New Garden and Orchard - Bouquet

New Bouquet:



Another wonderful opportunity for rain passed us by yesterday afternoon late. We got another little shower and some serious lightening with a flash that looked to be right outside the kitchen window. Scared me out of my chair! DH , foolishly, was on the porch swing; he came in very quickly.

GARDENING

Japanese Beetles:

I began the day by checking for these dreaded insects. I found way too many to pick. I always laugh at those recommendations. Instead I sprayed with Sevin. They still haven’t found the blackberries. I think I will begin picking daily even if it is just a handful at a time.

These bugs can strip a rose bush overnight. It is amazing. They seem to favor certain plants: Roses are number one. They also like KMOTGG. The blackberries would be tops if they ever find them! They are not interested in the overly ripe sour cherries.

Cherries:

I said I wouldn’t pick anymore but the dark red ones are calling to me. I can just see them in a pie. They getter darker and sweeter as the days go by; maybe just one more big bowl full……………

Plums:

They are beginning to turn color. I ate one yesterday mowing. It is a small round plum and deep red inside. I don’t know which variety it is.

Peaches:

Red Havens are showing beautiful color but are still very firm.

The other tree seems to be at a standstill and the fruit isn’t increasing in size. They were thinned properly. Hopefully, they are just a very late variety.

Yesterday I got the new orchard and garden tilled. It took just over an hour. I did it around 6:30 in the morning so it was lovely and cool. I still need to hoe around the tomatoes.

I found beetles on the new fruit trees so will spray them this morning. I also need to pull weeds from their base and water.

This is the first year in about 3-4 years that we haven’t received timely rains. I had forgotten what a nuisance it is to keep things watered.

I went out very early to finish up the new garden. I got the fruit trees sprayed and cleaned the weeds away and soaked them good. Then hoed the two long rows of tomatoes and thinned the corn. Things are looking pretty good. I wish I had taken a picture of the side of the concrete building so you could have seen the tall weeds there were behind the hot wire. I decided to string trim all that. It is 80 feet long and was quite a job, but I got it done. Now there is just the short section of fence left to do.

I took pictures but it is hard to get an idea of things so I will try to explain. The area inside the hot wire is about 125 feet long by 65 feet wide. I left a 5 foot bumper strip around the garden so I could mow. The orchard
section is on the north end. We planted 5 trees back there and could put at least one more. The garden area is about 50 x 50 feet or so. I haven't tilled all of it as you can see.

This is standing at the north end (sweet potatoes running left to right in foreground) showing on the left the op corn patch and the two rows of tomatoes.
I have two hills of Seminole Pumpkin just beyond the sweet potatoes. The untilled section is just to the left of the corn.



I show this just to brag about how neat the wall looks without all that tall grass after trimming. That is a Shiro plum tree.


and what I am especially happy about is the two rows of tomatoes on new ground! So far, no disease. I have hilled them up and am still pondering how to stake them.

The hybrid Park's Whoppers were the first to set fruit. I think I have about 6 plants of them.



This is a little closer and shows the wide space between the corn and tomatoes. I should plant something here....thinking about it.