Marilyn and Cliff have gardens at home (H) and in New Russia, NY (NR) and also a double plot in the Lafayette College Community Organic Garden (OG). They enjoyed sizable organic gardens in the 80s and have kept small gardens annually but appreciate the fun and good food the OG plots provide. [Cliff's 2014 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2012 Garden Blog] [Cliff's 2011 Garden Blog]
January 7
Pruned the grapes, blackberries, cherry and raspberries in OG.January 15
Picked swiss chard and cilantro at H.February 28
Spread clover seed on pathways in OG.March 2
Planted coneflower seeds inside.March 4
Planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, brocolli for OG at H.March 5
Picked and transplanted cilantro at H and prepared for planting.March 6
Planted peas, carrots, lettuce and onions at H where they can be covered with plastic.March 11
First indoor seeds germinating.March 15
A little clean up and restaking at the OG.March 20
Broadcast clover seed at H.March 24
Planted Rhubarb in NR.March 27
Top dressed with organic soil at OG.March 28
Planted a bed of peas and carrots.March 29
Planted fruit trees in NR. Planted currants and honeyberries too.March 30
Planted clover in lawn and pathways in NR. Pulled out the currants and honeyberries in NR since they had started leafing out. Replanted in pots at H.March 31
Planted kiwi's for NR in pots at H.April 1
Moved tomatoes, eggplants and peppers for OG into large pots at H.April 2
Planted tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for NR at H.April 3
Planted bed of peas and onions in OG.April 5
Planted bed of peas and carrots and a patch of cumin in OG. Interplanted swiss chard and spinach in strawberry bed. Prepared a bed for potatoes.April 6
Planted dormant raspberries for NR in pots at H. Cut seed potatoes for OG. Transplanted broccoli, kale and cabbage in OG.April 7
Watered transplants in OG and interplanted onion sets with cole plantsApril 8
Planted one row of white potatoes and two of blue in OG.April 9
Planted lovege and basil inside at H.April 10
Planted one bed of swiss chard in OG. One loveage plant survived the winter and me forgetting it was there and overplanting it with peas. Transplanted some painted daisies and started a radish patch.April 11
Planted a bed of spinach in OG. Raspberries and blackberries are leafing out.April 13
Planted a beds of carrots and onions and broccoli in NR.April 14
Planted onions and garlic under fruit trees in enclosure in NR.April 15
Planted bed of beets in OG. Weeded. Put mole chaser in garden as entire broccoli plant was eaten.April 16
Planted bed of broccoli seed and onion seed in OG. Weeded.April 19
Weeded in OG. Moved violets and painted daisies.April 20
Weeded in OG.April 22
Weeded in OG.April 24
Weeded in OG.April 26
Weeded in OG. Moved loveage and prepared beds for first tomatoes.April 27
Transplanted first tomatoes in OG and moved some NR tomatoes to cups.April 28
Apples leafing out and some native plants are perking up in NR. Creating several new beds behind the barn for potatoes: Dark Red Norland, Kennebec, and Adirondack Blue.April 29
Continued planting potatoes. Approximately 45lbs in NR. Put 4ft fence around potatoe patch. Also planted two beds of peas, and one of spinach and swiss chard. First asparagus spear observed.April 30
Planted 8 tomatoes in OG.May 1
Hung Praying Mantis egg case at H. Planted 8 tomatoes in OG; prepared a new bed. Weeded and watered.May 2
Hung 2 Praying Mantis egg cases at OG. Weeded.May 3
Transplanted last NR tomatoes to cups. Weeded and watered at OG. Prepared two more beds and mulched.May 4
Weeded and watered in NR. Put 7 praying mantis egg cases in yard. Planted cole transplants. Sprayed Heteromask for white grubs.May 5
Weeded strawberries and watered in NR. Planted a bed of beets. Cherry trees have a few blossoms. Blueberries at H are covered in blossoms.May 6
Weeded strawberries and watered in OG. Transplanted some eggplants and tomatoes.May 7
Watered in OG. Prepared two beds. Planted wax and green bush beans. Harvested sorel from OG and swiss chard and cilantro from H.May 8
Transplanted eggplant and peppers in OG. Planted burgundy bush beans. Prepared front flower bed at OGMay 9
Planted flower seeds in front bed at OG and prepared patch near old compost pile. Used cilantro from H.May 10
Weeded at OG. Prepared a bed for melon.May 11
Weeded at OG. Prepared a bed for summer squash.May 12
Planted a peach tree and 4 grape vines in NR. Put in a few true geraniums. Found a few shiitake mushrooms on logs. Started one log soaking.May 13
Finished putting in geraniums in NR. Prepared beds for tomatoes and beds for 3 sisters. Put cord high around the potato garden. Replaced ad hoc cover of dayliy bed with field fence. Planted chamomile, basil and broadleaf sage. Transplanted blue flax.May 15
Weeded in OG. Heavy frost damage to tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Blue flax blooming away. Harvested some greens: spinach, sorrel, thinnings.May 16
Weeded in OG.May 17
Weeded and watered in OG. Planted tomato and eggplant seedlings from Farm bureau at OG. Planted cantelope and summer squash in OGMay 18
Weeded in OG. Transplanted tomatoes and peppers grown for NR at OG. Picked kale and a tad of broccoli and spinach.May 19
Transplanted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant in NR. Planted raspberries, honeyberries and currants in NR.May 21
Planted winegrapes in NR.May 22
Prepared (not planted) a dozen 3 sisters mounds in NR.May 23
Weeded at OG. Replanted chips bed of Adirondack blue potatoes. Harvested some broccoli and picked first 3 strawberries.May 24
Thinned beets and harvested kale and spinach and a few strawberries at OG.May 25
Weeded at OG. Picked a bit of spinach and a few strawberries at OG.May 26
Weeded at OG. Picked a few strawberries at OG. Mulched a couple beds of beans. Hilled white potatoes with straw and compost. Transplanted ground seeded broccoli.May 27
Weeded and watered at OG. Picked a few strawberries.May 28
Transplanted rhubarb and tomatoes from seeds in NR.May 29
Planted corn, acorn squash, cantaloupe, sugar baby watermelon in NR. Transplanted bunchberries, solomon's seal, and pink lady slippers in NR. Lots of weeding and weed whacking.May 30
Planted creeping thyme in NR. Moved russian almond to where the dead apricot was. Weeded. Planted golden flax bed. Planted summer squash.May 31
Finished soaking a oyster mushroom log in NR. Picked lots of strawberries (8pts) in OG. Two voles under wheelbarrow.June 1
Picked strawberries, kale, broccoli, spinach in OG. Did some mulching and weeding.June 2
Planted soybeans in spinach bed at OG. Watered.June 3
Froze 2 cookie sheets of strawberries then picked a box full at OG. Picked swiss chard in OG and Lamb's quarters in NR.June 4
Watered and spread mulch in NR. Reseeded flax.June 5
Watered and planted painted daisies, coneflowers, zinnias and cosmos in NR. Strawberries and spinach picked in OG.June 6
Watered in NR.June 7
Made a batch of strawberry jam. (2lbs s.b., 4c sug., 1/4c lem.j., 19 min boil)June 8
Weeded at OG. Picked ~4lbs strawberries, spinach, swiss chard, kale, broccoli and carrot thinnings. Transplanted basil near tomatoes. Made strawberry jam and froze strawberries.June 9
Weeded at OG. Picked strawberries and replanted beans and beets. Dug up catnip for NR. Harvested first (1) currant in NR.June 10
Weeded and weed wacked in NR. Voles are attacking the potatoes. Replanted carrots, swiss chard and beets. Planted cabbage. Transplanted catnip from OG to NR.June 11
Replanted sugar baby in NR as needed. Planted pole beans, cucumber and morning glories.June 12
Picked strawberries, broccoli, kale, spinach and swiss chard in OG. Froze strawberries.June 13
Temporarily planted daylilies for NR at H.June 14
Picked strawberries, swiss chard, kale and spinach at OG. Froze swiss chard..June 15
Weeded at OG. Picked peas.June 16
Picked strawberries at OG and planted cucumbers.June 17
Picked peas at OG, some broccoli.June 18
Picked/froze strawberries, kale and swiss chard at OG.June 21
Picked/froze strawberries, peas at OG. Picked raspberries. Watered.June 22
Picked peas and raspberries at OG. Watered.June 23
Weeded in NR. Picked broccoli and and a few strawberries.June 24
Weeded in NR. Planted clover. Built new compost pile. Put up strings for morning glories.June 25
Weeded in NR. Planted four o'clocks. Picked 10 pints of raspberries, a couple of strawberries, and lots of peas and some broccoli at OG.June 27
Picked peas and raspberries in OG. Froze bluberries.June 28
Weeded in NR. Planted clover. Built new compost pile. Put up strings for morning glories.June 29
Froze peas and swiss chard from OG. Planted daylilies in NR in gaps.June 30
Picked raspberries, peas in OG and froze raspberries & blueberries. Picked peas in NR.July 1
Picked blackberries, peas in OG and froze peas. Picked blueberries at home.July 2
Picked raspberries and a few beans in OG.July 3
Picked snow peas at OG and NR.July 4
Weeded and mulched in NR.July 5
Weeded and thinned in NR. Hand picked bugs. Put out 6 alum pie pans with cucumber under trees. Japanese beetles become very active. Froze raspberries.July 6
Weeded in NR. Picked broccoli, kale and peas. Sprayed spinosad. Put out more cucumber tins. Hand picked Japanese beetles.July 7
Picked blackcaps and peas in NR. Sprayed spinosad on cabbage crops. Hand picked Japanese beetles. Picked almost a pint of Blueberries at H. Picked raspberries, blackberries, peas, squash and tomatoes at OG.July 8
Picked beans (6 lbs) and cabbage at OG. Froze beans.July 9
Picked raspberries, blackberries, wineberries, tomatoes, kale and swiss chard at OG. Froze kale and swiss chard. Made raspberry-wineberry jam.July 10
Picked raspberries, blackberries, tomatoes, beans, peas at OG. Picked peas in NR. Froze peas and beans. Handpicked JapBe.July 11
Picked winecaps, peas and kale in NR. Weeded and picked JB. Froze kale.July 12
Picked winecaps. Weeded and picked JB.July 13
Picked beans, raspberries and a few blackberries and tomatoes in OG. Got a few Hansen bush cherries too.July 14
Weeded, mulched and picked tomatoes and carrots in OG.July 15
Picked beans, raspberries, tomatoes, beets & squash in OG. Got a few Hansen bush cherries too.July 16
Picked peas in NR. Picked Jap B and watered. Picked beans, raspberries and tomatoes in OG.July 17
Picked peas and kale in NR. Picked Jap B and watered. Froze kale and beans.July 18
Picked a squash in OG. Watered. Picked Jap B and watered in NR.July 19
Picked beans, broccoli, kale, cabbage, tomatoes and onions in OG. Planted a bed of spinach. Planted swiss chard and beets in pots.July 20
weeded in NRJuly 22
Picked beans, tomatoes at OG. Pruned raspberries, grapes and cherry.July 23
Picked tomatoes, onions, sorrel and snagged an early potato in OG. Lots of weeding.July 24
Picked tomatoes and snagged an early potato in OG. Lots of weeding.July 25
Picked tomatoes, onions, brocolli, beans in OG. Hand picked JB in NR.July 26
Picked squash, peas in NR. Weeded. Hand picked JB.July 27
Picked squash in NR. Weeded. Froze beans and squash. Hand picked JB.July 28
Weeded and watered in NR. Hand picked JB.July 29
Watered in NR. Hand picked JB. Picked peas, brocolli, kale in NR. Picked brocolli, squash and beans in OG. Transplanted swiss chard and beets in OG. Planted spinach and lettuce seed in OG.July 30
Watered and weeded in OG. Replanted spinach bed.July 31
Watered and weeded in OG. Cleared beds of beets and green beans. Planted spinach bed and carrot-beet beds.August 1
Picked tomatoes, kale and swiss chard in OG. Picked summer squash and Jap. B. in NR. Froze squash. Garden clean-up at H.August 2
Picked and froze kale in NR. Prepared beds on N side of house, E & W sides of garden in NR. Picked Jap.B.August 3
Picked peas, squash, garlic, brocolli in NR. Prepared garlic bed and tranplanted beets and swiss chard. Prepared bed on N side of potatoe garden. Planted Echinacea plants in cherry bed. Picked Jap.B. and watered.August 4
Planted Gloriosa daisy, tenn. coneflower and showy black eyed susan seed in test patches on east side of garden in NR. Picked squash, cucumbers, onions and a few potatoes. Transplanted red raspberries to the potato patch. Picked Jap.B. and watered.August 5
Watered in NR.August 6
Planted lettuce and spinach at H. Picked squash, tomatoes, beans and peppers at OG. Froze squash.August 7
Picked tomatoes, squash, brocolli, kale and strawberries at OG. Picked cucumbers, beans, squash in NR -- Jap. B. too.August 8
Picked beans and peas in NR. Planted hibiscus.August 9
Picked Jap B in Nr.August 10
Picked beans, squash and cucumbers in NR. Picked Jap B.August 11
Picked Jap B. in NR.August 12
Picked beans and tomatoes in OG, squash in NR. Picked Jap B. Transplanted bleeding hearts in NR.August 13
Picked brocolli and kale at OG.August 14
Picked squash, tomatoes and potatoes in OG. Beans in NR.August 15
Picked brocolli in NR.August 16
Picked beans and potatoes in NR.August 17
Potted nut trees in NR. Canned chopped tomatoes.August 18
Prepared beds in NR. Picked kale and beans.August 19
Picked beans and squash at OG.August 20
Dug onions and weeded in OG. Harvested beans and squash in NR. Cleaned up onions drying at H.August 21
Harvested beans, squash, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, grapes in OG. Thinned lettuce.August 22
Harvested and froze beans in NR. Sprayed some heteromask.August 23
Sprayed heteromask, milky spore. Prepared garden beds. Planted 4 hazelnut trees and 5 Pecan-Hickory on John/Anita's land. Harvested beans, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, corn, cucumbers in NR. Canned tomatoes, pickles and grape jelly.August 24
Harvested tomatoes, beans, cucumber in NR. Harvested tomatoes, beans, squash, grapes and some berries in OG.August 29
Harvested tomatoes, grapes and the white potatoes.August 31
Harvested tomatoes, beans, soybeans, squash, grapes and some berries in OG.September 2
Nate harvested tomatoes, beans, squash, corn in NR.September 4
Harvested tomatoes, squash, melon, swiss chard, kale, grapes and a few berries in OG.September 6
Harvested tomatoes, squash, grapes and a few berries in OG. Froze grapes.September 7
Harvested beans, squash, broccoli and basil in OG. Froze swiss chard at H. Picked squash, kale, cucumbers, corn, watermelon, beans and 50+ lbs of potatoes in NR. Froze corn, kale in NR. Made thin grape jam.September 8
Harvested broccoli, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, corn, in NR.September 14
Picked corn, brocolli and tomatoes in NR.September 13
Picked grapes, squash and carrots in OG.September 12
picked tomatoes, berries, lettuce beans in OG.September 9
Made a batch of grape jam.September 15
Picked corn, kale, squash, beans and tomatoes in NR.September 16
Picked brocolli, tomatoes, squash and berries in OG.September 21
Picked kale, tomatoes, squash and berries in OG.September 25
Picked tomatoes, beans and swiss chard in OG.September 28
Picked watermelon, canteloupe, tomatoes, acorn squash, corn, brocolli and cabbage in NR.September 29
Picked apples, watermelon, canteloupe, tomatoes, acorn squash, brocolli and corn in NR.October 3
Picked tomatoes, squash, potatoes, and berries in OG.October 4
Picked tomatoes, kale and swiss chard in NR.October 5
Picked acorn squash in NR.October 6
Picked mushrooms and apples in NR. Carrots, lettuce, raspberries in OG.October 7
Picked tomatoes and raspberries in OG.October 11
Picked kale, swiss chard, tomatoes, raspberries, lettuce in OG.October 12
Picked acorn squash, cabbage in NR. Planted garlic and decorative onions (1000). Prepared beds with compost.October 13
Garden clean up. Mulched with leaves. Prepared beds with compost.October 14
Picked tomatoes in NR. Planted Echinechea and alpine poppy seeds.October 15
Picked tomatoes, raspberries, cabbage, carrots in OG. Froze swiss chard and beet greens. Weeded.October 17
Picked tomatoes, raspberries in OG.October 18
Canned tomatoes.October 19
Picked raspberries at OGOctober 20
Picked a couple mushrooms at NR. Planted flower bulbs.October 23
Picked tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, raspberries at OG. weeded.October 24
Picked cabbage at OG and weeded.October 26
Planted flower bulbs in NR.October 27
Picked a couple mushrooms, cabbage, kale, broccoli, spinach and swiss chard in NR.October 28
Picked swiss chard in OG. Froze swiss chard and kale.November 6
Covered lettuce in OG.November 8
Picked beets and carrots in OG.November 9
Picked potatoes, spinach, kale, beets in NR. Froze kale. Covered cranberries with mulch.November 18
Dug carrots in OG.November 23
Picked spinach, lettuce, kale in OG. Prepared beds for spring.November 24
Planted bulbs in NR (as the ground froze). Put Echinacea and alpine poppies into cold stratification.December 31
Pulled Echinacea and alpine poppies out of cold stratification. Forcing daffodil bulbs.