Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 39 Entries. Monday, March 13 View Page Just a comparison of the seeds I bought at the Wisconsin Public Television Garden Expo and the ones sent to me by Linus Van Pelt(Shannon). The difference is much more noticeable in person.   Monday, March 13 View Page The patch guardian. AKA my big, hairy, stinky buddy! Also the reason we have a lock on the refrigerator.   Monday, March 13 View Page Another pic of the gentle giant.   Friday, March 17 View Page It's never too early! Enlarging the patch, just tilling shallow to chew up the sod for now, hit a little frost where the garage shadow falls, but it was clear otherwise. Yes folks, that is a genuine Monkey Ward tiller, not for sale at any price:)   Wednesday, March 22 View Page First tilling finished, had to send the Monkey Ward back to its previous owner after a labor-management dispute, borrowed my brother's Troy-bilt Jr. Worked fine once I got it adjusted just right and learned not to push down on the handles! Now two or three weeks to let the sod break down, till again, add compost and sulfur to lower the pH and till for the final time.   Monday, March 27 View Page Tilled again, much easier this time, but the sod is still putting up a fight. Planted peas, spinach, radishes and mesclun. Watered the tulips and watched the first pollen of the year coming into the beehive.   Thursday, March 30 View Page One thousand square feet of growing space, dry as can be, but rain is on the way. Hopefully the sod remnants dry out thouroughly before it comes. Solar wax melter in the front, hive of eager pollinators in the patch. My chiropractor bill not shown. Waiting for results of 2nd soil test before deciding on amendments but lots of compost is a definite.   Monday, April 10 View Page No Rufus, no longer. RIP buddy.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page Last years yellowjacket nest from one of my stored beehives. One of three in my yard last year, they patrolled the garden nonstop, hope they eat squash vine borers! Only got one sting, I just wish it hadn't gone up my shorts first!   Saturday, April 22 View Page Added another person to the contest! No backing out this year Puetz, there were witnesses!   Friday, June 2 View Page 454 Engel   Friday, June 2 View Page 549 Engel   Monday, June 26 View Page House I helped build in northern Milwaukee last week with Habitat for Humanity. Good times!   Monday, June 26 View Page 454 Engel   Monday, June 26 View Page One of the 549 Engels   Monday, June 26 View Page View of the garden   Tuesday, June 27 View Page The other 549 Engel   Tuesday, June 27 View Page Second garden   Saturday, July 1 View Page SVB adult and eggs!   Tuesday, July 4 View Page Knee high by the 4th? Bloody Butcher!   Wednesday, July 5 View Page First male flower open, one of the 549's.   Monday, July 17 View Page How you know that you haven't paid enough attention to one of your beehives!   Monday, July 17 View Page Marching into their new home!   Wednesday, July 19 View Page Pollinated the first female, on one of the 549 Engels. Selfed it, and used two males from the 454 Engel just to be safe:)   Friday, July 21 View Page Female open on the 454, let the squash bees take care of it.   Saturday, July 22 View Page 549 behind the garage opened a female today, open pollinated.   Tuesday, July 25 View Page Hand pollinated a second female on the 549 behind the garage, but left it open. Fruit on the first 549 showing an unpleasant brown color:(   Monday, July 31 View Page Made a side bet with Aaron at the Brewer game yesterday! $5 for the largest circumference on the last day of August.   Monday, July 31 View Page 549 Engel behind the garage. Has three smaller fruits as well.   Wednesday, August 2 View Page The 549 Engel growing in the corn patch, the main and some of the secondaries are dying back, all the flowers(male and female) have aborted also.   Monday, August 7 View Page 454 Engel   Monday, August 7 View Page 549 Engel   Monday, August 7 View Page I didn't believe it when I saw a WI-hardy hibiscus...   Tuesday, August 8 View Page Est. weights are now 68#(549 Engel) and 51#(454 Engel). Both are larger than my first effort two years ago, and I could have a personal best in a day or two!   Monday, August 14 View Page 454 Engel, est. 83#   Monday, August 14 View Page 549 Engel, est 108#, personal best with six weeks to grow!   Monday, August 21 View Page 454 Engel at 110# est., 549 at 115# est. Watering heavily! Lined up an acre at a friends place for next year!   Monday, August 28 View Page 454 Engel est. wt. 116#, RIP 549.   Tuesday, October 3 View Page Had the weigh in, beat my arch-nemesis, but lost to the newbee, 117-133! Gotta get started for next year!