"Gotta Have It" Sweet Corn

The corn we bought this year was "Gotta Have It" Sweet Corn from Gurneys.  I have always been on the fence about whether or not to plant corn.  It takes up so much space.  (Space I could be using to grow more pumpkins!)  You need at least 4 rows of corn spaced 2-2.5 feet apart.  And it's never been that good... until this year.

 
This year we finally got it right and it really is so good you "gotta have it." 

What we did with it: Cut off the wormy ends and stick it in boiling water for 3 minutes. (My favorite cookbook says 2 1/2 minutes but I like 3 better.)  So far we've gotten about 25 ears from our small plot and there are a few more coming.  Not a ton for the space investment but it's worth every buttery bite.

I don't wanna talk about it...

If I had to pin down the reason for my gardening downfall this year I would say it was definitely the peas. They just kept coming and coming and I couldn't keep up. Tomorrow I will rip them out and start fresh with something else.

Other plants that don't make me feel guilty:

Dr. Suess Onions

Cherry tomatoes just turning red.  I've got big plans for them. 

Little eggplants.  Remember how I thought they all died?  I learned an important lesson; never put all your eggplants in one basket. 

Corn.  I planted it in two plantings this year so we won't have to eat 10 cobs a day to keep up. 

I remember reading somewhere that the corn will be ready ___ days after the tassels appear.  I should really look that up....

Gurney's Magic Pumpkins.  So far just one and it doesn't look too magical...

One Jack-be-REALLY-little

Fuji apple tree drooping from all the weight.  Doreen told me to pull some of the apples off but I couldn't do it.  I am too attached. 

Gala tree needs no thinning.

Aw look... they're blushing.

The Carnage

After six days in the ground, my poor little plants have taken a beating.  They were pummeled by the latest measurable snowfall ever recorded in Utah. 

Every day last week the kids came in to tell me it was snowing.  They think it's funny when I run to the window in a panic.  By Monday I was so used to it I didn't even react.  Too bad this time they were telling the truth.  "No mommy, it really IS snowing!"  Uh-huh, yeah, sure guys. 

I figured the tomatoes and peppers were lost and gone forever.  I covered the herb garden with little newspaper tents because they are right by my back door so I could do it in my slippers.  Then I ran out of newspaper so I told the tomatoes and peppers to stand strong in the face of adversity.  I think they must have heard me because they actually look okay.  They may need some extra loving care and possibly counseling but I think they will come through. 

Actually I am pretty sure they will survive because I chanced to meet a friend outside today who I found out graduated in horticulture at BYU, and she said as long as the plants didn't freeze they will recover.  I don't think she normally gets the reaction she got from me which was instant adoration.  And guess what else?  She is a Master Gardener.  And guess what else?  When I told her I have a garden blog she admitted she has one too!  What are the odds?  I invited her to this blog but now I am really embarrassed because I am not a Master Gardener.  If you would prefer to follow the work of a Master Gardener I understand. 

p.s. the eggplants are toast.  r.i.p.

Planting Tomatoes?

I have in my possession 4 Juliet (oblong cherry) tomato plants that anyone may have for the low price of $0.  (leave a comment or email me if you want them.)

If you are planting tomatoes be sure to bury the bottom two leaf sets.  That will be about 3-4 inches of stem under the ground and I know it will seem like a waste but you will be so glad when extra roots start growing out of the stem and it's always good to put down more roots.  Do it.  It hurts but in the end it's so worth it. 

Day 1 (Summer Boxes)

Box 3: Tomatoes (Celebrity, Big Boy, Juliet (a cherry type), Champion)

I know heirloom tomatoes are the best, but I tried them last year and they do taste a little better but they don't produce very many and I don't have a lot of space so sorry heirlooms!  Maybe when I have my own farm I will have room to grow you! 

I also tried yellow tomatoes last year which are supposed to be lower acid so people who don't like tomatoes will like them (BRIAN!) but I guess if you grow them right by red tomatoes they still turn red.  So... again... when I have a giant farm I will give yellow tomatoes their very own space and they can keep their yellow identities.  If you are going to be yellow you've got to be assertive, that's what I always say. 

Also in box 3 are my peppers: jalepenos and bell peppers.  I plant them closer than it says on the tag because they never really get as big as it says on the label.  One thing you should know about labels on any plant is that they are usually formulated for Oregon or some other place besides Utah, so things never really get as big as they say they will. 

On the left you will see a newcomer to my garden this year: Eggplant.  The girls are so excited to see how many eggs we get. 

Box 4: Bush Beans, Bush Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers, Zuchini and Summer Squash

This year for the beans I am not planting them all at once but instead every two weeks.  I did them in short rows across the back and left room for more rows so we won't be stuck with too many green beans all at once.  This was at the request of my husband who got a little tired of eating green beans every night for three weeks.  They are good but not THAT good.  And they aren't exactly the best neighbor gift, if you know what I mean.  Normal people just don't get that excited about vegetables.

I'm hoping to finish my last two week green bean rotation in the pea box but that would require the peas to finish growing and that would require some SUN which we are seriously lacking at the moment.

I am getting a little stressed that my corn and pumpkins aren't planted and all this nice rain is being wasted on a weedy patch of dirt with no seeds in it.  Our Gurney's Giant Magic Pumpkins won't be very giant if we don't get them in soon.  (unless they really are magic!)

Day 32

If April showers bring May flowers.....

What does April snow bring?

Day 23: Surprise Garden

So I went out of town for the weekend and when I came back I noticed Nick has organized my sticks for me.  They are all in this neat little cluster instead of spaced evenly marking my rows.  It will be a surprise garden this year.  Pull a plant, it's a carrot: SURPRISE!

A lot of things came up while I was gone even though Brian never watered.  He said the sprinklers would at least water the ends of the boxes.  I am not complaining; he kept three kids fed, happy, and clean for three days which is more than most men could manage. 

The peas are coming along nicely and will hopefully not be too bothered by the tiny bit of snow today.  I am looking at these pictures thinking "wow, we have a lot of weeds back there and this blog says "No Weeds Allowed".  I guess I should change it to Some Weeds Allowed. 

The Rhoades helped me spray my trees on Tuesday, and also come out of the depressed state I have been in after seeing how beautiful it is in Washington.  Woe is me.  But the trees are budding and now they are straightening so maybe I can stick it out in Utah.  Bloom where I'm planted, that's what I'll do. 

Day 17- Good Morning Peas!

When I first looked this morning I saw one little pea plant coming up.  After I watered I counted at least 10.  Every time I checked there were more.  They are sneaky little peas. 

I will plant some more later today to finish off the rows.   That way they won't all be done at once.  I'm curious how quickly they will come up compared to the ones that got snowed on....

Oh yes, and I did spy a lone green onion as well.   I expect that I'll be seeing a lot coming up in the next few sunny days. 

Don't Cry for Me, I'm Just a Tree

Doreen came over to teach me how to prune the apple trees.  She must commune with tree spirits but they wouldn't tell me their secrets.  She gave me the pruning shears and told me to have a whack at it but I wasn't very good at spotting bad branches.  There are all these rules, like 3, 5, 7, no weak crotches, no suckers, it's a lot to remember on the first attempt.  I was hoping it would be more obvious but it turns out I will need more practice before I can do it on my own.  The trees do look nice, though.  Just a little stumpy.  It should be a good apple year because last year we got none.  (they are supposed to go every other year unless you have a little boy that likes to pull off all the blossoms)

Before                                                                                                                 After

                            

I thought we could leave the V growing in this one so we could have a little place to sit in 20 years but Doreen said no way, jose.

Day 16- Hello Radishes!

The whole row of "spinach" is up and I am shocked because I've never seen anything come up quicker than radishes. I checked the radish row a little closer and behold! Radish seedlings!

There is a reason they say that radishes are good for children's gardens. They don't require a whole lot of patience. I'm amazed that the spinach is beating the radishes. The race is on....

Day 15- First Green

I saw the first green in the garden today.  It's labeled as spinach but looks suspiciously like carrots.  I wonder if somebody switched my sticks around for an April Fool's joke.

 Now that the sun is shining I am a lot more excited to go out and check.  Keep those rays coming, Mr. Sun.

Day 6- Easter Morning

Luckily I only planted the packets that said "plant in spring as soon as the soil can be worked."  We would be in big trouble if there were any "sow seed when weather is warm and all danger of frost is passed" seeds out there.  April in Utah is full of danger. 

Day 1

The peas were actually planted on Saturday but for simplicity's sake, I'll call today Day 1.

Natalie helped me with the tedious part of planting the tiny radish and beet seeds. She is getting very good at estimating 1 inch. Carrot seeds are even smaller, plus they are dark so it's hard to see where I left off. Next year I'm going to spring for the carrot seed tape.

I soaked the peas this year, so hopefully they'll get up and going before too long. They should be up by day 10. As usual I bought too many peas. If anybody wants some let me know.

Gurney's Seed Catalog

Last year when I was buying seed I had a bit of trouble finding the exact varieties I wanted. I signed up for the Gurney Seed Catalog, mostly because they sell Gurney's Giant Magic Pumpkin seeds. How could I pass those up?

In the catalog, all the pictures are bright and beautiful. I thought it would be fun to make a collage of all the seed packets to decorate my (imaginary) garden shed. The envelope came, I opened it and:

Every packet is exactly the same.  No cute collage for me.