Gardening: 2013–2015

[hummingbirdkiss]

Good luck. I've not been successful with basil inside. We have a new greenhouse and when it cools off I may try a pot in there. I have some cuttings with roots in a glass.

cut it all back to the first set of leaves loosen the roots and and put it where you have it with lots of light then pretend that is how life is and it will grow I do it every year and harvest it all winter ..the leaves do get smaller and as time goes by it looses it flavor ..but most years I have either cuttings rooted from the stuff I cut or the plant to put back out in the springtime 

[FauxPas]

Thanks so much, Franci! I just ordered some seeds for the trombetta from Renee's seeds. The "packaged for 2015" seeds are now 40% off through this link, if you are at all interested! Enter SALE15 at checkout.

 

I'm going to try growing some in my 'winter garden' in Arizona maybe.  

 

 

I've realized I didn't post about the courgettes and the "pagnottelle" cucumbers.

These courgettes invaded the whole space, also the garden next door :-)))) Next year only two plants. The cucumbers are not ready yet, still too hairy and not enough sun in my garden unfortunately. Next year definitely more salads.

 

I've fried so many  courgettes' flowers and so many in the freezer that just for that was worth it

 

[cyalexa]

cut it all back to the first set of leaves loosen the roots and and put it where you have it with lots of light then pretend that is how life is and it will grow I do it every year and harvest it all winter ..the leaves do get smaller and as time goes by it looses it flavor ..but most years I have either cuttings rooted from the stuff I cut or the plant to put back out in the springtime 

I'll give it a try, thanks.

[Okanagancook]

So will I thank you and that makes perfect sense. They is a lot of growth on it at the moment.

[Shelby]

The raccoons (little thieves  ) broke in to the garden and began carting my pumpkins off to the river     so I picked them all this morning.  Well, most of them.  There are a few that are still green.  Hopefully they will leave those alone.

 

Edited September 14, 2015 by Shelby (log)

[Smithy]

The raccoons (little thieves  ) broke in to the garden and began carting my pumpkins off to the river     

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Now there's a mental image. Those pumpkins look like they're at least half the size of a healthy raccoon!

[Shelby]

Now there's a mental image. Those pumpkins look like they're at least half the size of a healthy raccoon!

Yes, which is why about half way there they always drop them leaving an orange trail of where they've been 

[hummingbirdkiss]

does anyone know this bean? I was given two plants told they are "Italian" and "rare" .flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and they have been flowering and producing (three sisters bed beans)  all summer ..still going strong! 

 

they are the best bean I think I have ever grown ..wonderful flavor super tender and can not wait to try some dried 

 

I hope someone knows I would love to have a name for this? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I am done with the garden ..then it is not done with me 

 

 

I so enjoy everyones photos and stories and the spider! I love spiders but they creep me out when the webs crunch on me in the garden this time of year ..then worse when you can not find it and are sure it is in your hair and no one is around to look ..that happens! 

[Shelby]

I don't know what those beans are, but I do know that they are HUGE and beautiful!

[Okanagancook]

Lima beans?

[suzilightning]

limas are a pale green.....could they be Coronas?

[ElainaA]

I don't know if it is me or my very stony soil but I do seem to grow some odd (and suggestive) carrots - The other ones I pulled were very normal. And tasted good too.

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2015 by ElainaA (log)

[Franci]

Fauxpas, thank you for the sale alert! I'm going to buy some seeds. 

I found that if you let the trombetta grow too much, the skin becomes tough and the pulp mealy but I'm actually enjoying both, young and more mature, cooked differently!

In France or Italy they will pick them just at the right stage.

 

I hope someone knows I would love to have a name for this? 

 

 

 

Fagioli bianchi di Spagna?

The only beans I actually eat, in salad with good tuna and onions.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

My tomatoes are about done (except for the rotting piles on the kitchen counter) but no one's told the okra.

[FauxPas]

Fauxpas, thank you for the sale alert! I'm going to buy some seeds. 

 

 

I hesitated and she had already sold out of some of the seeds I wanted, but I still found at least a dozen that I wanted. I really like her mixed packages - the red, gold and chioggia beet mix, for example, which I did order. Or the SW peppers mix (also ordered). I ordered the Little Prince aubergine plant again. I don't even like eggplant but that was one of the easiest and most beautiful garden plants I ever grew. And it had tons of fruit on it. I just need to find a home for the fruit or finally learn to love aubergine!!!  But I would grow that plant just as an ornamental pot plant, it was so lovely.

 

And I ordered some greens/lettuces and tomatoes.

 

Winter gardens are challenging - everything can get killed in a sudden frost - but I've had some good luck as well.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

hummingbirdkiss,

 

Your mystery beans look good, and came with your reccommendation, so I wanted to know more about them.

 

These are the images that IMO most closely match your excellent photo with the pod, their mature beans, flowers and coin for proportion:

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=corona+beans+images&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCAQsARqFQoTCLnZk5ml-McCFYahgAodFa0FoA#imgrc=naSMeYaf-CluaM%3A

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=bianchi+di+spagna+fagioli+growing+images&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB0QsARqFQoTCNus6pOn-McCFUZaGgodhc4LKQ#imgrc=naSMeYaf-CluaM%3A

 

I notice that yours come three to a pod, and the ones in the images are four to the pod.

 

These are even more interesting to me with Franci's endorsement.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

 I ordered the Little Prince aubergine plant again. I don't even like eggplant but that was one of the easiest and most beautiful garden plants I ever grew. And it had tons of fruit on it. I just need to find a home for the fruit or finally learn to love aubergine!!!  But I would grow that plant just as an ornamental pot plant, it was so lovely.

 

 

 

Did you ever try just lightly coating with flour and frying? Do you like eggplant parm? Parm can be made from broiled or grilled eggplant with no other added fat except the cheese. I also like eggplant just grilled as part of a grilled veggie sub with some cheese.

 

Just throwing out some ideas here, but yes the plant, and especially the short-lived flowers are very beautiful:

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=eggplant+flowers&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCgQ7AlqFQoTCL3MpL73-McCFQmQDQodDG8Fag#tbm=isch&q=eggplant+growing

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=eggplant+flowers&espv=2&biw=1097&bih=546&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCgQ7AlqFQoTCPKT7-r3-McCFQjRgAodZbMOaQ

[Franci]

I hesitated and she had already sold out of some of the seeds I wanted, but I still found at least a dozen that I wanted.

 

Then, no more waiting. Brainstorming with my husband and we decide. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of space and a lot of sun...We'll do more salads.

I wish I could have eggplants! We planted some chinese eggplants and only got 2! so far... You don't like them because of texture or flavor? Because, it's it the texture, I'll go two ways: completely charbroil and mush and squeeze the pulp. I love the meatball you can make out of them. Or stuff them with a mix of the meat and the pulp.

Or, if you actually do a preserve, under oil, the texture is completely different, because you kind of dehydrate with salt before, nothing to do with a soft eggplant and nice vinegary/oily  taste.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Franci (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I think they are corona's as well you guys but am not 100% sure because they are bright white and when I have seen them previously they were distinctly more  beige than white but..those photos look the same so they probably are .. I think for now I will say these are a type of  Corona and not think about it anymore 

 

whatever they are ..they are tasty runner beans …(and I find most runners not so tasty) Scarlet runners are pretty to grow attract birds bees and butterflies .. but I never really thought they tasted very good..the flowers are cute on a salad ..

 

these taste great to me I am going to try to plant half of them with the garlic next month and half in the spring …see what happens 

 

thanks so much for the help …these are worth planting and will be planted again I just love them and everything about them right now! I am so looking forward to tasting them dried 

[Franci]

I think they are corona's as well you guys but am not 100% sure because they are bright white and when I have seen them previously they were distinctly more  beige than white but..those photos look the same so they probably are .. I think for now I will say these are a type of  Corona and not think about it anymore 

 

They stay white once you cook them, also? Because, the fagioli di spagna/corona at least in the dry form, never had the pleasure of eating fresh, are white before cooking and turn beige once cooked.

[hummingbirdkiss]

They stay white once you cook them, also? Because, the fagioli di spagna/corona at least in the dry form, never had the pleasure of eating fresh, are white before cooking and turn beige once cooked.

I will do a check with out seasonings and see ..when  I cooked them so far it has been "in" something that changed the color and did not think of this at the time so I will cook the ones I picked yesterday alone and see 

 

that would give the answer so I will see then thanks.. I am just thinking that is what they are ..not sure what else they could be? huh? they are huge beans and consistently huge! I am wanting to dry them as much as possible on the vine now so it is between me and the deer as to who gets them ..one side of the bed was like a buffet line for mom and the twins ..thank goodness they were happy with that because I had the entire other side to myself so far! I am just stunned even for runners they are huge plants and 2 covered the corn and pumpkins in the bed

 

I put volcanic  rock dust in this bed and wonder if that caused everything to really be prolific ..it does not help it is by the compost heap and gets the first dump each year …

 

 

I am going out to tend beds and get the rest of the tomatillos today ..prep the beds for garlic and then get back to the kitchen …

 

coffee, yoga breakfast  …then work ..sounds like I am not retired that was my same chant before ! 

Edited September 15, 2015 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

My friend dug deeper and figured the beans out and sent me a note just now

They are called "el barco" or "Judiones"

They are from Spain not Italy as she had thought

So there is the answer! I can not find much online about them

She is the one who gave me the beautiful groundnut plant ( i mentioned it earlier but know nothing about )

[Franci]

My friend dug deeper and figured the beans out and sent me a note just now

They are called "el barco" or "Judiones"

They are from Spain not Italy as she had thought

So there is the answer! I can not find much online about them

She is the one who gave me the beautiful groundnut plant ( i mentioned it earlier but know nothing about )

 

I google it: judiones de la Granja and they might indeed come from Spain since the Italian name,  fagioli di Spagna means beans from Spain :-)))) but I guess it's the same bean maybe the Italian name got only more popular.

Anyway, my favourite, lucky you to have fresh from the garden.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Franci (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I wish I could post a video of this but you guys a fat little  piglet  is/has apparently  been  living with out notice ..in our yard and we can not catch him..mind you I live "in town" not in the country and my poultry situation is out of control as it is …he is enjoying the fallen fruits and has found my pumpkins …he is freaking adorable but this is crazy!  ..it is a hardy brown and white striped piglet and he is fat and healthy and has me worried that someone is looking for him …but I have searched and asked and no one is claiming him ..…I am so afraid a big dog or a a coyote will get him ..…my husband set a live trap last night and I put a bowl of soup a sandwich and some peach cobbler in it …he has come back several times and my husband thinks he is feasting in our garden and hunkered in the duck/chicken yard..he is fat healthy and quite pissed off..the funny thing is 6 years ago a piglet wandered into my girlfriends yard ..no lie! he wandered in she looked for his owners no claimers he grew to over 400lbs..she had him neutered and finally he was made into food buy one of the best butchers I have met in this area …his name was Benson and he went from pet to food at the 400lb mark ..she gave us his hind quarter and some amazing bacon . …Benson fed a lot of folks in our area poor guy did not have a clue when he wondered in…

 

not sure if he will come back but I have named him "Bacon" due to his beautiful brown and white streaking and fat little self

 

I can't/will NOT  keep a pig and would look for the owner for sure if  we  can catch him ..I am thinking there are other "guerrilla  farmers " in my little town  

 

he is so enjoying he abandoned orchard windfalls behind my house 

 

anyway I wanted to share because it is so funny and if you know how to load a video I am happy to share I could not figure out how to put it on flicker 

 

 

he has taken over the neighbor hood and if does not get eaten himself I am sure he will grow as big as Benson so someone should grab him now and get him home! ..Where ever home is since you are not supposed to have pigs here unless you have a lot of land and no one does 

 

just thought I would share this here in the garden section because he is apparently going to help the ducks plow through the beds and eat up all the remainders ..

 

I cannot believe this little guy and wish I had gotten a still shot of him but the video is just cute to me he is fat cute and fast I had no idea what he was when I first saw him! 

 

I would like him to NOT eat all the pumpkins and guess I better pick them today they are pretty much done ..even though I would prefer it to be at least one frost before I picked that never happens here they would rot first 

 

I am torn about the corn I wanted to dry it and the beans intact in the garden but between the pig and the rain coming back I think drying indoors maybe a better thought ..I love the garden this time of year the spiders are so big thought and as much as they fascinate me and  I love them to do their thing ..ew

 

Autumn is here…how is everyones garden doing ..busy huh? …this is sad time of year for my family (tragedy hit hard in the fall a decade ago)  but this pig is hysterical and hopefully we can catch the little bugger before something hungry does! 

Edited September 20, 2015 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[FauxPas]

Franci, thank you for your eggplant suggestions, will have to look into those more. 

 

As for the trombetta (squash), I saw an idea for a squash arch - maybe that would be a good way to grow them? (The smaller, simpler version shown, of course!)

 

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/how-to-build-a-squash-arch/

 

Beautiful and practical, would help to control them. 

Edited September 20, 2015 by FauxPas (log)