Peppers

Surprisingly, I had good success with peppers this year. 

They had a bad start with the cold weather, so I bought a couple of starts at greenhouses here and there and when I was ready to plant, I had a nice selection of peppers.

Then they sulked, so I fertilized them with some Miracle-Gro sprinkles - the slow release kind.   Apparently, the peppers liked it because we had a bumper crop!

These are the types I planted:

• Jupiter pepper
• Golden California Wonder pepper [beautiful!]
• Purple peppers [early]
• Banana peppers 
• Little Snacking Pepper [orange]
• Pimento [thick flesh!]
• Carmen [long]

The purple peppers came on early and bore like crazy.   They were thin fleshed with a lot of seeds.   The banana peppers also bore early and had a lot of seeds.   The Carmens were long red peppers - beautiful and very slow to mature. 




We got several of the Golden Cal Wonders before frost and they were sweet and beautiful.   I love them.

The little orange snacking peppers were a surprise, and a delightful one.  The fruit is small, fleshy and had few seeds.   The girls liked those a lot.

By far, our favorite was the Pimiento Pepper - the classic pimento peppers.  [Yep, those things that the salad olives are stuffed with are peppers].  Most were just a bit smaller than your fist - the one in the pic is a pretty small one.  Thick fleshed, few seeds and great flavor.  We'll do these again.

Winter Veg

After we cleaned out our dead hives [see yesterday's post], Eric reminded me that we hadn't checked out the cold frame or hoop house to see how those vegetables had weathered the weather. 

At last, some good news!   Some lettuce, little radishes and little carrots had done just fine.  A lot of the greens had some frost damage, but we expect them to bounce back pretty well.

In the cold frame I found my two little spinach starts doing just fine.   So, if I can get this stuff to grow, which I haven't been able to do in the past, at least we know it's cold hardy!   I will likely let these go to seed and save it for next year to try again. 

Old Seeds

I have loads of old seeds.   Loads of them.    I never know which to keep and which to pitch.   Turns out a lot of other people have the same question every year and there are these wonderful charts to help me remember.

I found this chart at  http://awaytogarden.com/estimating-viability-how-long-do-seeds-last/

So.    I'll be pitching my old onion, parsnip and parsley seeds for sure.   And I'll be getting all new spinach seeds - maybe that's why we've had a problem growing spinach.  I was trying to use old seed...

When I was going through my box of seeds, I realized that I had a bunch of herb seed that was aging as well.   Here's a list of herb seed viability rates from The Herb Gardener:  http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2013/01/seed-longevity-herbs.html

• Angelica - 6 months (21 - 30 days)
• Basil - 5 years (14 days)
• Borage - 4 years (14 days)
• Caraway - 3 years (18 days)
• Catnip - 3 years (30 days)
• Chamomile - 3 years (18 days
• Chives - 2 years (10 - 20  days)
• Cilantro - 2 years (21 days)
• Coriander - 4 years (21 days)
• Fennel - 3 years (18 days)
• Lavender - 2 years (21 days)
• Lemon Balm 3 years (21 days)
• Marjoram - 2 years (15 days)
• Mint - 3 years (30 days)
• Oregano - 4 years (30 days)
• Parsley - 2 years (30 days)
• Rosemary - 3 years (14 - 28 days)
• Rue - 2 years (21 days)
• Sage - 4 years (28 days)
• Summer Savory 2 years (28 days)
• Thyme - 3 years (21 days)

It's nice to have these lists on one page now.   I hope they help you plan a great garden this year!

Twelve Spotted Lady Beetle

First of all, click the pic to blow it up.   This is one cute bug. 

Her first name is hilarious:  Coleomegilla maculata.  It always reminds me of gorillas - you know.. Magilla Gorilla.    Right?  Which is funny.   Because it's a tiny little bug.   Right?   Gorillas...bugs...

You're not laughing.

Whatever.   ....    Anyway.

These guys eat lots of bad bugs and bad bug eggs, so you want them in your garden.