Anyone grow a garden?

First_Warrior

Do any of you grow a garden? Iv'e had since childhood. Our garden is a part of our lives. We have eight raised beds for veges and a spice bed. My other,Lucy tends all her flower beds and i do the raised beds. We are covered up with beans, corn, melons, squash, cucumbers, radishes, beets, chard, fennel, escarole, radiccio, three kinds of basil, chives, etc. We grow just enough to eat and we freeze what's left. Really nice to go out and get spices and food and construct a fine meal. There is, of course that after supper cigar.

Bigshizza

I usually have a good sized garden but with surgery looming I went the easy route. I planted 6 different kinds of potatoes, some onions and planted 4 tomato bushes on the deck. I'd rather have a flat 1/2 acre plot but this is ok for now.

First_Warrior

I had major surgery ten years ago. Took a year to recover. Started working out at a local gym and I'm still hitting the gym twice a week. 67 years old and still can work a day in the garden.

jd50ae

Taters, maters, peppers, peanuts, purple hull beans, corn, watermelons, cantaloupes, mint, sage, shrooms, onions, cukes, eggplant, gourds, and a row of I don't know. Planted some cigar butts, still waiting.

raisindot

For years I have been cultivating a hummingbird garden. They're not as easy to attract up here in New England as they are in the warmer climes, especially in my part of town. For years I've had maybe one or two sightings during the entire summer, usually in late August when they migrate, but this summer the returning perennials (probably fed by all that snow) came back like gangbusters and now I've had at least three of them feeding there since June.

Bigshizza

My tomatoes
Yellow Cherry

And various tomatoes


And Basil doing real good

First_Warrior

Doesn't get much better than tomatoes and basil.

jgibv

Dang Jim!!! Nice basil bro. I'm jealous!!!
We did 12-ish(?) basil plants this year and haven't got squat from any of them --- they went gang busters last season but have been a complete "dud" this year --- dunno what happened. Kept up on the fertilizer, watering, etc.

Our tomatoes are going like crazy though! Squash, peppers, and other herbs doing good.


And, to answer the OP:

First Warrior:

Do any of you grow a garden? Iv'e had since childhood. Our garden is a part of our lives ........ Really nice to go out and get spices and food and construct a fine meal. There is, of course that after supper cigar.

Sounds like you got a good variety of things Rodger. Snap some pics and post them up, would love to see what all you have growing if you get the chance.
And yes; nothing better than having fresh produce 10 ft from your back porch. And it seems like garden-fresh veggies taste so much better than what you get at the grocery store.

Did 2 "main" beds this year. Lots of herbs, about 15 tomato plants, fennel (squirrels dug up most of it up), pattypan squash, peppers, lettuce.
Everything's done well this year except the basil.



PS - you may want to check out the "Gardens" thread too ... not much action on it this season though.
www.cigar.com/cs/forums/thread/466149.aspx

First_Warrior

We have eight raised beds. Most of our tomatoes are gone and the two beds with the framework are now planted with collars, kale, beets, radicchio, escarole all for winter harvest. The building up the hill is my studio, built by me in 1981-1983. Our basil, three kinds the purple is asian.

Bigshizza

First Warrior:

We have eight raised beds. Most of our tomatoes are gone and the two beds with the framework are now planted with collars, kale, beets, radicchio, escarole all for winter harvest. The building up the hill is my studio, built by me in 1981-1983. Our basil, three kinds the purple is asian.

Very cool it looks like a real nice setting!

First_Warrior

Pulled beets and radishes today. Transplanted some collards and direct seeded more beets, radishes, chard,and spinach. Roasted beets, beet greens, cucumber and radish salad,roasted chicken, and squash tonight and a MF afterward.

jd50ae

I usually plant at least one form of basil in a pot and eventually move it inside. Love the aroma off the plant.

That salad sounds so good.

First_Warrior

jd50ae:

I usually plant at least one form of basil in a pot and eventually move it inside. Love the aroma off the plant.

That salad sounds so good.

JD used an asian dressing on the cucumber and radish salad. Chopped fresh mint, 2tbs fish sauce, 2tbs lime juice, 1tbs rice vinegar,and a tea spoon of raw sugar.

First_Warrior

The last of our beans. Cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, radishes, beets, chard, lettuce, etc going strong. We have our collards and kale for this winter about six inches tall. Got some escarole started in flats.

jlmarta

I put in a few rows of macaroni and a row of tacos once. Thought if it did well I'd add a row of linguine the following year but it didn't do so well...... ??

Rain

I'm looking to start next year. I'd like to do tomatoes and some annual flowers to start. When you do a raised bed, it's a mix of soil and mulch, right? Reading Gardening for Dummies right now.

First_Warrior

Your raised beds will get better over a few years. I add pellet lime every spring as the soil here needs it. I also sow clover in the beds in the fall (now) and turn it in in the spring.We keep a compost pile and use it to ammend the soil also. 4x8 is a good size as it will allow you to reach in without stepping in and compacting the soil. A garden fork and a rake and sometimes a hoe are the only soil turning tools we use. I get hemlock 1x6's at a saw mill for the frames. Try not to use PT as it has been treated with horrible stuff. A garden is something a person could get their whole family involved in.