Most of my calls, are for late season, put the fire out calls. This is dying, whats this thing, I don’t understand how this water garden works, can I eat this… I actually have to turn down people because it gets so busy, and I don’t like that.

That’s why I am glad that article hit the Richmond Times Dispatch this week. I am starting early this year, like now. I have even gotten into balcony gardens for apartment and townhouse folks. Small, compact, vertical gardens that they thought impossible.  Years ago, when I was in full go with my water garden business, realtors were giving me as a gift to their clients, both selling and buying. $80.00 well spent for two hours of actual fun. We discussed live goods both interior and exterior, irrigation system timing, water feature systems, garden beds and potted plants. Everything from maintenance of current to what they might want to add later, and when. Feeding, pruning, Maintenance. As they learn, after a few visits, they don’t need me anymore, I am happy, because they get it. I don’t do the work, I put their exterior life into perspective. If they want to add a patio, build a raised veggie garden, create an edible landscape, or just want to know how and when, we go through it all. Some of these people still just want to give me a holler seasonally, just to make sure.

It just makes good sense, to educate people these days, considering the media has to set general timing to fertilize, for example. We are in Richmond, Va., zone 7A, we don’t fall under most commercials, some things die when it’s fed at the wrong time here..

I am certified thru the Univ. of Ga. as a Horticultural Specialist, member of the Va. Lakes and Watershed Management Assoc., Chesapeake Bay Club at Solomons Island, Maryland, and VNLA. I participate in the Maymont Educational Branch when invited, and have taught “Grandparent Gardening” lectures for Gray Matters continuing adult education forums through Boomer Magazine. I love talking gardening “Outside the Box”.

Realtors should get in tune with the “after market” of the sale of a home, not forget the client. I would bet that there is a huge percentage of new buyers, that drastically changed something inside the home, that the seller spent money on to impress. Seller should have fixed the exterior, instead, and asked for more.

So here I’m thinking all is safe around me as long as I can garden. I can grow, fix, adjust, sweat, pick, enjoy, trade……. Wait, I can’t trade certain veggies, Mr. Guv’ment man? Whats that? I can’t grow tomatoes or green beans? Why are you in my backyard anyway? Just make sure you don’t go over there…

That article is popping up again about the Government saying that there are certain vegetables that you can’t grow, and that you can’t trade with a neighbor, because your backyard garden space is not USDA approved or inspected.. I mean come on, really? But, they are taking position, to regulate the growing of Mary Jane instead of banning it. About time, but for the lack if anything else to do, now they are telling me, “No more Black Krims, or Yard Long Asian beans in the back yard”. I can see it now, all those who can garden, will have the prettiest Pot growing in the yard, but no veggies. Well there are veggies back there, ya just can’t see ‘em un till you fire up a bowl… I guess that means that Michelle Obama wont be gardening on the White House lawn anymore, well not veggies….

I can see it now, helicopters flying over, g-men rappelling down, yanking out the garden, slinging tomatoes everywhere…. But there’s the pot, undisturbed…. Excuse me, but just when did we flip over to Bizzarro World? Really…

See, they want to regulate your garden, and maybe even tax it, I read that too, because you won’t spend the money for veggies. They want you, to be controlled on how much produce you can grow of certain types of vegetables, in your own back yard. This isn’t about power-hungry HOA’s, this is the Federal Government folks. Absurdity at its best.

Well, I’m gardening. I have a lot of people to feed. I already feel like I’m sneaking around because I’m starting seeds indoors already. Yep, I’ll be out there in a couple of months, putting the babies in the bed, sweating, getting dirty, watering, and keeping a lookout for any helicopters.

  Lets start by looking at last years notes. Oh, no notes? We need notes. Mother nature keeps notes, why don’t you? No pics either? I bet you do. Look at outdoor gatherings like cook outs, birthdays, etc. Pic backgrounds can tell a lot of stories. Receipts of when you bought certain plants or seed packets. Were you early or late last year? See where this is going? You NEED notes. Start a journal this year using notes and pics.

   Things to note. Weather, dates, temps, whats blooming at the present, whats not, what worked, what didn’t.  Add climate actions as well as daylight hrs. available. NOAA has great “length of day” charts narrowed down to your zip code. What and when bugs and funguses emerge. Prolific growth spurts, first buds or blooms. What went good with what, and what didn’t. Start noting phenological events such as when Forsythia bloomed, Oak tree leaves start, Roses shoot out, Caterpillars arrive, heavy Mole activity, Gnat storms, etc. This will actually help you stay involved with your gardening and help keep your application rates and timing of certain products to get the maximum results, instead of maximum doses. It will also reduce the labor involved, thus making projects a joy, not a groaning task.  Don’t forget your Frost Zone Data. Here in Richmond, Va. we are Zone 7a. Last average frost is around Apr 15th, first frost is around Oct 15th. Plan accordingly.

   Seed starting can be a yearly ritual to enjoy…Or loath.. We all get the “fever” about now. We are gaining daylight hours, we were extremely busy with the Holidays since about Nov 1st. We have nothing to do now but….look out the window and think of fresh green beans and squash. It’s easy to get involved too early, or is it? Keep in mind that the box stores always are a season ahead. Patio furniture is in, gas logs are clearance items now, and its still snowing. That doesn’t mean you can start your seeds indoors now. Look at the germination rates on what you are going to grow. Now add about one month for the transplant date. Most will put you well before mid April, and the poor little guys will be getting root bound and start ailing in the starter sets. Now your confidence is shot, and you vow never to do this again. Stupid seeds! Timing is the best thing to shoot for, and, the best thing to put in that notebook we talked of earlier. Everything is out there on the market to make you successful. Grow lights, terrariums, seed starting mixes, moisture meters, and Garden Coaches. You can have a great salad this summer, with that fresh corn and watermelon.

   Garden sizing has been the hub of great debates from many a people. My take is this. “I have never seen Mother Nature shop at a box store”. She can drop a seed in the crack of a sidewalk, and grow the most delicious tomato there, no human tending it, no added chemicals. Why can’t you? I have seen plentiful container gardens growing on patios, small plots 5ft x 10ft next to a crowded deck, and great herbs in hanging baskets on a balcony. I have seen Cantaloupes growing throughout an Azalea bed. There is no excuse anymore not to at least try, and keep notes. Mother Nature keeps notes in the form of Phenology. Forsythia blooms when the soil temp is 58 degrees at 4 inches deep for at least 5 days straight. Crabgrass needs that same scenario for 7 days to germinate. Therefore, you would put down your Pre-emergent at that time to get the most out of it you could. See? Record keeping… Nothing happens until something else happens, so do something. Get dirty!

Since I have been playing around with data, trends, and phenology, I have found similarities of events due to the Southern Oscillation changes, especially in the last decade. But there is something that bothers me about weather guessers on the tube. The phrase, “warmer than normal” is a hoax. Average, maybe, normal, I don’t buy into that. My recollections about Summer/Winter weather events over my 52 years is about as accurate as can be. But there is one simple thing that people are not taking into account on the “Mayhem” we are being subject to. Here it is:

Krakatoa, the Earth shifted 3 degrees off its axis. Weather didn’t catch up with the rotation for about 25 years. Look it up, I did just because the notion hit me to do so. Then, the December earthquake in Indonesia a few years ago, same thing, 3 more degrees. Now here in Va., we are being annoyed by the quaking here in Louisa since, I think, June. Big 5.3 or so, followed by about 60, averaging in the 2.4 range. Arkansas, has had 9 in the last 2 days, averaging in the 2.5 range. South Carolina, yesterday alone had 2 at 2.6 within minutes of each other. Ohio and Pa. are on the “constant tremor” list as well. Here is MY theory. Simply put, the Earth is shifting its innards to catch up with its new rotation, kinda like the washing machine when all the jeans get to one side on the spin cycle. See? Simple wasn’t it? If you GPS the North Pole, you could get there easily and accurately. Use a compass? Not so easy, see, Magnetic North isn’t there anymore. Columbus would never find his way back here. The Earths Iron Core is also on the move. Look it up, I did. Don’t know why, I just did.

So. Now for the reason of this post. Ma Nature is desperately trying to compensate for the shift, putting weather/seasons back where they belong. Kinda like tossing a tennis ball up in the air in a moving vehicle. All’s well until it turns. Come on, you all remember HS Physics class right? The cold domes last year were coming out of Western Canada, pushing across all the way to the Carolinas. Same the year before. This year, coming down from Montana/North Dakota areas. Texas already has had a blizzard this year. Won’t be long until the daylight hours start getting longer in January, and we get that cccccold miserable time of year. But my feeling is it will last thru March. The Tropics are still pushing off of Cape Verde Islands, bringing constant 7 day moisture to us up from the Gulf, only a matter of time until they weaken, and meet here in Va…. and we all know what late Winter storms coming from the South means for us, yep, ICE! As of this post, we are at 56 degrees and it will get to 67 today. First day of winter, and yet its still Fall. Winter is coming when it’s supposed to. And it will be a long one. See? Average for the last 30 year cyclic weather trends… Average. The use of the term “normal” puts a scare in folks and they run around crying “global warming” over and over again, while professing to be “eco-friendly”, but yet still over fertilizing at the wrong time because they don’t watch the weather, they just read the chart on the bag or listen to the commercial. So I think I will inject a new phrase to the “Normal” watchers, and that is “Global Mayhem”… It’s easy to account for your actions from now on, right? Watch the weather, not the calender.

$175.00 for up to 10 people for 3 hrs, Fri, Sat evenings after 5pm. We had some kinda fun last year in the groups.

$45.00 for one-on-one for 2 hrs.

Rules:

I don’t do the planting, digging, or any of the work, you do, I am a Garden Coach. So make sure you have a notepad, etc.

For group lectures, bring pics of your yard, gardens, blank canvas landscape, and above all else, find out which way is North.. Everyone that has any kind of smartphone, etc, download a free compass app and check if you don’t know. Most of your success will hinge on just that. Groups will decide where to meet, someones home, back of a bar, even had a few times at peoples work during the week.

Last few years I fill up fast, so this year, I’m starting earlier. It’s time to start planning now anyway, I know I am, now that most things are dormant, and I’m looking at all my yearly pics as well.

So, let’s get dirty and do something together.

For you apartment and town home folks, yeah, you too! I helped about 40 people this past year create very nice, compact, verticle gardens on their balcony.

Kevinthegarden@gmail.com

After seeing how the Summer went this year, which was basically the same as last year, I was hoping to see a little difference in the climate trend the next year or two. Well, it ain’t happening. I already had my first Icy-snowy day here I was looking for, just it was way earlier than I wanted. I was looking at at least one snowfall by Thanksgiving, and 3 more before Christmas, and 2 major events before March, with 2 light ones in April… Yes, I said April. Look, I don’t make this stuff up.

Now, the “events” are kinda hard to call yet, because we didn’t even have frost here to kill off my Bananas this year. We went straight to hard freeze with ice. But the cool thing so far? We are getting the same weather pattern as 2 years ago. Same weather on the same days. Rainy and cold from Thursday thru Saturday/Sunday, then warmer and sunny again.. Every 7 days, same thing. But as the Winter progresses, the 7 day weather pattern streatches out to 8 or 9 days, then settles into the 7 again until March when it starts getting longer days, and the winds start to shift. Old Wives Tale, “Whatever the weather is doing on Easter Sunday, there is 7 more weeks of that same weather, on the day”. Really folks, its actually true, I’ve been watching this for years. So in general terms of blather, I think that all Novembers are the same as Februarys. I already know September and March are the same. Just something for you to watch. Scroll through my archives if you don’t believe me. I don’t make this stuff up……

I will have part 2 in place shortly, but for now, I gotta get a PS3 for my youngest from somewhere…..

Had to venture out a bit to help a friend garden on her balcony. She wanted a jungle, she got one. Topsy Turveys (3) window boxes full of herbs, peppers, and more herbs. Made me home-made Pesto last week from her “Garden”. I may have to start designing “Balcony Gardens” in the future. Had some potted up volunteers from my landscape, now on “The Balcony”. She’s hooked. One of my Daughters has been doing it for a couple of years now. Second year Raspberries on hers plus veggies and herbs as well. Amazing how much you can stuff on one balcony. All you need is one chair out there anyway… Yep, everyone gets hooked. A little dirt, a few seeds, water, hooked.

 We’re having fun now.

  Let’s see, back to that NPK thing again. BER is a fungal condition that sets in, and has something to do with over Nitrogen feeding. Tall fescue has the same issues with improper feeding, rain, daylight hours, heat…. Those “Weed & Feed” jockey’s who feel the need to throw all that Nitrogen down now, well, the fungicides will be on the shelf very soon, feel free to pick up a bag or two, you’re gonna need it. All the milk in the fridge won’t help…. Ever notice that when a lawn starts getting a fungus, it’s either in a slight depression in the yard, or where there is some run-off. Same with Hardwood Mulch and that “Dog-Puke” fungus.. (Really, Google that and you will see it’s actually the name for it). That also occurs in mulch beds mostly applied in the late Winter or early Spring, when we get all this rain, and there is a slight depression in the mulched area. Looks like a Dog, well, “Puked” there. Nothing you can do about it, no way to treat it, and it does not affect your plants at all. Just happens. It’s just unsightly for a bit.

Yep. I am enjoying Spring this year. The Southern Oscillation is being good to us for a bit, except for the Tornadic outbreaks all of a sudden, which tells me that La Nina and El Nino are getting ready to switch back next yearish or so… We aren’t usually connected as a “Tornado Alley” city here in Richmond, but the storm fronts are pushing South East a bit. So be mindful of any storm for a bit, especially while we are going through these extreme temperature changes.

I will be posting more pics here soon at www.picasaweb.google.com/Kevinthegarden

   In a few weeks, the seedlings will be in the garden. Then it will be up to Ma Nature to decide. I have been trying to help, but in the end, it’s all in her hands. I just hope she sees how hard I’ve tried this Winter. Today I turned in some very nice cooked compost, along with some good Winter Rye. I will apply some wood ash and 10-10-10 in a day or two. We’re heating up here already, and the babies are almost ready for real soil. The drip irrigation I will install afterwards will help out a lot, I hope. I think I did a really good job gardening my soil this past Fall/Winter.. Didn’t spend any money on it, but it looks like the stuff I could get like $50.00 per 5 gal. bucket with plenty of worms, and not the first grub…. I’m just a proud dirt farmer..

Heres some pics.

www.picasaweb.google.com/Kevinthegarden

Spring 2011 albumn.

   February in Richmond. For only 28 days, it’s the longest month of the year here in Richmond. The weather is so radical and confusing. Being indoors for most of the Winter, the 70 degree days this week will turn back to harsh, snowy, teens next week. That, my friends, tells me it’s time to start my veggie garden in the garage.

  Two weeks ago, I started getting my starter racks ready, went thru my seed packets, looked at my pics from last years garden, then made vegetable soup from some frozen goodies.. This week, the racks will be full of flats, and I will be looking towards solarizing my garden bed in March. More on that later.

  The process is very simple, weather you have room or not, you should try to go from seed for most of your garden. It’s fun and rewarding not only from the project accomplished, but also from the harvest.

All You Need Is Time

  As you start planning out your garden bed or containers, the From Seed process is simple math. On the back of all packet seed, you will see an emergence time. That will tell you some important info. For example, Green Beans are very fast coming up. They can actually be direct sown in the plot. Starting indoors is like 2 weeks from transplant. Tomatoes, on the other hand, take a good while, so, starting indoors is beneficial, especially if it’s an heirloom or particular hybrid you like. Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, and Onions mathematically come out to be, well, now…

  From the emergence time on the packet, add 4 weeks, then subtract that time from April 15th, our average last killing frost here in Richmond. That is a great time frame to have the root and leaf structure on your transplants to go to work for you in the garden bed.  Too soon, and chances are you will need to repot before going outside, too late, and the neighbors will be picking way before you, and no one wants that. There are different opinions on how long to get them ready, but for me, I have seen Winter over by early March before, and I have seen Snow in mid April as well. This timeframe works for me, and I am not afraid to cover my seedlings once or twice because of a late “icing” in April.

  The soil temp is about 63 degrees at 4 inches by then, so the roots are lovin it, and we will have gained about 3 1/2 hrs of daylight, so the leaf structure is lovin that. Just watch the local weather for a bit, to make sure you get them covered if you need to.

  So the simple seed starting process is this:

  Seed to soil contact, moisture, bright light, and patience. No food until you see the 4th leaf sprout. Use soiless seed starting mix, not potting soil. If you have no sunny spot, then a plant light, or, if you are making a rack with fluorescent tubes, any 2 different types will get you all the spectrums to germinate. This year, I am trying a few new things for germination, I’ll let you know later if they worked.. I’m not afraid to fail, but always quick to share. It’s time folks. This week, the Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Peppers are under light. Buy any of the seed starting kits out there or make your own, just think simple, don’t over engineer the process. The plant knows the way, you just have to help some. Time to have some fun.