OmahaJB's 2011 Garden Journal

[OmahaJB]

Debated with myself (and wasn't that quite the conversation!) about whether to even have a garden journal this year since I wasn't able to start seeds for tomatoes and peppers, but decided to have a mini version of one. I just wont post in it very often since it'll be a very small garden. I enjoyed posting updates the previous two years, so would probably miss not having one for 2011.

The only thing I was able to start from seed: cucumbers, beans, and melons, because I could put them out pretty much as soon as they germinated.

After reading the great comments on Armenian cucumbers I've been waiting impatiently to grow them this year. They are actually considered a melon, but eaten like a cucumber. I'm not a huge fan of cucumbers so became intrigued by Armenian since it's not technically a cucumber. Can't wait to try them. I set out several seedlings yesterday, and hope at least a couple survive.

Beans - I'm growing Tiger's Eye and Ireland Creek Annie. Both sound very good. I set out a few of each yesterday. Not expecting a big crop since the plants wont get very big. But I did want to try growing them, and if they turn out well, maybe increase the number of plants next season.

Melon - The variety of Kansas has garnered my interest the past 3 years. I purchased seed of it from Baker Creek two years ago, and didn't have any success with growing them out. This year they had it in their catalog again so wanted to give it another shot. Something just appealed to me about this variety. I planted seedlings of this yesterday as well.

Watermelon - Ali Baba has gotten alot of praise in catalogs, and I've also read good comments about it. So I planted some seedlings of that one yesterday. I've never had luck with melons or watermelon, but have only tried for a couple of years.

I'll be buying a hybrid tomato plant and pepper plant this week. There are two good spots left to put them in, while still leaving space for what my mother wants to do with her yard. This will be the third year I've used her yard to have a garden in. It's only about 10 minutes away. Originally, one of my main reasons for wanting to have a garden there, is because I wanted to try to get her interested in having one again. At the time she was dealing with my step-father who was around 80 and had Alzheimer's, so needed something to help her get through those days I felt. First year she took very little interest, but has become a little more interested each year.

As for me, I'm sad to say my physical conditioning has gotten bad enough that it's difficult for me to get things done in the garden. I probably spent less than two hours in the garden yesterday and felt I was about to have a heart attack. It was another wake-up call for me to increase my physical activity to try to get in better shape. I used to be heavy into physical fitness, but life had a way of interfering with that. Injuries mainly that prevented me from continuing with my running and weightlifting that I enjoyed doing so much. So now I'll have to start a sensible workout routine that my body will be capable of. Simple things that will help me lose weight and hopefully make my heart a little stronger.

Back to the garden, the daylillies I started from seed a couple of years ago are looking nice and healthy. They have grown thicker and stronger. Last year only one produced a flower, but have a feeling a few of the others will this year. Had planned on moving them to a sunnier location, but garlic came up unexpectedly in the spot I had planned on transplanting them. Either the garlic sprang forth from cloves I planted in the fall of 2009, or squirrels took some of the cloves that I planted in grow bags, and buried them in the ground, which I doubt happened. They like to dig the cloves up after I plant them, but once they realize it's garlic they drop them.

That's all for now, Jeff