Pics of my 2013 Gardening Season in NJ.

[Alfredo]

Some Pics of the garden:

IMG_1487.jpg "Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower."

IMG_1488.jpg "Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower."

IMG_1489.jpg Red and Orange Habaneros still growing.

IMG_1490.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1496.jpg Another Garden Spider hanging out in the garden. I have a lot more than usual this year.

IMG_1497.jpg Garden Spider.

IMG_1499.jpg Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes.

IMG_1503.jpg Pruden's Purple, Sophie's Choice, San Marzano Redorta, Jaune Flamme, Sweet & Neat, New Big Dwarf, Moreton F1 hybrid tomatoes.

IMG_1504.jpg

IMG_1505.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1506.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1507.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1510.jpg San Marzano Redorta tomato. Much tastier this year than in previous years. Saving seeds already.

IMG_1511.jpg "Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower."

IMG_1512.jpg "Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower."

IMG_1514.jpg Habaneros in the front, then the Rosita Eggplants, which have grown into pretty big plants, they're at 4 ft.

[RayR]

Thanks Alfredo, I think I'll give Rosita a try. From your experience with maturity, it's similar to my Rosa Bianca, but eggplant seem to mature a little later this season.
I haven't grown a large number of varieties, but Apple Green has been a good early producer of smaller eggplant, also Ping Tung which I didn't grow this year because none of the seeds I had left over from the seed packet germinated. I should have saved one fruit for seed last yea like I did with Rosa Bianca and Apple Green.

[shelleybean]

Rosita is a really nice eggplant. Sweet and mild. Black Beauty is a parent of Rosita but Rosita is a bigger plant and more productive. Definitely more productive than Rosa Bianca.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Rosita is a really nice eggplant. Sweet and mild. Black Beauty is a parent of Rosita but Rosita is a bigger plant and more productive. Definitely more productive than Rosa Bianca.

Interesting background info/history of Rosita's lineage shelleybean (Michele). What eggplant is the other parent of Rosita then? Thanks!

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by RayR

Thanks Alfredo, I think I'll give Rosita a try. From your experience with maturity, it's similar to my Rosa Bianca, but eggplant seem to mature a little later this season.
I haven't grown a large number of varieties, but Apple Green has been a good early producer of smaller eggplant, also Ping Tung which I didn't grow this year because none of the seeds I had left over from the seed packet germinated. I should have saved one fruit for seed last yea like I did with Rosa Bianca and Apple Green.

Hey RayR,

I was looking at that Ping Tung Eggplant variety, how's the taste/productivity been for you? And how many eggplants do you think that Apple Green Eggplant variety averages more or less per plant? I wouldn't mind at all a smaller Eggplant if it makes up for it with the amount of eggplants it produces.

Johnny's Selected Seeds has a good selection of early-maturing eggplant varieties too, I was just on their website. Which seed companies have you used for your eggplant seeds btw?

[shelleybean]

Alfredo, I believe it is a cross between Black Beauty and Native White.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

Alfredo, I believe it is a cross between Black Beauty and Native White.

Thanks Michele!

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

Hey RayR,

I was looking at that Ping Tung Eggplant variety, how's the taste/productivity been for you? And how many eggplants do you think that Apple Green Eggplant variety averages more or less per plant? I wouldn't mind at all a smaller Eggplant if it makes up for it with the amount of eggplants it produces.

Johnny's Selected Seeds has a good selection of early-maturing eggplant varieties too, I was just on their website. Which seed companies have you used for your eggplant seeds btw?

Ping Tung Eggplant produces early, I can't remember what the yield was last year on the 2 plants I had in a container, but they did keep on producing. Taste was excellent.

Apple Green Eggplant has produced typically between 5-7 fruits per plant. Again, I have 2 plants in a large container.

The original seed for all was from Burpee.

[Alfredo]

Some pics:

IMG_1520.jpg San Marzano Redorta Tomatoes.

IMG_1522.jpg San Marzano Redorta Tomato. 8 ounces.

IMG_1528.jpg Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower.

IMG_1529.jpg Dwarf Rosella Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1530.jpg Dwarf Rosella Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1531.jpg Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower with Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories.

IMG_1532.jpg Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower with Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

IMG_1533.jpg

IMG_1536.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories.

IMG_1541.jpg Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1542.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1543.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1544.jpg

IMG_1545.jpg Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1546.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1547.jpg

IMG_1549.jpg

IMG_1550.jpg Giant Primrose/Moonwalker Sunflower with Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

IMG_1551.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato. Weighing 1lb 3 ounces.

[efisakov]

"Pruden's Purple tomato. Weighing 1lb 3 ounces."

Impressive, really good size for this time of the year.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by efisakov

"Pruden's Purple tomato. Weighing 1lb 3 ounces."

Impressive, really good size for this time of the year.

Thanks Ella, I have some more that are still growing close to the 1 lb mark (i.e. Pruden's Purple and Kosovo). Hoping for some more ripe tomatoes before the season is over.

[Alfredo]

Some more pics:

IMG_1552.jpg Castor Bean Gibsonii

IMG_1554.jpg Flowering Cilantro to attract the beneficial insects.

IMG_1558.jpg Belle Blanche Datura. Absolutely love the fragrance of these plants. On par with the unique fragrance of Moonflowers. Definitely saving seed for next year.

IMG_1559.jpg Belle Blanche Datura.

IMG_1560.jpg Red Brandwine tomatoes. One of the best tasting tomatoes this year, and that I've ever tried. Top 3 in flavor for me. Pretty productive in my garden.

IMG_1561.jpg Red Brandywine tomatoes.

IMG_1563.jpg Not quite sure what flower this is, it's in my wildflower garden area.

IMG_1564.jpg Maya Red Habanero on the upper left side. Magnum Orange Habanero on the lower right side.

IMG_1566.jpg One of my favorite fragrant flowers finally blooming. Moonflower in the windowbox.

IMG_1568.jpg Moonflower in the windowbox.

IMG_1571.jpg Moonflower in the windowbox.

IMG_1576.jpg Moonflower in the windowbox.

IMG_1577.jpg

IMG_1583.jpg

IMG_1584.jpg Zinnias.

IMG_1585.jpg Zinnias.

IMG_1586.jpg Petunia.

IMG_1587.jpg Hot Portugal Peppers.

IMG_1588.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1589.jpg KC-146 Campbell's Tomatoes. This plant is loaded with around 50 tomatoes. Definite regrow next year based on it's productivity alone.

IMG_1592.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomato.

[Alfredo]

Some pics:

IMG_1593.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1594.jpg Red Brandywine tomatoes. These have been pretty productive for me.

IMG_1596.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1598.jpg View of the house during my morning walk-through of the garden.

IMG_1599.jpg During my morning walk-through of the garden.

IMG_1600.jpg Moreton F1 Hybrid Tomatoes.

IMG_1602.jpg Kentucky Wonder Beans.

IMG_1603.jpg Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash.

IMG_1604.jpg Another Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash.

IMG_1606.jpg Cosmos in the wildflower garden area.

IMG_1607.jpg Rosita Eggplant with Marigolds.

IMG_1610.jpg Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1611.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1613.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

[Alfredo]

The Garden is still growing good overall...the tomato varieties that are still growing many tomatoes on them are: "Pruden's Purple", "Red Brandywine", "San Marzano Redorta", "Costoluto Fiorentino", "KC-146", "Matt's Wild Cherry", "Sweet and Neat" and "Dwarf Sweet Sue".

The following tomato varieties have less tomatoes on them and appear to be slowing down in production: "Sophie's Choice", "Kosovo", "Dwarf Rosella Purple", "Dwarf Wild Fred", "Moreton F1 hybrid", "Jaune Flamme", and "Black Krim."

My Black Krim plant did not do well this year, first time I've been dissappointed with this variety after growing it for several years. I got the seed for it from another gardener friend who purchased the seeds from Burpee. The tomato fruit's shape was much smaller/rounder than what I'm used to growing (which is more of a bigger beefsteak/oblate shape). I'll grow Black Krim next year again, however I'll stick to buying my seed from Tomato Growers Supply for that specific variety most likely as I've never had any trouble with their seeds. No offense to Burpee, I just rather buy my tomato seeds from seed companies/growers who seem to put more importance/emphasis on their heirloom tomato seeds.

Well here are some pics:

IMG_1614.jpg Heirloom Hot Portugal Pepper.

IMG_1616.jpg Rose bush in front.

IMG_1617.jpg Moonflower about to bloom.

IMG_1618.jpg Sweet Pea "High Scent."

IMG_1622.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1625.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1626.jpg Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1627.jpg Still getting good sized Pruden's Purple tomatoes, this one weighing in at 1lb 1 1/2 ounces.

IMG_1628.jpg Zinnia.

IMG_1629.jpg Grandpa Ott's flowering mutation?

IMG_1631.jpg Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes.

IMG_1632.jpg Cluster of Red Brandwine tomatoes.

[Doug9345]

You've not a nice garden going there. I wonder what made you Bi-colored Grand Pa Ott morning glory like that.