Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 29 Entries. Monday, June 8 View Page Starting the 2009 Year out I am using this as a reminder to not slack off in the patch. Pure inspiration.. Monday, June 8 View Page As always, A long winter brings plenty of time to plan the garden, Choose the right seeds, Perfect the watering system and tweak the feeding program. You don't want to learn the true meaning of Random encounter in the patch... Monday, June 8 View Page As usual all good intentions stayed on track and I got the Garden tilled and ammended in mid April, Actually got 1 Plant in on May 1 and 3 others on May 15. Then it froze 2 nights but the Buckets saved the day.. Here's the patch from a distance Thursday, June 25 View Page We are very excited not only for the Pumpkin growing season but also for things to come this fall.. Hurry up and heal that arm Brett, We need you! Thursday, June 25 View Page Since My patch was well under the salary cap this year we donated a few bucks to the Vikes. So far we have the Jersey. When will we get the Favre to fill it up? Thursday, June 25 View Page Back to the patch... 2009 brings with it a new vigor and energy level never before matched.. Since it's June 25th already I should be able to avoid burnout and things a moving along nicely so far.. 4 plants are at 7 6 and 5 feet. Here is my newest toy, The PatchCam.. Hours of entertainment watching your pumpkin grow.. Looking forward to setting a fruit and watchig it get big.. Thursday, June 25 View Page My wife Theresa and I were quite bummed at the end of the 2007 season when my patch guard Jake went to doggy heaven. After 2 years of Just having our Golden Wally...... Thursday, June 25 View Page That we decided it was time to liven things up and fortify our rabbit and squirrel defenses up a little bit by welcoming to our family..... KIRBY ...... A Llewellin Setter from the Houdini line.. An English Setter like Jake for those in the Know.... Thursday, June 25 View Page This year i have added a drip tape system that will go off each #^$## days for &^#$ hours.. Reduced to 10 PSI after flowing through a filter. Each strip is layed out every 2 feet and through the Fertilizer injector I can apply evenly throughout the patch what I refer to as "Yummy Goodness" The yummy goodness contains sereral parts Bohica, Christopherson and Part Cargill... So far so good I guess.. Thursday, June 25 View Page Comparing pics to last year I am looking in much better shape. We did have a horribly cold May with very little water so everything got behind a few weeks. Now June has been wonderfully warm at night and we've picked up a nice amount of rain so it's setting up good. Cut to sunset.. My views are very nice as well! Thursday, June 25 View Page Since it's a new Year I should recap the set-up.. I got interested in Big pumpkins one cold winter day sitting in my office.. Google brought up the BP site, An excellent resource and place to hang out! Chat if you Dare! Anyhoo, My wife Theresa and I along with our Dogs Wally and Kirby own this 3 acre Farmstead in Hutchinson Minnesota. Used to be an old dairy operation but now is our weekend "Cabin" Complete with Farmhouse Barn and a grainary.. We've plugged away to fix it up and have an absloute blast spending as much time there as possible.. Quite conveniently located 47.2 miles from our house in Chaska, MN...... Here's the Barn.. Thursday, June 25 View Page This will be my 4th year of growing these bad buys.. Such fun! Bees, WEEDS, Wasps, Mosquitos, Turtles, Rabbits, Squirrels,Pocketgophers, Mice, Dogs,and Kids are all my sworn patch enemies. I am nicer to some than others! Found another sunset... Thursday, June 25 View Page Forgot to mention Cuke Beetles, Stink Bugs, Vine Borers etc.. Along with drip tape this year I still have my Stihl mistblower, Pull behind tiller and a small army of helpers.. Very funny how they help less and less each year! Each Spring brings a lot of clean up and preparation for a busy summer on the Lake. Here is helper and good buddy Terry on an April weekend helping me out. Thursday, June 25 View Page Spring cleaning offers may opportunities for fun.. Here we are cleaning up a bit... Thursday, June 25 View Page Putting in the dock is always a pain in the Butt.... Thursday, June 25 View Page But, For all the work that goes into it, For sure it is worth every ounce of energy spent.. Thursday, June 25 View Page Found a before picture of Garden 2 which this year will feature Cukes, Peas, Peppers, Onions and Tomato's Maybe I'll remember to take an after photo for comparison!! Thursday, June 25 View Page Now I will attatch the picture, Master control can you fix this!!! Friday, June 26 View Page And here is a before picture of the main patch. It measures 60 x 100 Friday, June 26 View Page I think I loaded the wrong pic there?? Anyhow as the SPring Cleaning continues ..... Friday, June 26 View Page Enough of that.. The incineration takes care of almost everything!!! Friday, June 26 View Page Ok, We'll throw some other pics in here but before I lose my train of thought we will switch to pumpkins again!! This year I have in my Patch the 985 Werner, 1507 Jutras, 842 Eaton and the 1689 . As usual the camera is out at the lake with the updated phhotos so I'll get creative soon.. Here is a picture of the 842 on June 6th... Monday, June 29 View Page The June 27/28th weekend was extremely windy with gusts of up to 60 mph.. The plants will come out a bit banged up and bruised as the winds appear to have xpun a few leaves around. Experience shows that this matters little as the canopy usually fills back in quick enough. Here's the 1507 blowing with the wind! Monday, June 29 View Page Here's a shot at the garden, The wind in the garden took a toll on the corn... Gonna have to stand it back up by hand I think... Monday, June 29 View Page Great, Here's the pic Monday, June 29 View Page The plants are going gangbusters, Burying vines every 2 days (Forgot how much fun that is) and I have first 2 fale flowers open on the 985. Several females showing up on the 1507 and the 985.. 1689 is way behind as I didn't get it in the ground til June 6 Monday, June 29 View Page This picture is of the 985 and it's first 2 monster male flowers.. The leaves are a little out of place with 30 mph winds during photo. Also not my lovely weed collection, Can't keep up with them so I am weeding as the plant grows... Wednesday, August 12 View Page And then I blinked and it Was August 12th... I'll say that things are coming along well. The entire month of July was very cold with very little rain but now it's in the high 80's to 90's for awhile... July 5th Pic here of something or another Wednesday, August 12 View Page Here is July 28th, Found the culled guy under a pallet? What the hell.. We enjoy the view of the Lake with envy as I toil in the garden..