Everything is Coming Up....Everywhere

Well, as we thought, we have green beans and corn coming up EVERYWHERE! I made a row of corn to give them a chance. I planted them in the same row as the sunflowers in hopes to add protection from the wind. I may even be able to make another row with the little ones coming up!

I was able to add a few orange peppers. I got my sunflowers after all, YAY! And let's see....oh, I see the potatoes coming up. This is very exciting. Everything is coming up that we planted.

This month May 2010 is the rainiest month in TN history. Hopefully things will become a little more balanced as the summer approaches. I'd be quite frustrated if the tomatoes got blight again this year.

Every year I manage to find a yard sale that is selling potted plants. This year I got some miniature hollyhocks, and two other plants (I don't know the name). I can't wait to see them come up!

and Re-Planted

For those who don't live in middle-TN, you may or may not have heard of the horrible flood that has come through the region. Not only did it destroy my precious little garden (a small loss compared to most) but also temporary shelters are at capacity, missing people are unaccounted for, many homes are under water, we're in a water conservation emergency, much of Nashville's economic base is threatened by flood damage, etc, etc. Please contact the Red Cross to Help.



So, my mother planted three rows of tomatoes that survived the flood, they were planted outside of the water path. I managed to save 5 plants (one sweet pepper, one jalapeno and three tomatoes). Just yesterday, we found many bean sprouts that washed away to another part of the property. I expect to see corn, potatoes, pumpkins and who knows what else cropping up. Or perhaps you may see my seeds cropping up where you live....

So, the flood washed away a lot of topsoil, so much so that we aren't going to plant the whole garden this season. Therefore, I was able to get 2 rows, but they are long because they are plowed horizontally rather than vertically. I replanted most everything except corn and sunflowers. There just wasn't enough room. That will be next year.

Our plan for this year is to get a load of topsoil for parts of the garden that lost it. We hope after harvest to plow and plant clover.

Even though it was washed out and we had double work, I have hopes that it will mean good things for the garden. More nutrients perhaps? We'll see....keep in touch for more.

Planted

The garden is planted, let the blog begin.

Mother and I planted our garden on April 29th. Beautiful. The soil, ohhhh the soil, was so spectacular it made me want to go back to my childhood and make mudpies. I planted:

Potatoes (new for me)
Sunflowers
Pumpkins
Corn (again, new for me)
Jalapeno Peppers
Sweet Bell Peppers
Tomatoes (Beefmasters and Bradley's)

2009 Recap, what I learned:

I tried to tame it down this year. Last years crop was such a disappointment with all the rain and the blight. Last year the poor tomatoes. It grieves me so to even talk about my poor tomatoes. Let's just say I harvested 2 tomatoes and had a couple ROWS of them. Darn BLIGHT!

Also, I enjoyed Pumpkins in 2008 that I thought I MUST plant many, many in 2009. Sometimes more is not better. Live and learn.

It was a spectacular jalapeno season last year...almost too much so. We had so many that 100s died on the plants. We just couldn't keep up. I tried the Sweet Peppers in planters last year. A place where they got PLENTY of sun, and that was successful. For what ever reason, sweet peppers don't do exceptionally well in the garden. I know this but I can't resist peppers, I just LOVE them, so I try year after year.

The Sunflowers were beautiful last year. Also, the little Baby Boo Pumpkins were adorable...I needed to plant those later in the year, though. The were ready too soon in the season.

NEW THIS YEAR:
Corn. I am so excited to try this. I understand that I must plant at least three rows to prevent the wind from knocking them down. I think I will put sunflowers on either side of them additionally for extra protection. BUT, I do know it grows. My grandfather grew it all the time.

Potatoes. I watched a Reading Rainbow episode a couple years ago about growing potatoes. I have been curious ever since. (Reading Rainbow? Yes, I have children.) This is the year to try out potatoes. I have started it late in the season, but I am trying to plant them in a shadier area, so we'll see.

Peppers are being planted in a different part of the garden, in hopes of finding the RIGHT place for peppers.