Kitchen Gardens

[Susan G]

This past weekend my best friend and I were putting seedlings into the garden we share. After we'd put in four rows of vegetables: Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants and wax beans, I turned and said, "So you realize we're planting our own ratatouille?"

We've also got garlic, dill and pickling cucumbers; nasturiums and pansies for salad garnishes; radishes, lettuces and bok choi for the best chefs salads.........late July onwards will be a very happy time!

So what are you planting, and what are you planning to make?

[kellytree]

My tiny garden has thyme,sage,tarragon,rosmary,coriander,chives,parsley,basil,spinach,lettuce,nastursiums,pot marigold,tomatos,zuchini,swiss chard, hot peppers, and a few other things.

I wish I had more space (until summer comes and I have to water everyday)

[Jean Blanchard]

So far - Eggplant, Jalapenos, Red Peppers, Cherry Cluster Tomatoes, Yellow Heirloom tomatoes(can't remember the name), Early Girls and my pride and joy - Italian Gnarly looking tomatoes that I grow from seeds that I brought back from a farmers tomatoes in Italy 4 years ago. I call them Guido's (the farmers name).

Herbs: Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Marjoram, Basil (two kinds), Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Lemon Verbena, Tarragon, Lemon Mint, Spearmint, Chamomile, Chervil, Savory, Salad Burnett.

Salad: 4 kinds, can't remember their names and Swiss Chard.

[jsolomon]

Right now, I just have two tomatoes. Soon, I'll be putting in the herb part of the garden.

Garlic, chives, parsley, basil, mint, dill, and horseradish

[melkor]

We got a late start this year and only started setting out plants last weekend. About half of what is going into the garden has been planted. So far we've got zucchini, crookneck squash, pattypan squash, small round red watermlon, huge orange watermelon, ambrosia melon, something called best ever melon that I felt compelled to buy when I found it at the nursery, butternut squash, eggplant, pasilla, habanero, and thai chili peppers, roma, Nebraska wedding, black krim, and mr stripey tomatoes, cucumbers, and cranberry beans.

Leftover from the winter garden we’re still growing swiss chard, onions, garlic, carrots, asparagus, artichokes, mache, scallions, celery, and arugula.

We’ve still got plant assorted beets and carrots, turnips, kohlrabi, tomatillos, brusselsprouts, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, broccoli rabe and parsnips.

The herb garden has the usual suspects: parsley, sage, cilantro, bay, rosemary, Greek and Italian oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, chives, lemongrass, and some catnip.

[Basilgirl]

My boyfriend once again went nuts this year and has planted over 40 kinds of peppers (sweet and hot) and at least that many kinds of tomatoes. He also has a kick-ass greens garden going on, with spinach, broccoli rabe, mustard, etc. I will be cursing him mightily in about two months.

I can't wait until the Peter Peppers come up. Supposedly they look like what the name implies.

[Jean Blanchard]

I fortgot the chives, oregano, nasturtiums and pansies for salad and summer savory. Love this time of year!

jb

[sparrowgrass]

Tomatoes, peppers, okra, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, corn, watermelons, cantaloupe, squash (summer and winter).

Ready to eat now: peas, snow peas, lettuce. The asparagus is almost over.

Also have 3 peach trees, a pear tree, blackberries, rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries. The berries are new this year.

Not for eating--3 kinds of gourds, just for fun.

Picked a quart of snowpeas yesterday--had the first batch kinda stir fried in butter, with a bit of salt.

[Basilgirl]

Forgot to mention Thai basil, Genovese basil, English thyme, lemon thyme, two kinds of rosemary, and sage. Tarragon might go in this weekend.

[Darcie B]

Two kinds of paste tomatoes (San Marzano and an heirloom of undetermined origin), Brandywine, Yellow Perfection, Orange Strawberry and Oaxacan Pink tomatoes; Ancho, Pasilla, Guajilla, Jalapeno and Rio Grande peppers; haricot vert and Kentucky Blue Lake beans; some variety of sweet corn (which the squirrels will probably eat); leeks; mesclun mix (ready now!), Persian Garden Cress, Bloomsdale Spinach and Bright Lights Swiss Chard; nasturtium; and herbs: basil, Thai basil, flat and curly parsley, dill, rosemary, thyme, chives, greek oregano, lovage (strong celery taste), culantro (cilantro bolts too easily here), sage, red stem mint, Kentucky Colonel mint (THE mint for mint juleps) and some catnip. Garlic will be ready to harvest in about a month. Might do some other things but haven't decided yet. I just wish I had more room (and more time!).

My peas as usual did little to nothing (sigh) but there's always next year.

[Country Cook]

My peas as usual did little to nothing (sigh) but there's always next year.

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[Darcie B]

My peas as usual did little to nothing (sigh) but there's always next year.

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Mine were disheartening this year two. Maybe a nitrogen innoculant (like they allways reccomend on the packages) is the way to go?

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[binkyboots]

sorrel, lots of it, basil, rocket, lettuce, mixed salad leaves, nasturtiums (pickled nasturtium seeds, yum), pansies, mushrooms (well, not in the garden but the shed), pumpkin plant, oregano, thyme, dill, rosemary, mint, chervil, hanging basket tomatoes, pink garlic and a bay tree.

love homegrown stuff, so much tastier when you can just pick it out of the pot....

[Della]

We have only herbs going right now. Two kinds of sage, two kinds of Thyme, a couple rosemary plants, an edible lavender, marjoram, oregano, winter savory, salad burnett, french sorrel, spearmint and our bay tree.

We will be putting in tomatos, several types of hot peppers and basil. And I have a pot waiting for some parsley one of these days.

It is wonderful to have the fresh herbs again. I actually had to buy some Thyme several times this past late winter and I can't say how grumpy that made me!

Edited May 25, 2005 by Della (log)

[Smithy]

With the exception of tomatoes and - this year - peppers, I stick to herbs and flowers. My sorrel, chives, and burnet survived the winter and are coming along nicely, and I think I see cilantro seedlings starting up. Meanwhile, in the house or the commercial nursery kindly awaiting better weather I have basil, thyme, patio tomatoes, a larger tomato whose name escapes me, some kind of mini bell pepper (a new thing for me), more sorrel (one cannot have enough sorrel), sage, 3 kinds of rosemary, 2 kinds of parsley, tarragon, bay, horseradish and mint. I am amazed to see that our outside mint died off this winter. Fortunately, I have some Persian mint inside that's about to go out for the season.

The mandarin orange needs a bigger pot, but I can't claim to be growing it for the garden. Its pot is just too small, and the winters here too harsh. When it flowers, though, it perfumes the house.

Hmm, nasturtiums. They did brilliantly last year. I'll have to do those again. Oh, and dill...but I need to find one that gives lots of greens for the flowers. A slow-bolting kind? Any ideas?

For the rest, I'll count on the local farmer's markets. I can hardly wait!

Edited May 25, 2005 by Smithy (log)

[johnder]

I think I overplanted the tomatoes. I got so happy we finally have a garden I went tomato crazy. I think I have 9 plants by last count, mostly early girl, a few brandywine, one roma, a burpee super steak and a few cherry tomatoes.

I also have a few patches of radishes growing, sugar snap peas, along with romaine and brussel sprouts.

I put must of my herb in pots to contain their growth, specifically the spearmint, peppermint and thyme. Rounding out the slection I have some oregano, lavender, lemon verbena, lemongrass and bay leaves.

[hazardnc]

Rutgers, German Johnson and Early Girl tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, jalapenos, habaneros and hot banana peppers, basil, parsley, thyme, tarragon, chives, sage and cardoons.

To be honest, I only grew the zucchini for the blossoms - I want to try stuffing them

[eje]

This year I have 12 tomato plants, Oregon Spring bush, Tigerella, Yellow Pear, and Silvery Fir tree. I may have to learn to can.

I've also got cucumbers started. Just regular Burpee Pickling cukes.

Garlic is still going from last fall. Hoping to harvest around June/July. Will probably put in some greens when it is done. My wife loves Dino Kale, so hopefully some of that and some rhubarb chard.

Perennial herbs planted last year include monster marjoram, purple sage, greek oregano, chives, garlic chives, and a couple culinary Lavendars. Amazing how those 2 inch pots can grow in a year. I think there may still be a couple struggling Thyme plants somewhere under the sage. About time to give all of those their first haircut of the spring. Also have Moroccan Mint, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, and Yerba Buena (Satureja douglasii).

[mukki]

I planted my tomatoes in March, so I'm now getting the first of the Stupice. I also have Dona tomatoes and Bush Celebrity (recommended since I grow them in pots).

Zucchini and haricots vert are a first for me this year.

Blueberries and a boysenberry. Alpine strawberries.

Dill, parsley, chives, thyme, sage, mint and basil. And several large rosemary bushes, which grow like weeds.

Meyer lemon, Valencia orange, Persian lime -- none of which are doing too well.

I love Swiss Chard, so I'll have to plant some in the fall.

[tejon]

I only have a postage stamp sized front patio, but it's getting packed full of growing things. I already have a Meyer lemon tree in a pot that is just starting to bloom, and have added green beans in a planter box. Another planter box will hold mesclun, and I'm planting a lone tomato plant in a large pot. Tucking herbs here and there - basil, thyme, oregano and parsley. Might add mint, carefully sequestered away from any bare ground (it spreads like wildfire if unchecked).

[Susan G]

My wax beans and pickling cucumbers and radishes have broken through the soil! I now have rows and rows of seedlings!

[CharityCase]

My wax beans and pickling cucumbers and radishes have broken through the soil!  I now have rows and rows of seedlings!

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Being in Zone 5 with nothing more than a west-facing apartment balcony, I'm far more limited than you damned SoCal and New Mexico egulleters. But based on successes last year I've planted (in containers):

Patio Tomato

Serrano and finger chillies...lots of 'em (they did great last year even with only six hours of sun)

Sweet Basil

Italian Oregano

Italian Parsley

rosemary

The tomato may not do too great without alot of sun but we'll see. The cherry's did pretty well in the same spot.

[Suzanna]

I am about to plant tomatoes in my garden, is not it too late too plant greens ?

[snowangel]

Suzanna, where do you live? I know that I used to plant greens (from seed) all summer long. Some of them bolted, but the late summer plantings were always great. I also used to plant these summer-tender plants in between tomatoes, where they got lots of shade. I always figured when I went the seed route for greens, so what if I ended up wasting 10 cents worth of them?

BTW, rabbits like rosemary. A lot. My rosemary, which did winter over, and game up nicely, was breakfast for a a bunny this morning.

[Smithy]

BTW, rabbits like rosemary.  A lot.  My rosemary, which did winter over, and game up nicely, was breakfast for a a bunny this morning.

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Who knew? I certainly didn't. But I do know my cats lay in my potted rosemary most of the winter. They didn't eat it, but they came away with a lovely scent. The rosemary survived the treatment, unlike the thyme.