[ranger]

It was coming up pretty good until I tore a ligament in my knee and couln't get down there for 2 1/2 weeks. Well, when I finally hobbled down there, I discovered that the critters got in there through a broken gate and had a PARTY! They ate all the lettuces, swiss chard, peas shoots, and green beans.
We fixed the gate but the next day, they burroughed Under the gate. So we put bricks in front of the gate, which seemed to stop them but for how long? We have smart critters around here. And, oh the weeds. I'm slowly getting it cleaned up.

Well, I still have potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, corn , pumkins, and peppers, so all is not lost. Hows your gardens coming along?

[mushroom]

Garden!!! ouch, that one hurts. When I fractured my back and my rheumatoid arthritis flared up at the same time I just used to sit and look at my garden with great despair. Weeds, weeds, everywhere, everything going to seed, green beans got old and tough because DH didn't even check to see if they was ready, tomatoes rotted on the vine (well, I was no longer eating those anyway, but the neighbours might have enjoyed them) swiss chard went to seed, everything needed deadheading, pruning, I was desperate; until my guardian angel in the form of my housesitter came along and she has been working wonders (and by all accounts continues to while I am away). I am hoping to arrive home to a lot better sight than I did last year--she luvs gardening (housesitter last year didn't even both to water the stuff under the eaves on the non-weather side of the house, which all died ) Aren't you sorry you asked???

[missy'smom]

We've had such a wet, cooler summer so the cherry tomatoes, which usually do very well, are bursting on the vine and not getting to be a nice bright red as usual. I wanted to fertilize but it's rained so often I haven't gotten a chance so things are lacking in flavor a bit. Birds keep beating us to the few strawberries we have! Zucchini is cranking them out! And we've had a good bit of daikon radish leaves and shiso(perilla) is going strong as always as is sage. I just need to find more ways to use it. I end up drying it and using it in fall/winter dishes.

[ranger]

mushroom, on Aug 1 2009, 11:04 AM, said:

Garden!!! ouch, that one hurts. When I fractured my back and my rheumatoid arthritis flared up at the same time I just used to sit and look at my garden with great despair. Weeds, weeds, everywhere, everything going to seed, green beans got old and tough because DH didn't even check to see if they was ready, tomatoes rotted on the vine (well, I was no longer eating those anyway, but the neighbours might have enjoyed them) swiss chard went to seed, everything needed deadheading, pruning, I was desperate; until my guardian angel in the form of my housesitter came along and she has been working wonders (and by all accounts continues to while I am away). I am hoping to arrive home to a lot better sight than I did last year--she luvs gardening (housesitter last year didn't even both to water the stuff under the eaves on the non-weather side of the house, which all died ) Aren't you sorry you asked???

God, I feel better!

[ranger]

missy'smom, on Aug 1 2009, 12:09 PM, said:

We've had such a wet, cooler summer so the cherry tomatoes, which usually do very well, are bursting on the vine and not getting to be a nice bright red as usual. I wanted to fertilize but it's rained so often I haven't gotten a chance so things are lacking in flavor a bit. Birds keep beating us to the few strawberries we have! Zucchini is cranking them out! And we've had a good bit of daikon radish leaves and shiso(perilla) is going strong as always as is sage. I just need to find more ways to use it. I end up drying it and using it in fall/winter dishes.

It's rained more than usual here, to, but I did manage to clean up most of the weeds and replant what I still have time for. What is shiso(perilla)? I've never heard of that.

[irish daveyboy]

ranger, on Aug 1 2009, 05:44 PM, said:

It was coming up pretty good until I tore a ligament in my knee and couln't get down there for 2 1/2 weeks. Well, when I finally hobbled down there, I discovered that the critters got in there through a broken gate and had a PARTY! They ate all the lettuces, swiss chard, peas shoots, and green beans.
We fixed the gate but the next day, they burroughed Under the gate. So we put bricks in front of the gate, which seemed to stop them but for how long? We have smart critters around here. And, oh the weeds. I'm slowly getting it cleaned up.

Well, I still have potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, corn , pumkins, and peppers, so all is not lost. Hows your gardens coming along?

Hi Ranger,
Our Own 'Bakingbarb' is big into both Flours and Flowers, she has two blogs.
.
WTF or What the Food
.
One Day in the Garden
.
Check out the Gardening Blog!
.
Best Regards,
David

[missy'smom]

ranger, on Aug 1 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

It's rained more than usual here, to, but I did manage to clean up most of the weeds and replant what I still have time for. What is shiso(perilla)? I've never heard of that.

Shiso is an herb that is used in Japanese cuisine. It is like a cross between mint and basil. The leaves are large compared to other herbs. It grows and produces very well and reseeds itself! It is often served with fish, like sashimi. I've been eating it with cucumbers in oil and lemon and salt and pepper. Some friend marinate the leaves in soy sauce and eat them with rice. I heard of another friend today that she makes pesto with them using sesame seed instead of pinenuts.

[bakingbarb]

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I've been sick for 2 weeks, my sons watered for me but no one picked the zucchini or raspberries. The raspberries rotted and the zukes are HUGE!
Most critters won't step over/on pumpkin vines so I try and let mine grow around my garden. Has never failed me.
Weeds. UGH
I have an extra fridge in the garage and it is packed full of raspberries, there must be 10 gallon bags of them. Plus I made jam and raspberry chipotle sauce to can.
We are always late on tomatoes here as it doesn't get warm enough to ripen them until August. I put in new beds this year and they didn't do so great, I think the soil needs amending with a lot of compost/manure.

ranger, on Aug 1 2009, 09:44 AM, said:

It was coming up pretty good until I tore a ligament in my knee and couln't get down there for 2 1/2 weeks. Well, when I finally hobbled down there, I discovered that the critters got in there through a broken gate and had a PARTY! They ate all the lettuces, swiss chard, peas shoots, and green beans.
We fixed the gate but the next day, they burroughed Under the gate. So we put bricks in front of the gate, which seemed to stop them but for how long? We have smart critters around here. And, oh the weeds. I'm slowly getting it cleaned up.

Well, I still have potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, corn , pumkins, and peppers, so all is not lost. Hows your gardens coming along?

[ranger]

missy'smom, on Aug 1 2009, 06:12 PM, said:

Shiso is an herb that is used in Japanese cuisine. It is like a cross between mint and basil. The leaves are large compared to other herbs. It grows and produces very well and reseeds itself! It is often served with fish, like sashimi. I've been eating it with cucumbers in oil and lemon and salt and pepper. Some friend marinate the leaves in soy sauce and eat them with rice. I heard of another friend today that she makes pesto with them using sesame seed instead of pinenuts.

Since I adore basil, I'm going to try to find this for next years garden. Thanks

[ranger]

bakingbarb, on Aug 1 2009, 09:06 PM, said:

Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I've been sick for 2 weeks, my sons watered for me but no one picked the zucchini or raspberries. The raspberries rotted and the zukes are HUGE!
Most critters won't step over/on pumpkin vines so I try and let mine grow around my garden. Has never failed me.
Weeds. UGH
I have an extra fridge in the garage and it is packed full of raspberries, there must be 10 gallon bags of them. Plus I made jam and raspberry chipotle sauce to can.
We are always late on tomatoes here as it doesn't get warm enough to ripen them until August. I put in new beds this year and they didn't do so great, I think the soil needs amending with a lot of compost/manure.

I didn't know that about pumkin vines. Mine are in the middle area of the garden and taking over. Next year I'll plant them along the fence. Thanks for the info.

[Mtndog]

We've had so much rain in Massachusetts (and a mini tornado but that's another story) that some of my flowers (I'm a flower gradener) have literally rotted. I've never seen my garden go to heck in a handbasket like this!

We also have a tomato blight here that's killing everyone's tomatoes.

[nikki-uk]

..joining in...

Mines been a washout too .... not enough sun, too much rain, infestation of earwigs! (ate all the flower petals)
BAH!!!


Group garden therapy

[missy'smom]

ranger, on Aug 2 2009, 11:24 AM, said:

Since I adore basil, I'm going to try to find this for next years garden. Thanks

If you like basil that much, I think you'll enjoy it! If we're both still here next year I may have some recipes to share. This is my second year growing it. First year I didn't do much with it because I didn't know how to use it even though I love the flavor. This year, I have collected a few recipes/uses and hope to expand a little more.

[Jestgar]

I tried gardening for the first time this year. I didn't think anything would grow so I really didn't pay attention to what I planted where. THEN we've had this amazingly hot, sunny summer in Seattle, and almost everything I planted grew _{except I don't know what anything is...}

[darlindeb25]

I only have a flower garden too. I am on Long Island, and we have had so much rain this year..sounds like lots of people have. Flowers love rain, but they need sunshine too. In June, we had 26 days of rain. The flowers were all stunted. My impatiens are fine, they will grow anywhere, I have them come up every year. My pansies didn't last this year, although my petunias looked very nice. My poor angel trumpets are growing, yet I don't know if they will have time to flower. My morning glories are sad this year, less than 1/3 of what I had last year, and only 1 color came up. My moonflower vines never made it. I am still waiting for the hibiscus to bloom too. Very strange year.