Gardening

[CameronBornAndBred]

One the short lived new board, y'all had a gardening thread which I didn't get to visit, but was glad to see. I'm tilling mine this weekend, hopefully getting my veggies in. I've had some volunteer broccoli last year growing already. I'll have to transplant them while I get their home tidied up. Anyways, what have y'all got growing or got plans for?

[TillyGalore]

Someone left a potted geranium and gift card to Lowe's on my front porch last night (I think it was Ima). I'm going to use the gift card to buy plants for the garden in the front of my house. I have direct sunlight all day there, any suggestions as to which plants/flowers I can put there?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'd plant some tomatoes! Besides the 75 pounds of tomotaoes I canned last year, I bought some determinate tomatoes for my deck planters. They don't get over 2' tall, but still put out nice sized fruit.

[TillyGalore]

Knights68 is going to plant a vegetable garden in the back yard. I want the front of the house to look pretty thus want to put flowers in. It's a girl thing.

[colchar]

I have to clean our yard before I host a BBQ this Saturday. I am NOT looking forward to it after the weather we had this winter.

[TillyGalore]

cl bunchofnumbers had some great suggestions about planting vegies. Hopefully he can repost it here.

Also, I'm going to start composting. As soon as I buy the compost barrel.

Oh, will be mowing my front yard/patch for the first time this weekend. I love having a garden and yard.

[colchar]

Oh, will be mowing my front yard/patch for the first time this weekend. I love having a garden and yard.

I love the sound of a lawnmower and the smell of freshly cut grass - but am not as much of a fan of actually doing the grass cutting.

[TillyGalore]

Oh, will be mowing my front yard/patch for the first time this weekend. I love having a garden and yard.

I love the sound of a lawnmower and the smell of freshly cut grass - but am not as much of a fan of actually doing the grass cutting.

I think you'd actually enjoy mowing my lawn. I don't expect it to take more than 10 minutes. :lol:

[Lavabe]

What does it take to grow hops? ;)

[CameronBornAndBred]

What does it take to grow hops? ;)

I was hoping to grow some this year, and still might, but I'm not sure about the space. I'm going to do some more research and find out. I would assume one vine would provide plenty of hops for a homebrewer, enough that you would have to share. So a few vines of different varities would be fun.

[cl15876]

What does it take to grow hops? ;)

I was hoping to grow some this year, and still might, but I'm not sure about the space. I'm going to do some more research and find out. I would assume one vine would provide plenty of hops for a homebrewer, enough that you would have to share. So a few vines of different varities would be fun.

Being a bread and coffee barister (hopefully they mean the same thing), I have found when asking that when trying duplicate seeds or elements from foreign countries (such as Germany), that trying it in USA just doesn't yield the same results. I've been told buy it there or order from there, and you'll get closer results to the real thang!

[cl15876]

Tilly - thank you for the kind words, but not sure how deep this goes! God has always graced me with green thumb, so I just roll with it!

Here is the earlier post - (I'll check on the flowers and plants)....

Tilly - Not sure what you want to grow, but here are a couple of thoughts to get you started: if you get some nice buckets/planters and put some top soil mixed with miracle grow or manure and then put the plants below in them, you have a relatively portable garden. I pick out an area with sun (all day or at least 1/2 the day) and take some 2x6 and make a rectangular box and then fill with top soil (about a buck a bag) and also mix in some compost or manure or some other rich nutrients like miracle grow. Note with miracle grow, don't ever put directly on any plants because it will OD them. I mix it all together with a hand twister plow (like a big fork and tills up the dirt very nicely), then I make my hills and plant the plants and have stakes or wire supports set around each plant to help them grow up nice and straight and strong. As they get bigger, you might need a more stable stake or two to tie the plants to to keep them from falling down and breaking.

Now, for the vegetables:
- get some already started plants likes tomatoes (cherry or big boys) - yellow/orange (less acidic) or red,
- get some bell and or bannana, jalapeno peppers - these all do good in direct sunlight.

Cathy and I saw some really healthy plants at sams club believe it or not this past weekend.

You need a little space for Squash plants but they keep producing all summer, cucumbers (same thing) and they enjoy growing upwards they have little fingers that wrap themselves around whatever they can find (like a wire structure, other plants - you don't want that or fences). You can get inexpensive 2x2" fencing to put between the cucumber hills and you help them find it if they need help. These do good in direct sunlight.

I put leaf lettuce along the front and when it is ready you can pick a little bit and it keeps growing so you always have some good stuff.

I also grow herbs on my deck in direct sunlight in those little planter buckets (various types of basil, oregano, thyme, a variety of other also. I start these from seeds and then just pluck when I want to use or freeze or dry out for later use.

The veggies will appreciate daily water, and my dad set up some kind of a slow release rig involving one of those oversize soda bottles (32 or 64 oz) and cuts the bottom off and fills up with water and it also catches the rain and puts these near the plants roots and when they are thirsty they drink up. This is helpful for those times when you will gone for a day or two or more and can't water.

Hope this helps get you started.

[colchar]

Oh, will be mowing my front yard/patch for the first time this weekend. I love having a garden and yard.

I love the sound of a lawnmower and the smell of freshly cut grass - but am not as much of a fan of actually doing the grass cutting.

I think you'd actually enjoy mowing my lawn. I don't expect it to take more than 10 minutes. :lol:

Actually, our complex does the lawn mowing for us so I don't have to worry about it here. But I do have to do it for my parents because my Dad is getting too old to do it now (it's sad actually, he always looked fine for his age but in the last year or so he's really become an old man).

[knights68]

Tilly - Not sure what you want to grow, but here are a couple of thoughts to get you started: if you get some nice buckets/planters and put some top soil mixed with miracle grow or manure and then put the plants below in them, you have a relatively portable garden. I pick out an area with sun (all day or at least 1/2 the day) and take some 2x6 and make a rectangular box and then fill with top soil (about a buck a bag) and also mix in some compost or manure or some other rich nutrients like miracle grow. Note with miracle grow, don't ever put directly on any plants because it will OD them. I mix it all together with a hand twister plow (like a big fork and tills up the dirt very nicely), then I make my hills and plant the plants and have stakes or wire supports set around each plant to help them grow up nice and straight and strong. As they get bigger, you might need a more stable stake or two to tie the plants to to keep them from falling down and breaking.

Now, for the vegetables:
- get some already started plants likes tomatoes (cherry or big boys) - yellow/orange (less acidic) or red,
- get some bell and or bannana, jalapeno peppers - these all do good in direct sunlight.

Cathy and I saw some really healthy plants at sams club believe it or not this past weekend.

You need a little space for Squash plants but they keep producing all summer, cucumbers (same thing) and they enjoy growing upwards they have little fingers that wrap themselves around whatever they can find (like a wire structure, other plants - you don't want that or fences). You can get inexpensive 2x2" fencing to put between the cucumber hills and you help them find it if they need help. These do good in direct sunlight.

I put leaf lettuce along the front and when it is ready you can pick a little bit and it keeps growing so you always have some good stuff.

I also grow herbs on my deck in direct sunlight in those little planter buckets (various types of basil, oregano, thyme, a variety of other also. I start these from seeds and then just pluck when I want to use or freeze or dry out for later use.

The veggies will appreciate daily water, and my dad set up some kind of a slow release rig involving one of those oversize soda bottles (32 or 64 oz) and cuts the bottom off and fills up with water and it also catches the rain and puts these near the plants roots and when they are thirsty they drink up. This is helpful for those times when you will gone for a day or two or more and can't water.

Good googleymoogly! I didn't peg ya as a good 'ol farmer there! lol, excellent tips too. I hope to plant myself a little this -n- that at Tilly's place but also at my apartment. Two gardens should give me plenty of access to veggies this year as it is my hope/plan to slowly eliminate meat from my diet by the end of this year. Hah, good luck to me on that! lol maybe that's one of those things I should ask the group for good vibes on, ya know, to test it all out and all? lol

[Miles]

I used to grow hot peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs but then the move to LA and then back to San Diego disrupted my gardening sooo....
Has anyone tried self-watering container gardening? Pretty cool stuff and works great if you don't have land to till. I'm really looking forward to getting back to Charlotte, finding a new place and starting to grow again. Mmmm fresh veggies!

[cl15876]

Correction - .... some 2x6 should be 2x12 and make a rectangular box ...

Good googleymoogly! I didn't peg ya as a good 'ol farmer there! lol, excellent tips too. I hope to plant myself a little this -n- that at Tilly's place but also at my apartment. Two gardens should give me plenty of access to veggies this year as it is my hope/plan to slowly eliminate meat from my diet by the end of this year. Hah, good luck to me on that! lol maybe that's one of those things I should ask the group for good vibes on, ya know, to test it all out and all? lol

Let me correct something that I just saw and it's been bothering me, I previously said 2x6 and meant to say use 2x12's when making the rectangular box. You could make two rectangular boxes and secure them together inside with 1x4 or 2x4. The dirt will cover up the internal supports but you'll have plenty of soil depth for your plants to grow nice and healthy. Oh my son, there are many hidden talents to share.... by the way, I can help you with the meat thing, .... I have a freezer up here in VA and a grill so I will be glad to remove the temptation of the meat from your eyes to help you of course achieve your goal. I'll also share some more gardening tips!

[CameronBornAndBred]

I have a freezer up here in VA and a grill so I will be glad to remove the temptation of the meat from your eyes to help you of course achieve your goal. I'll also share some more gardening tips!

Meat for potatoes.

[TillyGalore]

Knights68 and I did a lot of work on my backyard today. Ended up mowing the ground cover as it doesn't look like a whole lot of work has been done back there for quite some time. Am trying to decide if I'm going to allow ground cover in sections with a white stone path as in the picture below:


Or, if I'm going to dig everything up and put in grass. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Hoping to do some flowers tomorrow.

[CathyCA]

I bought 15 azalea plants today. They are called "Delaware Valley White."

[CameronBornAndBred]

Knights68 and I did a lot of work on my backyard today. Ended up mowing the ground cover as it doesn't look like a whole lot of work has been done back there for quite some time. Am trying to decide if I'm going to allow ground cover in sections with a white stone path as in the picture below:


Or, if I'm going to dig everything up and put in grass. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Hoping to do some flowers tomorrow.

Ummm, WOW! Great job to both of you. Don't tear it all up, I like the path idea. What about mulch instead of stone though?
It really does look good, too bad we have to wait so long until the house party. I'm sure it will be way amazing by then.

OH wait, that's your original picture ain't it? Send an update, still don't tear it all up. I guess I should congratulate the previous owner until then. :oops: