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Garden Gate:  OMG, what have I just gone and done??  |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 03:33:05 AM
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We rotate our gardens out of 3 different plots each big enough for a big 48HP tractor to easily turn around at the end of the rows.
We also sell what's grown, and I can a bunch too
So after all the planting, it's time to weed!
Yucko
So I do alittle fine tuning w/ a hoe and hubby does the rough stuff w/ a tiller
It's so much work, but still very rewarding |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 08:20:22 AM
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Cheryl, it sound like you have the same weather there as we do here. Yuck, yuck and more yuck! I hope you will be able to get out there soon.
Lisa, that sounds like me. I'll be old and on a walker in the garden but happy. I had a neighbor that was so old and could hardly see but she'd get on her walker and carry her hoe and garden awhile every day. That will be me one day. Looks like you have a great start to your garden.
Anna, is it raining there, too? Have you started anything yet?
At least the garden love all this rain. I know it will be needing this later.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 4:37:29 PM
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I was rememdering too a neighbor who was famous for her gardens came over to see mine and wanted a cutting of a new dwarf hydrangea(they grow really slow) and she was 92 years old then.I later worked in this garden after she'd passed away and found this plant growing there.What optimism!
Also about thirty years ago I was riding an cool old pink schwinn w/ basket to work as a baker and went by a beautiful garden every afternoon. One day I saw an old woman working in it so I stopped and told her how much I enjoyed her garden.I asked what those large red flowers were in the back,she leaned over close and wispered to me "Oh dear those are opium poppies,heh,heh aren't they pretty".Well I resolved then and there to be growing those beautiful flowers in my yard when I was old.This morning spilling poppy seeds all over my desk to plant at work I remembered this memory .Then I thought how wonderful I was living the life I'd dreamed of... |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 7:52:29 PM
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Great garden stories! If the dirt could only talk!
The poppies are just now starting to bloom all throughout the hillsides, it's just beautiful this time of year. I've never seen red ones, just the orange "California" poppies.
Have any of you ever heard of using a torch to burn off the weeds that pop up in undesirable areas? The ash is said to be good for the soil...I'm going to try it, better than chemicals, and hopefully better for my back!
This year I'm going to try and grow sesame seeds and luffa sponges! I just got the seeds in the mail today. Every year I attempt to grow something wonderfully weird!
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2009 : 7:53:51 PM
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Katie:
Where are you in California?
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 06:42:39 AM
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Lisa, I have seen the torch in a catalog. It looks like something I might like to have. I am all for easy gardening. I hate to weed. I usually just use old hay for mulch and lay it on really thick. But now I have so much I may have to use a torch. We have that awful pig weed here but I do leave some around some plants because some bugs like it. And the bees do, too. But it sure does hurt. It seems to grow really good around the okra and corn.
Love the gardening stories. Keep 'em coming!
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 07:12:31 AM
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Kristin:
I come from a long line of gardeners, my grandfather loved to grow cucumbers, and although I only met him once when I was about 3yrs old, I always plant cucs and think of him. He was a very jolly guy, I wish I could have known him. And my grandmother who lived to be 96, loved her flowers and her green lawn. She was crippled from polio at a very young age, but if she saw a weed in her lawn, she'd tear the whole thing out and replant! We would go visit every Sunday, and we never knew what to expect from her. She always made homemade hungarian spinach soup, from the garden, and she had a very strong accent. She always replied "Yoy yoy yoy"....funny how we hold on to the little things! She loved her roses, so I've planted a few of her favorite colors in the garden as well. I hope they are up there looking down with smiles on their faces.....gardening is timeless isn't it?
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 3:16:13 PM
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What neat memories of your grandparents, Lisa. I have picked cotton with my grandpa. Wagon loads with hot sweaty boys. And he always had tons of okra and he'd go pick with long sleeves and gloves and he lived in south Ga. He sold it to Piggly Wiggly. And my grandma always had fresh veggies for dinner that they grew. I loved to sit and watch her cut corn off the cob and when she scraped them the juice would squirt all over the place. I sure miss them.
My other granparents always had a huge garden, too. And my grandma named all her animals in alphabetical order. I didn't know that until my mom heard me doing the same thing when I startes getting farm critters. How odd.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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nampafarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
494 Posts
Kim
Nampa
ID
USA
494 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 3:17:33 PM
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I am kind of interested in what the feed store guy says as well. I wonder if we cant get the chicks as peopel are eaither raising their own meat birds and layers and doing their own veggie crops do to the food scares we have been having recently or becasue so many businesses are folding, maybe the supply is faling off as well. Anyway, good luck with 'doubleing up'. I too am doubling mine.
Kim
Farmgirl Sister # 302 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2009 : 7:32:39 PM
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Kim, I went today and got some seeds. He said he didn't get certain seed because of crop failure last year. I don't know if that's right or just the big guys trying to control the seed distribution. Who knows? And people are just tired of all the crap they have to eat now and just want to grow their own and have their own chickens and anything else they can do to be more self-sufficient. So get it while you can.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2009 : 07:57:14 AM
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Kristin:
Do you plan to save your own seeds? I would think that would insure next years crops for you.
I've never purchased in bulk, how much will it end up costing you?(if you don't mind my asking) I've only purchased the little packets, and the price on those have gone way up. I have spinach packages from way back that are priced at .25, and the new ones I just purchased from Seed Savers, $4.75! Guess who's saving all her seeds this year!!!!
LisaLu
P.S.
Love the stories of your grandparents!
Happiness is homemade... |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2009 : 6:42:22 PM
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Lisa, I noticed the last few years that my okra comes back. So I did save a few pounds from last years seed pods. I will use them this year. And my zinnias always come back volunteer. I am going to save seed this year for next years crops because I have already spent about $75 maybe more. I got 4 cups of Swiss chard, 2 kale, 1 kolrabi and a cabbage today and they were close to $4 a cup. It does add up quick, but I hope to make lots of money at the FM and selling direct from my place.
I have still not gotten my Baker Creek catalog. I'd like to order from them but might not be able to if it takes this long to mail seeds.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 07:59:12 AM
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Kristin:
At $4.00/cup, that doesn't seem high to me at all, I guess I'm used to the envelopes, my girlfriend just spent $1.00/seed for some special watermelon! They look like black bowling balls, sure hope she doesn't "strike out"!!!! (a little morning humor for ya!)
Best of luck with your planting, I wish you were still in CA, I'd love to come and lend a hand. I've always wanted to know more about growing larger crops.
Keep me posted!
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 08:01:56 AM
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Lisa Lu, I'm in Gualala,Calif.South Mendocino coast.I could send you some Opium poppy seeds if you want to email me an address.They will be spilling out of the envelope like they did the other day on my computer.They soon grow everywhere.Wildomar is it in S. Cal? Already planting tomatoes??Here only in the greenhouses.
Katie |
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 08:13:14 AM
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I don't have that big of a garden but my lettuce is doing it's third year since I bought a seed.My chard went crazy I let about twenty go to seed and I have chard everywhere.Great because here for organic,five leaves cost $3.75 in the stores,not even a handful.Then my arugula reseeded and now I'm letting parsnips.It's also fun giving away the seed.It's great to feel this cheap abundance!
Katie |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 6:45:15 PM
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Katie, I've never grown Swiss chard before. Any advice? It is the prettiest plants with all the colors. I hope I can get this to seed. How do I do that? I also bought one cup of kolrabi and don't know anything about that, either. I know you eat the root, right? I just thought I'd grow some different things this year for a change.
Lisa, I wish I had a seperate garden just for watermelon and cantalope and pumpkins. They take up so much room to grow. I did grow pumpkins a few years ago. And I also have lots of wood chucks that love to eat the melons. So I don't grow them anymore.
My hubby built us a cold frame. It looks like a coffin. We had an old door and our old windows. So he made a double one. It's so neat. I have all my plants and my trays of tomato seeds in there now. What a handy thing to have. I want a bunch more for winter gardening now.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 10:02:48 AM
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Katie:
I grew a small crop of Chard this winter, I've always had a few plants in the garden because I love the colors, yellow, red,orange....but never knew how to cook it. Well I found a great receipe for a caserole, you steam the chopped Chard (cut out the center stem, then layer it in a casserole dish with butter, grated cheeses (pepper jack & parmesean) and top with seasoned bread crumbs! Bake in oven until top is browned and bubbly....it's soooo goooooood!
Happiness is homemade... |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 10:14:16 AM
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Kristin:
My hubby did the same for me a few years ago, he took a set of french doors and placed them on a wood frame, it held up for only a few years, our sun is so intense, the seedlings would burn up, and the doors were so heavy to lift, I wore out the hinges, and then the frames started to get weak, then the glass shattered. What a mess! They looked really cool, like doors to some secret place.....but just not good for Southern California!
I purchased a small green house at Lowe's, it was about $35.00, it has 4 shelves and is covered by plastic, with zipper front access. I put it by a sunny window in the living room, my tomatoes strouted fast, the plants looked great, then I put them outside on the patio for a week to adjust to the temps, then put them out in the sun. I planted the little toms last week....and they all died! The stems shrived up, I think the dirt got too hot, or they were just too young...I was so upset, everytime I go to great lengths to cultivate these "weeds" they die, so I retaliated and just put the seeds in the ground, and .....guess what....they sprouted! So lets hope I get the crop of my dreams! I have about 40 different varieties of tomatoes, all different colors and shapes. I can't wait for the first salad!
Happiness is homemade... |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 6:59:10 PM
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Wow, you have 40 different varieties of tomatoes?? That's a bunch. I have what I was sent from Wintersown. About 7. I think that's all I'll do now. I hope they all come up now. I think I got 8 cups with 9 cells. So that will be plenty.
Has anyone grown the little sweet mini peppers? They are so good. I dried some seeds from one of them and just planted them today. I'll see what happens. I had really good luck last year with peppers. I had yellow banana and jalapeno and the red hot peppers all summer. I couldn't get them to stop. I was picking them up until frost. I was sick of them by then.
The recipe looks good. I will have to try it when they get ready. Thanks.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 7:04:38 PM
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Kristin:
Yes, I too love to grow peppers, last year I tried Pepperoncini's for the first time, I tried to "can" them, but they turned to mush!
Here is the best recipe of all time...I make these stuffed peppers everytime we have a special BBQ, everyone loves them....I like jalapeno peppers, but it the heat is too much, you can substitute with the mild red, yellow, and orange ones.
Make a slit lengthwise on peppers, stuff with a mixture of cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese (chopped jalapeno's too if you like a little heat)....then wrap the pepper in bacon, secure with a toothpick....then put on the BBQ, and baste with "Sweet Baby Rays' BBQ sauce.
The heat, the coolness of the cheese, and the salt of the bacon, OMG, and then the sauce.....they are to die for...in fact, I think I'll plant some peppers tomorrow!
Thanks for the idea! I hope you will try the recipe, I'd love your opinion.
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 06:55:15 AM
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Lisa, that sounds good. That reminded me of a lady that bought the banana peppers from me last year. She cut them in half long ways, dipped them in pancake batter, and fried them. I never have tried that, but want to. She said they are so good, I guess as appetizers.
Go plant some peppers, girl! I think I will print up a bunch of recipes to give out at the market. People like that.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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LisaLu
True Blue Farmgirl
126 Posts
Lisa
Wildomar
Ca
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 07:37:49 AM
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Kristin:
That's a great idea, passing out recipes at the market, maybe in your spare time you could make a few appitizers for your customers to try! Wouldn't that be nice!
I wish I knew more about the farmers markets here. I think they are expensive to join, and I'm not sure I'd like the loading and unloading, then sitting down all day.....that would be torture for me. I could see myself in a cool apron...with a tray of appitizers working the crowd, bringing them in, but I couldn't just sit down all day. I guess you never know until you try....
My dream is to buy an old 1952 farm truck, red of coarse, and put my logo of a blonde pin-up girl holding a basket of tomatoes on the side doors, and deliver my toms to fancy restaurants. I don't know why I think that would work here, it's never been done, but I think it would be really cute. I could hire pretty girls to deliver...who would say "no" to that! My crazy hubby got a tatoo of my logo (a photo of me standing in front of a 52 truck). At first I was mad that he got the truck first, but, well, he did it out of love...
Here's to livin' the dream....
I think I'll go get dirty now and plant those pepper plants!
LisaLu
Happiness is homemade... |
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lupinelady99
True Blue Farmgirl
113 Posts
Lisa
Massena
New York
USA
113 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 2:40:54 PM
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I'm glad to have tumbled into this topic. Noticed that the number of seeds available in stores and varieties have been limited this year. Online even the catalogs seem to be selling out faster than usual. Seemed strange to me since so many people are planning a garden (heck, even the White House is doing it, lol). I thought maybe it was inventory control on the part of stores with the economy, but seeing that it is hitting so many different areas definitely has me wondering about the logic.
I have a smallish garden set up with 5 raised bed rows. Grow the basics for me and then share the rest with local food pantries, friends and family. Also do some gardens in pots for my Mother. Her heath is frail but she loves being able to reach out her back door to get some beans, a cucumber and a tomato.
When my husband was still alive and the kids were at home I canned and froze everything in sight! Now I'm not as ambitious. Might do a small batch of applesauce, a few jars of jam, and freeze some squashes for breads.
I'm envious of those of you in California that can grow those big beautiful peppers! Our seasons here in Northern New York just aren't hot and long enough to grow really plentiful big ones, but we grow the best we can.
The ground here is still frozen, but my grow lights are on and am working on seedlings in anticipation of another fine season.
"we come from the Earth, we return to the Earth and we garden in between"
http://www.myspace.com/lupinelady99 |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 8:26:58 PM
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Hey Lisa Lupinelady, your garden sounds great. And very nice of you to share your bounty. I bring produce to church for some of the older folks. They love it. And your mother is so blessed to have you to help her with her little potted garden. I guess that will be me in 40 years or so.
I wish I could grow the green bell peppers. I have never had good luck with them. They just don't get big like in the stores.
Your ground will be thawed out soon and you'll be out there digging in the dirt soon. Have fun.
Lisa, I love your dream! How cute. I hope it comes true real soon for you. Sounds like fun and I'm sure it would take off fast the way you describe it. Love the truck, too.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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lupinelady99
True Blue Farmgirl
113 Posts
Lisa
Massena
New York
USA
113 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 8:59:18 PM
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Thanks so much Kristin! I love to garden and nothing is better therapy in the world. It can't be helped that it is either feast or famine with a garden and I just can't waste the bounty! Must be all my Irish ancestry, lol. The two food pantries love to see me come with my organic vegetables and leftover seed packets. They always have a home for them.
Last October I was visiting a long time friend in Northern California and I was just in awe of her bell peppers and tomatoes. They were so gorgeous!
The weather is improving. The days are getting brighter and longer for sure. I just had to adjust all my timers on lights around the house again!
http://www.myspace.com/lupinelady99 |
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Garden Gate: OMG, what have I just gone and done?? |
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OMG, what have I just gone and done??
