May 2011 Garden To Do's

may to-do's for Augusta area gardeners

this is the month that gives gardeners in our

area the "fix" we need to jump start summer!

here are some things to do this month:

* get your veggie garden in

don't worry about being perfect, just do it!

* whiteflies?

insecticidal soap on gardenias,yellow sticky

paper near infested plants,any other ideas?

* stake up tomatoes

maybe put in some teepees with small clay pots on tops..

pinch off little side shoot "suckers"

* plant corn, okra, beans, cucumbers, squash, and

southern peas from seed

* buy some dahlia bulbs to plant for late summer bloom

* sign up for FlowerCamp.

September/October openings won't last.

* mid-June Pumpkin planting time.

stay cool. 

ML

April Garden To-Do's

Get Busy!

April is really the beginning of gardening season here in Augusta. Masters guests are arriving & "The Garden City" looks like a fairyland. We could still have some cool weather, but warm temps are around the corner. Check posts here daily for garden updates.

Garden To-Do's for April

Veggie Time

okra (seeds are easy)

southern peas- blackeye, pinkeye, cream, crowder, zipper

bell peppers (transplants best)

hot peppers/hot sweet peppers(transplants)

sweet potatoes (mid April) (slips in garden stores now)

tomatoes (heirloom & hybrid transplants in garden stores now)

watermelon (seeds)

canteloupe (seeds)

corn (seeds)

pole, bush & lima beans (seeds)

cucumber (seeds)

eggplant (transplants best & in garden stores now)

Culinary Herbs

basil

rosemary

parsley

chives

mint

fennel 

dill

Tips

keep tall & vertical growing plants toward back of your garden space

buy zinnia seeds & plant...zinnia is National Garden Bureau's flower for 2011

be creative! plant some veggies among your front yard landscape plants

use containers!

Refer to UGA's Vegetable Planting Chart for varieties specific to our area!

Blessings from the Garden. 

ML

Magical Merry Makeover

Great visit with a young mama who wants to share gardening experiences with her two little ones. 

This family recently added a phenomenal porch complete with bar, 

cooking area and lots of sitting space to watch Georgia games. 

Just outside the party porch is the area above...

PERFECT for a veggie/cutting garden!

Two ideas so far :

3 "beds" on each side of pathway which lead to throne

OR

a "keyhole" design with rays of beds outlined with
 hardy sun-loving annuals


AND

We are keeping the iron "throne" that is against the brick wall with a 

path leading up to it from

 the tiny "walk up" steps in below right corner. 

The dwarf nandinas to the left will be moved to cushion the throne.

The ideal plant list includes:

strawberries

Easy Cut Flowers for kids:   zinnias cosmos sunflowers

okra

corn

tomatoes

a variety of herbs for grilling: rosemary, basil, chives, mint and parsley

INSPIRATION

One color of hardy annuals outlining garden

One or Two areas for perennial herbs

Strawberry Patch

Bean Teepee for far upper right corner

ML's Top 10 Seeds: Part Two, Veggies, etc.

Purple Noodle Bean

Top 10 Seeds: The Final Five.  

 
Monday was Flower seeds, today is Veggies.

These are in no particular order. Check out this UGA Planting Chart for more info.



6.  Lettuce
      So many varieties. UGA recommends Butterhead, Romaine & Buttercrunch for
      Zone 7/8 (Augusta GA), but don't hold back from experimenting with some gourmet types
      such as Arugula, Red Choi, Butterhead, and the colorful mixes.




7. Radish-My favorites are Cherry Belle and Easter Egg... We love them in salads.

Okra & Baby G-Mo in the Monkey Grass

8.  Spinach
     Malabar Spinach is an ornamental yet edible climbing spinach that I will plant on the 3 tee pees in the home garden this spring. Otherwise, get your "green" on with Melody, Giant Noble, Winter Bloomsdale, and Avon.



9.  Beans/Peas
      The Purple Noodle Bean or Yard Long beans are very interesting because of their color and length. Edible. 

English Peas can be started now & are fun to pop open while in the garden...also throw them in stir fry. Many varieties for Zone 7/8- Lincoln, Maestro, & Little Marvel.For traditional snap beans, I  am growing bush type beans instead of pole beans this year.






10.  Okra--tip: "Eagle Pass"is not a variety I've had success with but it is sure 
pretty in the catalog. 
Southerners should be successful with okra! Burgandy and Clemson Spineless
are your best bets! Burgundy looks great in fall arrangements!

SunGold(small) & Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes

I can't stop here! I have more, so check back!
Blessings from the Garden. 
ML

PS. Have you subscribed(FREE) to  MLCHgarden Tools newsletter mailing list?
Will email it on Saturday 2/5/11...

Healthy Eating

There is nothing you can plant that will not be healthy...well,
LEGAL
that you plant, anyway!



Take this Consumer Report Healthy Eating Quiz to see what your perception of "healthy" is...

Blessings from the Garden
ML

SuperFood:Swiss Chard

Sounds so fancy, doesn't it?

My father introduced me to this "better than spinach" veggie many years ago, before becoming such a popular ornamental(pretty) plant! 'Rainbow Chard' is pictured above. Yellow, red and green stems make up this variety. Another favorite of mine is 'Ruby Chard' with red stems.

I cook chard like spinach - a bit of chicken broth, some garlic, salt and pepper. Above, I placed chicken on bottom of dish, then mushrooms, broth and chard last on top. Covered with foil and finished the cooking chicken.

Chard has high percentages of vitamins A, K, and C. Like spinach, chard is easy to grow, and you can start it from seed in early spring.

So, put Swiss Chard on your list for spring planting, adding another SuperFood to your repertoire. You'll save a few bucks, too!

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

Sunday Morning Report

Sunday Morning Report

I took pictures this morning as proof

that a bit of heat and some water yield

vigorous growth.

This is Spiderwort, white & blue.

Exploring ways to trellis my cucumbers up the wood

fence as they are beginning to send out "climbing"

tendrils. Maybe a piece of lattice or two poles with

jute similar to pea trellis?

Both Pat Lanza, author of Lasagna Gardening,

and Mel Bartholomew,author of Square Foot Gardening,

recommend vertical growth for vining veggies.

Here are Sq. Ft Gardens 1 &2 three weeks ago, and this morning.

Any ideas on a creative vertical apparatus would be appreciated.

The Romaine lettuce, beets, radish, and

arugula are still looking good.

Silver Queen corn is up and needs

fertilizer.

My ginormous mullein!

Mystery plant.

Huge leaves, sharp jagged leaves.

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

May Day May Day

may to-do's for augusta area gardeners

this is the month that gives gardeners in our

area the "fix" we need to jump start summer!

here are some things to do this month:

* get your veggie garden in

don't worry about being perfect, just do it!

* whiteflies?

insecticidal soap on gardenias,yellow sticky

paper near infested plants,any other ideas?

* stake up tomatoes

maybe put in some teepees with small clay pots on tops..

pinch off little side shoot "suckers"

* plant corn, okra, beans, cucumbers, squash, and

southern peas from seed

* buy some dahlia bulbs to plant for late summer bloom

* sign up for FlowerCamp.

September/October openings won't last.

* mid-June Pumpkin planting time.

Home Garden Update

Home Garden Explosion 2010

Came home to another explosion in the Garden. Even after "coming in" to tend the garden earlier in the week during Master's vacation, there are so many new colors and sizes!

Above picture shows English Peas taking off onto twine trellis,

Jericho lettuce, 2 types of Radish, Arugula, and 9 Brandywine tomatoes

just beginning to soak up the warm temps...

Top pic shows a flat leaf Viburnum, below is a small

ornamental peach just beginning to produce fruit!

"Pink Charm" daffodils from Easy to

Grow Bulbs planted late and blooming nicely.