Gardening: 2002-2009 Seasons

[hjshorter]

Our tomatoes that Scott and Emma planted last weekend have been munched down to nubs - stupid deer! We may have to put an enclosure around our beds. Last year they at least let the plants grow before eating all of the tomatoes.

The good news is that they don't seem to go for the herbs.

[Nick]

Our tomatoes that Scott and Emma planted last weekend have been munched down to nubs - stupid deer! We may have to put an enclosure around our beds.  Last year they at least let the plants grow before eating all of the tomatoes.

The good news is that they don't seem to go for the herbs.

Deer meat. Think deer meat. Some of the best meat you can have.

[torakris]

Our tomatoes that Scott and Emma planted last weekend have been munched down to nubs - stupid deer! We may have to put an enclosure around our beds.  Last year they at least let the plants grow before eating all of the tomatoes.

The good news is that they don't seem to go for the herbs.

Deer meat. Think deer meat. Some of the best meat you can have.

But what do you do about a 2 year old who likes to dig up your pepper plants with a plastic tea cup?

[Arey]

Does anyone know how to rejuvenate a Rosemary plant? Originally I had two Rosemary plants in terracotta containers which I brought indoors each winter. Since I don't like indoor plants, eventually I gave one to my sister-in-law and planted one in the herb garden planted around my goldfish pond. I put it on the South side of the pond in a sheltered position. It did very well there, and usually suffered some frost damage to the tips of the branches but recovered well. Well, last year it had the drought followed by an above normal rainfall for the Fall and an above normal (and above the top of the plant for that matter) snowfall in January and February. It has only a couple of new growth branches now. Most of the branches still look dormant and the tops have only brown leaves. The branches are alive, and when you scrape one with a fingernail you can see the green wood, but they aren't doing anything. I also lost both my culinary Thyme plants , and most of the ornamental thyme plants in my backyard. My Greek oregano is thriving, and my Dill, Italian Parsley and Summer Savory are all coming up. It's too soon to plant Basil here (South Jersey, a few blocks from the Ocean). I would like to know if my Rosemary plant will recover, or should I rip it out and go buy a new one.

Arey

[Nick]

But what do you do about a 2 year old who likes to dig up your pepper plants with a plastic tea cup?

Get your two year old to love the pepper plants.

[snowangel]

It has only a couple of new growth branches now. Most of the branches still look dormant and the tops have only brown leaves. The branches are alive, and when you scrape one with a fingernail you can see the green wood, but they aren't doing anything.  I also lost both my culinary Thyme plants , and most of the ornamental thyme plants in my backyard.  My Greek oregano is thriving, and my Dill, Italian Parsley and Summer Savory are all coming up. It's too soon to plant Basil here (South Jersey, a few blocks from the Ocean). I would like to know if my Rosemary plant will recover, or should I rip it out and go buy a new one.

Arey

Prune everything that still look dormant. That you have some new growth branches indicates that it is still alive, and you'd probably get more new growth if the plant wasn't putting any energy into the branches that aren't doing anything.

[tommy]

a rabbit, or squirrel, or the lawn guys took off with my tarragon.

[hjshorter]

Deer meat. Think deer meat. Some of the best meat you can have.

No guns in our house. But I can dream about venison.

We are going to get new plants this weekend. Too late to start from seed.

Sorry to hear about the tarragon, Tommy. We have lots of rabbits around here too - that's what KO'd our carrot crop last year. Too bad the critters don't seem to go for the wild onions infesting my flower beds.

[tommy]

We have lots of rabbits around here too - that's what KO'd our carrot crop last year.  Too bad the critters don't seem to go for the wild onions infesting my flower beds. 

you didn't see that coming?

[snowangel]

We've talked cookbooks, let's talk gardening books. My favorite perennial flower book is "The Well Tended Perennial Garden" by Tracy DiSabato-Aust. Although she's based in Ohio, I can translate to MN. She has great info in how to prune/trim to stagger bloom time, plus good info on just how labor intensive the different plants are.

For vegetables, I rely on U of MN Extension Service bulletins. Better than any book I've found.

And, for anyone who lives in MN, there is "Gardening in the Upper Midwest" by Leon Snyder, "father" of the MN Landscape Arboreteum. I have an autographed copy. This book would be as well used as my dictionary.

These, plus seed catalogues, provide great night time reading from Feb. 1 onwards. I've been planning for months, and the spectacular weather on Friday spurred my first major perennial transplant of the season.

[Nick]

I don't use books that much but, when I do, I use the "Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (1959) from Rodale.

[jackal10]

Joy Larcom's revision of the Royal Horticultural Society's "The Vegetable Garden Displayed"

"The Salad Garden" from the same author is good as well.

Other than that the golden oldies: Hilliers "Manual of Trees and Shrubs", and Sutton's "The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers" (1926)

Edited May 5, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[torakris]

I follow Bob Thomson and his The New Victory Garden religiously!

I used to watch hiis shows on PBS with my dad and when i started gardening it was the first place I turned.

[jackal10]

I have overproduced plants. If you can figure out a way to collect them from Cambridge UK, then free to a good home:

Red Brussel sprouts

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Cavallo Nero Kale

Savoy cabbage

Tomato "Fireworks II"

Leek starters

Nature is wonderful. I saw in the garden an Orange Tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) which I had never seen before. I also noticed that the row of seedling Chinese Mustard had been devastated, which is apparantly this butterfly's favourite food plant. I'm sure that this is the only chinese mustard for miles around - we are surrounded by agricultural fields. How did the butterfly find it?

[snowangel]

Let's talk window boxes. I have just reduced the pile of lumber in the garage and have nice, new window boxes. The tradition, at least here is impatiens, petunias, etc. along with overpriced "accent" plants.

I want different, but I do want cascading -- I don't want to obstruct the view out the windows too much. Edible would be good. I first thought of pole beans. If they grow up, surely they'll grow down. But I'm afraid there might not be enough soil mass to give them what they need. Herbs that cascade? Ideas, please!

On a different note, we have had a most glorious spring. The right amount of rain coupled with absolutely clear days in the upper 60's and low 70's. The bugs haven't come out yet. Everything looks lush and lucious. Some days I just sit out under the pergola and watch and hear the stuff grow. My shoulders are getting brown, my shins are losing their neon white hue, and my feet have birkie tan lines. Tis a grand time to live here.

Warm weather veggies (tomatos, beans, cukes, peppers) go in the week after Memorial Day.

Edited May 17, 2003 by snowangel (log)

[tommy]

question on chives:

my chives have a tendency to bend over and break. should i be snipping and using these guys? are they falling over due to their own weight? hey are flowering now as well. should i let the buds be? last year i used them on salads.

[bigbear]

Let's talk window boxes.  ..... I want different, but I do want cascading -- .....  Edible would be good.  .....

Nasturtiums.

[jpr54_]

dianthus,trailing nasturtiums(moonlight , sungold, empress of india)

calendula, sweet peas

fragrant-

nicotiana

stock

heliotrope

[torakris]

the start of rainy season here in Japan is doing wonderful things for my garden, I may be eating zucchini, cherry tomatoes and hot peppers in another week or 2. Maybe my baby leaf mix and arugula too!

[tommy]

are we just skipping over my chive question? is that what we're doing? just ignoring the whole post? as if it never existed?

[jackal10]

are we just skipping over my chive question?  is that what we're doing?  just ignoring the whole post?  as if it never existed?   

The more you trim them the better they will be.

Certainly use the flowers and the buds - leave them too long and the stalks get stiff and inedible.

You can also divide up the clumps to give yourself more plants.

Chives make a great edging for the the herb garden

[torakris]

are we just skipping over my chive question?  is that what we're doing?  just ignoring the whole post?  as if it never existed?   

I was!

actually I was waiting for an answer too, because I have had the same problem!

[sparrowgrass]

I picked my first lettuce yesterday, and new potatoes will be on the menu as soon as the garden dries out a bit.

I planted big pots of nasturiums. I stuck 4 quarter inch dowels, about 18 inches long, in each pot, to keep the cat from sleeping on the little plants.

I have been picking lots of asparagus in the neighbor's field, but the poison ivy is getting alarmingly high around the plants, so I am about to give up on that. I love asparagus, but poison ivy is too big a risk. And I have the feeling that chiggers will be coming out soon too.

Beans are coming up, but no sign of the sweet corn yet. Peppers and tomatoes are thriving, even with the hailstorm the other evening.

Irises, salvia, roses, yarrow, daisies, and coreopsis are blooming, and the peonies are all face down in the grass. I picked all of the least smashed blooms, and have vases full of peonies in every room, and on my desk at work. Why does it always have to rain so hard when the peonies are blooming?

[NeroW]

I'm a little slow on the uptake here. I inherited a garden from my apartment's prior inhabitant. It's taken me a while just to get the damn weeds under control (I hope).

I just put my seeds in yesterday. Am I doomed?

There's not enough sun for tomatoes. I planted: sugar snap and green arrow peas, kohlrabi, spinach, several kinds of lettuces, sweet corn, bush beans, jalapeno peppers, sweet basil, and dill. I will be getting some more herbs in the ground this week.

It's a great city garden, with morning glories, mint bushes, and lavender. Also the tulips and daffodil-type plants, chrysanthemums, and wildflowers.

My landlord wants to pave over it and make more parking spaces. We're going to riot over this, if it comes down to it.

EDIT: we have apple and plum trees as well. When do they bear fruit?

Edited May 19, 2003 by NeroW (log)

[jackal10]

Don't know where you are, or what the climate is. However it is certainly not too late for those seeds, provided you can keep the snails and slugs and other nasties off them.

Must look lovely.

Do you know what varieties the trees are?

Plums are ready from earlies in July to late ones in September. You might see small fruit forming, and even smaller ones that did not get fertilised. Also don't be alarmed when many drop off in June (The "June drop") Its just the tree getting rid of the excess it can't ripen.

Apple are ready September/October, depending on variety. In general the early apples don't keep that well.

Can you get preservation orders on the trees?