Live Bird Cams

These are certainly worth checking out, if you hit it right you can catch a view of the eggs and some Mom and Dad activity:

Live! Red-tailed Hawk Nest at Cornell University

Live! Great Blue Heron Nest at Cornell Lab of Ornithology  ** I should add that the Mama Heron is expected to possibly lay her 4th egg around 6 p.m. EDT this evening.  Very cool stuff!**

March Garden Notes

1. Transplanted Curly Vates Kale and Duo Scallions into the hoop house today.
2. Peas are coming up nicely.
3. Garden apple trees are budding.
4. Potted up fennel seedlings into cow pots.
5. Weeds are taking over the garden beds.  Thanks mild winter.

2nd post of the day....

Today's earlier post on specialty strawberries is below, the day has been all about the garden I guess.

Peppers sown:

(2) Baby Belle (for containers)

(2) Spanish Padron

(2) Corno di Toro

Carmen

(2) Pizza (for containers)

Tam Jalapeño

Tomatoes thinned, potted up into Cow Pots, and given a fish feed:

We have a quite a cold snap coming tomorrow night, at least in relation to the recent day and night temperatures.  I will be plugging in the soil warmer and covering the smaller fruit trees and bushes  and garlic with burlap or row cover.  Lets hope the weather folks are wrong and we stay in the low 30's......the trees could sure use a gentler forecast!

(Edit: I decided to go out and cut some blooms before they are knocked off by the rain and cold.)

Strawberries

We love fruit at our house, and strawberries & blueberries are at the top of the list. My daughter and I especially love the little alpine strawberries that pump out fruit all summer long, so there were plans to expand our little patch this year.  My first seed sowing was strewn across the floor by a troublesome feline, but no worries, a replacement batch is in the works.

While waiting at the vet yesterday I read an article on alpine strawberries, and it said a family of four should have 26 plants or so if I remember correctly.  Yikes.  I only have 3 out there now, with 8 more in the seed tray.   Seems as though my plans are falling short.  Nothing that can not be fixed with a few mouse clicks though- looky what we have coming soon.....

From The Strawberry Store:

ALPINE
Regina (2)
Alexandria (2)
Pineapple Crush (4)
Reine des Vallees (2)
Deese des Vallees (2)

MUSK
Profumata di Tortona (2)
Capron (2)
Male (2)

I have always wanted to try musk strawberries, I hope we like them as much as the alpine.  This order should put us at the recommended capacity once my seedlings are in full production next year.

In the Garden

Today:

• Sowed peas.
• Pruned blackberries (should have been done after fruit ripened); 2nd year canes trimmed and tied to trellis.
• Rosemary overwintered with minor damage under row cover.
• Apple trees appear to be doing okay.
• Pruned raspberries that were not done in fall.

**To do: plug in soil warming cable; sow kale and chard; prepare blueberry bed & apple tree sites.

The Latest Additions...

The fella on top is Domino, but we call him "The Dom".  Turns out he has ringworm so we are now dealing with that loveliness, just what my household needed after nursing a sick kitten for 2 months, and then sanitizing from top to bottom after he was euthanized.  What next?  (Dare I ask!?!?)  He is the cat my children picked, and he is a love bug that prefers to move as little as possible.  Just below is Seamus, and he is my handsome lad.  Fresh, frisky, and attention seeking- quite a character he is!  Contagious funguses aside, we are very happy with our new additions.

This and That.

Trial run with the lights, everything is in working order.

Scallions, kale, and fennel; soil blockers rock.

Tomatoes are labeled with toothpick flags, the remaining blocks are lavender.

The fig tree in the basement has decided spring is here.

The lemons are growing and blooming- I just can not get enough of that heavenly scent!

Lazy Sunday by the fire.  It's a dog's life.

New kitties coming home this week, Bob was put down 2 weeks ago.  We miss him so!

Rest in peace Bob-Cat.

Seed Sowing List

The shelf lights have gone up, and seeds are being pulled for sowing....on today's list:

• KALE- Blue Curled Vates
• TOMATOES- Juliet, Sun Gold, Matt's Wild Cherry, Ella's Pink Plum, Mountain Magic, Black Krim, and Chianti Rose
• SCALLIONS- Delicious Duo
• ALPINE STRAWBERRIES- Mignonette
• BULBING FENNEL- Trieste
• LAVENDER- French Perfume

~YIPEE!!!~

Greens Update

The micro-green project has turned into a salad greens project.  I have lost count of how many times I have cut these mixes.  They just keep on growing, and growing, and growing.....just a fish feed every couple of weeks has been all that is needed.

DELICIOUS!!

Late Blight Chatter

I have been reading some interesting thoughts on the coming gardening season, and many folks are thinking 2012 has the potential to be similar to 2009 in regards to late blight infection on the East Coast.  There are some varieties that show moderate to excellent resistance.  I have been keeping a short list of varieties that are reported to perform best under the blight umbrella:

• Plum Regal
• Magic Mountain
• Defiant
• Matt's Wild Cherry
• Yellow Pear
• Black Krim

I may be changing my tomato list based on these predictions for 2012.  I did order Mountain Magic seeds from Johnny's, as well as some liquid copper.  This application alternated with Serenade seems to offer the best protection against late blight.  As for the disease itself it is actually a water mold.  Look for brown, water soaked looking areas on stems and leaves starting on the newer growth.  Eventually the white fuzzies appear on the undersides of leaves, and the fruit can become blemished as well.  It is said the fruit appears to be rotten but will actually be firm to the touch, which is not the case with other diseases.  I have had late blight on my tomatoes on more than one occasion so I am planning on being proactive this year (the photos shown on this post are from my garden in 2009).  Anyone else have thoughts or a plan of attack for this year if blight is back in town?