Garden Time & Public Lands

Spring fever in the middle of winter. That is what I seem to be coming down with. I have already received several gardening magazines and am looking through thinking about planting time. Yes, I know it is much too early, but is never too early to dream.

Good Reading

Golf Anyone? The warm weather also has me ready to play golf and looks like I will be able to play the next couple of days.

Time to take a look at when to plant

Government Land - Recently there has been much talk of westerns states, including Wyoming, wanting to take back, or at least control more of what happens on federal land within their states. Only 42% of Wyoming is privately owned, the state owns six percent, and the federal government owns, 48%. That figure, nearly half the state, seems high but only ranks Wyoming seventh in percent of land owned by the Feds. Odd but California, a state I assumed was mostly privately owned, is only a bit less federal owned than Wyoming, coming in around 45%. States with the least are Connecticut and Iowa with less than one-half of one percent federal land in each state.

Since 1990 the government has sold nearly four percent of the land it owns. Sportsmen throughout the West are worried that if the land reverts to the states, it may be sold off, or closed to sportsmen. From what I have read, it looks like this could and would happen.

Western Land 

Just some food for thought.

Garden Catalogs and Thinking Spring

Seed catalogs are starting to show up in the mail, and I am starting to think about what I want to start inside this year.

Happens every year, when the New Year is here, I am ready for spring.

New Year’s Resolution - This year, 2017 –- I am going to attempt to be a little more active with this blog as the planting and growing starts. Seems like the past couple of years I have been too busy with other projects, like writing a book on gardening. Yep, that’s right, a gardening book. The book has helpful advice for gardeners in the high country, a bit of humor, and every fourth chapter is a murder mystery, set in a garden of course. Should be fun. I will post some excerpts soon.

My Books - Here is what keeps me busy – see all my books here on my Amazon Author's Page

Meanwhile, keep dreaming of planting time.

August and the Garden is Terrific

It's late August and time for another garden update. Carrots, tomatoes, beans, and onions are going great right now. If the season is normal we have six weeks left before a killing frost. The past two years we were well into October before the big cold night hit. This year the weather looks like the middle of the month will be more likely. There have been years when the first big frost came in September but it has been quite a few years since that happened.

Here's to a few more weeks of great garden produce.

Flower Time

Lots of beautiful color in gardens this time of year.

We have several areas for flowers and two small vegetable gardens. In the Veggie gardens, the peas and radishes are about done, but that’s okay I needed the room. Tomatoes are turning red, corn is tasselling, peppers starting to set on and the beans are full of blossoms.

But today I wanted to talk about garden color – flowers.

I also completed two of my backyard garden projects this summer, pretty good for me. My favorite is the new fence and gate into our back yard, took a while but is worth it.

I also have been busy writing, finishing up one book and getting ready for an edit on another. When I get tired of sitting that is my therapy/garden time.

With everything growing so well I thought I would post in green – I like it. Now looking at it after posting it looks like dark gray to me - oh well!

Plenty of room for veggies, flowers and to play catch

Flower Time

Lots of beautiful color in gardens this time of year.

We have several areas for flowers and two small vegetable gardens. In the Veggie gardens, the peas and radishes are about done, but that’s okay I needed the room. Tomatoes are turning red, corn is tasselling, peppers starting to set on and the beans are full of blossoms.

But today I wanted to talk about garden color – flowers.

I also completed two of my backyard garden projects this summer, pretty good for me. My favorite is the new fence and gate into our back yard, took a while but is worth it.

I also have been busy writing, finishing up one book and getting ready for an edit on another. When I get tired of sitting that is my therapy/garden time.

With everything growing so well I thought I would post in green – I like it.

Plenty of room for veggies, flowers and to play catch

It's Veggie Time

Picked three pints of red raspberries and almost a quart of peas yesterday. It looks like the hot weather is doing in the peas. Still, have some nice radishes and great lettuce. I am still impatiently waiting for my first tomato - soon I hope. We are starting to pull a few onions when needed, they are golf ball or slightly larger and taste fantastic. 

Next Up - Raspberry Jelly

Green and Wax Beans are starting to blossom, won't be long now. 

Beans and Leaf Lettuce In Our Front Garden

I also see the first of the area farmers markets are gearing up, most opening this week. Love this time of year, fresh veggies, and fruit. 

Sage In The Back Garden

Garden Update

Time for a first of June garden update. Seeds are in, Tomatoes are transplanted, onions are growing, peas starting to bloom and I am eating radishes. Oh - and all is well in the world.

Not getting much writing done, but my books are still selling and the garden is growing. This time of year is when the perennials, the ones that come back every year are starting to look good. Take a walk around my Wyoming garden with me, photos from May 30, 2016.

Oh How We Love the Rain - Even if it is White

Well, we made it, nine days this time, without snow. Each snowstorm I decide it will be the last, but a week later, here we go again. This one has been a terrific moisture producer, as of 3:30 this afternoon. We have had 2.4 inches so far and its still coming down. We do not often get these long drawn out moisture producers, and this one will keep things green for weeks.

Everything is looking green out back, should get even better now

Our perennials look good, even in the snow, and the first of the wildflowers were just starting to open up. That is why I have not bought a bunch of flowers and set them out, no need, it is still too early.

Wildflowers getting a good start, we saw these yesterday (Monday)

I did plant Potatoes, peas, and radishes, nothing up yet. I like to get the earliest possible vegetables and don’t mind if I have to replant. Plus, a few seeds are only half a pocket full of change or less.

Tulips don't last long, but they put on a nice show in April

Spring rain and snow are the norm, not the exception in Wyoming, and it is great to see. All too soon we may be talking about how dry it is and how we wished it would rain.

Spring means the North Platte is up and looking good again

Meanwhile, keep on gardening. 

It's almost time for the old guy to put on the shorts

Spring Snow

Reason number one to not get too excited about the garden yet.

That's my garden back there - snow falling on Cedar, fence that is

Front Yard - Yep snow there also

Fencing in the snow - looks like it is kind of working

Tomatoes Planted

Tomatoes are in, planted yesterday February 24th. I have my tomatoes in eight, five-inch pots, six different varieties. I planted two types of cherry tomatoes, three mid-size and mid-summer, and three heirloom tomatoes that are full size and long term.

Pots with loose covers set in place

Over the years, I have planted many hybrids and also many old time heirloom varieties. I have now settled on a mix of old and new, big and small, determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Basically, we plant what we like to eat. Odd!

Should see my first shoots in about a week

I also planted some flowers that take a long time to mature, I am especially excited about the chocolate mint coleus. If it is something I can easily buy at a big box store I do not start them, I only start plants from seeds that I want to try, but cannot find.

I start flowers in a 64,  one-inch cell planter

Most seed packets say to start seeds six to eight weeks before it is time to set out. I have found that a bit earlier than that works well. I have about eleven or twelve weeks before it is time to set out. Here is what I have found, count the six to eight weeks after the first true leaves appear, not from the day the seeds were placed in the soil. This means my tomatoes will be about eight weeks old when I set them out. Perfect!

Do not forget to put a label stick in the pot - too hard to remember

One final hint. I plant my five-inch pots with four seeds each. once the plants have their first true set of leaves I remove all but the best one or two. When planting time comes I carefully remove tomatoes plants from pots and plant the entire root ball, not much shock this way. Then I use the pots for flowers from a nursery or greenhouse and set them out.

Just getting started last year - This was June 5th, after a very cold spring
Some years I am three weeks early, this looks like that type of year.
Garden should look like this by the middle of  May