[gardeners] Friday in the garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 20 Mar 1999 07:53:58 -0600
After Miz Anne and I both got home from work we went out to frolic in
the garden. Dug out the tomatoes and eggplants from the greenhouse and
went to work. Since most of the tomato plants were about 16 inches tall
we dug a trench in the upper surface of the soil and laid them on their
sides after putting a small amount of long duration fertilizer in the
trench. We planted these varieties: Dinner Plate, Black Krim, Early
Large Red, Yellow Bell. Six eggplant plants went into the ground also,
nice sturdy little fellows of the Ichiban variety. We raised Ichiban for
several years and are pleased with growth habits and production in our
zone 9b area.
We also pulled out a LOT of carrots planted last fall. Some 10 inches
long and 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Some will be canned today and some
will go to friends along with lettuce, kohlrabi, and chard. The lettuce
is already trying to bolt so we've got to eat it up, give it away, or
make compost out of it. Got about 20 chile plants to put in the ground
and have several others started for later replacement.
The Tumbler tomatoes, started on January 19 are blooming and setting
fruit. The HeatWave II tomato that was dug out of the garden last fall
and put into the greenhouse is blooming and setting fruit plus ripening
earlier fruit. That was an idea of Miz Anne's that bore fruit (pun
included). The Jerusalem artichoke is up about 3 inches and looks like
another good crop this year.
The iris are in full bloom and are glorious, particularly the Louisiana
beardless both bronze and purple. The iris bed we started in a wet
corner of the backyard is covered with purple LA beardless and Miz Anne
is going to pick some to take to the gallery with her today. On days
when she has to "sit" at the co-op art gallery she always takes
something to sketch and paint. I tease her about being there to keep
people from coming in as they have very few visitors on the weekends.
Off to the builders supply houses with my good buddy Sam. We don't need
anything we're just going looking. It's a man thang. <VBG>
George