Category Archives: Gardening by Month

May10

I Hope This is the Last Time

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When I look at vegetable prices at the store, I don’t usually think of then as terribly expensive because I understand a bit of the effort and risk involved in producing them. However, I also haven’t had to buy many vegetables lately.

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Sadly, I am in a bit of a transition now between my fall/winter vegetables and my spring crops so I had to buy quite a bit more vegetables today than I have in a while.

I hope this the last batch of tomatoes that I have to buy for a long time.

My cherry tomatoes should be ready soon, and I have been keeping an eye on some promising squash plants.

How about you? What fresh vegetable or fruit are you anticipating this spring?

May5

May To-Do List

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What a difference a month makes in a Florida spring garden!
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Look how much the bush beans have grown. You can actually make out the rows without straining. The tomatoes need staking, and many of the vegetables in the garden are starting to flower.

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Only big change here is that the daikon radishes on the left (white flowers) and the collards (yellow flowers) have more seed pods than flowers now. Still harvesting lots of kale, though. So yummy! My favorite kale recipe is here.

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Hopefully I will be eating fresh green beans soon. I have missed them so much. Until then, I am enjoying the delicate flowers on my bush bean plants.

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Do you see the baby zucchini? She’s so cute.

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The marigolds are showing their cheery little faces and the cauliflower even sent up exuberant blooms. When cauliflower is sold, it is sold as unopened flower buds, not as the yellow flowers above right.

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cauliflower plants in bloom with seedpods

The whole plant ends up being pretty massive, as seen here compared to my flip-flopped foot. The plants were given to a neighbor’s chickens. 🙂 I figured they would love pecking at all the seedpods.

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collards in bloom

Collards are in the same family as cauliflower; you can see that they look the same but they get really tall! Some of them were over 5 feet tall. The chickens got most of these too, but I kept one so it’s seeds could ripen.

So what’s on my to-do list?

1. I hope to harvest green beans, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes this month.

2. I plan to keep mulching to keep the weeds down. When I pulled up the rows of collards and cauliflower, I had very few weeds thanks to a mulch of oak leaves. For more reasons to mulch, you could read my post Why I Mulch.

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See all those leaves? My husband was so sweet to get them for my garden. Yes, I know, it looks pretty ghetto now, but I was pretty excited to see them. They should all be gone by the end of the month and my gardens will be super happy!

3. Most of my planting is done, but I would like to start more eggplant, basil, and okra. They really like the hot weather and I think it is here for us gardening in North Florida.

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Nothing like the smell of tomato leaves or the sight of vibrant tomato flowers to give this backyard gardener some hope.

Oh wait, look closely! Is that a baby tomato I see?!

What is happening in your garden? Know some gardeners in who are suffering from spring fever but still have snow? Share this post with them to encourage them that winter is not forever!

Coming soon-a post on great ways to save money in your garden!

May2

The Armadillo Who Drank Too Much Coffee

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What’s wrong with this picture?

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Usually when I see armadillos, they are squished because they wandered out in the road the previous night.

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This little armadillo was rooting around in my front yard this afternoon. It seemed to be oblivious of the sunlight.

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The supposedly nocturnal animal didn’t even seem to be scared of me, and just nosed around under my bushes.

Go to sleep little armadillo!

Anybody else have experience with an armadillo up way past his bedtime?

I’d much rather have hummingbirds than armadillos.Are you interested in attracting hummingbirds to your yard? Find out how to make your own hummingbird nectar here.

Do you like healthy snacks? You could try my easy kale chips recipe. Gotta have food!

If you are a prepper, you must read my prepper garden tip.

Are your chickens producing eggs like mad? My Favorite Kale Recipe can help you use some of those eggs in a delicious meal. If you are interested in even more great recipes, Attainable Sustainable has a great post with 100+ Recipes for Farm Fresh Eggs.

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to like and share!

Apr29

Sometimes my Plants Mock Me

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Sometimes I think that plants live just to spite me. Ever just toss a declining plant into an abandoned corner to die, only to see it recover and do better than when you were carefully tending it? Or chunk some seeds carelessly on the ground and watch them produce like mad?

Remember how I had to buy carrots at the Palafox Farmer’s Market? I have had a hard time growing carrots in North Florida.

So, last fall I carefully prepared a row,  planted seeds, and pampered them.

I got 2 seedlings. Pathetic. I really wanted fresh carrots too.

I was so frustrated that I hacked out a row mid-January, dumped the rest of my 3 varieties of carrot seeds in it, watered it, and challenged them to grow. Snow and frost came and I figured they were goners for sure.

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Now they mock me. They grew so thick that I was forced to thin them! I had to pull up EXTRA CARROTS!! I hate thinning seedlings.

My peppers have a similar story.

I had such a hard time starting peppers from seed this year that I ended up buying a few plants. In the bare spots I tossed the remaining ‘California Wonder’ pepper seeds from Farmer’s Village in Pace.

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Look at the pepper seedling forest! There is even a tomato volunteer from the compost.

Sigh. Sometimes I do all I can and plants die. Sometimes I challenge them to survive, and they thrive-just to spite me.

I’m not complaining, trust me. I don’t mind having to decide where to put 42,000 extra pepper plants. You know I’m not going out there with a pair of scissors and chopping their little heads off to thin them. They may be impertinent little sprouts, but I can respect those hardy little souls.

There are also some exciting happenings in the garden. My first tomato flower! This is from a ‘Sweet 100’ cherry tomato plant that I started from seed in February.

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I love my Jamberry nails! I seldom bother painting my nails because gardening is so hard on them, but these hold up pretty well for this gardener.

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bush green beans

These are my first green beans of the year. This plant was actually started when I stuck a few random seeds in a houseplant this winter. Of course they sprouted and of course I had to transplant them outside when it was really too cold and of course a plant survived.

I think it was stuck outside in my flowerbed in February. I don’t recommend planting green beans in North Florida in February, unless your plants are obstinate. This one was, but if I had planted a whole row then I maybe would’ve gotten 3 plants. Go figure.

Have you ever had anything similar happen to you? Have you given up on a plant only to have it finally start growing? Tossed “worthless” seeds on the ground, only to be faced with the dilemma of too many plants? Maybe you can identify with my Potato Volunteering in my Compost story.

Do you have a gardener friend that may like to commiserate with this story? Feel free to share on Facebook!

Apr26

Palafox Farmer’s Market

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Have you been to downtown Pensacola recently? Our little family ate breakfast this morning at the Polonza Bistro on N. Palafox Street. I am pretty picky when it comes to coffee, but I really enjoyed their house coffee with my LaFitte Breakfast (French toast filled with a fruit compote).

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After our yummy breakfast, then it was on to the Palafox  Farmer’s Market! I was interested to see what local farmers are harvesting and to maybe pick up some produce that I do not have.

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Palafox Farmer’s Market

My lettuce is done for now, so I picked some up, as well as some carrots. Fresh carrots are so delicious! I had a tough time with carrots this year, so I was happy to see some for sale.

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Do you see the healthy tomato plant I’m holding? I don’t really need another tomato plant, but I was looking for ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomato plants when I saw very healthy ‘Rosella’ tomato plants for sale. The seller, Dennis, informed me that they were bred as part of the “Dwarf Tomato Project” (read more about it on this site). I am excited to grow this as it is supposed to be similar to the ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomato, but to not sprawl and grow so big. The plant should grow to be 36″-40″ inches tall and could be grown in a container.

I plan to plant it in a special spot in my garden and to amend its site with plenty of my compost. I can’t wait to try one of these tomatoes!

It was a pleasant morning to be outside looking at a fresh produce, yummy baked goods, bright flowers, and  healthy potted plants. I also saw hummus, bread, cinnamon rolls, blueberry jam, cookies,  and honey for sale. So many delicious foods!

Consider supporting your local farmer’s market next weekend. It is a great way to eat seasonal vegetables and to try new types of produce before you grow them in your garden.

Apr25

Potato Volunteering in My Compost

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If you have ever had a compost pile, you have probably been pleasantly surprised by a plant that “volunteered”, or grew without any help from you. I saw this healthy potato plant growing between the slats of my compost bin.

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compost volunteer

It looked so happy growing there, but I figured that it would be a pain to dig potatoes there and I really didn’t want it to grow there. When I removed it, I was surprised by how little of a potato piece was needed to start a plant.

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See that sliver of potato there? And the two cute baby potatoes? I replanted it in a better spot. If the potatoes grow, that will be a pleasant return on investment.

I have a tomato plant that has volunteered too. I know that it could be a random mutant, but I have an empty spot for it. For now, it shall live. I have a terrible time beheading healthy tomato plants.

Have you ever had something volunteer for you? If so, how did it turn out?

Apr4

April To-Do List

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Have you ever planted pole beans around a teepee? It is a neat gardening project for kids and a fun way to add structural interest to a garden. That is just one of my projects for this month.

April is a wonderful time to plant vegetables and herbs in Florida. I have completed most of the items from last month’s to-do list, and am working on some new projects in my backyard garden.

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My large garden addition has been planted with tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans, 3 types of squash, eggplant, onions, basil, and dill. The beans are starting to grow, can you see the two rows? They don’t look like much now, but a month will make a huge difference.

Just 2 months ago, this was part of our backyard. Now, it is tilled and planted with seeds and baby tomato transplants. I can’t wait to see it in another 2 months! If all goes well, I will be eating fresh green beans! 😀

I can’t wait to see the teepee covered in pole beans! This is a great project for gardening with kids. I planted Rattlesnake beans and purple-podded pole beans. The purple ones are a beautiful royal purple color and are fun to show kids.

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My garden by the shed is very pretty now, as the broccoli, collards, and radishes are flowering. I plan to let these crops be as the flowers are attracting pollinators and I am still harvesting plenty of kale and collards.

My to-do list for the month:

1. Finish planting the square bed. Pole beans around the teepee, cantaloupe and watermelon outside of the teepee, and flowers and herbs around the perimeter. (Mostly done now, started the melons in pots for transplant later. Sunflowers and zinnias at entrance of teepee. Marigolds, basil, Swiss chard, and dill transplants around perimeter.)

I hope it turns out as neat as I am imagining! 🙂

2. Sow marigolds along the garden path. (Done! I love marigolds!)

3.Set up trellis for cucumbers on the fence. (Not done yet, I’m in no rush as they are just starting to grow their true leaves.)

4. Hang baskets of ferns and flowers on front and back porches. (Done, and I love how my porch looks now!)

5. Mulch around bush green beans when they are a bit taller. (Check! Either you mulch or you weed. I mulch 🙂 )

6. Start ground cherry seeds. I only have 10 seeds, and I really want to try some of these this year.

7. Stake the tomatoes and peppers.

That’s what I would like to get done this month. How about you? Are you going to plant anything this spring? Maybe you could try to plant a bean teepee with your children. Gardening with children is a great way to get them outside and interested in their vegetables.

Mar27

‘Fess Up- Are You a Digger Too?

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I was planting ‘Bush Blue Lake’ green beans this morning and just had to see if the beans that I planted last Saturday had started to grow yet. No signs of green stems yet above the ground so…

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I dug one up!! Look at that! It’s starting to grow! See the little root?? It’s alive!

Spring is sooo exciting!

So, tell me-am I the only one who digs up seeds? ‘Fess up!

Mar26

Who Wants Zucchini Bread?

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It’s time to put on the trusty garden shoes and plant some squash in Florida! I am really trying to get many of my seeds in before Friday, as it is supposed to rain then. Plants always seem to grow better when God waters them.

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These are my favorite gardening shoes-an old pair of sneakers with the backs smashed in.

Planting squash in Florida is a bit different than other places. Typically, you are instructed to build little hills and to plant 3 seeds per hole.

Florida is so hot and often dry that I plant my zucchini, yellow squash, and patty pan squash at ground level or in a slight depression. If you plant them below ground level, it will allow the precious water to seep down to the roots rather than away from the plants.

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I amended my sandy Florida soil with some of my partially finished compost (see my post on how to make your own here) and a few tablespoons of 10-10-10 fertilizer. The worms are very active now in the compost; I am so happy to see the little workers in my garden.

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After mixing it together and incorporating some of the surrounding soil, I made sure that the seeds were placed far enough from each other that I wouldn’t be forced to thin them.

I hate pulling up potentially productive plants, so I try to space the seeds at recommended mature spacing when I am sowing. I typically just plant 2 seeds per hole. If both germinate, fine. If only one germinates, it will be left alone and will actually be happier than plants that are crowded 3 at a time.

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Pulled up the last of the rutabagas today. I have plans for the roots AND the leaves. I love crops like this- the whole plant is edible. They definitely justified their place in the fall Florida garden, but it was time for them to come up so I could plant some squash.

Planting squash in Florida is a great way to spend a spring morning!

Zucchini bread here I come!

Mar24

Another Great Reason to Garden in Florida

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Another Great Reason to Garden in Florida

My delicious salad had fresh, nutritious ingredients from the garden including kale and Bibb lettuce. Spring is here, and it is salad season. I added pops of flavor with chunks of feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and dried cranberries.

Do you recognize the edible flowers?

You have probably purchased them before, but they just hadn’t bloomed yet. They’re broccoli flowers!
It is so wonderful to be able to dash out to the garden and hand-select additions to a meal.

What are you eating from your garden?