How does your Garden grow? part 2

[dlgoff]

Gorgeous Zz! So this year sounds like suddenly all of your outdoor plants are flourishing.

I think Zz has had lots of rain up there like us. Some things here are doing really well despite the lack of sun light. But now that summer is really here, the high temps & humidity and finally the SUN, even my "deer pruned" garden veggies are coming on.

 

[Evo]

I think Zz has had lots of rain up there like us. Some things here are doing really well despite the lack of sun light. But now that summer is really here, the high temps & humidity and finally the SUN, even my "deer pruned" garden veggies are coming on.

Oh, that's wonderful! I was wondering if you were going to try after all. The healthiest, biggest pepper I have is the one that had the stem broken 2 inches above the ground.

 

[ZapperZ]

Now, on the other side of my backyard, I have this small patch that is partially shaded. I've planted several things here, including a few milkweeds. Last year, I saw two monarch butterflies hovering over the milkweeds, and I'm hoping this year we'll get more.

And yes, if you look closely, I have rather "naughty gnome" as one of my garden decoration. :) But I also have this meerkat sticking his head out of the ground.

I also planted several cherry tomatoes on planters. This one has lots of green ones, waiting to ripen. This ripens into bright yellow cherry tomatoes.

Of course, I have lots of herbs for cooking. My basil and thyme plants are still not fully grown yet, but my rosemary is doing very well. Have gotten lots of use out of it already.

The same can be said of my peppermint. I use it as an ingredient in Vietnamese spring rolls and also to make Moroccan mint tea.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Wow Zz. I never realized what a gardener you were!

 

[dlgoff]

Particle accelerators and vegetables; my favorite things.

 

[ZapperZ]

Growing tomatoes, and growing photocathodes... not that big of a difference.

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Gardening is sometime a hit-and-miss thing. You can fuss over and put all your effort in nurturing something, and yet, it might still die and not make it. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, you can completely ignore something and it thrives!

I have posted maybe a year or two ago of my most favorite lilies. It has huge flowers (~6-8 inches across) and it has a gorgeous peach color. We didn't plant them. They were there when we moved in, although we didn't know they existed until the following summer since we moved into our house in November. Turns out, we have 3 different areas where this lily (I'll call 'em "peachy") exists. When I first saw them flowered that first year, I was amazed at their size and color. I took care of two of them really well. The third was not in a good spot, and so I kinda ignored it and let other plants (hosta, other ground cover, etc.) took over the patch.

Well, guess what? The one that I ignored just because the first peachy to flower and open up! While the other two have been putting out buds so far, the ignored one quietly and well ahead over everybody else put out its shoots and today, I saw for the first time, the huge, gorgeous flower!

And look at where it is growing. Like I said, I neglect this patch because it is tucked in an area that doesn't get seen often.

And then, there's just something that is so tenacious, it just won't die. That November after we moved in, we had a landscaper come in and redid the backyard. They pulled out a lot of plants, moved them around, and then put fresh layer of mulch. After 3 years, I noticed this plant suddenly emerging in between the mulch. I noticed it because it was putting out this purple flowers. I didn't plant it, and I know that the landscaper didn't either. It is not in the most ideal location, right next to the Honeysuckle bush. But ever since then, it keeps on growing bigger and bigger each year. I decided to keep it because it provides a nice contrast of colors in that part of the yard. Can anyone identify what plants this is?

So in this case, it is not only neglect, but also something that I didn't plant. But since a couple of years ago, I've made sure I am taking care of it and that part of the yard.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Could it be a type of campanula? They grow in Illinois. Scroll down to campanula (blue bells).

http://northernshade.ca/plant-list/

http://northernshade.ca/2008/06/24/lovely-dalmation-bellflower/

There are so many varieties though.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/152646/

 

[ZapperZ]

That's what I was guessing too, but one of my friends didn't think it was a blue bell due to the shape of the leaves. But looking at one of the photos, the leaves appear to match.

Zz.

 

[Borg]

Some years ago, we got a Jasmine tree from someone who didn't have room for it. We put it outside in the spring and then wheel it into the house in the fall. It tends to bloom very fragrantly twice a year after each move. The location outside gets some morning sun but is shaded in the afternoon. It's been liking the rain that we've gotten over the last few weeks.

Here's a closeup of one of the blooms with morning dew on it.

 

[Borek]

Oh well, speaking about blooms and all.

 

[ZapperZ]

Oh well, speaking about blooms and all.

Where, Borek? I don't see any!



Zz.

 

[nsaspook]

I've picked a huge amount of very sweet cherry tomatoes this year.

The yard edging around the plants also makes keeping it clean easy.

 

[Evo]

Nice haul NSA! I'm not getting squat for some reason. I had to move the plants to the front porch due to the squirrels in the back stealing tomatoes. I have one tomato starting to ripen and maybe a dozen tiny green ones, the peppers have all failed so far, get a few the size of my thumb starting to turn red already, no peppers at all on three plants and one on another. I just do not get it, I'm doing what all I always do. maybe due to the cold, wet spring and early summer they are just behind schedule and they will suddenly be packed with small fruit a week before the first killing frost.

 

[nsaspook]

This morning the wife tells me there are raccoons living under the garden and tool sheds (it never ends ). I'll try the high-tech solution first to move them out with a few junk fire strobe lights connected to old car batteries. If I hear a dance party the next day then it's on to stage II chemical warfare.

 

[dlgoff]

Just came in from collecting this stuff. It's a start considering having to start over twice because of hungry deer..

 

[JorisL]

Just came in from collecting this stuff. It's a start considering having to start over twice because of hungry deer..

View attachment 86736

Lovely, the small courgettes are great when hollowed out (the seedy bit) and filled with http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-sauce-with-ground-beef/ with cheese on top.
Pop in the oven and bam! great dish with lots of vegetables.

Blanching them first is recommended.

 

[dlgoff]

Lovely, the small courgettes are great when hollowed out (the seedy bit) and filled with http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spaghetti-sauce-with-ground-beef/ with cheese on top.
Pop in the oven and bam! great dish with lots of vegetables.

Blanching them first is recommended.

I had baked up a huge overlooked zucchini, cajun style, the day before and had it along with bacon and every veggie you see in the pic last night. All the peppers were so fresh and delicate they almost melted in my mouth. Probably should give the recipe (all the spices & extras) for the baked zucchini in the food thread.

 

[Evo]

I had baked up a huge overlooked zucchini, cajun style, the day before and had it along with bacon and every veggie you see in the pic last night. All the peppers were so fresh and delicate they almost melted in my mouth. Probably should give the recipe (all the spices & extras) for the baked zucchini in the food thread.

Yes, please do.

 

[OmCheeto]

I've been hesitant about posting anything about my gutter garden, which I started around June 1st of last year, as I wasn't really sure it would work.
So far, it has worked.

It was inspired by a Facebook post by my cousin in Arizona.
I love strawberries, so the image made me drool.

The gutters looked like they were way up in the air, which struck me as impractical, so I designed one that was only a meter off the ground.
I'd heard that good fences make good neighbors, and I have the worlds best neighbor, so I decided to merge the two ideas, and make an awesome fence.
Evo once said that her plants roots were roasted in their pots, so I used that knowledge, to opt for white gutters.

As some may remember, I accidentally planted a watermelon plant last year.
I decided that a gutter was no place for a watermelon, so I built a trellis type device.

It worked! But I thought it was a bit silly, so I pay attention now, and no longer do that.

Now, the following may not look like a garden, but it is relevant to the rest of the story. (And proof that a 1/3 hp 1955 electric motor, which I've been hoarding from my mom's old ringer washer WILL mow a lawn. )

So, the garden was primarily supposed to be a strawberry garden, which I have never had luck with before, so I was not aware of how prolific they can be.
Each plant had at least 10 babies.
Er mehr gerd...

So being kind hearted, and not being a baby killer, I purchased two more gutters, and planted all the babies.

So then, I assumed that the original gutter garden, was some photoshopped thing, so I monitored my garden over the winter.

December 2014.
22.5°F
I expected nothing to survive.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, most everything survived.
This created a quandary.
Do I go to the trouble of expanding the garden, or do I just leave it the way it is, as next year we may have a hyper-freeze, which will kill everything.
Being a sciencey kind of guy, I decided to expand.

But I've just been informed that I may not upload any more pictures. hmmmm... Perhaps I should have hosted them myself. hmmmmm...
Where's Greg when you need him, for advice?

[edit] never mind Greg! I fingered it out.

 

[Evo]

But I've just been informed that I may not upload any more pictures. hmmmm... Perhaps I should have hosted them myself. hmmmmm...

No more pictures at all or just in this post?

Om, thank you for sharing your raised garden, so clever.

I just picked my first 2 tomatoes, I hid the plants from the squirrels after the first raid. I have a few tiny (thumb size, cajun peppers, I might try them tonight). The poblanos have yet to produce, but one plant just started flowering, so there is yet hope.

On hot days, since my plants are in containers, when they start looking fried, I have been dousing the soil with pitchers of ice water, perks them right back up.

 

[Borg]

No more pictures at all or just in this post?

Om, thank you for sharing your raised garden, so clever.

I just picked my first 2 tomatoes, I hid the plants from the squirrels after the first raid. I have a few tiny (thumb size, cajun peppers, I might try them tonight). The poblanos have yet to produce, but one plant just started flowering, so there is yet hope.

On hot days, since my plants are in containers, when they start looking fried, I have been dousing the soil with pitchers of ice water, perks them right back up.

There's a limit of six photos per post I think.

Nice pictures Om!

 

[OmCheeto]

Macht's nichts!

No more pictures at all or just in this post?

I think it's just for the post. But it's a moot point now. As I told Marcus a few months back, I discovered that I have about 4 bazzilion bytes left on my personal account that I can host pictures at.

Om, thank you for sharing your raised garden, so clever.

I just picked my first 2 tomatoes, I hid the plants from the squirrels after the first raid. I have a few tiny (thumb size, cajun peppers, I might try them tonight). The poblanos have yet to produce, but one plant just started flowering, so there is yet hope.

On hot days, since my plants are in containers, when they start looking fried, I have been dousing the soil with pitchers of ice water, perks them right back up.

Gutter garden 2.0 to follow!

 

[OmCheeto]

So, for the last few months, I've invested nearly $100 in the expansion of the fence.
The original fence cost me about $8.
Everything except for the gutter was scrounged from around the house.

But as you can see, in the above image, the strawberries and a few herbs, were the only kids in the gutter system.
There's a fish tank looking thing in the center, some big arsed plants to the left of that, and a meshy looking thing laying in the driveway.
At this point, I had designed a 3 dimensional fence garden, in my head.

Here's pretty much the final design, before everything was completed, and covered everything up.

And as far as the lawnmower picture from earlier?
Everything had to be elevated far enough off the ground, to be able to mow under it.

It worked!

Ps. @zoobyshoe , I took your advice, and bought a new mower. Thank you!

 

[dlgoff]

I've been hesitant about posting anything about my gutter garden, which I started around June 1st of last year, as I wasn't really sure it would work.

Being a sciencey kind of guy, I decided to expand.

Nice fence Om. I think you should have started a thread "Beauty of old gutters etc" giving some sciencey info as you go; similar to my Beauty of old electrical and measuring things etc.
But what sciencey forum?

 

[OmCheeto]

Nice fence Om. I think you should have started a thread "Beauty of old gutters etc" giving some sciencey info as you go; similar to my Beauty of old electrical and measuring things etc.
But what sciencey forum?

I adapt to my environment. This forum will do.

Some notes I've taken:

Plants growing under the garden:
Lemon yellow cucumbers
Acorn squash

Plants growing from the platforms:
Italian roaster peppers
Long red cayenne peppers
3 types of basil
Rosemary
Cherry red, yellow pear, brandywine, roma, and black krim tomatoes

Plants growing in the gutters:
Strawberries! (wintered over!)
French Tarragon (wintered over!)
Dwarf Greek Oregano (wintered over!)
A tasty basil volunteer from last year.
An as yet unidentified tomato volunteer from last year. (Silly plant! You're a tomato! You can't grow in a gutter!)

hmmm...
The title of the thread is; "How does your garden grow"
Answer: Everything is doing fine!

 

[OmCheeto]

My sciencey opinion of the merits of gutter gardens:

Neighborhood tom cats can't "mark" your garden food...
Slugs have yet to have made the journey. (You had a year. Is this why lazy humans are named after you?)
Weeding is as easy as picking your nose.
Cats are not interested in pooping in a gutter garden.
You never have to bend down!

 

[OmCheeto]

hmmm...

Sitting in my living room, I just spied upon some lady, eyeing my garden, scratching her head.
I went out and asked her, if I could answer any questions.

She said; "Are those potatoes"?
I said; "No, those are rocks".

hmmmm...

I suppose, people have been going by for the last year, wondering what the hell I've been doing.
So when something new shows up, its only natural for them to scratch their heads.

I've decided that 3 dimensional front yard gutter gardens, are the bomb.

 

[dlgoff]

I adapt to my environment. This forum will do.

My sciencey opinion of the merits of gutter gardens:

... I just spied upon some lady, eyeing my garden, scratching her head.

You dog you. Love it though. +1

 

[OmCheeto]

...

On hot days, since my plants are in containers, when they start looking fried, I have been dousing the soil with pitchers of ice water, perks them right back up.

My biggest single investment was a $35 digital watering thingamajig.
Best investment ever.
About 10 years ago, on my annual 4 day trip to the Oregon Country Fair, I murdered about a dozen bonsai plants which I had been grooming for about 15 years. Gutter gardens don't hold much soil, so it's the same situation.
You either have to be retired, or have an automatic watering system.
I water mine 6 times a day, 5 minutes at a time.

The fish tank looking thing in the background, I mentioned earlier, is of course, a fish tank.
It holds 35 gallons. To that I add Miracle Grow type fertilizer. I know how much water I use each day, so I can calibrate how much fertilizer I add to a tank full, so I neither under, nor over fertilize everything. It's powered by gravity.
I seldom use it now that I have the automatic system, though it's good to top off some of the bigger tomato plants, as they are real water hogs.

Oh. And about those rock/potato things. Those are 8" clear plant saucer/tray thingamabobs. The sprinkler has a bit of overshoot at that area, so rather than water the driveway, I put them there to collect the water, so I don't have to water my cats. The neighbor dogs also drink out of them, as do all manner of bees and wasps.
A west wind picked up today, and several of them ended up going completely dry, and escaped to the neighbors yard. Hence, todays addition of the rock/potatoes, and the lady's confusion.

 

[praveena]

So I planted 3 rhododendron about 3 years ago. One died, one did very well (purple flowers), and the last one, I wasn't sure of. The past 2 years, it didn't flower, and the plant didn't look very healthy at all. I continued to make sure it has mulch and fertilizers.

Then suddenly, this year, it grew healthy and it flowered for the first time!

It is a different plant then the other surviving rhododendron because the leaves are thicker, and the flowers are these deep, red color (the photos don't do it justice). I wish I had the specie name, but the tag has been lost for a long time. And unlike the other rhododendron that flowered early in the spring, this one comes a bit later and it is now at the peak.

I hope it will continue to thrive, because it adds needed color to the far corner of my yard. My neighbor loves it because it faces right at his family room.

Zz.

It's so beautiful. nice try

 

[OmCheeto]

It is quite possible, that I've been paying too much attention to the fence, and not enough, to the veggies.

Today's harvest:

Oops.

aaaand... back to the food thread, to figure out what to do with too many tomatoes!

 

[Evo]

It is quite possible, that I've been paying too much attention to the fence, and not enough, to the veggies.

Today's harvest:

Oops.

aaaand... back to the food thread, to figure out what to do with too many tomatoes!

Tomato sauce, canned tomatoes.

 

[DiracPool]

We are having a serious drought here on the west coast, USA. I typically grow tomato plants through the summer, but have held back to support the cause of water conservation. My half-acre property, however, just happens to be adjacent to a duplex unit where the inhabitants obviously have free utilities incorporated into their contract because they have the water sprinkler running all day and night.

 

[nsaspook]

Today harvest:

What to do with too many tomatoes? There are never too many good tomatoes.

 

[OmCheeto]

We are having a serious drought here on the west coast, USA. I typically grow tomato plants through the summer, but have held back to support the cause of water conservation. My half-acre property, however, just happens to be adjacent to a duplex unit where the inhabitants obviously have free utilities incorporated into their contract because they have the water sprinkler running all day and night.

Argh!
Now you've made me think about it.
My tomato plants can drink up to 5 gallons of water a day.
They've been going for at least two months, so that's about 300 gallons of water.

I just harvested 90% of this years crop, and simmered it down to spaghetti sauce.
I got about a quart.

And it smells funny.

 

[nsaspook]

Argh!
Now you've made me think about it.
My tomato plants can drink up to 5 gallons of water a day.
They've been going for at least two months, so that's about 300 gallons of water.

Don't worry, there's still 13.5 billion gallons left in the Bull Run water shed.

 

[jack476]

First we had hogweeds in one area of the woods right behind the yard that we were clearing out. These things are basically Satan in plant form. On the one hand, they do reach a very impressive size and I wish had thought to take some pictures. On the other hand, they can cause blindness and permanent disfigurement and the city has to call the EPA to remove (and guess who foots the bill, by the way?), and once the guys in the literal HAZMAT suits are done removing these Devil plants they fence off an area 15 feet around where the plant was located.

In that area, a poison ivy patch 2 feet high completely took over. I think my yard actually be trying to kill me.

 

[OmCheeto]

Don't worry, there's still 13.5 billion gallons left in the Bull Run water shed.

I've decided to go back to manual watering. The auto system was just for while I was away on vacation.
One problem though is mosquitoes in the fish tank. I covered it up with a towel about a month ago, and the mosquitoes are still alive!
Last year I solved the problem by putting fish in my rain barrels.

Tanichthys albonubes​

They did a great job. Unfortunately, a great plague wiped them all out this winter. (One reason I gave that "hex" tank the boot)
And I don't think they'll survive in the fish tank if it's full of fertilizer.
hmmmm...
Ah ha!

Rather than remove the watering system from the gutter, I just added a splitter, and I ran the alternate hose into the fish tank.
Problem solved!
It was quite distressing having to get out of my lawn chair every 3 days, and refill that stupid tank.

I just tested it, filled the tank to the brim, and will find out how long mosquitoes can hold their breath. Ha!

ps. Tanichthys albonubes, commonly called "White Cloud Mountain Fish", are sold as feeders, so you can buy 10 for a dollar. They are as durable as goldfish. When I go to the fish store, I pretend I have fish that want to eat them, but keep them as pets. Shhhhhh! If the pet store finds out, they'll charge me $2 a piece for these little guys.

 

[dlgoff]

Besides tomatoes and peppers, the only other things in the garden are my Zucchini and Cantaloupe. To my surprise there were two unknown "melons" amongst the Cantaloupe vines. Thinking it may be a cross between Zucchini and Cantaloupe, I took some pictures:

Zucchini, Cantaloupe, Zucchinaloupe?

The thing weighted out at 25 lb.

So I opened it up for a taste.

From the taste, it's a cross between my Cantaloupes and evidently my neighbors Cucumbers.

 

[Evo]

I've seen something like that before, but it does look scary. It reminds me of a green casaba melon, it supposedly tastes like a cross between a cantaloupe and a cucumber.

 

[Finny]

Zapper: "So I planted 3 rhododendron about 3 years ago. One died, one did very well (purple flowers), and the last one, I wasn't sure of. "

It is rather crazy how something that happens so often...I can plant six different plants, say cone flowers, all on the same day, all with healthy root systems apparently equally developed, put them in the ground together next to each other, water them equally...and four of five will do great...one or two either die or are laggards for several years. On the positive side, once I got my wife to stop clipping off dying blooms, and let the bees pollinate everything and the birds feed and knock off seeds, voila, they do spread year after year. Had to give a dozen or so clumps to friends this year to make room.

What I want to know is how can weeds grow so fast without water? During dry spells my grass is almost dormant, and that reduces the need to cut so often, but crab grass and other intrusive plants seem to grow even faster. That should be be allowed. Whom do I see to stop this??

 

[OmCheeto]

... Whom do I see to stop this??

Monsanto.
I've been saying it for years. If they'd simply manufacture strawberries with the drought tolerance of weeds, I'd lose all my reservations about their shenanigans.

ps. GMO bashing or non-bashing can go HERE!

 

[edward]

Monsanto.
I've been saying it for years. If they'd simply manufacture strawberries with the drought tolerance of weeds, I'd lose all my reservations about their shenanigans.

ps. GMO bashing or non-bashing can go HERE!

There is big money in weeds. : )

 

[dlgoff]

Compared to my first tomato pick 24 days ago,

today's pick is more like it.

 

[dlgoff]

I'm beginning to think I should make sure the deer get in the garden in the spring and chew the tomato plants down.
I ran out of daylight picking my 6 plants or there would be more to show. I'm going to be up late tonight.

 

[Evo]

I have two plants on my patio and I've been getting on average one small tomato per day. They are in small containers that I can move.

When I had my garden, I would have 6 plants and would be giving away bags of tomatoes, I would let the tomatoes sprawl along the ground, the branches root and every side shoot would produce like a new plant, I'd get hundreds of huge tomatoes each year.

 

[dlgoff]

I have two plants on my patio and I've been getting on average one small tomato per day. They are in small containers that I can move.

When I had my garden, I would have 6 plants and would be giving away bags of tomatoes, I would let the tomatoes sprawl along the ground, the branches root and every side shoot would produce like a new plant, I'd get hundreds of huge tomatoes each year.

I wish you could have a garden like that again Evo. I know exactly what you mean by having them sprawl. You have given me lots of insights over the years. Remember telling me about how tomatoe flowers are hard to get pollinated and bumblebees do the best job when I was trying to get some tomato fruit in the winter?

Wish I could push some of these through my monitor to you.

 

[nsaspook]

Sunflower in early fall bloom. Still plenty of tomatoes on the vine.

 

[Evo]

Well, I had two poblano pepper bushes, with 16-18 peppers and more coming. Yesterday, they squirrels raided the bushes and before I got outside, I was down to 5-6 small peppers left on each plant. I moved them to the front porch from the back, not much sun, but fewer squirrels.