Neglected Garden

Hello there,

I have been on a crazy adventure this summer...that started with a few fantastic camping trips & has ended with a wonderful celebration of my 33rd birthday on 09/09/09....spooky right! LOL

I have neglected my site...and my garden, as in between these wonderful events, I believe "the man upstairs" was testing my sanity! I survived...but in a nut shell......

* my garden basically drowned (WAY TOO MUCH H2O)
* my horses were attacked by cougars (DEC said not a bear...but wont admit that there are cougars in the area. rmjeperry@gmail.com is my facebook address if you wish to see some "cat attack" pictures. They are a little graphic...so keep that in mind for younger viewers.)
* my tent ripped the day before my last camping trip
* my husbands wallet was stolen
* my mom was diagnosed with diabetes
* due to the horse attack my upstairs will remain gutted for another year
* and my down payment for the new car I bought is sitting in my two beloved horses (who are recovering extremely well).

So my boss tells me today I seem distracted! HA HA...just a little. But I'm still smiling and the family is healthy! The completely gutted upstairs will have to wait...the horses were more important this year:) My tomatoes are plentiful and my peppers are yummy...thanking "the man upstairs" for the little things!

Will try and write more frequently now that things are kinda getting back to normal...kinda:) lol

Becky Ri
www.naturesway2grow.com

Corn

Should corn be Knee High by 4th of July? If so...then I'm in trouble:)

Between my CRAZY schedule and the constant rain that we are experiencing here in upstate NY, my corn is only about 6 inches tall and surrounded by weeds and grass. Hopefully the remainder of the summer is a little more sunny and dry or my corn does not stand a chance.

Aaaahhh the joy of gardening:) I'm hoping to update this with a couple pictures....but I have to wait for the thunderstorm to pass!

Ok....the thunderstorms have given way to a cloudy day, with the occasional patch of sunshine. So this is what I'm up against the next couple days....wish me luck!

Thanks for reading & remember to stop by http://www.naturesway2grow.com/ for all your gardening needs! I personally bought a little time saving cultivator from http://astore.amazon.com/organgarde00-20 and it was free shipping and was delivered in 4 days! I couldn't believe it!

Blueberries

Blueberries have been grown by my family for many years. 3 years ago I transplanted a few bushes....actually had to use an axe to separate these HUGE bushes into smaller plants, from my grandmothers home.

Well, all was going well until the deer found them this spring. The bushes were almost eaten down to nothing.....all but about a foot of them has been gobbled up by these adorable little bests!

But to my shock and amazement I found that 3 out of my 8 remaining bushes actually have blueberries on them this year. This is the first year since we brought them to our property that we have had blueberries & I'm very excited!

I just mulched all around them and used some of my horse manure to fertilize them. They seem to have really taken off! I'll be sure to keep you posted during these VERY exciting times around the Perry Farm:)

Cultivating

On Monday my husband and I took a day and dedicated it to catching up on the garden. We were so close to having it completely weeded and then we started seeing smoke coming from our cultivator. My husband turns it off and just shakes his head. Apparently a small rock has completely destroyed my poor little overworked machine.

So off to purchase a new one, as there is no way to hand till this 60x90 garden with our work schedules and social engagements without it! We looked at local shops first, as I like to give them my business if at all possible, and then decided to hit the Internet and found this one on Amazon.com. This was the exact model on the show floor of many local hardware stores, but they couldn't come close to the price. So in 5 to 9 business days our cultivator will be here and hopefully I can finally get caught up on my garden:)

I also liked the products offered on Amazon.com so much that I have created Rebecca's Garden Supply Store located at http://astore.amazon.com/organgarde00-20. You can find a wide assortment of Tillers & Cultivators all at rock bottom prices. If there is something not listed give me a shout or check out www.naturesway2grow.com.! I will assist you in finding your product and also get it to you at a rock bottom price:)

Weeds

Ok...how many of you can relate to this:) lol

I work 40 hours a week, outside of the home (1 hour commute), 2 small children, hobby farm & a husband that works nights.Well, with this busy schedule and all the rain that we are experiencing here in upstate NY, my garden is getting overgrown with weeds. I found that without the hot days to kill my weeds after I till....they just grow right back.

I have looked through the Internet and researched all kinds of organic/green weed prevention methods, and I have decided to try the mulching theory this year. I have taken pictures of what my garden looks like now and I will keep you posted on my efforts.

It will be interesting to see a couple different things:
1.) How well the garden stays weeded
2.) How the mulch (i.e. grass clippings) helps with water retention
3.) How well the mulch tills into the garden and assists with fertilization/quality of earth for next years planting.

Stay tuned for your updates!

I'll try to make them weekly...if not more frequent:) Wish me luck!!

Composting Containers

I have been doing much research lately on the art of composting & the benefits that it provides the environment & most importantly...my garden.

I thought getting started would involve having an ugly & smelly compost container in my house...or be walking out to the garden after every meal or after every snack. But, I don't. There are many different kind of compost containers on the market today that sit right on your kitchen counter, by the back door, or where ever you want to store them & they are esthetically pleasing.

Once these little container are full...you walk them down to your compost bin. It's really as simple as that!
For more information on compost containers, visit http://www.naturesway2grow.com/. Not only do they sell amazing composting equipment, but they sell books & give great helpful hints on getting started.

How to Make a Compost

How to make a compost:

When making your own compost there are some basics that you should follow. I have added some common composting items below, to make composting easy!

ADD:
Egg Shells
Waste
Newspapers
Vegetable Scraps
Yard waste (lawn clippings, leaves)
Manure (vegetarian animals)
Coffee Grounds

NEVER ADD:
Meat or animal products (bones, fish, eggs, butter, yogurt etc.)
Coal Ash
Weeds or weed seeds
Colored paper
Pet droppings
Synthetic chemicals

For more information on how to make compost or composting supplies, check out http://www.naturesway2gow.com/! They have many books and supplies....all a great discount prices!

Garden Scarecrow

The scarecrow has been the guardian of gardens for hundreds of years. The theory is that a scarecrow will scare off birds and other animals that may want to eat your seeds and plants in ones garden.

With this in mind, and needing a project to do with the kids, my husband gathered some of my children's old clothes and a hay bale from the barn and made our own "Justin" and "Elizabeth" scarecrows:) It was great fun!

Supplies you will need if you want to do this project:

• Old clothes
• Hay
• Marker
• Wooden stake
• Rope or Staples
• Straw Hat (optional)

It takes only a little bit of time, the kids had a blast, and my garden is now well protected!

Wacky Weather

A week ago today we had the most "wacky" weather I have seen for the end of May in quite awhile. I took this picture at the begining of the storm...it got worse.

Sunday May 31st started out a little chilly at 52 degrees, but sunny and warm enough for my husband and I to get out and plant the remainder of our garden (pumpkins, corn and cucumbers), while my 2 children were taking their naps. My husband and I were laughing, as in the distance we could see that the nearby town of Canton was getting "pounded" with a massive storm. As I turned my back to continue to work on the garden I could feel the air temperature dropping...rapidly. My husband shouts..."LOOK". Coming across the field was an amazing sight. A wall of white! We grabbed seeds, plants and anything else we could carry and by the time we reached the back screened in porch we were getting pelted by sleet and the air temperature was down to 34 degrees. We watched in amazement as the weather turned from sleet to hail (size of marbles) to snow (the size of quarters). Within 5-10 minutes our garden was covered in a blanket of snow! Lucky for us this cold did not last and the rain came with warmer air temperatures (50's) and our garden, I think (tomatoes are still iffy), is ok!

Now, if the temperature had stayed cold we would have had to run out and hose off the plants and cover them with sheets, plastic, or I've even used our sap buckets...but mother nature did her job and rained on them for me.

Keep your fingers crossed for me:)

Time to Plant the Garden!

This past weekend we decided it was time to plant our vegetable garden. The family garden is 60'X90' and contains all kinds of yummy vegetables like corn, peas, beans, broccoli, onions, garlic, carrots, 2 different kinds of peppers, 4 kinds of lettuce, 24 tomato plants, zucchini & pumpkins.

It's quite the undertaking, but everyone in the family gets to have a green thumb! The kids love to strap on their gardening aprons, gather their tools & get their hands dirty! With their own special tools they work extra hard at planting our garden and weeding our other gardens!

If you don't have any tools for the kids, or are looking for a nice gardening tool set for yourself, you might want to check out www.naturesway2grow.com and see what they have to offer.

Organic Vegetable Gardening

Have you ever wondered what the benefits of organic vegetable gardening were?

Everyone has their own thoughts on the art of organic gardening & why we should be environmentally conscious. I personally believe the 2 most important reasons for organic gardening is the health of the environment and our own personal well being. Lets face it....do we really want to think about all the synthetic chemical & pesticides that most commercial farms utilize in their growing process. It could a very scary thought.

Our family garden contains all of our favorite vegetables, such as tomatoes, corn, carrots, broccoli, pumpkins, zucchini, and more. I utilize natural fertilizers that are available from our hobby farm, but you can always purchase organic fertilizers from your local store or create your own compost, all are environmentally conscious & make your plants luscious and productive.

Stop by Organic Gardening at http://www.naturesway2grow.com/ and learn more about organic gardening by purchasing one of the many gardening books or free informational articles. Then shop for the supplies to accomplish your gardening goals, at discount prices! This site is sure to inspire gardeners of all ages!