The 2012 season and other things.

Well here it is March and things are starting to move somewhat. For folks who have not heard I have been granted disability by the SSA.While I am limited on what I can do personally that will in no way limit plans for the family garden. Plenty hands to help out with planting and maintaining the garden. We still plan to plant 100+ tomato plants and 100 pepper plants.We are also looking at eggplant,potatoes and sweet corn to be reintroduced to the garden this year along with some new greens and herbs.Also going to grow some onions.Looking at having Walla Walla but also some other bulb onions along with cipollini onions and bunching onions.

Flower beds are planed too with a rainbow of color including of the best known and popular flowers including wave petunias,marigolds,pansies , larkspur and more.Hope to make raised beds for a few roses too.
A Tropical Twist:: As many know I am a native of Los Angeles and miss some plants and trees that are from the tropics.So in the future I will get some dwarf citrus trees that can be brought indoors and protected from Michigan's cold winters. Also hope to restart my Orchid collection. Here are some links to some of the companies I hope to make purchases from this year.Hope everyone has a great season this year.

Kawamoto Orchids

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Johnny's Selected Seeds

Well overdue for an update here.So here I am snow on the ground and thinking of the 2012 season.Before I get to far I want to say thank you to my friends in the online garden community.Thanks to you all my family will have a full garden in 2012. This and past kindnesses have meant the world to my family.

Anyway having a hard time deciding remainder of the 2012 tomato grow list beyond what has been grown in the past.When you have over 200 varieties it really is interesting picking out the rest of them by reputations and type.Thank God the new digs has lots of room. I hope to have the 2012 master list ready soon.Hot peppers will be really interesting. My niece and I have peppers going from one end of the scoville scale to the other.Among the well known ones are Bhut Jalokia,Trinadad Scorpion Butch T and Biker Billy Jalapeno. Will post more soon.

The Generosity of Fellow Gardeners.

Hi all,
I am continuously amazed at how willing many of my fellow gardeners are to share seeds with other gardeners.I have been both very grateful and thankful for this.I have made some very good friends over the last few years and am very thankful for that. It is my hope and prayer that despite what is happening in our world these days we will remain true friends and continue to share our love of gardening,farming and nature.For all concerned lets be at peace with one another sharing our joys and sorrows. To me it is like having a lot of extended family members and despite our personal beliefs we remain family and friends.

God bless you all,

Kevin

Harvesting and reflections.

One thing is for sure my tomato harvest has been pretty good so far. We have some new stars in the garden. # most notable are Rose with fruits which easily exceed a pound.Black from Tula which not only produced some great tasting tomatoes but also is a producing machine and Campari OP which has also produced lots of tasty fruits. Black Krim also did well but is done for the season. I have several other I am still waiting on.But I am getting concerned about the weather right now as our lows are dipping down to the upper 40's to mid 50's with day temps in the 70's. My keeper list is as follows.Any of them with a question mark is a debatable return.

Black Krim

Black from Tula

Giant Italian Paste

Mariana's Peace

Rose

Earl's Faux

Big Zac F9

Spudakee

Vorlon?

Siletz?

Note this list is not complete as some have not gotten ripe yet.

Cucumbers where outstanding this year with over 100 cukes harvested. Gonna have to plant extras next year. Kabocha squash where a great producer this year too with 15 squash harvested. Pumpkins where not so good.Not because of weather or anything I did or did not do but because of Squash Vine borer. But I still managed to get two perfect Jack O Lanterns (Howden FM) and still growing is my rather large but not earth shattering Atlantic Giant which looks to be about 100 pounds.

Peppers: While I have gotten some nice ones production could have been better and am still waiting on some more to be ready for harvest.

Kevin

Garden looking good.

Sorry I don't have any pics yet.I just gotta do a wee bit of bragging. My tomatoes have started to bloom and some have set fruit.The ones that have are Black Krim,Black from Tula,Rose,Vorlon,Cowlicks Brandywine,Cherokee Purple and Mariana's Peace.Should be a great tomato year. The rest should bloom and set fruit soon.

Also it looks like the Great Pumpkin is smiling on my patch. Slowly but surely I am getting blooms and fruit set.The ones setting fruit are my Atlantic Giants,Kabocha and Howden FM. The rest are putting on lots of new growth and should bloom soon.

Cucumbers are doing very good with a combined two hill fruit set of thirteen that should be ready in about a week.And the vines are going crazy.

Sugar Baby Watermelon are also growing like crazy and looks like we have fruit set with three little melons so far.

Bell peppers and Jalapeno should be blooming soon. All these plants are looking good and putting on new growth.

Amish Cantaloupe: Got a late start with these but are putting on new growth and are looking good. Most likely will not have any til the end of August beginning of September.

When all is said and done I am proud of what I was able to plant this year.Considering having to dig by hand and my health.I have more variety with my tomatoes and pumpkins than I have ever had in forty years of gardening.I know my Mom and Dad and several of my late gardening relatives would be happy to see it too.

God Bless and good gardening to all.

Kevin

Day Dreaming About Tillers.

Been daydreaming or some might call it window shopping ( since I can't afford to do any other type of shopping) both the Troy Built and BCS sites. These two companies represent the best of the best and if I had the money I would go to ether company. So what ones am I drooling over? Check it out.Note My family had an 8 Horse Troy Bilt which I always used in the garden back in my home state California. And it worked out really well for several years. A good solid tiller.
What I know of BCS is word of mouth from garden friends.And they have said many good things about it.One garden friend has a BCS that is 18 years old.This speaks volumes about how solid this tiller is.I would be proud to have ether tillers. One big reason I am thinking of tillers right now is because I have been working our garden by hand which takes a long time. But all the longer because of my heart problems. Living with family and having no income while I fight to get disability I have no way to get one one of these fine machines.And nether does my family.
So I gotta do what I can to get the job done. But to anyone in the market for a tiller give ether Troy Built or BCS a try you won't be sorry.

http://www.bcsshop.com/hercules.htm

http://www.troybilt.com/webapp/wcs/s...91388_54971_-1



Kevin

Potting up Maters and Peppers

Well potting time has arrived! Several varieties of tomatoes have been potted up including,Abe Lincoln , Costoluto Genovese and Fiorentino,Rosalita,Guido,Campari, Uncle Charlie's Giant Italian Paste,Gildo Pietroboni, OSU Blue and Rouge D' Irak.

Peppers include,Sweet Boy (bell), Sweet Bell and Aji Cyrstal. Gonna be potting up loads more over the next few days so stay tuned. Also have last minute additions witch have come up. These tomatoes are coming up.Big Zac F9,Paul Robeson,Black Krim,Black fromTula.Neve's Azorean Red , Siletz and Olive Hill and Goat Bag have not germinated yet. But all in all I still have a great line-up this year.


Kevin