Gardening Tips Needed - Page 2

krisk · 03-25-2009, 01:41 PM

I have 50 tomato plants, 72 beans, 72 mixed sunflower and peas and 144 various other seeds started. yummmmmm!!!!

DixieGal · 03-25-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

Ah, corn on the cob! I grew up in Illinois and nothing beats fresh corn and tomatoes on a summer's evening. European supermarket corn just isn't the same as good homegrown Illinois corn.

You just flung a craving on me! I grew up in a farming family, and always had fresh corn. But on a trip to Chicago, Tim (who grew up there) made me get corn on the cob from the cafeteria at the Museum of Sci and Ind. OK, the museum was crappy, but OMG that local corn was the best I've ever had!

Curly · 03-25-2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

How did you end up in Scotland?

I met the 'love of my life' at university over here. We were both studying for a postgraduate qualification (he's Scottish). I went back to the states for a couple years to finish my degree, then moved to Scotland. I have been here over 15 years

Time flies!

Wow, that is some garden! 52 tomato plants! I assume the growing season must be pretty good in California. What do you do with all the vegetables you produce?

pshrynk · 03-25-2009, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

I have 50 tomato plants, 72 beans, 72 mixed sunflower and peas and 144 various other seeds started. yummmmmm!!!!

All this in a brand new location? Wow, you moved fast on that one!

Curly · 03-25-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BookishDreamer

We canned tomatoes and pickles. The rest of the produce (corn, bell pepper, squash, zucchini, okra, bean and peas, brussel sprouts, turnip, mustard greens, peanuts, pecans, blueberries) was frozen. To me, freezing is easier, especially if you have the space. When you decide on packaging, think about serving sizes (and the size of your cooking pots). We used pint plastic containers for most things. One container usually served 2 people, depending on the contents.

Have you visited the local greenhouse or farmer's market? You can probably get some good hints about the local growing season.

Dreamer

I think freezing is the way to go to start with -- re-using plastic containers in smaller portions would work well. My sister does a lot of canning and I will have to ask for a demonstration / tutorial next time I see her.

We have a monthly farmer's market here and there are a few fruit sellers. Berries grow well here in this part of Scotland and we get excellent strawberries.

DixieGal · 03-25-2009, 02:23 PM

You and Geoff and LazyScot (wherever he may have disappeared to) should share a ride in to Mobile Read in the mornings.

krisk · 03-25-2009, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

I met the 'love of my life' at university over here. We were both studying for a postgraduate qualification (he's Scottish). I went back to the states for a couple years to finish my degree, then moved to Scotland. I have been here over 15 years

Time flies!

Wow, that is some garden! 52 tomato plants! I assume the growing season must be pretty good in California. What do you do with all the vegetables you produce?

I have been hoping to meet a bearded, kilted Scotsman all my adult life *sigh*.

I learned how to can last year, so much canning and freezing!

krisk · 03-25-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

All this in a brand new location? Wow, you moved fast on that one!

Haha! When my position was "eliminated" last fall and watching the economy go into a tailspin I figured I was up the old manure creek job wise. I have a 10 acre farm in Washington State and had only planted piddly little plots before. I decided I was really going to make it produce, and I was going to become a "small farmer" (and having just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, I had gotten my new religion!!!) and really make the farm produce. I was going to grow enough to support myself and hopefully sell extras. I had ordered $150 worth of seeds and 3 days later I got the job offer. When I was looking around for a place to live and contacted the landlord of where I am now residing, we got to talking about gardening etc., and I related the above to him. He told me that it had always been his desire to get his property, 8 acres, producing as well. He has pretty much given me my head in the farming of his property. It is very (chills dpwn the back even) odd the way everything has very pleasantly and positively worked out for this move!

krisk · 03-25-2009, 02:30 PM

(and some day I will be able to figure out how to quote 2 different threads!)

DixieGal · 03-25-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

Haha! When my position was "eliminated" last fall and watching the economy go into a tailspin I figured I was up the old manure creek job wise. I have a 10 acre farm in Washington State and had only planted piddly little plots before. I decided I was really going to make it produce, and I was going to become a "small farmer" (and having just finished "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, I had gotten my new religion!!!) and really make the farm produce. I was going to grow enough to support myself and hopefully sell extras. I had ordered $150 worth of seeds and 3 days later I got the job offer. When I was looking around for a place to live and contacted the landlord of where I am now residing, we got to talking about gardening etc., and I related the above to him. He told me that it had always been his desire to get his property, 8 acres, producing as well. He has pretty much given me my head in the farming of his property. It is very (chills dpwn the back even) odd the way everything has very pleasantly and positively worked out for this move!

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

(and some day I will be able to figure out how to quote 2 different threads!)

Me too.

phenomshel · 03-25-2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

How did you end up in Scotland?

I was just about to ask that...

Curly · 03-25-2009, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

You and Geoff and LazyScot (wherever he may have disappeared to) should share a ride in to Mobile Read in the mornings.

That would be great, the commute here to MR every morning is a nightmare. Geoff could drive, LazyScot could navigate,and I could lounge in the back seat reading!

BTW I haven't read anything by Barbara Kingsolver in ages. 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' looks really good, I don't know how I missed it. The website has an interesting recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies which I might try if I end up with too many zucchinis!

zelda_pinwheel · 03-26-2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curly

BTW I haven't read anything by Barbara Kingsolver in ages. 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' looks really good, I don't know how I missed it. The website has an interesting recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies which I might try if I end up with too many zucchinis!

is that even possible ?? (i love zucchini. we should share zucchini recipes).

i don't have a garden but i've had a few window plants in the past. they don't get much direct sun though so they didn't flourish, and now i've just got an orchid, which was a gift and which miraculously (and unexpectedly) is still alive. any suggestions for low-maintenance shade-loving plants would be welcome, if i get up the motivation to start a few pots again...

stoogeswoman · 03-26-2009, 06:59 PM

Hi! We have had a lot of success with our 'Square Foot Garden' - since last summer have been growing lots of salad greens: chard, lettuce, etc. You might want to check out their website at http://www.squarefootgardening.com/, which has instructions on how to set one up. It's the only garden I've ever had where stuff actually grew!!! :-)

LazyScot · 03-27-2009, 04:28 PM

Depending a little bit on whereabout you are in Scotland, I'd recommend some Raspberry canes; I grew them as a child, and there is nothing to beat a fresh Scottish raspberry (why do I get the feeling lots of people will completely mis-interpret this statement). The only thing to be careful of is that they can spread from the runners underground; otherwise they take very little effort to look after.

(With care, they freeze pretty well, too.)

As boring as it sounds, it is well worth trying potatoes; they can taste *so* much better.

(I also love fresh peas; always had good luck with them in Edinburgh.)

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03-25-2009, 01:41 PM	#16
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	I have 50 tomato plants, 72 beans, 72 mixed sunflower and peas and 144 various other seeds started. yummmmmm!!!!

03-25-2009, 02:23 PM	#21
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	You and Geoff and LazyScot (wherever he may have disappeared to) should share a ride in to Mobile Read in the mornings.

03-25-2009, 02:30 PM	#24
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	(and some day I will be able to figure out how to quote 2 different threads!)

03-26-2009, 06:59 PM	#29
stoogeswoman Zealot Posts: 149 Karma: 492 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reseda, CA Device: eBookwise 1150 and Kindle 1	Hi! We have had a lot of success with our 'Square Foot Garden' - since last summer have been growing lots of salad greens: chard, lettuce, etc. You might want to check out their website at http://www.squarefootgardening.com/, which has instructions on how to set one up. It's the only garden I've ever had where stuff actually grew!!! :-)

03-27-2009, 04:28 PM	#30
LazyScot DSil Posts: 3,201 Karma: 6895096 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hants, UK Device: Kindle, Cybook	Depending a little bit on whereabout you are in Scotland, I'd recommend some Raspberry canes; I grew them as a child, and there is nothing to beat a fresh Scottish raspberry (why do I get the feeling lots of people will completely mis-interpret this statement). The only thing to be careful of is that they can spread from the runners underground; otherwise they take very little effort to look after. (With care, they freeze pretty well, too.) As boring as it sounds, it is well worth trying potatoes; they can taste so much better. (I also love fresh peas; always had good luck with them in Edinburgh.)