Somewhat OT: Gardens?

Greetings. Do you have gardens and what do you plant? Yesterday I went to a greenhouse in Lex, KY, and bought tiny pepper plants of various varieties, and tomato plants and chives. It's far too early to put them in the garden, and I have the tomatoes and peppers in a small glass greenhouse and the chives on a window sill. I am in zone 6 here in KY and I think the only other edible things I will grow will be corn and sunflowers. I have bad luck with eggplant, as the bugs and animals always get the leaves. The corn, well it is cheap to buy but I like the way it looks so just a couple of rows. I might do a pumpkin patch as well.

Andrea

Mostly I just grow herbs--in pots and in the ground. They are easy and grow quickly (even during the winter if protected from the rare frost) and having a basic variety of fresh herbs handy really helps in the kitchen. I grow thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary and spearmint. Oh, and I have a lemon tree out front while my neighbor has a grapefruit tree that hangs over the rear garden wall (by agreement, any fruit on my side is mine).

I grow tomatoes, many varieties and peppers, again many varieties. Also salad fixing: mesculen mix, carrots, radishes, broccoli, spinach, and peas. My husband likes to grow watermelons, but I'm not a real big fan. We also grow about 1 squash plant. This year it will be a spaghetti squash.

Hey AndreaB!...Fellow Kentuckian and Roadfooder!!!....I live in Eastern Kentucky (Prestonsburg). Our family use to put out a garden for years, but now it's just overgrown land..Sad...I do like to go to the Farmers Market, in downtown Lexington when all the wonderful veggies are in season...Tom B.

Here outside of Cleve.,OH, we're finally seeing a warm-up so this weekend I'm hoping to rototil my garden.
I have the good luck of having one of my best friends live on my street and we decided to do a co-op garden in my yard.
It's going to be about twelve feet wide and a good thirty feet long.
We are putting in different sorts of tomatos, zuchinni, corn, cucumbers, green beans, beets,cabbage,carrots, and an assortment of herbs and salad lettuces.
It's going to be a lot of work, but fun too. We figure it'll be a great experience for the kids also.

My tomato and pepper plant seedlings are doing just fine!!! Got a half dozen types of fabulous heritage tomatos going that i can taste already!!! Other then that i grow mostly a salad garden--and some greens--collards and mustard--cukes- beans(Cherokee Trail of Tears---good eating both fresh and dry0 and melons---Moon and Stars watermelon--two other cantalope types--a Persian and a French. Used to do a huge garden--its alot smaller now but may get bigger as i no longer have the access to the huge varieties that i had in available at California Farmers Markets. ai am encouraging and supporting the local one here in Muskogee also!

I received some wonderful tomato, cucumber, eggplant and bean seed from some nice person on roadfood and I forgot who. It was postmarked in Chattanooga but had a Tullahoma business address. If you will identify yourself, I will send you a note of thanks and keep you apprised of the progress of the neat seed..

I am sprouting and germinating them now in peat cups. Garden is tilled with radish and onions already in the ground. Only problem is that it rains about every other day this time of year.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

We grow tomotoes and eggplants in containers on the patio. Last year after we thought they were "done" we planted them in a garden area. Well, they all took off with vigor and we had a nice crop until the first heavy frost! Nice...:-) Looking forward to another planting season.

Every summer I plant tomatoes, peas, green beans, basil and cilantro. My perennial hers include tarragon, oregano, thyme and lemon balm. This year I will be trying eggplant for the first time and if room, jalapenos

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I received some wonderful tomato, cucumber, eggplant and bean seed from some nice person on roadfood and I forgot who. It was postmarked in Chattanooga but had a Tullahoma business address. If you will identify yourself, I will send you a note of thanks and keep you apprised of the progress of the neat seed..

I am sprouting and germinating them now in peat cups. Garden is tilled with radish and onions already in the ground. Only problem is that it rains about every other day this time of year.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul--i have a feeling that Povety Pete sent you the extra seeds from the batch i sent him! Was it Trail of Tears Beans and Carmello and Green Zebra Tomatoes(among others)?? Mine are also thiving in thier peatpot greenhouse!

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I received some wonderful tomato, cucumber, eggplant and bean seed from some nice person on roadfood and I forgot who. It was postmarked in Chattanooga but had a Tullahoma business address. If you will identify yourself, I will send you a note of thanks and keep you apprised of the progress of the neat seed..

I am sprouting and germinating them now in peat cups. Garden is tilled with radish and onions already in the ground. Only problem is that it rains about every other day this time of year.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul--i have a feeling that Povety Pete sent you the extra seeds from the batch i sent him! Was it Trail of Tears Beans and Carmello and Green Zebra Tomatoes(among others)?? Mine are also thiving in thier peatpot greenhouse!

Tiki, that is exactly who sent me the seed. I cannot wait until the beans sprout the the rest germinates. I got them in the peat pots now.

Poverty, thanks for the seed and I will keep you apprised of their progress.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Tiki, why'd you give me up? Can't a guy do any anonymous good deeds any more?
I've got sprouts on everything but the tomatoes, so far. The beans are really taking off. Maybe I'll have one of those magic beanstalks this time...always wanted one of those.

Efeury: If you plant eggplant. After it has sprouted and grown a bit you need to encircle the plant with wood ashes (or some noxious pesticide) to keep the bugs away that absolutely destroy eggplants around the northeast.

Personally, eggplant is so inexpensive and the quality is so good at our local markets in the Summer that I gave up messing with it years ago,

Cheers, John

quote:

Originally posted by Poverty Pete

Tiki, why'd you give me up? Can't a guy do any anonymous good deeds any more?
I've got sprouts on everything but the tomatoes, so far. The beans are really taking off. Maybe I'll have one of those magic beanstalks this time...always wanted one of those.

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john


Personally, eggplant is so inexpensive and the quality is so good at our local markets in the Summer that I gave up messing with it years ago,

Cheers, John

Ah--but do they have Listarda De Gandia eggplant!! beautiful Stiped with shades of violet and not at all bitter! Or White Caper!! Or Thai Green! For me gardening is all about getting the varities of vegies that i CANT get at the store!

Thanks for the tip seafarer john. I had no idea and would have been really mad if the bugs got to eat them and not me. As tiki said, I am going to try and grow a more exotic variety - the light purple and white stripey kind - the Listarda De Gandia that tiki mentioned. They have them occasionally at the local supermarket but most of the time they just have those horrid giant purple things. Additionally, everything justs tastes better from your own garden.

Seafarer - Do you think I would fare better i grew eggplants in containers instead. Do you know what bug it is that goes after eggplants? Is it an a sucking or a chewing insect or is it a slug? If I have a better idea I can kill it more efficiently (and without nasty chemicals).

efuery,contact your local ag ageant! Beleive me they will know EVERY pest problem that you will run up against and every bug,larva,instar, or what ever!If your in the northeast--wood ashes are easy to get free. dont wiegh much and are good for the soil in the long run any way!

quote:

Originally posted by TIPPY LEE

Hey AndreaB!...Fellow Kentuckian and Roadfooder!!!....I live in Eastern Kentucky (Prestonsburg). Our family use to put out a garden for years, but now it's just overgrown land..Sad...I do like to go to the Farmers Market, in downtown Lexington when all the wonderful veggies are in season...Tom B.

Greetings Tippy Lee! Yah, the Farmer's Market in Lexington is good and we have a small one on weekends here in the summer in Versailles. I'm happy to report that my tomato, tomatillo, various pepper plants, and garlic chives will soon be ready for the garden. I think I'm going to grow cilantro as well. It is hard to beat the pleasure of a ripe fat tomato right from the garden.

Andrea

Just set out a hot box in the big north-facing window of the sewing room this afternoon, to germinate some cherry peppers, jalapenos and sweet Havanas. Should be ready to plant in the planter on the front stoop around Memorial Day, which puts me on target for a chile harvest in late August!

In the meantime, the chives and thyme from last summer have already regenerated themselves and are growing up a storm. No action on the basil that went to seed.