Crazy weather!

We have had temps down to freezing the last couple of nights. I had to run out and get some plastic drop cloths and use some row covers I had. I covered the tomato and Peppers with empty soda and instant coffee jars.
I was not prepared for frost a month after our last frost date.  But my plants, seedlings survived. Do not know yet if the seeds not sprouted will sprout yet.
But I have been adding videos on Utube. I would love it if you would follow me there. It is giving me something to do. 

 My cat page on facebook has slowed to a craw. I feel like I am quickly loosing my fan base. Even thought my numbers are still there.Facebook is not letting people see my page. This is not just me. But all pages. They want us to pay, for our fans to see us. I make no money on that page. So why would I pay to be seen. Sorry about the gripe. But I need things like this blog and utube to motivated me to accomplish things. The page for my cats is just fun sharing there adventures.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

Garden update

I planted my broccoli yesterday, Then today added wood mulch. And some hay bails to surround. This way I can cover with plastic, to protect. if we get another frost or snow. I found my asparagus to be completely damaged. Like mush.

Onions, they either over wintered or seeded on there own. They are mushy on the bulb. Question: Do I leave them in the ground or remove them? Will the seed be OK?
 Notes
I read onions with large bulbs like this one. It is a yellow onion that I grow for storage is a biennial, Which means you can grow it just foliage and bulbs the first year. Then they bloom and set seed the following year, The plants will die after that.

I would like to save my own seed from the plants, to use next year.  These onion bulbs would not be good for storage. Even if they were not cold/frost damaged. They'll still taste OK but the thick flower stalk that comes up from the center of the bulb will cause a large open neck on the bulb. Bulbs with large open necks don't keep well in storage.

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Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

Working in the garden again

Today I had some help, My granddaughter Jozlyn, was sent home from preschool. So she helped me plant 11 more tomatoes. I recruited hubby to dig the holes. So I was able to get this row done in an hour or so. The other row took me a day and a half. I am not able to do as much as I use too. But any thing is better then nothing. I also started posting on my garden blog again. It has been 3 years since I last grew a garden. You are welcome to visit it at  http://itsgreenday.blogspot.com/   I uploaded my first garden video to it  today. I hope by blogging it. It will keep me going. And motivated to do more.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

Almost garden time

We are so far behind in the state of Missouri. Weather is crazy. Wind, rain, hail, cold, tornadoes. All have been a part of spring in my state. I am one of the lucky ones.We just need to repaint the house. And fix a small leak in the roof.

 Thursday was warm enough to plant 11 tomato plants.  I am so out of shape, it took me all day to do this one row. The next day pain all over along with more rain. So I covered the transplants with plastic.

 Here is a peek at the ones left to plant, And I am so glad the ones in the ground are doing ok. We may have another day of frost Wednesday.

 Walking around the yard, I found many crawdad houses. This is the tallest one.

 Yesterday hubby and I went to the Mennonite seed store. I love to see all the horse and buggy's. I purchased the seed packets below, to add to my collection of Heirloom and organic seed. There was proof there too. Not all of them were found in the organic isle. Corn only had 1 yellow and 1 white. In heirloom. .   But could not be places as organic. Because there are no more truly organic corn seed left in our country. Gmo's have crossbred. and contaminated even the corn in Mexico. From what I have read on the internet. I am not an expert on this. So research for your self.. It is scary to think of the future of our descendants. All I can do is plant what I have, And save the seed and pass it on to my grandkids.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

Hubby & the garden.

I was over at Sues blog a bit ago.
She pointed us to a new site

http://mysleepinghusband.blogspot.com/
I thought this was so funny, as I have a hubby that falls asleep allot too.
And of all things. I get up to take photos of the garden and what do I find on my way.
Yes a sleeping hubby. So I snapped a shot and woke him up. HEHEHE...
Now I can smile and enjoy hubby falling asleep, thanks to her.

Todays garden

My first ripe tomato is a brandy wine.

I have a very holy garden.

The cauliflower has a purple sun burn.

I removed it all today.

I have more photos on my garden blog.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. - George Bernard Shaw

Garden up date

I have been experimenting with color mulch this year. You can see more on my garden blog if you like.

My tomatoes with the cypress mulch is out growing the others with red or silver mulch. The cauliflower is growing great silver, but getting a bit larger on red.

cabbage is doing well with aluminum foil under it.

please do not mind the weeds I have not been able to work on them in a few weeks.

now look at this poor cabbage with no tin foil.
big difference

My self watering buckets are trying both colors. The silver one was just planted yesterday. And had to go through the storm we had. So It needs some catch up time.

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. - George Bernard Shaw

No dig garden 1

My no dig topsoil garden
I will be gardening by the moon phases today I am doing a few red potatoes.
March 21 - 22 is Root Crops, example Horseradish, Sweet potato



I started by buying 30 bags of top soil bout $40.00 worth. I laid them double wide around one side of the garden. the photo to the right shows how you can put them in fount of your flowers and hide the bags with mulch later.
Then I cut an x in the bottom of the bag and flipped it over.

I cut an x and a square in the top and mixed in cow manure and peat moss. I place the potato 1 per a bag and pulled the plastic back up around it. so It will not be fully exposed to the elements. I will place mulch over the bags and a plastic hoop house to protect it from frost for now. I will show more tomorrow. as the 23 - 25 of march is Flower crops, e.g. beans, peas for moon gardening. I will plant broccoli . 4-6 seed per a bag.
You can grow most any thing that is not a deep root crop this way. Corn is one that need deeper roots. but if you work the dirt below the bag and open the split under the bag for the roots to go deeper any thing can be grown this way.

Planting by the Moon

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, radishes and other root crops Moon in Taurus (best results) or moon in Capricorn (good results) Waning moon when moon is in Taurus or Capricorn

Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. - George Bernard Shaw

My garden design

I did my garden design with windows paint and adobe photo deluxe. 4.0 I have version 6 & 7 to but do not like them yet.
I did an overview of the yard. Then added photos of last summer to remind me of what I did then.
Now I have to decide how to expand. Where to put things like tomato and corn so not to cross pollinate. I need more information on distance. So I can keep the seed pure. I also need a place for melons. as they did not do well last year.

I looked for an online designer or free soft ware.

So far this is the first one I have found it is simple and basic.
virtual online plan graph designer
I will use it later for placement of veggies

.My first plan above is the whole yard. placement of trees house etc. The tan color is house or buildings. gray is rock.The color yellow is where the is a chance . either full or part sun. White is full shade. Blue is water. Red is fruit tree or berry. Green is flowers , bush or veggies. We have allot of trees so there is not much full sun locations. My main veggie garden is the top of photo beside the house. I do not use the back because there is a dry creak bed that will flood . We have crawdads in that area also. I my try corn back there near the property line. or container or top soil bags this year.





This is my basic design . I used the 3 sisters method of growing last year. beans using the corn to grow on and yellow squash between the plants. It worked quite well in saving space.
I plan to try self watering buckets.
And the no dig method of top soil bags . This will help to expand the garden.

I also used companion plants to prevent insect damage to the veggies.
I will expand on that and add more flowers.





Have a wonderful day and remember to laugh and play.
Grammy

Want to trade seeds?

Gardening is one of my favorite things to do.

I am so thankful, to be able to work in my yard. I love to collect hostas. And Grow veggies. With the home I am in now. I have started adding annuals for color. And saving the seed for next year.

I am so going to miss all the blooms in the yard. As winter approaches.
I had an ideal we could trade seed this year and have even more blooms next year please leave me a comment to let me know if you would like to join in on a seed exchange this year. It can include Veggies herbs and flowers.

These are some of the blooms I still have and there seed will be in the trade.

This is Cinimon basil, I also have sweet basil to trade also.

Small Yellow & orange Marigolds

2 foot tall yellow & orange marigolds.

My green peppers were wonderful & prolific this year. And will be in the seed trade.
I do not have enough nasturtium
seed to trade this year. Maybe next year.
This is a must buy for your garden.
To keep harmful bugs out of garden and around fruit trees.
My corn was perfect this year thanks to this plant. I will buy allot more if my plant don't reseed.
I was only able to find 4 seeds to pull off my self.
This plant is said to repel aphids,cucumber beetles, white fies and squash bugs.
Acts as trap crop for aphids. Repels borers near fruit trees.

I have some of these free flower from mother nature
Bidens laevis

Common names: Joaquin Sunflower and Bur Marigold. Begger’s tick;
tolerates alkaline soil and no drainage. grows in marshy areas, along creeks, and pond edges in California and across to Virginia. A rather nice yellow daisy that works well in wetter sections of the garden. Plant it in a sunny 'drought tolerant' bed of typical garden plants or for a little california in you English garden.
Height: 2 to 6 feet
Comments: Floppy habit; prefers cool summers; keep moist; native
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Asterales
Family Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus Bidens L. – beggarticks

Species Bidens laevis (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb. – smooth beggartick

I have some tomato seed also

Please leave a comment with what you may have to trade and email me your address at ehsherlock@gmail.com.
This will be like a chain letter . I will include a list of addresses along with seeds. The first one will take what they want and place in at least the same amount that was removed with there seed. Then mail on to the next person. and so on. It will end back at me. If enough people want to do this I will send one package to the east and one to the west then switch them so every one will get 2 chances at the seed.

This post is on the following site's This week.



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I am so thankful to have so many wonderful friends here on my blog.
Your comments bring joy to my heart and a smile to my face.

Not allot Bloomin this Tuesday

My marigolds are still in bloom in the Veggie garden.

The golden rod is at its peek.

My new chickens are now happy enough to dance for us.

Next week I have to take pictures of my neighbors flowers. He He He.

Have a great week my friemds.