Garden Stuff

Google docs form for garden data collection – way too simple!

Eloine

This is for everyone who has had to create forms on a website to collect information. Unless there is some sort of automatic widget built in to your content management system this can be a complicated or time-consuming task. Google has made this ridiculously simple though so in case you aren’t aware I thought I would share with you how easy it is to make a slick little data collection form in just a few steps.

    1. Create a Google account (https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount) or if you already have a Gmail account just login and click the “documents” link at the very top to login into your Google docs account.

 

    1. Once there Click the “create new” drop-down button in the upper left and select “form”

    1. From here give the form a name and then you can just start filling in what you want the questions to be. Just keep adding until you are done. You can create simple text fields or get fancier and create multiple-choice buttons and drop down selections.In this example I thought I would make a quick and easy way for me to record what I have planted in my garden. I tend to forget and wonder what that plant is. I always think I will remember what it is and where I got it but never do!

 

  1. All the information above is collected into an online spreadsheet that you download and open in excel or just store and access on Google docs. You can even share with your friends and co-workers the information. Depending on the information inputted Google will also create a summary of the information with charts where appropriate.
  2. Google also has a number of themes you can choose from. In this page the garden theme works perfectly.
  3. The next step is to embed this form on your website which Google does through the use of an iframe. You can select “embed this form” under the “More actions” button. Copy the little bit of code and paste the HTML into the HTML of your website and you are done.
  4. Unfortunately there aren’t too many themes to choose from and Google doesn’t yet allow you to create your own and you can’t modify the colors, fonts or images by the steps mentioned above.
  5. If you want most of the functionality of the form but want to edit the appearance then you will have to click “view this form” at the bottom and then view the source code in your browser. Copy the code and paste it into your HTML view of your web-editing program. From there you can edit the CSS and alter the appearance and images of the form to match your site. I will get into this in a later blog post in there is interest.

The coolest thing for me is that now I can update what I have done in the garden without having to go to my computer. I just open my iPhone (picture of my scarecrow on the home screen btw) and bring the web page up in the browser and input what I have done right there in the garden before I forget!

Lots and lots of snap peas!

Eloine

I am happy to report a success in my gardening this year although I almost forgot what I had done to achieve that success. The past couple of years I haven’t had the greatest luck with my snap peas. The first year I planted I had so many I didn’t know what to do with them and then subsequent years I was lucky to get more than a handful of them. This year I have bags and bags full!! Then I remembered that this year I tried a bean inoculant.

I started reading about how beans help to bring nitrogen to the soil but that they need a certain bacteria to get this process going. That bacteria should be in the soil but since I use store bought sterilized soil it’s not. Obviously since this is the only thing I did it seems to be working. I have it growing in two seperate patches and they both are producing a lot. My mother tried to grow some and hardly has any peas is it producing. She didn’t use the inoculant.

I made a little furrow and just poured the inoculate on the soil. Then I planted a seed over that and then covered that with soil and watered well. There are lots of various methods online but that is what I did. We enjoyed this dish made with meat and fried senorita jalapenos and onions from the freezer from last years harvest. The peas were stir fried in the pan along with the meat and the already cooked mild peppers and caramelized onions! YUM!

 

My Bubble Gum Supternia

Eloine

Me with my petunias last year

The day before yesterday I posted a picture of one of my parents teacup poodles in this cute blue teacup planter. Well this photo should give you a little more of an idea of it’s size! A couple of years ago I ordered some petunias off of internet and I have been amazed at how well they have grown. It’s like a wall of these pretty pink flowers cascading all around so I just had to order some more. They are a variety of Proven Winners which seems to mean they grow in all kinds of conditions and very hardy plants. They have to be if they are going to survive my iron laden well water!

What you see here is a Supertunia Vista Bubblegum Petunia. I plan to plant them in all my hanging baskets and I will have pink bubble gum everywhere!

 

New toad abodes

Eloine

I saw these in the specialty isle at Winco foods and I couldn’t resist. Up until now I have been using old broken terracotta pots as little lures for toad houses. I read in a garden magazine  that  suggested them for shelter since they like to take refuge under some wet wood or some dark little cover were they can keep cool and protected while laying wait for an insect to crawl on by. Here in California it’s not uncommon to see a Western California toad (California Toad, B. boreas halophilus) out in the evening and night time hours. It’s fun to look down and see their comical faces. These little statues have an opening near the bottom that is just the right size for a toad to crawl into. They are great to have around in your garden eating beetles, ants and spiders.

Here is a photo I took last year when it went down a gopher hole in my lawn. As you can see they like it wet, dark and protected.

Weekly garden update (sort of)

Eloine

Ok so this weekly garden update is not so weekly! Oopsie! That’s because anyone who lives near the bay area of California right now knows that for the past couple of weeks it’s been raining and raining and raining! Remind me again…. this IS California isn’t it? I thought it didn’t rain here. Hey, not complaining though the hills are indeed INCREDIBLE this time of year!!!

and once the sun starts to shine the mustard is going to bolt upright to the heavens! This red winged black appears to be waiting for it.

So here are a few updates:

  • My potato plants seem to be doing well as you can see from above. Both store bought and organic from the garden store. We’ll see when I harvest if I only get pretty plants or if I actually get fresh buttery potatoes!
  • Started building a “jungle gym” for the parrot in my veggie garden. It’s already covered with bird netting for protection and a metal frame to hang stuff on. Amazing that should bring a destructive bird back IN to the garden! As you can see Max is enjoying himself up there.
  • Did the usual jaunt to the hardware store to pick up some supplies and as always came back with more plants. This time some sweet broom, boxwood basil and a couple of red tip photinia