GrandpaâÂÂs Garden is a collection of hints and tips to help you get more enjoyment out of your garden. Grandpa in his native habitat - the garden. Suggested Grandpa's Garden Articles The Weather Is Cooperating With The Summer I've got inch and a half long zucchini. Starting them early and keeping them in cold frames has paid off. The Overwintered Swiss Chard Tastes like Spinach I can now understand the benefits of using Remay row covers in the winter. Keeping the birds and bugs off and allowing the plants to withstand the worst of the cold nights pays off with an early and abundant harvest. I Picked Brussels Sprouts Today They were covered with aphids but I didn't care. It's been so long since I had a crop, that getting sticky fingers was not a problem. I Got a Bag of Fir Shavings It smells nice too. Mushrooms and Leaves First it started producing tiny leaves. Then it began to taste a little bitter. I'm Still Disappointed In The Fall Peas You always see two doves, two blackbirds, two turkeys, two geese, and two of those little yellow birds that eat my Chard. They are eating the zucchini leaves now. I've Been Wondering Why There Is So Much Straw Left The little sparrows that scratch at the straw like tiny chickens, and spread it around, are not being given as much time as they used to. The cats can hear this scratching from under their hiding spots, and get to sneak up on the birds, because my garden's a jungle. I Cannot Believe That My Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach What it does have are jagged leaves from birds eating it. Either the birds are keeping the fly's that lay the eggs away, or they are eating the maggots that emerge. Overwintered Perpetual Spinach The Perpetual Spinach that overwintered in the greenhouse has come on like gangbusters and formed bushes full of leaves. The second year may be the best one for them because their root system can out perform last years. More Raccoon Trapping Three trampled plants, dug up mulch spread all around, and three piles of berry filled poop. I think the radio station switched to Johnathon Keillor's Prairie Home Companion because the raccoon was very comfortable there last night. The Watermelon Are Ripening. It's Time To Cut Back on their Water It's time to cut back on their water. They will be sweeter and less mushy if you do. The Continuous Smoke From the Surrounding Wildfires Corn growth has slowed to a crawl. I have four patches at various stages of development and they may not make it to maturity if this continues. More Gardening Articles
