Note--If you receive your emails as text and would like to view an html version of this newsletter online with photos, please click here. May/June 2008
I
really do try to get a newsletter out in early May...really I do.
I never seem to achieve that goal as we
are completely buried with orders and work 8 days a week during the month of
May. This season was no exception with our growth in sales more than 40%
over last year, we all have been working very hard to accommodate so many
orders. Getting our own garden planted is always a challenge, you know,
the plumber always has a leaky faucet, but we have planted most of our garden
and peppers and eggplants, melons and cantaloupes will be the last to go in.
With the help of Chris Bennett, we have a lovely garden this year, check out the
photos below. We are just as anxious as all of you to begin harvesting tomatoes!
We still have lots of plants available if you have a bit more room. Peppers are nearly sold out but we have squashes, cucumbers, beans and eggplant that are ready for your garden. Of course we still have lots of nice tomatoes too so get 'em while they are still available. It is Herb Season now and our greenhouses are bursting with some of the prettiest herbs we have ever had. We also have a new crop of Olive and Fig trees for your Mediterranean garden!
Fall tomatoes, or second summer tomatoes are possible to grow in most areas. Why have everything ripen during the summer and by fall they are all gone? Try a second crop planting by calculating back from your "first" frost date in the fall, counting back about 90 days and then plant at that time. For some up North who are lucky to get the first tomatoes before the first frost, we feel your pain but for those of us who have a long growing season, plant again and extend the season into fall. We also have a full line of fall vegetables that mature in cooler temperatures. Our fall catalog will be online June 15th and fall tomatoes will be available for delivery July 14th through August. "Fall" or "Cool season" Vegetables will begin shipping August 11th and continue through September 15th. Our herbs will ship all year long and make wonderful additions to the tomatoes and other vegetables coming out of the garden.
Watch for us in Southern Living Magazine! We have a "tomato tasting" that was photographed by Southern Living for the August issue!
Gardening Tips, try something new this year!
No, I am not talking about growing upside down. Many old time gardeners have ways of gardening that make a big difference to the success of a garden which have fallen by the wayside because of the latest gimmick that is supposed to make bigger tomatoes or square foot gardens or even hanging upside down gardens but there are some tried and true techniques that should always be done for garden success.
1. Compost, compost,
compost! It is the
life blood of garden soil. Think of it as food for the dirt instead of
food for the plant. It provides the microbial activity and stimulates
growth of good bacteria and good bugs that help the garden become the perfect
home for your plants. Earthworms and centipedes love compost! Although,
not very nice to think about, every old time gardener knows that they are the
real workers in the garden, leaving behind nice, loamy, fertilized soil.
Compost changes the texture of the soil to lighten it up, make it easier for the
roots of plants to get down deep and it helps the soil hold moisture or helps
drain away too much moisture from the roots. Sources of compost include
bagged products such as Black Cow, Black Hen, Moo-nure, and Mushroom compost.
If you are lucky enough to live near a farm, check with them for old horse
manure, rabbit manure, llama droppings, etc. Just make sure it is old and
dry so it doesn't make your garden a compost heap. In containers, potting
soil has no compost in it after a month or so and it should be added into any
container growing mix. About a third of the soil should be good compost.
2. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch! At the risk of being redundant, mulch has so many benefits in the garden. Many first time gardeners think that mulch and compost are the same thing but they are not the same. Mulch is used on top of the soil, not mixed into the soil, to create a layer of protection from the sun, wind and weeds that battle with your plants all summer long. Think of mulch as a heavy coat in winter for your garden, or a umbrella at the beach...oh well enough analogy, it is a barrier which shades out weeds, keeps valuable moisture in, creates shade for the roots which keeps them cooler which is what they like in warm summertime. Mulch is also invaluable for areas with short growing seasons to warm the soil such as with black plastic. Good sources of mulch are Leaf mold (old leaves), hay straw, peanut hulls, pine needles, newspaper, wood chips, dry grass clippings etc.
3. Soaker hoses. For those who have to water their gardens, which is everyone who doesn't get an inch of rainfall every week or so, don't use fancy sprinklers in the garden. Save those for the kids to run through and play. While an occasional shower wouldn't hurt them, the best use of water is to get it where the roots are. Soaker hoses allow for slow dribbling watering to percolate slowly through the soil and get down deep where we want the roots to go (because it is also cooler down there). Plus they are "green" because they are made from recycled tires. Hook up a soaker hose and let it go for about an hour per week which simulates rainfall and doesn't waste water. While drip systems do the same job, they can be hard to set up and emitters may clog and stop working without you knowing about it. Make sure you have enough pressure to reach the end of the hose and if you have several hoses, run them one at a time.
Doing these three things will improve your success rate with vegetables and herbs and make gardening a pleasure instead of a chore.
Harvesting now in our garden!
We
harvested Spinach about 3 weeks ago and the flavor was spectacular!
Dark green huge leaves were
so tender when cooked and just wonderful for spinach salad. It is
amazing to me the difference in all vegetables when they are grown in our
garden. The lettuces were harvested at about 18" across and the red
leaf lettuce was colorful as well as ruffled but the sweetness is just
unequaled anywhere.
We picked Chives with their beautiful purple blossoms for the market last week and lots of Cilantro, Parsley, Rosemary, Spearmint and Sweet Marjoram. Strawberries have started producing and the fruits are so luscious we have to guard them from the birds and the employees!
Sweet Early Corn has tassels already and the Okra is just about a foot tall. Our potato crop is blooming and should be ready for harvest in about 2-3 weeks. Our tomatoes are only about 1 1/2-2 feet tall since we had a late start getting them planted but some have fruit set already and the weather has been perfect for them.
We are running a string system for most of the tomatoes although some will be in cages as there is some discussion on which is the best way around here. Beans of all types are going well and should be harvesting by our next newsletter! We planted them with Zinnias just for color and they are going like gangbusters.
Our Nantes carrots are coming along and we hope to harvest them soon as baby carrots to thin them out. Our artichokes are getting huge, I hope we get a crop of them this year before it gets too hot in September. Lavender is about to burst into bloom and is so fragrant when you brush up against it.
Thanks to Chris, we have the prettiest garden ever this season! Come and visit us sometime, we are mostly open Weds-Saturday 9-5 but please call if you are driving from a distance to make sure we are here. More harvest to come next month...
featured products:
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Also in our catalog:
Fertilizers and
Garden products
of all kinds! Everything you need to grow your garden healthy this season.
Order a beautiful Basket of Herbs or Tomato plants For Father's Day or Birthday gifts. They make a great gift for Gardeners or Cooks or just order one for yourself, you deserve it! Our herb growing kits and gift baskets can be ordered with your selection of herbs from our collection. We also have Gift Certificates!
The
latest addition on the farm...Cricket, who is about 2 weeks old. Have a
great weekend and a fantastic gardening season.
At Memorial day, we want to remember the families of the soldiers killed or wounded overseas and hope for a more peaceful future.
Cindy & George Martin
