Kitchen gardens

[Meanderer]

how awesome this is! ..you have to fix the difficulty and post more pics like how the rain barrels are set up to use the water and ..what your growing set up looks like

I am having me one of these 

←

We'll work on it but as we were working through the process last evening, we were interrupted by a major distraction which will require our attention for a day or two. Please have patience with us. Re the rain barrels, one is outside to catch the water from the downspout and it is linked by a short section of hose to one on the inside so both fill at the same time.

[Meanderer]

Oh, Meanderer, I thought that looked like Pennsylvania 

I grew up in Western PA; those structures look so familiar.

←

[Meanderer]

Oh, Meanderer, I thought that looked like Pennsylvania 

I grew up in Western PA; those structures look so familiar.

←

←

Yep, PA it is, though more on the eastern side.

[hummingbirdkiss]

how awesome this is! ..you have to fix the difficulty and post more pics like how the rain barrels are set up to use the water and ..what your growing set up looks like

I am having me one of these 

←

We'll work on it but as we were working through the process last evening, we were interrupted by a major distraction which will require our attention for a day or two. Please have patience with us. Re the rain barrels, one is outside to catch the water from the downspout and it is linked by a short section of hose to one on the inside so both fill at the same time.

←

not a problem thank you and take care

[Meanderer]

Ok, sorry for the delay but I'll give it a go again. This is the lean-to before we started:

The next two are progress photos during demolition. Much of what looks like debris was used for the tables inside the present structure.

The next two show the water system. The red hose links the outside barrel with the inside one, effectively doubling the amount of water available. The blue hose is to drain the extra in the right direction.

The next three show the largely completed structure from various angles. There is now a fence around it(which hasn't yet been photographed)to keep the heifers from damaging anything. They can be quite destructive in their carefree youth.

The rest show the interior with some of what is currently growing in there, including fennel, parsley, lettuce, spinach, onions, chives, brussel sprouts, tomatoes and eggplant. I'm sure I'm forgetting things but this year is for experimentation anyway.

There you have it. I'd be happy to answer any questions or take any suggestions. It appears, however, that I will be out of commission for a while, so I may not have a chance to respond immediately.

[hummingbirdkiss]

that is magnificant!!!! thank you so much for sharing those pictures!!! I totally applaud you!!!!

we are installing rain barrels all over the place soon ..for a place that rains like here it is stupid not to and we just scored a few free ones! I am thrilled

I probably will have questions but I want to look at your pictures again

hope everything is ok? and the "out of comission" does not equal something serious

take care anyway and thank you so much!!! it outstanding!

all my vegetables are up and did well in this weekends weather from crazyland!!

hail, snow, sun rain, fog, thundersnow...more rain more of everything and nothing lasted more than 5 min!!!

Edited April 20, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

Bumping gardens because I get lost in mine and hope others are doing the same?

how is your garden doing ..big or small?

I just noticed some pots I had sitting on the deck are growing peas ..I dont remember planting them there they usually hold flowers ...so peas it is!

If everything does well I will have enough peas carrots and potatoes to feed all of Egullet! now that I have to thin them I realize just how crazy I got planting!

my rhubarb is so close to the first pull it is making me nuts just leaving it ...I keep looking at the rhubarb thread ...I can not buy any I have two huge areas of it planted and just have to wait!

each thing has it's own time

I think I will try to make rhubarb wine this year ..

I found a carboy of pear wine I had forgotten about and it ended up being almost brandy like ..very good and quite high proof

quite a nice score!

Edited April 28, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[mtigges]

Bumping gardens because I get lost in mine and hope others are doing the same?

←

Ours is coming slowly. We've had a much cooler spring than normal. Peas are only just starting to break ground. We've been munching purple broccoli and kale. And we're almost through the leeks and parsnips planted last year.

Garlic is a foot, hops are about 3 feet. Strawberries are flowering. Potatoes are doing well. But everything that is cold sensitive is very slow. Our tomatos and cucumbers are doing well waiting for the ground.

our garden.

**Edited to fix the url.

Edited April 28, 2008 by mtigges (log)

[KarenDW]

Rhubarb was harvested on Tuesday for a workshop I taught on Thursday! Hurray! It's a beautiful red-stalked variety. We made the Rhubarb Compote (with wine) from epicurious. Yum! someone has noticed, though, that we always have at least one dish which contains alcohol. Hmm.

[hummingbirdkiss]

mtigges I love your garden blog thank you for sharing it! ...I am doing the same thing with potatoes ...my box and the amount planted look just like the one you pictured ...I planted some dark blue potatoes (inside and outside blue) some reds and whites as well ...in about 12 inches of soil then I am going to mound them with straw instead of more soil ...I have not tried this before but everything I have read it sounds like it should do fine ...very light and easy to just keep putting straw on top ..should do well with drainage and not getting too hot when we finally have consistent sunshine! .....I have done the tires and it just made the soil too hot ....I think all that black ...so they did not do well at all ...

Karen I am yearning to pull my rhubarb! this week maybe I can pull enough to make something ..but I hate to (and always do) pull the first ones too soon .. ..I keep eyeing our rhubarb thread ..I just can not buy rhubarb when I know in a few weeks I will have tons of it ...

right now I am flooded with chives, parsley and tender tips of rosemary

my collards are going to seed and they are so meaningful to me I am going to save the seeds ..I need to plant them in a different place they are a funny looking landscape plant that is for sure!

I am so worried since I pruned my fig last fall I wont get any ..I have two buds on the tree ...

my escarole is taking off and hopefully will do well ..it is hard to find here and when I do find it ..very expensive!

I have bagged the idea of eating the cardoon again this year I tried to pull it together to blanch it and the leaves just snapped like celery ..so I will let it go to that giant purple flower and let the bees have it again his year...

2 more days of working for a living then I can return to the garden ...my house is trashed but who cares while the weather is nice how do I resist being outside ..it has crazy winter here that is for sure

Thanks to Meanderer I am going to put some rain barrels in over the weekend ..a friend of mine gave me four and with all our rain why on earth do I not collect some for the dry month watering?

happy gardening!

Edited April 29, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[Pebs]

I had my first asparagus of the season this week from my garden. My rubarb is coming up, my raspberries are budding and I've radishes and beets coming up in my cold frame. This year I'm growing potatoes in containers for the first time ever. I have yucon golds, fingerlings and purple potatoes which I planted up this week. My snap peas are starting to come up as well. It's still too cold to put much else in the ground. We had a low of 28 last night. But hopefully that was the last freeze we'll see.

[hummingbirdkiss]

congratulations on the asparagus Pebs!

a sudden and pretty harsh hail storm knocked all the blooms off my fruit trees yesterday ..when I got home I had nothing but bare branches on my baby trees ...I am absolutely crushed

I hope some bees had their way with the flowers and some fruits will make it ...

it does not look good right now

Edited April 30, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[sparrowgrass]

I grew about 900 tomato seedlings on my sunporch this spring, and they went for an outing on Saturday. I work with a humane group, and the money from the tomatoes went to our spay/neuter program.

I grew 13 different varieties: Ananas Noir, Break o' Day, Egg Yolk, German Johnson, Green Grape, Green Zebra, Golden Sunray, Red Zebra, Roma, St. Pierre, Sioux, Tess's Landrace Currant and White Currant. The only ones I have grown before are the Romas and the Green Zebras--the Zebras won the taste test last year. They are so good and very pretty, green with yellow streaks.

Looking forward to putting the plants out in the garden--we had a good frost night before last, so I am a little cautious about putting my darling babies out in the cold.

I did plant potatoes, onions and lettuce yesterday. Very late for me, but between the flu and constant rain, I didn't get the tiller out til this weekend.

[hummingbirdkiss]

Sparrowgrass I am so impressed by your efforts to grow plants to help animals!!! good for you what a wonderful thing to do

it warms my heart ..to see this ..such a win win!!!

If I lived near you I would buy those plants up!

hugs to you

I have a bed with some beets in it waiting for tomatoes I am going to try to time things so as the tomatoes are ready to go in ...the beets can be pulled ..wish me luck on this timing!

Edited May 5, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[v. gautam]

Dear Miss J,

A few suggestions:

Red Currants: very decorative and edible; perennial. Can be pruned and trained as edging.

if you need variety list you can ask Malling-Merton ag. research station, Wye College, local ag. authorities or pm me

Ribes odoratum 'Crandall'

Clove-Scented Currant

Description:

4-6’tall x 4-6’wide (cutting propagated) Spring bloom.

This intensely fragrant, fast growing heirloom selection of a native currant was originally chosen for its abundant crop of flavorful black fruit. But its clove-scented yellow spring flowers and mahogany-red fall foliage make it a plant with three seasons of garden beauty. Thrives in all but dry sand or wet clay soils. Zones 4-8

http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/...paign=Fragrance

Autumn-fruiting or primocane raspberries: almost without prickles: mow them down in winter,new canes bear fruit from July onwards.

Alpine strawberries. Also the Swedish strawberry cultivar "Snowvit."

Roses are very edible, esp. petals grown without noxious chemicals, including noxious organics. Delightful in ices, desserts, garnishes etc. Seek out roses with Old Rose or Damask fragrance: e.g. "Gertrude Jekyll", "Memorial Day" "Dusky Maiden" Madame Louis Laperriere": go to Peter Beales Rose Nursery.

Desprez a Fleur Jaune [official name today "Jaune Desprez"]

Gloire de Dijon [ British strains somewhat weakened]

Mme. Alfred Carriere

Mrs. John Laing

Mev. G.A. van Rossem

Edited May 5, 2008 by v. gautam (log)

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am bumping gardens but am wondering ..I think there are two similar topics and I am not sure what one to post in now?

I will post here because I can not find the other one!

I know everyone is probably happy with sore knees dirt under their fingernails now...I know I am

what are all of you eating and making from the garden now? please share!!!

I pulled some baby purple carrots yesterday while thinning and was bummed they were orange ..then I found a fat one that is turning purple and was so excited I took a picture of it ..but it looks like a little fat purple stub so I will refrain from posting!!! it was pretty cute however and tasted very good! for those who have grown them ..they must purple up as they grow I guess?

we are eating so well!!! three times a day from the garden with the baby carrots, snow peas (great with eggs in the morning)..rhubarb...

all the herbs ...thinned baby onions are magnificant but I have to start leaving them to grow now so I have some whole onions! I have all kinds of greens at the peak of flavor right now!

the pressure will be off the onions soon however because I just noticed my garlic is sending up flowers!!! I can hardly wait for those to be ready to harvest!!!

the Italian parsley I planted is the best I have ever grown !!!a friend sent me a dark variety and I have never tasted such amazing parsley!!! I am glad I planted it all over because I can not get enough of it!

I have TONS of seed pods on one of my "heirloom" collards... they have a heartfelt story behind them ..my dearest of friends and first friend in WA state gave me some of his .(I know I mentioned this in an earlier post someplace) ..and over the years I have planted saved and planted..he passed away last April and I want his legacy to live on ...they are wonerful collards and grow all winter long here ..in fact better of course after the first frost...

I am happy to share if anyone wants some just pm me and when they are ready I will send you some! it should be about a month or so ..for them to be dry and ready to share ...then you can plant them as a fall crop!

yesterday I made a wonderful soup of escarole, baby collards, broccoli rabe ..baby carrots ..baby onions....parsley ...garlic thinnings ..(my sick looking garlic is making bulbs that look fine ..so who knows why the tops were turning brown) I just chopped everything up covered it with home made chicken stock and simmered it all day in the Dutch oven... then made tiny meatballs and added them to the soup....shaved some parm into the soup served with home made (garden) herb croutons ...it was one of those wonderful bowls of happiness that comes together at the absolute right moment of flavor!!!

a few more days an I should have enough young vine leaves to make some stuffed leaves with rhubarb! that is one of my favorite summertime foods ...

I make two versions ..one with ground lamb and a vegetarian one with Washington State lentils ...roll up the filling (ground lamb or lentils ..lots of salt fresh cracked pepper... garlic.. a bit of rice fresh mint ..thyme and parsley) in the vine leaves (I blanch the leaves and cut the tough veins out before rolling) ...then layer fresh cut up rhubarb with the vine rolls until the steamer is full ...

serve the rolls with the steamed rhubarb ...very very good!!!

I stopped mounding the potatoes because they are starting to flower ..and I think that is appropriate? please correct me if I am wrong

I could go on and on here but please tell ..what your garden is doing and what you are making from your bounty?

Edited June 15, 2008 by hummingbirdkiss (log)

[hazardnc]

I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine.

I have been gardening in raised beds for six years now. Sadly, my neighbor simultaneously planted hollies up against the fence, and over time, my sunshine has been disappearing. I have also been dealing with a record chipmunk population this year. The little buggers took two parsley plants, roots and all. I have tried spreading hot pepper flakes around their holes and even putting sticks of Juicy Fruit gum (read online somewhere they hate the smell - so do I!) in the holes, but they keep coming back. My cat is too slow or too lazy to help

Though I persist! I have two raised beds appx 4 feet wide and 10 feet long. I am growing 4 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, arugula, herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil), Kentucky Wonder pole beans, crook neck squash and Yukon Gold potatoes in a potato cage. I have a large fig, blueberries in pots and strawberries in a strawberry pot. I also have a pot of habanero peppers going strong. I have found peppers grown in pots have much more heat -- and I like that.

I just bought a Moon and Stars watermelon plant that I am thinking of planting in my front yard where there is more sun and space! Last year, a neighbor planted pumpkins in his front bed and they were gorgeous by fall.

[Meanderer]

I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine.

I have been gardening in raised beds for six years now.  Sadly, my neighbor simultaneously planted hollies up against the fence, and over time, my sunshine has been disappearing.  I have also been dealing with a record chipmunk population this year.  The little buggers took two parsley plants, roots and all.  I have tried spreading hot pepper flakes around their holes and even putting sticks of Juicy Fruit gum (read online somewhere they hate the smell - so do I!) in the holes, but they keep coming back.  My cat is too slow or too lazy to help 

Though I persist!  I have two raised beds appx 4 feet wide and 10 feet long.  I am growing 4 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, arugula, herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil), Kentucky Wonder pole beans, crook neck squash and Yukon Gold potatoes in a potato cage.  I have a large fig, blueberries in pots and strawberries in a strawberry pot.  I also have a pot of habanero peppers going strong.  I have found peppers grown in pots have much more heat -- and I like that.

I just bought a Moon and Stars watermelon plant that I am thinking of planting in my front yard where there is more sun and space!  Last year, a neighbor planted pumpkins in his front bed and they were gorgeous by fall.

←

Try onions for your chipmunk problem. For years, we had ground hogs living in and around our garden, helping themselves to the best of everything and nothing we tried kept them away. Then, last year, I read somewhere that they hated onions. Now, I save all parts of the onions we don't eat and drop them down the holes. I'm actually happy to find a sprouted or rotten onions in the bin because those guys will roll nicely into the burrows. So far this season all the holes are empty and I haven't seen a single ground hog in the garden.

As chipmunks are distantly related to ground hogs, perhaps they have the same aversion to onions and will move on to a more hospitable neighborhood if you start leaving them the pungent leftovers. If not, the onions won't do the garden any harm.

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine

I know you don't mean me with the "sunshine" we get about 498572 inches of rain here!

[hazardnc]

I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine

I know you don't mean me with the "sunshine" we get about 498572 inches of rain here!

←

But you get rain!

The drought in the Southeast persists - haven't had more than 1/10th of an inch in over a month

edited for typos

Edited June 20, 2008 by hazardnc (log)

[hazardnc]

I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine.

I have been gardening in raised beds for six years now.  Sadly, my neighbor simultaneously planted hollies up against the fence, and over time, my sunshine has been disappearing.  I have also been dealing with a record chipmunk population this year.  The little buggers took two parsley plants, roots and all.  I have tried spreading hot pepper flakes around their holes and even putting sticks of Juicy Fruit gum (read online somewhere they hate the smell - so do I!) in the holes, but they keep coming back.  My cat is too slow or too lazy to help 

Though I persist!  I have two raised beds appx 4 feet wide and 10 feet long.  I am growing 4 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, arugula, herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil), Kentucky Wonder pole beans, crook neck squash and Yukon Gold potatoes in a potato cage.  I have a large fig, blueberries in pots and strawberries in a strawberry pot.  I also have a pot of habanero peppers going strong.  I have found peppers grown in pots have much more heat -- and I like that.

I just bought a Moon and Stars watermelon plant that I am thinking of planting in my front yard where there is more sun and space!  Last year, a neighbor planted pumpkins in his front bed and they were gorgeous by fall.

←

Try onions for your chipmunk problem. For years, we had ground hogs living in and around our garden, helping themselves to the best of everything and nothing we tried kept them away. Then, last year, I read somewhere that they hated onions. Now, I save all parts of the onions we don't eat and drop them down the holes. I'm actually happy to find a sprouted or rotten onions in the bin because those guys will roll nicely into the burrows. So far this season all the holes are empty and I haven't seen a single ground hog in the garden.

As chipmunks are distantly related to ground hogs, perhaps they have the same aversion to onions and will move on to a more hospitable neighborhood if you start leaving them the pungent leftovers. If not, the onions won't do the garden any harm.

←

Thanks for the suggestion - I have some mushy onions in my bin I will go pull right now. I was thinking of brushing the cat, and putting the fur balls down there too! What I really need to do is rent a ferret or a weiner dog for a day or two

[Chris Hennes]

Well, it's the new year, and that means that the nursery where I buy my tomatoes and peppers is taking orders for the Spring. Now that I have moved into Zone 7 I am excited to be able to begin my garden early this year! Strawberries go into the ground mid-February... the won't produce this year, of course, but I'm looking forward to playing in the dirt. I'm building some raised beds for them and for some asparagus. I've also got an area set aside for a few blackberry bushes.

For stuff that will actually be ready to eat this season, I'm planting a pretty basic selection of peas, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, onions and radishes. Oh, and some horseradish. I think I'm going to do all my herbs in pots near the door to my kitchen, but I have not decided on what varieties yet. Suggestions? Some sort of basil, of course, but there are so many kinds to choose from! Mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano...

[qrn]

some horseradish. I think I'm going to do all my herbs in pots near the door to my kitchen, but I have not decided on what varieties yet. Suggestions? Some sort of basil, of course, but there are so many kinds to choose from! Mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano...

←

Genovese Basil has the best flavor we have found. We grow 6 plants per year and pre frost , remove the leaves and put them in FP with olive oil and then freeze in ice cube trays, then vac pac. They will last at least 2 years. plants are very large and would probably not do well in pots.

rosemary is grown in pots and brought in in the winter...Sage and Greek oregano are grown in the garden. The sage and thyme are left out and harvested thru the winter.. zone 7 you probably can even leave out the rosemary as well... Mint will be ok out all winter. ours is still green and it was 18 below.oregano is dried late summer (the Greek Is much better than the normal stuff)

Bud

[Magictofu]

For herbs, my choice is: sweet basil, chive, sage, rosemary, parsley (both curly and flat leaf), edible lavender, thyme (both english thyme and lemon thyme), tarragon and mint (green mint and peppermint).

I usually go for the usual varieties, some of the more exotic varieties have nice smell but taste awful (especially the new mint varieties).

Other herbs, such as coriander, go into seeds too fast for my taste and I generally don't bother with them. Dill is nice but I almost never use it at home.

Mint and horseradish should be contained as they can be invasive.

If you grow herbs in pots, make sure your pots are large otherwise you'll need to water them everyday and even then you will risk of seeing some of them go to seed faster than they would in larger containers. I grow my herbs in two large box on my patio (2' x 6').