Thursday (23-January-2020) — New Jersey

Wintertime Indoor Hydroponic Gardening.

Flowers (first Coreopsis, Zinnia, and Dianthus), a Strawberry, and several seedlings (Bok Choi, Mustard, Broccoli Raab, Swiss Chard, Romaine Lettuce, Bunching Onions, and Peas) at 10 days.


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


AeroGarden Farm 07-Right. Strawberry. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
AeroGarden Farm 07-Right. Strawberry. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)


Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.


Daily Electric Energy Used (88.7 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (30.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny Day. A deficit of 58.3 kWh.

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Wednesday (27-November-2019) — New Jersey

Indoor Hydroponic Wildflowers.

The first Purple Cornflower flower opened. The plants have many more buds, but have grown to the maximum height (36 inches) in the AeroGarden hydroponic farm. I need to add nearly 2 liters of water + plant food every day to the tray growing the Cornflowers, Plains Coreopsis, and Zinnia plants.

Purple Cornflower Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/16, 1/4 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Purple Cornflower Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/16, 1/4 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/16, 1/4 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/16, 1/4 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (74.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (9.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy.  Cloudy all day. Overall a net deficit of 64.7 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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Saturday (23-November-2019) — New Jersey

Indoor Hydroponic Flowers.

The first Strawberry flowers have appeared. Since I do not have bees inside the house, I will have to manually pollinate these to get indoor strawberries this winter. Other plants that have bloomed (or are about to bloom) include Plains Coreopsis, Lilliput and Thumbelina Zinnia, Marigold, and Cornflower.

Strawberry Flower. AeroGarden Farm 07 Right. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/14, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Strawberry Flower. AeroGarden Farm 07 Right. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 160, 80 mm, f/14, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Plains Coreopsis Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Thumbelina Zinnia Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 800, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Yellow Thumbelina Zinnia Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 800, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pink Lilliput Zinnia Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Pink Lilliput Zinnia Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Marigold Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 800, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Marigold Flower. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 800, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Cornflower Flower Bud. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Cornflower Flower Bud. AeroGarden Farm 04 Left. Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 OIS macro lens (ISO 320, 80 mm, f/11, 1/30 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (73.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (30.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny with some clouds, but cooler outside. Overall a net deficit of 43.1 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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Tuesday (30-July-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

It’s hot outside so only a short walkabout with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. Lots of flowers. The sunflowers look amazing. Butterflies including Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Silver-spotted Skipper, Common Buckeye, Painted Lady, and Peck’s Skipper (?). Only one Snowberry Clearwing Moth.

Purple Thistle Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Purple Thistle Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Red Coreopsis. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Red Coreopsis. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)


Sunflowers. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images.



Butterflies. Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images.


Snowberry Clearwing Moth in Flight above a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)
Snowberry Clearwing Moth in Flight above a Zinnia Flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens (David J Mathre)

Daily Electric Energy Used (68.8 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (73.1 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The temperatures have been going up outside, resulting in more energy (~29 kWh) needed for the Geothermal HVAC system to keep the house cool. Also, ran a load of laundry (3.3 kWh). Still a small daily surplus of 4.3 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions

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Sunday (30-June-2019) — New Jersey

Last Day of June. Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

It hasn’t rained for several days, and is quite warm out. The wildflower meadows are filling in nicely with lots of new flowers. A band of American Goldfinch moved in and started eating the Cornflowers (Bachelor Buttons). Several Sunflowers have opened up. I now have one sunflower plant that is nearly up to my roof.

Backyard Wildflowers (Coreopsis, Cosmos, Poppy). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Backyard Wildflowers (Coreopsis, Cosmos, Poppy). Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)






Daily Power Use (51.8 kWh) from Sense and Solar Production (72.14 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Power use is up since I did laundry, two loads of dishes and the Geothermal A/C was running. Since it is both the end of the week, and month I’ve also included additional power & solar graphs.

Current Weather Conditions

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