Last Weekend of April

Last weekend of April and I did a little yard work.

Miss 38th Street and I had an Engagement Party last night and we were a little...  slow, today.  That said, I tackled the rain barrel installation.  Miss 38th Street's parents got us a rain barrel, which is very cool.  We painted it the same color as the house and I finally got the diverter in the mail.  I got it installed, except the adaptor that connects the tube to the barrel.  The kit didn't have one!

So I have to go pick one up somewhere.  joy.  I tore out a bush that was at the front corner of the house.  It was nice, but we were just tired of it.  It was a Crimson Pygmy Barberry.  The bush was replaced by the Light Pink Peonies that we got at the plant auction.

I also planted a Pink Hyacinth that I bought Miss 38th Street last week as well as the two Asiatic Lilies we picked up at the plant auction, too.  Very nice.

We picked some of the Purple Plum Radishes today!  First harvest from garden!  I'm having a salad tomorrow.  Look at these radish plants in the garden!  They are huge!  They tasted good, as well.

 And the Garlic is looking fantastic!

If all goes well, I'll have some tomatoes and peppers in the garden by wednesday.  I'm hardening off the plants now.  YES!

And now I'm going to bed.  and probably play Bejeweled for about five or so minutes before my farting dog jumps on the bed and smokes me out the house.  Man, he is not smelling good today.

Peace.

IOGA Plant Auction!

Hey, Hey!

Saturday, Miss 38th Street and I went to this year's Indiana Organic Gardeners Association's Plant Auction!  It was at the Zionsville Public Library.  You know, Miss 38th Street and I have never driven through downtown Zionsville.  It was nice!  It had a great look and a lot of great places to spend money.  Anyway, we started with a pitch-in lunch, which was tasty.  I brought a Chicken Verde Bean Dip.  I think people liked it.  We did a little QnA and business, then on to the real fun: The Plant Auction.  I went to this event last year and I was way into it.  This year, Miss 38th Street came with me to check it out.

I donated six plants, which is a lot less than I wanted.  My seedlings aren't doing as well as I hoped.  My plants were two Roma Tomatoes, two Black Krim Tomatoes and two Tomatillos.  I don't know if they all were sold, but I hope they did!  They had some nice plants up for auction.  We scoped out a few items that were must haves.  I talked to Claudia Clark (her and her husband are the auctioneers) about starting with a certain plant first.  She did.  Thanks, Claudia!  I really wanted to get it for Miss 38th Street.

Miss 38th Street wasn't quite into it at first, but once it got going, she started to get focused.  She liked it.  She'll be back next year, for sure.  Unfortunately, we had to leave early to get to my nephews birthday party (which was great), but we still got some nice plants.  Plus, all the money goes to IOGA, which is fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, here's what we got:

First off, I was the high bidder for the first item of the day (the plant I really wanted), the Light Pink Peony.  We got two.

Then Miss 38th Street got two Asiatic Lilies.  Actually, I'm not sure what color they'll be.  We'll see!

Then we got a fern, which I didn't catch the name, but it looks like this.  We got one of those.  We have lots of shade, so it should work well in that area.

Finally, we picked up one little Black Cherry Tomato plant.  I have a bunch of tomato seedlings in the basement growing, but hey, I couldn't resist.

Man, I'm so ready to get these plants in the ground, as well as my seedlings.  I think I'll have to wait till this weekend.  Still a little too cold in the evenings.  I have to say thanks to everyone at IOGA for planning the plant auction and the monthly meeting.  It was great.  I can't wait for the next one!  Oh, their link is over here on the right.  Check it out.  

Till next time!

Rafael

Thoughts of Concern

Hello, again.

It's been like... a little over an hour since my last entry but I had another thought.

Ms 38th Street and I were out shopping in the garden shops yesterday.  I was looking at all these nice, healthy looking seedlings and small to medium sized tomato, pepper and herb plants at these places.  Then I thought of mine products.  It was disheartening.

Then I was poking around craigslist on garden items for sale and I found someone in Shellyville selling his seedlings and plants.  He had a good sized green house and his plants looked great.  I'm not feeling too good about all this.  I realize my set up is not ideal by any means, but I was hoping for better results.  I have plants but most are not looking good or healthy.  A lot have died.  Some just are growing anymore.  Ah, then the higher electric bill to boot.  Man, it's not a great feeling.  I know it's easier and cheaper to just go to the store and buy what you need each season.  It's smarter, budget-wise.  I want to be great at growing plants and creating a beautiful, healthy and bountiful garden that is organic and healthy for my loved ones.  Man, it's just frustrating to see the difference between what I have, and what they have.  Sucks.  Hey, I'll keep trucking.  I'll figure it out.

One day.

Everyone have a good day!

Rafael

Please Summer, Hurry Up And Get Here!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and got a little outdoor time.  I got some yard time in this Sunday with Miss 38th Street.  A few drinks and a little cornhole action in the yard.  Does that sound dirty?

We made a few trips around town to get some supplies, like more potting soil, fertilizer, some stone squares for the rain barrel to sit on and a few other things.  I picked up a set of 4 Romaine Lettuce plants.  I did this because the Purple Orach seeds from Nature's Crossroads did not germinate.  3 weeks and nothing.  Disappointing.  So, I now have 3 Romaine Lettuce in the garden.  Miss 38th Street is happy about that.

Ms 38th Street also planted some seed in her flower boxes on the south side of the house.  She mixed Bachelor Buttons, Pacific Beauty Calendulas and Bee Balm.  I hope they sprout.  I planted a hole bunch of Black Eyed Susans seeds, and they are not doing well.  Not a lot of action from those.  Anyway, I had to cover the flower boxes with chicken wire so Mimi and the squirrels don't destroy them.  I had to add chicken wire around the garden to stop Mimi from prancing through the garden box, too.  She had a path worn in the soil!  Which reminds me, I planted carrot seeds two Saturdays ago, and I still have nothing!  Of course, Mimi did tromp on that section, but still, there should be something popping up.

I also re-potted my Kumquat Tree, too. I hope I did it right.  I'm a bit concerned.  I'm not sure if I made the right soil mixture.  It needs to be well draining soil.  I mixed potting soil with sand and peat moss.  My tree was really dropping leaves the past couple days, but it had some new growth.  We'll see.  I hit it with some 3-10-3 to help the root growth.  We'll see.

Alright

Weekend Update with 38th St Gardener

Hello Again,

I wanted to let you know that my seedlings have stabilized and are doing better.  I have made a hand full of actions that have helped.  Most of which I mentioned in the last entry.    Here's the scene in "The Blue."

These two flats are the surviving tomatoes and peppers, with a few herbs mixed in the spots that opened up.

 Here's the whole family!

The do have a new problem though.  I now have yellow mold on top of the soil on half of the flats.  Joy.  I don't know how to combat that.  I put the seed flats outside in a mostly shaded part of the back porch before I left for work.  They have been getting more and more outdoor time lately.  Probably not a lot the next two days, though.  We have a freeze warning for the next two nights!  Those of you in the Indy area, be warned!

I have a nice picture of Miss 38th St's Solomon's Seals, which I got last year from the Indiana Organic Gardeners Association's Plant Auction.  It's coming up on April 21st at the Zionsville Library!  You should come check it out!  We'll be there.

Enjoy!

Working Those Seedlings

Good morning from Indy!

I am working to make my little seedling survive and get stronger.  I did a little research the past couple days.  I do understand that I'm missing a few steps or just doing some things wrong, and my reading confirmed that.
I picked up some knowledge from the great Indiana Organic Gardeners Association's quarterly news letter (thank you, fellow IOGA members!) and some Youtube videos.

I was due to give the seedlings a little fertilizer to help with root growth.  So I picked up some water soluble 3-10-3 fertilizer at Habig's on College Ave.  I mixed this up and poured it in the bottom of the seed trays.
I also discovered that I was watering my seedlings wrong.  I was watering them from the top and I should be watering them from the bottom by adding water to the seed flat tray.  I knew this but I just didn't do it.  Doing
it this way will reduce the chances of mold and mildew.  Smart, huh?

I also remembered a tip from my good friend Matt Wellin.  He told me a couple months ago to put a fan on the seedlings.  It will help strengthen the plants.  So I added an oscillating fan at the lowest speed in "The Blue."

Saturday, I started bring the flats outside late in the day.  I am starting to harden off these little guys, well the ones that survive.  I left them out overnight last night.  I won't leave them out overnight again the rest of the week, though.  It's supposed to get down in the low 40's or high 30's the rest of the week.  They are back down in the basement now, doing well, I hope.

I hope these steps will help my tomatoes, peppers and herbs get bigger and stronger!

Back to work!

Another Busy Weekend at the 38th St. Homestead.

Hey,

Sorry for the long delay, but I work too much.  So here's what I've got going on!

I'm having mixed results with the seedlings.  Alot have died!  It's heart breaking, to be honest.  I'm doing something wrong, or several things wrong.  I'll have to study.  But this is a picture of "The Blue."  This is the entrance to the seed area.  I hope to start some cucumbers and melons this week.

I did some chores for Ms 38th Street.  I planted her four azalea bushes in the back of the house.  I had to scooch my compost box over.

I had to move the Solomon Seals up so I could put the azaleas in that back row.  I grouped them together.  Very nice.

By the way, the little white fence is up because of a certain Boston Terrier likes to tear ass through the landscaping and kill plants:

MIMI.

I did a little landscaping.  We bought some edgers for the front yard.  It looks sooooo much better!  Ms 38th Street installed the edgers around the tree and I did the section in front of the porch.  I put four coral bells in between the unknown green bushes.  I do like the blue dog bone in there.  Nice touch.  Actually, there is one by the tree, as well.

Hey! Check out those radishes!  I thinned them out a couple days ago.  The spinach and lettuces are up and are doing well, which makes us happy.

I completed three more flower boxes for Ms 38th Street on the south side of the house.  I only had one bag of garden soil, so back to the store!

The blueberries are doing good.  I see flowers!  I don't know if I'll get berries this year, but let's hope!

So, after all this, I'm tired.  The water was brown in the shower as I cleaned up.  Pretty awesome. If anyone had some advice on seedlings, please tell me.  Like a reference book or a "How to" book.  I am not doing it right, that's all I know.  I need help, people.  I have killed so many things.  I can start the seedlings just fine.  After I transplant them to some potting soil, some really don't like it.  The tomatoes are not doing well.  I have lost 2/3 of them.  SOS!