BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 05:32 PM

Most of my tomatoes from last summer are ripening fast now, but they're not very pretty. I'll blanch, cut up, and freeze them.

I have a couple of those fancy Boston Bibb lettuces that they sell with the roots. Know what? They grow if you plant them. I have one that is getting big enough now I'll start pulling the outer leaves off (I ate must of the lettuce then planted the little green core). The local grocery took them out of the fancy boxes and mixed them with the regular bibb lettuce, but didn't cut the root off the bottom, so they came at a very reasonable price. :-)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 11:59 AM

Do you start seeds inside? I keep intending to, and then realize the time has passed. Ideally I should start seeds this weekend to be ready for planting in a few weeks (especially beans and lettuces).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 11:16 AM

Well, I just got my first issue of "garden porn", aka Johnny's Selected Seeds. But I'm in Zone 4 so it's gonna be awhile. I'm planning a big ol' sustainability garden, so tis the season for reading, planning and dreaming!

Subject: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 11:05 AM

Here you go, Bobert, and I hope you'll be a regular contributor. It seems like you just moved to Virginia, and now you're headed to North Carolina. We await news of the zone, soil type, water quality, native plants, wildlife predations on your garden, etc.

My garden will continue to creep down the side yard along the driveway toward the street (an Edible Estate) and I have a couple of new beds underway directly in front of the house. Since the won't work without irrigation, I'll probably have to put in soaker hoses and a quick coupler on the front yard hose.

For point of reference, we are scattered through various hardiness zones and soil types. I'm in zone 7B and I do a lot of xeriscape plantings except in the vegetable garden (though it doesn't hurt if the plants are hardy there also!) Limestone underneath, blackland prairie that is rock hard when it gets dry. I use a lot of compost and soil amendments.

I have a few pretty things, lilies, Texas star hibiscus, iris, and daffodils that come back every year. Lots of slavia greggi around the yard, and the rosemary has pretty little blue blossoms. The silverado sage has lovely lavendar flowers a few days after a heavy rain. I tend to put in perennials and save my energy for the vegetable portion of the yard.

Good gardening to all of you, please report regularly!

SRS