BS: Gardening 2010

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 11:06 AM

Is there a food bank or shelter or church or charity you can donate those cucumbers to? So many people need fresh food and can't afford it.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 07:51 AM

Well, one thing that deer don't do is burrow... I mean, you could installl the fence a foot off the ground and they wouldn't go under it...

No Mr. Fox in the trap but I think he's still around because of the cat's body language... They are on alert... Kinda jumpy...

We've had it with the pickling (patio) cucumbers and have decided to pull up one of the two bushes because between the two we're getting 15-20 a day and we have plenty of relish we made last year so we just don't need that many cukes...

Gonna only put in about 3 hours this morning and then reward ourselves for bein' so good by goin' off to Harrisonburg for lunch and run a few errands over there...

Oh yeah, forgot... We have a habiscis in bloom and the blooms are 6-7 inches and dark blood red... Very pretty... Crepe myrtles also also in bloom (we inhereted 13) and quite stunning...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Jul 10 - 01:51 AM

Just so the deer don't watch the fox and get ideas. . . I can see it now. Aside from how terribly funny it would look to see deer digging under the fence, it would be hard on the garden. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 10:43 PM

No ripe tomatoes here... Usually the 1st of August with the bulk of them in Septmeber...

Getting 4-5 pounds of roma pole bean a day and 15-20 pounds of squash, zukes & cukes... The P-Vine called her sister to come down and take some home and I know we put 40 pounds of stuff on the poor girl...

Only problem we have now is a fox... I've seen him 3 times in the last day... This morning I saw him burrow under the deer fence and went to get my rifle... Didn't see him again... Can't have a fox livin' here... I don't want any dead or injured cats... There's only one cat, outta 4, that I'm not concerned about 'cause this cat would put a serious whup on a fox... But the others ain't scapers... I got a trap set fir him tonight and sho be nice to get him...

Not excactly gardening but...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 10:20 PM

Over the past week we have had a bunch of localized heavy storms happen to pass right over us. The clay soil is very moist to a good depth, but not soggy.

Enough tomatoes, basil and cukes to declare that, at the moment, life is good!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 12:23 AM

Judging by the low number of threads "below the line" this evening, everyone has been busy today. It's very hot here, though we had a short noisy thunderstorm this evening and now it feels like a sauna outside. I'd begun to water with the soaker hoses again, and saving dish water to take by the bucket out for strategic watering.

My heirloom tomatoes this year are a wash. If the darned cicada killer wasps weren't so pushy this year, I'd wade in and pull them out. They keep buzzing me and telling me to "move along!"

Tomorrow I'll pick some eggplants. I think there are a couple of good sized ones hidden in the foliage, and there are a lot of tomatoes growing into the eggplant.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 12:49 PM

Well, looks as if I'm finally within shooting distance of havin' the entire veggie garden weeded and mulched... I've used up 16 bales of straw up to now...

Canning and freezing this afternoon... We took a couple days off this week and went over to the bay and it's warmer there and stuff that ain't in here is there so we got a bushle of pretty corn and about 10 pounds of vine ripe tomatoes... The corn we'll take off the cob and freeze in vacuum bags...

Got 1/10 inch of rain last night... Need more... Chances are good every day this week with high temps and humidity..

Happy gardenin' to all,

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 12:31 PM

It was in the high 80's yesterday and forecast today. In spite of the record wet June that we had, we have not had rain for awhile.

I'm still cleaning up damage from that June hail storm, trimming out slashed leaves in the day lilies.

I need to gather some creek rocks to finish my water feature project.

Still nothing big enough in the garden to harvest! Many plants just getting a chance to bloom now, some still have not grown enough to have buds.


A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maire-aine
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 12:16 PM

We had a pretty severe storm come thru on Thursday night, but the power came back on Friday afternoon. Lots of tree branches down, though. A branch of one of my tomato plants bent over, but that was the only damage to the garden. I've got 2 "Boxcar Willy" heirloom tomatoes that are beginning to ripen, so I'm excited, and the plant is loaded with more green ones.

Went to the farmers market yesterday & got peaches, so I'm making peach crisp this afternoon.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bettynh
Date: 18 Jul 10 - 10:49 AM

We've had 3 events of water from the sky in the past couple weeks. All passing thunderstorms. Boston got more than three inches, and whined about street flooding. A couple nights ago, there was thunder and the local airport (with official weather station) got a downpour for a half-hour. That one missed me completely. The other day last week that brought rain did produce puddles, but when I tried to weed, the soil a half-inch down was dust. The temperature has hit 90 just about every day but one this month. I know wishing for rain and cool is begging for the law of averages to come crashing down in me - the next thunderstorm could dump a foot of water in an hour, there's been snow in September more than once here. But I'm ready. Bring it on. Predictions are, however, for temperatures flirting with 90 and "isolated showers" for the next week.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 03:08 AM

Janie, here is the latest version of Howard Garrett's Sick Tree Treatment. It's good for healthy trees, but it is very effective for sick trees.

Did your tree guys talk about how the roots of the trees will meet underground and transmit disease? Oak Wilt is found around here and sounds like what you're describing. The Sick Tree treatment is good for it, also.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 08:58 PM

Yeah, large oaks need 25 gallons of water 2-3 times a week... That is a lot and is part of the reason that when times get tough they will send roots outward in search of water... No tap root for oaks so they gotta do what they gotta do...

Glad it's down, Janie, tho I am sorry you lost it...

We just got back from a couple days away so will check things out tomorrow... Should be okay other than harvesting a few veggies...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 07:22 PM

The tree is down, and the fellows are still working at sawing it into sections and rolling them to the edge of the lot. BIG pile of woodchips to use to mulch around the many remaining trees.

The tree had clearly just died. The wood is solid all the way down. Beautiful white oak. The fungus got between the cambium layer and the bark, killing the cambium layer. Says the best thing I can do to protest the remaining trees is to protect them from stress as much as is possible. I can treat the fungus, but will not be able to eliminate it's presence. The severe 3 year drought is what he thinks was the main stressor. However, with so many trees, it would be extravagantly expensive to keep them sufficiently irrigated during a drought. He says grass is much more competitive than I realize, and recommends I mulch as much of the yard as I can.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 04:40 PM

Started a new project today to make a fountain/basin pond under the bay window. It is a sad spot since the hail storm.

I decided to take a few photos of the work in progress.

BEFORE picture, Poppies blooming before the June 30 hail storm

Beginning work on new fountain and rock garden

I found enough pots and rocks to put together something in that space. I have an old fountain pump. Stones were under the deck. It's sad the poppies and other flowers were so slashed by the hail. This spot is along the driveway, so it is part of the entry way to the house from the garage. I just want to see something attractive there again after the storm destruction.

A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: gnu
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 03:47 PM

"left a few aspen suckers to grow up along the edge of the bed and lawn"

Populus tremuloides, in all forms are simply one of the biggest weeds on the planet. I LOATHE them. The only value of a poplar is beaver food. And, of course, porcupine food because if you get stuck in the woods without food or weapon, you can always rip down a small poplar and kill a porcupique with it for food. Even use the poplar as a roasting stick.

I killed about 50 of the damn things today on Mum's lawn, 10 to 50' away from her neighbour's poplars.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 03:19 PM

Ran a soaker hose today, first time in weeks. It's drying out after all of that rain. Now that a couple of weeks have passed from the Cipro I'll get out during the daytime more to work in the yard. I need to weed really bad, but didn't do it right after the rain because of the sun and delicate tendon possibility from Cipro. Such a bummer.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 10 - 01:19 AM

Just checking in - had kid stuff today. Trip to ER, but he's fine. It's a chronic thing, few times a year, we're going to visit a specialist and see if we can't sort it out. Killed the day for anything else, though. (He's feeling much better, went to the movies with his friends tonight!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 10:14 PM

A little slow to respond Darowyn, but that sounds so good! Nothing quite as satisfying. I knew that when I had the space and the sunshine. I appreciate it even more now. Just making a caprese salad with my own basil and tomatoes, or eating cukes and onions maranaded in a vinegar solution is good.

It was so satisfying to come home from a long day at work and hit the garden to harvest supper. Re-energizes one, doesn't it!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 10:05 PM

I should have explained that the plastic is down to solarize the seeds and grass left there. Then I'll use cardboard, paper, compost and pine needles to "lasagna" the area and plant it anew.

Alice

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 15 Jul 10 - 09:55 PM

There is plastic down on the big flower bed where I chopped and dug out the weeds and overgrowth. I'm looking for a garden bench on freecycle and seeing all the things around the yard I can divide and move to that space... iris, daylilies, seeds from lupines, snow in summer, columbine seeds, daisies, mother of thyme and sage. There should be plenty to dig, divide and move.

Yesterday evening I pruned out the suckers of the lilac.

Slowly, years of neglect are being taken care of.

A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 14 Jul 10 - 10:14 AM

We also have "sweet slice" cukes which are prolific enough... 3-4 a day...

The rain also made it up here and we got another 1.4 inches since yesterday afternoon... Everything is soppin' wet 'round here... Good... No carryin' water...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 11:21 PM

We've had gully washer after gully washer come through tonight, some just hard rain and others periods of one thunderstorm after another parking right over top of us. Right thrillin'!

Sum Yung Sun is listening to "the Young Dubliners" behind me and singing along to celtic rock versions of trad. tunes.

Yes, Alice, I will be intrigued to observe the changes as, at first there is much more sun on that side of the yard, and then, slowly, the younger, but still decades old oaks that had been overshadowed slowly add width to their canopies.

Bobert, I've grown more pickling cukes than not for a number of years.   As you say, they are prolific, tasty, with small seeds, and in my experience, the plants last longer in the garden. Still like a good slicing cuke, though, for the short period of time I can usually grow them unless I fuss over them more than I have the time to do.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 08:56 PM

I have almost a clean slate now to work on, with the weeds and small aspen suckers and volunteer baby shrubs taken out of the east side big flower bed.

I have a nice old birdbath that has become concealed under some trees, so I may move that to this flower bed. The bed is large enough to mulch an area to create a bench area or something like that.

I dug out the Iris, left in the Poppy, left a few aspen suckers to grow up along the edge of the bed and lawn... now just need to figure out what to landscape in this 22 ft. x 8 ft. space without spending any money!

Janie, it sounds like you have a clean slate now to imagine something new where the oak tree was.


A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 08:39 PM

Cucumber, onion in vinegar here... This is the first time I've grown these picklin' cukes... Very prolific plant... 15 a day... All 4-5 inches long, small seeds and delicious...

Also never grew acorn squash... It's a real space hog but puttin' out lotta squash... We've harvest a couple and used 'um in stir fry... They are tender... Lot like butternut... We'll let most go the distance and get dark green... I love 'um cut down the middle and baked with butter and a little brown sugar... Yummy...

Little more rain this evenin'... Thank you, Lord... More maybe on the way...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 07:49 PM

Well, most of the limbs came off the old oak today. They'll be back off and on all week to take the rest of the tree down. They will chip the smaller wood and leave it for me to mulch around the trees with, then cut and stack the rest of it near the road. My neighbor has already told me he knows some one who will probably take all of it.

Have a cucumber and sour cream salad chilling for supper!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 06:18 PM

My Olympus is also a "Camedia", maeve... Not too sure what I want to do since I have fires all around me... Might just get a few of them put out before doin' anything... Meanwhile, my other Olympus (film) camera is hiding... I'm down to my 40 year old Honetwell Pentax... Might have to shoot some pics with it and just amil folks some copies???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 05:07 PM

"Leaf roll, or leaf curl, is a physiologic distortion that may develop with periods of cool, rainy weather. It causes the lower leaves to roll upward and become thick and leathery. Leaf roll does not affect plant growth or fruit production and requires no treatment." From here:

"15. Q. What causes tomato leaves to curl?

A. The exact cause of tomato leaf roll is not fully known. Tomato leaf roll appears about the time of fruit setting. The leaflets of the older leaves on the lower half of the tomato plant roll upward. This gives the leaflets a cupped appearance with sometimes even the margins touching or overlapping. The overall growth of the plant does not seem to be greatly affected and yields are normal. This condition appears to be most common on staked and pruned plants. It occurs when excessive rainfall or overwatering keeps the soil too wet for too long. It is also related to intensive sunlight which causes carbohydrates to accumulate in the leaves. Some varieties of tomatoes are characteristically curled."
here

If there isn't any yellowing, browning, or other symptoms, Bobert, I'd go with the two links I glued on in this post.

The camera I was using before the fire was an Olympus Camedia nearly as old as yours, Bobert. It worked fine. There are a few advantages in getting yourself a shiny new camera (they know how to talk purty to the 'puter), but I'll be glad to work with you if you want to use your Olympus.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: gnu
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 03:33 PM

Mine are curling but I thought it might just be the way the plant deals with too much heat from the sun.

maeve diagnosed my yellow leaf problem, although I did use the spray I posted earlier but just once. She also told me about mulch to stop rain splash and mentioned pine needles would work and would do sommat or other for the soil too. Just so happens I got a whack a pine needles.

Some tastey!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 03:06 PM

That's what I'm tryin' to find out, gn-zer... I don't wnat any problems with my 'maters...

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: gnu
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 02:28 PM

Bobert... "Other than the lower leaves curling"

Is this a bad sign? How is it corrected?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 11:08 AM

Bobert,

A camera that old is not going to be helpful now. If you can pick up an inexpensive little camera today (they're across the board - I like the Nikon Coolpix varieties, but there are tons of them) then you'll find it comes with software to install and a cable for connecting. Typically one adds a SD or other memory card to save the photos, and then the card reader is useful. I seem to have a card my reader can't recognize, but it's higher end than I normally would have bought.

I'll look at what's on sale these days and see if I can recommend one that will work easily for you.

The neighbors on both sides of me have now mowed this week. I'll have to get out there this evening and take care of the tall grass.

Lots of little tomatoes set during the rain, so though I was going to thin the thatch out there, it now is clear I need to leave them alone. It's going to be a struggle to pick some of this, but after so little early in the summer, hopefully I'll have enough to juice this fall.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 09:09 AM

No yellowing like a couple years ago so I don't think it's fungus... As fir watering, we're having to use the oscillator so the leaves do get wet but we only water when things get good and dried out from the last watering and then we do water deeply and leave them alone... Other than the lower leaves curling the plants are doing very well... They are setting fruit inspite of the hot...

The camera is an Olympus D-490 Zoom from the mid 90s, Magz... Meave has allready provided me with a link to check out... It's really not the camera that I have the problems with it's the computer end of the deal... I can plug in my card reader and that's about the extent of my knowledge... Files??? Links??? Cut 'n pastes??? Outta reach...

Got another 4/10s of rain yesterday... Expecting more later today... Bring it on... Grass is still grayish brown... Not that I look forward to havin' to mow again but, geeze...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 06:42 AM

Showers overnight and a good chance of showers each day for the next several.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jul 10 - 01:00 AM

Headed to bed, I'll read Janie's post closely in the morning. But it occurs to me to post this:

You want Mycorrhizal fungi - the white strands in the soil and in the compost. There is a product now that encourages it. Thrive.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 11:59 PM

By this time of the season, bobert, I always have some yellowing of lower leaves - less so this year than in years past, but I have also been able to keep the few tomatoes I have, planted in 1' high raised beds, very evenly moist while also well drained.

Speaking of them 'maters, I went ahead and picked the two mortgagelifters that are showing good color. They are not entirely ripe yet, but I was afeared a mocking bird or sumpin' would come peckin' at 'em iff'n I left them on the vine any longer.

Now that I have pulled the zucchini, the "Straight 8" cuke is finally starting to grow some cukes. It was also developing some powdery mildew that I haven't had time to do anything about, but the improved air circulation seems to have helped a good bit.

That bright yellow fungus is weird. It mostly arises in a spreading fashion on the soil surface, then turns a buff color. Where it grew up under one of the basil plants, it puffed up a bit around the stems, but doesn't seem to have harmed the plants any. It changes really quickly.

The mycelium have been visible on the soil surface for several weeks, sometimes more visible than others, and there is definitely a relationship between rain and/or watering and fruiting. I don't think it is anything to worry about. Just interesting.

As I have said before, under all these trees I have noticed all kinds of interesting fungi and mushrooms over the nearly 2 years since I actually moved in. (Unfortunately, while most are benign, some are dangerous to the trees, and some can be damaging to the trees is the trees get stressed (like- by the 3 year severe drought of the recent past.) He says the borers that killed the big white oak are opportunistic, and probably would not have caused much harm to the tree unless the fungus had already done significant damage. He noted 2 different fungi of concern (which I will have him write down when he shows up, hopefully this week, to take down the dead tree) on assorted trees.

One of the two is generally not so serious, and not so hard to treat and control, but if trees are stressed or old and it really takes hold, can make them vulnerable to borer damage and death. Sorry I can not remember the name, but it causes the tree to ooze sap where it gets in between the bark and the cambium layer. Has a sweetish, fermented odor. That is the fungus that drew the hordes of hornets year before last to a small patch on an otherwise healthy tree.    He says it is common, and not of concern to healthy, reasonably unstressed trees.   I have one other large oak that straddles the rear property line with some more extensive damage from that fungus, but he suggested some controls, including treating with a hydrogen peroxide solution and cutting back the plethora of privet and forsythia sprouts that crowd it's base, sapping nutrients, water, and causing poor air circulation. 99% of the brush is on my neighbor's property, but I expect she will give the ok for me to cut it back. He thinks the tree can be saved if vulnerability is reduced now, in spite of some evidence of borers.    This tree is older and bigger.

The other fungus is more serious. The few places he saw evidence of it are currently inactive, but he told me to keep a very close eye on them, and to treat them immediately if it became active. (he recommends organic treatments as first choice.)

He also led me to some new research. He suggested chipping the smaller wood from the tree he will be taking down, and using it to mulch around the trees. Says it is ecologically good practice to allow the debris to remain when it was produced. The last time I researched using chipped wood as mulch it was a strong no-no, but that was a long time ago.    More recent and (what looks to me) good research, makes a strong argument in favor of going ahead and using the woodchips for mulch around the trees.

Dang, learn something new every day!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 07:24 PM

Overwatering isn't good for tomatoes. Do you water deeply every so often, instead of watering daily? Deeper less often is better.

Tomatoes don't like their leaves getting wet, according to some gardeners, so I usually use a soaker hose around them.

If they have mites, that is a sign that the plant is already in some distress and the mites are coming in for easy pickings. If they have a mildew problem, you could make a tea from soaking cornmeal or corn gluten meal and spraying them, but better yet would probably be to spread some corn gluten meal around because it also acts like a good fertilizer. For various fungal diseases straight grocery store hydrogen peroxide (put it in a sprayer, not a hose end thing, you want the 3% peroxide full strength. The stronger stuff can be dangerous to you - it has weed control and pest control applications in organic gardening, but it is more dangerous.

Bobert, tell me what make and model of digital camera, I'll look up the information, then give you just the basics, or can even call and talk you through it. How's that? Do you still have the stuff that came with it? Cables, memory cards, etc?

I have to take BT out and spray my tomatoes and eggplant. I couldn't find the culprit but I found a trail of caterpillar poop in the chewed up eggplant leaves today. And there are bound to be a few hornworms in the tomatoes after all of that rain and no chance to treat for worms.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 02:01 PM

I've noticed it with staked and pruned tomato plants, especially when there's been a whole lot of watering going on. No harm that I have seen.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 01:46 PM

Overwatering?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 10:32 AM

Thanks for the reminder, MMario... We're 'sposed to be watchin' our neigbors stuff and I'm sure their hangin' basket would like a drink...

Dug a row of potatoes this mornin'... Yukon Golds... Got about half a bushel outta that row (35 feet long)... One more row still comin' on that were planted two weeks later than these...

Photographs... This is still a sore subject fir me... I wish there was a class closer to home than Harrisonburg (45 minute drive) so I could learn how to use my digital camera... The instruction book is usless with my lexdexia... I can't even get thru one danged page without the wheels fallin' off...

We might have more rain comin' so I'm out doing some more weedijn' in the veggie garden...

BTW... The lower leaves on some of the tomatoes are curlin' up... They have water and have have been fed fish emulsion... Any ideas???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: MMario
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 10:25 AM

well - once again the "folks at home" neglected to water the hanging plants over the weekend. (they suck up a qt or two of water a day) probably because they had a downpour friday eveening...but the hanging baskets never seem to get wet enough in a rainstorm to make no nevermind. The problem being - it takes me two weeks of coddling to get them to recover from two days neglect!!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jul 10 - 10:21 AM

The Mudcat Gardeners Google group has gained a couple of new members. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your gardens!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 10:15 PM

Sounds like ya' need a buddy with a back-hoe, Alice... Roots are tough...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 09:16 PM

The little red wagon of petunias was partly overwatered, so it is going into the garage tonight... thunderstorms forecast.

I finished up raking green pinecones and branch tips that were broken by the big hail storm underneath the spruce tree. It is like a hidden room in there... I like being under those huge boughs.

A robin followed me around eating up the bugs that were disturbed by all my raking.

One last big cleanup job that has been neglected for years is the front east side of the house where junipers were removed last year. Now it is a jungle of aspens sprouting, weeds, columbines, iris put in about 20 years ago, poppies, and other volunteer shrubs planted by the birds. It is such a big job, I've put it off until last.

The hoe and shovel are sharpened. Tomorrow will be the day.

A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 08:56 PM

Just got home from the cutting exhange and, amazingly enough, we only brough home 4 baggies of cuttings (4-6 per bag) which means that other than the Sergai that I'm gonna try to propagate, looks like we'll only be growing about 20 new azaleas...

The setting for the event, however, was breath-taking... These folks who haven't been members of the Azalea Society but for the last 6 or so months invited us to their place.... Their place??? 10 acreas of wonderful gardens right on the Virginia side of the Potomac River near Fredricksburg... Big money area... They bough 40 years ago for $10,000... Today??? 10 acres in that area on the river is a million dollars... No matter... We had a great time... Food (pot luck) was super...

And only 4 baggies of cuttings!!!

That Betty Ford stuff does work if ya' give it half a chance...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 05:18 PM

Dave, if you told us where you're located, I can't find it. Where is this garden of yours? Sounds wonderful!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Darowyn
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 03:20 PM

This week we have had our first (almost) completely home-grown dinners.
The meat was from the supermarket, but the potatoes, peas, salad leaves and herbs were from the garden- and so were the raspberries for after!.
Considering we started here from nothing, apart from a lot of nettles and thistles, less than a year ago, I'm really proud of what we have achieved.
And just in case you think we are being completely utilitarian, the Geraniums, Marigolds, Dahlias etc. etc. are brightening up the place beautifully too.
It's looking like a good year so far- except for the parsnips, none of which have germinated at all. We shall have three types of beans, fennel, tomatoes, more lettuces, beetroot, broccoli and carrots in another couple of weeks.
And if you've never tried them, can I recommend Melon Turnips- they are pure white and sweet enough to eat raw, but make great soup too.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: gnu
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 01:34 PM

Bobert... a cumato (kumato) looks wierd.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 12:32 PM

Thanks, Alice and Maggie. I've trepidations about posting them in public. On the other hand, it's fun to show what we've been working on.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Alice
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 12:28 PM

I just looked at the google group page.
Beautiful photos, Maeve!



A.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 10 - 12:09 PM

They're beautiful, thanks. Any readers who want to join this group, it's a Google Group where we can send messages and post photos on pages. Google Wave is the next stage, but I don't know anyone who uses that. In case anyone is interested in testing it out.

http://groups.google.com/group/mudcat-gardeners.

SRS