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Sarah
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How's the gardening going? What is working, what died, what surprises have you found?
Have you tasted anything yet? I know many of you might have this info on your lovely blogs. Here's your chance to link them.
After reading about Elizabeth's huge garden adventure, I convinced dh that the ONLY thing I wanted for Mother's Day was a little patch tilled. He jumped right on it and we got all sorts of things planted.
Here's my update:
tomatoes-tasted the first sweet 100's this week  and the "4th of July's" will not be ready for their name day, but their coming along.
Zucchini-tasted the first this week, but it may not last, some of the fruit is wilting due to some nasty little tiny worm 
Basil, oregano, parsley, sage--looks and tastes awesome!
Corn-our first year. . .only a few came up. . may not be enough to pollunate each other, but we're leaving them just as an experiment
Beans-look good, but the foliage is light green (not sure if they got too much fertilizer?)
Surprise gigantic sunflower coming up in the middle of it all!
Cucumbers-weird round shape. A little bitter. Liked the variety I had last year. What was it again?
Hail damage to pumpkins, and all squash. Holes in the leaves. . .stay tuned, they may recover.
Watermelon--coming along!
I planted 5 purple coneflower in fertile soil (mistake). Since they like less than good soil they have a strange habit. Their flowers are really close to the main stem. Maybe that's just the variety. . .not sure. I'm going to move them. . .someday!
LOTS of mystery vines since I literally threw seeds in the bed and can't remember where I planted things. I only had a few minutes before the baby would have a meltdown--my style of gardening--chaos! Someday maybe it will be more organized!
Finally, the biggest problem is that the grass is coming back to life throughout the bed  . Raised bed next year!
I would LOVE to hear about your gardens!
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Cay Gibson
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Briefly...cause I have to run now...
All of nature's glorious wildflowers survived and are thriving...the weeds too. 
The multitude of vines we've been waiting to bounty us with pumpkins or watermelons or squash (we're not sure what type plants they are  ) have produced...zilch (as in null and void, zero, 0, naught)...just lots of huge lovely yellow flowers.
Where are those bees for pollinating when you need them???
The figs have just ripened within the past couple of days. Just last Wed there was still milk in the tops. The birds were watching for the right moment of harvest with more attention that we were. 
Oh, and we've been eating fresh pears off the trees as well.
Probably not the type "garden report" you were looking for , but that's what's happenin' here.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
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Mary Chris
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We put in two square foot type gardens. I planted mainly herbs. I have tons of basil, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, sage and some mint. I am still waiting...impatiently...for the cilantro. My tomato plants have only produced three tomatoes so far, still green. I also planted a few sunflowers and some flowering sage. On my two bean plants, bush variety, there is only one bean. I did pick two zucchini the other day, this is also a bush variety plant.
Yesterday I finally filled two of my planting boxes with flowers. One of the local nurseries is selling all their plants at 40% off...sometimes is pays to be late  . I would like to plant two more boxes and hang them on our fence...they will be so much prettier to look at then all the neighbors backyards.
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lapazfarm
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OK,
We are overrun with yellow squash and zucchini (as usual).
The first bed of lettuce was so successful we couldn't eat it all before it bolted into huge tree-like things, so I have planted a new late batch in the shade of the Kale. The kale, after a rocky start is the best I've ever tasted and very prolific. More than we can eat.
Cabbages are big and ripe and yummy.
Herbs-too many to list, are all overgrowing their patches. Only lost three plants-two dill and a sage, to ants, I believe. I am especially pleased with the varieties of oreganos and thymes. Nice variety of flavors in them. I really need to start harvesting more herbs. I've just been too busy to put them up properly, so they grow and grow.
Sugar snap peas produced several gallons which are now going into the freezer. The plants are about spent at this point. I will likely pull them up tomorrow.
Cucumbers are producing well with only two plants. Just about right for fresh eating, but won't have any pickles this year.
Melons-only two cantelope and one watermelon survived the pests that attacked them. But they seem to have overcome and are flowering and beginning to fruit some.
Broccoli and cauliflower did better than I could have dreamed. We have a freezer full of perhaps 2-3 gallons each.
Onions getting bigger.
Brussels sprouts are doing fantabulously. Tiny sprouts are just beginning to form.
Eggplants-not so good. They are being devoured by some tiny black beetle and not thriving well. The japanese variety have a few fruit ripening but the black beauties have yet to set fruit.
And here come the tomatos!!! I have probably two dozen various plants out and they are all overgrowing their cages and stakes and heavy with bright green fruit. We ate the first few sweet 100 this week also and a few of the roma as well.The rest will be ripening any day now. I can't wait! I should have enough for sauce to last the winter plus all the fresh eating we can stand.
I have some research to do on the strawberries. They are growing beautifully but quit fruiting several weeks ago. They are supposed to be an everbearing variety, but are acting like june-bearers. Big lush foliage, lots of runners, no fruit. I may have a soil chemistry or nutrient issue. I may just need to divide them.
Did not get around to corn this year. Well, we live in silver queen corn country, so it should not be an issue to find plenty. Perhaps I can trade some cabbages or brussels sprouts with the neighbors.
surprises: the carrot seed never germinated, nor did the spinach. Oh well. We have a bounty.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Sarah
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Cay Gibson wrote:
The multitude of vines we've been waiting to bounty us with pumpkins or watermelons or squash (we're not sure what type plants they are ) have produced...zilch (as in null and void, zero, 0, naught)...just lots of huge lovely yellow flowers.
Probably not the type "garden report" you were looking for , but that's what's happenin' here. |
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I loved your report. The fruit for your vines are coming. It takes FOREVER! Like, months and months. If you remember the day-ish that you planted your pumpkins ad 100 days to that. Squash, other than "summer squash" are similar. Some of the flowers will fall off and some will remain fruit. The males fall off and and the females become fruit. So, don't think every flower will be fruit, but I bet you'll have something.
Can I have some pears? That sounds great! 
Thanks for sharing!
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Sarah
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Mary Chris and Theresa, I loved reading about your gardens. I wish I had time to comment on every sentence, but I hear my kids faling apart upstairs.
I get excited when anything good happens in the garden--even if it IS just one bean .
Theresa, how do you cultivate such a large area for a garden? The grass is so hardy here. How will I ever get rid of it for a larger garden? Poor dh tilled until he was sick! I guess it may have to be raised beds. I like the lasagna gardening idea, but I just don't have the layers she's talking about. Peat Moss here is more expensive than just buying dirt. I'll have to firgure it out for next year.
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lapazfarm
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I had a guy with a tractor come and do the original breaking of the sod. Best fifty bucks I ever spent! We use our tiller and alot of hand weeding and a hoe to maintain it. The weeds (grass included) are getting a bit out of hand this year because I failed to adequately mulch. I should have known better, but I got busy and lazy and now I'm paying for it with additional weeding to do. In previous years I would lay down a thick layer of rotted hay and it worked beautifully. I hardly had to weed at all and the soil stayed moist even in drought times. This year I have to weed daily and I notice it dries out more between waterings.
As far as raised beds-they do definitely help with keeping weeds out, but it is hard to build alot of them. I have 4 8X4 permanent beds made with railroad ties, but I do a simple form of raised bed with most of my garden. Just pile the dirt up into approx 4X6 beds and mix the native soil with composted manure. Add another layer of compost on top after planting to help keep weeds down.
Instead of peat moss you can use any kind of composted manure. Try going to a dairy or horse farm and they will usually let you haul it away for free. Just make sure you don't put fresh manure on your garden as it will burn the plants.
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Theresa
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Cay Gibson
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Sarah wrote:
| The fruit for your vines are coming. It takes FOREVER! Like, months and months. If you remember the day-ish that you planted your pumpkins ad 100 days to that. |
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The vines are in a small plot that use to be my m-i-l's flower garden. Evidently the children threw some watermelon seeds---or pumpkin seeds---or squash seeds (we're just not sure  ) in that plot. This is the second year the vines have taken over that area yet not produced a thing. 
I'm sure it's been well over planting time plus 100 days.  Well over... I've lost count. 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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Sarah
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Cay Gibson wrote:
I'm sure it's been well over planting time plus 100 days. Well over... I've lost count. |
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I forgot how south you are. . .of course. I wonder why they never produce. Maybe your right about the lack of bees. hmmmm. . .
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lapazfarm
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Cay, where did the seeds come from? If they are from store-bought melons that they ate and then just threw out the seeds, then they could well be hybrids and will not fruit. Same if old rotten fruits were thrown out there.
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Theresa
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Katie
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Your gardens sound fabulous. We have fruit trees - cherries (over and done with), pears (ripening), walnuts, figs and pomegranites, quince and a couple kinds of plum. Gooseberries, too.
This is why I don't bother gardening though:
Oops - edited because I can't seem to attach my picture. Hmmmm.
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Elizabeth
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Well, we got a strawberry the other day. I think that might be the only one we get this year.
We do have some green tomatoes.
The basil looks great if I can keep the beetles off it.
Mary Chris, our cilantro met an early demise too--maybe it's something to do with the neighborhood.
We had enough lettuce for a single, very amusing salad. I think we might get one more.
I'm encouraged, but discouraged. How in the world do people really grow enough to eat all summer??
This is not my gift, but I'm willing to work at it...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Wendi DeGrandpr
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I love reading about everyone's gardens. It is so fun to hear about what others are doing.
We have an abundance of strawberries this year (first year we've had more than a few to nibble on), we are picking & freezing peas, everything else is coming along at a slow pace with the amount of rain and lack of sun. My corn is not quite "knee high" - unless I put the four year old next to it and my squash and cukes are just slow. The tomato plants are nice and green with a few flowers. I kept my peppers in the hot house until the middle of June and put them out on black plastic - but alas they are also stunted by the rain.
I have had a poor showing this year with popcorn and potatoes. They are in the end of the garden that still has heavy soil and stays wetter than I would like - I am sure the seeds/seed potatos must have rotted in the ground. 
The kids are enjoying playing in the sunflower house even though the sunflowers are still small. There is a definate outline and things are coming along so they just love that. Plus if they play in the garden area they get strawberries to eat in their house as I am picking. Such incredible joy over strawberries - they sure can teach me a lot!!!
I planted a kitchen herb garden on the patio this summer and so far the plants are doing well - now I just have to learn what to do with all of it!
That's all for now - happy gardening!!!
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chrisv664
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My dad used to have this amazing garden here on Long Island where he could keep most of the family and neighbors stocked in tomatoes, zucchini, cucmbers, peppers and eggplant for most of the summer. He also experimaented with different varieties of herbs. So this year, I tried to imitate his method of herb garden, which so far seems to be doing quite well. He set a wooden wagon wheel into the dirt and planted a different herb between each of the spokes. It is a really interesting presentation, and it was fun trying to find so many different types of herbs! I planted rosemary, parsley, regular thyme, lemon thyme (really smells like lemon!), lavendar thyme, and two different types of basil. I also have sage and oregano in a different part of the garden because they would take over in the wheel, I think. I had planted mint in the ground a few years back and find that works better in containers, you can't get rid of it once it roots in the ground. My daughter has been making us this delicious lemon mint iced tea.
My vegetables are another story altogether. I had a mishap with the sprinkler last week and the garden got completely flooded, so if it is possible, I think some of my plants actually drowned! Still giving it time in hopes some of them spring back.
And as I find every year, weeds thrive, no matter what I do!!
Happy gardening, everyone!
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MacBeth
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Chris, make sure to read The Time Garden with the kids...the play on words is amusing .
In our garden, the tomatoes are there, but not ripe yet. I planted 6 varieties to see which works best this year. But that's all I planted.
OTOH, my mulberries are lovely...here's a photo of them just before they were ripe. They are almost over now, but the last are always the best. Both the birds and the kids love them. Interesting note: The mulberries in the back yard are not as good as those in the front. Maybe it's a sunlight thing. There are only two apples on the apple tree, but I cut it way back after last year, so it is recovering.
Trip planted an onion (taken from the pantry), but I mowed it by accident.
In the wild garden: The thistles are back, bigger and better than before. And the wood asters are everywhere. Violets are still large, though they are begining to look a bit yellow, and the flowers are long gone. I tried to get rid of some of the yellow dock, as it was taking over. I was marginally succesful. Lambs quarters (yum), ladies thumb, and amaranth are growing here and there.
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JennGM
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We did 3 square foot boxes this year. I planted mostly tomatoes in a wide variety, green onions, carrots, lots of culinary herbs, varieties of peppers and one cucumber.
I've had a few cherry tomatoes ripen...after a few being eaten during the drought. Lots of green tomatoes so far.
My herbs are doing fabulous -- except for those darned Japanese beetles starting attacking the basil while out of town. They always start in July. Any hints to keep away? I was going to try Jerry Bakers Fels Naptha Soap mixture.
Although I have boxes, I have now found twice a 6 inch hole dug out in one area. Not sure what creature would do this. I hate to thing...I don't like those little rodents. I'd love to hear hints on how to find out and then get them!
I'm already planning what I will do differently, what to add. Besides more vegetables, I'm going to add more flowers. I think I need to visit Mary Chris for inspiration.
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JennGM
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chrisv664 wrote:
| He also experimaented with different varieties of herbs. So this year, I tried to imitate his method of herb garden, which so far seems to be doing quite well. He set a wooden wagon wheel into the dirt and planted a different herb between each of the spokes. It is a really interesting presentation, and it was fun trying to find so many different types of herbs! I planted rosemary, parsley, regular thyme, lemon thyme (really smells like lemon!), lavendar thyme, and two different types of basil. I also have sage and oregano in a different part of the garden because they would take over in the wheel, I think. I had planted mint in the ground a few years back and find that works better in containers, you can't get rid of it once it roots in the ground. |
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Oh, I love it! I had picked up an old wagon wheel years ago to do this idea. I think I read the idea in some herb book I had and I thought it was fabulous, but while I had the wheel, I didn't have the land to plant, and now the wheel deteriorated. I still have that dream. You paint a lovely picture! You are right about some of those overrunning the others if you don't contain them.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Rebecca
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Cay Gibson wrote:
| Evidently the children threw some watermelon seeds---or pumpkin seeds---or squash seeds (we're just not sure ) in that plot. This is the second year the vines have taken over that area yet not produced a thing. |
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Cay,
I am, by no means, a garden expert but I have an idea in regards to your pumpkin/melon quandry. The kids and I planted melons one year and had no results. The next year, my neighbor wandered over to observe the blossoms growing on the vines and told us that if we pinch off most of the blossoms, the plant will put all of its growig energy into the remaining few and will produce fruit. Try narrowing down your blossoms to two or three per vine. See if that might work.
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Topic: How does your garden grow?
