| Author | |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 7:31am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
Let's talk about your vegetable and flower gardens?
I'm located in Plant Hardiness Zone 7a
which says by April 15 is a freeze-free date.
Well, since last night we had a Frost, that's not totally accurate, but this weekend we're going to try to put in our garden. (Hoping, but the weather looks iffy).
Of course, my son and I plan together (and ask Daddy what he wants, too). We have just a little backyard, with 4 Square Foot Gardening Boxes. In the front we have garden beds that we try different annuals, perennials, and herbs.
Every year we like to experiment with a few vegetables to see how they grow. Last year we tried sunflowers and corn, but the squirrels were possessed and destroyed them all.
We're buying plants again for the majority of the garden. There are local dealers that sell heirloom tomatoes, so I prefer those. Mainly our garden is tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes, and then anything that goes with them. 
A garden is just the best hands-on way to do science, don't you think?
So, what is in your garden?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
DianaC
Forum Pro
Joined: March 27 2008
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 404
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 9:02am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I am in Zone 7b, but really right along the border with 7a, so in some cases we have to be careful where we plant things. A few of our tender perennials will do fine on our southern exposure, but will die on the northern side.
Last year we planted a bit of a variety, but with poor results. We had tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, bell pepper, strawberries and squash. Whenever we would see a tomato or a strawberry that was nearly ready to pick, we'd get very excited, only to be very disappointed a couple of days later to find that "something" else also found it quite ready. Between the deer, squirrels, ants, birds and probably raccoons and groundhogs, we had next to no produce.
Interestingly, we had an abundance of cherry tomatoes, which we enjoyed tremendously at first. Then, I started to realize that it was odd that none of the "something" elses were touching them (but they were eating all of the slicing tomatoes) and it made me uncomfortable to serve them in our meals anymore.
This year we are going to just have a couple of tomato plants in pots on our deck.
But, we planted lots of deer-resistant, drought tolerant annuals in beds and in pots. We planted petunias in the design of an American Flag in our front bed - with a border of purple fountain grass as a treat for my son who will be home this summer (for the first time in 4 years) and his birthday is July 4th. We are looking for some zinnias-we kept seeds from last year, but forgot to get them started. They have such abundant blooms all season and the deer don't touch them, but the finches love them! I've got great pictures of the finches contorting themselves to reach into the blooms to find the seeds.
While we were potting up some of our annuals for our deck, we noticed that a couple of our green tree frogs have returned and were nuzzled on the arms of our deck chairs watching us. As we were watering one of our plants, we had quite a shock as one of the frogs came leaping out of the pot!
Also, our dependable perennials have been giving a beautiful display for weeks now. DD loves to go about the yard selecting bouquets to display on the kitchen table. Our bleeding hearts were very vigorous (and early!) this year and were a novelty to friends we had over at Easter. Our Lilies of the Valley and Laurel bushes gave her a beautiful, fragrant bouquet and is always her favorite. Right now, our Siberian Iris are in full bloom and the Cranesbill Geranium are joining them and we have several bouquets around the kitchen and dining room.
We are so thankful to God for this beautiful season!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Christine
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 23 2006
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1151
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 9:08am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh, what a fun topic!
I am located in plant hardiness zone 8a.
We have been spending a lot of time in our garden. We have planted daisies, strawberries, alyssum, lithodora, gladiola bulbs, escallonia, fuschia starts, and a few other things.
We replaced our planters in the backyard and they are thriving (I need to post updated photos). I filled them with flowers. After a couple of weeks, I ended up removing the impatiens and planting them in their own container. This fall, I will probably replace the center flowers with a year-round perennial. Suggestions as to what would be appreciated.
My eldest son planted sunflower seeds in a small rectangle in a dirt patch in our back lawn and has been enjoying monitoring their progress. He has been amazed when I share that according to Melissa Wiley's blog, her sunflowers are already growing tall.
The children all claim parts of the garden as their own and I am enjoying hearing my youngest son's response to the growth in his garden. He checks it regularly and exclaims, "It's growing up, up, up!" or "My garden is growing bigger and bigger!" My middle son can't wait for his strawberries to produce fruit. Last night, he told everyone that I do not need to buy any strawberries this year because his plants are going to have a lot of them.
I am toying with planting a raised vegetable garden. A good friend planted several using the guidelines in Square Foot Gardening and the results were amazing. I am hesitant because we have crows, squirrels, and raccoons that have taken our produce in the past.
We have a cherry tree (or branches) that produces tons of cherries each year; a grapevine that needs to somehow be trellised that started giving us champagne grapes a couple of years ago; and a plum tree that has never been able to produce fruit because carpenter ants pluck the blossoms and carry them away each year.
We planted a lilac approximately five years ago and it is finally starting to grow a lot taller this spring.
Gardening definitely is a great way to do hands-on science. I am amazed by all that my children know about gardening and plant names. Ages seven and up are very good about reading the directions on seed packets. They have also been enjoying making bouquets to place on our dining room table and in our prayer area.
I shared a small gardening book list on my blog yesterday and more information about our garden can be found here.
Happy Gardening!
__________________
Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 9:20am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, here in hardiness zone 5  our garden is still sleeping from last year. Actually, that would be from a couple of years ago because we didn't get things planted last year. It is possible to plant things like peas and onions though, and many folks who are on the ball more than I am have done that.
For gardens, we actually have several -
I have perennials and annuals around the house and in our Mary Garden that grows in an "island" in the middle of the driveway (the driveway forms a circle).
The upper garden is a garden of raised beds. I have several large beds for just herbs, most of them perennial. I also have a bed a strawberries, one for raspberries and one for blackberries. These all just require weeding, thinning, etc. The other beds are for mostly salad vegetables and things the kids want to try.
The lower garden is more of a field. Along the back are planted 2 apple trees and 2 pears. They are young trees and the deer have unfortunately damaged them though, so I'm not sure how many apples or pears we'll actually get from them. In this larger, "field type" garden we've planted big things like rows of tomotoes, corn, green beans, drying beans, and the all time favorite, potatoes. The trick is keeping the deer and racoons out of it though!
One trick I learned recently is to put stakes around the garden and tie fishing line a couple of feet off the ground, going from stake to stake. If the deer bump into it while trying to get to the tomatoes, it scares them because they can't see it in the dark.
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Servant2theKing
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 13 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1505
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 10:01am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think we're zone 4 or 5....dh has reminded me that last year we planted vegetables in mid-May and lost everything to frost...we're going to wait until May 30 to plant. I've been saving 2 liter plastic bottles to use as mini-cloches, just in case we need them.
In the meantime, we've been preparing a new bed this year, since the old one didn't do very well last year...the soil there was never very good and our strawberries have overtaken the entire section. For the new plot we've tilled and weeded diligently, amended the soil with loads of enriched black dirt from a nearby farm, and are preparing to install a 10 ft. x 20 ft. chain link kennel that is about 6 ft. tall, to deter deer and such...the kennel was left by previous owners of our land, was sitting unused, and is perfect for the new garden! We made the new bed big enough to have a 2 ft. border outside the fence, for herbs, beneficial flowers, and winter squash and melons.
We're trying to focus on companion planting. Tomatoes like basil and marigolds, so we'll interplant those with one another. Nasturtiums will be interplanted with summer squash and cucumbers. We're going to plant pole beans along the N & W corners of the fence, where they can climb happily upward without shading other plants. I keep drawing garden plans, then revising them whenever I find new information in various gardening books we own or borrowed from the library. We like to plant things close together, a la "Square Foot Gardening", and go vertical wherever possible.
Dh just brought home new hoses for the garden....a 120 ft. commercial weight regular hose and two 50 ft. soaker hoses...they were very reasonably priced at Sams Club and are Made in the USA! We've also been collecting all kinds of cardboard to use as a cover mulch around plants, which we'll top with straw. We have an old wooden playset walkway that will go in the center path of the garden, just inside the gate...it will allow us to plant peppers and marigolds on either side, then use the wooden path as a platform for weeding on either side. The rest of the garden will have paths made from the straw covered cardboard.
For those who may be interested, the feastday of St. Isidore falls on May 15th. There are many prayers, novenas and litanies to help bless a garden and ask for St. Isidore's intercession at
www.catholiccultute.org
I'm hoping St. Isidore will intercede for us in a powerful way this year, as we seem to have brown thumbs, in spite of all our best efforts.
__________________
All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Christine
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 23 2006
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1151
|
| Posted: April 29 2010 at 10:18am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just in case you missed them, Kimberly had some great gardening related posts here and here.
__________________
Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: April 30 2010 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just finished weeding all the gardens.
I just wanted to remark that one of the most hardy, pretty, yet inexpensive, perennial is Chives. It's so pretty, with the purple flowers, looks nice all summer long, but also very tasty in salads and baked potatoes.
I love edible but pretty gardens. Last year we were short on cash for our front garden, so I moved two chives from our vegetable garden (they were a few years old). They settled in and look lovely.
I can't get over how many people remark how pretty it is, and surprised when I say chives!
Granted, they are no roses, but....
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Christine
Forum All-Star
Joined: March 23 2006
Location: Washington
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1151
|
| Posted: April 30 2010 at 10:52pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
JennGM wrote:
I just wanted to remark that one of the most hardy, pretty, yet inexpensive, perennial is Chives. It's so pretty, with the purple flowers, looks nice all summer long, but also very tasty in salads and baked potatoes.
I love edible but pretty gardens. Last year we were short on cash for our front garden, so I moved two chives from our vegetable garden (they were a few years old). They settled in and look lovely.
I can't get over how many people remark how pretty it is, and surprised when I say chives!
Granted, they are no roses, but.... |
|
|
Chives are actually great next to roses, as they help keep aphids away. However, the downside to planting chives next to roses is that the children might not see as many ladybugs (eating aphids). 
__________________
Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Servant2theKing
Forum All-Star
Joined: Nov 13 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1505
|
| Posted: April 30 2010 at 11:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jennifer, chives freeze quite well. We love them in grilled cheese sandwiches, on cottage cheese, with baked or mashed potatoes, and in various soups. One of our favorite things is to simply munch on a few strands of chive while weeding the garden!
For another frugal, hardy garden plant try wild violets...we transplanted several clumps last year, since our dogs had ruined everything else we planted...this year the violets have multiplied and filled in quite nicely and the dogs don't dig them up, although they DO like to lay in them....but, we're working on that!
__________________
All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: May 01 2010 at 6:19am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Regarding wild violets, when we decided to make an area our "Mary Garden" I was frustrated because the violets kept popping up. I really like violets, but this was to be a "planned garden" and violets weren't in the plan. Then, I found out that violets are actually a "Mary flower"! I've just let them go and they are making the most beautiful ground cover. I tell the kids that God sent the violets for our Mary Garden.
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angel
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2293
|
| Posted: May 01 2010 at 7:03am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Becky Parker wrote:
| Regarding wild violets, when we decided to make an area our "Mary Garden" I was frustrated because the violets kept popping up. I really like violets, but this was to be a "planned garden" and violets weren't in the plan. Then, I found out that violets are actually a "Mary flower"! I've just let them go and they are making the most beautiful ground cover. I tell the kids that God sent the violets for our Mary Garden. |
|
|
Oh, I love violets. We have violets in several colors in our backyard -- the usual purple, but also yellow, white, and a pinkish-white. Oddly enough, in this same area later in May forget-me-nots will bloom: another Mary flower. It's all wild, but we've let it grow just like that. There is also a profusion of ferns in this area. It's like nature made me a Mary garden. For the past several years, I keep meaning to formalize it a bit instead of just protecting it from the lawn mower every year, but... we were always too busy with the vegetable garden and poultry. Now we'll be moving in the fall, so I guess my chance to add anything is past. 
We're zone 5a. Normally we would be planting onions and potatoes right now, in addition to greens, radishes, spinach, chard, and peas. (We've never had good luck with peas.) Because we're moving, we weren't *going* to do a real garden this year, but last Saturday was so nice, my dh actually plowed the entire garden, and I dug up some seeds for the boys to plant (radishes, spinach, peas). We won't be doing much this year, though. It depends on when we're actually moving. If we move in October, I can have a few warm weather vegetables: tomatoes in containers, maybe some cucumbers and eggplant, some green beans and corn. None of that can be planted until Memorial Day, though (and last year we had a frost the night of Memorial Day), and none will bear till August, so.... if we think we're going anywhere in August, planting warm weather veggies would be useless.
(Just a note about frost-free/freeze-free dates: the date of the last freeze and the last frost are different. A freeze is colder than a frost. )
But some of our trees and perennial plants are waking up. We'll have rhubarb this spring and maybe some asparagus. One of the apple trees we planted the first year we were here looks as if it will be covered in blossoms this year, which makes me hopeful that we may actually get apples before we leave (for the very first time!) Our peach trees have borne a couple years in a row now, so hopefully we'll also have peaches. Our berry bushes are also waking up. The jostaberry bushes my dh planted last year look really good. Now I am just wondering what one does with jostaberries. 
__________________
Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think we're zone 5a.. except that I think our growing season is a bit shorter than usual for that zone.
You don't plant before Memorial Day weekend here. And even that can be chancy, mid-June is safer.. but you hate losing those growing weeks.
And I am DETERMINED that this year we WILL get things planted then.
I'm penciling in the weekend before that as garden prep and I'll be planting that weekend.
But except for some SHORT season things.. lettuce, radish, carrot.. I don't start much from seed.. I'm buying seedlings.
I do have hopes of growing my own seedlings in a cold frame but the weather this year was against me for getting one made and using it.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I think I have a list of what I want to plant.. or at least try to get planted. I'm undecided on trying to start the peas from seed or not. And I don't know if it's worth trying the watermelon or not.. the kids would love it of course.
tomatoes - roma
- early girl
- sungold
cucumbers - pickling
- lemon
peppers - bell
-anaheim
zucchini
bush beans
pumpkins - sugar pie
watermelons - sugar baby
peas
lettuce seed
carrot seed
radish seeds
rosemary
oregano
basil
cilantro
chives
garlic
thyme
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 3:06pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
The last two summers I don't think we planted until after Memorial Day, but then our tomatoes were coming out so late! I was getting impatient.
For the majority of our garden we buy plants, at least this year. Every year I say we're going to do seeds, but it's such a busy time of year that I fail. 
We have a small family and a small yard, so the Square Foot Gardening method works well for us. I love how I can use a grid and plan pretty easily on paper and it corresponds outside, too. We all refer to "the plan" to plant.
We did get our garden in on Saturday except for the pea seeds and a few flower seeds. Here's what we did. The blue are the plants that came back this year.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 3:17pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Nice!
I did something like that.. using the grid (somewhat.. have I menioned I have this inability to follow directions exactly ) but in longer beds.
I did like how I could put lettuce at the ends of a bed that was filled with other things and the radishes were in a row next to a row of tomatoes (against a fence so narrow bed) and the bush beans under the sunflowers... and such.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 3:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
There is a wonderful OHC Co-op Farming Unit Study available to download for free from Curr-Click.
It's quite long, 225 pages, but chock full of resources and ideas. I mention it here because there are loads of ideas for gardening.
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JennGM
Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 17702
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Angel wrote:
| (Just a note about frost-free/freeze-free dates: the date of the last freeze and the last frost are different. A freeze is colder than a frost. ) |
|
|
Thanks for the reminder, Angela!
Angel wrote:
| Our berry bushes are also waking up. The jostaberry bushes my dh planted last year look really good. Now I am just wondering what one does with jostaberries. |
|
|
Yes, what ARE they?
__________________
Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: May 04 2010 at 3:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
apparently they're similar to a black currant.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
sewcrazy
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2006
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 735
|
| Posted: May 07 2010 at 8:41pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I am in zone 5, northern IL
2 years ago we built a huge raised bed garden. This spring I focused on setting up season extenders. I am so excited-its the first week of May, and we are already harvesting spinach, lettuce, peas, onions, broccoli, bok choy and potatoes.
About half the garden is planted:
Peppers
tomatoes
herbs
several different squashes
pickling cucumbers
salad cucumbers
cantaloupes
christmas melons
yellow wax beans
green beans
purple pod beans
black eyed peas
kidney beans
cannellini beans
corn
egg plant
garlic
And we have perennial fruits
strawberries
raspberries
blueberries
lingonberries
blackberries
elderberries
rhubarb
grapes
gooseberries
3 apple trees
bush cherries
2 peach trees
The trees are 6 years old and last year was our first heavy yield.
__________________
LeeAnn
Wife of David, mom to Ben, Dennis, Alex, Laura, Philip and our little souls in heaven we have yet to meet
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Becky Parker
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 23 2005
Location: Michigan
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2582
|
| Posted: May 08 2010 at 7:55am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I like your plans Jennifer!
Today was my day to get out there and get some things planted, but we have snow in the forcast! 
__________________
Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
Forum Locked) 
4Real Forums : Exploring God's Creation in Nature and Science
Topic: How Does Your Garden Grow?
