Vivid Garden Sunset After Tumultuous Weather Day & Week

What a week ... Tuesday was the earthquake and this afternoon we had the worst thunderstorm of the year. Close encounter Being 35 miles from the epicenter of Tuesday's 5.8 magnitude Mineral, Virginia earthquake - we were shook up real good here in Fredericksburg. It was quite the experience. It started rather slowly - feeling like the ground next to a passing train. Then it got really violent for about 10-20 seconds before quickly subsiding. I was working in my backyard-facing garage at the time and after realizing that we were having an earthquake, I quickly walked into the safety of my back yard. My biggest memories are me thinking "I can't believe this is really happening - what if this is the BIG one?" I also remember looking at my 16 foot diameter pool and seeing ocean-like waves and the water splashing over the edges. It was an awesome sight! No major damage to the house but the siding all around is now slightly warped like an old phonograph record. Storm of the year This afternoon we were pounded with a nasty thunderstorm, knocking out power for about 2 hours. 7 of my 11 tomato plants were tilted to the side or completely knocked over (see image, above right). Fortunately damage was minor with several branches snapped. I added more support and the plants are as good as new this evening. My pears, unfortunately, suffered worse. Normally we get pears every other year (biennial) but this year I was surprised to see about 100 or so growing. The wind from today's storm dropped several dozen of my pears to the ground (see image, above left), about one month before being perfectly ripe. All is not lost with these pears though -- I will make juice from them in my juicer. The coast is not yet clear Next up is Hurricane Irene, scheduled to side-swipe our area Saturday night. If anything, this week is a real eye-opener and perhaps a blessing-in-disguise to get me prepared for possible power outages and whatever else the Hurricane may bring. Finally, before I leave you, another picture of this evening's fine sunset... NEW  LushGreenVA's aStore - powered by Amazon Clutter-free shopping for vegetable gardeners. Every product hand-picked and smartly categorized by me, H. Mikael - many are similar to one's I use myself, including: Composters, Raised beds, Greenhouses/Cold Frames, Rain Barrels, Rear-tine Tillers and Cultivators

Last Chance Vegetable Plants (Zone 7)

Hard to believe it's August 4th already, but if you live in USA hardiness planting zone-7, you can still plant seeds now for harvest before first frost, presumably sometime later in October. As I explained in this post, plants listed here are based on information primarily for Zone 7 Virginia gardeners, though this reference is probably valid for MOST gardeners located in hardiness zone 7 throughout the United States. What You Can Still Plant (the sooner the better): Cucumbers Summer Squash Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Chinese Cabbage Cauliflower Collards Lettuce (leaf & Bibbs) Mustard Turnips Remember, just because I don't mention it here, it doesn't mean it can't be planted. Do your own research -- you may be surprise what you may still plant. Extending the growing season Many keen and avid gardeners can extend the growing season by utilizing plant survival techniques, allowing them to plant later and harvest later. These include covering vegetation with tarps or other covers to prevent frost damage, watering before sunset to help trap warm air near the soil surface, or use cold frames (mini-greenhouses) Adjacent Zone's 6 and 8 Because this post focuses specifically on Zone 7 (mid-Atlantic to be more precise), I can't speak for hardiness zones 6 (cooler) or 8 (warmer). Common sense would say it may be getting late in zone 6 for the plants discussed here, and you may have more time in zone 8, but please do your own research. Final Word Do you know any other vegetable (or herb) that can still be planted in Zone 7 ? Share a comment and let me know.

Mid-Atlantic 2nd Half Vegetable Planting Dates (Zone 7- Virginia, Maryland & North Carolina)

It's late June and if you're like me, harvest has begun for some vegetables and precious garden space is becoming more available by the day. What to do? Well the good news is that many vegetables can still be successfully planted now or in the coming months for a good late season harvest. For me I just planted Pumpkins and Wax Beans this week, and will plant squash, lettuce, broccoli & cauliflower going forward. On this post, you'll find listed a number of vegetables and the dates by which they should be planted in the ground. The information provided here is based upon graphics and documentation provided from this Virginia Cooperative Extension 2009 PDF document, publication #426-331 via the Virginia Tech website. Though the planting dates are specifically calculated for growing in Hardiness Zone 7 in Virginia (based upon average date of last frost), this information may also be used fairly accurately for Zones 7 in the adjoining states North Carolina and Virginia (Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.A.). Based upon information in the PDF document, the average last date of frost for my specific area (Fredericksburg, VA.) appears to be around April 25. Therefore these calculations are based upon that specific date. NOTE: The last frost for your area may be slightly different. To accurately adjust for your specific location, you will need to research & determine your average last frost date. For example, if it's April 15th, deduct 10 days from the given planting time frame, and if it's May 5th, add 10 days. If you're not quite sure, just use the dates given below. Planting dates for Hardiness Zone 7 (Virginia & Mid-Atlantic, USA), starting from June 29, 2011: TOO LATE TO PLANT (planting not recommended): Asparagus Beets Carrots Chard (Swiss) Leeks Onion (set) Peas (Garden) Potatoes Radish Spinach Potato (Sweet) Watermelon PLANT NOW (Last Chance): Muskmelons, through end of June Pumpkins, through end of June Beans (Pole), Now through July 14 Beans (Lima), Now through July 4 Eggplant, Now through July 4 Okra, Now through July 4 Peppers, Now through July 4 Squash (Winter), Now through July 4 Tomatoes, Now through July 4 PLANT SOON: Beans (Bush), Now through July 24 Beans (Wax), Now through July 24 Corn (Sweet), Now through July 24 Pea (Southern), Now through August 3 PLANT IN THE NEAR FUTURE: Cucumbers, Now through August 23 Squash (Summer), Now through August 13 PLANT LATER: Broccoli, July 24-August 13 Brussel Sprouts, July 24-August 13 Cabbage, July 24-August 13 Cabbage (Chinese), July 24-August 13 Cauliflower, July 24-August 23 Collards, July 24-August 23 Lettuce (Bibb), July 24-August 13 Lettuce (Leaf), July 24-August 13 Mustard, July 24-August 23 Turnips, July 24-August 23 If you live outside of the region specific to this article, the good news is that many of these same vegetables may still be grown for the 2nd half of the growing season. You will need to do your own research to identify your specific planting dates. DISCLAIMER: Dates are not exact, only an estimation based on previous year's averages. Yearly results may vary due to climatological conditions (rainfall, heat), specific soil conditions, and individual care.