Tag: Herbs

Saturday (02-April-2022) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard: House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Indoor hydroponic flowers of the day. White, yellow, and orange Iceland Poppy (Papaver nudicaule). White, yellow, orange, and pink California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica). Pink Poppy (Papaver rhoeas). Yellow Calendula (Calendula officinalis) — common name Pot Marigold. Red Celosia and Snapdragon. The Snapdragon flower stalks are too tall for the 24″ AeroGarden Farm. I may try to swap them to a larger 36″ AeroGarden Farm that currently has some smaller tomato plants. I also did a series of B&W flower images using a Leica Q2 monochrome camera. Time-lapse video of an orange California Poppy (after it finally opened).


Indoor hydroponic flowers of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Indoor hydroponic flowers of the day in B&W. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Weekly Indoor Hydroponic Updates. Bounty-01 (Day 41). Bok Choi is ready to harvest. I will chop them up and store them vacuum packed in the freezer. Bounty-02 (Day 76) Thai and Genovese Basil doing well. Lettuce getting scraggly. Will probably harvest everything soon. Bounty-03 (Day 68). Dill and Genovese Basil doing well. The Italian and Curly Parsley starting to get bigger. Bounty-04 (Day 41): Various Basil. A1: Dark Opal; A2: Cinnamon; A3: Genovese; B1: Holy; B2: Italian Large Leaf; B3: Lemon; B4: Lime; C1: Sweet; C2: Thai.


Bounty-01, Bounty-02, Bounty-03, Bounty-04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-01L (Day 75). California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Lauren’s Grape Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-01R (Day 68). Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-02L (Day 75). Somn Blend Poppy, Red Poppy Red Poppy, Red Mix Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-02R (Day 75). Oriental Poppy, Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy, Red Poppy, Red Poppy, Somn Blend Poppy.


Farm-01L, Farm-01R, Farm-02L, Farm-02R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-03L and Farm-03R (Day 68). Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Mustard Greens. All of the greens are growing fast, and producing large leaves. I am having to harvest the largest leaves to provide light to the smaller plants. AeroGarden Farm-04L and Farm-04R (Day 68). Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, and Sage. AeroGarden Farm-05L Day 75. (A1, A2, A3): Dark Opal Basil; (B1, B2, B3); Cinnamon Basil; (C1, C2, C3) Genovese Basil; (D1, D2, D3): Holy Basil. AeroGarden Farm-05R Day 41. (A1, A2, A3): Italian Large Leaf Basil; (B1, B2, B3); Lemmon Basil; (C1, C2, C3) Lime Basil; (D1, D2, D3): Sweet Basil.


Farm-03L, Farm-03R, Farm-04L, Farm-04R, Farm-05L, Farm-05R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-06L (Day 59). Snapdragon (A1); Chrysanthemum (A2, A3); Iceland Poppy (B1, B2); Sweet William (B3), Columbine (C1, C2, C3); Osteospermum (D1, D2); Blue Daisy (D3). AeroGarden Farm-06R (Day 51). Various types of lettuce. Red Sails (A1, A2, A3, B3); Deer Tongue (B1, B2); Black-seeded Simpson (C1, C2); Rouge d’Hiver (C3, D3); Paris Island (D1, D2). AeroGarden Farm-07L (Day 41/53). Golden Harvest Tomatoes. AeroGarden Farm-0R (Day 41/53). Heirloom Red Tomatoes. Some of the tomatoes have started to bloom and even a few set tomatoes. Trying to pollinate with the battery-operated “Busy Bee”


Farm-06L, Farm-06R, Farm-07L, Farm-07R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-08L (Day 54). A1, A2, A3 Calendula. B1, B2, B3, Osteospermum. C1, C2, C3 Sweet William. D1, D2, D3 Snapdragon. AeroGarden Farm-08R (Day 47). A1, A2, A3 Calendula. B1, B2, B3, Osteospermum. C1, C2, C3 Sweet William. D1, D2, D3 Snapdragon.AeroGarden Farm-09L (Day 54). A1, A2, A3 Chrysanthemum. B1, B2, B3, Iceland Poppy. C1, C2, C3 Chrysanthemum. D1, D2, D3 Iceland Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-09R Seed Starter (Day 14). Row A: California Poppy (American Meadows, 2018) 0/8; Row B: Oriental Poppy (American Meadows, 2019) 0/10; Row C: Lauren Grape Poppy Seeds (Marde Ross & Company, 2020) 0/11; Row D: Hungarian Breadseed Poppy Seeds (Plant Good Seed, 2020) 3/10; Row E: Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 1/8; Row F: Turkish Tulip Poppy Seeds (Waterfall Seeds, 2020) 3/10; Row G: Somniferum Blend Poppy Seeds (Seed Needs, 2020) 10/11; Row H: Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 2/9; Row I: Mixed Red Poppy Seeds (American Meadows, 2019) 1/8. Problem with not all of the seed sponges getting hydrated. I tried increasing the liquid level in the tray, and manually (twice a day) dousing the dry ones with water.


Farm-08L, Farm-08R, Farm-09L, Farm-09R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-10L (Day 68). California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Lauren’s Grape Poppy. The odd plant is Celosia. More California Poppy flowers have opened. Now a mix of white, light yellow and red, and orange. AeroGarden Farm-10R (Day 68). Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. One of the Turkish Tulip Poppy flowers bloomed. AeroGarden Farm-11 (Day 68). Somn Blend Poppy, Red Poppy Red Poppy, Red Mix Poppy. One of the Mixed Red Poppy plants has produced its first Pink Poppy Flower. The last time I tried Red Poppies indoors in a hydroponic garden it took 124 days before they started to bloom.


Farm-10L, Farm-10R, Farm-11. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (79.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (73.3 kWh) from Sense. Sunny. Deficit of 6.3 kWh.

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Saturday (12-March-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal. The birds return on days it snows.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Snowy day in March. Monochrome images taken with a Leica Q2m camera.


Snowy Day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Indoor Hydroponic Updates. Bounty-01 (Day 20). Bok Choi doing well. Bounty-02 (Day 55) The Black-seeded Simpson and Rouge d’Hiver lettuce doing well. Harvesting leaves every other day. The Genovese Basil is doing well. I’ve needed to top off the water every day and add fertilizer every other day. Bounty-03 (Day 47). Dill and Genovese Basil doing well. The Italian and Curly Parsley starting to get bigger. Bounty-04 (Day 20): Basil seedlings transplanted from Farm 09R. A1: Dark Opal; A2: Cinnamon; A3: Genovese; B1: Holy; B2: Italian Large Leaf; B3: Lemon; B4: Lime; C1: Sweet; C2: Thai. I have to check the Bok Choi every day for Stink Bugs.


Bounty-01, Bounty-02, Bounty-03, Bounty-04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-01L (Day 54). California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Lauren’s Grape Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-01R (Day 54). Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-02L (Day 54). Somn Blend Poppy, Red Poppy Red Poppy, Red Mix Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-02R (Day 54). Oriental Poppy, Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy, Red Poppy, Red Poppy, Somn Blend Poppy.


Farm-01L, Farm-01R, Farm-02L, Farm-02R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-03L and Farm-03R (Day 47). Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Mustard Greens. All of the greens are growing fast, and producing large leaves. I am having to harvest the largest leaves to provide light to the smaller plants. AeroGarden Farm-04L and Farm-04R (Day 47). Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme, and Sage. AeroGarden Farm-05L Day 20. (A1, A2, A3): Dark Opal Basil; (B1, B2, B3); Cinnamon Basil; (C1, C2, C3) Genovese Basil; (D1, D2, D3): Holy Basil. AeroGarden Farm-05R Day 15. (A1, A2, A3): Italian Large Leaf Basil; (B1, B2, B3); Lemmon Basil; (C1, C2, C3) Lime Basil; (D1, D2, D3): Sweet Basil.


Farm-03L, Farm-03R, Farm-04L, Farm-04R, Farm-05L, Farm-05R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-06L (Day 38). Snapdragon (A1); Chrysanthemum (A2, A3); Iceland Poppy (B1, B2); Sweet William (B3), Columbine (C1, C2, C3); Osteospermum (D1, D2); Blue Daisy (D3). AeroGarden Farm-06R (Day 20). Various types of lettuce. Red Sails (A1, A2, A3, B3); Deer Tongue (B1, B2); Black-seeded Simpson (C1, C2); Rouge d’Hiver (C3, D3); Paris Island (D1, D2). AeroGarden Farm-07L (Day 20/32). Golden Harvest Tomatoes. AeroGarden Farm-0R (Day 20/32). Heirloom Red Tomatoes.


Farm-06L, Farm-06R, Farm-07L, Farm-07R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-08 (Day 54). California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Lauren’s Grape Poppy. The odd plant is Celosia. More California Poppy flowers have opened. Now a mix of light yellow and red-orange. AeroGarden Farm-08R (Day 54). Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. AeroGarden Farm-09L (Day 54). Somn Blend Poppy, Red Poppy Red Poppy, Red Mix Poppy. One of the Red Poppy plants has produced a flower bud. The last time I tried Red Poppies indoors in a hydroponic garden it took 124 days before it bloomed. AeroGarden Farm-09R Seed Starter (Day 20). Nine different Basil varieties. Row A: Dark Opal Basil (6/9). Row B: Cinnamon Basil (9/9). Row C: Genovese Basil (8/10). Row D: Holy Basil (8/11). Row E: Italian Large Leaf Basil (8/8). Row F: Lemon Basil (9/10). Row G: Lime Basil (10/11). Row H. Sweet Basil (9/9). Row I: Thai Basil (6/8).


Farm-08L, Farm-08R, Farm-09L, Farm-09R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm-10L (Day 33). A1, A2, A3 Calendula. B1, B2, B3, Osteospermum. C1, C2, C3 Sweet William. D1, D2, D3 Snapdragon. AeroGarden Farm-10R (Day 33). A1, A2, A3 Calendula. B1, B2, B3, Osteospermum. C1, C2, C3 Sweet William. D1, D2, D3 Snapdragon. AeroGarden Farm-11 (Day 33). A1, A2, A3 Chrysanthemum. B1, B2, B3, Iceland Poppy. C1, C2, C3 Chrysanthemum. D1, D2, D3 Iceland Poppy.


Farm-10L, Farm-10R, Farm-11. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

The California Poppies (Red, Orange, Yellow, Pink-White) are blooming in Farm-01L and Farm-08L. Single images and Time-Lapse videos of them opening and closing. Each one lasts about 4 days


California Poppy Flowers. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (93.4 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (0.4 kWh) from Sense. Solar panels covered with snow. Deficit of 93.0 kWh. I should note that the Solar monitoring from SolSystem via Locus Energy stopped working since the Locus LG-120 meter uses 3G cellular to connect. ATT has turned off 3G cellular.

Tuesday (15-February-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, House Finch, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal. First Chipping Sparrow this year.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Indoor Hydroponic Update. AeroGarden Bounty 01 (Day 30): Bok Choi doing well. Harvesting leaves almost every day. Drinks a lot of water, and needs extra liquid fertilizer. AeroGarden Bounty 02 (Day 30): Rouge d’Hiver, Black-seeded Simpson lettuce, Genovese Basil, Thai Basil, and Dill doing well. Harvesting leaves from the lettuce so not to block light from the basil plants. AeroGarden Bounty Elite 03 (Day 22 and 30): Genovese Basil and Dill doing well. Two of the Parsley and one Thyme sprouted. The 2nd Thyme and Chives have not sprouted. AeroGarden Bounty Elite Seed Starter 04 (Day 7) Heirloom Red Cherry Tomatoes (4/5) sprouted. Golden Harvest Tomatoes (2/4) sprouted.


AeroGarden Bounty. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 01L (Day28): California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Laurin’s Grape Poppy. Farm 01R (Day 28): Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. Farm 02L (Day 28): Somniferum Mix, Red Poppy, Red Poppy Mix. Farm 02R (Day 28): Oriental Poppy, Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy, Red Poppy, Somniferum Mix Poppy.


AeroGarden Farms 01 and 02. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 03L/03R (Day 22): Swiss Chard, Kale, Collard Greens, Spinach, Mustard Greens. After taking the images, harvested some of the larger Kale and Collard Greens leaves that were blocking the smaller plants. May have to re-think the number of plants per farm. AeroGarden Farm 04L/04R (Day 22): Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme. The larger plants in row D are supposed to be Sage, but I think they are something else???


AeroGarden Farms 03 and 04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Farm 08L (Day28): California Poppy, Oriental Poppy, Laurin’s Grape Poppy. Farm 08R (Day 28): Hungarian Bread Seed Poppy, Red Poppy, Turkish Tulip Poppy. Farm 09L (Day 28): Somniferum Mix, Red Poppy, Red Poppy Mix. The poppy plants were pruned to leave only 1-2 plants per position. Farm 09R Seed Sprouting Tray (Day 23): Row A: Snapdragon, Max Orange Wonder, Outside Pride (5/8); Row B: Chrysanthemum, Robinson’s Mix, Outside Pride (7/10); Row C: Iceland Poppy, American Meadows (8/11); Row D: Calendula Mix, Outside Pride, (5/10); Row E: Sweet William Mix, Outside Pride (5/8); Row F: Columbine, Multicolor, PopCool Seeds (1/10); Row G: Osteospermum, Ecklonis Mix, PopCool Seeds (6/11); Row H: Osteospermum,, Whirligs, PopCool Seeds (0/9); Row I: Blue Eyed Daisy, PopCool Seeds (1/8). I will start transplanting the larger seedlings to a regular farm. I have also included a time-lapse video of the Farm O9R seedlings.


AeroGarden Farms 08 and 09. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (121.8 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (27.6kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Solar Panels mostly clear of snow, but the temperature dropped below 10°F so supplemental resistance heating was required. Deficit of 92.4 kWh.

Monday (07-February-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day viewed in the backyard, at the birdfeeder and on the patio: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow. A few birds returned.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Hydroponic Updates. The Bok Choi in AeroGarden Bounty-01 at Day 22 continues grow fast. I’ve started harvesting the largest leaves. The plants are drinking lots of water and going through the liquid fertilizer. In Bounty-02 the Rouge d’Hiver and Black-seeded Simpson lettuce are growing well, along with the Genovese Basil and Dill. One Thai Basil is growing, the other one remains small. In Bounty-03 the two transplanted 22-day Genovese Basil and Dill are doing well. The other 13-day herbs only the Parsley and Chives have sprouted. Bounty-04 with the seed sprouting tray at day 13 has more seedlings: Swiss Chard (4/5); Kale (5/5); Collard Greens (5/5); Spinach (1/5); Mustard Greens (5/5); Oregano (5/5); Rosemary (2/5); Tarragon (4/5); Thyme (5/5); Sage (5/5). After taking an image of the seedlings, they were transplanted to Farm-03 and Farm-04 in the basement.



Bounty-01, Bounty-02, Bounty Elite-03, Bounty Elite-04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.



Farm-01L, Farm-01R, Farm-02L, Farm-2R, Farm-08L, Farm-08R, Farm-09L, Farm-09R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (94.6 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (9.2 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Clouds and rain. Deficit of 85.4 kWh.

Sunday (30-January-2022) — New Jersey

Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Birds of the day on a snowy day viewed at the birdfeeder and in the backyard: Mourning Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jay, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, Northern Cardinal. A whole flock (~100) of the Red-winged Blackbirds descended on the patio and birdfeeders.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Birds of the day. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.


Flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

AeroGarden Hydroponic Updates. The Bok Choi in AeroGarden Bounty-01 continues to be the fastest grower (although one plant seems to be a runt). In Bounty-02 the Rouge d’Hiver and Black-seeded Simpson lettuce are growing well, along with the Genovese Basil and Dill. One Thai Basil is growing, the other one remains small. In Bounty-0 the two transplanted 14-day Genovese Basil and Dill are doing well. The other 6-day herbs have not sprouted yet. Bounty-04 with the seed sprouting tray at day 6 has some seeds sprouting: Swiss Chard (0/5); Kale (5/5); Collard Greens (5/5); Spinach (0/5); Mustard Greens (4/5); Oregano (1/5); Rosemary (0/5); Tarragon (2/5); Thyme (5/5); Sage (3/5). About half of the poppy seedling in Farm-09R were moved to Farm-08L, Farm-08R, and Farm-09L.



Bounty-01, Bounty-02, Bounty Elite-03, Bounty Elite-04. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.



Farm-08L, Farm-08R, Farm-09L, Farm-09R. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Found another Stink Bug nibbling on the Bok Choi seedlings. Also, a Lady Beetle. I’m not sure if the Lady Beetle was also nibbling on the leaf, or looking for Aphids.

Stink Bug. (David J Mathre)
Caught another Stink Bug feeding on a Bok Choi seedling. Image taken with a Leica TL2 camera and 18 mm f/2.8 lens. (David J Mathre)



Lady Beetle on a Bok Choi leaf. Individual images in the slideshow are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Daily Electric Energy Used (127.2 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (0.0 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. The solar panels still covered with snow. The supplemental resistance heating kicked on at night as the outdoor temperature dropped below 10°F. Deficit of 127.2 kWh.

Weekly Electric Energy Used (770 kWh) from Sense. Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (143 kWh) from Sense and SolSystems. Deficit of 627 kWh.