Pics of my 2013 Gardening Season in NJ.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by lakelady

Alfredo, I think next year you should come to my house and help me. lol Everything looks fabulous and beautiful!

I was overzealous this year and tried to squeeze too much into one bed and it's a big mess all tangled up lol. And I have not weeded, or watered much. Next year, I'm cutting back. (I swear!)

You did a terrific job and those roses are amazing.

Lol... sure I'll help you out if you need it... as long as I don't have to chop any trees down...now that is work!

Thanks for the positive feedback on my gardening, it's something I enjoy doing everyday (as it is for most tomatovillians I think). Tangled up garden aye? I've done that before, hopefully you'll still get a good crop. I always say i'm going to grow less each year, and it never fails, I end up growing even more...Fortunately I've been able to keep up with my growing number of plants each year/season so far. It probably helps that i wake up at the crack of dawn too, i just enjoy that quiet time in the wee early morning hours before the whole neighborhood is up.
~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by jmhammRN

Holy pictures!!!!!!! Alway enjoy looking at pictures. You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Everything looks great, kudos.

Justin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thanks jmhammRN (Justin)! Yeah it's a lot of pictures!
~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

More pics for 2013...

IMG_0707.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid tomatoes, a very productive plant...this one plant has almost 20 tomatoes on it already all more or less the size of tennis balls. Had my first one yesterday, very tasty and juicy hybrid tomato. Will definitely regrow it again next season.

IMG_0708.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred Tomatoes.

IMG_0712.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0713.jpg Heirloom New Big Dwarf tomato.

IMG_0714.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0715.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0716.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0724.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0725.jpg Purple Bush Beans growing with Avocado plant.

IMG_0726.jpg Hibiscus flowering.

IMG_0728.jpg Chinese Forget-Me-Nots (Firmament)

IMG_0729.jpg Canadian Heirloom Sophie's Choice Tomatoes growing with Bush Beans and Zinnias.

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IMG_0733.jpg Petunias and Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash flowering.

IMG_0734.jpg Zinnias growing among the Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash and Rosita Eggplants.

IMG_0736.jpg Bachelor Button flower in the Wildflower garden area.

IMG_0737.jpg Borage.

IMG_0738.jpg Zinnias with the French Heirloom Jaunne Flamme tomato plant in the back.

IMG_0739.jpg Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash growing.

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IMG_0742.jpg Butterfly Bush flower.

~Alfredo

[Gavriil]

nice picks Alfredo

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by Gavriil

nice picks Alfredo

Thanks Gavriil !
~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

More photos of my garden in 2013:

IMG_0744.jpg Purple Petra Basil.

IMG_0745.jpg Petunias.

IMG_0747.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_0748.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_0750.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_0751.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0752.jpg Borage about to flower.

IMG_0754.jpg Marigolds.

IMG_0755.jpg Zinnias.

IMG_0756.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_0757.jpg Entrance way Container Gardening.

IMG_0765.jpg KC-146 tomatoes (Campbell's Soup Company tomato, from Rutgers University)

IMG_0766.jpg Datura Belle Blanche flowering.

IMG_0767.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_0768.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_0769.jpg Brandywine Red Landis Valley.

IMG_0770.jpg This morning's harvest, includes the following tomato varieties: The French Heirloom Jaune Flamme, the Canadian Heirloom Sophie's Choice, Moreton F1 Hybrid, Heirloom New Big Dwarf, and Dwarf Wild Fred.

IMG_0771.jpg

IMG_0772.jpg

IMG_0773.jpg

~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

Some more photos...

IMG_0782.jpg Hanging Golden Pothos.

IMG_0788.jpg French Heirloom Jaunne Flamme

IMG_0817.jpg Belle Blanch Datura flowering.

IMG_0818.jpg Belle Blanch Datura flowering tomatoes.

IMG_0819.jpg Red Brandywine Landis Valley tomatoes.

IMG_0820.jpg Red Brandywine Landis Valley tomatoes.

IMG_0821.jpg Red Brandywine Landis Valley tomatoes.

IMG_0822.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories and Scarlet Runner Beans.

IMG_0823.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories and Scarlet Runner Beans.

IMG_0828.jpg Dwarf Rosella Purple Tomatoes. Absolutely love the flavor of this tomato, this is the second time I've grown this variety.

IMG_0829.jpg Heirloom New Big Dwarf Tomatoes.

IMG_0830.jpg David Austin "Heritage" Rose.

IMG_0831.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomatoes. My favorite tomato.

IMG_0832.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_0833.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_0834.jpg Heirloom Kosovo tomato. This is a really big tomato.

IMG_0836.jpg Heirloom San Marzano Redorta tomato. Love this tomato for roasting.

IMG_0837.jpg KC-146 tomatoes.

IMG_0838.jpg Heirloom Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0839.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories growing alongside marigolds.

IMG_0840.jpg Rose of Sharon.

IMG_0841.jpg Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash.

IMG_0843.jpg Heirloom Black Krim tomatoes.

~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

Some pics:

IMG_0844.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories with Marigolds.

IMG_0864.jpg "Early Wonder" Beets

IMG_0865.jpg Butterfly visiting the garden.

IMG_0872.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories growing with the hostas.

IMG_0877.jpg Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash growing across from the wildflower garden.

IMG_0880.jpg Heirloom New Big Dwarf Tomatoes. These have been weighing 10 oz each.

IMG_0882.jpg Heirloom New Big Dwarf tomatoes.

IMG_0884.jpg Dwarf Rosella Purple tomatoes.

IMG_0885.jpg Dwarf Rosella Purple tomatoes.

IMG_0886.jpg David Austin "Heritage" Roses

IMG_0888.jpg Heirloom Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0890.jpg David Austin "Heritage" Rose.

IMG_0893.jpg French Heirloom Jaune Flamme.

IMG_0896.jpg David Austin "Heritage" Rose.

IMG_0897.jpg

IMG_0900.jpg "Angel Face" floribunda rose.

IMG_0901.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred Tomato.

IMG_0902.jpg Mixed assortment of tomatoes from the garden.

IMG_0903.jpg

IMG_0904.jpg

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IMG_0906.jpg Mixed assortment of tomatoes. Includes Sweet & Neat, Jaune Flamme, Dwarf Rosella Purple, New Big Dwarf, and Moreton F1 Hybrid tomatoes.

IMG_0907.jpg

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IMG_0910.jpg Mixed assortment of tomatoes in the foreground, in the back you can see the Dwarf Sweet Sue Tomato plant growing in the main raised garden bed.

~Alfredo

[taboule]

Alfredo: simply beautiful, you're a true artist, in so many ways.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by taboule

Alfredo: simply beautiful, you're a true artist, in so many ways.

Thanks taboule . I appreciate it.

Your garden is coming along nicely btw, love the recent picture with the Mortgage Lifter tomatoes on the vine. I didn't realize they can get so much ribbing on them. Gorgeous tomato. Reminds me of when I grew Zapotec Pink Ribbed tomatoes. Though something tells me your Mortgage Lifter tomato variety will be much tastier as the Zapotec is pretty hollow, more suitable for stuffing, and not that good for fresh eating in my opinion.

I need to just really make some oil paintings of some of these tomato varieties. Some of them are utterly amazing in the way they grow.

~Alfredo

[MissS]

Alfredo, your home and gardens are just gorgeous. A very neat and well tended property. I love how you incorporate your flowers with your crops. It is a warm and welcoming place indeed.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by MissS

Alfredo, your home and gardens are just gorgeous. A very neat and well tended property. I love how you incorporate your flowers with your crops. It is a warm and welcoming place indeed.

Thanks MissS (Patti)!

I've always loved flowers. It's also fun just trying to attract as many pollinators and beneficial insects as possible for the vegetable crops to grow better. A lot of the flower/plant combinations I use are influenced by my readings in the two books on Companion Planting by Louise Riotte.

~Alfredo

[Alfredo]

Hello Tomatoville...More photos for 2013:

IMG_0919.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories & Scarlet Runner Beans.

IMG_0921.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories & Scarlet Runner Beans.

IMG_0923.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose about to bloom again.

IMG_0924.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories growing among the marigolds out of the barrel with one of the Kosovo tomato plants.

IMG_0925.jpg View of the end of the driveway where the wildflower garden is located along with some vegetables.

IMG_0927.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories and Scarlet Runner Beans.

IMG_0928.jpg David Austin "Heritage" Rose blooming again.

IMG_0929.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0930.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0931.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0934.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's growing with the marigolds.

IMG_0935.jpg Red Brandywine Landis Valley. Just had it for the first time a few days ago. Absolutely blown away by the flavor. Just might be the best tasting tomato I've ever tried, I'll get a chance to compare it side by side with my favorite variety Pruden's Purple, which is ripening on the vine at the moment.

IMG_0936.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0937.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0939.jpg One of the Kosovo plants I have growing.

IMG_0940.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0941.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0942.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0943.jpg Kosovo tomato, I just took this tomato off the vine yesterday, weighs 1lb 3 oz. So it's my biggest tomato at the moment for this season. I'll post a pic of it on my scale once its a bit more ripe.

IMG_0945.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred tomato plants.

IMG_0946.jpg Dwarf Wild Fred tomatoes.

IMG_0947.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0948.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0949.jpg Kosovo tomato.

IMG_0950.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose.

IMG_0951.jpg Wildflower garden area and some vegetables.

~Alfredo

[efisakov]

Hi, Alfredo,
how is your Pruden's Purple production and taste? Is it worth growing?

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Hi, Alfredo,
how is your Pruden's Purple production and taste? Is it worth growing?

Hello Ella,

Pruden's Purple has always produced very well for me, I've grown it several times and in different gardens in NJ. It does become a monster of a plant in size (I've easily grown it to 8-9ft each time, gets a little tricky to give those support using my wannabe "homemade bamboo extensions").
But I love the challenge of growing the various heirloom indeterminate tomato plants that big.

More foliage=more flavor in my opinion. And well, it just looks so lush having a tomato plant that big (I have 2 Pruden's Purple plants this season, both are getting to the 8ft high mark soon).

I would highly recommend growing Pruden's Purple at least once. It's been my favorite tasting/producing tomato variety for the past 10 years.

If it's as productive for you as it has been for me I think you'll be pleased with it. It definitely has a taste profile comparable to the Red Brandywine (Landis Valley) which I just tried for the first time this season.

If you do give it a try, I hope you like it as much as I do.

~Alfredo