Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 92 Entries. Thursday, January 1 View Page Happy New Year everybody!   Saturday, January 10 View Page ...   Tuesday, April 21 View Page This was a very healthy Atlantic Giant before a groundhog got hold of it this morning.These critters make me want to scream !!   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is my 119.5 Masteron 2014 (239 Leonard x open)taken this morning, June 2.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page Here is another shot of the 119, showing some of the surrounding dwarf marigolds.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page The marigolds have been responding well to my soil and have started to grow very aggressively.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page In the pot on the right there is basil and on the left side is spinach going to seed.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is a dwarf eggplant I purchased from a Walmart.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page A shot from the top of my raised bed.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page A backup plant at the bottom area of my raised bed.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page Actually I still have several backup plants growing in this bed.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is the bed I grew my 239 Leonard plant in last year.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page In this bed I had my 260.5 Clementz.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This 3rd bed grew my 350.5 Kent last year.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page And this 4th and end bed I grew the 316 Edwards.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page As you can see I have planted all 4 of these beds with lots of plants. I have had such a problem with groundhogs I just want to see what escapes damage and pick out a few good plats to grow. Maybe I will get lucky. I haven't seen any groundhogs in about a week now. But every time I think I might have them run off, then up they pop again and there is new damage.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This bushel gourd plant from a Kent see is down below my raised bed and has remained surprisingly untouched. I am sure they will get to it though as it seems to me that none of them escape for very long.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page I was actually thinking about using this area to grow 2 Atlantic Giant pumpkins.But these plants seem to be the favorite of my groundhogs this year. So unless I get rid of these rodents for awhile I will have to hope for watermelons.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page But even the melon plants aren't untouched as you can see in this photograph.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page I planted several castor bean plant this year in a hope the groundhogs might eat them and go away. Alas, they have just nibbled a little and seem to find them not very tasty. I have ordered a gallon of castor oil over the internet and will incorporate that into my spray program. I think the bad taste my discourage both groundhogs and insects from chewing on my plants. I also have some Safers insecticidal soap on the way as I am attempting to grow as organically as possible this year.I want to keep my soil as healthy as possible and things like imidacloprid seem to be hard on soil microbiology.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This castor bean plant is already flowering. I have read they make a lot of seeds.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page Castor bean plant leaves sometimes get very large. I think they make attractive plants.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is a different cultivar of castor bean I planted. It doesn't have any red color to it like the other type I planted.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page My thornless blackberries will be getting ripe soon.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page I should have lots and lots of blueberries getting ripe over the next several weeks. I love to walk around and fill up on them.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page Here there are both blueberries and blackberries getting ripe in the same pict. And the pear tree in the background has pears on it for the first time. I am blessed with fruit.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is a storm window I acquired somewhere that I have been using for a stump cover for the 119.5 plant.   Tuesday, June 2 View Page This is 5 trays of 18 marigolds or 90 plants I potted up the other day. They will be set in the lower garden as companion plants and probable woodchuck food.   Wednesday, June 10 View Page A most beautiful sunset in my area a couple of nights ago after a big rain.   Wednesday, June 10 View Page A large growth crack on the stump of my 119.5 Masterson that is having no problems at all. This is a sign of good growth I think.   Wednesday, June 10 View Page A better view of my 119.5. The secondaries should be starting to grow out soon.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Here is one of the marigold plants I pulled today. I brought it in and put it in a vase for my wife. Hillbilly flowers I guess. LOL   Saturday, June 13 View Page The 119.5 Masterson is starting to branch a little. It should be doing better but I have it a little messed up on growth hormones. I know.... )-: I will probably never learn.   Saturday, June 13 View Page This plant is actually doing fairly well for the most part. But it is going to be a little late I think. Maybe I will start a little earlier next year or use my grow lights.This may be my only plant this year as everything else is still under attack by groundhogs.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Here is the growing tip on my front yard 119.5. I was thinking about it the other day and 119.5 is exactly 1/2 of 239. And it is 1/2 (or better) 239 Leonard genetics.Maybe just a tiny bit strange. lol   Saturday, June 13 View Page A view from over the top of the castor bean plant at the bottom of the bed.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Meanwhile, here is what is going on in my 4 raised beds. This is a 74 Clark that was beginning to grow and bam, here comes the woodchuck looking for the prettiest plant he can find. It is just a nightmare sometimes. I will keep trying to eradicate them but I now believe there are many in this area and when I get rid of some then some more pop up.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Here is my last chance at a pumpkin this year. Groundhogs have destroyed all the rest. The main is still intact on this one but in my heart I am sure they will get to it pretty soon.   Saturday, June 13 View Page I view toward the two beds on the west side of my lot.   Saturday, June 13 View Page And here is the view of the east side.   Saturday, June 13 View Page The view from the bottom of my front raised bed.   Saturday, June 13 View Page And here is the view from the top.   Saturday, June 13 View Page Another castor bean plant in bloom. I am hoping groundhogs will like eating the seeds. lol   Saturday, June 13 View Page I have heard they make lots of seeds.   Thursday, June 18 View Page I pulled the last of my giant pumpkins and squash plants today. I came home and the last remaining one that had not been badly chewed on had been severely attacked and the main bitten off. I still have a few melon plants left so we will see. On a good note I think we managed to kill one of the young groundhogs yesterday. But a mother and her now one baby were back again today. It is driving me crazy.   Friday, July 10 View Page This may be my best hope for a melon this year. This is a one day old melon I am hoping will set on my 74 Clark. It is my biggest vine right now and although the groundhogs bothered it a couple of times it's now big enough to support a melon. I have used brassinolide and ethephon on it and have also deadheaded it. The weather is very hot right now and I am going down to put some shade over it as I think that will increase the chance it will grow.   Friday, July 10 View Page Here is a shot from the front.   Friday, July 10 View Page Let's try that again. LOL   Monday, July 20 View Page I hadn't seen any groundhogs for over two weeks until I ran across this damage Saturday. Liza spotted the culprit yesterday and ran it off.   Monday, July 20 View Page I am amazed at how much these varmits can eat. Fortunately it or they stayed out of the melon beds this time.   Monday, July 20 View Page The castor bean plants have gotten really large.   Monday, July 20 View Page A nice shaped melon blooming this morning in my eastern most bed.It is most likely a 119.5 Masterson and is open pollinated. I will keep an eye on this one for a few days.   Monday, July 20 View Page This melon is also in the eastern most bed and is about 5 days old and could get replaced by the blossoming melon in the last picture if it is outgrown.   Monday, July 20 View Page I know July 20 is crazy late to be setting melons but it is what it is. I am really hoping this little melon on my plant in the raised bed in my front yard will decide to grow. The plant ( 119.5 Masterson )has come through a lot and I hope is now ready to settle down and swell up a melon.   Monday, July 27 View Page I am just sick. Two melons had set on my 119.5 in my front bed and the larger one in the foreground was clearly superior. The problem seemed to me that the stem was growing across was growing the vine and I have switched sides with a lot of melons with no previous problems. I just wasn't considering how brittle this vine has been with several vines just breaking on their own. So I tried to switch it over away from crossing over and it split off.Sometimes I am my own worst enemy and I hate myself for it.This clearly had the potential to grow into a superior melon.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is my 74 Clark at one month old today. It is a little slow growing but doesn't look too bad from this angle.   Monday, August 10 View Page Her is a side view of my 74 Clark. I used Florel on the young melon and I think the poor shape was the result.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is a closeup of the deadheaded stem end of my 74 Clark. I think this melon would go in the 80 pound range if it was weighed. I am disappointed with my current results but it still has a couple of months to grow.   Monday, August 10 View Page 74 Clark plant.   Monday, August 10 View Page Another view.   Monday, August 10 View Page The covered stump of the 74 Clark.   Monday, August 10 View Page My 229.5 Edwards plant.   Monday, August 10 View Page 229.5 Edwards melon at about 20 days old. It is a little slow but a nicely shaped melon with about 2 months to grow until the North Carolina State Fair.   Monday, August 10 View Page This melon is in the worst part of my garden as it is too close to the woods and doesn't get much sun until the afternoon. I think this is most likely a 119.5 Masterson that I planted as a bait plant. It is 3 weeks old today and doing surprisingly well to be on a small secondary on a plant that has been chewed on several times. I like the blocky shape of this melon.   Monday, August 10 View Page A shot of the vine of my blocky unknown and open pollinated melon.This small secondary vine connects with the main at about 3 feet from the stump.The plant almost stalled when the melon set on due to small size. All my pollinations were open this year.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is another view showing the stump.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is the deadheaded stem. I deadheaded all my melons this year.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is my last pollination of the year. This melon was pollinated on July 31 and is 10 days old today. I fear it is too late to grow very big but it is off to a pretty good start.   Monday, August 10 View Page Here is the older melon on the 119.5 in my front bed.It is 20 days old today and has been growing very poorly due to treatment with Florel. I think I will let it grow for a while longer and see how it does since the nicer shaped melon on this plant is hopelessly late.   Saturday, August 22 View Page July 31 pollination in my front bed. It seems to be creeping along like the rest of my melons.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Here is a shot of the 119.5 plant growing in my upper bed. It has been another year of problems ans mistakes for me. It pains me to post much.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Here is the first melon in the upper bed. At probably 35 pounds it is growing so slowly it can't hurt anything to let it continue on.   Saturday, August 22 View Page The 119.5 plant from the lower side of the bed.   Saturday, August 22 View Page 74 Clark in my western most bed is only about 65 pounds by our OTT chart as I greatly over estimated it's size the last time I posted. It is still my largest melon and will be almost a miracle at this point if it even reaches 100 pounds.   Saturday, August 22 View Page 74 Clark plant from the lower side of the bed.   Saturday, August 22 View Page The stump area of the 74 Clark plant.   Saturday, August 22 View Page 74 Clark plant from the top of it's bed.   Saturday, August 22 View Page 229.5 Edwards plant from the top of it's bed.   Saturday, August 22 View Page The stump area of my 229.5 Edwards plant. I recently lost 2 medium size vines off it from flood damage caused by nearly 6 inches of rain in the past few days.   Saturday, August 22 View Page This is the melon on my 229.5. It is growing a little faster than my other melons and could turn out to be my best one this year.   Saturday, August 22 View Page This is the unknown plant in my eastern most bed. It has been through lots of damage from flooding and groundhogs and is also in a bad spot to get much sun.   Saturday, August 22 View Page This is the nicely shaped melon on my unknown plant. The plant is stunted from allowing a pollination on a small vine and it is growing very slowly. This melon is now around 55 pounds.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Most of my castor bean plants were blown down from the storms that have blown through in the last few days.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Some of them broke off but many of them are still attached to their roots as you are able to see in this picture.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Here is a small Atlantic Giant I found among my bait plants. Part of a dead tree that fell from the surrounding woods fell on it's vine but it appears to still be trying to produce some seeds.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Here is some of the tree that fell into the lower part of my garden from the storms we recently had.   Saturday, August 22 View Page There are dozens of these little Shintosa Camelforce squash that have been chewed nearly to death by groundhogs. Somehow they continue to try to mature their seeds. At least these bait plants have proven effective in keeping the groundhogs away from my melon plants for the last several weeks.   Saturday, August 22 View Page Here are a couple more Shintosa Camelforce fruit for your viewing pleasure. It is a marvel to me that they are able to grow like this.   Saturday, August 22 View Page I am hoping some of my groundhogs will encounter and consume some of the poison beans from these castor bean plants. I think I need to begin making plans for next year to avoid a repeat of this madness.But I am not sure what I will do. I know I need to save money to put a new roof on my house so a nice new fence is probably out of the question unless I am able to come up with a plan that involves not spending much money.   Friday, September 25 View Page A really beautiful sunset last night.I hope everyone has fun at Yadkin tomorrow.   Saturday, October 3 View Page This is my 229.5 Edwards. It grew to about 88 pounds according to my bathroom scales making this my worst year ever growing giant watermelons.Any melon can be made to look bigger than it is with the right camera shot.I just couldn't bring myself to drive all the way to Allardt in the rain and cool weather just to be embarrassed.I wish everyone a good time and good luck though.   Wednesday, October 7 View Page This is a picture I took of Nathan Okorn lying beside the 350.5 Kent 2013 at Operation Pumpkin in Hamilton, Ohio.