SQWIBS Urban Garden Adventure 2017

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.... Never gonna happen!
Thanks Buddy, I just can't keep it up like I did several years ago. I would go out every day and clean and weed,

Just can't do it anymore  I have to hit it a lick and a promise when I feel like it.

But yours is Beautiful

Gary
 
 
SQWIB, your garden and landscape is absolutely beautiful.     I know you have put in a ton (or 100s of tons) work on them and you have done an outstanding job.   Congratulations and thank you for sharing your pictures.      Cherokee Purple tomatoes are one of my favorites.
Thank you and I cant wait to try the Cherokee Purples, never had them before.
 
April 18th-21st, 2017

  • This was my first years harvest for my asparagus (2nd season). I harvested very conservatively and I am letting the rest go to fern to strengthen the roots.



 

  • Today I added the top pieces on the retaining wall and finished back filling the other two posts with stone, dirt then mulch. The top pieces for the retaining wall and fence are not screwed in yet, just like the top pieces on the fence, they will season until the fall then both sides will be stained before securing, hopefully this will eliminate or at least reduce the wood twisting or curling out of whack. I also picked up 6 cages to try for some of my peppers and eggplant, I don't like cages but these seemed fairly heavy duty, so I will be giving them a shot.



 
  • My brother and Sister in Law picked up these plants to give everyone for Easter, I put mine in by the back pond.

 


April 22nd-27th, 2017

  • Saturday morning... I hop out of bed all excited to start off my day gardening. First thing on the list, I put up my "Tree of Life", I really love this thing.



  • 2nd thing on my list... irrigation line, so I moved to the front yard, I started digging out the front for the irrigation and it started to rain, after my happy moment subsided, I realized I am gonna get wet today. It rained the rest of the day but I wanted to get my front irrigation line dug in.
  • I Removed the pavers then dug in the 1/2 inch line, each section has a tee and shutoff, there are three sections.

 
  • I still need to replace the leaky hose bib, (note the crack in the body), before I can tie everything in.



 
  • As I was working on the irrigation, my plants came in so I decided to get them in while it was raining, I also used the rain to my advantage and done a bit of weeding. I got to tell you, I am completely dissatisfied with American Meadows, it's a disgrace how they ship their plants. This is the second shipment that was destroyed.

 


  • This was my first shipment.

  • Yes that's a plant, my Common Milkweed.


The rest of the day was pretty much shot, so I cleaned the basement and the workshop and put away most of my garden supplies.

Anyhow, here is what I planted this weekend,
  • Swamp Milkweed Cinderella
  • Bee Balm
  • Gaillardia Goblin
  • Butterfly Milkweed
  • Basil
  • Sunflowers
  • More Marigolds
  • Leeks
  • Sunday was much nicer. I cleaned up the back hill, de-cluttered a bit more, planted some more Marigolds and Basil, planted most of my Leeks and finished the compost bin. It's not real pretty but I need this area for my wood and garden supplies.


 

  • I changed the watering tube on the vertical tower to a much smaller diameter and tied in to the irrigation line.


  • I had a few pepper plants left over so I tossed a couple by the back pond and a few up on both ends of the retaining wall. I then made a turtle step, this is where I access the hill and I was inadvertently compacting the soil every time I stepped off the hill. One of the turtles hibernates in this corner, so I dug it up and tossed in some mulch and sawdust. I'll loosen it up again in the fall before the turtles start hibernating.

  • I separated and dug out an area in the front lower yard for the leeks, filled with composted manure potting soil and planted the Leeks.

  • The Herb garden is coming along nicely, the Mints started to pick up, the Rosemary Survived the winter, The Horseradish is starting to flower, the Chives are budding and the Sage is looking lush.

Rosemary

 



 

Sage



 

Horseradish
 



 

Chocolate Mint
 



Chocolate Mint a few days later.

 



Chives
 



Spearmint
 


Later in the day I started working on the landscape lighting, but it's gonna be a major overhaul, most of the lights aren't working due to faulty connections.
  • Today I replaced the Hose Bib, of course it was not the same dimensions as the one being replaced, anyhow I got it together with no leaks, looks like $HIT but it works! My brother is gonna take a look at it and decide if we should redo it or put on a sleeve, to be honest, you won't see it once the hose holder is installed but its annoying just knowing it looks like that. I call crap like this "Easter Eggs", every time I build something, there is just one thing that peeves me and ask folks to find the hidden "Easter Egg".

 




 
It's been raining most of the week, so I've just been pulling weeds but not doing much anything else.

I did plant a bunch of Sunflower seedlings all over the place

 
  • The tiger lilies bounced back pretty good.


Japanese Stewartia



Celebrity


 
Patio Princess



Sprite



Zucchini



Raspberry



Aquaponic peppers



Asparagus



Peppers, Tomatoes, Basil, Parsley, Snow Peas, Oregano, lettuce.


 
Peppers, Tomatoes, Basil, Snow Peas, Oregano, lettuce, Chives, Parsley, Bush Beans, Broccoli, Eggplant, Marigolds, Strawberries.

 
Hugelkulture Beds,  Moisture + wood, paradise for termites. How do you prevent termites?

dcarch
 
 
Hugelkulture Beds,  Moisture + wood, paradise for termites. How do you prevent termites?

dcarch
Nah, I hired some nematodes to take care of them, but seriously it hasn't been a problem yet and I'm hoping it never does!
 
Wow, it's been a while since I updated.

April, 28th-May, 6th 2017
I got a lot done this weekend but not much from my list.

 
  • Friday after work I installed the hose hanger out front.

  • Saturday we stopped at a few local nurseries to get some flowers, we picked up some herbs as well, planted some Dill, Stevia, Lavender, Daisies and Sun-patients. I also picked up a few Water Hyacinths for the Koi Pond.

 

 

 

  • We cleaned up the patio, removed the rug, scrubbed with 409, sprayed down the patio and tidied up a bit. The rug cleaned up nicely.




I ripped out the landscape lighting around the back pond, it needs a complete redo, so I figured I would tear it out and start from scratch.
 
  • Reworked the Planter on the deck and planted some Daisies, the daisies that were in there died because the planter was holding water and froze after they started coming back. I emptied out the planter, enlarged the drain holes and put everything back.


 

  • Installed some foam on the fence to keep the dog and turtles from Squeezing out.


 

  • Installed the new inline filter and ran a 30' drip line on the retaining wall. The red tape isn't pretty but it sure does hold well!

 



A buddy called me up to help him remove some of his Magnolia tree, that took up most of Saturday and we almost ended up in the ER, My buddy fell out of the tree, well he more or less was shot out, when the limb he cut slapped him upside his head, no broken bones or lacerations but he was banged up pretty good.
 
  • He was going to toss the wood and I said, "No Way, let's put it in the back of my truck"!

  • Fresh wood has a lot of moisture, I guess I should have cracked the windows in the truck.


 


 

I installed the EMT Conduit vertical tomato supports on one side of the raised beds, and on the other side, I'm going to try a Florida Weave between two posts.


 
  • Started the vertical support lines on the hugelkultur beds. For the vertical supports I'm using wire leaders and Jute twine. This is my first year using this system but have had success with vertical supports using EMT. My main concern is the weight of the plants spanned across 36' of cable. My back up plan is a center support if the cable sags too much.

 

  • At the end of the season, the twine will be cut and composted, then the fishing line leader will be slid to one end.


  • After work today I picked up my Lights and some other supplies. I removed the hose from the pond area and had Stephen help me reroute it to the back of the playhouse, installed a hose hanger, hose and spray nozzle.


  • Now onto the fun stuff, today I Installed the lights by the back fence, I'm still playing with different patterns and will need to readjust when the plants grow in. I ordered another set of 4 and will accent the pond, the tree of life, and the front gardens.
Photo#1 - Lights spaced 18" apart up against retaining wall.
Photo#2 - Lights back to back up against retaining wall
Photo#3 - Lights at each post up against the fence.

 

 


 


 

  • Installed the backyard pond lights, I may look into a lower wattage flood light for the wall but will most likely keep the 40 watt on the waterfall.

 
  • Replaced all the incandescent Low Voltage bulbs on the deck with LED's

 
 

Finished the irrigation out front but may still run a 1/4" line to the pond and planters, but I need to cut a bit of concrete, maybe one day when I'm bored.



May 7th - May 17th, 2017

I got a lot done this weekend but NOTHING from my list.
 

  • Installed some underdecking but still needs tweaks, this is definitely a case of "Functionality vs. Aesthetics in Design".

 


  • After I installed the extension I called up the Mrs. and asked her to grab me something for the Pit to do a test run.

OK The pit seems to be unaffected by the extension
 

  • Started transplanting Chocolate mint to the curbside. The mint was doing well till the neighbors grandson ran it over with the lawnmower, but thats fine its just for a ground-cover, because crap grows here all the time.




The front gardens are doing real well.
  • Lavender, Calla Lilies, Oregano, Thyme, Stevia, Marigolds, Parsley, Dill, Gaillardia Goblin, Rogue Tiger Lily that I will dig out, I also planted some Swamp Milkweed and Butterfly Milkweed, but they didn't make it.


  • Herb Garden, Chocolate mint, Spearmint, Chives, Sage, Horseradish, Phlox, Tiger Lily, Day Lilies, Rosemary, Marigolds and some Rogue squash type plant I may let go for fun.


 
  • Sunpatients, Crocus, Lilies, Japanese Andromeda Pieris Japonica "Bonfire", Jack Frost Heartleaf Brunnera, Marigolds.



 
  • Irrigation for the front lower garden, I still need to do a few tweaks, mulch the rest of the gardens and hide the irrigation lines, replace the Y with my new Ball Valve Y, possibly run a line to the pond for Auto Fill?


  • Leeks, Vinca Minor Periwinkle, Japanese Stewartia that replaced my Beautiful Red Maple, and a three a 3 year old Rogue maple plant in there that I have been keeping for my neighbor.

  • Sprite Tomato, Basil, Parsley, Marigold?

  • Tiger lilies from the lower garden and a Dwarf Azalea that needs a new home.

  • Patio Princess Tomato, Strawberries, Parsley?, Basil, Marigold, Sunpatients. Leeks in the white planter in the back.

  • The pond - Yellow Iris Pseudacorus, Black Gamecock Iris.




 

Veggie filters for pond
 
  • Top - Sunpatients
  • Lower - California Wonder, Ruby King, Poblano, Poblano, Corno Di Toro Giallo, Corno Di Toro Giallo. The Phlox is in the soil not the veggie filter.

  • Side patio - Celebrity Tomato, Basil, Parsley, Marigold, Lilly's

  • Side yard Hugel Bed - Matts Wild Cherry by fence, Ruby King, Corno Di Toro Giallo, Anaheim, Poblano, Black Beauty, Sunflower, Basil, Parsley, Marigold, Swenson Snow Peas.

  • Asparagus


 
  • Raspberry


Mammoth Snow Peas
Black Seeded Simpson
Indigo Blue Berries Tomato
Abe Lincoln
Abe Lincoln
Corno Di Toro Giallo
CornoDi Toro Giallo
Cherokee purple
California Wonder
Anaheim
Black Beauty
Black Beauty
Jalapeno
Jalapeno
Poblano
Poblano
Box Car Willie
Box Car Willie
Brandywine red
Brandywine red
Ruby King
Oregano
Chives
Thyme
Black Seeded Simpson
Basil
Broccoli
Bush Beans
Parsley
Marigold
sunflower



 



 


 


  • Raised Beds,
California Wonder
Black Beauty Eggplant
Brandywine Red Tomato
Abe Lincoln Tomato
Leeks
Oregano


Basil

Parsley
Cherokee Purple Tomato
Black Vernissage Tomato

 

 


  • Fence in the back, I don't think any of the Milkweed Plants made it
Elaeagnus ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’
Corno Di Toro Giallo
California Wonder
Swamp Milkweed Cinderella
Bee Balm
Gaillardia Goblin
Tiger Lilies
Jalapeno
Butterfly Milkweed
Anaheim
Marigolds


Sunflowers
 

  • Trellis - Swenson Swedish Snow Pea, Marigold

  • Back Pond
Yellow Iris pseudacorus
Garden Pink
Camellia, April Remembered
Bee Balm
Ghost pepper
Tabasco
Chives
Oregano
Rosemary

 


  • Shasta Daisy and Marigolds on the deck.


  • I wonder what this is?


 

  • Woohoo! my sun came in.

  • I'm just worried that it will blend too much with the fence once I stain the fence, I may have to throw some light at it if it blends in too much.

 


  • Swapped out the 40 watt flood light with a 20 watt spotlight.
 
Now there's a man after my own heart! You sound just like me Sqwib, always too busy working in the yard to run the smoker. Story of my life. Nothing good comes easy so if you want the nice yards you put in the work. Yours looks great, you've done an excellent job there. Im the same as you, always planting something,moving electric and water lines, working on the patio,
setting up lighting, or deciding which decorations should go where. My veggy garden is very small, verrrry small, but I love planting landscape beds. I'm in Buffalo NY so we're just getting started here for the season, been to the nurseries a lot lately. I love it.




This was two years ago before I put in the new beds.


The island and the bed on the right were new last year. Island purposely doesn't have much in it so that the neighborhood cats can't hide in the flowers and ambush the birds at the feeder. Lost a far amount of stuff in the bed by the garage over the winter so I just planted some coreopsis and primrose in there the other day. This weekend we're going to our favorite nursery to pick some more replacement plants and get a few more goodies for this years planters. I have a few things already but I definitely need more. I love my container plantings.


I like your sun on the fence, I have something very similar.

This is my view when I actually have time to sit down. My favorite thing is to sit in this chair and watch the birds. The sweet smell of BBQ in the air only makes it better.

PS: Being in Buffalo these are obviously last years pictures. Not much color back there yet this year. Couple things in bloom but not much.
 
Dave, you are a master gardener, everything looks beautiful, and from the looks of it, you done it right.

I love a lot going on in a yard, busy but not cluttered, anyone can have a patch of grass.

I'm hoping by spring of next year I will be done for the most part, I still need to stain everything, some will be stained in the fall and some in the spring. I plan on tackling the deck in the fall as well, staining, a bit of painting repairing the bar roof and making it bird nest proof, and maybe a new ceiling fan.

@AB Canuck , thank you
 
Squib, your gardens are looking beautiful.     I really enjoy all of your pictures.    Thanks for posting.
 
Thanks Sqwib but I'm far from a master gardener. Like most things I get by more on effort than ability. I had to stain everything this year too, no fun. I built the fence and pergola three years ago and let it season for a year before staining it but the wood up under the roof didn't get dry enough until this year so I did the whole thing over again while I was at it. It's a pain but it makes such a difference it's definitely worth the effort. I put up a ceiling fan a couple years ago but I'm still tinkering with that too. Trying to get some sort of decorative trim that will also hold the weight of the fan. That's a work in progress. There's always something to do and I find it very enjoyable if I don't let it overwhelm me. It's a delicate balance sometimes. I love your vegetable garden and the way you grow everything from seed. That's a true gardener in my book.
 
Just gets better and better  Looks Fantastic.  Looks like you are about out of room have to start on your neighbors !!

Gary
 
Oh boy, went a little crazy yesterday. Went to a couple nurseries yesterday to get a few things and then stopped by Lowe's to see if they had anything. We hit the clearance rack jackpot! Two hours and three shopping carts later we had 40+ perennials and roughly the same number of annuals for $75. Scored some amazing deals. Got about half the perennials in today before the rain started. Raining like crazy right now so I'm done for the day. At least they're getting watered in!



I'm not even sure where to put it all but for those prices I'll find a spot for it.
 
May 18th - May 25th, 2017
I got a few things done this week and some were actually from my list this time, Yay!
  • Wired in the new Hugelkultur bed lights, they're not secured yet, I will secure them after the bed is stained.
  • Installed New Y valve
  • Ran some vertical support lines for the maters on the hill.
  • Mulched the front garden and in front of the new Hugelkultur Bed
  • Fixed some leaks on the under-decking still nee to fix a few more leaks
  • Installed a light for the cooking area.
  • Took off the storm door and reinstalled, it was hitting the bottom concrete pad and wouldn't close properly or latch properly.
  • Laura painted the back wall.
  • Scrubbed the patio, coolers and bench seat
  • Repainted the patio table.
  • Added composted manure to the Aquaponic peppers.
  • Lifted a bunch of pavers and added paver base to level the pavers better.
  • Fed all the flowers and shrubs.
  • Installed the new Ceiling Fan

 


 


 

 

 



 


  • And look who's munching on my dill, a few Black Swallowtail caterpillars. Eat up guys there's plenty for everyone!


 

I have been having issues with garden pests this year, I know I have an Aphid problem but something is knocking the snot out of my Broccoli.
A few nights ago I inspected the garden with a flashlight to see what critters are decimating my plants. I found the culprits, Slugs, tons of them, real tiny guys. Whats odd is the infestation is only one half of the bed. I did dump some ash in the bed to the left so that may have helped.

 

  • So I decided to make some slug traps but first I needed a little bit of beer.


 
  • First I sprayed all the plants with Neem Oil, then laid out my Slug Traps.



Note the marigold plant bottom right. The sacrificial Marigolds are sort of working but I don't want to loose them either.
 

  • I put four slug traps in the 10' bed. After I set up the slug traps I sprayed all the plants with Neem Oil.


 
  • Trimmed the tomato plants to one stem.



I checked the beds last night and the slugs seemed to have disappeared. I did see a few slugs in one of the traps in the morning.

 
  • Maybe as a treat I'll feed the Beer soaked slugs to reds.


  • Installed the new ceiling fan.
 
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Looking Good.... I like the slug traps I may have to build some, Neem oil? What is it and where do you get it? I am in Canada and have never heard of it, as your using it I assume it is safe for all plants? Charlie
 
I never used pesticides or fertilizers before, I would just hope for the best but since I have been reading and researching a lot more, I want to up my game a bit.

I didn't even want to use neem oil, I hate the idea of the possibility of killing beneficial insects like lacewings and parasitic wasps, hopefully by brushing the plants a bit before spraying will let the good guys fly away.

This is my first year ever using a spray, Neem oil is supposed to....

well, Wiki explains it better than me...
[h3]Pesticide[/h3]
Formulations made of neem oil also find wide usage as a biopesticide for organic farming, as it repels a wide variety of pests including the mealy bug, beet armyworm, aphids, the cabbage worm, thrips, whiteflies, mites, fungus gnats, beetles, moth larvae, mushroom flies, leafminers, caterpillars, locust, nematodes and the Japanese beetle.[sup][4][/sup][sup][5][/sup] Neem oil is not known to be harmful to mammals, birds, earthworms or some beneficial insects such as butterflies, honeybees and ladybirds (ladybugs in US English) if it is not concentrated directly into their area of habitat or on their food source. It can be used as a household pesticide for ant, bedbug, cockroach, housefly, sand fly, snail, termite and mosquitoes both as repellent and larvicide.[sup][2][/sup] Neem oil also controls black spot, powdery mildew, anthracnose and rust fungi.

Biopesticides, a contraction of 'biological pesticides', include several types of pest management intervention: through predatory, parasitic, or chemical relationships. The term has been associated historically with biological control - and by implication - the manipulation of living organisms. Regulatory positions can be influenced by public perceptions, thus:
  • in the EU, biopesticides have been defined as "a form of pesticide based on micro-organisms or natural products".[sup][1][/sup]
  • the US EPA states that they "include naturally occurring substances that control pests (biochemical pesticides), microorganisms that control pests (microbial pesticides), and pesticidal substances produced by plants containing added genetic material (plant-incorporated protectants) or PIPs".
They are obtained from organisms including plants, bacteria and other microbes, fungi, nematodes, etc.[sup][2][/sup][sup][2][/sup][sup][3][/sup] They are often important components of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes, and have received much practical attention as substitutes to synthetic chemical plant protection products (PPPs).
 
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I agree, I do not use pesticides either. . Back years ago (Can't remember his name) there was a guy who had a book on lawn, garden and pest care using natural stuff you probably have,

One thing was to mix dish detergent in a hose end sprayer and spray your shrubs, plants and veggies. I did this when I lived at the lake and it seemed to work fine. But I haven't used anything in years.

Gary
 
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