I like to travel in summer and when I am home I have very little time to water the plants that are not hooked into a watering system. Of, course I have always dreamed of waking up when the sun comes up, and going outside to water my flowering plants while the birds are chirping, unfortunately with children and other activities, this does not usually happen?
Ever come back from a weekend trip after you know the sun has beaten down on your plants, and the neighbor you asked to water your plants... Ran out of time, and did not get to them, you drive up to your house, to notice BROWN plants instead of the beautiful flowers you saw, when you left?
So I have been thinking of how can I get water to my potted plants, on a routine basis. I have researched the web, visited with neighbors and also checked out Home Depot , Ace Hardware or Lowe's to see what is out there for drip systems.
If you have an existing system which waters your grass and or flower beds, you may be able to tap into the system and run drip lines to your potted plants or even add a sprayer. The associates at Home Depot, Ace Hardware or Lowe's can walk you through what materials you may need, it is fairly easy to assemble.
I did find on Amazon, this nifty little inside water machine, I am thinking this could be used outside as well in a small area if needed.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Thinking of Spring?
I was thinking that spring is around the corner and time to start thinking of what you are wanting to plant outside. I was looked around some websites and found that Park Seed has some great offers and sales for seeds.Park Seed Web Site. If you spend $40, you can qualify for free shipping.
I also found Amazon.com to have a variety of seeds that may be of interest, and if you are Amazon Prime you may even qualify for free shipping.
I also found Amazon.com to have a variety of seeds that may be of interest, and if you are Amazon Prime you may even qualify for free shipping.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Corona Yard Tools
TJ MAXX
I was in T J MAXX this week and noticed they have Corona Yard Tools at a fabulous price. I have been searching for good prices on these tools before I bought them, and low and behold there in the Park city store, dangling on a wall display are the tools I have had on by birthday list for years. Of course I bought several, and yes I did leave a couple. I will have to say the Corona Yard Tools are some of the best that I have worked with.
Last summer I did allot of yard work for neighbors and one neighbor had them to use, and I fell in love with them. If you have never used these, you should consider them and at the price that I found you can not go wrong.
I also noticed that T J Maxx has other patio furnishings for great prices, such as pots, outside furniture and so forth, if you have not been in TJ, stop by in their seasonal section. The only thing I will say about TJ Maxx is if you don't discipline yourself, you may walk out with a new wardrobe for the summer as well, they have some cool things in.
I was in T J MAXX this week and noticed they have Corona Yard Tools at a fabulous price. I have been searching for good prices on these tools before I bought them, and low and behold there in the Park city store, dangling on a wall display are the tools I have had on by birthday list for years. Of course I bought several, and yes I did leave a couple. I will have to say the Corona Yard Tools are some of the best that I have worked with.
Last summer I did allot of yard work for neighbors and one neighbor had them to use, and I fell in love with them. If you have never used these, you should consider them and at the price that I found you can not go wrong.
I also noticed that T J Maxx has other patio furnishings for great prices, such as pots, outside furniture and so forth, if you have not been in TJ, stop by in their seasonal section. The only thing I will say about TJ Maxx is if you don't discipline yourself, you may walk out with a new wardrobe for the summer as well, they have some cool things in.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Zucchini
Have you been a victim of an overabundance of Zucchini? Maybe you have found a Zucchini surprise in your car or at your front door from a "loving neighbor".
I had 4 plants last year and boy did those guys go crazy. My gardening neighbor Steve and I decided that we are not doing Zucchini this year only because we had too much last year.
Just as I was going to pack up the seeds for another year, I found a delightful recipe in Bon Appetit, which utilizes the flowers of the plant. My good friend Karen Walterson has been doing this for some time, but guess I did not think I would have enough blooms to try something different.
The previous years, I would harvest the Zucchini, shred it, freeze it and then bake muffins, and bread for the neighborhood for Christmas. Last year I baked over 750 muffins, not the small ones by the way. Let me tell you I bought more flour and sugar last Christmas than I have in my lifetime.
So with that said, I am breaking the seeds back out and going to give the Zucchini Blooms recipe a try.
If you want something easy to grow and very hearty and long lasting this is your plant. Zucchini seeds are large so they are very easy to handle, trust me when I say you don't have to have high dollar soil for them, I actually think they would grow well on the rock cliffs of Flaming Gorge. Have you have seen some of the trees and plants that grow in very unusual places at Flaming Gorge? if so you know what I am talking about.
Plant the seed only about a month before you want to put them outside, they are fast growers. While they are easy to grow they do not like the frost, however the big outside leaves will sometimes protect the inner, smaller leaves so the plant will continue to grow if they should be stricken with frost.
Zucchini plants love water, but don't worry if you forget to water for a day and they are hit by the sun, and look droopy, you may be able to revive them with a large drink of water when you remember.
They produce like crazy, small to large, you will have Zucchini like crazy, have fun with them.
I had 4 plants last year and boy did those guys go crazy. My gardening neighbor Steve and I decided that we are not doing Zucchini this year only because we had too much last year.
Just as I was going to pack up the seeds for another year, I found a delightful recipe in Bon Appetit, which utilizes the flowers of the plant. My good friend Karen Walterson has been doing this for some time, but guess I did not think I would have enough blooms to try something different.
The previous years, I would harvest the Zucchini, shred it, freeze it and then bake muffins, and bread for the neighborhood for Christmas. Last year I baked over 750 muffins, not the small ones by the way. Let me tell you I bought more flour and sugar last Christmas than I have in my lifetime.
So with that said, I am breaking the seeds back out and going to give the Zucchini Blooms recipe a try.
If you want something easy to grow and very hearty and long lasting this is your plant. Zucchini seeds are large so they are very easy to handle, trust me when I say you don't have to have high dollar soil for them, I actually think they would grow well on the rock cliffs of Flaming Gorge. Have you have seen some of the trees and plants that grow in very unusual places at Flaming Gorge? if so you know what I am talking about.
Plant the seed only about a month before you want to put them outside, they are fast growers. While they are easy to grow they do not like the frost, however the big outside leaves will sometimes protect the inner, smaller leaves so the plant will continue to grow if they should be stricken with frost.
Zucchini plants love water, but don't worry if you forget to water for a day and they are hit by the sun, and look droopy, you may be able to revive them with a large drink of water when you remember.
They produce like crazy, small to large, you will have Zucchini like crazy, have fun with them.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Where Can I Buy Seeds
There are many sources where one can find seeds for planting inside or outside. Just go on the Internet and BAM you have a plethora of sites to choose from. Here are a couple that I use frequently as I have had great customer service from them and the seeds are good. Territorial Seed Company and Park Seed, most sites will send you a catalog so you can look at the pictures frequently which I tend to do.
Always remember to check the ZONE you live in, if the items you are after does not grow well in your ZONE, be careful, I hate for you to waste your money. If you are in Summit County, Utah, you should look at items in ZONE 3 and 4.
One other thing that is greatly important to mention are the days to harvest, especially with vegetables. Since I live in an area with a short growing season I try to find hearty vegetables with shorter growing times. I usually shoot for 60 days.
I do start everything in the greenhouse, and transfer out to the garden usually around Father's Day, usually the last frost happens around that time. Then I can anticipate that in mid September we will have a frost again. My goal is to have the vegetables blooming at the time that I put them outside.
There are some difficulties I encounter with watermelon, pumpkins and viney items, they grow all over the greenhouse and when it is time to move them outside, it becomes somewhat difficult to untangle them. None the less it is fun.
Always remember to check the ZONE you live in, if the items you are after does not grow well in your ZONE, be careful, I hate for you to waste your money. If you are in Summit County, Utah, you should look at items in ZONE 3 and 4.
One other thing that is greatly important to mention are the days to harvest, especially with vegetables. Since I live in an area with a short growing season I try to find hearty vegetables with shorter growing times. I usually shoot for 60 days.
I do start everything in the greenhouse, and transfer out to the garden usually around Father's Day, usually the last frost happens around that time. Then I can anticipate that in mid September we will have a frost again. My goal is to have the vegetables blooming at the time that I put them outside.
There are some difficulties I encounter with watermelon, pumpkins and viney items, they grow all over the greenhouse and when it is time to move them outside, it becomes somewhat difficult to untangle them. None the less it is fun.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Tomatoes
Well it is time to start thinking about tomatoes. If you love tomatoes like I do, it is time to think about the kinds of tomatoes that you want to plant and what you may want to do with them at harvest time.
I like the Romas, they are a great hearty little ball of yumminess, for almost anything. They work great on pizzas, salsa, sauces and the list goes on.
But then I like the other ones as well, I enjoy the Beef stakes, Early Girls, Better Boys, etc, as they make some wonderful juices.
As with all my vegetables and flowers I start them in the greenhouse. I planted my second round of flats this weekend. They grow really well and by Spring Break they are taking over the greenhouse.
Good rule of thumb is to cut them back, as the goal while in the greenhouse is to build up their root base, I always think what is growing on top, is what is growing under the soil. Kind of like grass, along time ago, in a land far away, an experienced Gardner told me, not to cut my grass so short as it will eventually kill it. Of course, at the time I was a very novice gardener so I was thinking, the shorter I take the grass the less times I will have to mow, well that is true as eventually I will not have grass. The Master Gardener told me that if I let the grass a bit longer the roots are longer under the soils, which allows them to bring in more water and nutrients the grass needs to survive in the hottest of temperatures in the summer. Well the MG was correct.
Anyway back to the tomatoes and cutting them back, if they go out to the garden with a strong root system, it will flourish into a nice tomato tree.
Have you ever bought tomatoes from your local nursery or grocery store and you plant them and they seem to kind of kill over? Well the roots are not established and hearty, they will eventually take off and start to grow, but it may take a couple weeks, which if you have a short growing season you okay I don't have that couple of weeks to waste.
I will have to say that after caring for the tomatoes and they look so big and beautiful, I have to have my husband come in and cut them back, it makes my cry to see them with such a short haircut. They do grow back and we have to do it again.
Here are a couple of pictures of the tomatoes before their haircut, this was last year.
I like the Romas, they are a great hearty little ball of yumminess, for almost anything. They work great on pizzas, salsa, sauces and the list goes on.
But then I like the other ones as well, I enjoy the Beef stakes, Early Girls, Better Boys, etc, as they make some wonderful juices.
As with all my vegetables and flowers I start them in the greenhouse. I planted my second round of flats this weekend. They grow really well and by Spring Break they are taking over the greenhouse.
Good rule of thumb is to cut them back, as the goal while in the greenhouse is to build up their root base, I always think what is growing on top, is what is growing under the soil. Kind of like grass, along time ago, in a land far away, an experienced Gardner told me, not to cut my grass so short as it will eventually kill it. Of course, at the time I was a very novice gardener so I was thinking, the shorter I take the grass the less times I will have to mow, well that is true as eventually I will not have grass. The Master Gardener told me that if I let the grass a bit longer the roots are longer under the soils, which allows them to bring in more water and nutrients the grass needs to survive in the hottest of temperatures in the summer. Well the MG was correct.
Anyway back to the tomatoes and cutting them back, if they go out to the garden with a strong root system, it will flourish into a nice tomato tree.
Have you ever bought tomatoes from your local nursery or grocery store and you plant them and they seem to kind of kill over? Well the roots are not established and hearty, they will eventually take off and start to grow, but it may take a couple weeks, which if you have a short growing season you okay I don't have that couple of weeks to waste.
I will have to say that after caring for the tomatoes and they look so big and beautiful, I have to have my husband come in and cut them back, it makes my cry to see them with such a short haircut. They do grow back and we have to do it again.
Here are a couple of pictures of the tomatoes before their haircut, this was last year.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Farmer's Market
I just received notice that we will be having a Farmer's Market in the Summit County area- Oakley. I have the website that you might want to check out. Summit County Farmer's Market- Oakley.
This is a great opportunity to sell flowers and vegetables that you are producing as well as other items.
This is also a great way to find really fresh produce from local growers. Hope to see you there. The dates are listed on the website.
This is a great opportunity to sell flowers and vegetables that you are producing as well as other items.
This is also a great way to find really fresh produce from local growers. Hope to see you there. The dates are listed on the website.
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