Just in case anyone was interested....
Any gardeners out there?
by Banshee 39 Replies latest social physical
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Celia
Hi Banshee,
Short growing season here in Vermont, but we have a big vegetable garden. From Asparagus to Zucchini and every letter of the alphabet inbetween....
I couldn't live without herbs.... I mean, how can you cook anything if you don't have parsley and onions, and basil, and thyme, and savory, and tarragon... I also have chamomille and hyssop and catnip and mint and lemon balm and feverfew.... etc.
We're just starting the planting today with potatoes. It's been cold the last week or two.
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delilah
Awesome info here everyone....I am particularly intrigued with Frannie's suggestion of using epsom salt as fertilizer. We have had a terrible time with our rose bushes the past 3 years. Just yesterday hubby and I pulled out 2 more dead bushes. I am going to get the salts even as i type.....thanx again..
Dee
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liquidsky
I love gardening!
I've only been in my new house for a year, so I haven't had time to start my veggie garden yet. I've been too busy with the rest of the landscaping. Besides all the shrubs, flowers and trees, I planted 150 stawberry 8 blueberry bushes, 20 raspberry plants, combo apple, cherry, pie cherry, pear and asian pear trees. Still have lots more to go!
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Banshee
jgnat: I should have known you would already know about the French intensive method. *smacks self in head for stupidity*It sounds like you are doing quite well for the type of environment you have to work with. Anyway, thanks so much for contributing to this thread!
Purza: I'm enjoying getting some good tips on here, too. I used to help my parents and my grandmother a lot with the gardening, canning & preserves growing up, but there were several years I did not do any real gardening. So, I can use all the reminders and new tips I can get.
Frannie Bananni: Thanks for the great tip! I never knew that about epsom salts. I am definitely going to try that.
Celia: Welcome to our gardening discussion!I, too, have a short growing season but the raised beds with curved tubing and plastic covering are sure helpful to us to extend our growing time. This discussion has been so good. I'm getting some great tips & ideas from other posters.
*waves at delilah* Hope you can come back and give us some of your own tips/ideas/thoughts.
liquidsky: Thanks for your reply. You sound so excited and it sounds like you are setting up a beautiful and productive environment around your home. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Hey, everybody! My asparagus is up and this is the first harvest! Tomorrow I'm going to cut some that are ready. YAY! Also, my garlic is coming along great now. Last year, when we harvested the garlic, it was SO good. Lots of oil & perfect flavor. It's an heirloom variety as is the asparagus. The tomato seeds sprouted a couple of days ago and my snow pea transplants are taking off like nobody's business. I am happy that things are coming along so well.
Can anyone give me any tips...like do's & don'ts or special pests to watch out for with snow peas? I have never grown them before, so advice will be appreciated!
By the way, thanks to all for your responses. I am thoroughly enjoying this discussion!
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Purza
Frannie Bananni: Thanks for the great tip! I never knew that about epsom salts. I am definitely going to try that
I am going to try that too! I used to use my g-pig poop, but now that he is gone I need something else to help perk up the roses.
Purza
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fairchild
We have had a terrible time with our rose bushes the past 3 years.
Cut up a bunch of banana peels and put them in the soil around the rose bushes, they will love it and get healthy. My roses were beautiful last year. I split up the roots last fall and have now twice as many. I always give them plenty of banana peels, it's the best for roses.
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fairchild
Short growing season here in Vermont,
Same here, not much fun. (I'm in Upstate NY)
However, not everybody realizes that more than half of the garden can be planted long before the last frost. Lettuce, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, red and white cabbages, collard greens, beets, brussels sprouts, potatoes, onions, chives, leeks... they all can be planted at least a month before the last frost. Peas, parsley and spinach can be planted as soon as the snow is gone, they will not die in a hard frost. Carrots, as well as many herbs can be planted early as well.
Watch the seasons carefully. Up in this area (north eastern part of the US), the last frost of spring usually occurs right around the full moon which is closest to Memorial day. If Easter falls early, watch for the last full moon before memorial day, but if Easter falls late, watch out for the first full moon after memorial day. This is how you figure out when the last frost of the season will be. An old man told me this years ago, and it is quite accurate. I usually pay attention to this detail and plant all my seeds a week before I expect the last frost. Frost doesn't hurt seeds at all, and it gives me a headstart.
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Banshee
fairchild: Thanks so much for all of the great information and tips! I did not know that I could plant all of those things so much before the first frost. That will help me out a great deal next year. And the tip about banana peels for roses....I am certainly going to use that one. I have one rosebush that is pitiful looking and I've been trying different stuff to perk it up, so this is timely info for me. You are a fount of gardening knowledge!
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nicolaou
Being Greek Cypriot I tried to create a Mediteranean feel to my UK garden. My fig tree is very susceptible to the frost and I often have to wrap a load of 'bubble wrap' around it from March to May. My vine however is my pride and joy. In less than 4 years I've grown it to over 35feet in width and last summer we got over 40 bunches of fat, juicy red grapes off it! Needless to say I've planted a second one and am looking forward to creating "Chateau Nic 2006 Premiere Cru"
I love my garden, there's no grass (so no mowing or weeding), lot's of herbs and veg' (coriander, parsley, garlic, spring onions, beetroot, rocket, chives) a barbecue that we use weekly (charcoal people - not gas) and best of all, my hammock!
Nic'
'Hic'