Greenhouse Gardens

New Tomato and Zucchini Plants

Here's a tip: Do not put all of your greenhouse dreams in one department store, AKA Home Hardward. Here's a second, learn how to build your own greenhouse...There's a thought! And, when you do, please write about it on my Blog - in detail so readers can benefit.

Unfortunately, I'm too high maintenance for such self reliance lol. I'd rather get pushed around by Home Hardware and it's false advertising and poor service! The only good thing I can say is that they did give me my money back after two months of trying to get a Portable Spring Greenhouse out of them.

Quick update on that - The Portable Winter House was returned, the owner of Home Hardware here in Stephenville, NL said to come back on the Monday to get the replacement. After three Mondays of nothing, I went to visit them again. Only then did he actually reorder the product without apology for having me wait for nothing AND he still had my money!! Apparently, the item was going to be discontinued he ordered one of the couple remaining. Guess what - I was sent another Winter House still clad in a Spring Greenhouse box!! Bottom line, I don't have a greenhouse but a lot of plants and Home Hardware has one less fool purchasing false products from them.

In the meanwhile, I've realized that my plants died for three main reasons:

1. The soil I mixed was overkill, too rich

2. There was not enough soil drainage as rich soil can be too compact and

3. I've over watered them.

Only the green and hot peppers had survived the devastation.

Therefore, I had purchased the following healthy plants to rebuild my garden: 2 tomato - 1 tiny tim/cherry and 1 plum tomato; 2 cucumber; 1 zucchini, 1 northstar green pepper (in case the same fate happens to the surviving peppers) parsley and garlic chive herbs.

I've taken the soil from each of the containers and put it in a sturdy garbage bag. I mixed in a large bag of regular black earth soil purchased from Canadian Tire to try and reduce the densely fertilized soil that I've been working with for the last month. I didn't have any regular 'sand' to add though I felt this would have been beneficial for better drainage.

I've transplanted the eight new young plants into the old containers with the new soil mix. Without a greenhouse however, I've had no other alternative but to keep them outdoors on my patio. They seem to have taken but it's only been four days yet.

For good measure I also purchased and transplanted a beautifully scented lavender, an Antirrhinum Hybrid called Sultan Yellow and a Argyranthemum called Bright Carmine. The purple, yellow and green hues are so attractive together. I hope they take to their new surroundings as well. Through the jigs and reels, earlier I'd also purchased a hanging pot of patunias for my partner who enjoys the purple ones.

The other thing that's been happening is that EVERYONE has advice about gardening for you when you're a newbie. I listen to and thank everyone who takes time to share information with me. I'll write later about some of the wonderful colourful characters who have assisted me.

I've also gone to the local library twice to take out books on the topic. The latest book I've found useful for Canadian and north eastern climates is called: The Gardening Manual for Canada with Editor Trevor Cole. It's a great ideas book.

My partner, Blake Bissaillion, has also pitched in and picked me up a 'water proof' quick reference text from Miracle-Gro called Vegetables: How to Grow Fresh, Delicious Vegetables.
So, as always with a new garden, it's wait and see again. Wish me good luck.

The Spring Greenhouse is a Winter House

Two important things have happened since the last post. I purchased a single healthy cherry tomato plant from a wonderful woman for $1. I also discovered that the Portable Spring Greenhouse purchased on sale from Home Hardware was a Winter Greenhouse for scrubs and trees!! The manufacturer had put the incorrect product in the box.

As the Greenhouse Guru wisely points out, this could devastate a first time gardener.

What to do?

I called my local Home Hardware and they are willing to ship it back to the manufacturer and have another one for me as early as next week. All I have to do is bring it back to the shop.

As anyone in this situation knows, that's easier said than done. Can anyone fit this product back into it's box? A contortionist might have some insight...a master yogi maybe, but me, a mere mortal, I haven't a prayer.

This calls for some crude shipment and that's exactly what I'll do. Return it to Home Hardware as is.

My harvest depends on it.

Tomato Plants

"Stubborn like the mule" my father would say about me, once I got something in my head to do. Poor mules.

I've been stubborn about my Tomato plants. I mentioned in an earlier blog entry that my Tomato plant died. I think it might have been mold that got to the plant. I intended to just go ahead and purchase a small tomato plant from a local nursery.

As soon as I finished writing that blog entry, I had changed my mind and prepared soil again for tomato seeds.

Then my sister in Truro, who plants Tomatoes successfully every year on her deck, advised a plastic covering over the plant to encourage it to grow. I didn't know for sure if there would be enough time however the stubborn streak in me HAD to try one last time. In my defense, I did have new information to work with, didn't I? lol.

Here's the "please grow tomato seed, please grow again" pic.

Here's the early result of the attempt.

Now for it to continue growing...

Tomatoes & Zucchini

Who knew that Tomatoes were once named "pomme d'amour" or "love apple"? Well, mine died so this is even more devastating. Oh, Romeo, bestill my heart....lol.

The reason I decided to plant tomatoes is that I twice enjoyed fresh tomatoes from friend's gardens. Once cherry tomatoes in Toronto and another time field tomatoes in Georgetown, ON. Like most garden fresh vegetables, you can't compare home grown. Oh, no, you cannot.

My seedling developed a grayish hair like growth on it's stem before it's eventual demise. In retrospect, the 1st growth was left too long before I replanted it. Tomatoes immediately develop longer root systems.

According to Terry & Mark Silber in their book "Growing Herbs and Vegetables from Seed to Harvest" to get the taste I'm looking for, I need to plant some of the old fashioned varieties. I had actually planted the Husky Cherry Red Hybrid which is perhaps more suited for commercial growers. It's too late to replant so this is one of the plants I've decided to purchase from one of the local garden centres in the next week or so.

I've also decided to purchase a Zucchini plant as my success has been marginal with this seed. As zucchini requires very warm soil to sprout and grow, I have concluded that the soil for the Zucchini may have been too cool. This summer squash is a favorite food of mine. I like it sauteed with cumin and walnuts and also in a loaf...this is what I'm working for! I haven't had a garden fresh zucchini - well never.

The Greenhouse Guru has a friend in Ontario who grows prize Zucchini and she is emailing me some tips for this plant. I'll be sure to pass it along here. The gardening books seem to be more interested in winter squash. However, the information I've been able to glean from the literature is that zucchini benefits from a warming mulch...well don't we all!

All I need to do now is find a nursery in cold Newfoundland with a live, healthy tomato and zucchini plant...good luck to me! lol

The rest of my plants are growing really well and strong. Especially the peas (See below)

And hot and bell peppers (See below).

The onions and watermelon I've replanted have sprouted and are growing strong (See picture of green onion below).

The musclen is up and have beautiful sprouts.

I'll be putting up the portable greenhouse on the next sunny day.