Gardening

[ruthcatrin]

This is the lady I got my original pumpkin seeds from, these are Musquee De Province pumpkins, they'd probly do really well in your climate Rob, they really want warmer weather than mine or this lady's, but she like me likes them and so babies them along. This post shows the pumpkins she picked in Oct 2011, as of Feb 2012: DIY Housewife: Pumpkin Glop

 

[Robtouw]

Thanks Ruth! Send Apollo over, Cruiser was fascinated by the doe, the dufus just laid down and watched the entire thing through the window!

 

[ruthcatrin]

Apollo says that deer are EVIL and need to be driven away. Course, not all of them listen to him..... Had one who stood there and listened to him bark while she munched on my fruit trees. She then slowly meandered off.....I was muttering rude things about legal hunting seasons and laws since I was OUTSIDE in the garden before I noticed her, she totally ignored me!

 

[Robtouw]

They come Into our horse pastures and drink from the water tubs. It drives me nuts! Before we figured out what was happening, we thought the tubs were leaking! We filled them each evening and they would be half empty by morning! They hold 65 gallons! A camera helped solve the mystery.

 

[Ehl]

I understand human hair clipping help keep deer away. (Human urine also works but not in gardens) GL w/he deer I have an apple tree they keep all the lower branches clear of apples.

 

[ruthcatrin]

The Plantskydd repellent works, it really does, I'm just to lazy to spent the time to spray down the fruit trees too! But they sure don't care about the giant intact male dog pee that's all over the yard!

 

[Robtouw]

I'm going to have a look around here this weekend and see if I can find it. I don't mind them in the fields but I don't want them in my garden and flower beds! I agree on the pee, it doesn't make a difference with deer, I think it is helping with snakes. This is our first year at this house that we haven't had a good number of them. The first 3 years it seemed like every time I went out there was one slithering around.

 

[alejandro]

I don't know much about your kind of pumpkins, but what i do is to tap them like knocking on a door, the ripe ones sound hollow, completly diferent than geen ones.

 

[Robtouw]

I've done a lot of tapping but they all sound the same!

Photos of my moon flowers and cannas:

 

[Robtouw]

My sunflowers are finally opening up and my goblins are blooming!

 

[alejandro]

The red one's are sunflowers too, never seen those ones, NICE!¡!.

 

[Robtouw]

They are called blanket flowers or goblins their perennial name is gaillardia. They are so easy to care for! They love sun, dry soil and you really just plant and forget about them! Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like them. Most of my flowers are planted for bees, butterflies and hummers. [h=1][/h]

 

[ruthcatrin]

As if I needed proof that the weather affects my garden....

We spent several days to a week with lows in the mid to low 50's and highs in the 70's. Now being able to do yard work without dripping with sweat was nice, but my garden wasn't to happy. For example I was getting MAYBE one or two tomatoes a day.

The last two days we've had lows in the mid to upper 60's and highs in the 80's.....and lookit what I got out of the garden today:
View attachment 44987


And a Tom Thumb miniature head lettuce, almost ready to be picked:
View attachment 44988

 

[Robtouw]

Nice! And I like the marigolds! We are over ridden with stink bugs and nothing seems to be working.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Haven't had many stink bug, but I will say, the marigolds are very very happy.....I'm thinking I'm going t try to save some of their seeds for next year....

 

[ruthcatrin]

I did mention I have happy marigolds right?

View attachment 45006View attachment 45007

Sugar Baby Watermelon
View attachment 45008

Habanero peppers
View attachment 45009

and a teeny tiny ear of corn (it had some fertilization issues, and I picked it to late, but its pretty to look at!)
View attachment 45010

 

[Robtouw]

They are beautiful Ruth! You were smart to put them in containers, they populate like crazy!

 

[ruthcatrin]

First Sugar Baby Watermelon out of the garden! I probly should have left it on the vine for another day, but it was sweet and tasty as it was!

 

[alejandro]

Nice.

 

[Robtouw]

Mmmmmmmmm......Looks good!