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

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...

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.

Tour Update

(Weigela, variegated)
Sacred Heart Garden Festival 2010

April 23-25..

Private Garden Tours

Fri & Sat 11-5

Sun 12-5

Having my garden on tour is kind of like

having company or getting ready for Master's

rental! I decided to go ahead & have our Supper

Club over next weekend...what the heck! The yard

will be perfect and the party will be outside...

The tour next week is sure to be fun especially

for the explosion of new gardeners. You can

buy tickets at the private gardens or at Sacred

Heart Cultural Center.

Details at

www.sacredheartgardenfestival.com

I am posting a few pictures of some of my favorites

right now as they might not be in full show

for the tour...

Blessings from the Garden.

ML

ps. hope to see you next week!

Cross Vine

Spanish Bluebells

Pink Charm daffodils

Chinese Snowball

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.

April's to Do's

Get Busy This Month!
April To Do's...

The month of April is about to get away
with me. We are escaping
the Master's Golf Tournament for the week. ...

This is a whirlwind time for planting/gardening,
so check posts daily!

Here's what we need to be doing...

#1. Buy Sam Swedish Chocolates (Put on Bed)
sorry my son is accustomed to fancier
hotels...

#2 Veggies...take a peek at this list
decide what you like to eat and get busy!
refer to UGA planting calendar
okra
southern peas(blackeye, pinkeye, cream, crowder, zipper)
bell peppers
hot peppers/hot sweet peppers
sweet potatoes (mid month)
all tomatoes
watermelon
pole, bush and lima beans
butterpeas
canteloupe
corn
cucumber
eggplant
basil, rosemary, parsley, chives, mint
any herbs you use for cooking..

#3. PLANT!

* keep tall and vertical growing
plants toward back of garden spot

* buy some zinnia seeds and plant.

* 2-3 weeks after planting corn and beans,
plant more, keep planting every few weeks
til may.

* BE CREATIVE! My corn will go in front yard
this year!

Fill me in on what you are up to, send pics too!
Blessings from the Garden.
ML

Home Garden Harvest

FRESH VEGGIES

The combination of rain and a bit of sunshine

has started the spring veggie machine! I feel

daily blog posting coming up.

After picking up the newspaper, I spotted

some broccoli and collards ready for picking.

So off with the plastic sleeve and in with the

veggies!

Lettuce, beets, English peas and radish are all sprouting, too!

Weeds are everywhere, though. Will need to

get busy with weeding and mulching...

Blessings from the Garden!

ML