Here comes the Sun (do do do do)
Anyone else want to break out in the Beatles’ song when you see a pretty yellow flower? Because I do.
LOOK AT THIS BABY!
The first daffodil has arrived! Â Sun, sun, sun, here it comes!
March 12, 2012
· 
Sheryl · 
No Comments
Tags: Daffodils · Posted in: Flowers
Slacker
I thought that I would at least be able to post every other day, but I have already missed that boat. I have been out enjoying the beautiful weather in NJ this weekend, and have about 5 posts “in the works”, but have yet to organize the pictures and get them finished. I’m going to do better… Thanks for reading, please don’t give up on me yet. I’m sorry for being a posting slacker. On a more positive note, yay DST! Looking forward to getting home from work this week when there is still daylight left.
March 11, 2012
· Sheryl · No Comments
Posted in: Herbs
Introducing the Community Garden – Year 1 (2010)
The town we live in has a community garden area next to the library, where residents can pay $6 to ‘rent’ a plot of land for the season to grow stuff. It’s an awesome deal. It’s prime growing real-estate — the plots are located right next to the Rockaway River, so there are pumps set up to bring water to sections of the garden, no more than 20 ft from any given plot. It only had a few surrounding trees, so most of the plots get full sun.
We found out about it the first year we lived in the house, and since our yard doesn’t have a lot of good sunny spots that would allow a fenced in garden area, my husband and I decided to sign up. We found out that new gardeners are only allowed 1/2 a plot, frankly, because most new comers give up the first year. We were kind disappointed at first, but quickly realized there was valid concern as our 1/2 plot neighbors disappeared one by one and their plots became overgrown and unkempt as the growing season progressed. It’s OK, it was a decent plot of land (about 8′x15′) for our first year, and allowed us to get “our grow” on. Pics below — Sorry, I can’t seem to locate any pics later in the season. We didn’t put too much effort into updating the fence that was already there, because we were hoping to get a full plot the next year.
2010
We proved ourselves! Success with tomatoes, peppers, string beans, zucchini, and summer squash. But… our brussels sprouts were eaten, carrots came out deformed, cucumbers caught a fungus (gross), and onions and garlic were stunted. Not too bad for a first try though!
Stay tuned for year 2.
March 8, 2012
· Sheryl · No Comments
Tags: Community Garden · Posted in: Community Garden
Aloe Plant
While its still cold outside and not much outdoor gardening going on yet, I’m going to share some of my indoor plants. (for the record, its supposed to be in the 60′s the next 2 days in NJ, YAY!)
I have been wanting an aloe plant for awhile, and while visiting one of my bffs a few weekends ago in Virginia, I discovered the Merrifield Garden Center (awesome place). They had a cute little aloe plant for only $5. I had to buy it.
I transplanted it, and it already has new growth. Unfortunately, I also bent one of the existing leaves, so I had to harvest from it a little earlier than I had planned.
Aerial View of the Broken Leaf
Aloe Plant, bent leaf removed
Hmm… fresh aloe is a lot stickier than I thought it would be. Â This may just be a regular houseplant instead of a home remedy.
March 6, 2012
· Sheryl · No Comments
Posted in: Indoor Garden
Summer Squash
For the last two years in our garden, we’ve had tremendous success with summer squash and zucchini. We’ve bought 2 – 3 little yellow squash and zucchini seedlings (each), and gotten more squash than my husband & I could eat. This year, we are actually trying to grow them from seeds.
I picked up a Burpee Summer Squash Gourmet mix seed packet for that contained 4 different varieties of squash: Golden Zucchini (Which is just a variety of Yellow Squash), Greyzini (I’ve never heard of this before, but here is a description), Sure Thing Hybrid (after some research, this seems like regular green zucchini), and Italiano Largo Hybrid (also a new one for me, but its supposed to have a nutty Italian flavor– though I’m not really sure what that means, I’ll have to report back on that after a successful harvest).
The cost, $2.95, was a little more than most seeds ($1-1.50), but since we had 4 different plants with 1 packet, and were weren’t going to have 12 plants of each variety, it made sense to buy the mix. Plus, we got to try two new varieties of summer squash that we would probably not have tried otherwise. The package was supposed to be 25% of each type, but it definitely wasn’t. I grouped them by similarity, and after a google search of squash seed images, I made an educated guess as to which seed would produce which squash. See the image below: Starting at the top left, and moving clockwise, I think I have 1) Golden – these had a less pronounced ring at the edges, 2) Greyzini – slightly irregular shape, 3) Largo – they were the largest, 4) Sure Thing – very pronounced ring at edge, medium size
We planted 6 seeds, 2 Golden, the single Greyzini, 2 Sure Things, and 1 Largo.  The Goldens were the first to pop up and are already transplanted, and still going strong. Next, 1 Sure Thing, and the other one is a few days behind, and I plan to transplant them tonight. Finally, it looks like the Greyzini is starting to pop up, but the Largo is still no where to be found. We have 2 more Largo seeds, and if there is no action by next weekend, we’ll try again.
Zucchini Mix, Top Row, Goldens already removed.
First Golden Squash
Second Golden Squash
I’d like to have 6 seedlings to plant in our garden in May, post-frost danger. Right now, the Goldens and the Sure Things are about the size we’d buy them to plant directly in the ground; if they keep going at a good pace, they will be nice and big by the time May arrives, and maybe we’ll even get an early harvest (knock on wood). Who knows, maybe we’ll even start a second batch that would take us into early fall.
March 4, 2012
· Sheryl · One Comment
Tags: Squash · Posted in: Produce
Dirt
I’ll let you in on a little secret, I don’t actually like to touch dirt. I know, I know, I’m writing about gardening and I don’t like touching dirt. Of course, sometimes its inevitable, but I like to avoid when possible. The way to do that:
Garden Gloves!
 
These are so adorable! Only $1 each at Christmas Tree Shops. I had to get 3.
March 2, 2012
· Sheryl · No Comments
Posted in: Gardening Supplies
Almost spring…
I thought March 1st was appropriate to share my first post with the world – or more likely, my nearest and dearest.  March is the month that holds the Spring Equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway), and when we start to find that perfect weather balance – not too cold, not too hot – while winter still tries to intimidate us with the chance of a major snow storm to foil our plans!
Daffodils sprouting
Chives coming back
Rhododendron budding
Take that, Winter!  I’m not scared of you. SPRING IS COMIN’!
March 1, 2012
· Sheryl · 3 Comments
Tags: Spring · Posted in: Flowers