I'm Back!

Today, I planted my son's cute little tomato plant, that he brought from school, in our garden. It is our first planting of the 2013 season. Anyway, I'm supposed to be studying for my state board exam tomorrow (Yay!) so, I am just going to post a few pictures and call it good.

Mystery Tomato From Isaac's School

Leaf Covered Compost

Beautiful Compost peaking though

Nice Sifted Compost

Chicken Treats (grubs)  from compost bin

Sweet Hens chasing down their treats

2nd year for my little cherry tree

Yay, Spring!

Garden starting to wake up and still pretty empty

3rd year for asparagus and my first harvest of 2013!

BONUS Picture!

And here is my littlest sister starting her 2013 container garden. She's also growing twin girls! We are so excited to meet them in August/September. <3

Long Distance Gardening

This year I had to choose things I thought would do well without me in living in Tulsa because I'm moving to Stillwater, OK to finish my final year of veterinary school. (yay?) I hope to be home most weekends and for a 9 week stint in late Summer/early Fall while I'm on preceptor (think "interning") with a few clinics (O.V.S. and Forest Trails) and then The Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum.

Here is a labeled photo of this year's backyard garden (click photo to view)

I have also planted (but, not labeled) onions throughout, flowers to attract pollinators (marigolds, red & white clover, alyssum, sweet peas, sunflowers), cilantro, more basil, and a pomegranate tree that will probably never fruit BUT it's survived 2 winters. Before I leave I plan to set up the automatic watering system to water the garden and also give fresh water to the chickens. That way my husband will have as little "urban farm" duties as possible.

So, I guess we will see how a year without me will treat the garden.





Bonus Picture: My Garden From Space

(I'm not sure,  but I think this was last year)

A Home for the Bees

I have wanted to keep bees for a long time now. You see, my Grandpa Krause was a beekeeper back in Humbolt Co. and it has always fascinated me... BUT! I have taken a solemn vow to hold off on the hives until I graduate from Vet School. Now, while that vow is still safe, I do have a new home for bees in my garden!!! HURRAY!

It's for Mason Bees!  

 I've been hearing for years from Mike McGrath on "You Bet Your Garden," that native pollinators are just as (or more) important to gardens as the non-native honey bee. So, when I recently discovered that these poor guys had been trying to live in the handle of one of my watering cans, and then drowning, I decided to build them a little condo. I also turned the can upside down. Hopefully they'll get the hint. 


I have found this project to be really, really simple and very cheap. 


What I used:


-a drill
-a 5/16 drill bit
-a piece of scrap wood (preferably un-treated)
- 3 screws 
- a fence post (near the garden)

 This is the scrap piece of wood that was left over from a garden bed I put in out front. I am unsure if it's treated. 

 These are the bits that I had to choose from. In my very brief research I found out that 5/16 inch was the size hole that mason bees prefer to live in. LUCKY ME, we had that size. 

I drilled a very crude hole in the back to fit over the screw so it could hang from the fence. 

Then I Drilled 

a lot.

I kinda felt like a "Maverick!" 

Pretty Nice

 I did have to put a few extra screws under the condo as bracing. I think this may have had something to do with the crudeness of the hanging hole. 

I have the "Bee Condo" kinda highlighted in the background.

I think if I make another one I'll put more holes in it or maybe do something like this. All in all, I think this project went pretty well. If I see any tenants I'll post an update.

Here is a link to instructions to build a Mason Bee House. 
Here's a nice house you can purchase that my buddy and classmate Andy found. (It seems us vet students are often geeks in similar ways)

(another link to Mason Bees)

BONUS PHOTOS:


#1 
The hens enjoying some watermelon. Those poor girls are really stressed by this heat.

#2
 I mowed around the pumpkins. So far, even with some squash bugs, they are growing well. Although, I haven't seen them setting any fruit.

Salsa, Ears and Strawberry Stress

Hello again

Well, the garden is really cookin' (HA!). Apparently it was the hottest June Oklahoma has had since 1911. The heat has been pretty good for the tomatoes, great for the corn and super bad for the poor poor strawberry plants.

Salsa!

I have been making fresh salsa since I first started gardening. It's just fun and easy!


I use:
-a handful of fresh cilantro
-fresh squeezed lemon juice
-home grown garlic & onions
-Anaheim peppers
-salt & pepper
-and a whole bunch of home grown tomatoes
(cherry & standard sized).

Someday I hope to get it all from my garden, but this year I grew peppers that are MUCH too hot for me, my cilantro bolted in early june and well I don't know how to grow lemons here. (I guess I could get a dwarf variety and grow it in doors...) 

maybe next year...

not sure what this die off is about. The rest of this tomato plant is great though

YUM!!!!

And now The Strawberries!

This how most of my strawberry plants looked after forgetting to water them for ONE DAY!!!

It's just not fair. 

So, I moved them to the shady side of the house (the front) and I hope they will survive this super summer out there.

Another factor that seemed to play a roll was the type of container. All of the plants in plastic pots were much less stressed.
I may have to re-evaluate keeping them in terracotta pots... or not.

*** update: Terra Cotta Pot Sealer. I'm not sure how toxic it is, but it may be worth looking into.***

AND the EARS!!!

I have Corn Corn Corn!! And I did not have to grow it in a block! TAKE THAT CONVENTION!

Oh and there is more where that came from! 

The 2nd crop just started pushing it's tassels out. 

Here are 2 bonus pictures

#1

I love this Bell Pepper (Golden Bell) I haven't let them turn yellow though.
 I always pick them when they're light green.

#2

Brussels Sprouts! I hope they turn out because I really love to eat them.

Garden Update with Rose Photos

Hello Friends! (and Enemy...)

My tomatoes are huge & red, my peppers are doing great, carrots are thirsty & heat stressed, squash plants are in several stages of death, melons are pathetic, corn is looking good (ears are hand pollinated as silk emerges), garlic + onions seem happy, asparagus is doing it's getting established thing, brussels sprouts have not yet bolted, the lettuce has more than bolted, beans are starting to produce (but not much), and herbs are as vivacious as ever.

In short, just like every year it's gonna be a mixed bag. 

Here are pictures of my two Knock Out roses. The perfect rose for the busy human

the tomatoes (behind the roses) are about a foot to 2 feet taller now

a poem: 

If I had a gun I'd stalk 

Squash Vine Borer Moths, 

which is why I should never have 

a gun.

~R. Davis