Gardening: 2013–2015

[haresfur]

Great idea, I'm going to steal it!

 

This was instead our raised bed idea. We had some bricks in the garden left by the landlady and we stacked 2 rounds of them to get a pretty decent height but we didn't want to mortar them because we don't know how long we are going to be in this house. So I had the idea of wrapping the outside with plastic wrap. It has been holding for almost a year now.

This is a picture from last week, too bad I didn't get a photo of the zucchini trombetta (or courgette trompette).

 

 

 

That's brilliant! Do you get water leaking out between the bricks? I like the way you use the bricks for the frame above.

[Franci]

That's brilliant! Do you get water leaking out between the bricks? I like the way you use the bricks for the frame above.

 

Thanks! Not that I can visibly see. We just lined the floor and the side with a liner, how is it called in English...landscape liner? 

[Shelby]

Very nice, Franci.  Are those grapes?

 

Haul from today:

 

The big 'maters are coming on!!!  Yippeeeeeee!!!! 

 

 

Lots and lots and lots of cherry tomatoes 

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Sigh. Whatever ate most of my beets last year came back for more.DSC00086.jpg

Most of the golden beets are gone and many of the red ones. I suspect voles and can't see any way to stop them. The usual advice is a 1/4" wire mesh fence 12" above ground level and 6-10" below. Since our land is basically all rock that is really impossible. I think I lost this battle. I'll pull most of the small beets tomorrow. At least the greens are fine.

Elaina

 

ElainaA,

 

I've no idea about how you feel about cats, but when I moved here in 1990, there were lots of voles and snakes on the property. We are heavily wooded and back up to a major creek that is a semi-protected watershed. The cats used to bring me "presents" of dead voles on the doorstep and sometimes live snakes. I've had to chop a couple snakes up with a shovel after getting them away from the cats. Sorry PETA folks, but I did not have time to bone up on venomous or not snakes with my pet or myself in immediate danger, and we have water moccasins here, and several other poisonous ones. Now I don't have any voles or snakes anymore (at least that I have seen).

 

Cats are really good for vermin control.

 

Edit: Females tend to be better at hunting/vermin control than males.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[KennethT]

You guys are making me so jealous!!!! I've been really busy with work lately, and have had no time at all for my windowsill garden. It has been sitting idle for far too long. Right now, all I have time for is the bare minimum of maintenance needed to keep my dwarf lime tree alive - and even that is a struggle!

[Okanagancook]

Goodness, those eggplants look amazing Shelby.

I have a plethora of cherry tomatoes too. I remember a recipe from Cooks Illustrated where one halves the tomatoes and salts them well. Leave for at least half an hour then spin them in a salad spinner. Strain the juice and if you have a lot, reduce in a sauce pan. Cool then use it to make the dressing in the usual fashion for the tomatoes, adding fresh basil and maybe some chopped shallot. Makes for a less watery salad

[ElainaA]

 

 

Cats are really good for vermin control.

 

 

Absolutely.   Our cat is aging - I never had these problems when she was younger and hunted. Sadly our dog is also pretty old so all the vermin are getting bolder. I plan on getting a young cat or kitten to take over the hunting duties but currently we are cat-sitting for our daughter (an indoor cat - she is a city person) and our elderly cat is not taking it well. Once Izzy goes home, we'll see. Cats and dogs are by far the best vermin (and deer) control in my experience.

Elaina

[ElainaA]

I have a plethora of cherry tomatoes too. I remember a recipe from Cooks Illustrated where one halves the tomatoes and salts them well. Leave for at least half an hour then spin them in a salad spinner. Strain the juice and if you have a lot, reduce in a sauce pan. Cool then use it to make the dressing in the usual fashion for the tomatoes, adding fresh basil and maybe some chopped shallot. Makes for a less watery salad

I always grow too many cherry tomatoes. Here's one of my favorite uses:

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce with Basil and Parmesan. It takes along time to cook but it is worth it.

Preheat oven to 250. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add 1 large onion, diced and 6 cloves garlic, diced. Cook about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 18 (yes! the recipe is this specific! You don't have to be!) shredded basil leaves and 1/8 t. red pepper flakes. 

In a deep roasting pan, combine 50 cherry tomatoes (I told you the recipe is specific - and I use more) with 2 t. sugar, 1 t. salt and onion mixture. Drizzle with 1/4 c. olive oil. Roast in 250 degree oven for 3 hours, stirring once. Serve over pasta with 1/2 c. parmesan and 1/4 c. basil ribbons.

I like this with a mix of different colored cherry tomatoes - I grow red, orange,black and white cherries. None ripe yet so I'm still waiting. 

Enjoy.

Elaina

Edited July 18, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Okanagancook]

ElainaA, thank you for the recipe. Looks delicious. I am going to do that tomorrow. Should be amazing over 18 egg yolk pasta and freshly grated Parmesan.

[ElainaA]

ElainaA, thank you for the recipe. Looks delicious. I am going to do that tomorrow. Should be amazing over 18 egg yolk pasta and freshly grated Parmesan.

Can I come for dinner? 

Elaina

[Okanagancook]

Here it is.  Really deep flavours and especially 'garlicy' because I used my fresh garlic.  Haven't made the pasta yet.  The sauce is in the freezer waiting for the right time.  This would also make an awesome pizza sauce.

[ElainaA]

Here it is.  Really deep flavours and especially 'garlicy' because I used my fresh garlic.  Haven't made the pasta yet.  The sauce is in the freezer waiting for the right time.  This would also make an awesome pizza sauce.

That looks lovely I never thought of it as pizza sauce - that's an awesome idea.

Elaina

[Dave W]

Heck yea that looks amazing.

[Okanagancook]

Dug the last of the potatoes.  Rest of the haul for today was the usual:  a couple of cucumbers; some cherry tomatoes; several 4 inch zucs; a handful of green beans; four cups of arugula; and five Cherokee Purple tomatoes.  I'm trading some of that with my neighbour...she has peaches ready

[Smithy]

The last of the potatoes? Already? What do those plants do for the rest of the growing season? (Please tell me your growing season is not already at its end.)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Something has been chewing on my second floor tomatoes.  And I don't mean a stink bug.  I suspect that enterprising chipmunk I ran into once before.

[Okanagancook]

The last of the potatoes? Already? What do those plants do for the rest of the growing season? (Please tell me your growing season is not already at its end.)

We have loads of growing season left, however we are two to three weeks ahead of normal. The potatoes were planted April 26 and the plants started to die off. The potatoes get this kind of scab on them if I leave them in the ground so we dig them up and enjoy them. We have been digging potatoes for the past three weeks, enjoying them small and creamy. Not really about the amount we get. I have a new planting of arugula in and I think the tomatoes will be done in three weeks. We are in growing zone six/seven.

[Kerry Beal]

Something has been chewing on my second floor tomatoes.  And I don't mean a stink bug.  I suspect that enterprising chipmunk I ran into once before.

There is a chipmunk that lives under the steps at the side of our house. My neighbour grows cherry tomatoes right across from the steps. I often go out to find him chowing down on one. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

There is a chipmunk that lives under the steps at the side of our house. My neighbour grows cherry tomatoes right across from the steps. I often go out to find him chowing down on one. 

 

But why my tomatoes?  Why not the okra?

[Kerry Beal]

It's the slime - or in our case - the neighbour doesn't grow okra!

[JoNorvelleWalker]

What is eating the okra are Japanese beetles.  The leaves are covered with them.  No other plants are being touched by the beetles.  But the okra plants don't seem to care, they just keep pumping out more okra.

 

If I can stomach it, dinner again tonight is okra.  The pile of okra pods in the next room is laughing at me.  Plus the tomatoes are starting to get out of hand.  Meanwhile the cucumbers are hanging where I can't possibly reach them.

 

But before I think about dinner (and believe me I'm really trying not to) I must first finish up my mai tai.  Nothing unusual.  However this time the garnish is my very own mint from the balcony, since the disappointing brown stuff from the store has been scrofulous of late.

 

Note somehow the store sells beautiful mint in the middle of the winter.

 

Why don't Japanese beetles eat chipmunks?

[gfweb]

You got a problem with chipmunks or what?

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I live in a second floor apartment!  What right do the cuddly little creatures have to eat my stuff??  They can't fly.  It's bad enough that the birds mock me while they take my blueberries.

 

Though I must say I did enjoy three small strawberries I found tonight.

[ElainaA]

 

 

 

Why don't Japanese beetles eat chipmunks?

Wouldn't that be wonderful. And give them an appetite for voles too. I think your only hope is a cat.

Elaina

[IowaDee]

I agree, chipmunks are pure evil.  Around here they are known as rats in sport coats.  Several years ago we watched one scale the stucco wall of our garage and empty  out a nest of baby barn swallows. And, this year, they are eating our cherry tomatoes as fast as they start to ripen. And, when not eating, I am convinced they are breeding up a storm   I am wondering if birth control pills could be implanted into the tomatoes?