato Storage

• Wash/Dry
• Grease with crisco, prick w/fork
• Bake 350*F until done
• Let cool & then wrap in foil (regular)
• Put in plastic bag and freeze

To Use

• Run under hot water and peal
• Prep as if fresh boiled
• Or microwave and will be like fresh baked

2008

Gardening in the High Desert
Need to start tracking weather in N TN and S Ky.

Remember: Procrastination Kills Plants!

2011

Gardening in the High Desert

00:46

I swear it feels like the tomatoes grew 2 inches in the last few days. Looks like the weather will be warm enough to put them outside a spell again.
Started, yes, more tomatoes. Also started some peppers. 12 weeks ahead of transplant time - just about right. Tomes will be leggy for sure, by then. But still, the more important thing is that they'll be old enough to start flowering as soon as they're in the ground. And set fruit before the scorching season arrives. Hopefully sunflowers will shaw and contain them.

22:17

Got so much done today; it was a good day for gardening

• Toms and basil and some ivy went outside
  
• Potted up some more basil from lettuce tray
  
• Potted sweet potato cutting in old Jack In The Box cup and put in a [decorative] tin pot
  
• Brought small daffs in for forcing
  
• Turned compost
  
• Hoed under some weeds in future beds
  
• Can't believe how much bigger the transplanted basil is
  

November 18

2011

2012

2011

Gardening in the High Desert.
Howling winds last night. I heard that they were over 50 MPH with gusts close to 80 MPH. Windy all day today. We lost power for a while, but that is normal when it is this windy, and we're used to it now. Big fire in Reno. Winds calmed in the evening, and their was a light snow falling by the time I left work.

Not much gardening going on this time of year.

• Watered houseplants: ficus, sweet potato and sweet potato daughter, and my golden pothos, which is a daughter of my original golden pothos from a plant I brought home from a job over 10 years ago.
  
• Transcribed a few more days of my written journals
  
• The first seed catalog came this week
  

So this is my first "on line" journal post that I did not originally hand write in one of my books. Not sure how I feel about that. Will my kids or anyone else care about having the hand-written copies? I am at the dividing line between two technologies, and while I love the digital world, I am not yet able to leave the old one behind. Perhaps I am destined to be anachronistic.

2012

Gardening in the Middle Tennessee.
Went to Bass Pro in Nashville yesterday. BOught a turkey fryer and also a bird feeder. In NV it took a week before the birds felt comfortable eating at the feeder - here, it was more like hours. In one day, they've eaten about 25% of the sunflower seeds. I can see it from the kitchen window, hanging in the grand old magnolia.

November 14

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.
Sun ~ In my wildest dreams, I did not anticipate that grass would become my number one weed! Crab grass is trying to take over. Weeded the two main garlic beds - primarily for grass. Threw [the grass clumps] in [a] five gallon bucket with some water. Hope freeze, thaw and water will kill it [it did not]. Not adding to my compost until I know beyond a doubt that it won't re-sprout.

WINTER SOWING
Been reading about it at Dave's Garden, and think I shall try it this year [I didn't]. Sow seeds in milk jugs that are left out over winter. Looks like I can plant just about anything using this method.

Spinach is growing slowly. Pea vines are still good, but not actively growing. Will use for chick "greens" tomorrow. Collards are also doing well, although have mealy bugs. Cabbage moth time seems to be over - no new holes on leaves.

May 16

2006 - Journal Entry

Mosquitoes: 150
People: 30

The mosquitoes were the unequivocal winner in last night's challenge. Even MDH was chased inside. Tree went un-watered, dog pen was left un-cleaned, dirty coveralls were left outside. Lesson to be learned - don't plan on accomplishing anything when the vampires are out.

Got all 26 of the large poplar cuttings planted out, but only about half of them got all the water they needed. Supposed to be in the 90's today - we'll see if they survive. 2 or 3 of the first 10 (9" cuttings) are looking very poorly, and a few are looking very well. The rest are just kind of hanging out, although their leaves are nice and deep green. These are tough old trees, though, so I am continuing to water them all, even the one that looks pretty much mostly dead. :-) About 50 more 9" cuttings are sitting in water, languishing... way too much top growth for the roots to support at this point.

[Incomplete]

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?