Well, everything might START out as pretty maids all in a row, but by the time we start cutting lettuces, picking spinach etc., things start to look a little dog-eared.:)

our garden is flourishing..NO FERTILIZER…just plenty of horse manure…it rocks

I coulda planted rice this year. Ground is sopping wet. As I said earlier, it’s very reminiscent of Agnes around here.

I have about ten bunches of little green marbles on my Zinfandel. They’re tasty – although last year they all got fried in the first bad hot spell, right about this time.

My garden’s biggest problem is that I may have to find a new home for it.

bummer on the move.

Do you grow the zinfandel grapes for eating or drinking?

Do you compost that before you put it on your garden? I recall that in the old days, people used to use it as a base to build ‘hot beds’ (the low tech version of heating cables in the old days).

How does my garden grow? Well, the upside down tomatoes are dying. Why, why I ask? What have I done wrong?!? They barely produced last year too.

Did you use a potting mix or soil straight from the garden? Hanging planters require more water than either pots on the ground which dry out faster than plantings in the soil — although it is possible to overwater.

I’ve never had such sweet tomatoes as when I had rabbits. That stuff is definitely the gold standard.

Oh. I filled the containers with potting mix, but it was the kind specifically not for containers. Heh, I feel dumb now. When I asked people in the know, the response was that it probably won’t matter what soil goes in the pots. They got plenty of water, so I don’t think that’s the problem.

My lettuce all came in so I’m going to try arugula and bok choy in that spot. Tomatoes are getting big. The corn is hanging in there (corn in SF, it is surprising me that it is doing so well). The peppers aren’t doing so well–may not have worked the clay soil enough in that area. Any gardeners in San Francisco have ideas for keeping the soil from going back to clay so quickly each year?

Well, soil right out of the garden would be a bad choice, but a regular potting mix should be fine. How about the container, what is it made of?

compost, compost, compost.

Does anyone know how to scare away groundhogs? I tried the have-a-heart trap but never had the heart to dump him or drown him. i heard vibrating things in the ground work; anyone try one of those things? The garlic powder didn’t work.

Half of our garden consists of milkweed. Mom and the kids collect Monarch caterpillars and keep them through metamorphosis. Big fun! Too bad Balrogs are afraid of butterflies.

I used a large sized round, plastic faux terra cotta pots with a 2″ diam. hole drilled into the bottom. The inside of the hole was covered with burlap with diamond cuts so I could shove the plant into the hole. I planted the tomatoes(grown from seed) when they got their second leaves. They are on the sunniest part of my deck next to right side up tomatoes that are thriving.

Kathryn – the only time we did not have ground hog issues..is when we had cats in the barn, who did a very good job of scaring away the ground hogs.

The unseasonably cool first half of June has slowed down the normal ripening of the tomatoes. However, now that it’s starting to warm up, I’m going to see 8 gillion tomatoes turn red (pretty much) all at the same time. It’s going to be tomato everything. Unfortunately, the habaneros haven’t really popped yet. When they do, it’s going to be homemade salsa. mmmmmm

My (first ever?) vegetable garden is growing well, carrots and lettuce coming up. All the beans are coming in good and we’ve actually had a couple of ripe strawberries. Today I finally finish installing my drip irrigation system, I’ve been stymied by almost two weeks of solid rain.

YSD – I’ve got to tell you that I have never tried the upside down tomato thing..but from people I know who have, no one has had any luck. I’ll stick it out with tomatoes in the ground..though I have done pretty well with teeny little tomatoes in hanging baskets before..but they need a lot of watering.

Not good. The only thing producing are the papayas and the lemon grass. There hasn’t been anything resembling rain for almost two months and that wasn’t enough to make anything grow even then. The onions are barely holding their own. The collards have about given up. The chard said forget it. And the okra didn’t even stick its head out of the ground.

With all the strays in my neighborhood we don’t have fruit rats bothering the citrus trees.

Oh, yeah. The habaneros are coming along ok and some of the chili pequin are doing well, but the chili japonesa gave up after one good crop.

Yeah, I think this is the last year I’ll try upsidedowns. No luck whatsoever.

Back in PA we used to have groundhog and rabbit problems, but our dogs took care of that. One time I caught the two dogs playing tug of war with a groundhog that wasn’t fast enough on the uptake.

Oh, yummy! Papayas and lemongrass. Lucky you!

bummer. And here we are on the East Coast with day after day after day of rain. Just does not seem fair.

mine are a total disaster, I ‘”saved” money and built my own but they are doing ZIP!

slow,slow,slow!!

I am thinking the cool nights we have been having the past few weeks here in southern central NY…not much has died but neither has it grown….

We have the hunter-farmer thing going on here and I ain’t the farmer. My bride can work out there for hours in the sweltering Georgia heat. I’m good for heavy lifting and shoveling but this “personal relationship” with every plant is beyond me!

So how does your garden grow? Are there pretty maids all in a row?

Well – maybe.

But what does that have to do with a garden?

Oh yeah, dogs are a great deterrent. I hear tell a wad of chewed chewing gum placed at the entrance of their den is effective, albeit not exactly humane.

drivin by on my way out the door to work

with some o/t

persian kiwi has re surfaced

persian kiwi

bbl. mad progressive love to all

Allahu Akbar !

Kathryn, I’ve heard of people who pour ammonia down the critter’s burrows. It just makes them move out, doesn’t kill them.

Everyone’s gardens (including the Obamas) sound wonderful — here in the mountains of Colorado, things are just getting started — we had sleet and hail last week and this am it was 40 degrees — the tomatoes are whining. I won’t have harvest stories until at least August.

Yep..the tomatoes and peppers have just been hanging there..hanging there. Once this rain stops and the sun comes out and starts warming things up, I think they will take off.

You mean “if“

Try coyote urine! (Or urine of any kind really)
They sell it at the farm supply and everyone swears by it :)
I haven’t tried it yet.
My husband says he’ll save me the $….

Remember….putting a fake owl on your roof or in your yard can naturally scare off birds and small rodents. ;-)

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UT…..v2hzfmge_b

Heh. That’s what I did too. Total investment including a stand for hanging was around $45 bucks. Results: Nada.

work in some peat moss? And maybe some sand.

How does my garden grow??
We have eaten most of the strawberries, harvesting zucchini, yellow squash, peas, basil & we are eating tomatoes sweet 100’s, and Sun Golds so far the rest are growing nicely. We love this time of year as things ripen and we enjoy the fruits of my labor (the garden is all mine) mine I say!

LOL!

LOL. Hope you have privacy fencing. Brings new meaning to “Good fences make good neighbors.”

So he takes the Ahh Piss on it stance??

They have urine banks for coyotes? Give ‘em a chicken for every deposit?

I love your merry garden reports.

hahahahhaha

thanks for that one!~

Makes me jealous. And envious.

I have this image of the coyotes all lined up with their paper sacks (with the urine specimens in them, just like at the doctor’s office)…waiting for a nice coyote in a nurse’s uniform to say, “Next”.

I have had a veggie garden most of my adult life and have learned lots from doing it. Besides the therapeutic value of growing your own stuff and the other health benefits it is just rewarding watching your garden grow!!.
As for clay soil every year you have to add amendments and rototill the soil adding peat moss and compost at both the end of the season and at the start..soil

the lovage is 8 feet tall this year – we’ve made lovage soup, pesto and tabouleh with it – more ideas are welcome…

The garlic went very well. The beets were creamy. The carrots were good but should have been better.

As soon as the last garlic is gone in go the the tomatoes and cucumbers.

I am not watering the grass though, just letting it die and maybe next year plant more water efficient plants.

The raccoons are busy this year in Venice Beach!

This spring, I sent out Hopi Blue Corn seeds to anybody who requested them (15 seeds)
It’s been great fun here’s the site :

Colorado Bob’s Hopi Blue Corn Experiment

An Experiment in Small Things
http://cbhopibluecornexperiment.blogspot.com/

Sorry to have missed you earlier…..in case you check back:

Can you give me any more info/linkies on using rabbit poop? Have access to a good source which I have begun incorporating into soil mixtures. Some question for starters:

1. Is it true it doesn’t have to be composted?
2. When mixing with other bagged soil, what kind of proportion do you suggest?

Thanks!

oo neat!

and what a lovely red sunflower, good luck with the seeds :)

Eating, since one vine isn’t going to be enough for wine, and probably not even grape jelly, until it’s a bit larger. (Currently it’s in a 20-inch pot.)

Much to my surprise, my 90 year old Dad got a couple of tomato plants and a pepper put them in, I said I’d love to plant some radishes and spinach and lettuces and he said OK, he added some zinnias and he planted them all; way too many seeds along the rows and I decided not to contest the issue. We have two longish but small raised beds in our very small back yard. Since then, the radishes are coming up tight as rice in a bowl; tiny green sprouts of something not sure are fragilely present. I need counsel on how and when to thin and transplant, I don’t accept Dad’s assertion that we’ll thin with harvesting. They’re so tight they’ll never develop.

One of his first tomato plants has a couple of small fruits. We’ve since planted a zucchini, yellow squash, and lemon cucumber from 6″ pots. In my small herb garden I now have a smallish rosemary plant (little did I know it can grow to 12 feet!!!!), a Thai basil, a lemon mint and a tiny Mexican parsley – can’t remember the right name, that I’ve discovered I love. Dad is keeping things cooled with twice a day watering before and after the day’s hot sun.

This is the first family garden in many years, long since before Mom’s development of Parkinsons and her eventual death in 2001. My physical condition has pretty much precluded any gardening activity, but I’m hoping the present improvements will let me be involved in this new effort. Dad had been concerned about the water bill; I’d asked would it be higher than paying for veggies we buy frequently either at the grocers or occasionally at the farmer’s market.

And besides, I’ve just been listening to Barbara Kinsolver’s fabulous book ANIMAL,VEGETABLE,MIRACLE which I have adored and have shared parts with Dad. This is the most fun (and interesting) book I’ve listened to in years, an I thank God that there are many audio books at our small local library that turn out to be true jewels – in the midst of the usual popular romance or mystery schlock that dominate our shelves. It’s hard for me to read with bad eyes and hands, so the audio books have been a true blessing.

Thanks for the opportunity to think upon gardening experiences. And if you’ve not read Barbara’s fabulous book, treat yourself to some pure joy.

Blessings to all,

I too have a source for rabbit “pills”. Check what Rodale says about it -

Here’s another site that has your answers.

http://www3.telus.net/raisingh…../poops.htm

I get mine from Quannha Parker’s great, great, grand son.

Thanks!

Not to get too far into the ick factor but the person in the link you provide mentions using “pills” not contaminated with urine…..not possible when the leavings are collected below pens. Given the fact that Rodale says that human urine can be used in composting, I’m hoping the same is true of that from rabbits.

The couple I know who raise rabbits for show only also gave me two bags of rabbit food that were too old to use for the bunnies. They weren’t sure whether it could be composted but I’m using it for that purpose. Seems like if it’s something the rabbits can eat, hopefully it’ll be OK for people as well. *g*