April 10, 2009 Gary Ezzo wrote: "How my garden grows."
We are now three weeks into the 2009 planting season and we only experienced one minor set back. This week we had one night of near record low that wilted two of my cucumber plants. A quick trip to Lowes took care of the problem. New plants are in. I have not received any garden pictures from my friend Tom, but I did here from the Minnesota, snowbound Lenz family. Check this out.
March 28, 2009 Gary Ezzo wrote: “The Texas Garden Cmpetition Heats up.”
One thousand, one-hundred and forty-four miles to the southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, a small garden in The Woodlands, Texas, is reportedly doing fine. For the record, my chief gardening competitor, Tom Reed has put in nine tomato plants, green, red, yellow peppers, some jalapeno peppers, acorn, butternut zucchini, and yellow squash, bush beans, peas, Texas Sweet onions, cantaloupe, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, broccoli, corn, and cucumbers. He is also growing some herbs, including lavender, German chamomile, basil, lemon balm, oregano, rosemary, and mint. He said he will put in his watermelon late, once his corn is harvested. In spite of this pithy list of vegetables, Tom has less garden space than I do so how is he planting all these vegatables at once is a mystery. A few jpegs Mr. Tom would help help validate your claims. As for the spacious Lenz garden up in Rochester, MN who sale their produce at the county fair; well all we can say is keep ice fishing while the ground thaws.
March 26, 2009 Gary Ezzo wrote: “Everything in my garden is up and flourishing.”
I went out this morning to discover that everything in my garden is up and flourishing. From the tiny Arugula seeds, to the bulky Lima Beans, my plants are breaking 
through with no gaps in the rows. My tomato and pepper actually sprouted blossoms and April is still a week away. Is it the warm weather or might my early success be tied to the new compose blend. At this point it doesn’t seem to be hindering the growth of any plant. I still have a little room left to plant some carrots and scallions although I must confess; in the past, I have never done well with either. Maybe this year my luck will change.
March 23, 2009 Gary Ezzo wrote: "Although we had a drop in temperature. . . "
Although we had a drop in temperature and a couple cooler nights, the garden showed no sign of being bothered. I have most every thing in now including 12 dozen Vidalia and Bermuda onions, 
Lima Beans, Kentucky Wonder pole beans, acorn and butternut squash, zucchini, lettuce, (four types) tomatoes, a variety of green peppers, a couple of jalapeno peppers, beets, radishes, and Swiss char and two types of cucumbers. I have one collar green left over from my winter garden. I really don’t have the room for anything else, so no melons this. One note regarding my earlier concerns about the compost I’m using this year. (See March 21, 2009 Post). Within three days of planting my Vidalia and Bermuda onions, with their drooping green stocks, I found them all standing at attention, strong and sturdy. This is an encouraging sign. Now I must wait and see what seeds come up and if anything is in need of replanting.
Mach 21, 2009 Gary Ezzo wrote: "My Vegetable Garden is in"
Who doesn’t love springtime? The weather is warm, the fruit trees are in bloom, the sounds of the salt-marsh and ocean birds sing their morning song and the promise of new life is all around. How beautiful is the month of March at this latitude. The greening of the land 
signals a new planting season. Today I will return to the good earth to witness again the power of the sowing and repeating principle of life.
Gardening is a simple gesture that carries profound implications for all of us. I will muse for only a moment. Why is the country in all of its economic woes? Is it possible that when our financial and political leaders sort it all out that they might discover the greed and failed compassion, whether on Wall Street, Main Street or the seat of government bordering Constitution and Independence avenues, can be traced back to a lost perception; the forgotten pleading and warning from a prophetic American voice of the past?
Thomas Jefferson was the great advocate of the planter/farmer. While continually championing the belief that our citizens must stay connected to the land, he also feared what might become of us, when we lose touch with it. In writing to James Madison (1785) Jefferson affirmed: "It is not too soon to provide by every possible means that as few as possible shall be without a little portion of land. The small landholders are the most precious part of a state." In 1787 he wrote: "I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural." Jefferson was never short on words when it came to the necessity of man staying connected to the land.
Jefferson believed farming, whether it was a hundred acres or a backyard plot had a virtuous effect. A tiny, unprotected seed planted was a humble representation of our existence, reminding us all of the fragileness of life and dependence on God and our need to care for our neighbor. Today, I contemplated these thoughts as my plow began once again to work the good earth.
(June 1, 2008) The Photo Competition Has Begun
(June 3, 2008) Discipleship Gardening with the Youngs
(June 4, 2008) Another GFI Gardening Family from Minnesota
(June 5, 2008) It's a Jungle out There
South Carolina Gardening & Fishing (Introduction)
My father had two leisurely passions, the love of gardening and the anticipatory thrill of fishing. He was the master and I his debtor for passing to me the love of both activities. Now, many years later, whether tilling the spring soil for the promise of harvest, or trolling the ebbing tide with a plastic grub, my boyhood fascination with gardening and fishing never ceases, nor do the wonderful memories of the one who taught me this way of life.Sometimes memories are not easy to hang onto, so journaling brings me back to another day, a particular moment, or a pleasant experience worth revisiting. My fishing and gardening reports will sometimes be interwoven in my journal just as the actual events are in my life. How often did I begin to weed the garden only to find myself looking seaward toward the sound of gulls chasing bait fish on the surface? Or how many times have I shoved the skiff from the dock thinking, surely I should be staking my tomatoes? Gardening and fishing, these are my leisure activities of choice. Maybe there is something contained within that might help the reader discover a secret passion for one or both. You will find more garden photos in the gallery section of this site and the fishing updates under the Fishing Journal tab.
(March 25, 2008) Getting Ready for Another Year
Planting is not just around the corner ─ it is here! In the few moments of spare time this winter, I rebuilt all my gardens boxes, increased the square footage and added a couple of new planting beds. Then I tilled 
the soil! I’m ready to plant.
Charleston, SC is a great place to plant vegetable gardens. The secret lies in two important elements: soil and water. Although I’m fortunate enough to have sandy loom around me, most of my success is attributed to my use of mushroom mulch. Actually it was Tom Reed (see post below) who got me started with this and what a difference it's made! In the course of two years, I have brought in nearly 15 yards trusting the investment will pay large dividends in a few months.
While mushroom mulch provides the nutrients, it’s the water and sun interacting with the mulch that makes the plant grow so well. Water is the second key to successfully growing a garden. In a later blog I’ll describe my watering system in more detail. For now I will tell you that I designed it with water sprayers that can easily change angles of spray based on the various heights of the plants. In the spring I water twice a day, and three times a day in the summer months. Keeping the ground moist (but not saturated) is one secret to success plant growth. During the heat of the day the steaming combination of water and sun breaks down the soil helping to moves the nutrients from the mulch to the plant. Creation is God’s signature left on earth to remind man of His presence among us. Gardens have a way of reminding us that God and His benevolence are always close to us.
(April 8, 2008) Do You Have a Competitive Friend? Do you have a competitive friend? I have several but none in the arena of gardening for beauty and production like Tom Reed from the Woodland
s in Texas. I cannot look at my gardens without wondering how Tom’s is doing. He is a master grower with some clever ideas for space management. Vegetable gardens in the Houston area run three weeks ahead of ours, so from the beginning I’m trying to play catch up with Tom. But come July, I’m still growing and harvesting while Tom’s garden is wilting like the water soaked Wicked Witch of the West melting to the ground. The photo to the left is one of the garden beds after ten days.
(April 23, 2008) 25 Days After Planting 
None of my pictures in this post are enhanced, but they all represent the miracle of mushroom mulch. The lettuce I’m holding in the picture to the right planted as a thin seedling 25 days earlier. My Pimienta peppers are doing great. We have harvested two fully grown peppers already with more blossoms showing. The photo in the next post is my lettuce nine days later. That is one head! Amazingly, although it doubled in size the leaves continued to be tender and sweet. The pepper also doubled its size since this post date.. What's the secret? It is all about the mushroom mulch. (For those living locally, I get my mushroom mulch from Low Country Mulch located off of Highway 41.) My friend Tom works a garden plot that is approximately 500 square feet. I have five different garden beds in various locations around the yard. Together, they provide approximately 800 square feet. Two of the garden beds lie next to the Marsh and three smaller beds closer to the house. I mention the locations because there is actually a different ecosystem at work near the marsh compared to the garden beds at house level. The difference in plant growth is noticeable and is worthy of some future discussion.
(May 1, 2008) Forty Days out and Picking Zucchini
I haven’t heard from my garden competitor Tom regarding the type and amount of vegetables he is now harvesting, but today, we picked two zucchini and two summer squash. Two more will be ready tomorrow. Nothing better than fresh picked vegetables mixed in a garden salad. What makes today's harvest significant is the speed of growth. In less than 40 days after planting, we're enjoying the fruit of our labor. That is normally what it takes for a full grown radish. I must put the credit where it belongs. Success has everything to do with the mushroom mulch. Since we snapped the two pictures above, the Romaine, Purple Leaf lettuce and Arugula continue to grow without turning bitter or milking as old plants will sometimes do. We also picked beet greens, sweet peppers and of course, more Swiss Chard. The pole beans continue their marvelous trek toward the sun, attaching their seeker vines to a newly erected 4' fence. The cucumbers are doing the same. Over all it has been a fast growth week.
(May 9, 2008) Lettus Heads Measure 20 inch diameter
The garden continues on its record setting growth pace. 
The two Summer Squash and two Zucchini plants are producing results faster than I can keep track with the camera. It is hard to imagine that I only planted these tender shoots the last week of March. Currently the Straight Neck Yellow Squash is sporting 40 plus blossoms, and the Zucchini have nearly 60. I fear my garden will be investigated for illegal steroids. My only real contribution to this outcome is watering the plants and keeping the weeds out. While I now have plenty of lettuce seedlings, soon to be planted as a second crop, I am still harvesting more the gigantic loose leaf variety. You might be able to see the 20 inch hash mark on the tape measure. The leaves continue to be sweet, tender and incredibly tasty. I am curious as to how my friend Tom is doing with his crops. Now that this site is up and running I expect to hear from him soon.
(June 1, 2008) The Photo Competition Has Begun
We just receive a few photos from the Reed’s garden. 
You can contrast the 
one with Tom standing near his tomatoes with the picture of Anne Marie standing among ours. We will not make any comment about the fact that Tom planted his garden two to three weeks ahead of us, because that wouldn’t right. But we must admit his bean harvest is impressive. We posted some of Tom’s garden in the Outdoor section of our Photo gallery. The Reed family planted a greater variety of produce than we did, but then again, they do have twelve hands in the family to work the garden. We only have four hands, (and four paws). Try as she might, Missy really isn’t much of help. We congratulate Tom on his success and agree his garden looks great for now, but can he maintain it through July? That we will see.
(June 3, 2008) Discipleship Gardening With the Youngs
Rich and Julie Young ,along with their children planted their very first family garden. What a time we had planning, de
signing and finally engineering the new planting beds. Of course, the Reed's garden was the standard by which we will measure future success with this endeavor. Since Rich and Julie have water front property on Horlbeck Creek, they can take advantage of a near perfect ecosystem which tends to produce phenomenal plant growth. By the end of the first week of April we had 200 feet of 1 ¼ water lines buried, the framing of beds assembled and four yards of mushroom mulch tilled into the soil. The automatic watering system was the center piece of our engineering challenge but we accomplished our goals. With the high heat index experienced here in South Carolina, it is nice to know your garden will never dry out during the day. The picture to the right was taken seven weeks after planting. Meet the Youngs right here.
(June 4, 2008) Another GFI Gardening Family from Minnesota
In yesterday’s 
post you can see how productive the Young’s garden turned out so far, with the best part of harvest yet to come. Of course the Young, Ezzo and Reed families must yield to the extensive Lenz family garden in Rochester, MN. As nice as our vegetables are, we have not reached the place were we have been offered a booth at the country fair. The photo to the left demonstrates this point. Which one in this photo is the mother? Of course the Lenz’s do have zillions of acres to choose from to plant their extensive crops and sixteen hands to maintain their perfectly manicured rows of vegetables. For we, the poor, land restricted, city dwellers, who must make due with what we have ─ designer beds, automatic water misters, neighborhood covenants and restrictions and a passion for the good earth ─ the idea that larger is better lies outside our planting paradigms.
For the Lenz, Young and Reed families there are numerous home-school teachings associated with planting, nurturing and harvesting from the good earth. Science examples galore along with general lessons about life. Thomas Jefferson was a big advocate of man staying close to the earth, and the bounty that it can produced. He was a man of tremendous social vision who feared the inevitable when families leave the country for the city and loose touch with the land. For each generation that does not experience the cycle of life reflected by the planting of a humble seed, a portion of man’s ability to relate to his fellow man is lost. For Jefferson, it was that portion that respects the fragileness of another’s life. For the Young family, working their garden plot is bringing far more than fresh vegetables to the table; it’s another way of making long lasting family memories. You can meet the Young family right here.
(June 5, 2008) It's a Jungle out There
Every gardener understands the feeling! Excitement and anticipation is always associated with those first days of a new Spring garden and that excitement will often last right up to the time you begin to harvest the first fruits. 
But as the next two photos demonstrate, gardens do grow and eventually the fun is tainted just a little by the increasing amount of maintenance associated with productivity. For certain, this is a record year for us and we are still excited about the garden but here we are, just a little over 65 days from planting and already the process of daily harvesting five different beds takes more and more time.
We picked 7 gallons of cucumbers from four plants over the last three days. (We are starting to run out of neighbors to give our vegetables to.) Please don’t get me wrong. To watch our garden beds produce this type of harvest is 
exciting, in part because we enjoy the freshness of our vegetable knowing the come from organic soil. The beets this year are the best and largest ever and the radishes are so big, they look like beets. Six pepper plants produce more than what we need and will continue to produce for the next two months. Summer squash has not yet reached its peak, and now we are stealthy leaving them on neighborhood porches around 3:00 in the morning. I recently updated the photo gallery with more of the harvest. Check out the “Outdoor and Backyard” gallery. I would write a little more but I have to go weed and harvest. Wait until you see the Texas onions! They’re massive. I hope to get those photos posted soon.
My vegetable garden is in! Well, half of it and a week earlier than last year. We tried to appropriate all the advantages
from the various experiments and successes of 2008. Better crop placement to maximize space, improved watering system, a better tomato cage design, and a slight expansion with three of my five raised beds. But will these advantages be enough to compensate for my first planting setback?
For some reason, our local compost supplier could not get the highly productive super ‘Mushroom Mulch’ responsible for producing the colossal harvest of 08. (See last year’s journal report) Instead, he found another compost mix of questionable origin. Only time will tell if this soil amendment can live up to the super-productive properties of the mushroom compost. I will attempt to do a weekly pictorial report that compares the two.
March 20, 2009 Gary Ezzo Wrote: Who Doesn't Love Springtime?"