tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:32:49 +0000weatherforeststurffloodingornamentalsdiseasesproduceoddballfruitsfarmers marketweedswormsmushroomsbirdswinternative plantsagritourisminsectsmaster gardenerraised bedsornamentalbeescontainersgreenfruit treestreeswoody plantsvegetablestropicalssustainableflowerspruningpesticidesshrubsherbswildlifePulaski County Kentucky's home gardening blog!http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Beth)Blogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-109937220106898307Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:32:00 +00002012-02-01T15:32:49.371-05:00fruitsfruit treesornamentalweatherYou know, I'm the first person who would like to see spring come early.  However, during the winter, if it's going to be cold, I like it to stay cold. There is plenty of evidence of plants resuming growth during this stint of temperatures in the 50s.  Take a look at our daffs.  Feb 1, 2012 Last year, our daffodils here at the office weren't at this stage until March 1.  A whole dang month. http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2012/02/you-cant-stop-early-spring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-7581641888683895001Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +00002012-01-17T08:00:09.934-05:00beesA Beginning Beekeeping school will be held in Pulaski County starting February 14 at 6pm.  Three other sessions will be held:  Feb 21, Feb 28, and March 13.  All begin at 6pm, all at the Pulaski County Extension Service office.  Fee for the program is $20. Beekeeping in this day and age is not like your father's or your grandfather's beekeeping.  We have many pests and diseases of which some arehttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2012/01/beginning-beekeeping-program.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-4419710766391361442Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:38:00 +00002012-01-10T11:38:10.434-05:00fruitsvegetablesagritourismI go to the Kentucky Fruit & Vegetable Conference every single year.  It is THE meeting for KY growers of fruits, vegetables, organics, grapes, and wine.  Over the years, I have seen such a shift, in a good way, in regards to participant age. I was usually considered one of the younger participants.  Of course, every year I go adds a year to my life, but as a 44 year old, I am now one of the http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2012/01/info-from-ky-fruit-and-vegetable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-4378439815837634562Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:55:00 +00002011-12-09T10:55:40.162-05:00birds Every time I write something about bird feeding, I wonder why most people who love horticulture-y things, also love to feed birds.  I might know a handful of plant people who don't, but all-in-all, we plant people are bird people too.  With plants, we appreciate nature and not just the green parts of nature but all the interconnecting parts.  Many of the plants we enjoy looking at provide the http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/12/winter-bird-feeding.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-7200547612523194205Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:59:00 +00002011-12-02T08:59:33.825-05:00Got out my camera on the morning of Dec 1, 2011.  Looking pretty out in the garden. River oats seedheads River oats Oakleaf hydrangea Daphne Contorted filbert Catkins on contorted filbert Coneflowers False blue indigo Black-eyed Susans http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/12/frosty-morn-pictures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-6165850739223741399Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +00002011-11-05T08:00:01.273-05:00raised bedsvegetablesproduceAfter 4 harvests of some greens (and I'm not done harvesting yet), here's what I've gotten off of 3 beds of mustard, turnips, and kale. Harvests took place on 10/11, 10/18, 10/25, and 11/1Kale total = 3.27# Mustard greens total = 9.94# Turnip greens total = 4.56# TOTAL = 17.77# Here's what the last harvest looked like: Mustard (2.11#) is on the left, turnips (0.90#) in the middle, kale (0.86#) onhttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/11/4-harvests-of-greens.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-615619855583766812Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +00002011-10-12T08:00:03.450-05:00raised bedsvegetablesHere at the Extension office, I have raised beds that contain mustard, turnips, and kale.  Today I harvested about 7.5# of greens.  Here's the breakdown: Mustard -- 5.05# Turnips -- 1.61# Kale -- 0.88# TOTAL = 7.54# The picture to the right shows kale, turnip greens, and mustard greens, the entire first harvest from 67.5 sq ft of raised beds. Mind you, this is only my first harvest. Mustard http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/10/greens-harvest-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-5342449597225927521Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:55:00 +00002011-10-11T07:55:57.729-05:00beesfruitsvegetablessustainableproduceforestsOur Living on a Few Acres class has been postponed for 2 weeks.  It seems people keep signing up so we figured we'd do more advertising, try to get several more farms/homesteads to sign up.  The original start date was to be tonight, Oct 11.  However, the first class will now start on Oct 25. This class is not designed to teach you to be a full-time farmer.  What we want you to get out of it is http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/10/living-on-few-acres-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-3918721762330120414Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:29:00 +00002011-09-28T08:29:51.504-05:00raised bedsvegetablesproduceAnyone, anywhere, can grow (almost) anything, in a square foot garden.  The concept goes by many names:  no-till gardening, raised bed gardening, etc.  But the fact is, you can feed your family using any number of different raised bed techniques.  Square foot gardening is just one. Here are some pictures of my fall vegetables in a square foot garden.  This garden is located at the Pulaski Countyhttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/09/square-foot-garden-fall-veggies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-3393785291731355293Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:30:00 +00002011-08-26T08:31:06.275-05:00beessustainablefarmers marketproduceforestswildlifeI think people in general believe farm life to be a tranquil, solitary existence.  Many people after working for 30 years want to retire on a farm or at least on a few acres out in the country.  Maybe you're not at retirement age yet but want to prepare for a life away from the city after you're done working. That's why the Ag Agent and I have teamed up on a program called Living on a Few Acres.http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/08/living-on-few-acres.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-7911481526950699817Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:10:00 +00002011-07-25T11:10:26.283-05:00I hope that everyone living in Pulaski Co (and maybe even some surrounding counties) have had a chance to visit the Children's Garden located at the Pulaski Co Public Library in downtown Somerset. Yes, it's not new, but yes, it's a delight to walk around in. Two years after its grand opening, volunteers are still working extremely hard.  We forget a lot of times but a garden is not fixed.  Oncehttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/07/childrens-botanical-garden-of-south.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-6058130021738472856Tue, 03 May 2011 23:42:00 +00002011-05-03T18:42:01.205-05:00ornamentalsdiseases    Knockout Roses have been all the rage for the last few years.  Even as a non-rose person, I have been impressed.   No black spot (or very little) and pruning?  Prune whenever you feel like it!  The plants will live and bloom and bloom and live!     However, like all good things, they must come to an end.  Case in point:  Several calls and many rose specimens in the disease diagnostic lab withhttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/05/redundant-rose-rosette.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-1391841751430757056Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:40:00 +00002011-04-12T09:40:22.417-05:00Spring is springing up!  It's all very exciting.  And so are a bunch of new ways to communicate.  That being said, I wanted to make everyone aware that I am on Facebook and Twitter.  I won't wear you out with posts and tweets.  I will do my best to make sure it's relevant or funny or relevant and funny.  I will do my best to have at least one post or tweet a day.  However, if any pest alerts or http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/04/pulaski-horticulture-is-everywhere.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-1337712466385339915Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:38:00 +00002011-03-03T15:38:44.162-05:00vegetablesfarmers marketproduceSince I was getting ready for a Farm to School meeting set for tonight, I thought I would look around at the USDA website.  Their big initiative (which I LOVE, by the way) is Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food.  The website also has this catch-phrase 'Every family needs a farmer?  Do you know yours?'  I mean, this is great stuff! But, of course, the first thing you see on the website is this imagehttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/farm-to-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-2669775986209572649Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:45:00 +00002011-02-23T10:45:40.059-05:00OK, we're all tired of winter.  Anyone who isn't has anti-freeze running through their veins.  Over the course of the last week or so, the daffodils have really shown up and the bees are flying.  So just come on now, and show up, Spring! Just in time for spring is a book called 'Grow the Good Life:  Why a Vegetable Garden Will Make You Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise' by Michele Owens.  This http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/pleeease-come-spring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-2813240197821926513Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:11:00 +00002011-01-31T13:11:29.138-05:00vegetablessustainablepesticidesManures can be a great way to add organic matter to a home garden.  I'm for it.  However, be mindful of a few things: Cow manures that are not well-composted should be used sparingly on gardens where crops like potatoes or onions will be grown.  E. coli is the big deal, and it is a very big deal. Adding too much of a good thing can be bad.  Manure is a great source of nitrogen.  If the manure ishttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/manure-use-on-home-gardens-watch-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-4011178387666050505Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:06:00 +00002011-01-11T14:06:15.555-05:00Are you ready for 2011 Gardener's Toolbox Classes?  Well, here they are! Bill Best will be teaching the class on Heirloom Vegetables. UK Meteorologist Tom Priddy will teach the Weather class. Tom Barnes, UK Extension Specialist in Forestry and well-known author, will be teaching the class on Photography in the Garden. All classes are $5 except for the class on making cheese.  It will be $20 to http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-gardeners-toolbox-classes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-5712228311412455605Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:02:00 +00002010-11-29T15:10:13.914-05:00This past weekend I had a very quick tromp through the Atlanta Botanical Garden. We left the truck at 3:30pm and I promised my kiddos that we'd be back in the truck by 4:30. Well, I was an hour off. We had to hurry through so I just got glimpses of things, but you can find a few pictures on the Pulaski County Horticulture Facebook page.http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/11/atlanta-botanical-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-5044977049853174718Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:57:00 +00002010-11-17T09:45:58.867-05:00oddballhttp://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/11/gnome-management-in-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-1685141961878095991Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:46:00 +00002010-11-05T07:54:34.932-05:00fruitswoody plantsshrubs Redosier dogwood (red-twig dogwood) Carolina sweetshrub Nikko Blue hydrangea on left, Annabelle on right American beautyberry American beautyberry fruit Asian species of beautyberry, fruits are much more prominent than the American!http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/11/fall-images-from-extension-office.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-4638417944308877566Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:00:00 +00002010-10-18T12:00:01.997-05:00fruitsoddballwoody plantsLook at what got brought in the office this morning!Is this cool or what? I was stumped. This was in the edge of the woods, not generally where I think citrus would be located. But anyway, this is a trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata).I tasted the pulp. Boy, was it sour. Don't try that at home.http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/trifoliate-orange.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-5135753551980657925Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:09:00 +00002010-10-18T09:17:42.257-05:00oddballwildlifeOur dog Lily, once again, has given me an experience I never wanted. I've had to call the emergency vet number at least 3 times with her. And she's not a bad dog at all. She just seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.This weekend, we stayed overnight in Paris, KY at my parents' house. We came back in the house around 10pm after watching a soccer game and let out the dogs. I heard http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/10/skunked.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-6270122707049617335Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:45:00 +00002010-09-02T09:48:17.339-05:00oddballIsn't it sad that we have to designate September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? Really sad.http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/09/just-sad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-51949235828852053Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:00:00 +00002010-09-01T09:00:01.706-05:00insectsThis interesting article comes from Lee Townsend, UK Extension Entomologist. We always attribute less insects with a harsh winter. Not so, he says. Read on:Why are there So Many/Fewer _(Fill in the Name)_ This Year?By Lee TownsendAlmost every year it seems that one or more species of insects are more/less abundant than “normal”. Sometimes increases are appreciated, as with lightningbugs or http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-are-there-morefewer-this-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31756236.post-2557924865184377792Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:24:00 +00002010-08-31T12:32:58.240-05:00As I walked around the garden at the Extension office this morning, I was overwhelmed by spider webs. They were everywhere! Here's a few shots of what I saw this morning: On pineapple sage Along the walkway In the yard (that's not cotton balls thrown out there!) Between hosta flowering stems Good ol' garden spider (this was a BIG one) On the daphne Between coneflower leaves On http://pchomegarden.blogspot.com/2010/08/spiders-at-least-their-webs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Beth)0