New Blog Site for Carolina Victory Garden

Adventures in a Carolina Victory Garden is moving to a new site. I would be most pleased if you would follow me and the blog to Carolina Victory Garden . I hope to see you there soon. In the meantime, I wish you Victory in your growing season.


Lauren

Some Cool Weather Vegetables Planted

Now that I have soil I can hardly wait to take advantage of all the room I now have for vegetables. I have planted some mescalin mix in the front flower bed as well as some Swiss chard and a few radishes. Some of the salad mix and spinach I planted last fall has come up with the mild spring weather and the rains. I have added more salad mix, radishes and spinach in the old bed.

Yesterday I planted one of the small beds in the front with sugar pumpkins and borage. I had hoped to get some chiogga beets and a few other things but I ran out of time. Today the temperature has dropped about 30 degrees and it has started raining again. It's to be in the 50's for the next few days so if it will dry out, I'll get busy planting a few more cool things. I'll wait for a week or two to plant the vegetables that prefer a warmer temperature.

Finally Dirt!

I was beginning to think that my career as a Victory gardener was to be short lived. We have had a good bit of rain the last few weeks since the raised beds were built and the ground was not drying out in between. The rain finally stopped Thursday night and the wind blew all day yesterday really hard so things dried out a little faster than usual so I took a chance and ordered a 50/50 top soil and compost mix. Several hours of moving dirt later and now we are ready to plant. Here's a picture of part of the new beds before we filled them with dirt. There are four beds that are 12 ft by 3 ft and four beds that are 3 ft by 3 ft. I thought the smaller beds would be good for potatoes and pumpkin. We'll see.

I won't be in a huge hurry though. I understand that there is more rain on the way, which is good, but it is to be followed by cooler temperatures so I will be cautious about what I plant for another week or two. Local wisdom says that the last frost is around the middle of the month. that does vary, but I'll use this as my point of reference for this year.

What about you? What are you planting in your garden right now?

Daffodils

The Daffodils I planted last fall are blooming. This is the very first bloom of Spring.

Raised Garden Beds Under Construction

Today we got the materials to build the raised garden beds I referred to in the last post plus enough extra to make 4 smaller planter sized beds for pumpkin and potatoes. We were able to get the 4 large boxes assembled and placed where we want them to be per the plan I created in www.plangarden.com. The others will get assembled Thursday or Friday. I'll figure out how much soil I need to fill the beds and get that ordered tomorrow or Tuesday and arrange to have it delivered around the weather forecast. It is supposed to rain Tuesday and Wednesday and then the yard will have to dry out before delivery or it will tear up the rest of the yard.

In the meantime I will continue to attend to the seedlings I have started and resist the temptation to plant too many things too early.

Plangarden.com Averts Marital Dispute!

I love gadgets and cool software that is supposed to make things easier. So when I ran across Plangarden.com I decided to give it a try. Their free trial lasts 45 days and what did I have to lose? My garden plot is by no means perfect, but it helped me visualize how the amount of garden space I wanted to add would impact the rest of the yard and adjust accordingly.

When my husband asked me the other day how I wanted to configure the new garden boxes and how much wood we would need, I explained to him that I wanted to add 4 boxes, 12' x 3' each. Three in the back yard and one in the front. He was convinced that the three in the back would take up over half of the yard leaving no place for the dog or the kids to play. I was able to pull out the plan and show him exactly how it would look and assure him that the expanded garden would take less than 1/3 of the back yard. The day was saved.

Please note: I am in no way connected with Plangarden.com except to have taken advantage of the free trial. I also follow them on Twitter.

Moon over Carolina Victory Garden

Earlier in the week last week we had several warm nights
with a mysterious moon. Here it is peeking through the trees and a cloud.

Moon over Carolina Victory Garden
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

Mescalin Sprouts. Radish and Swiss Chard are No Shows so far

Some of the mescalin mix seeds I planted in the front flower bed among the landscaping has started to sprout. We had several warm days to get it started, followed by three days of cool temperatures and rain. The Radish and the Swiss Chard I planted the same day have not come out for the party just yet.

Spring in South Carolina used to mean lots of rainy days but the last few years of drought have faded that memory. With luck, this rain will be just one in a series that replenishes the lakes and rivers, ultimately alleviating the drought.

My OH My What a Wonderful Day!

In the course of a week we have moved from freezing temps and show to almost 80 degrees F. What an amazing, beautiful day! I planted a mescalin mix, radishes and swiss chard in the front flower bed in the spaces between the bushes and bulbs. It is a nice sunny spot and I am hoping that we will have many good salads from this area.

I'll be putting together the new raised beds that will expand my garden in the next week or so. I hope to grow enough food to substantially supplement our supply of fresh vegetables. This in turn should lower our grocery bill and keep us healthier. Now that would be a Victory!

Seedlings Survive with No Heat

I was afraid that all the seedlings would be damaged during the 10 hour power outage earlier in the week, but it appears that the opposite is true. It is almost as though that blast of cold weather put everything into grow mode. The first two photos are the most recent. They have huge stalks and hefty roots. I will probably need to transplant these guys into larger containers really soon. I can hardly wait to place them in my Carolina Victory Garden.

From Sci Fi Creature to Squash

Here are a couple of interesting seedlings as they looked on Friday of last week. They are small but interesting. The seedling above reminds me of a sci-fi creature...a dinosaur maybe? The fellow below looks like it needs to pop its top. What do you think they look like?

Individual Snow Flakes in the Victory Garden

Snowing at 1030 pm March 2
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

I was able to stop the motion on the snow as it was falling last night. Unfortunately I couldn't get the individual flakes up close. We lost power during the storm last night and it did not come back on until around 7:30 am. I was afraid that the seedlings would be damaged by the cool temperatures, but instead they seemed to thrive.

Garden after a Late Winter Storm

Garden area snowy morning 2 March 2009
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

We got caught in the late winter storm that blanketed the eastern US this weekend. After 2 days of rain, we received 4 inches of snow. The snow was pretty on the ground and in the trees. It is supposed to warm up considerably by the end of the week. Spring may be right around the corner! Use your imagination to see three more raised beds in this area full of beautiful veggies!

Daffodils and other Spring bulbs

Daffodils
Originally uploaded by Dominic's pics

My mother-in-law loved flowers that grew from bulbs. Every year she added more bulbs to her large yard for many, many years. Every few years she would dig them up, separate them and share with others. This year we dug up part of the bulb field without her for the first time. Now some of her bulbs are in our yard and those of my neighbors so that each spring her memory will be fresh with the beauty of Spring.

Photo by Dominic's Pics

Planting the Unfamiliar

Photo by thebittenword.com

I am anticipating the harvest time even before everything is in the ground. There are some vegetables I have never grown before and I am intrigued by how they will grow. I have never grown or cooked Kohlrabi before though I remember my grandfather growing it. I'll be searching for some recipes for this interesting veggie.

I am also planting Kale and Swiss Chard mainly due to blog posts from Skippy's Vegetable Garden. Kathy shared many lovely photos of these two vegetables. I decided to plant some for my family as well. I have one variety of Kale and two of Swiss Chard for this season. I am looking forward to experimenting with other varieties as time goes on.

Any thoughts on how to prepare Kohlrabi, Kale or Swiss Chard?

Photo by thebittenword.com

Planting the Second Seed Tray

1st seed tray
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

I planted my second see tray this afternoon. The process went a lot smoother this time. Practice makes perfect. I figured out how to label the rows of seedlings and still get the dome on the tray this time. I made the mistake of shifting the seed packets from the first tray and now I am unsure of the order the seeds were planted in. I suppose I will find out this spring when the plants get bigger.

I figure by the time this batch gets ready to plant, it should be just about the right time to plant everything. I am excited to get the new raised beds put together so that I can plant all the seeds and seedlings I have planned for the garden. Think warm thoughts!

Planting Time Confusion

I have been doing some research to try to figure out when I should actually plant my seeds and seedlings. According to the local Cooperative Extension, the last frost date is March 15. The manager at the local farmer's exchange says the last frost date has moved and is now around April 15. So, do I go with the first date, the second date or split the difference?

Seed shelf

Seed shelf
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

I asked my gardening companion to help me put together a plant shelf that would hold my seed trays, allow for the plant lights to move up and down and, most important, protect the same from our mischievous year old lab. His design is a little chunky, but the seedlings are safe!

Addendum to Planting List 2009

Seed Packets
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

The seeds I already listed were from the Victory Garden Collection. Here is the rest of my list of vegetables, flowers and herbs along with a few other possibilities.

Onion-Parade
Carrot-Yaya
Lettuce-Salad Bowl Mix
Radish-Cherry Belle
Spinach-Melody Hybrid
Swiss Chard-Bright Lights
Borage-Borago officinalis
Basil-Genovese
Basil-Purple
Basil-Sweet
Basil-Lemon/Lime Mix
Oregano-Mediterranean
Parsley-Krauser
Gomphrena-QIS Carmine
Nasturtium-Burpee's Border Mix
Calendula-Keblona Mix
Cosmos-Bright Lights Mix
Aster-Red Burst
Marigold-Boy O Boy mix
Marigold-Chameleon

I'd also like to add some potatoes, monarda, tansy and maybe a cantalope. I haven't decided on the particular varieties of these. Any suggestions?

Bootsy's Lady Banksia Rose Bush

In my mother-in-law's yard is a beautiful, huge Lady Banksia rose bush. It is about 20 years old and has been left to its own devices for much of that time. It is as big as a mid-sized SUV and produces tons of pretty yellow flowers. I would love to root a piece to this bush, or in some other way reproduce it, for my own yard, but I don't know how to go about it. Any suggestions?
Bootsy's Lady Banksia Rose Bush
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

2009 Planting List

I don't have to think quite as hard this year about what to plant. My gardening partner is very supportive. He gave me a "Victory Garden" seed collection for Christmas. This collection came with a good variety of vegetable seed, a couple of herbs and a packet of sunflower seeds all in a nice plastic pail. All of the seeds are heirloom and/or open pollinated so that I can save seeds from this year's harvest to plant for next year. I also have a bit of seed left from last year and I have purchased a few more packets. All in all, I am thinking that this will be a very ambitious year for gardening.

Here is the list of seeds from the seed collection:

Bean, Dry/Shelling Pole-Bingo
Bean, Green Bush-Venture
Brussels Sprout-Rubine
Beet-Early Wonder Tall Top
Broccoli-Thompson
Cabbage-Derby Day
Carrot-Danvers
Cauliflower-Goodman
Corn-Golden Bantam
Cucumber-Wautoma
Kale-Winter Red
Kohlrabi-Superschmelz
Leek-Giant Musselburg
Lettuce-Heirloom Blend
Onion-Borrettana Cipollini
Pea-Oregon Pioneer
Pepper, Sweet-Cal Wonder 300
Pepper, Hot-Early Jalapeno
Pumpkin-Small Sugar
Radish-Altaglobe
Turnip-Purple Top White Globe
Spinach-Bloomsdale Savoy
Swiss Chard-Rhubarb
Squash, Summer-Black Beauty
Squash, Winter-Bush Delecata
Tomato-Gill's All Purpose
Tomato-Saucey
Herb, Dill-Long Island Mammouth
Herb, Coriander-Santo
Flower, Sunflower-Mammoth Gray Stripe

The Best 40 Gardening Dollars I Ever Spent

I purchased a copy of the newest version of the South Carolina Master Gardener's Manual not long ago. While I may never take the course to actually BE a master gardener, the book itself may just be the best investment I could have made in my garden library. You see, while I am a native of the state, I have lived away most of my adult life.

This book is full of information specific to gardening in any region of South Carolina. Important information like when to plant, how to amend the soil, what varieties of vegetables, flowers, lawn and trees are best for the area you live in. It is pretty easy to read though you may need assistance lifting it.

I have found that most, if not all, states have a similar program and a similar publication. If you are new to your area and want to garden, you might want to check out the Master Gardening program in your area.

NOTE: I just tried to find the website where I ordered the book and I can't find it at the moment. I'll have to check again later and then create the link if possible.

Ample Food Supplies

I found an in interesting report in my mother's papers the other day. She worked with the Cooperative Extension at Clemson University back in the late 1950s. The report, which was from the Extension is titled Ample Food Supplies Available for Good Eating and is dated 1957. It goes into some detail saying that there will be adequate food for civilians, who would eat about as well as in the past year. It goes on to say that while vegetable eating is high for the times, they expected the trend to move toward processed vegetables. In 1957, people in South Carolina spent less for food than the average family in the Southeast, but didn't make up for that by growing more vegetables at home.

I wonder what the out look is for 2009? Our local newspaper speculated this week that we would pay more for vegetables this year due to the drought in California. Will South Carolinians grow more vegetables this year to make up for losses and to overcome the rising price of food in the grocery store? What do you think?

Welcome to the garden!

Garden 2008
Originally uploaded by Carolina Victory Gardener

During the first quarter of 2008 it became evident to me that our country was in for some rough times. Gas prices were high and climbing higher and food prices were going along for the ride. Businesses were beginning to report heavy losses and unemployment was beginning to rise. I decided to be pro-active and plant a kitchen garden in an effort to off-set the cost of vegetables purchased in the grocery store, a Victory Garden of sorts. It just seemed to be a more responsible choice.

Even though it was already mid-May, I planted some things in my small 8 by 3 foot raised bed and committed to the organic method. Some things grew and some did not. I started looking for an efficient way to journal about the garden so that I would remember what worked and what did not. If others who garden in the South Carolina Piedmont find this blog helpful then that is an added bonus.

I am looking forward to planting my 2009 garden to see what lessons await!