My fenced deer proof vegetable garden

My sweetheart built this fabulous 20 x 20 foot, fenced garden for me March 2008. The deer and rabbits can now only dream about the luscious veggies growing inside.
I am still continually learning how to grow vegetables and think this year will be my best yet. I have spent countless hours on the Internet, reading other gardening blogs and books, on the best way to grow vegetables, what fertilizers and soil requirements are needed for the various vegetables and how to deal with insect damage.

There are tomatoes in the 'wall of water' cones. (in white planter box on the right)

I have roses growing on the outside of the fence. Bell peppers, which like it warm, are in these 'wall of water' cones.

Romaine & Patio blend Lettuce, Cauliflower, Swiss Chard.





The center squares (left) have Gladioli and Marigolds in them.








The strawberries already have many small berries, and promise to be abundant this year.




I also have pots of flowers. Here are vintage white & rose Stock surrounding a Dracaena.







Borrettana Cipollini onions are doing better than last year,
as are the Lancelot leeks.





Redbor Kale and Chinese cabbage
are growing like crazy. I am
very pleased with my efforts
this year.





On the outside of the garden fence, I have created a small bed to grow three ornamental gourds. As they grow they will be able to climb the fence. I use old panti-hose to support the heavy gourds as they ripen.





Today I planted six burpless Cucumbers, and surrounded them with a tent of protective row cover to keep them warm until they are established.
Tomorrow I will find a place for three Eggplant, and fertilize the other vegetables.

'Innuendo'

I wasn't too sure if I would like these pink tulips, but I must admit, they do look quite stunning sharing the blue pot with pink primroses, and a grass.

The Royal Horticultural Society, introduced 'Innuendo' for the 2009 season.

The flowers have nice strong stems and they last a long time.

Friday Funny

Wordless Wednesday

Walls O Water

For those of you who asked for more information on Wall O Water plant protectors.


The Reusable. 18" diam. x 18" high Wall O Water plant protector, absorbs heat from the sun during the day and releases it at night. This provides an even greater benefit than simple frost-protection covers that do not store heat.
You fill the tubes of these self-standing plant protectors with water, and they provide additional heat, allowing you to plant earlier and harvest later.

Should the weather drop to freezing temperatures, the wall o water becomes even more effective. Acting as an igloo around the plant, the frozen Season Starter releases even more heat, which protects the plants down to 16°F and even melts snow.

On hot summer days, the wall o water, is just as powerful in protecting your plants. It absorbs solar heat and moderates the temperatures inside, keeping plants cooler and protecting them from overheating.

I have found that Walls of Water are useful for extending the growing season for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other warm-season vegetables.

I bought mine at Ace Hardware, and I am sure you will be able to find them at your local hardware store or garden center.

Snug as a bug in a.........................

not exactly like a 'bug in a rug,' instead, toasty warm in a 'Wall of water'

Today it was tomato planting time in Keewee's Garden.
I half filled the 'walls with water' (henceforth known as w.o.w) before lifting them into place. Once I had them situated to my satisfaction I planted the tomatoes in the center of each one, and gave them a drink.

I only had room in this bed for 5 w.o.w and I had 7 tomato plants The Sungold cherry came in a four pack, but there were two plants in one cell, so I panted three within the w.o.w and tucked the other two in between two of the w.o.w. The other two w.o.w house a Better Boy and a Stupice heirloom tomato, which are both new to my garden.

After the tomatoes were planted and watered, I part way close the tops of the w.o.w using a clothespin. I want to keep the plants toasty, as it isn't really warm enough for them without protection just yet. I did this last year and had a wonderful head start on my tomatoes. In the spaces between the w.o.w I sprinkled sweet Basil seed.

These were also added to my front garden.

Hooked on Tulips

April 11th 2007 a friend and I drove up to LaConnor Washington to view the tulip fields. I was so taken with all the beauty, that when I arrived home, I immediately got on the internet, and ordered a few 160 bulbs for my gardens. ( I can't believe they have been in the ground all these years, where did the time go?)
These pictures are of some of the tulips in the front garden, the tulips planted in the garden around the carport are not in bloom yet, and I am excited to see that some of the double tulips I thought had died out are coming up.

Magier

Scarlet Pimpernel

Green Primrose

The plant tag said NEW! "rare and unusual" I knew I had to have Primula 'Francesca'

From label: This unique selection unusual ruffled or frilled flowers of lime green with a yellow eye. Unlike other varieties, the blooms remain attractive for many weeks or even months. Sure to be a conversation piece.

Here is a collage of just a few of the primroses in my collection.

As I wandered the herb and vegetable aisle at the garden center, I came across Elettaria Cardamom. The label said Ornamental and Culinary Uses.
I had been looking for a plant which grew tall and could stand some shade. As I read about the plant, on back of the label, I thought it may work for me.

From label: Tender perennial herb. Native to forest canopies of southern India: long, fragrant leaves. In sub-tropical conditions, loose flower panicles are followed by 3/4" fruit containing 14-20 edible seeds each. Grows 5-8 ' tall.

Yesterday, I was carrying a hummingbird feeder into the house to clean and fill it with fresh juice, when a Rufous hummingbird flew right up to me and proceeded to sip from the feeder I was holding in my hands. I was so startled I nearly dropped the feeder, but quickly got it together, and watched in awe as the little guy drank his fill. Where is someone with a camera when you need them?

Keewee the "Herb wrangler"

A couple of years ago, I decided to recycle an old styrene box used to house frozen salmon sent down from Alaska, as a temporary planter for some herbs. Little did I know how fast the herbs would burst out of the box.

Last year, Dwarf Greek Oregano, Rosemary, Mint and Chives fought for growing room in the box.

I thought, (foolishly) I would be able to remove some of the plants and find a new home for them. First of all I tried to move the container, but discovered the roots of the herbs had found their way through the drainage holes and had embedded themselves into the ground below. With a lot of huffing and puffing, I managed to push/pull the box onto its side.

Then came the task of removing the styrene, and with the help of a lawn edger, I manage to start prying the styrene from around the edges. It was still a difficult job, so I decided drastic measures were needed. Out came the bow saw, and I proceeded to cut plants, box and all into sections.

Huff, puff, grunt and groan, and with some effort, I had it cut into three sections.

Now I had to get the rest of the styrene from around the plants, so once again,using the lawn edger, and a few, under my breath cuss words, I wrangled these bulky somewhat heavy, sections around, until I managed to remove all the offending styrene.
Now what to do with the plants. I really could not see tossing them away, and by this time I was worn out, and did not want to struggle with them any more. I decided to plant them around the outside of the vegetable garden.

The vegetable garden is surrounded on the back side by about an 18 inch bank, which is covered in grass. " so what," I muttered to myself, "this is where the herbs will grow. If the wild rabbits eat them, so be it, if the grass over takes them, so be it. I am done fighting with these herbs and next time I plant some, they will each have a nice solid pot of their own"
I am sure. I am not the only one who talks to themselves in their garden, and I am not the only one, who had made work for themselves by planting something in an unsuitable container. We all live and learn.

Spring is overdone! Over blogged

What!!! you ask, who said that? I am confident you would never hear the words "Spring is overdone, or over blogged" by many gardeners.
Spring is a time of beauty and rebirth, a time when serious gardeners are all a tingle, vibrating with the urge to plant, create and drink in the beauty of the new growth in their gardens.

El Cid
We simply can't help ourselves when it comes to taking photos of our blooms to share with others. If you are like I am, I take oodles of photos looking for the perfect one to display on my blog. Thank goodness for digital cameras, I simply would not have the patience to wait while my photos were developed, then finding some are not up to par.

My "primrose garden" is just starting to wakeup from it's long winter nap. Give it another week before it shows it's full color.

This year the tulips are full and luscious as are the columbines, which were planted two years ago and are doing a grand job of filling in bare places between some of the other plants.

Under the bamboo tee pee I constructed last season, a huge Hosta will fill in, and I have not decided yet, if I will plant sweet peas or scarlet runner beans for their beautiful red flowers, to climb the tee pee. Perhaps both would be a nice combination, the sweet peas adding fragrance.

Well, we are taking a few days off for a little R&R so I will be back on Monday. You all have a wonderful weekend.

Mutter, mutter #%@* #^ Crows

In all fairness I shouldn't be upset at the crows, as I did plant a smorgasbord of peas without a covering of chicken wire or such like, to protect them until they started to sprout.

The crows left me three peas, so I guess I haven't much to complain about *grin* See, I do have a sense of humor. the rest of the row has some new seed sown and has a nice piece of wire over them. I suppose you will tell me that crows can get to my peas through the covering of wire. *chuckle*

This time, the newly planted peas are being protected by a piece of chicken wire.
I'll show those darn crows who is boss in my garden.

Coleus - I finally found the secret

Last fall I took three cuttings of Coleus Glennis hoping to have at least one take root. I really am tickled that at long last, I am successful at growing Coleus, as in previous years they have been a dismal failure. This time around, I had a very healthy plant to take cuttings from, as I found the perfect place for coleus to flourish, and that is on my front porch which gets just a little morning sun.

I am so delighted that all three took root, and have now been transplanted into this pot. As the plants grew I picked out the growing tip so they would bush out, and you can see, how lovely and full the three look.