The Blissful Garden Blog 2011
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June 7th
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Garden Friends - Lady Bugs
Garden Friends - Bees
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June 7th
June 17th
June 26th
July 18th
Garden Friends - Lady Bugs
Garden Friends - Bees
Link to the 2009 Garden Blog
June 7th
Black Krim
New gardening system
Early Girl
Sweet 100
Brandywine
Green Envy
Oregano
Thyme
Cilantro
Sage 1.jpg
Pea Pods
Peas flowering
Peas flowering
Zucchini
JUNE 7, 2011The rain has finally stopped and the very warm weather has arrived. Massachusetts is expecting a few days of 90 degrees. We'll be watering a lot to keep up with the drying soil.The tomato plants have been in the ground for a few weeks now and I'm finally starting to see some growth. This gallery has photos of the tomato plants flowering and the peas flowering.My wonderful husband has built a new tomato support system to try. We've struggles with the tall bushy cherries and the huge and heavy heirlooms. I'm trying some wire tomato cages for the determinate plants and the "rope method" for the heavy heirlooms. Stay tuned through the season to see how it all works out.Again this year I am relying on the "bucket system" for miscellaneous plants. I'm telling you, you don't need a lot of room to grow your own tomatoes. I use Home Depot buckets with holes drilled in them and they work fantastic every year. Give it a try!
Black Krim
New gardening system
Early Girl
Sweet 100
Brandywine
Green Envy
Oregano
Thyme
Cilantro
Sage 1.jpg
Pea Pods
Peas flowering
Peas flowering
Zucchini
June 17th
Garden Staking
Sweet 100 Cherry
Early Girl
Tomato plant stock
Husky Red Cherry
Yellow Taxi
Yellow Taxi
Yellow Taxi
Snow Peas
Snow Peas
Snow Peas
Baby Basil
Cherokee Purple
JUNE 17, 2011Well, the garden has been loving all this rain. The snow peas are growing like crazy and I even picked a couple handfulls for dinner tonight. The are crisp and sweet. Any of you following this blog the last few years knows about "The Kupins". My naughty toy schnauzer who eats all my veggies! He's very excited about the snow peas, he loves them.The tomatos are starting to grow...thank goodness! I was convinced I would be far behind with the cooler temperatures.The BIG surprise was the little Cherokee Purple tomato I found among the leaves...YES! This is a black heirloom with the most incredible flavor. The Cherokee Purple & Black Krim are my two favorites, floowed by the Brandywines and cherries. Who am I kidding, I love them all. This is very exciting! Stay tuned for more updates! Remember to click on the thumbnails for a larger view. of the photos gallery.
Garden Staking
Sweet 100 Cherry
Early Girl
Tomato plant stock
Husky Red Cherry
Yellow Taxi
Yellow Taxi
Yellow Taxi
Snow Peas
Snow Peas
Snow Peas
Baby Basil
Cherokee Purple
June 26th
JUNE 17, 2011We here in the Northeast has been getting slammed with rain! The garden is growing by leaps & bounds, but we really need some sum and heat. I don't think we're going to have edible tomatoes by the 4th of July, but hopefully soon.There are lots of tomatoes growing and lots of flowers on all the plants. The stocks are strong and the cherries are getting monsterous! They've double in size in a week. I can't wait to taste them.The rope trellis is working pretty well. I have to stake a few of the Black Krrims & Cherokee Purples as they are growing lots of arms and spreading rather than climbing. A work in progress.I hope everyone's garden is doing well and managing through the waky weather in the USA. Stay tuned for updates nect week.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Black Krim and Cherokee Purple
Sweet 100's ...What a Monster!
Sweet 100's
Kupey can almost reach!
Tarragon
Early Girl
Yellow Taxi
Brandywine
Mutant Black Krim
Mutant Black Krim
Too much water!!
Green Envy
Cherokee Purple
Husky Cherry
Mountain Magic
Baby Zucchini
Heirloom Tomatoes
Black Krim and Cherokee Purple
Sweet 100's ...What a Monster!
Sweet 100's
Kupey can almost reach!
Tarragon
Early Girl
Yellow Taxi
Brandywine
Mutant Black Krim
Mutant Black Krim
Too much water!!
Green Envy
Cherokee Purple
Husky Cherry
Mountain Magic
Baby Zucchini
July 18th
Lady Beetles
Lady Beetles
Lady Beetles
Lady Beetles
Garden
Garden
Garden
Garden
Garden
Lady Beetles
Garden
Garden Surprise
Whiteflies can seem to come out of nowhere all of a sudden! They are easy to identify. When you move or water your plants and you see what looks like an instant snowstorm with minute things flitting all over, you've got whiteflies! At the first sign of them you want to take action as they multiply like crazy.Let's talk a bit about whiteflies and then we'll get to some controls. It always helps to understand the nature of the critter you are dealing with. Although all whiteflies tend to look alike, there are two major types, the greenhouse whitefly and the silverleaf whitefly. Adult greenhouse whiteflies are slightly less than 1/8 inch long. They have a white, waxy coating and hold their wings parallel to the leaf surface. Adult silverleaf whiteflies are a bit smaller than the greenhouse whitefly and they have a yellowish hue to them. They hold their slim wings at a 45-degree angle to the leaf surface. Whiteflies are not true flies as they are relatives of mealybugs, scales and aphids. The eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves. They are cone-shaped and range in color depending on species from from dark gray to burnt orange. The eggs are often laid in a circular or crescent pattern. If you see them, smash them. When the eggs hatch in 4-12 days what emerges is a white, flat, oval shaped nymph. They have no legs and can be mistaken for scale insects at times.It is the nymph and adult fly that cause physical damage to the host plants. They attack the leaves, buds and stems sucking the juice out of them. Without control infested plants will turn yellow, growth become stunted and ultimately die. Whiteflies produce honeydew (like aphids) that drips onto the plant encouraging the growth of sooty mold and they can spread plant viruses. Now we understand a little more about whiteflies and its time to get to the controls. These techniques may be used inside or out as you see fit.Monitoring DevicesYellow sticky traps, which we carry, can snare the first whiteflies to emerge giving you the red alert and are very useful for greenhouse and home monitoring. To a degree they will also help control the population. For best results hang or place the cards close to the top of the plant. For the home and greenhouse: doors, vents and other openings where whiteflies can enter are also good sites to hang yellow sticky cards.Whitefly Predators"Ladybug (Delphastus pusillus): those hard working friends of gardeners! The ladybug larvae will consume up to 1000 whitefly eggs in its lifetime but also feeds on nymphs.Green Lacewing (Chrysoperla spp.): the most voracious, effective predator.Preventative:Use a seaweed spray to mist the leaves of your plants. Along with all the benefits plants derive from a seaweed spray it also seems to make the foliage undesirable for whiteflies to reproduce on. Spray garden plants in spring.Repellant plants: African, French marigolds (Tagetes), Calendula, nasturtiums, and Peruvian cherry.Whiteflies can be an indicator of phosphorous and magnesium deficiencies. You can correct magnesium deficiencies by mixing 4 ounces of Epsom salts with 1 gallon of water. Use as a soil soak for infested plants. We won't say that this is a cure all but it can certainly benefit your plant especially tomatoes and peppers.
July 18th
Attack of the White Flies! Lady Beetles Attack!!The war has begun. Thanks to the rain and cool temperatures early in the season, the white fly population has exploded. They are sucking the life out of my tomatoes so I am fighting back. As my followers know, I do not use any pesticides, fungicides or checmicals, so once again I have ordered lady beetles (& also trying green lacewing's) to kill them naturally. The lady beetles arrived yesterday so I released them in the worst plants, then spread the rest around all the gardens. Hopefully the green lacewing will arrive soon.
Garden Friends - Lady Bugs
Her shell looks so thick.
Her spots are starting to show
Birth of a lady bug...wow!
Birth!
Garden Friends - Lady Bugs
Garden Friends - Bees
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Garden 062611 Bees 2.jpg
Garden 062611 Bees 000.jpg
Garden 062611 Bees 7.jpg
GARDEN FRIENDS -THE BEES
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About
Cherokee Purple 061711 1.jpg
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Black Krim - flowers 1.jpg
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Pea Pods 1.jpg
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Welcome to the Blissful Garden Blog. My name is Michele Bliss and I live in Eastern Massachusetts. In a nut shell...I love gardening! I started serious vegetable gardening in my backyard in 2007 with one small garden bed. I wanted to grow my own food, to know where it came from and what was used to grow it. Since that first summer I have added two additional gardens, raised beds, and if I get a container...I plant in it!Tomatoes are my passion. I love them all, but heirlooms are my favorite. In the past I have had as many as 47 tomato plants...I know, 47 plants! My husband, Ken, has been designated my "farm hand". With both of us working full time, it's a lot to tend to.This blog is basically a journal for me to log how the growing season goes...what went well, what didn't., and what I've learned. It is much easier for me to keep a blog and track my progress that way. Plus, I might learn something from people who know a lot more about this than I do. I am always open to tips and suggestions. Enjoy!Link to the 2009 Garden Blog
ABOUT ME
Copyright B3 Design Studios, 2009 - Website designed by MICHELE BLISS
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Garden Friends - Lady Bugs
