Dreaming of my Summer Garden

[Danielle_E.]

Well today is the day to start my seeds, woohoo. Problem is I have 11 types of heritage tomatoes I want to start! Every year we are inundated with tomatoes but I can't help myself lol. I want to try them ALL. I have found an amazing site for heritage vegetables a few years ago, The Cottage Gardener and they have things I can't find anywhere else. Also starting about 6 Different melons, pumpkins, squash, etc etc. Thank God I have lots of space, lol. Anyone else got spring fever?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I can't imagine being inundated with tomatoes. People around here have practically given up trying to grow them. I still try.

This year I planted some Porters. The original seed was in OK, moved to KS, then back to OK--more than 60 years ago. I'll try!

My espalliered fruit trees came through the winter fine and we'll need to add more branch supports. Only the cherry, however, bloomed. I sure hope it is a maturing thing, and not a problem with my site or variety...

Chicken house is almost ready so we can have some organic grasshopper control!

After our horrible drought last year, this year is starting off very nicely!

We had cut worms one year, so now I am planting everything in a tin can. We save them all winter. I cut out both ends and use it as a tube. The plants grow up in them without a problem.

 

[Davie]

I have my container garden almost completely planted. Have 8 types of herloom tomatoes, 1 cherry yellow tomato, and a grape tomato. 2 bush cucumber plants, yellow onions are planted, herb garden has onion chives, garlic chives, cilentro, parsley, sage, 3 brussel sprout plants, will plant my asparagus (sp) roots (32), cantaloupe, 2 watermelon plants, 4 strawberry plants, my bush beans, potatoes, red onions and sweet peppers hopefully today--at the latest by this weekend. Have a couple of more containers and may see about planting some beets and finding a small bush type okra. Only thing I won't have is corn.

 

[Riverrose28]

We already planted peas, potatoes, leaf lettuce, and head lettece, onions. Just got the broccalli plants, and blue lake green beans, soon I'll get seeds for silver queen corn, and plants for peppers, and tomatoes. love the big boys and roma, I can them and use them for sauces, salsa, and for soups. We also grow yellow squash, zuccini, love to make bread and freeze it, plus slaw and fried. also plant egg plant and water melon. We didn't have any luck last year with limas but are going to try again. Garden is all turned in and fertilized and the early stuff in and coming up. Last year I didn't get much carrots or califlower, dang ground hog ate it all, but he is gone. Try again!

 

[jayne]

I'm WAY north in northern WA, so I can't put anything in the ground until after mother's day at the earliest. The spring planting bug hits me much earlier though, so I bought this:

I'm in my second spring season now, and I LOVE it!! I get everything started, then transplanted to even bigger pots before they either go out in the vegetable garden, or into my numerous hanging baskets and planters. I have become a seedaholic! I learned last year that my hanging baskets got 'tired' about mid-summer, so I'm going to plant a back up set to be ready about that time. I love spending time in my warm and humid greenhouse when the days are still a bit chilly!

 

[jacks'thunder]

Oh Jayne, I love it!!! We can't plant until around mothers day also so that would be soooo great! I'll have to show my hubby and maybe he'll get the hint!

I have the bug also and I'm just itching to get some things in the ground. I love to plant lettuce, tomato's, cucumbers, peppers, onions, egg plant, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and broccoli. I don't eat most of these veggies but my hubby and son will. I also have chickens that will eat anything I get an overabundance of. I plant them all in containers, which I find easier to take care of. I hate weeding so this eliminates most of that. I can't wait!!! I'm ready for warm weather!!!!!

LOL!!

 

[2minis4us]

Jayne,

Where did you buy your greenhouse ? I have been looking for one in this area.

 

[jayne]

I had been admiring that greenhouse for a couple of years, as they set up models of them at several of our fairs here in WA and I kept running into them. Here's the company's website: http://www.solargemgreenhouses.com/

I have been very happy with mine and have used it a LOT. It will take a while to get a return on the investment, but I know I really did save a lot of money last year by growing all my own starts for both vegetables and flowers, and then building all my own hanging baskets and planters. I can't find any pictures right this moment, darn it, but is so cool to walk in and see things growing and ready to go out into the garden an on the porch and hangers!

Jayne

 

[2minis4us]

Well now I have to ask - are they expensive ? More than $1500 ?

I googled and found the prices, unfortunately above my budget

Bummer !

 

[Jill]

ALL of that sounds so good!!! We've never done a garden, but I'll talk to H about it this evening. We've wanted to but never seem to organize ourselves in time. In our yard, we have various fruit trees -- apple, plum, cherry (not wild cherry), a pomegranted (sp?) bush (though apparently that's NOT supposed to grow here -- it's huge and does), and a crab apple tree that we don't eat from but is very pretty. We like having the fruit trees

 

[susanne]

Jane, my sister has that same greenhouse and loves it. She called the other day to tell me it was warm enough for the heat sensors to open the vents. My greenhouse is tiny, but it should help us get past our slightly shorter growing season up here in the hills, and I'm hoping I might be able to grow cold weather veggies all year round...we'll see.)

Jill -- Try starting small, with something you absolutely love to eat. We always do spinach and salad greens, tomatoes, onions, peppers and potatoes. With eggs from our chickens, breakfast is served! Now to grow a pancake bush...

Herbs are simple and so beautiful, they go in the ornamental beds (eggplants, too).

 

[Bess Kelly]

Jill, container gardens are a great way to "start" to garden. As Susanne says, start with something you love.....why do the work for nothing? Sorry, we just can't "grow" ready to use vodlka

or I'd do it! BUT...a tomato plant is great, green peppers, etc. Very easy for a container. If you like herbs, things like basil, cilantro, etc. are so, so easy to put into a little container and have it on a porch/deck, to just pick when cooking.

Right now, not having had my tiller fixed, I am collecting the partially ruined water tubs. I buy the 20 gal ones with rope handles and use in the pastures. After a yr or two, they begin to get brittle and crack (of course, horsey butt rubs make it worse)....usually the top rim goes first and I pull them out of the field. Since I find I have about 6 of them now, I am going to wrap them with good ole duct tape a couple times to help keep them strong since rim is gone....poke some holes in bottom and place where I want them to be, THEN fill with dirt/manure and pop a tomato plant in each or a couple green pepper plants, etc. Later, I can build a raised bed fram around them, break them apart and let the dirt fill the new bed (at end of harvest, of course).

Can you tell I don't have an "H" around to help out anymore?

So, try to make things easier on my old muscles! I do love the fresh veggies and recycling the tubs. So, think "container gardening" to start. Less weeding, too!!!

 

[susanne]

Sorry, we just can't "grow" ready to use vodlka

or I'd do it!

As would I...just think how fun harvest time would be! Whee!!!