Well, I guess we lucked out as to trying to attempt a vegetable garden this year in this area. We've had weekly rains and not too drastic temps, and the veg are happy. In fact, they are on the verge of TOO happy, in which case we are planning drive-by vegging of unsuspecting neighbors and friends.
We have zucchini, yellow squash, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, green and purple basil, and one tiny watermelon baby. The bib lettuce has bolted, but I am enjoying its flowers. We also have zinnia, four o'clocks, marigolds, nicotania alata and n. rustica, and cosmos sharing the veg beds.
It has been fun to watch the veggies grow, and to eat and share them. We have used no persticides and the stuff has been fine. We plan to plow under these same small raised beds next year and do more veg. I don't know whether we'll have another good weather year next time, but we are hooked!
Beware of celebrity chefs bearing recipes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7540648.stm).
Yum, yellow squash...
Hey Chatty- you got a fave yellow squash recipe?
Pictures where are the pictures! ;)
If its pictures you want then directions to the Liljevalchs konsthall can be found here
http://www.liljevalchs.stockholm.se/default.asp?id=1883 (http://www.liljevalchs.stockholm.se/default.asp?id=1883)
oh sorry... you wanted pictures of vegetables.... how about this....
(http://www.aspergersdoorknob.com/I-PopUps/Arcimboldo.jpg)
That one hangs at Skokloster castle, where I was earlier this summer.
Liljevalchs, well it's an institution :-\ and it's closed for renovation at the moment... :P ;)
I usually prefer the museum of modern art or the old art at the National museum. :)
you will have to organise toadfish trips!
I could live with that. ;) And baking cakes to bring on the trips. ;D
Okay, I just took these (see below if site allows)
1) Countertop with veg from garden. Note: Mr. Gigantor zucchini, picked today.
2) Raised veg beds brimming over.
3) This Tiger Swallowtail butterfly perched on a zinnia and allowed me to take his photo.
:o
Gorgeous veggies, wonderful garden and a beautiful butterfly!
:)
Yellow Squash casserole...
Cut up and boil squashies wif sum onions an a l'il garlic, not too much water so most boils away.
Some breadcrumbs, I like wheat bread, cornbread or both, mebbe a little butter if ya wanna. Mix 'em in, whip up an egg or two, mix THEM in, toss inna oven and bake. Put some cheese on top at the end if ya wanna.
I always top it with crushed Cheezits or wheat crackers, THEN the cheese...
Yes, this is HOW I cook.
Hi Ops ,
You have a beautiful looking garden , it just needs a pond .
How much space do you have to play with bye the way ?
Since I put in the pond and decks I have little room for veg , and will probably do container gardening next season .
I have some peepers ( they be wee things) and tomatoes growing in old 20 liter plastic paint buckets.
They are alive and producing fruit but the yield is very poor compared to what I had growing in raised beds .
Yum! That squash casserole sounds great- I'll try it! :-* Thanks! I even have all the ingredients at hand!
I have a couple of possible areas for a pond. One is right by the house, a little area between the back steps and the patio, about 3 x 6 feet or so. The other area might be between patio and veg beds, which is maybe six feet by fifty feet. There's a swale there right now, but one fantasy is to put a pond there with a little moon bridge across it.
Quote from: beagle on August 06, 2008, 08:17:49 PM
Beware of celebrity chefs bearing recipes (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7540648.stm).
Too late...cough, splutter, gasp! :barf:
The tomato plants have up and died in the last week.
Cherry plant has been producing, slowly but methodically. Now it has suddenly pinched-off and dropped all its excess foliage. The fruiting stems look like grape bunches after the grapes have been picked -- all twiggy. Small green tomatoes are dotting the vine, but drop, unripened, to the soil below.
Regular plant, after sulking and refusing to grow or flower all summer has suddenly put forth several large, luxurious looking fruits. Also green and hard as rocks, refusing to ripen.
Weird.
Odd.
Especially the cherry tomatoes behaviour. ???
The regular plant probably need more warmth and sun, if it dies before the tomatoes are ripe just put the fruits on a plate on the windowsill until they ripe, or cook with them green. :)
Both plants are on the west side of the house, full-sun, have received proper water and plant food. This has happened abruptly in the last week (checked again this afternoon, and the cherry plant looks like a sad green tumbleweed).
One of mom's friends two streets over is experiencing the same thing. Both have concluded that when "they" sprayed for weeds and insects, "they" over-sprayed onto the tomato plants.
So, you know, I had to ask. :devil2:
Q: Did [friend] schedule people to spray for weeds and insects?
A: no response
Q: Did *you* schedule people to come and spray for weeds and insects?
A: no response
Q: If someone did, did it drift two streets over to target just your tomato plants, and not any of the veg gardens in between or next door?
A: angry insistence that "they" must have sprayed somewhere and it drifted onto her plants
: pieces repents of her inopportune logic and shuts up : :-[
It may be the weather, though.
Tomato plants in these parts have been having a hard time this year due to the frequent rain patterns. Apparently, tomato plants have to have a certain minimum hours of the sun's heat to produce and ripen the fruit.
Here's some more info: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48516325.tip.html
I planted Early Girl, which despite it's name, took it's sweet time to both grow and ripen fruit this year, but we have had enough to satisfy my small family (ripening about 1-2 per day, when normally we'd be over-run by now). I have heard of similar problems from other locals.
I would happily blame the weather, but neighboring gardens have flourishing plants. (Perhaps different varietals, though.)
One neighbor came to the Tool Sale and actually returned a few minutes later with a gift of three nice large tomatoes from her own garden, because she was so touched by the pitiful sight of the spindly thorn tree mom's had become. :D (Rest of her garden still looks really good, though, thanks to ... me.)
Welcome to northern hemispherical planting season 2009!
I sowed some early seeds (the kind that want cold weather to germinate) on March 9th: Val D'Orges Lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce, Spinach and green onion. Yesterday the Icebergs began to sprout!
I have some early sprouts started from my windowsill seedstarter, as well. Ther I planted yellow grape tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes, Iceberg Lettuce, Delaware Sacred Nicotiana, Nicotiana Rustica, Baby Eggplant and Statice. everything sprouted except the Eggplant (cranky babaies!) and some have grown so much I have re-potted them and placed them in the outdoor mini-greenhouse on the south-facing porch.
They were all started under a fluorescent light on a timer that was set for 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. I used Jiffy pots and then moved them into potting mix with a little watered-down liquid fertilizer.
I've been learning that tomatoes don't really like to be fertilized much after they are established. Last year I used a slow-release fertilizer that worked a treat on everything else, but may have annoyed the 'maters. I will be more careful, this year.
My Master Gardening class gave us free soil analysis and I found out that my veg beds were still plenty rich enough from all the compost I put in them last year. That means it was probably a bit too rich last year. I am going to leave that soil alone this season.
2011: After riotous lettuces earlier this year, they all bolted and I took them out. There's been some bare spots out there waiting through the dry season, but I started some lettuce seeds indoors (they prefer cooler weather for germination) and took advantage of this week's passing Tropical Depression Whatsisface's (Lee?) cooler temps and plentiful rain to put them outdoors. We'll see how they do. Put out some old spinach seeds, too.
The tomatoes have not been so productive, though. Guess it's time to beef up the soil, again.
I'm declaring May 10th to be Produce Independence Day. I've been eating out of the garden a lot lately, and I think I can get all my veggies from my own lot from here on. There shall be a small dinner to celebrate.
To start with, it'll be fairly limited and be mostly greens (plus scads of rhubarb and some weeds), and I'm sure that I'll still be picking up a little bit of local seasonal veg such as asparagus, but there's probably enough growing for me to not really need to shop for veggies. It's mostly thanks to row covers, as many gardeners are just starting to plant now.
(edit: changed date of PID)
Oh poor ill tomatos.
I have been to the 2 local farmers markets twice this season.
I love it.
None of them seem to have asparagus but they have some grown only 1 state over in the grocery store so not toooooo bad.
I believe I've bought my last lettuce of the season, as the garden lettuces are now ready to be eaten, and more on the way! Yeay!
The beets are beefing up, too.
The cabbage are asleep at the wheel. The basil are taking their time, too. I have some volunteer tomatoes from last year's bunch.
I'm glad that my lettuces are starting to make a showing. Most of my other greens are SPICY! - arugula, peppergrass cress, wasabi greens, mustard.
I've been quite enjoying my incidental crops this year. I think the dandelion is past its prime now in all likelihood, but the pigweed is delectable at the moment, and the purslane should be getting large enough to eat.
I've also got tonnes of dill that is at the edible stage. I planted quite a bit to start, and then found a huje pack of dill seeds at a bulk food store for 50 cents. I've been scatter-planting it outside the fence and anywhere else I have the whim to. There should be no end to it this year.
Reading this thread is making me hungry.
Wasabi greens? You've managed to find some real wasabi? Great find! I love wasabi, but have never seen it for sale as a plant over here, but a quick search finds THIS SITE (http://www.herbspice.co.uk/scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=36&curPage=2&sortField=sku) offering 2 varieties for sale. Hmmm.
The only veg I have growing at the moment is Rocket (and Basil, if you count it as one), and of course the rest of the herbs (discounted as not being veg). I've not grown it before, so i'm looking forward to seeing how it does, and hopefully it will self-seed ready for next year.
My only experience with wasabi is that I cannot distinguish the taste from that of battery acid. (http://weltennet.de/forum/images/smilies/GreenSmilies2/smiley_emoticons_igitt.gif)
http://weltennet.de/forum/images/smilies/GreenSmilies2/smiley_emoticons_igitt.gif
Quote from: Roland Deschain on May 10, 2012, 04:43:01 AM
Wasabi greens? You've managed to find some real wasabi? Great find! I love wasabi, but have never seen it for sale as a plant over here, but a quick search finds THIS SITE (http://www.herbspice.co.uk/scripts/prodList.asp?idcategory=36&curPage=2&sortField=sku) offering 2 varieties for sale. Hmmm.
This is just a brassica that has gained popularity recently for it's wasabi-like taste. I suspect that it's a type of mustard.
I should be getting a chunk of horseradish (not wasabi) to plant, though. :)
One of these years, I really need to ask my ex-MIL to send over some herb and veggie seeds from Korea. I did plant mugwort this year, which makes a lovely soup, but would like some proper gaenip (Korean perilla; the flavour differs from Japanese and Vietnamese varieties).
I did notice this morning that the shungiku (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garland_chrysanthemum) is now up and about. :)
Funny Swato!
I have to have wasabi on sushi, but I am careful to just scrape on the merest amount first time around, just to test the strength. I don't want it to drown out the sushi.
Quote from: Aggie on May 10, 2012, 04:52:16 PMThis is just a brassica that has gained popularity recently for it's wasabi-like taste. I suspect that it's a type of mustard.
I think the plant is probably fake, but the Thailand root appears more genuine, especially considering that it's sourced from Japan. If I decide to go for it, I may inquire as to its authenticity. Wouldn't want to be growing fake plants, now. ;)
Not heard of Shungiku, but seeing it, I believe i've had it before and liked it. You have some very nice plants in your garden, Aggie, most unusual (for the Western garden).
Swato, alas we have not the same tastebuds. Saying that, i've never tried battery acid, so maybe... :o
Closer to nitric acid acid actually and if battery acid then from 'dry' batteries not lead accumulators.
Quote from: Roland Deschain on May 11, 2012, 03:35:22 PM
Not heard of Shungiku, but seeing it, I believe i've had it before and liked it. You have some very nice plants in your garden, Aggie, most unusual (for the Western garden).
Thank you. Just wait until the rat-tailed radishes and mouse melons are in full swing. :D
I'm most unusual (for a Western gardener). ;D I've still got lots of the usual suspects (beets, carrots and the like), but I grow to eat and love to eat unusual things. The garden is also an exercise in frugality for me, so as far as I'm concerned the most logical thing to do is grow expensive vegetables and if it comes down to it I can buy the things that are cheap from local organic farms.
I've also been inspired by going to a seed swap this spring, and would love to have some interesting seeds to share next year. :)
If you do go on the swap next year, i'd say that your seed produce will be quite popular. You'll have the pick of the seeds. I'm similar to you in that I like the unusual things when it comes to food (and most other things, actually). The internet has been an amazing resource to find these weird and wonderful foods (again, for the Western palate). And immigration, of course.
Some of here in the monastery have swapped seeds amongst ourselves too, through the mail. :)
:update:
The buttercrunch lettuce is making heads and they are delicious! Also picked our first beet- it was so sweet and juicy I didn't mind it's making a magenta drop on my white shirt.
The basil are still puny, though! Maybe the nights are a tad chilly for it?
Basil likes it hot. I haven't even attempted it.
I did finally get my root bed in, yesterday. Carrots, turnips, beets, rutabagas, parsnips, root-parsley, white icicle radishes, red 'China Rose' long radishes, some bush beans and snow peas to break up the root fest, shallots, sweet onions (there were 10 blocks of 0.5 m X ~1 m, with the onions along the back and shallots interplanted). Also scattered in some marigold and calendula seeds, and some little 'Cherry Belle' radishes along the front. That bed's practically been quadruple-dug, so the soil is very deep and favourable for root crops
Ooh, that sounds faboo. I would love to try to grow rutabagas. I even like saying rutabagas. RUTABAGAS!
Rutabagas!
I have moved and have 1 itty bitty marigold plant that survived it all and is growing as a grandchild (how many times now) of those Opsa sent me. 1 plant always makes more. It is way cute all by its self in the pot.
Hi A'Babe!!!!
I just planted some marigolds from that same lot and wondered about yours. Now, I know!
Hey- after three mild, rainy nights, I think I'm seeing some basil babies at last!
Nice. Rutabaga has always been one of those elusive American vegetables, up there with squash. That was until I found out it was just the lovely swede. I love swede, especially mashed and mixed with a little butter. Mmmm.
As an aside, I can testify that basil definitely does not like it wet and cold. :(
Quote from: Roland Deschain on May 23, 2012, 02:42:53 PM
As an aside, I can testify that basil definitely does not like it wet and cold. :(
It gets fawlty easily.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fb/Basil_Fawlty.jpg/240px-Basil_Fawlty.jpg)
Ah, good old Basil. Our broadcast public television station (PBS-USA) is adding an all BBC station June 1 and we're looking forward to seeing some of the old classics, along with the newer ones.
I tossed a bunch of leftover dill out over what still lay as naked soil in the yard, taking after Aggie, I guess!
I had no ides what a rutabaga was so I turned to Wikipedia... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga)
And then felt a strong need to comment the article.
/cut from Wiki/
my comments in red
Etymology
Brassica napobrassica has many national and regional names used globally. Rutabaga is the common American and Canadian term for the plant. It comes from the old Swedish word Rotabagge, meaning simply "root bag" Um no, "bagge" has nothing to do with the English term "bag" at all. and it is a very dialectal word In the U.S., the plant is also known as "Swedish turnip" or "yellow turnip". The term "Swede" is used instead of rutabaga in many Commonwealth Nations, including England, Wales, Australia, New Zealand. The name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, Ontario and Atlantic Canada. In Scots, it is known as "turnip," "tumshie" or "neep" (from Old English næp, Latin napus).[2] The term "turnip" is also utilized in southern English usage.[where?][2][3] Some will also refer to both types as just "turnip" (the word is also derived from næp).[who?][3] In North-East England, turnips and swedes are colloquially called "snadgers" or "snaggers" (archaic).[citation needed] In parts of Wales, it is commonly known as 'rwden', which is simply Welsh for 'swede' or 'turnip'.[citation needed]
Its common name in Sweden is kålrot (literally "cabbage root"), similarly in Denmark it is known as kålroe, while in Norway it has usurped the name of kålrabi in addition to being known as kålrot (Nope this is two different vegs, a kålrabi is a Kohlrabi aka German turnip). The Finnish term is lanttu, of the same root as English "to plant", since it is usually planted from pre-grown saplings. Rutabaga is known as Steckrübe in German and it was considered mainly a famine food. Boiled stew with rutabaga and water as the only ingredient (Steckrübeneintopf) was a typical German food during the famines and food shortages of World War II, as well the following years. As a result, many older Germans don't have fond memories regarding this emergency food, though the rutabaga is still eaten in parts of Northern Germany. Most Germans prefer to use the related kohlrabi (German turnip) instead. True perhaps, they are quite different in taste and texture and I don't think I would try to substitute one with the other...
/end wiki/
What you usually call turnip we call majrova
A kolkrabbi is also not a Kohlrabi (cabbage turnip) nor a Kolkrabe (northern raven) but a squid :mrgreen: (in Icelandic)
I dug up the (soon to be) potato patch last night. I think I've got four or five potato variety... blues, yellows, reds, some 'Miss Blush' which are mottled yellow and red, and some white potatoes in the ground already (plus some reds, they are already up). All are supermarket potatoes. I'm going to pick out any obvious bindweed roots, but will mostly just mulch the heck out of the patch to control it. Taters like being up to their ears in straw anyways, and it should keep most of the bindweed knocked down. In any case, I'll start pulling potatoes by mid-summer.
I'm planning to take the same approach with the squash... posthole/hill to prepare a small area, and mulch to control weeds. Alternatively, I was given some corn seeds and will likely try planting some Three Sisters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_%28agriculture%29) hills this year.
You must have a goodly portion of land to farm there. I don't have enough room for corn, but I do like the Three Sisters method.
I've got 0.14 acre, which is surprisingly a lot of space if you have to hand-dig it for bindweed. I don't properly have room for corn either, and wasn't planning to plant it except that I was given a pack of seeds. If nothing else, it'll make good poles for the scarlet runners. I'm going to let the squash run rampant across the lawn to save watering and mowing during our scorchingly hot summers (the shade of the squash leaves should slow growth and conserve moisture). Don't tell my landlord. ;)
*tells landlord* :mrgreen: I'm sure your landlord won't mind once you give him some squash.
Just pulled a rather large radish (China Rose) out of one of the early beds. They get larger, but it looks like I won't need to buy daikon for the rest of the summer, since the second crop of big radishes is already sprouted. The turnips and beets are still babies, but looking close to edible size (if I had more in this sowing, I'd likely start eating them.
The greens crops are starting to bolt and/or get too big and bitter, but I'll be sowing more of those. I've finally thinned enough to let the lettuces get some light.
I've had beets the size of a small fist all ready.
Some of my lettuce is starting to rise. Yesterday I cut down a few of them and salvaged a bunch of leaves for salad.
I have flowers on my three volunteer tomatoes.
My cabbages have big leaves, but I don't know when I'm supposed to eat them. I've never had any luck with them before.
I pulled a big wheelbarrow full of weeds this morning. Everything's growing like crazy after the rains we've had.
Yes, here too. Weeds are starting to flower, so I need to get out there and do some clearing ASAP before things go to seed.
I bought a small Japanese sickle for $2 at THE BEST DOLLAR STORE EVER (http://www.daisocanada.com/richmond.php) which should help reduce repetitive strain injuries from pulling out the blessed things. Most will come back eventually, but it'll knock them down for the moment. I am going to start mulching with wet lawn clippings to smother weeds today, too.
Sometimes that's all you can do.
My beds are so packed that it is difficult to remove some of them with roots intact without uprooting things I'd rather keep. The sweet autumn clematis weaves it roots around the rugosa roses' roots and always breaks when I pull at it. But I just keep pulling at it so the tops will not strangle and smother the roses.
Mmmm, radishes.
I planted a small patch of broccoli last week. It's a red variety (can't find the packet of seeds for the real name atm), and hasn't sprouted seedlings yet, but it should do in the next week or so. I look forward to harvesting this some time in the next couple or three months. Mmmm, broccoli.
Double post, etc...
I've noticed that many of the broccoli seeds have germinated, and I must have in the region of 30+ seedlings coming up. When they're large enough, they will be thinned out. Happy days.
It is called "Red Arrow" (http://www.sowvegetables.co.uk/broccoli_purple.htm), which will overwinter, and is apparently a cut and come again variety.
Cool! Let us know how they do.
Why did no one tell me.... that fresh garden turnips were this juicy and delicious!
Wow... ate the first one of the year, and it were spectacular. Probably better raw than cooked, but good either way. :meal:
Yeay!!!
Shhh! Don't tell everyone! They'll all want some. I know I do!
/whisper Aggie I demand to be sent your whole turnip crop by way of tribute. I've always dreamed of owning a turnip of my very own. :mrgreen:
The broccoli are now coming up to around 1-2cm tall. They need to be 10cm tall before they're thinned out, but they're getting there. If only the weather stays like today and yesterday have been, it won't take long.
Sodoff, Balderick!
(Loved that show.)
We have little bably tomatoes. (Actually, I meant to type "baby" there, but I think I'll leave it. I like to think of them just hanging there babbling to themselves.)
After a couple of months of sponging off the weeds and last year's crops, I've finally moved onto the early summer veg. Tonight I'm having snow peas and garlic scapes fresh from the garden.
Hey! Thread revived nearly a year later, thanks Aggie!
We've been enjoying some super awesome lettuce from our garden for the past two weeks or so. We have some butterhead and salad bowl, and all the rain has made them very sweet and succulent. I never thought I'd rave about lettuce, but this stuff is tremendous this year.
I also have some butter crunch just getting to the picking point, now.
I got an heirloom tomato plant from a friend that has quite a few fruit, but it's still too small and green. I also have a hybrid called "Cherokee Purple" which has blossomed and only just started to fruit.
I have three sweet pepper plants which may be any color, and the suspense is killing me, but they have been dropping blossom. Too much rain, maybe? Or maybe the temps have not been consistently warm enough yet.
Hey, the veg came back after nearly a year!
I think I actually was without fresh garden produce only for about 4 months this year, and will likely aim to extend the season further this year.
My lettuce self-seeded last year, so there's plenty of it around. The baby slugs are enjoying it immensely. ;)
I've put a few of my peppers and tomatoes out, and they are doing fine, so I should really finish planting ASAP.
Howzit going? Didja get them all in?
I'm putting in two photos taken from the fronts of the raised veg beds.
The first is from the south bed (rabbits), where the lettuces are. Behind them you can see the warm toned cosmos, which are just starting to bud.
The second is from the east bed (dragon) where the tomatoes and peppers are in cages, plus basil and white sage. The peppers are now keeping their fruit, so they must be happier with the warm weather.
The spiky things at the back of each bed are red gladioli, but they haven't budded yet.
Ooh! Editing to tell Aggie that the sacred tobacco seeds he sent last year finally germinated in some window boxes where I had planted geraniums this year. All kinds of things appeared in those boxes, like portulaca, feverfew, lemon balm and mullein. Even geraniums (who knew?)! But I know that I sowed the nicotiana rustica in there last year, and I can tell by the leaves that that's what they are. I'm thrilled to see them!
Those gardens look great.
They have really taken off now and are going into the mid-summer overdrive.
I took the photos below this morning. The first one is of the East Bed again, but taken from just behind the South bed. The glads have just started to bloom, but look beyond them and the golden cosmos, and you can see that the tomatoes and peppers have grown quite a lot in the past two weeks or so. We have harvested just two tomatoes and two peppers so far, but there are loads more coming along. The Cherokee purple tomatoes are huje but have not rosied up yet.
The photo below that is of a sacred tobacco flowering.
lovely!
Your tobacco is far ahead of mine. I've decided to grow it in a pot this year, and need to thin more aggressively soon.
All the recent rain here has made everything grow rapidly here. Including the mildew! :P
I have sunflower plants that are probably seven feet tall with no sign of flowering, yet.
Those beds, which looked so tidy then, have now overgrown.
Today I tried something new for me. I cleared out the old lettuce plants and sowed new lettuce and spinach seeds. I am hoping for a fall harvest.
I've let much of last year's garden run to seed, so I need to start harvesting and scattering those seeds soon. I intend to make it so that half my weeds are vegetables by next year. :mrgreen:
Good plan!
:twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie:
I have seeds to harvest, too. The sacred tobacco did really well this year, and there are lots of fat pods on them that need collecting. I like to collect the spent leaves from them rather than clip and dry them. For some reason I like to think that they that ripened on the vine goodness. I haven't tried any yet, but previous tiny crops that were vine ripened were made very sweet smoke with none of the harshness that some people complain about. I do not smoke them in a pipe or cigarette, but have been known to sneak/share some sips of smoke with the Great Everything just by holding a shriveled brown leaf in my hand and lighting one end. It burns slowly and does not make one stoned, but I definitely get a sense of natural communion with it. But of course, I have to smudge first and make sure I am in a fabulous frame of mind to do this, as this is not meant for recreation, but contemplation. Haven't made a smudge in a while, though.
:twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie: :twinkie:
:UPDATE:
Heyo! I have spinach sprouts! Now all they have to do is survive the rest of summer. I hope they make it!
I may have some lettuce as well, but it's hard to say, since they are so small.
I have collected seeds from the gold cosmos and the purple larkspur. I noticed pods on the columbine out front, which I should gather soon.
:update:
Only three of those previous spinach sprouts remain. I think high temps we had here killed them in the interim. Last week I tried another couple of rows, and again have sprouts. Maybe these will stay!
I've got daikon radish and another brassica sprouting in my winter garden bed. Presumably it's cherry belle radishes or kale, although I also planted wasabi greens and another kale variety, plus chard, in the same general area. Definitely not the chard yet, though.
Quote from: Aggie on September 21, 2013, 03:26:11 AM
I've got daikon radish and another brassica sprouting in my winter garden bed. Presumably it's cherry belle radishes or kale, although I also planted wasabi greens and another kale variety, plus chard, in the same general area. Definitely not the chard yet, though.
Do those last through hard frosts?
They should all at least survive a few frosts, although the chard usually dies back over winter. I might have a line on some free insulated steel panels (from doors, I think) to build an in-situ row house over them (need to line up some big windows or glass doors, though). I can add some thermal mass to the inside of it, too, in order to help maintain.
The kale keeps in good shape all winter once it's established, with no frost damage provided it gets some snow cover during the worst of winter (prevents drying more than freezing).
So far the spinach and lettuce sprouts are looking good. Not big enough to eat yet (except the earlier three), but healthy. We have not had a frost yet. We get our first frosts usually by Nov 1.
How are yours?
It got too cold to make for good growing; the radishes came up but aren't doing too much so far. I've acquired some insulated steel panels (window cut-outs from exterior doors) and if I can find some free glass, might get around to building a full-size cold frame over them before the snow flies. It's not looking likely that I'll have the time at this point.
Ah, well... hopefully the kale will have an early start in the spring.
---
The new spring crop of brassicas has poked their heads above the soil! :D