tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66482204923347559812012-01-25T15:19:58.856-08:00A gardening blogLeslie Prestnoreply@blogger.comBlogger121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-78525788957222000372012-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:002012-01-25T14:53:45.505-08:00

I've been going over the seed catalogs, and trying to decide what to buy. Actually, sometimes it seems more like what NOT to buy. I always want to grow everything. I've tried to think about what we EAT the most of. Tomatoes win, hands down. So they get most of a raised bed. And they grow like mad once it warms up. -Besides tomatoes, we eat a lot of broccoli, and salad things. Those are a problem

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-63178497221166253612011-12-28T12:13:00.000-08:002011-12-28T12:14:26.102-08:00

I want to try growing strawberries and celery this year. Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't WANT to grow them, I've avoided growing them for years. But I keep seeing celery and strawberries on lists of foods that are bad for pesticide/herbicide residues. What I WANT is organically grown celery and strawberries, that I can buy for non-organic prices. Since that's not likely to happen, nobody

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-57100635530592320812011-12-19T11:16:00.000-08:002011-12-19T11:16:12.386-08:00

IF I can find time to make these, I will post a picture of them. But that doesn't look likely. I'm still decorating the tree tonight. Our large, pre-lit, artificial tree had lights out this year, and we couldn't get them to work, so we bought a real one last night. It smells great, but I DO miss those hundreds of lights on the big artificial one. I bought it because it had WAY more lights than I

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-19133496637199098872011-12-19T10:26:00.000-08:002011-12-19T10:26:10.329-08:00

Lord! I just realized how far back it has been since I posted! The tomatoes did just fine- I really like starting seedlings. The clear "winner" was SunGold cherry. They produced and produced, and tasted SO good! I had so many I even sold some at the Payson Farmers Market. DIDN'T like: Chianti Rose- not a pretty color (pinkish red) and just OK taste, Gold Medal- they produced really well- huge

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-53731843976922527912011-04-27T12:19:00.000-07:002011-04-27T12:19:09.086-07:00

My seedlings have grown HUGE! They are ready and then some to go outside, but the weather remains up and down. We are predicted for a couple of nights in mid to low 30s this week- it's frustrating. We'll have several really warm days- near 80, and then it will cool off again. every other year, by this stage, the tomatoes were showing signs of fungus- yellowing spots on leaves. This year I

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-66463566299090460492011-03-26T15:36:00.000-07:002011-03-26T15:36:41.269-07:00

A garden just wouldn't be a garden without homegrown tomatoes. It wouldn't even be SUMMER without homegrown tomatoes. So I started my seedlings. In Payson, one starts them inside  in March to April, figuring (hoping) that it will be warm enough sometime in May to early June to get them in the ground. The year before last I put some tomatoes in the ground May 1st. Last year it SNOWED on May 1st.

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-31219934739755853072011-03-26T15:23:00.000-07:002011-03-26T15:23:07.841-07:00

Here we are a year from the last post - a lot has been going on. But the weather is as up and down as ever. We've been even warmer this year- most of the time. It has actually been almost 80 in the last few weeks. But we've also had a couple of spells where the lows were the coldest I've ever seen here. What's coming?  I think it will be an early Spring. But I'm sure there will be cold spells in

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-59646521587285562152010-04-29T12:01:00.000-07:002010-04-29T12:01:56.863-07:00

As my last post said, we actually had snow last week. Temperatures are supposed to be freezing tonight and tomorrow. But days are not that cold- 50s today, 60s by the weekend. Next week they are predicting 80s! Nightime temperatures are supposed to be 40s. I look at gardenig advice that says to wait to set out warm season crops (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) until temperatures are at least 60 at night

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-80529461360777945472010-04-22T15:38:00.000-07:002011-03-26T16:26:49.651-07:00

We have been SO warm lately (high 70s!) that all my perennials are blooming out, trees are opening buds, lettuce is growing. We were predicted to maybe get some rain and snow mixed tonight, but we didn't believe it. Lo and behold, I looked out my office window this after noon and it was snowing! Heavily! It didn't last long, it got sunny again, then we got more. It's supposed to do this off and

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-61678557670979842922010-04-15T13:11:00.000-07:002010-04-15T13:15:51.940-07:00

My new raised vegetable bed This is going in the corner of our front yard,  because it gets full sun all day long. Since it's out front, we are trying to make it look nice, using the blocks in front. I'll post more pictures as we go on.

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-26566013638592541882010-04-14T13:51:00.000-07:002010-04-14T13:53:19.788-07:00

I'm starting seedlings, and planting cool season plants. My husband and Sons are also starting me a new veggie bed! I'm so excited! We're putting this one in a corner of the front yard- it gets full sun all day, while the backyard doesn't. I'm going to aim for one of those pretty, "potager" style gardens. The ones where things aren't laid out in practical rows, but rather are arranged for looks

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6648220492334755981.post-35546357471210399232010-03-18T17:47:00.000-07:002010-03-18T17:52:06.683-07:00

Here in Payson, AZ Spring is finally arriving. We had snow last week, but today the temperature is near 70 degrees, with not-quite-to freezing tonight. So my perrenials are perking up, green onions and garlic are growing, I have kale and mustard (overwintered plants) ready to pick. Things are looking up!We are planning the Farmers Market for Payson. This year it will be at the corner of Hwys 87

Leslie Prestnoreply@blogger.com0