BLISSFUL GARDEN BLOG
Helpful Links:
Feb. 25, 2010:   Welcome to the 2010 Blissful Garden Blog!  I finally took the time to place my tomato plant order with Tasteful Garden tonight.  I reordered some favorite heirlooms from last year and added a few new ones.  Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Brandywine are the predominant ones...they are just too good to pass up this year.   Sweet Baby Girl, Sun Gold, and black cherry for the cherry tomatoes.  Another favorite, yellow taxi, I'll be growing again.  New this year will be solar fire (your standard round red tomato), carbon (another black tomato), Kellogg's Breakfast (a large orange beefsteak), and Pineapple (a multicolored beefsteak).  19 plants so far.  I always end up picking up something else around planting time, so time will tell the true count of plants I will be growing this year.  At least that's cutting WAY back from last years 47 tomato plants!  3 hours a day watering, weeding, pruning, and fussing was too much.  I also determined late in the 2009 season that selling my vegetables wasn't working out.  I hated charging my friends and didn't have enough time to look into a farm stand...live and learn.  The great thing about my gardening over the years is getting friends and family to start their own gardens.  I think my Mom did fairly well last season and I'm sure she'll do something again...Mom, we'll talk.  My sister had a garden as well...Kim let me know what you are planning this year.  My neighbors and friends, The Wright's, are hopefully already planning on what Bob is going to grow this year. They have great sun and space for the vining plants...cukes, squash, etc.  We may have to talk to him about cantaloupe this year...I just don't have the room.  I will also be blogging about the "new" thing for this year.  We're going to try a flower garden in the front yard.  We have problems with animals...those bunnies!...but we're going to give it a go!  Watch for details!  I haven't completed my list of other vegetables for the garden his year, or which herbs I'm growing, so keep watching my blog for updates!  "Remember, there's nothing like the taste of fresh picked!"                                                               As always throughout the blog, click the thumbnail photos for a larger view  :0)
Deck garden. We added homemade compost at the end of the season last year, so that the hay, and I'll be topping it off with some more compost. Till that all together and I should have a great medium for the tomatoes this year!New garden bed. Last year's new tomato bed will be topped off with compost and tilled. I'm looking at some different organic gertilizers since I will be planting tomatoes again in the same spot...don't want disease in that awesome soil!Rear Bed - this was topped off last year with the homemade compost. I only needs to be tilled as we've been topping it off year after year. I'm going to return the corn to this bed and see if we get a good crop like 2008.Raised bed - I haven't decided what's going here yet...hhmmm..."The Sink" The sink worked incredible last year for the cherry tomatoes, but the height was a huge issue! I'm planning something different this year. It will have to be topped off with a lot of soil this year to fill it up. I'm looking into different types...I'll keep you posted."The Duplo Block". We topped it off last year and the soil is nice and loose. We'll add some lmore and churn it all up. I'm thinking potatoes this year, but it's still up in the air!Tasteful Garden - Black CherryTasteful Garden - Black KrimTasteful Garden - Black CherryTasteful Garden - BrandywineTasteful Garden - CarbonTasteful Garden - Cherokee PurpleTasteful Garden - Kellogg's BreakfastTasteful Garden - PineappleTasteful Garden - Solar FireTasteful Garden - Sun Gold CherryTasteful Garden - Sweet Baby Cherry
March 12, 2010:   POHA! We finally had a small stretch (4 days) of beautiful 50 degree weather in Massachusetts!  I took that opportunity to open all the windows, air out the house, lay in the sun for a bit for some much needed Vitamin D, but mostly to get some of the plants outside.  Click on the photos to the left to see how my incredible Poha has grown!  They started out as the most tiny seeds...only 3 survived...and look at it now!  Poha are a tropical plant that produces a lantern shaped husk with a little yellow/orange fruit inside that is the BEST.  We had them in Bermuda and I looked for the plant for two years before coming across seeds.  I nurtured them from seedlings to this monster that has taken over a corner in my bedroom.  Sadly, one of the days outside was a little windy and I have some new growth that looks like it was snapped/bent and may not make it, but the plant should produce a ton of fruit this summer.  I got about a large Solo cup worth last summer, and it still continued to produce fruit through the Winter, so it's exciting.  This plant is my baby :0)

The potted herbs from last summer are still thriving as well.  I have three rosemary plants that I have been picking from all Fall & Winter; they could use the nice warm summer to liven up again.  I have plenty of sage which has been great with all the butternut squash we've been eating.  Tons of oregano, and I swear I can't kill the spearmint!  When the snow melted I noticed the thyme survived the Winter outside and is looking good.  That should start thriving once it warms up.   "Remember, there's nothing like the taste of fresh picked!"                Stay tuned!
May 6, 2010:   THEY'VE ARRIVED! After days of anticipation, my tomato plants from Tasteful Garden have arrived!!  I was so excited that I met the UPS driver in the drieway, and the garage all ready to set up the plants.  I have to say that Tasteful Garden has the best packing/shipping of any plants I have ever ordered, unfortunately I received 5 broken plants.  I would assume that is the result of the shipping company.  Anyway, I've taken my photos and email Tasteful Garden for replacements.  Last year I had one broken plant and they sent a replacement immediately, so I'm not concerned.  Anyone reading this and living in New England knows I have another week (at least) to plant as the tempuratures are questionable and a frost could be on the horizon.  I'll be watching the weather reports until next weekend! 
SO EXCITED!!!!!
19 Plants Arrive5 plants are broken at the growth stem...poor little things.Look how big and healthy they are!I even have couple that are flowering!
May 23, 2010:  The 2010 Garden is in the ground and sprouting!  I have been crazy busy lately with the new full-time job, proms, banquets, and graduation.  This is my first time to post the photos I've been taking.  Not much to eport on other than everthing is looking good, things are starting to sprout and so far Kupey hasn't destroyed anything!  Enjoy the photos and keep checking back for updates!  "Remember, there's nothing like the taste of fresh picked!"    
Raised bed FULL of different varieties of basil. We eat a ton of it. When I thin the plantlings out they will be put into the tomatoe gardens as a beneficial helper.The "Duplo Block" full of beans! Kentucky pole beans and bush beans.As you can tell the tomato planting was scaled WAY back this year. These are the heirloom Cherokees, Krims, Brandywine, etc.Herbs!The rear garden..again,scaled way back. This year it's squashes, tomatoes, and corn. iIt's the first year I've done a direct sow for the corn,so they better come up! Also have some pots for cherries and eggplant.The tomato garden is back! After a season off of a pea crop, the tomatoes are back in their favorite spot. Can't wait to see what happens this year! A variety of cherries and heirlooms.I'm trying something different with "The Sink" this season...cukes! We're putting up netting for them to climb up the gazebo. Ihave the hardest time with them and enough sun and enough room to spread, so I'm going vertical. It should be interesting.I decided to try a couple containers again for specific tomatoes. We're trying a new system for containing their growth.Basi is starting to sprout on day 7.The first mini strawberry. It's alive until Kupey sees it anyway.Boxwood basil.Beans have sprouted.This is sage that overwintered int he rear garden. I dug it up befor tilling and made one huge pot and this small one. Love sage in the Fall with butternut squash.Spearmint survived the winter. Great for tea.Thyme survived the winter too.The poha has been moved outside now day and night. I got a special organic fruit "boost" for it and the leaves are looking much better. Can't wair for the blossoms.My gardening sneakers after a long weekend of planting. I love this picture!
Heirloom tomaotes & cherry'sHeirlooms...cherokee purple,black krim, brandywine, pineapple.Three kinds of basil...so much basil!Boxwood basil.Veritical cucumbers. Baby cuke...so cuteTwo kinds of beans...bush and pole.Yay Corn! if you've never tried eating it raw, you must! You'll never cook it again. Nature makes it perfect, no need for fattening butter.EggplantSummer squash and zucchiniBaby zucchiniPohaPoha flowersBaby strawberry...Ken ate it.
June 20, 2010:  The 2010 Garden is doing just fine without me!
Since starting the new full time job, I have unfortunately been ignoring my garden.  Thank goodness for my awesome husband who has been picking up the slack.  Days go by without me even checking it.  This past weekend I went out and was shocked at all the new growth and how everything has come alive!  I am going to have to start paying attention!!  Check out the photos!!  I have tons of little baby cucumbers sprouting everywhere.  Cucumbers have been the thorn in my side trying to get them to grow, so this year I thought "vertical" and I'm trying them in the sink!  It gets sun all day...and look at them growing!!  The beans always amaze me how those little feelers reach out and grab whatever they can...never mind how "I" want them to grow.  I am very surprised to see tomatoes on the heirlooms already, it looks to be an awesome season.  Right now it looks like we'll have some squash for this weekend.  It is taking over!!  Ken has to put a barrier up before them take over the tomatoes.  Can't complain.  I was really psyced about the poho finally flowering and flowering all over!  It all turns out well, I will have tons of berries to enjoy...all to myself.  Anyone for basil??  I have a TON growing...what was I thinking???  Who likes pesto?  New this year is the boxwood basil.  Tiny little basil leaves...I'm going to put it in everything. 
June 22, 2010:  SQUASH BORERS!
Ken was checking out the garden tonight while I was making dinner...and look what he found!!!  This little nasty bugger was eating my corn!!!  It's a little early for borers, looks like I'm going to have to keep my eyes open!f