Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 142 Entries. Wednesday, March 30 View Page My neighbor came over to the house and asked me if a flying saucer had landed in my back yard. Thursday, March 31 View Page This is what happens when I get bored in the winter.A little giant cantaloupe experiment. Thursday, March 31 View Page This is a 42 James.It's starting to bloom and I think many more blooms will be open tomorrow. Thursday, March 31 View Page The first flower to open on the 42 James. Thursday, March 31 View Page This is a 55 James.It's a little bit younger than the other plant, but much fuller and more robust (not blooming yet).These 2 plants are an experiment in progress.....more details to come later. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Springtime in the Shenandoah Valley.One of the prettiest places on earth. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Started the season early with a little sub-soiling. Wednesday, April 13 View Page This is my friend Dale.We grew up together and we are neighbors today. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Dale has been driving heavy equipment for 30 years and he did a really nice job.Super drainage now, as it was already very good before we started. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Tulips Wednesday, April 13 View Page Tulips Wednesday, April 13 View Page And more Tulips. Wednesday, April 13 View Page It's really pretty around the neighborhood here. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Weeds?... Purple and gold,our high school colors. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Snow peas up.... Wednesday, April 13 View Page Broccoli looking really good so far. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Mr. Celebrity. The garden cat. Wednesday, April 13 View Page Cantaloupe project ....amazing. Wednesday, April 13 View Page And what do we have here? Trick will be to pollinate this early....we will see. Monday, April 18 View Page Garden update.Brocolli looking really good.Plants went thru the beating winds and rain yesterday like little champions. Monday, April 18 View Page 55 James cantaloupe.Not flowering yet. Monday, April 18 View Page 42 James cantaloupe.This plant is growing faster and faster.Flowers all over and just starting to throw females. Wednesday, April 20 View Page Working on my daughters car.Pretty little screamer...and yes, it's fast. Thursday, April 28 View Page This is the 55 James cantaloupe.It's grafted to Zapollo squash roots and has filled the greenhouse.Has been outside more or less for a week, but will tuck inside tonight as it's supposed to be 41 degrees. Thursday, April 28 View Page The 55 James cantaloupe.This one is grafted to AG pumpkin roots.Sorry..last entry was the 42 James.....this is the 55 James, lol.This plant is about 3 weeks or so behind the other plant.Much larger at this stage of growth than the other plant and more robust.Actually made a really clean graft on this plant...better than usual. Thursday, April 28 View Page The graft itself.It's difficult to get a good picture.You can see the leftover bandage a little...I think.55 James...cantaloupe to AG pumpkin. Tuesday, May 3 View Page The 42 James.Grafted to Zapollo winter squash roots and setting babies all over.These are 2 of the nicer sets. Friday, May 13 View Page 18 tomatoe plants in the ground.Wide assortment... 2.09 Knox,2.50 Knox,5.00 Knox,3.00 Gordon Graham decendent.Thanks for the seeds Glenn.Pennington 3.94...Thanks for the seeds Tim.From France...Boudeau 5.07.Thanks for the seeds Fabrice.And last but certainly not least,3 Hunt 7.33's.Thanks Phil and Jane. Friday, May 13 View Page Over-wintering collard greens. Friday, May 13 View Page The 42 James cantaloupe. Friday, May 13 View Page The 55 James cantaloupe. Friday, May 13 View Page Broccoli has done really well. Friday, May 13 View Page I think we will be eating fresh broccoli this weekend. Friday, May 13 View Page Heading up nicely. Friday, May 13 View Page Snow peas coming along. Friday, May 13 View Page Greenhouses up.Pumpkins in. Friday, May 13 View Page Pumpkins........ Friday, May 13 View Page 905 Vincent McGill green squash. Friday, May 13 View Page Wow...what a big blossom you have there....2.50 Knox. Friday, May 13 View Page A little rain at twighlight. Saturday, May 14 View Page Stump on the 55 James cantaloupe.Grafted to AG pumpkin roots.The graft is left of pencil, where the little roots are protruding. Saturday, May 14 View Page And it was broccoli for dinner tonight.3 early variety heads (had 4, but one died young).We have 8 more of a later variety, with small heads just forming on them now. Saturday, July 2 View Page Well, its time to update diary... No more long gourds.(see message board) The city made me take my trellis down yesterday and it made the neighborhood sad. Saturday, July 2 View Page On a more positive note, the garden is doing great.Here are my tomatoes in the upper garden. Saturday, July 2 View Page Tomatoes and sunflowers in the side garden looking good also. Saturday, July 2 View Page Sunflower stalks are huge and I guess they are almost 8 feet tall now. Saturday, July 2 View Page Lots of tomatoes on the vines, but none near ripe yet. Saturday, July 2 View Page Even have 3 volunteer tomatoes.Here's one. Saturday, July 2 View Page A volunteer sunflower about 9 feet tall. Saturday, July 2 View Page The volunteer sunflower forming multiple heads. Saturday, July 2 View Page Still eating brocolli.Has done really well this year. Saturday, July 2 View Page Super sugar snap peas.Going on the third picking now.Their almost 7 feet tall. Saturday, July 2 View Page King of the Garden pole lima beans. Saturday, July 2 View Page Cantaloupes are unreal.I see at least 8 with some size to them. Saturday, July 2 View Page A couple hiding lopes. Saturday, July 2 View Page Baby cantaloupes everywhere and more to come. Saturday, July 2 View Page Planted watermelons later.Here's 2... 198 Bright,growing well. Saturday, July 2 View Page On to the pumpkins.... Saturday, July 2 View Page 1234 Pappas. Saturday, July 2 View Page An All-Werner patch in the bottom garden. Saturday, July 2 View Page Except the plant closest in last picture is a 905 V/M green squash. Saturday, July 2 View Page 2- 1634 Werner's...a 1596 Werner...a 1461 Werner...and a 1274.5 Werner. Saturday, July 2 View Page 1274.5 Werner coming out of the shoot. Saturday, July 2 View Page Baby pumpkin.Nice shape I think. Saturday, July 2 View Page Another baby. Saturday, July 2 View Page Another.... Saturday, July 2 View Page And still another.... Saturday, July 2 View Page My goodness, they are everywhere...LOL. Saturday, July 2 View Page Even something green on that 905 V/M. Saturday, July 2 View Page And last but certainly not least...A photo of my daughters from 20 years ago, holding some really big zucchini squash. Sunday, July 3 View Page I'm glad we got pictures up yesterday. Sunday, July 3 View Page Because we got a hail storm today. Sunday, July 3 View Page He giveth and he takes away. Sunday, July 3 View Page Sunflowers received the worst of it. Sunday, July 3 View Page The bottom garden. Sunday, July 3 View Page More damage. Sunday, July 3 View Page Cantaloupes got it pretty good too. Sunday, July 3 View Page The upper garden.Storm lasted about 10 minutes.It was actually coming down sideways. Wednesday, July 6 View Page It's time for a new battle plan.This is the real battle flag from where I come from (very rare).The 10th Virginia Vol. Infantry. Thursday, July 14 View Page Fungicide was applied right away...as soon as the hail dryed up.... Thursday, July 14 View Page Peroxide, fungicide,peroxide, fungicide...upper garden sorta making a comeback... Thursday, July 14 View Page The Werner patch filling in... Thursday, July 14 View Page Also trying to make a comeback... Thursday, July 14 View Page Have new pumpkins set everywhere.Front plant in pic is the 905 V/M.,had 2 set on it and they were destroyed.Never say die...a new set on it also.....lol Thursday, July 14 View Page Some hail damage on pumpkin.Most of these are damaged on the inside from the hits.They just slow way down on growth and I think they will rot from the inside out.... Thursday, July 14 View Page A newer set... Thursday, July 14 View Page Another newer one... Thursday, July 14 View Page This one seems to have taken a punch and keeps on keepin on...we shall see. Thursday, July 14 View Page Oops....the one above is new...sorry.This is the one that took a beating.... Thursday, July 14 View Page Not too bad... Thursday, July 14 View Page Another, same plant.... Thursday, July 14 View Page 198 Bright watermelon.A few tiny sets here,growing nicely.It took the least damage of all the gardens. Thursday, July 14 View Page Lots of tomatoes coming soon... Thursday, July 14 View Page A nice one on the 3.94 Pennington.Again Tim, thank you so much for the seeds. Thursday, July 14 View Page The beat up sunflowers.(lol)8,9 and 10 feet now....Lost 2..Tops snapped off... Thursday, July 14 View Page The volunteer sunflower.Almost 10 feet with many blooms...Ain't she pretty? Thursday, July 14 View Page Still eating brocolli.Took the Snap Peas out the other day and planted beans, eggplant and 2 kinds of squash.... Thursday, July 14 View Page She comes in colors everywhere...she's like a rainbow...MY favorite....ZINNIAS. Thursday, July 14 View Page Steve and Leana say the key to successful gardening and beating a hail storm is the magic of Pumpkin Pro and a little Lithovit.......LOL Thursday, July 21 View Page A 14.5 pound cantaloupe from a 55 James grafted plant. Thursday, July 21 View Page A 13.75 pound cantaloupe, also from the same plant.Leana, me and the kids in the neighborhood ate this one right after this picture was taken....Very tasty!! Thursday, July 21 View Page Almost 14 pound cantaloupe from the 42 James grafted plant.An insect of some kind tryed to get into the stump of this plant in June sometime.I stopped it, but the plant was never as healthy as the others after that.The plant still has one more lope on it now around the same size as this one. Thursday, July 21 View Page A 2.32 pound tomato from the 3.94 Pennington. Thursday, July 21 View Page Bottom of the same tomato.This is the second tomato we have picked so far....the first one was about a pound and a half and vine ripened. Saturday, July 23 View Page The kids in the neighborhood and some cantaloupe. Saturday, July 23 View Page Eating them is as much fun as growing them....LOL!! Saturday, July 23 View Page Oh yes....and we culled a couple pumpkins today too. Sunday, July 24 View Page Sunflowers...the white posts are 10 feet tall. Sunday, July 24 View Page More Sunflowers. Sunday, July 24 View Page A few tomatoes we picked today.Most around a pound and a half. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Twins,growing side by side from a 7.33 Hunt...1LB.14OZ. and 1LB.12OZ. Tuesday, July 26 View Page A watermelon from a 198 Bright. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Another 198 Bright watermelon. Tuesday, July 26 View Page A little one just starting to grow. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Another little one.We have about 6 or 7 growing well now.Hope we can get a big one. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Sunflowers starting to bloom. Tuesday, July 26 View Page This sunflower is pretty tall and not blooming yet. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Pumpkin ...1634 Werner...I like this one. Tuesday, July 26 View Page This one seems to be growing well. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Another with a little color and a bunch of hail "pox"...LOL. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Snow peas out now...Fall green beans in.Tenderettes and Virginia half-runners. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Zinnia. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Another Zinnia. Tuesday, July 26 View Page Pretty. Tuesday, July 26 View Page A splash of color for the diary........ Saturday, July 30 View Page A new high for this season...2lbs. 4oz. from Fabrice Boudeau's 5.07. Saturday, July 30 View Page Sunflower approaching at at least 14-15 feet.The white post is 10 feet tall. Sunday, July 31 View Page Another 2 LB. tomato. Wednesday, August 3 View Page Seems like all my tomatoes are around 2LBS 4OZ. this season.Here is another from a Brutus Magnus plant. Wednesday, August 10 View Page A 19 pound cantaloupe.Grown from the 55 James seed.Thanks again for the seeds Vic. Wednesday, August 10 View Page Stem is in good shape on the 19 pounder. Wednesday, August 10 View Page Blossom end is in good shape on the 19 pounder.She really smells good too. Sunday, August 14 View Page Cantaloupe patch has really taken off... Tuesday, August 23 View Page 2 pounds 9 ounces.... Tuesday, August 23 View Page Freaky , freaky freaky!!! Earthquake here today at 1:50pm. 5.9 Sounded like a train coming,pots and pans rattling,pictures fell off the wall,the floor in the house was moving and it scared the #$%* out of me.Now I know what you California boys and girls experience.Just plain out right freaky!! Tuesday, November 15 View Page My beautiful 4 year old grandaughter...Marley.Pumpkin grown on a side vine of a 1634 Werner. Tuesday, November 15 View Page After the July 2 hail storm,no pumpkins on the main vines.Plants made a nice recovery and grew until frost came but everthing was pollinated on side vines this year.This pumpkin was grown from a second 1634 Werner. Tuesday, November 15 View Page We ended up with 12 pumpkins from 4 plants.The big white one was the largest.Estimated weight taping around 550Lbs. Tuesday, November 15 View Page The stump on the 1596 Werner.Very nice plant. Tuesday, November 15 View Page 3 pumpkins pollinated late on the 1596 werner...1596 x self.I like the looks of these and hope to grow this seed next year.Large stems and very solid pumpkins. Tuesday, November 15 View Page Marley finds a watermelon in the weeds. Tuesday, November 15 View Page We grew 2 watermelon plants.Both were 198 Bright.Got 9 melons from 2 plants, all in the 50-70 LB. range.Have 3 left as we have given the rest away.