Garden Time 2008 - What are You up to?

[Alpha]

Well it's that time of year again Explorers....spring has sprung and the work is yet to come.

What are you doing this year in your garden if anything?

It's unusually cool here in Ontario for this time of year and I have tons of work to do to get all my beds ready, before I even decide what I'm going to do this year, except for my Brugmansia, which I have nurtured inside over the winter.

I'd love to hear if and what you all are doing outside.

[VOguy]

Strange that you mentioned this. I spent most of the day in the garden, and doing the lawn.

[Judee]

I've planted six different kinds of tomato plants. My New Zealand Spinach is growing like crazy, and it's a hold over from last year. It's very hardy stuff. My chives are growing like crazy, need harvesting, and are producing hundreds of seed blooms for next years crop. The sage is going nuts, as are all the other herbs, like oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc. I really need to roll up my sleeves and get to drying a lot of these bountiful crops!

Has anyone had any experience with Jerusalem artichokes? I want to plant them in the orchard area, as I understand they spread like crazy, and you can harvest the roots even in the winter!

[Mcnowhere]

I have done zip, nothing. It has been too damned cold and wet to go digging in the cold dirt. I won't be doing anything this year anyhow. I am having knee replacement surgery on June 25th. I will be off work for 3 months and I doubt I will be able to tend to my usual array of flowers while on crutches. I have folks who are going to be here to give me a hand and I didn't want to burden them with my flowers along with all the other stuff they will be doing for me.

I am going to buy me a hammock and lay out in the sun and read my books all summer. Behind every cloud, there is a silver lining!!

[Alpha]

I've planted six different kinds of tomato plants. My New Zealand Spinach is growing like crazy, and it's a hold over from last year. It's very hardy stuff. My chives are growing like crazy, need harvesting, and are producing hundreds of seed blooms for next years crop. The sage is going nuts, as are all the other herbs, like oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc. I really need to roll up my sleeves and get to drying a lot of these bountiful crops!

Has anyone had any experience with Jerusalem artichokes? I want to plant them in the orchard area, as I understand they spread like crazy, and you can harvest the roots even in the winter!

Oh how I envy your climate and growing season Judee ...in a good way of course

Sounds like you have your hands full.

I'm nowhere near that time of year here. It's only 48F here today ( unusually cold) and raining. This would typically be the weekend to plant, however I don't even have my beds ready yet.

Sorry, can't give you any advise on artichokes, however I'd love love to hear how you make out if you decide to put them in.

What do you have in those orchards of yours? Do you take care of them on your own?

[Alpha]

I have done zip, nothing. It has been too damned cold and wet to go digging in the cold dirt. I won't be doing anything this year anyhow. I am having knee replacement surgery on June 25th. I will be off work for 3 months and I doubt I will be able to tend to my usual array of flowers while on crutches. I have folks who are going to be here to give me a hand and I didn't want to burden them with my flowers along with all the other stuff they will be doing for me.

I am going to buy me a hammock and lay out in the sun and read my books all summer. Behind every cloud, there is a silver lining!!

I haven't done anything yet here either McNo for the same reasons.

I'm sorry to hear about you needing knee surgery...I remember the photos of your lovely flowers last year.

I'm still more than happy to send you some cuttings of my Brugs this summer when they are ready...I have mine in huge pots on the patio and all you have to do is water and fertilize them.

I hope that the surgery works out well for you....and yeah, having the summer off is a bonus!!

[williamstade]

Garden work 2008? Sounds great. Me, I just tend to stare for a few seconds at gardens somewhat awestruck. Thanks for bringing this up Alpha.

William

[Mcnowhere]

I haven't done anything yet here either McNo for the same reasons.

I'm sorry to hear about you needing knee surgery...I remember the photos of your lovely flowers last year.

I'm still more than happy to send you some cuttings of my Brugs this summer when they are ready...I have mine in huge pots on the patio and all you have to do is water and fertilize them.

I hope that the surgery works out well for you....and yeah, having the summer off is a bonus!!

Thanks for the kind thoughts Alpha!

I am looking forward to feeling normal again after the surgery. I have my knee in a brace today, as I over did things yesterday.

I will pass on your kind offer Alph, as I don't think I want to even do pots this year. What are Brugs though? Are they flowers or herbs? Never done veggies or herbs. I need to give that a whirl. I did do tomatoes in pots last year but the weather was so bad they ended up the size of peas.

I hope you and everybody puts up lots of pics again this year.

[Delphine]

Tomatoes
Bush Beans
Pole Beans
Green Peppers
Cucumbers
And, of course, the ever-producing orange tree...

One variety of tomatoes failed to produce anything large enough to savor...now, that's a new one! Someone else had the same problem and suggested it might be the low number of honey bees. Who knows.

[Alpha]

Tomatoes
Bush Beans
Pole Beans
Green Peppers
Cucumbers
And, of course, the ever-producing orange tree...

One variety of tomatoes failed to produce anything large enough to savor...now, that's a new one! Someone else had the same problem and suggested it might be the low number of honey bees. Who knows.

Hey Delphs...I love tomato, peppers and cuke's...what on earth are pole and bush beans?!?!?

Help a dumb Cannuck out here..

I had some peas when I was in the US that I had never heard of ....and man were they good....."sassafras...snagglepuss"...good grief I can't remember, damn it!! They were more like beans than they were like peas, but they were wonderful.,,,in cans no less, that we don't have up here.

[Delphine]

...what on earth are pole and bush beans?!?!?

Help a dumb Cannuck out here..

I had some peas

Sorry. Probably local terms. Pole beans grab a pole or other structure to grow up. Bush beans grow low to the ground in a bush. The bush beans didn't do as well as the pole beans.

I've never grown peas, but love them, too. Once I handed a friend some beans to snap. I returned later to find her bemoaning the small amount that were usable. She evidently had mistaken them for peas and shelled them.

[Judee]

Once I handed a friend some beans to snap. I returned later to find her bemoaning the small amount that were usable. She evidently had mistaken them for peas and shelled them.

Now, that is a real hoot!!! I give her credit though. It's damn hard to 'shell' beans!

[Judee]

Oh how I envy your climate and growing season Judee ...in a good way of course

Sounds like you have your hands full.

I'm nowhere near that time of year here. It's only 48F here today ( unusually cold) and raining. This would typically be the weekend to plant, however I don't even have my beds ready yet.

Sorry, can't give you any advise on artichokes, however I'd love love to hear how you make out if you decide to put them in.

What do you have in those orchards of yours? Do you take care of them on your own?

Ah... my orchard is in a sorry state Alpha, since my husband passed away. I have about twelve different 'old' varieties of apples, asian pears, winter pears, a small bright red edible crab apple, chestnuts, filberts, cherries, and plums. They bear, but all are sadly in need of pruning and a lot of TLC.

I'm going to pursue the Jerusalem artichokes, as I understand you can actually survive on them, and I like the idea of winter harvests. I do live in a fairly mild climate. Winters here are pretty much of a joke, unless you don't like a little rain! Fortunately, I am a rain lover. I lived in California, and hated the constant heat and brown grass, brown sky, brown dust, etc. Give me year-round greenery, and azure blue skies, and I'm as happy as a frog in a mud puddle!