Charley's Vegetables » updates

This Summer’s Garden

Jason — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:39:58 +0000

Like Lacey said in the previous post, it has been a very challenging year for gardeners. I had big plans of having a small garden that had some of everything we grow in it then recording short videos of every thing we did in the garden. Unfortunately, I broke my leg and that didn’t really happen. So like Lacey said, there is always next year.

Also I need to apologize to all of you who posted comments that went unanswered until now. There were a couple of settings wrong on the website that did not notify me of the comments. Please accept my sincere apology in the delay. I think we have it all fixed now.

Hope your garden was better than ours and here’s to next years effort!

Lacey’s Garden

Lacey — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:19:50 +0000

Basically all I can say is my garden was a total flop this year. Between busy-ness and traveling and the dog, the only things to survive were the sunflowers and zinnias. The tomatoes did okay but certainly not a bumper crop. I will share some pictures from my very pitiful garden, and as a gardener is always the optimist, start planning for a better year next year.

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Interview with the Tomato Guru

Lacey — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:21:19 +0000

I finally managed to have a chat with my neighbor down the street whom I call the Tomato Guru. He is a fount of information and his tomatoes are always the best in this area! The video runs about 4 1/2 minutes long but it is worth watching. Yall have a good 4th!

Interview with Tomato Guru

Charley’s Garden Pictures

Jason — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:24:05 +0000

Picking Squash In Charley’s Garden

Jason — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:46:33 +0000

A couple of quick videos of Charley’s garden and picking squash.

Finally! Spring is Here

Lacey — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Finally!

Everything finally got dry enough that I could plant my potatoes. I think I sat on the potatoes for 2 weeks before I was able to get to the garden when it was still dry. It seemed during those 2 weeks that every time it was dry enough to plant, I had other commitments, and then it would rain. So it all worked out last week and the potatoes are now in the ground. I planted

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baby spinach and lettuces, too. This weekend was spent trying to find places to plant my flower seeds – zinnias, mostly, and some marigolds, cosmos, a little cilantro, cockscomb and scarlet poppies. I’m finding that I am a compulsive seed buyer, and saver, and between the two, I have seeds enough for five acres while living on a 1/4 acre! I keep hinting to my very patient husband that maybe we could plant corn and okra and the rest of my flowers in the front yard. He hasn’t directly said no, so maybe…

Charley Is Going Fishing

Jason — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:13:36 +0000

Charley is thinking about going fishing this afternoon. Since it rained yesterday, the ground is too wet to plow. As soon as the ground dries out enough for long enough, we are going to get some veggies planted. In the mean time, here are some pictures of Charley’s Veggies that we might get to plant.

Cole Crops

Jason — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:09:05 +0000

Cole Crops refer to early season cold hardy vegetables that include cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, lettuce and chard.

In the deep south, cole crops need to be planted by the first of March. In the mid-south (Arkansas and Oklahoma) they should be in the ground by the middle of March. However this year, we have had such a cool, wet March so far the ground has been too wet to plant. I think that gardens will be able to plant their cole crops later this year.

What happens with cole crops is when the temperatures heat up, the plants just don’t fo as well. So planting early and growing cooler is better.

Farther north, cole crops can be planted on up into April.

Still waiting for Spring….

Lacey — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:58:42 +0000

I just heard on the news that it is supposed to be colder and wetter than normal for the next 3 months! I know we are at the whim of the weather, but I am sure ready to dig in my dirt. But…its just mud, mud and more mud! Last year I was ready to plant my early lettuce and snow peas, but I cannot even get to the garden without my wading boots! How is it in your neck of the woods? Hope the sun is shining on you!

Winter Weather

Lacey — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:07:39 +0000

With 8 inches of snow on the ground and freezing temperatures outside, the only thing one can do in the garden is dream about it from the couch. Now is planning time…time to study last years garden and decide what to do different this year. Reflect on the layout and plantings and harvest, what do you need to expand? How did the design of your garden affect accessibility and aesthetics? Were your paths wide enough? Could you get to everything easily to pick the fruit? Did you have too much of one thing and not enough of the other? What worked and what did not?

Reflecting and recording are two favorite past times of good gardeners. Write down your thoughts and new ideas. Study the seed catalogs and order new seeds for the Spring. The vision of your new garden will enable you to weather the winter blues without too much cabin fever.

Enjoy the snow – it is summers irrigation!