Most of the Pickle Cucumbers are Planted. 5.22.2015

Most of the various types of pickle cucumbers are planted.  The exception is Alibi which I haven't decided where to plant.  As with the tomatoes, this year is a test of different varieties, and Im hoping home saved seeds give me a good result.  Alibi is hybrid so is only a backup for the others.  Also Im not sure about the vine length.

Most are in barrels with mix of garden soil, compost, and a little potting soil.

These are "Bush Pickle", short vine pickling cucumber.

Edit: These didn't survive. I don't know why - maybe too cool? I planted bean seeds in this barrel instead.

Dwarf Tomato Update and Disease Protection. 5.21.2021

 I was reading that some gardeners are reluctant to grow dwarf tomatoes because the bottom leaves are low, and other leaves are not widely separated, rendering them more susceptible to fungal spores that splash up from the soil during rain.  That may only be theoretical, I don't know.  So I started adding a brown paper cover for soil under the dwarf tomato plants .  Im only doing that if they have real soil, not ones that are growing in artificial potting soil media.

I hope the paper makes a difference.

I have not figured out how to label photos uploaded via ipad.  The first tomato plant, in the round container is BrandyFred, and the next two, in the rectangular black container are L to R, Improved Dwarf Champion and Extreme Bush.  The last two, in the teal plant box, are Alpatieva 905A.

I've also noticed that most of the dwarf tomatoes have flower buds at their growth apex.  I wonder if that is significant?

A New Cadet Cap Made With Recovered Fabric. 5.21.2021

This was kind of fun. I like using fabric that had a previous life as something else. This was duck cloth that I harvested from the back of an old couch that was in very bad condition. However, the fabric on the sofa back was not exposed to wear and tear, and was in excellent shape.

 I used a box cutter to remove the fabric from the old sofa. There were a couple of yards. Before using it, I prepped the fanric. I soaked it in hot water and detergent, squeeze but don't crumple or wring it out, drain, Repeat several times over two days, until the water came out completely clear. I wanted to cleanse the fabric of potential chemicals as well as soil.  I also wanted to pre-shrink it as much as it would shrink.  That was a lot.  Then I washed in the washer with a load of clothes with some all fabric color safe bleach. After drying at high temperature, I ironed the fabric.  The treatment brightened the fabric significantly.

 For the sides, I fused on a heavier, woven inferfacing. I made the liner with a muslin weight cotton. I made a quilted inner top, as I have done with other caps. I did not make a hat band or sweat band.  I like the less cluttered appearance.  This cap is a little loose, so I might add those. Otherwise it'a fun cadet cap, and much cooler than the denim or flannel ones that I made bedore.

Sarracenia in bloom. 5.21.2021

 The others are starting to bloom too.  These get rainwater from the wellhouse roof.  Seems to work well.

Rufus Photo Shoot for "Playdog" Magazine.

 Playdog exists only in my mind of course.  But Rufus is entirely real.

Ponca is Alive! 5.16.2021

 One of the pokey looking Ponca blackberries has put out some new growth.  I wondered if it would survive.  This is the most vigorous of the three.  We'll see how they all do as the summer comes along.

I imagine it will lose the red colors and become a more typical green as it grows,  Pretty colors now.

An Itoh Peony and a Couple of Irises. 5.16.2021

 I dont know the name of the Itoh peony.  Most of mine are yellow-ish.  This one is a year after planting - not bad for a peony.  The irises are Wabash and American Classic.

A Few More Bearded Iris Photos. 5.15.21

 Here are a few photos from this morning.  Some plants were photographed earlier, using Iphone.  This time it's with Nikon SLR.

I really think the hand me down varieties are nice.  Most seem healthier than the bought newer ones.  My guess is that the newest ones are over-hybridized for lush flowers, but not for disease resistance or durability or hardiness.  The hand me downs are ones that flourished over the years in local yards to the point where they had overcrowded their spaces, and were thinned out resulting in rhizomes to give away.  Ones that did not do well and were not liked, did not survive to the point of being given away.   So local gardens did the sorting out of the better ones.

However, there are some newer ones that are very nice, such as "Victoria Falls".

Dwarf Tomato Plants. Progress Notes. 5.15.2021

 The dwarf tomato plants are growing nicely.  I noticed a bit of chlorosis in some when planted in the ground, which I also noted in some of the Roma plants too.  Not sure why, and that seems to clear up in new leaves.

I decided to make a list of the dwarf cultivars that I'm testing this year, along with available trait info.

Variety / Info / Days to ripe tomato / Plant height / fruit size

Alpatieva 905A / a Soviet era Russian type from 1950 / 65 days / 18-24" tall / 2 to 5 oz

BrandyFred / Dwarf Tomato Project / 75 days / ? / 10 to 16 oz

CC McGee (light yellow) / late / ? / 4 to 8 oz

Clare Valley Pink / Dwarf Tomato Project / 84 days / ? / small to medium tomato

Dwarf Champion Improved / historic tomato (early 20th century?) / 85 days / ? / 3 to 8 oz

        (Dwarf Champion was developed in 1889 .  I don't know about the "improved".  Size is Dw. Champion)

Dwarf Johnson Cherry / Dwarf Tomato Project / 65 days / ? / cherry tomato

Extreme Bush / historic tomato (Germany, mid 20th century?) / 50 days / 12 to 28 " tall / 3 oz

Tanunda Red / Dwarf Tomato Project / 75 days /?  indeterminate  / 4 to 10 oz

For comparison, here are some "normal", non-dwarf tomatoes.  The Lemon Boy and Early Goliath Hybrid have fully recovered from their "wall'o'water" debacle and are nice and green and growing.  Several tomato plants are blooming.  Several of the dwarf tomato plants also have flower buds.

Many of the Bearded Irises are Blooming Beautifully. 5.14.2021

 It's interesting, how nice they are with no effort on my part.  Most of these are historic varieties and most are hand me downs via the curb side "Free Iris Rhizome" freecycle method.  I've given away many that way too.

I still need to learn how edit better on Ipad or add the names on my lap top computer.

Beverly Sills

Curbside Hand Me Down

Immortality

A modern type but I forget the name.

Another Curb Side Hand Me Down.

This was a Curb Side Hand Me Down, many years ago.  I'm certain the variety is "Accent.

Another Hand Me Down.

Iris dalmatica

A "Found in the dog park illegally dumped" Hand Me Down.  Quite Lovely.

This variety is modern, "Red Dirt Road".