VISIT MY
GARDEN
Beds
in back yard (2007)
Tomato/cucumber
bed (2007)
Beds by the back
steps
Chinese
cabbage/cauliflower
The summer was very
productive. Lots of
melons (cantaloupe
and Honeydew) which
continued to produce
well into October,
tomatoes, and
cucmbers. Got a few
strawberries almost
every night,
although some were
small. Wasted a lot
of lettuce - bolted
from the heat or got
eaten by slugs.
Lettuce and spinach
now fill all the
beds with lids. The
lettuce is Iceberg
and Romaine that was
started indoors
under lights. The
spinach was
direct-seeded. It
has been as low as
single digits at
night and they
continue to thrive
as long as they are
protected from
frost. They should
be ready in either
March or April.
Spring was plentiful
here - lots of
spinach and lettuce,
as well as broccoli.
Broccoli bed was
replanted with
chinese cabbage.
Tomatoes have
started ripening,
but had a serious
batch of Blossom-end
rot. Still don't
know why. Cucumbers
are producing now,
after a false start.
Also started a
second batch that
should mature in
September. Melons
are creeping onto
the beds next to
them. I expect a
bumper crop.
Asparagus is up and
strawberries bearing
full-sized berries a
handful a week.
It is very dry here.
Southeastern Kansas
has more rain then
they wanted, and
each additional rain
chance seems to miss
us. The lawn is
dying. I am watering
with the soaker
hoses and a nightly
round with the
regular hose. So
far, all the
vegetables and
fruits look good.
Darm cabbage
butterflies laid
their eggs on the
screens and the
worms dropped onto
babky chinese
cabbage and
cauliflower plants.
I had to replant a
number of times and
now have them
covered with cloth.
I have also planted
many Romine lettuce
plants and am going
to try head
lettuces. Slugs ate
a whole 14' bed of
looseleaf lettuce in
early summer. Using
DE and cutworm
collars. Very
frustrating.
Hi,
my name is Dr. Lark
Burnham, I am
an animal
nutritionist at
Natur s Way, a
small, family-owned
and operated company
in northeastern
Kansas. Two years
ago, I bought the
house that used to
belong to Norbert
Haverkamp, the
founder of Natur s
Way and developer of
our microbial
products. Norbert s
wife, Maxine, loves
flowers, and the
house was originally
surrounded by color.
Then Norbert sold it
to his son, Dan, who
also currently runs
the company. Some
perennials have
managed to survive,
despite Dan s
enthusiasm for
riding lawn mowers.
After the first
year, I set about
establishing new
beds. The mulched
beds in the
photographs were set
up this spring. I am
blessed with several
large trees, which
means a lot of
shade. This also
means there are only
two relatively small
areas that remain
sunny through most
of the day. One of
those areas is right
outside my back
door, where I
established several
raised beds for
vegetables. The
other is in the
front, and is
reserved for
flowers. I will
update the
photographs every
month, so you can
see how well (or
not) the beds are
doing.
Garden September
2006
Summary of 2006 home
gardens
As with the tomato
experiment, 2006 was
mostly about
learning what worked
and what didn't.
The big test will
come in the spring,
when I see what has
survived the winter.
Fall/winter crops
are planted and
removable lids have
been ordered for the
4' x 4' beds. I
have ordered solid
plastic lids that
are interchangable
with screened lids
for warmer weather.
The screened lids
will be kept on
during the spring
and summer to
protect crops
vulnerable to
insects and/or
rodents.
Broccoli and
cauliflower plants
are up and growing.
I have had to
repeatedly dust the
broccoli seedlings
because we have not
yet had a frost.
The cauliflower does
not seem to be
affected. Two boxes
sre planted with
mixed loose leaf
lettuces and are
doing well. I had
problems with
rabbits eating one
bed this summer..
All of these beds
will have hinged
lids to protect them
from frost. I plan
to start many
flowers and
vegetables indoors
this winter. A 10'
x 12' shed was built
next to the lettuce
beds and it will
soon be
electrified. I have
already purchased a
Tek growlight and a
heating pad for
starting seedlings.
El Nino is supposed
to be blowing this
winter, so maybe it
will be mild enough
to keep
