Mrs. David's Garden Seeds®

Garden Planner

Are you a garden planner? You should be! Right now, January of 2020, you should be planning your spring and fall gardens for this year, including herbs. If you love flowers, plan your flower beds out as well.

David, of David's Garden Seeds®, my husband, is a garden planner. Now that we have four acres, he has a lot more planning to do. Right now, we have a large greenhouse as well as 100 raised garden beds inside of five hoop houses where we have a lot of things growing in the native sandy soil here in Rossville, Texas.

The first thing you should do is invest in a large notebook, where you can plan out your gardens and compare how you garden from year to year. This notebook will help you out and be your garden planner. It might be best if you get a notebook with dots instead of lines so you can draw diagrams of your garden beds. You need a garden planner to keep track of what you plant, when you plant it, any problems incurred while growing, and your harvest victories.

A garden planner will help you from season to season with your garden. You don't need to purchase an actual garden planner. You can just use a simple notebook that is big enough to last for a year or two. Then buy a new one.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Marked in the garden planner that today is foggy and very wet all day. This shot is from the side deck.Marked in the garden planner that today is foggy and very wet all day. This shot is from the side deck.
This photo of the foggy back 40 was taken from the pool deck.This photo of the foggy back 40 was taken from the pool deck.

Good Monday morning! It is foggy and chilly this morning at 55° Fahrenheit. There is a fine mist out there and visibility is not great early this morning. There was no sunrise this morning because of the cloud cover and fog. We are in Texas so most of the time we can garden all year long. Right now, we are growing peas, strawberries, onions, garlic, and a lot of greens.

Two of our team members worked outside in the greenhouse most of the day. It stayed foggy and was raining lightly all day, making the sand wet.


My new buffalo checked black and white tablecloth looks amazing.My new buffalo checked black and white tablecloth looks amazing.
David and some of the crew are plotting where the septic tank, store, and restrooms will be. They marked them with sticks.David and some of the crew are plotting where the septic tank, store, and restrooms will be. They marked them with sticks.

My new buffalo black and white gingham tablecloth came today. It looks great!

David and the crew measured the front yard and marked it off for our store, septic tank, and our restrooms. After they are installed, we will be measuring off the area for the business building. We sent in our application for the business septic tank, along with a lot of money. Once that goes in, we will have to get some gravel and have the property leveled off for the buildings and for the parking lot. We already have the buildings picked out.

The markers show where the septic, store, and restrooms will be this coming spring.The markers show where the septic, store, and restrooms will be this coming spring.
The markers show where the septic, store, and restrooms will be this coming spring. This photo was taken from the living room window.The markers show where the septic, store, and restrooms will be this coming spring. This photo was taken from the living room window.

We will need to get the electricity for the business hooked up. We paid for that back in November and if you are new here, it takes four months to get electricity hooked up out here after you pay your money. So we should have business electricity by March.

We had to drive into San Antonio this afternoon for a doctor's appointment in the rain. It was coming down pretty good and we had several scares on the freeway. San Antonio drivers can be very scary in the rain. I say that because we lived in San Antonio for almost 21 years before we moved an hour out of San Antonio. Now, we go into the city a couple of times a week dreading the traffic. By the time we came out of the doctor's office, the rain had stopped but it was still scary driving on the way home until we got off of the freeway and back onto our farm roads out here.

This evening I got an automated call from Furniture Row, the furniture company I bought all of our new furniture from five months ago. They still owe us two end tables and a lamp for our living room. I have called repeatedly over the past months, asking where the two end tables and the other lamp is. Finally, after five months, apparently it is coming tomorrow afternoon between one and four pm.

Gardening Tips

If you are new to gardening, you want to plan out exactly what you want to grow this spring. Draw the layout of your garden in your garden planner notebook and designate the different areas with what you want to grow in each area.

Some vegetables don't grow well with other plants while they thrive when next to one of their garden companions. Companion planting is a real thing. Please check out our Companion Planting section on David's Garden Seeds® website that I wrote. It will help you plan out your garden.

Note all of your companion planting successes in your garden planner.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

This morning it was foggy all over again, but the mist and rain were missing. Yay! My main concern this morning was moving out the pretend end tables in the living room so that our new end tables would fit there. Once I got all of the old furniture moved, I vacuumed the living room. I went ahead and vacuumed the main part of the house including the laundry room, den, hallway and kitchen/dining area as well.

The fog finally burned off and the sun is shining. The ground is drying!The fog finally burned off and the sun is shining. The ground is drying!

The fog burned off and the sun came out. David grilled some beautiful steaks on the back deck for lunch. They were delicious!

David is in the kitchen making a beautiful lunch of mashed potatoes with gravy and grilled ribeyes!David is in the kitchen making a beautiful lunch of mashed potatoes with gravy and grilled ribeyes!
Look at these delicious grilled steaks. They were perfect with lots of pink inside. Gordon Ramsay would be proud!Look at these delicious grilled steaks. They were perfect with lots of pink inside. Gordon Ramsay would be proud!

UPS dropped off a box, a heavy box, at the gate and the mailman had a package in the mailbox so I went out to get them.

Furniture Row rented out a Penske truck to deliver our two tables and one lamp instead of using their own trucks.Furniture Row rented out a Penske truck to deliver our two tables and one lamp instead of using their own trucks.

At 1pm, I was cleaning up the kitchen and my phone rang with another automated call from Furniture Row saying they would be here in 30 minutes. They were here in 20 minutes. Fortunately, it was the same driver as the three other times over the last three months so I did not have to worry about him getting stuck in the sand like he did the first time he came out here. He and his partner brought in the two end tables and put them together. They brought the lamp in the box of styrofoam and left that for me to do, just like they always do.

Honestly, the way they wrap and pack those stupid lamps can almost make you lose your Christianity. There was styrofoam everywhere and everything was in pieces, taped and wrapped up, designed to make you lose your mind. I finally got everything loose and then got the lamp put together. Good night, nurse!

I took that box of styrofoam and tape out to the dumpster and vacuumed again. I was drenched in sweat so I changed all of my clothes and now I am sitting at my desk, relaxing with a Coke Zero. No more heavy work today. This, by the way, is my third outfit of the day.

Finally, after 5 months, all of our new furniture was delivered. Today's delivery was one lamp and the two end tables.Finally, after 5 months, all of our new furniture was delivered. Today's delivery was one lamp and the two end tables.

Now I am trying to do some work that I missed getting done yesterday and today.
The yard looks pretty, all mowed and the fence line gets cleaner everyday. No team members are here today. The sand is very wet and would be miserable to work in. Hopefully, they can come back out tomorrow. It is bright and sunny and 74° Fahrenheit. The low will get down to 61° and, hopefully, it will be dry.

Garden Tips

Do you have a garden planner? A notebook will do.

The second step in using your garden planner is to decide what varieties of each type of vegetable you will grow. You can do this by looking at paper seed catalogs and by going online. Because I am Mrs. David's Garden Seeds®, I recommend that you go to David's Garden Seeds® online and see all of the wonderful varieties of seeds we have. It changes all the time as David finds and grows new varieties. This is why we don't have a paper catalog.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday! It is supposed to get up to 81° Fahrenheit on the farm today but it is cloudy outside. So far, it has been such a rough day out here, very busy.

Bethany, Phil and Matt V. are out here working today, doing various things. We had a visitor for David and then David went out to a meeting.

First thing when Phil and Matt V. got here, they came in and helped me change the den furniture around. The way it was, it felt very cluttered and I hated it. So did David. So I came up with a new floor plan last night. After the furniture was moved, I vacuumed and dusted and fixed things up. I moved the dog beds around as well. It looks good and I think we will enjoy the room a lot more.

The garden planner calls for us to plant more seeds so we have enough plants for spring selling.

The den feels so much bigger now that the loveseat and couch are across from each other instead of next to each other. Matt and David face each other while Longmire plays.The den feels so much bigger now that the loveseat and couch are across from each other instead of next to each other. Matt and David face each other while Longmire plays.
The newly arranged den feels so much bigger now that the loveseat and couch are across from each other instead of next to each other.The newly arranged den feels so much bigger now that the loveseat and couch are across from each other instead of next to each other.

This evening, we went to Joe's Place, a small cafe in Jourdanton, for a Republican meeting, our first time here in Atascosa County. The food was not very good but it was crowded.

We met the lady who is running for the House of Representatives against Henry Cuellar. Her name is Sandra Whitten and she is running in Texas Congressional District 28. She is a lovely lady with good ideas to fix our state and our country and I hope she wins.

District 28 includes the following counties: Bexar, Wilson, Atascosa, McMullen, La Salle, Webb, Zapata, Starr and Hidalgo. If you are in one of these counties and you are sick of having a liberal represent you, vote for Sandra Whitten.

Planner Tips

In your garden planner, you have a planned out spring garden and you have chosen what you want to grow and where you will plant it. This is important to have diagrammed because next spring, you will move everything to a different area. You never want to grow the same crop in the same garden bed or area the next year because your soil will be depleted of important nutrients rapidly. Allow the soil to replete itself by moving your crops around.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Little Ethel hates to get her feet wet so she will not step in grass when it rains. Here she is on the rocks on the side of the house. I had to take her out front.Little Ethel hates to get her feet wet so she will not step in grass when it rains. Here she is on the rocks on the side of the house. I had to take her out front.

This morning, I woke up to pouring rain. The forecast said it would be raining today and tomorrow. The dogs went outside but Ethel came back in looking at me, staring at me like she was trying to burn a hole through me. I know from a good nine years of experience with Ethel that she is telling me she has not done potty because the grass is wet.

So I got my umbrella and boots and took Ethel out on a leash. We walked all over the place, including up and down the driveway. It did no good. She would not go so I brought her back in. I fed them and after a while, the rain stopped. I let them all out again. I guess she finally went because she is no longer staring at me. She is so particular about getting her feet wet and she has been since we rescued her from a San Antonio shelter nine years ago.

Because it was raining so hard, David told all of our farm team to work in the office in San Antonio today. It is lunchtime now and the rain has stopped. The sun is peaking through the clouds and, hopefully, it will be a sunny rest of the day.

David the garden planner wants to do some video of the plants in the greenhouse so we can start selling the ones that are ready. Since we no longer go into San Antonio every day, we can sell them out here. In a few months, the entire operation should be out here in Rossville. For three years, we dragged our greenhouse grown plants into the office and it is just too much to try to do it this year, especially since our SUV died and we have a Toyota Corolla which is not big enough, plus we have an hour's drive one way to get to our store in San Antonio.

I have laundry going and I have been tidying up a bit around the house. David has been working on the computer on our business, David's Garden Seeds®.

I went out the front door to put some trash in the dumpster and there was a box of seeds that FedEx had dropped off on the Palm Harbor broken down stairs. They did not knock or ring the doorbell. The box was wet and if I had waited until morning to take the trash out, the seeds would have been ruined.


Garden Planner Tips

As you grow your spring garden, make notes in your garden planner of how each variety does in the garden. Notate the date you started the seeds in your greenhouse (if you are starting the seeds early, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers), the date you started the hardening off process, the date you planted the seedlings in the ground, and the dates you harvested. Also, notate any problems you had, such as garden pests, fungus, heat related issues or anything else that happens to the plants during the growing season.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Purple weed flowers are springing up all over the property and black butterflies with blue and red spots flit from flower to flower.Purple weed flowers are springing up all over the property and black butterflies with blue and red spots flit from flower to flower.

Today was another cloudy, rainy day. It rained off and on all day. I worked inside again. David and two of our team members were outside most of the day.

I worked on writing the newsletter for David's Garden Seeds®. I finished it and scheduled it to go out on Saturday morning. Are you subscribed? This newsletter is about cucumbers. It is time to think about what you will be planting in your spring garden.

This afternoon, I went out the front door to take the trash out and there was a huge box of seeds on the ground, getting wet. FedEx dropped them off again without ringing the bell or knocking. What is wrong with these people? First, you can see that no one would use these stairs. All the vehicles are on the side of the house where there is a nice, sturdy, covered porch. Why wouldn't they bring the deliveries there?

So I struggled getting yet another heavy box up those rickety stairs and into the house. Maybe I should put a sign on the front door saying we don't use this door.

Tips For Your Garden Planner

Today in your garden planner, write down the dates of the last predicted frost in your area. Just Google it or call your county extension agent and get the information. If you are not starting your seeds early in a greenhouse, you will need this date so you know when it is safe to plant your seeds directly in the ground.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

We woke up to yet another grey day. At least it is not raining right now. It is warm and humid as it has been all week long.

Last year, I bought myself a Christian Planner for $39.99 plus tax and it was great so for Christmas, I got another Christian Planner for 2020. I use it as a social media planner, a garden planner, and a personal planner. The 2019 planner was just great so I did not expect any problems in my 2020 planner.

As I was adding important dates in my new planner, I noticed in my 2020 Christian Planner that after November 28, 2020 the pages are all messed up. Turn the page and instead of there being November 29 and November 30, there is a note page and the next page starts with December 9. Turn the page again and it starts out with December 6 through 8 and then December 2 through 5. November 29 is several pages ahead.

So I emailed Christian Planner support and sent photos and even a video but they claim they cannot see them. I put the videos and photos on Instagram and Facebook so they could see but still they tell me they cannot see them. Funny, everyone else can see them.

November 29 should have started on the left side of my 2020 Christian Planner instead of the notes page. The page on the right incorrectly starts with December 9.November 29 should have started on the left side of my 2020 Christian Planner instead of the notes page. The page on the right incorrectly starts with December 9.

First off, the Sermon Notes page is never next to dates. The week starts on the left and goes across left and right pages. When I sent this photo alone (above) into their support staff, they should have realized I was telling the truth. Whatever. I will keep my planner since they won't replace it and at the end of the year when I want another one for 2021, I will remember the mess and I will not buy one. I will just use a plain notebook.

Nov 29-Dec 1 finally shows up toward the end of December on the left. The right has Dec 23-Dec 26, 2020. You can see my Christian Planner is all messed up. Too bad they refused to see.Nov 29-Dec 1 finally shows up toward the end of December on the left. The right has Dec 23-Dec 26, 2020. You can see my Christian Planner is all messed up. Too bad they refused to see.
Another page Dec 20-22 and then on the right Dec 16-19, 2020. How can Christian Planner not see this is incorrect? How can my planner be the only one they did this to?Another page Dec 20-22 and then on the right Dec 16-19, 2020. How can Christian Planner not see this is incorrect? How can my planner be the only one they did this to?

Our insurance agent has to visit the farm and update our insurance today so that is a good thing. Maybe we will squeeze in a trip to Walmart today but we probably won't go until tomorrow after church.

Turns out the insurance agent was not able to make it out. We postponed our Walmart trip. It rained for a bit around lunchtime. I cleaned and worked on David's Garden Seeds®. That was it.

The sun came out in the afternoon and the sky was beautiful. Our garden planner shows we need to transplant and it is a perfect day for it now.

The sun came out and it is beautiful now.The sun came out and it is beautiful now. Perfect day for the garden planner.

Planning Tips

Carefully notate each type and variety of seed that you plant and where you planted it. Notate the date you plant each seed as well as how long it should take until harvest. Then using a calender, count the days and write when your plants are ready for harvest. Do all of this because chances are, someone will throw away or lose the envelopes and most garden markers fade out in the elements. If the seeds grow something you love, you will know what you grew so you can buy the same seeds next year.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The moon was still out as the sun began to come up this morning.The moon was still out as the sun began to come up this morning.

Happy Sunday! We got ready for church and left our home at 8:30am for the long drive to our church in San Antonio. After that, we got groceries at Walmart in San Antonio and then drove home.

After we put all of the groceries away, we walked around the property, checking on the trees in the orchard and on the plants in the hoop houses and in the greenhouse. Nothing outstanding happened for the rest of the day except around 9:30pm, David announced that we had to go into the San Antonio office on Monday because there was just too much to be done. So I set my alarm clock and laid out my clothes because we need to leave at 6:30am tomorrow.

Tips For Gardeners To Put In Your Garden Planner

Put the dates of fertilizing in your garden planner for each garden bed. Write down any problems you are having with the plant and any successful solutions as well as unsuccessful solutions. That way if it happens in future years, you will be able to remember what worked. As we get older, we have a hard time remembering all of the little details so journaling your garden experiences is a great idea.

Also, notate the approximate size of the fruits as well as the taste type in your garden planner. If it grew well but it was bitter, you will want to remember that for next time so you don't buy that particular variety again.

Return from Garden Planner to Our Small Farm

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David of David's Garden Seeds® zipping along on his little tractor across the farm. He is having a blast!David of David's Garden Seeds® zipping along on his little tractor across the farm. He is having a blast!
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Hi! I am Juanita aka Mrs. DGS. This photo was taken in our commercial kitchen during a potluck.Hi! I am Juanita aka Mrs. DGS. This photo was taken in our commercial kitchen during a potluck.
Mrs. David's Garden Seeds in the greenhouse with Lucy the lap dog.Mrs Davids Garden Seeds in the greenhouse with Lucy the lap dog.

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