Steakhouse that was planted in W-O-W early.

OOOOOO. Mine just has blossoms but no tomatoes set yet. I really wanna see of these tomatoes turn out to be as large as Burpee claims they are gonna be.

Yep, me too! We have a lot of these plants so if they do, we'll have a boatload to sell at market!

abhege said:Yep, me too! We have a lot of these plants so if they do, we'll have a boatload to sell at market!

Well, I only got one plant of it. But that will be enough for me.

The large beefsteak I usually grow is Beefmaster. This year trying all sorts of new ones. Well, new to me at least.

I almost got an early start outside today. I didn't get much done because it was so hot, but I was out in the garden for a long time. Just moving slow and taking a lot of breaks. I took more breaks than I normally would have to make sure Itty Bitty was comfortable, offered water and food. She hasn't eaten today and didn't eat much yesterday. I finally got tired of being so worried about her that I couldn't get much done, so I let her go back to my bed by herself.

I put down a lot of straw in places that were bare or had scant amounts. Still 1.5 bales left. Moved some straw to uncover ares I want to plant seeds, hopefully tonight. Pulled weeds in 4 beds. Got my squash trellis up, but not finished. Will do the experimental melon trellis tomorrow or this weekend.

My cherry tomato plants were all bunched up, so I dug a couple up to spread them out. Looks like I killed one of the nasturtium plants in the process. But I am happy to have 5 cherry tomato plants that will grow on the trellis. If all the plants survive, I will be eating and harvesting more cherry tomatoes and roma tomatoes than the other tomatoes. I suspect the cherry tomatoes will be my favorite this year.

I have been pulling a lot of watermelon plants when I weed. It makes me feel awful to throw those plants away. But they are much harder to give away than tomato plants because the vines and fruit take up so much room.

I haven't finished going through the photos I took the other day. Filled up the 1 GB card, which is too many photos to sift through. I haven't done that in ages. I usually only take a lot of photos for events. I haven't been anywhere fun for almost two years. That was an Audobon outing for my birthday and the zoo a few days later. I want to take pictures of my tomato plants this evening. While I was making the squash trellis, I think I saw a tiny little squash I want to get a picture of also when the sun isn't trying to fry me. I like watering at night, taking pictures during the golden hour, and doing my garden inspection just before the sky gets dark. Doing the inspection late is better than early in the day when I am tempted to go get my camera. I like going to bed thinking about taking golden hour pictures the next day. I only wish Itty Bitty enjoyed being with me gardening more. She seems a little too comfortable hanging out in the bucket seat I bought her. She watches me but still doesn't seem interested in anything but sleeping on my bed. It will be 3 weeks tomorrow I have had her and while she isn't acting scared all the time, she displays no energy and no playfulness and I feel sad that I can't make her happy. Maybe this evening's photo session in the garden will be more joyful for her.

My cat used to go limp as a dishrag when it was hot. I was super-worried until I thought to aim a fan at him. He perked right up.

I hope it's something that harmless for your critter!

My kitties liked to lay in front of the wood stove when it was hot, just like when it was cold. BUT the wood stove wasn't lit. They were "soaking up" the cool of the tiles around it.

My melon seeds are really coming up nicely. I want them all to pop up and hurray up and grow so that I can plant them in ground.

Cuke seedlings that I grew from seeds are doing well.

Hurray, many of the beans I planted are already up. But then beans come up quickly if the weather is warm.

I had to put Sluggo down again around the cucumber seedlings. Otherwise the slugs would eat them to nothing. When they get bigger it is no problem but a problem while the seedlings are small.

I'm apparently even more impatient this year than normal -- all of my seeds seem like they're taking FOREVER to germinate!! (well, some actually are taking a long time; I started some "mini bottle" gourd seeds in the house back on May 6th, and they are just coming up now, out in the greenhouse. I've never grown them before so I don't know if that's "normal" for them or not.) Even bean seeds, which usually seem to practically jump out of the ground, are taking their time... (I actually don't have them "in the ground," I always start them in the greenhouse and transplant out once they get started.) Apparently none of this stuff got the memo that said this is going to be a short summer and they need to get moving!!

tomorrow is my last day to plant in the Kitchen Garden - if it's not in by sundown Saturday it will need to wait til the autumn sowing. My cuke plants are looking kind of bedraggled - they had a rough week with storms and wind.....DH saw a rabbit in my (fenced) garden the other morning...I need to mix up some of my critter spray - it's ghastly.

Neither the sunflower or zinnia seeds have germinated (only in the ground a week) and my two kinds of zucchini seeds disappeared - will reseed tomorrow.

Weather has been beautiful the last two days - mid 70's sunny & light breeze...perfect!

Catherine ~ can you divulge the “critter spray” recipe. What has it been effective in deterring? I have battles with just about every form of wildlife imaginable. I just got done covering my strawberries with a cloche so I may be able to beat the birds to some of them.

Have been loving all the pictures of your great gardens Arlene!

Toni said:Catherine ~ can you divulge the “critter spray” recipe. What has it been effective in deterring? I have battles with just about every form of wildlife imaginable. I just got done covering my strawberries with a cloche so I may be able to beat the birds to some of them.

Toni -
this spray is effective on squirrels, rabbits, cats, dogs - may deter some birds (although I put aluminum foil flags out for birds):

stale dated milk
chopped garlic (no need to peel, just smash and chop)
liberal amount of hot sauce or cayenne pepper

combine ingredients in milk jug with cap, shake well then set the container out in the hot sun for a couple of days or more. Open container, add water if too thick then decant to spray bottle. The smell is horrible at first. Spray your most popular plants. Re-apply after rain.

Toni - this concoction takes a strong stomach - I've seen squirrels do a back flip and run away screaming
The gardener who shared this recipe with me made yellow markers out of cardstock and brushed it on both sides, stuck it in beds and it worked great. I'm apparently too lazy to make the markers so I just spray it around my garden.

Aluminum pie pans work for birds, strips of chicken wire around beds deter *some* raccoons and rabbits.

Good Luck!

Thanks for sharing that "recipe," Toni -- I might have to give that a try!! (just happen to have some outdated milk in the fridge, and some of last year's garlic that has sprouted in the bags, and always have cayenne and hot sauce around...) Sounds like it might be powerful enough to deter ME from being in the garden, though...

do you use your "regular" blender (the one you use for stuff you want to eat) for this, or a separate one? somehow I'm picturing making up a batch of this and then -- after thoroughly washing it, of course -- say, a batch of margaritas... Does the odor stay with the lid and other plastic/rubber parts?

Weedwhacker said:
do you use your "regular" blender (the one you use for stuff you want to eat) for this, or a separate one? somehow I'm picturing making up a batch of this and then -- after thoroughly washing it, of course -- say, a batch of margaritas... Does the odor stay with the lid and other plastic/rubber parts?

OH NO! don't put it in your blender Sandy..... just add the chopped garlic and hot sauce/cayenne to the milk in the milk jug and then leave it out in the sun for a couple days.....the smell may knock you over when it's ready but the *aroma* grows on you especially when you see critters hightailing it away from your gardens.....

I'm afraid if you put it in your blender to mix you'd never get the smell out....yikes.

jerseyridgearts said:

I've seen squirrels do a back flip and run away screaming

I'D do a back flip (or my best approximation) and scream if I saw that happen to the groundhogs I know are waiting for their chance here. I did a mix with garlic and other smelly things I had to boil in a large pot about a month ago, and it worked. Also, everyone deserted the house until all windows had been left open for a couple of hours. This is more convenient, I think, so when I run out of that one... and I have to do the cardstock idea--I don't enjoy spraying smelly stuff. Blowback.

Anyway, thank you!

I almost asked you about YOUR recipe until I read the "windows open" part....

I think I might just be inclined to let the critters have the garden...

SO glad I didn't just forge ahead and mix it up in the blender! ! (Or, maybe I could do that and then just set the blender out in the middle of the garden)

Weedwhacker said:I think I might just be inclined to let the critters have the garden...

SO glad I didn't just forge ahead and mix it up in the blender! ! (Or, maybe I could do that and then just set the blender out in the middle of the garden)