Happy Spring, Fellow Gardeners!

[notme]

 aww,  poor j  tell him that's why you're moving - stoopit blight....  that's a bummer about the apples, too.  we used to go apple picking up in ny state, soooo  much fun, when we were kids we went with our parents and grandparents.  then when we had kids we took them.  something special about walking into one of their farm stands and all the apples are shiny and bagged up.  i was always fascinated by the apple washer/sorter machine <but i am amazed by mechanical things  

 

annnd now i want apple crisp!  youngest daughter's b-day is early november and she has always requested apple crisp (with vanilla custard sauce) in lieu of birthday cake.  (oh, there she is now, on the phone, telling me i am on speakerphone AFTER i say something i'm not supposed to know in front of her friend........  add to my to do list:  kill gabrielle.....  lolz)

[Adalaide]

HAHAHA never!!  billy 'weeded' my tarragon.  now it's (tarra) gone  

 

*snicker*

 

annnd now i want apple crisp!  youngest daughter's b-day is early november and she has always requested apple crisp (with vanilla custard sauce) in lieu of birthday cake.  (oh, there she is now, on the phone, telling me i am on speakerphone AFTER i say something i'm not supposed to know in front of her friend........  add to my to do list:  kill gabrielle.....  lolz)

 

You know I live in the desert right? Perfect place for disposing of.... evidence.

 

And I'm sure that the local tomatoes will be positively delicious, even if they aren't from the back yard. You can still make caprese salad with tomatoes that other people grow.

[notme]

well, i'm on my way out there, addy, to dispose of ..........

 

the mint!  

 

that's right, i have killed mint.  who knew it was even possible.....  it was behaving in it's pot and it was probably bored to death from not being able to take over other plants.  (actually, it rained for 4 straight days and then it didn't rain for 4 straight days.  4+4=dead.  i did the math...........)  

[Adalaide]

You killed a mint plant?!?! You will be revered and feared by all plant-kind as the goddess of death now.

[IrishHeart]

Holycraponacracker!!. NO ONE has EVER KILLED a mint PLANT!!.... In the history of mint plants...I mean it.

 

This is a first. THOSE THINGS SURVIVED the ICE age and they will survive ARMAGEDDON. 

oh, the humanity....

 

I am speechless (and THAT, in  itself , is a near-impossibility).

 

 

[notme]

 

 

This is a first. THOSE THINGS SURVIVED the ICE age and they will survive ARMAGEDDON. 

oh, the humanity....

 

 

i know, right??!!  meanwhile, cockroaches are nudging each other and pointing at me in fear, thinking, "if she can kill mint, she might be worse than a nuclear war...."     spreading a little 'arlene awareness' amongst themselves, making safety posters.......

 

goddess of death.  has a nice ring to it 

[Adalaide]

Brilliant idea from Lisa. It's spring again!

 

I was out yesterday (or maybe the day before) and bought purple string bean seeds. Today we ordered ruby queen corn and purple dragon carrot seeds. I'll be checking my mint to see how it weathered the winter next week. And I'll be looking to buy some chocolate mint to add to my collection.

[GottaSki]

Lookie there...I ask and poof it appeared...thanks Addie!

 

I still have my big plans that took a back burner last spring/summer to Mom's and then my health...but I am still dreaming and if things keep on the right path healthwise -- I am ready to flip my yard into something Shroomie would be proud of.  If I don't get that far...my patio herbs will be very happy this year

 

Happy Spring Gardening Peeps 

[cyclinglady]

Just came in from watering my tomatoes, cabbage, peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts and lettuce. I did not plant a garden in the fall because of my illness. Another sign of recovery! The tomatoes are volunteers from last year, but with our extremely mild winter, they are thriving. They are in awkward spots, but who cares? The garden was planted a little haphazardly but I had help from exuberant youngsters. Now, if I could only get them to pull weeds!

[notme]

i usually have a few things that survive through the winter - a giant rosemary bush, sage, thyme <supposed to die every year but i have had one or three that survives longer than that.  not this year - mean, old man winter kilt e'erything.  i have one tiny parsley plant (?)  (random) and the strawberries are still alive under all the dead ones.. otherwise, the weeds say, "hi."  time for mr rototiller to rototill.  ugh, last year he tilled up baby bunnies...    i hope that mama rabbit is smarter this year.

 

anyways, i am itching to get me some plants.  maybe the kid and i will start some seeds 

[luvs2eat]

Every year I say to myself, "THIS will be the year I do up the garden right!" Ha ha. Last year I was away for 2 (TWO) days and when I came home, the tomato horn worms had completely denuded most of my tomato plants! Is it any wonder that when I find one, I STOMP on them... and guess what? They're insides and guts are green! My mint, in a big flower pot, seems to have died, but I have the feeling it'll come back if I leave it alone. Strawberries seem to be just waiting for sunny days and warmth... 3 year old blueberry plants should finally produce a good crop this year, the huge rosemary bush thrives, and I hope to get a bunch of asparagus this year... if I can keep the roots in the ground while I try to remove the weeds! I have 6 raspberry plants coming and I'm trying to figure out where to put them! Can't wait for warmer weather!!

[love2travel]

Ummm...you are already planting stuff?  We still have a ton of snow on the ground and will for at least about six more weeks.  I am not in the least envious or anything!    However, this is my last winter on the Canadian prairies, hopefully forever, as we are soon moving to Croatia!!    Next year I will be bragging and gloating along with the rest of you.    Perhaps even more than you! 

[Fritz-in-pa]

Last year our garden was pitiful... But the year before it looked like this.....

Open Original Shared Link

 

I am hoping for this again this year... I am going to try to plant blue potatos for something different.

[GottaSki]

Hi Dee Ho Good Neighbors...

 

City Girl checking in with what is sure to be a stupid question....are the little white flowers that grow on Basil bad for you?  Waited to top of some of my Basil a few days too long and threw the leaves some with tiny flowers right into the blender to make a quick sauce.  Safe?

 

Thanks

[Pegleg84]

I've been thinking about my garden lots today. It's still in containers, but will hopefully put a few things in the ground this fall.

 

Not sure about basil flowers. I know that as soon as they bloom the basil looses its flavour, but I don't know if the flowers are edible or not. I would assume yes, but... google?

 

Oh, does anyone know if you can have a rain barrel with no downspout/runoff to set it under? I want to set one up at my new apartment, but don't want to screw with the drainage that's there. Might be able to set it under the storage shed. That roof is slanted.

 

Also, potato beetles are having an orgy on my tomatillos. Advice?

[GottaSki]

Thanks Peg!

I read up on them...the are fine to eat though ideally snipping before flower bloom is preferable.

I'm sticking with containers for herbs and some small veggies this summer...I have been adding succulents and red apple around the perimeter of where the lawn was...leaving the center ready and waiting for raised beds and more growing later, perhaps winter veggies....we shall see.

Wish I had good bug solution for you...hopefully our more experienced growers will pop in.

[GF Lover]

Can potatoes and sweet potatoes grow in Ohio?  And how about squashes?  I can put some stuff in the ground but my herbs and maters are in containers.  How long do dried herbs stay fresh in an air tight jar?  

 

Colleen

[GF Lover]

Every year I say to myself, "THIS will be the year I do up the garden right!" Ha ha. Last year I was away for 2 (TWO) days and when I came home, the tomato horn worms had completely denuded most of my tomato plants! Is it any wonder that when I find one, I STOMP on them... and guess what? They're insides and guts are green! My mint, in a big flower pot, seems to have died, but I have the feeling it'll come back if I leave it alone. Strawberries seem to be just waiting for sunny days and warmth... 3 year old blueberry plants should finally produce a good crop this year, the huge rosemary bush thrives, and I hope to get a bunch of asparagus this year... if I can keep the roots in the ground while I try to remove the weeds! I have 6 raspberry plants coming and I'm trying to figure out where to put them! Can't wait for warmer weather!!

 

 

I had those monster worms completely decimate my maters last year.  My garden place I go to said "Seven" is really the only thing that can destroy them (except stomping of course.  So far this year I haven't had the little monsters but I still only have blooms, no maters yet.  I check those plants every day to look for the little aliens!

 

Colleen

[GottaSki]

I had those monster worms completely decimate my maters last year.  My garden place I go to said "Seven" is really the only thing that can destroy them (except stomping of course.  So far this year I haven't had the little monsters but I still only have blooms, no maters yet.  I check those plants every day to look for the little aliens!

 

Colleen

Lol...just had a visual of us all stomping little alien monsters!

[GF Lover]

I sent a pick of one of the little bastids and she practically screamed in a message!

[Pegleg84]

I'm going organic, so no crazy toxic crap is going on my plants!

I gave the plants a good shake to scare off the beetles, and wiped off all the little clusters of eggs I could find. so far they're just on my tomatillos. They've left the tomatoes alone. Now if I can just scare away whatever is eating my peppers. Damn racoons!

 

I just moved and have some space to put in a real garden. I have to figure out where gets most sun (lots of trees around, and can't exactly chop those down.) Hopefully can get one bed ready for fall planting. I want carrots!