My 2026 Vegetable Garden Will See Major Changes

The Trusty Gardener-For Several Reasons, I Will Be Downsizing This Year

The Yard Under Construction to Install the Leach Field/Author Photo

Welcome back. Is it too early to be thinking about the garden here in Central New York? Considering the weather this winter, the answer is yes! So far, this winter has featured temperatures way below normal and a decent amount of snow. And that wind!

Factors Affecting the 2026 Garden

First-If you follow my articles, you can probably guess what the first factor is that could influence the garden this coming season. My back. As many of you know, I had lower back surgery on December 4th. And you probably also know that my recovery is going very well. Much better than I expected.

However, this surgery has made me realize that maybe it’s time to start cutting down on gardening and other activities that are hard on the back. I’m not sure that continuing to care for 2 large gardens is a good idea. I don’t want to injure my back, that’s for sure. On the other hand, I don’t think I could just give up gardening completely. I have been gardening for about 55 years! Give or take.

Second-The second reason for major changes to my gardens involves us having the leach field for our septic system redone this fall. After 33 years of living at our home, the dry well that served as the overflow for the septic tank (that was here when we bought the house in 1992) failed. When we came back from our 2-week camping trip in early August, I noticed the yard was really wet near the dry well, which has never happened. This was during a really hot and dry period, so it wasn’t due to excessive rainfall.

Long story short, we had to have a leach field put in to replace the dry well. Unfortunately, the leach field is really close to the gardens. When they were digging for the leach field, some comtamination (black water) of the gardens occurred (downhill from the leach field). So I am not comfortable with using the gardens since more contamination could occur, since the leach field is so close to them. It was really the only place the leach field could be placed.

The Leach Field, Very Close to the Gardens/Author Photo

Initially, I was very upset. I’ve put a lot of work into the gardens over the years. As time went on, and I had my back surgery, I started to think that maybe this happened for a reason. Maybe it is time to start slowing down a little.

A New Plan

So the garden this year will be different, much different. What will I do? Well, luckily, there is another garden. Yup. All be it small. You may remember me mentioning another garden. The auxiliary garden. Down behind the pond.


This garden consists of a hugelkultar mound, about 2 by 10 feet, that I made a few years ago, plus a traditional garden, about 4 by 10 feet. Although small, I can continue to use this garden. Perhaps even expand it a bit.

The Auxiliary Garden in June 2025/Author Photo

Will This Garden Be Big Enough?

Although I may be ready to downsize, I don’t think I can handle such a drastic change. I love gardening too much. So what to do? I decided that I will also add a few raised beds. Not the raised beds that sit on the ground, as I had for lettuce in the big gardens. These will be elevated to be easier on the back and also to prevent critters from eating the lettuce, etc. I will probably cover them to protect from birds and bugs, and during extreme heat, I can still use the shade cloth

Raised Bed I Ordered From AliExpress

I ordered 2 of these, which are about 2 feet by 6 feet. We’ll see how they work. I will use one for lettuce and other greens, and the other may be for some peppers. I will probably place them next to the auxiliary garden.

With this new setup, I will be able to grow Zucchini, cucumbers, winter squash, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and peppers for sure. I won’t have room for potatoes.

Next on the Agenda

In my next article, I will write about sorting through my seeds and ordering seeds for the upcoming season. Spoiler alert: I have already placed my seed order.


Thanks for reading, as always.

Birdwatching is Bringing Me Joy During This Brutally Cold Winter

Dan’s Almost Daily Journal-Volume 94-My Recovery From Back Surgery is Going Well

Happy New Year to All!

Female (Top) and Male Northern Cardinal Captured Using My Vinguys Smart Feeder

Note: This article contains Amazon Affiliate links. If you purchase the product from the link, I will earn a small commission.

Welcome back. So far, this winter has been very cold and snowy with below-average temperatures and brutally cold winds. Did I mention wind? It seems every week we are under a Wind Advisory. We have had at least 3 snowstorms and some minor snow in between. It seems like it’s been winter for a long time, but in actuality, we're just getting started.

Of course, this winter, since I am recovering from back surgery, I haven’t been able to go cross-country skiing. I have been out for a few short walks in the areas where I normally ski. It feels good to get out in nature again.

Recent Walk at Hunts Pond State Forest/Author Photos

A bright spot has been watching and photographing the birds at the feeders. The birds have been very active at the feeders, especially after the last snowfall of about 8 inches on Friday, December 26th. I am photographing birds using my Nikon Coolpix L830 point-and-shoot camera. However, I now have two Vinguys smart feeders, which I have been enjoying as well.

Here is an Amazon Affiliate Link for a Vinguys Smart Feeder.

European Starling Via Vinguys Smart Feeder

I am Pleased With My Recovery Thus Far

I am now one month post-surgery. Time does fly. I can get around well and do light tasks. My next checkup is near the end of January. Until then, I am still restricted to lifting no more than 10 pounds, and I am also supposed to avoid excessive bending and twisting. Soon, I will be going to PT to help strengthen my back muscles. Overall, my back feels really good.

Now that Christmas is over, things are slowing down a bit. We are looking forward to ringing in the new year.

Why Do I Have Two Smartfeeders?

Last Christmas, my wife bought me a Vinguys smart feeder, as I wrote about it here.

It worked really well during the winter. Towards spring, however, it stopped working as it didn’t seem to charge properly with the solar panel. I tried charging it indoors using a USB cable, but I was unable to get it going again. I contacted Vinguys, who eventually sent me a new feeder this fall. I kept the original feeder in the cellar, and noticed this fall that when I walked by it in the cellar, the blue light on the camera went on, which indicates it is detecting motion. It was alive!

Blue Jay Via Vinguys Smart Feeder

So I tried charging it again, and then went through the procedure to reset it and add it to the phone app, which controls the camera. Lo and behold, it was working again! So I put it outside since I had saved the mounting bracket and solar panel.

So now I have dueling smart feeders!

The Cardinals Are Finally Using the Smartfeeders!

Last winter, the Cardinals never fed from the smart feeder. They seemed to use all the other feeders I have. Just last week, they started using the feeder I put back out that came back to life. This feeder is located near the edge of the yard in a more protected area near trees. This makes sense that they feel more protected there as opposed to my other feeders that are not as close to the tree line. However, last winter, they never used it.

It's great to have the Cardinals on the smart feeder; it makes for some good photos! I have also been continuing to participate in Project FeederWatch.

Female Downy Woodpecker On the Suet Feeder/Author Photo

Here is an Amazon Affiliate Link for a Heath Suet Cage.

Stay tuned for more updates, including big changes coming to my garden next year.

Simply Bird Photos/Happy New Year

 Welcome back.  Here's to a great 2021!  Happy New Year Everyone!

Blue Jay

Juvenile Female Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal

Black-Capped Chickadee

Mourning Doves

Cedar Waxwing

Seed Catalogs Are Arriving/Winter Bird Photos

Welcome back.  Although I have been posting mostly about birdwatching over the last month or so, gardening is always on my mind even during the winter months.  I'm always thinking ahead to the next season in regards to which varieties to try, etc.  With the snowstorm this past week, which gave us a 30 inch snowfall, Spring seems so far away.

Over the the last few weeks I have been receiving seed catalogs.  They seem to come earlier each year.  Although I buy most of my seeds locally, sometimes I order from the catalogs especially if I want to try a specific variety that catches my eye.  I will cover each catalog that I  have received to date, and highlight one variety from each.

The first catalog I received is Totally Tomatoes.  How appropriate for me, as I love to grow tomatoes, especially heirlooms.  If you are a tomato and/or pepper lover, this catalog is for you.

One new variety they are offering is Belle of the Ball tomato.  This one is an heirloom hybrid (from two French heirlooms), which is an interesting concept in itself.  In recent years I tend to stray away from hybrids, which were bred to produce uniformly sized, perfectly shaped fruits for mass sale.  But in the process some flavor was lost.  The heirlooms offer the best flavor, however they also are sometimes oddly shaped, etc.

Therefore a hybrid of 2 heirloom varieties is a great idea to blend the best with the best.

The next catalog I received is Seeds 'nSuch. They have a good selection of veggie and flower seeds.  

Keeping with the tomato theme, I will highlight a variety called Mountain Merit Hybrid.  You may be wondering why I am mentioning a hybrid tomato after just touting the advantages of the heirlooms.  

If you have had problems with tomato blight (early and late), this tomato may be for you.  This one has resistance to blight.  There are other "Mountain" varieties with blight resistance as well so you can choose which variety you would like.  I have had problems with blight for years, although I still manage to get a decent tomato harvest.  I try to to rotate where I plant each year which helps somewhat.  It is also important to dispose of vegetation instead of tilling into the soil in the Fall.  Also, applying a copper fungicide (spray) to your plants several times during the season can help.

The third catalog I have received is Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  This all inclusive catalog comes in at 162 pages and is more like a book.  

They offer some rare and interesting heirloom tomatoes.  One extremely rare variety is Thorburn's Terra Cotta from 1893.  It is very unusual looking, but  the flavor is described as "out of this world".  It is a prolific producer as well.

Thorburn's Terra Cotta

This catalog is worth taking a look at, you can request a free copy.

I am looking forward to receiving more catalogs in the coming weeks. I will share them with you as I do.  Although it is too early to start seeds, the following is a link if you are interested in purchasing seed starting supplies .  The time will be here before we know it! 

I will leave you with some recent bird photos.  Enjoy.  Thanks for reading.

 

Mourning Doves

 

Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Dark-Eyed Junco

European Starling

  

 

    

Using eBird/Bird Photos

Welcome back.  If you follow my blog you will know that I have covered in detail several bird counting opportunities, including Project FeederWatch, and the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).  In this post I will introduce eBird, which is also managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

As you may know, both Project FeederWatch and GBBC limit your bird counts as they are for specific periods of time.  Project FeederWatch runs from mid-November to early April each year, and participants can only count for 2 consecutive days each week.  The GBBC takes place each February and involves counting birds for 4 consecutive days.  What if you are an avid birder and want to count every day even in different locations?  Enter eBird.

Perhaps the best way to introduce eBird is through the following video:

As the video mentions, data can be entered either via the website or using the mobile app.  Photos and even audio recordings can also be entered.

From the eBird website:

eBird began with a simple idea—that every birdwatcher has unique knowledge and experience. Our goal is to gather this information in the form of checklists of birds, archive it, and freely share it to power new data-driven approaches to science, conservation and education. At the same time, we develop tools that make birding more rewarding. From being able to manage lists, photos and audio recordings, to seeing real-time maps of species distribution, to alerts that let you know when species have been seen, we strive to provide the most current and useful information to the birding community.

eBird data document bird distribution, abundance, habitat use, and trends through checklist data collected within a simple, scientific framework. Birders enter when, where, and how they went birding, and then fill out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. eBird’s free mobile app allows offline data collection anywhere in the world, and the website provides many ways to explore and summarize your data and other observations from the global eBird community.

So for those of you who want to participate beyond Project FeederWatch, eBird is for you.

Regarding bird photography,  you may wonder what camera I am using.  I currently use a Nikon Coolpix L830.  It has a 34X zoom and is mainly a point and shoot camera, although it does also have manual modes.  This is an older model that I bought used.  It is a good camera for those on a budget.  For your convenience here is a link if you are interested in purchasing a Nikon Coolpix camera; there are new and used ones listed.

Finally, some photos for your enjoyment.

American Goldfinch

Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow

Downy Woodpecker

Until next time.

Counting Birds/Exploring Chalet Feeders

Welcome back.  As Project FeederWatch continues,  I hope you have set up a feeder and are participating in this worthwhile project. 

My first two consecutive counting days were November 14th and 15th, and following are the species I observed along with the maximum number of individuals for each (12 Species).

• European Starling (1)
• Blue Jay (3)
• Black-Capped Chickadee (3)
• House Sparrow (12)
• Tufted Titmouse (1)
• House Finch (4)
• White Breasted Nuthatch (1)
• American Goldfinch (2)
• Hairy Woodpecker (1)
• Northern Cardinal (2)
• Downy Woodpecker (2)
• Mourning Dove (1)

This was a good showing of birds for the first week of the season,  There was no snow cover on the days I counted.  A few days later we had about an inch of snow and cold windy conditions, and there was definitely an increase in bird activity.  However, even though you can choose any 2 consecutive days of the week to record your counts, you can't count more often than once per week.

My 2nd count was done on November 21st and 22nd.  The counts were as follows (13 Species):

• European Starling (1)
• Blue Jay (7)
• Black-Capped Chickadee (4)
• House Sparrow (8)
• House Finch (2)
• White Breasted Nuthatch (1)
• American Goldfinch (2)
• Hairy Woodpecker (1)
• Northern Cardinal (2)
• Downy Woodpecker (1)
• Mourning Dove (7)
• American Tree Sparrow (1)
• Dark-Eyed Junco (4)

If you compare the lists, they are almost identical with the exception of the Tufted Titmouse from the first count was replaced by the American Tree Sparrow the second week and also a few Dark-Eyed Juncos made an appearance.  Once we get consistent colder temperatures and snow cover, I expect the number of species to increase.

In my last few posts regarding bird watching, I have been providing information on different bird feeder types.  So far I covered platform and tube feeders.  This week I will talk about chalet type feeders. These feeders typically have a hopper covered by a roof, and two seed troughs to dispense the seed.  I have provided a link if you are interested in purchasing a feeder.

Chalet Feeder

Suet Feeder

I am also showing a different type of suet feeder that I purchased a few years ago.  It is mounted on a garden pole that pushes into the ground.  This feeder was originally designed for a product called "Suet Balls".   I haven't been able to find them lately, so I just break up a normal suet cake into 4 pieces to fill it.

As you can see, I also have suet baskets (deigned to hold a suet cake) on my chalet feeder and the platform one as well.

The chalet feeder, which can be used by both large and small birds, offers several advantages.  First, the hopper holds a fair amount of seed so you won't have to refill as often.  The seed is also protected from the elements especially compared to the platform style feeder.  They can be made from wood, plastic,  and even metal.  They can be hung, pole mounted, or even window sill mounted.

Thanks for reading.  In my next post I will explore eBird, which is also run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Using eBird, you can submit bird counts anytime, anywhere.

I will leave you with a few photos from this week.

Black-Capped Chickadee

American Goldfinch

Planting Flower Bulbs

Welcome back.  I wrote this post about a month ago but didn't publish since I have been focusing on bird watching lately.  I planted the bulbs in mid October.

This post is a little different for me, although I do at times cover flowers, mainly perennial.  We haven't planted bulbs in many years.  Now that I am retired, I'm finding more time to expand my horizons.  

We decided to plant some bulbs in a new bed I created last fall underneath a crab apple tree in the side yard.  Planting bulbs is pretty straight forward, hopefully the results will be good.

When planting bulbs, first of all, be sure that they are correct for the Zone you live in.  Also, be sure to follow directions especially as to the correct planting depth.  Since this bed is mulched with shredded pine mulch, that should provide an extra layer of protection over the winter months.

It is a good idea also to label what was planted, as it may be hard to remember come Spring.

 

I have recently also planted bulbs in the beds in front of our house in-between the shrubs.  In these beds I planted, tulips, daffodils, crocuses and irises.

Finally, a video how to regarding planting bulbs:

Thanks for reading.  Until next time.