2008 Gardening

So this is our official first year gardening, because last year we started in the summertime and although we learned a lot, it was a disaster! Never try to grow delicate, heirloom tomatoes in the deep south during the peak of summer. The poor things just would not fruit, it was blossom rot city. This year we were so busy coming out of the gate in January, that it was not until about mid April that we started to first clean up last year's mess and save what we could, and then start the real gardening that we missed last year. Moving from Southern California to the deep South Louisiana, I am learning how to garden on the edge of the swamps.

I decided to garden smart and go with native plants (duh), and heat resistant varieties. We are growing about a dozen creole tomato plants. I am so excited about the tomatoes, expecially in light of the tomato salmonella outbreak recall! We have a lovely tomato garden. We are also growing green beans, cucumbers, corn, jalapeno peppers, cayenne peppers, habanero peppers, tons of herbs, and lots more. I will be creating pages for these plants so I can document as much as possible, and learn in the process. If there is one thing I am realizing so far, its that this is all a lot of work! I am outside everyday; mulching, weeding, feeding, fertilizing, repotting, watering, picking off hungry insects, and non stop cleaning up. I am having a great time reusing household things, and feel good recycling containers. Gardening is definitely something I plan on doing for the rest of my life, regularly.

And I have yet to get to my growing collection of house plants. From coleus to fittomias, I have a few lovely indoor plants as well. I have tons of pictures! Lots of content on the way. :)

Better Boy Tomato

When I posted the picture of my Green Tomato, I did not state what type of tomato it was. Well, it is turning red as I type this blog entry, and I can't wait to eat it!

You can see in the latest photo - the Better Boy Tomato is coming along well and so far is the only tomato on the plant...

I have other types of tomatoes growing and will post more images soon as I get them going. Various hybrids such as Cherry Tomatoes, some Creoles and more. At this time this tomato is the only "full-size" tomato that I will have harvested and grown myself, so I am excited and anxious to pick it and eat it!

Green Tomato

When I got up this morning, I grabbed the camera and went outside and grabbed a couple of pictures of my cute little green tomatoes!

I only have a few right now and they are small, but I am excited and can't wait to have grown my own tomatoes!

Here is a picture of the biggest one I have in the garden right now...

I eat lots of salads and love tomatoes, so I hope these little guys grow up to be big healthy juicy and red! I will post more pics of them as they grow here in the Garden Parade Blog.

Keep checking back for more images from my personal garden.

Spring Bed Expansion & Dollarweed

So I am finally getting back to my garden! Its been a long beginning of the year, with family members getting ill and teeth literally pulled out. I am starting my series of small mini gardening site, the first one being dollarweed.

Honey Bee in Cucumber Blossom

It is literally a race to keep the greenery tame during the summertime here in the deep, tropical south. The Saint Augustine lawn grows like mad, and if you don't mow the beast every week it gets crazy. The wasps are out in full force and the cicadas are screaming, having a good time.

Our two cucumber hills have turned into massive vine mounds! This is our first year growing, first year in our new home with lots of yard space. Next year I know how to design the bed for the cucumbers, that is for sure. It seems like the vines just go nuts down here. Our cucumbers are out of control, and I planted three little pumpkin sprouts and put them in the corner in the back of the yard and they are going insane too. The vines love the acidy clay soil here it seems. I hope the tomatoes do as well, they are going in the ground soon.

Here is a lovely shot of a honey bee pollinating our giant cucumbers.



Our Best Cucumbers Collection

Plant Stands

Here's some really cool plant stands. I myself am ALWAYS looking for plant stands. You can shove them anywhere you have empty space and showcase your lovely plants. I find them onsale at different stores all over the internet. You just have to shop a little and they are out there. Here ar esome intersting three level embellished steel plant stands. I like how they have the curved corner stands and you can buy multiple parts and create your own special plant stand area. Great idea!

Garden Parade

Here is the official first post and launch of Garden Parade.

I have been itching for a garden blog for a while now, and my sprouts have finally taken off so the time is now. I'll be posting lots of pics from my home garden in south Louisiana, somewhere in either zone 8 or 9a. Lots of rain, lots of mud, lots of bugs! I am originally from southern California so all of this is new to me also. My first year in my new home with lots and lots of yard space and places to grow things.

I have already planted tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, radish, peppers, and pumpkins. I also adopted lots of various house plants, and rooting some random vines from the yard. We have lived here only a few months and its been a constant battle with things such as Saint Augustine grass and Wisteria vines. Not to mention the insects. Wasps, dragon flies, damsel flies, worms galore, and tons of lizards that dine on them. I regularly see hawks and buzzards here too. South Louisiana has some wildlife compared to the dry yet hydrated desert I grew up in. Its a gardener's paradise here, if you can get a hold in pest control. :)