snowy halloween garden

After a day of melting, this is my garden. We got about 3 inches of the white stuff on Saturday. Way less than other places to the west of us.

A big branch fell in the backyard that will need to be cleared with a power saw. I hope the weather warms and stays snow-free at least til next weekend so I can clean up my gardens. I was still picking peppers and basil last week and had done minimal clean up. I guess its time to prepare for winter!

aerial after the storm

We were lucky and have very little damage in my yard from hurricane Irene. My rain gauge says we got 3.3 inches of rain. The town of Belmont had a number trees down and power was out in some areas. Tomorrow I'll check out the other side of town where my community garden plot is. This area is low and sometimes has flooding.

garden aerial

I took this photo in the middle of the August full sun with the sprinklers going. Too much for my camera. I will get another photo soon in dimmer light. What a glorious time of year!

garden aerial

This week the cute little bunny ate my beans almost to nothing - so I now have a new fence made of chicken wire two and a half feet high all around my garden. I didn't realize those little rabbits can get through fence smaller than 2 inches and can jump a foot or more!!! Amazing.

Its a good year for bunnies and a good year for my garden. The hot weather is great for the basil and eggplants. The cukes are producing well and my giant pumpkin vines are coming along. The pumpkins are at the back side of my cold frame and are spilling over the edge and heading for the font yard where they will have room to sprawl.

arial view

The top photo is labeled to show what planted where if you click on it.

April 31 and April 9, 2011

March 20 and February 1, 2011

Jan 12, 2011 and December 24, 2010

November 21 and October 6, 2010

August 28 and August 5, 2010

May 30 and April 22, 2010

As my garden starts to take shape for another season, I looked back on last year's photos. The garden was very shady last year (that backyard tree just keeps growing!) and I had all my tomatoes, potatoes and peppers at home following the late blight the previous summer. Not good crops for partial sunlight.

This year, the tomatoes, potatoes and peppers will all rotate back to my community plot where they can have SUN. AND, we had a giant branch removed from the backyard shade tree and I'm hoping the garden gets more sun this year.

I just went back to look at my garden plans that I drew up in the middle of the winter. My side yard garden will be planted with dill, cucumbers, peas and beans this year. Not on the plan, but I'll put some kale and cilantro here too. The peas are up an inch or two already.

my side yard vegetable garden

I continued today with working on cleaning up my side yard garden. The rose on the fence always need a lot of trimming in the spring. I'm gradually clearing old leaves and last year's vegetable debris from the beds. Also removing weeds. The dandelions are especially vigorous this year.

side yard aerial

I planted the bed at the far left with 3 rows of peas a few days ago. I'm watching for sprouts. The cold frame is filling up fast and perennials in the bed next to it are sprouting.

March garden view - first day of spring!

Its a beautiful day today to mark the first day of SPRING. I had to open my cold frame doors to lower the heat (it was up to upper 80's inside, 60's outside). I worked in the area around the frame and soaked in the sunlight and warmth myself. There are still deep shadows as the sun is still low to the south, but its angle is increasing. I raked the leaf mulch off of flower garden next to the cold frame and cleared off the stone path. I was impressed at how many plants from last fall have survived very well. I found that my bee balm still has nice green leaves left from last year as well as many little new shoots poking up. And my roses are very healthy too. The benefits of deep snow cover, I suppose.

I found a hose in the garage, hooked it up and was able to give the plants in the frame a good soaking.

I haven't gotten the peas planted yet. Though the soil is thawed and workable, it just seems too shady in my garden beds still.

side yard aerial - another snow-covered garden photo

No, this isn't just the same photo as last month - even though it looks identical. We got about 5 inches of snow on the garden this past weekend. And even though we've had warm days, there has been very little melting of our 3 feet of snow cover.

garden aerial

Here's a photo taken before the cold frame was cleared off.

snow

Our official total was about 20 inches of snow today!

white garden

Looks we got a foot of snow, but hard to tell with the drifting. And its still coming down. No sign of the garden gnome - guess he took off and went south.

Christmas eve aerial view of my side yard vegetable garden

We shook the snow off the tarp covering the cold frame in the morning. Once the sun hit it warmed up to 45*F, so I opened the doors and let it get some fresh air. I brought a few gallons of water out while it was open. Not much left inside, but I will pick a salad bowl full tomorrow (Christmas Day) and then let the rest wait 'til the spring starts it growing again.

November garden aerial

wet aerial view

Seems like its been raining all month! Plus temps are falling. Summer's gone. Cukes and tomatoes are looking ragged. With the dampness, I haven't done much work outside and chores are waiting.

This weekend is forecast to be dry. I want to clear out the cold frame, replace the plastic and fill it with baby seedlings that are growing inside. I'll also plant clover and winter rye under the tomatoes and in the empty beds.

At my community plot, I'll plant garlic. Maybe also consolidate the fall greens and put up hoops and row cover. Same at my parents garden - hoops and row cover over a long row of fall greens.

... click on the label below to see previous aerial photos of my garden ....

end of August garden aerial

I've worked on several projects in my side yard the past two weekends. I have been fixing up a little flower garden next to my cold frame (bottom center of this photo), I've mulched and weeded the vegetable beds, and I've set up a new grape arbor just to the left of this photo. I'll post separately on each of these projects.

If you want to, you can click on this photo and mouse over to what's planted where.

aerial

My side yard garden has had better years. Its so shady! But the cold frame is filling up and tomatoes are s.l.o.w.l.y growing. I planted my solanacea (tomato related plants) here (instead of my community plot) for rotation this year.

Click on the photo to see what's growing.

garden aerial - with house painter

Ah yes - the house painter is here. We are painting the house green. I've always wanted a green house!

And down below, my garden is doing good. The covers are off the cold frame, but its still early in the season. All the beds are planted but the plants are still small. Seems to me that I've spaced them too far. I'm tempted to fill in all that extra space.

my side yard garden

Lots of chores after returning home to my gardens:

- To all side yard beds, added composted, turned and buried irrigation lines
- Potatoes planted in far left bed: All Blue, Cobbler, Green Mountain and Butte Russet. I'll leave the irrigation line above the soil for now in this bed.
- Marigolds planted along front of cold frame
- Spread old salt hay between beds (not quite enough - I'd like to get more)
- Admired all the green in the cold frame