Early April Gardening Fever Leads to Death

It is early spring and Oaks Gardens is gone. It died and will be born again as Oaks Shopping Center. But fear not for lack of garden plants and supplies for Lowe's Home Improvements is just a hop, skip and a jump away. They seem to be ready to fill your gardening needs.

On the last day of March, there were already flowers, 

vegetables, 

herbs 

and plenty of garden supplies out in front of the store.

There were mostly cold hardy plants but be aware of each plant's hardiness.

I remember one year, a long time ago, I got gardening fever. It was just after moving into my first home in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. We had never had a garden in my parent's home in South Philly. So I wasn't savvy when it came to planting times.

It was very early April and I visited the nearby garden supply store in Glenside, PA. There before me were trays and trays of beautiful blooming plants. Plants that I just had to have. I was driven by desire and purchased quite a few impatiens and begonias. I spent a whole day spacing the pink, white and red plants perfectly in the front of my house. I stepped back and admired my labor and the beauty of the flowering plants.

Sometime around the sixth or seventh of the very same month a sudden snow materialized. Those tender plants were blanketed in pure fresh frozen whiteness.

All were lost.

I learned a lesson that year that I remember vividly to this day. Gardening fever may cloud your judgement and lead to death.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Old Man Winter Leaves a Message

Old man winter lingers. The daylight equals the dark. Yet, he leaves a reminder. He still sways favor.

This snow arrived before sunrise the second day of spring.

It didn't hang around long.

Snow cloaked

sunrise blooms

White to melt

roots consume

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Oaks Shopping Center Site Dusted with Snow

Early Friday morning on the first day of February, the Oaks Shopping Center construction site was lightly dusted with snow.

The snow had little effect on the actual construction work. The storm sewer work continued.

Across Black Rock Road was the Chicago Grill / Pizzeria Uno site.

Infrastructure is also the focus of work on that site. 

With the sun being so bright, I dont' think the snow dusting will be around very long. 

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Bird Feeder as Snow Fell 12/29/12

Snow began to fall about 11:20 on Saturday, December, 29. The temperature hovered ± 3ºF freezing. The snow accumulated at a rate of 1" / 25mm per hour for the first two hours.

Several species of birds visited the feeder. Of course the squirrels had their nosed in there, too.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Philadelphia's Capricious Weather

I once read in a travel guide that Philadelphia has capricious weather. I am not sure if that is true all year long. This last week the weather has been a coaster ride. We received snow November 27 and one week later the temperature was 65ºF / 18ºC. I had the snow brush in the car and I was wearing short pants. That hasn't happened since last spring, when I was too lazy to put the snow brush away in the garage.

If it doesn't chill down soon the spring flowering trees will begin to bud.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

First Snow Valley Forge Park

I found time to visit Valley Forge National Historical Park to capture the first appreciable snowfall for the fall of 2012 on 27 Nov. All the roads that run through the park were barricaded by the park rangers except PA rtes 23 and 252. I could walk into the park but not drive. Some of the parking lots were cleared of snow and open. I chose to park in the lot near Knox's Quarters, also know as Valley Forge Farm, along rte 252. These photographs were taken within easy walking distance from that lot.

PA rte 252 looking southbound towards the Outer Line Defenses

Valley Forge Farm  (Knox's Quarters) along PA rte 252

Valley Forge Farm (Knox's Quarters) from the north

Valley Forge Farm (Knox's Quarters) from the south

Log huts across from Knox's Quarters along PA rte 252 and J.P. Martin Trail seen from the trail along 252

Log huts seen from J.P. Martin Trail along South Outer Line Drive

PA rte 252 looking north from J.P. Martin Trail terminus in parking lot near Knox's Quarters

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Square Foot Garden - Season Yield Totals

From the very start of the gardening season 2012, I weighed and recorded the yield from my square foot garden. All the entries are below on the spreadsheet.

The top three producing vegetables in the garden by weight were:

1. Cucumber - 3835g / 7.85lbs.
2. Super Sweet 100 Tomato - 30g / 6.85lbs.
3. Husky Cherry Tomato - 3099g / 6.34lbs.

The two patio type tomatoes were planted in mid-May and produced fruit steadily from mid-June through late September. The cucumbers were planted in early June and harvesting started in the third week of August. Once they started to produce, it was like a cucumber explosion.

The total weight for the full size tomatoes was 9022g /19.89lbs. The full size tomatoes were, as usual, late to harvest. There were a few that ripened in mid-July but most were harvested in mid-August.

There were a few bell peppers of orange and red and dozens of cayenne peppers harvested. All the peppers weighed in at 1371g / 3.2lbs.

Lettuce amounted to 805g / 1.77lbs.

Snow Peas totaled 321g / 0.71lbs.

Although two squares were planted with four melon plants, no fruit materialized.

Several varieties of potatoes were planted in two towers. Only three varieties produced potatoes.

Yukon Gold - 237g /0.48lbs

Russet - 418g / 0.88lbs

Red Norland - 376g 0.77lbs

Potato total - 1037g / 2.27lbs.

Not a great total and no where near my expectation.

Now can I get a drum roll, please?

The 2012 fruit and vegetable total weight harvested from the 4' /1.2m x 4' /1.2m plot, two potato towers and one pot containing the Chocolate Cherry tomatoes was 23.323 kilosgrams / 48.39lbs. (Crash a cymbal, here, please!) Not a bad amount for the small space.

However, the plot could have produced much more. If I had used the plot to its fullest potential. For there were several 1' squares that went unplanted the whole season and several other squares that were fallow for some of the season. Plus the melons needed something I wasn't giving them.

One of the reasons for not utilizing the plot to its fullest was the heat. I just didn't want to go out into the high temperatures this summer. Maybe its because I am old. Maybe its because I am lazy or disorganized. For what ever reason I just didn't get it done in the garden this year.

I did, however, enjoy beautiful home grown organic tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, snow peas, cucumbers and potatoes. As for the garden's potential? 

Just wait until next year! There is always next year.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Snow Peas Are Finished, One Cherry Tomato Harvested

Snow pea seeds were planted on 4 April. On Sunday, 17 June, all the snow pea plants were cut at the soil line. Snow peas are finished for the spring.

Once cut down, a total of 57 plants were counted. From those 57 plants were harvested 298 grams/10.5oz of fresh, crisp, tender snow peas starting on 28 May and ending today.

Already planted are watermelon and cucumbers seeds in the four squares in the rear of the square foot plot recently occupied by 2/3 of the snow peas. A tomato plant is also already in one of the interior squares occupied by snow peas.

A Husky Cherry tomato was harvested today. It weighed in at 18g. Waiting to taste that with a salad.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Treasure Found In My Suburban Backyard

Just two months ago I buried snow pea seeds into my square foot garden plot. Starting last Sunday I found treasure. How much treasure you ask? I will be quantifying the weight of my treasure throughout the growing season. 


I began to weigh and record the treasure Sunday. Each harvest from the garden is weighed and recorded. The weight in grams is entered onto the spread sheet for the total output of my square foot garden (4'/ 1.2m x 4'/ 1.2m) plus the two potato towers and one potted Black Cherry Tomato plant.

As you can see from the chart above, a total of 172g or just a bit over 6oz. of snow peas was picked from the six 1'/ 30.5cm squares planted with snow peas.  That is a mere 3/8ths of my plot. I am wondering why I didn't plant all 16 squares with seeds. Next year.


The going rate for these sweet, crispy babies is around $5/quart, as of 20 May 2012 in Old City Philadelphia according to Robert's Market Report Blog. I harvested about half that amount and this is just the start of the season. Lots more treasure to find in my suburban backyard. More seeds to bury this weekend.



©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

First Snow Pea Harvest

I picked some snow peas today. 

I love them when they are small, crisp, tender and sweet. Unlike the limp, tasteless monsters you get at the supermarket.

I didn't get many, 2oz/57g. They will be a welcome addition to a green salad.

Snow Pea Timeline

Seeds planted into the garden on 4 April

Snow pea plants 2"/50mm tall on 2 May

Snow pea plants 6"/152mm on 16 May

Snow peas 12"/305mm tall and flowering on 20 May

First harvest of snow peas 27 May

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved