Vegetable Gardens: Tips, Advice, Questions, Tales, Pictures

[photonrider]

Why are the ellie ears upset? Also: what happened to the banana plants? Did they survive? If they did, I'm sure you will have a crop this year. We had a very mild winter again - and I have some annuals called 'Dusty Miller' which die out every year. I have to replace it with fresh plants - but I did not this year since last year's plants survived; and lo and behold I have Dusty Miller blooms this year and the plants are almost upto my waist - a sight I've never seen before. I'm guessing these plants are tropical.

Took us a whole year to get through that last page, eh?

 

[diabolicwyvern]

2012 Season Pictures. (Taken this afternoon)


RAISED BED #1 Green Peppers, Tomatoes, Okra and Green Beans.

Had peas, but they split to make room for a couple more peppers.

Highlights

RAISED BED #2 -- Tomatoes -- 4 varieties

RAISED BED #3 -- Lavender, Green Peppers, Corn, Zucchini

RAISED BED #4 -- Watermelon, Squash, Cucumber, Zucchini and Brussel Sprouts
(which is there just because I like it)

Highlights

Hot Pepper Garden -- 4 Varieties

My Back Patio -- Canna, Catnip, Banana, Citronella, elephant ears, Coleus, Caladium and various annuals

Compost Pile

Basils -- 4 varieties

Lettuce

The Morning Harvest (6/23/12) & Dried Lavender (Picked and dried 6/16/12).

​

 

[FoolKiller]

I need to put up some pictures. Don't really want to though due to a battle with Japanese Beetles and wooly aphids. Been having a lot of pest issues this year because we had a mild winter. But despite that we've gotten some zucchini and summer squash, plenty of herbs, a handful of beans, and the peppers and tomatoes are beginning to ripen.

I've had so much sweet basil that I cut some and set it in water only to have it root and grow even more. So now I am cutting it up and freezing 1 teaspoon amounts with water in ice cube trays. Once frozen, we bag the cubes up and then toss the cube into our cooking. We still have plenty growing if the water from the ice is problematic. I have two cubes of dill as well. These should keep over winter too, so fresh herbs year round.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Where are meetings were we had herbs last season. We froze several things and I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference. Its just such a practical way to use herbs when you need them vs making something before (blank) goes bad.

 

[Joel]

We don't have a vegetable garden any more, but for the last couple years my parents have been putting some herbs out on the deck in pots. We have a big pot of basil, chives, and dad was talking about getting a rosemary plant too. They also put out a pot of mint, primarily because they really like mojitos and it's much better with fresh mint.

 

[photonrider]

LOL @ Foolkiller - yup, looks like you have ten green thumbs; all you have to do is cut something and chuck it into water and it sprouts roots, right? Haha, yes, I have some stories, too, will be in presently with tales, and pics.
So delighted to see everyone back again this year!
My veggie garden is dismal this year - I've been caught up in a 101 things - but my flower-garden is seemingly out to compete with the Garden of Eden, itself, riotous with blooms, and growing as if the world were to end tomorrow and not the day after.

DW - your garden is absolutely mouth-watering. You are doing a freaking amazing job. I see that you walk barefoot on the grass; a truly enlightened man.
Will be in soon with my hauls, too.
Cheers,
Harry.

 

[Omnis]

I need to put up some pictures. Don't really want to though due to a battle with Japanese Beetles and wooly aphids. Been having a lot of pest issues this year because we had a mild winter. But despite that we've gotten some zucchini and summer squash, plenty of herbs, a handful of beans, and the peppers and tomatoes are beginning to ripen.

I've had so much sweet basil that I cut some and set it in water only to have it root and grow even more. So now I am cutting it up and freezing 1 teaspoon amounts with water in ice cube trays. Once frozen, we bag the cubes up and then toss the cube into our cooking. We still have plenty growing if the water from the ice is problematic. I have two cubes of dill as well. These should keep over winter too, so fresh herbs year round.

If you have that much basil, take some and make simple syrup with it. Add a little lemon juice while boiling and a splash of 151 on top for storage.

 

[FoolKiller]

If you have that much basil, take some and make simple syrup with it. Add a little lemon juice while boiling and a splash of 151 on top for storage.

But I like having the leaves as part of my food. I love the bits of basil in my soup, cilantro leaves in my salsa, speckles of dill in my cucumber salad, and dots of chives in my sour cream dip.

 

[Solid Lifters]

But I like having the leaves as part of my food. I love the bits of basil in my soup, cilantro leaves in my salsa, speckles of dill in my cucumber salad, and dots of chives in my sour cream dip.

Basil grows like mad. We have bags of the stuff in our freezer. I also dried some with the 'Alton Brown's Blowhard 5,000' and got good results. Left some whole and ground up a lot with a coffee grinder.

 

[photonrider]

Basil (unless we're talking Fawlty Towers) has to be fresh-chopped and sprinkled on my tomato for best effect. Same with chives and dill on their respective complements.

The ideas about cube-freezing, and turning it into a syrup are quite interesting, though; must give both a shot this summer.

Thanks, guys! 👍

 

[FoolKiller]

Basil (unless we're talking Fawlty Towers) has to be fresh-chopped and sprinkled on my tomato for best effect. Same with chives and dill on their respective complements.

The ideas about cube-freezing, and turning it into a syrup are quite interesting, though; must give both a shot this summer.

Thanks, guys! 👍

Basically the goal is to save it in a way that will maintain the oils, as that is what gives most herbs their flavor. As I described, basil and various other herbs can be kept in a vase like flowers if you need to cut it but won't need it for a week or so. Just be sure you have enough stem on the bottom to not submerge the leaves.

Drying is probably the best long-term solution as much of the flavor remains and it can be kept (especially in the refrigerator) for a long time, but it definitely is not a 1:1 ratio. That said, I find most of my pasta sauces are better with dried than fresh. It may partly be because in sauce you want the essence of the many flavors combined, but tasting a basil leaf in a bite kind of pulls you out of the overall flavor experience.

 

[photonrider]

We don't have a vegetable garden any more, but for the last couple years my parents have been putting some herbs out on the deck in pots. We have a big pot of basil, chives, and dad was talking about getting a rosemary plant too. They also put out a pot of mint, primarily because they really like mojitos and it's much better with fresh mint.

Potted herbs on a patio deck are a great way to do some low-maintenance gardening 👍 You may also want to encourage them to try potted lettuce and spinach. Cilantro is another pretty that is also a popular flavouring. As for Rosemary - a few sprigs thrown on the coals of your bar-b-que adds a lot of zest to the meat you throw on the grill.

Basically the goal is to save it in a way that will maintain the oils, as that is what gives most herbs their flavor. As I described, basil and various other herbs can be kept in a vase like flowers if you need to cut it but won't need it for a week or so. Just be sure you have enough stem on the bottom to not submerge the leaves.

Drying is probably the best long-term solution as much of the flavor remains and it can be kept (especially in the refrigerator) for a long time, but it definitely is not a 1:1 ratio. That said, I find most of my pasta sauces are better with dried than fresh. It may partly be because in sauce you want the essence of the many flavors combined, but tasting a basil leaf in a bite kind of pulls you out of the overall flavor experience.

Yeah, I have done the basil-in-the-vase routine too, and find I can never get through it all before it spoils or starts sprouting roots and trying to acquire a life of its own. I'm addicted to fresh basil - a dish of hot bacon and eggs is never complete for me without slices of tomato that have been heavily peppered and confettied with shreds of fresh basil.
Dried herbs do work better in certain types of cooking though - I agree totally with what you say about pasta sauces. For instance I use dried thyme in sauces that have mild-flavoured meats, whereas I would use dried oregano in pasta sauces that have more rich, spicier meats, like hot Italian sausage meat, or seasoned ground pork. Fresh chives are wonderful with mashed potato, but I prefer to powder the sour cream on a baked potato with the dried stuff. Dried majoram kicks steamed beans or cabbage up a notch - while fresh just isn't right on it.
As you said - tasting a raw leaf of a sudden while enjoying the delicate and subtle nuances of a soup or sauce can certainly ruin the experience.

D'Wyvern's garden has already put all my efforts this year to shame - I'll never catch up! OTH - my rose garden is rising to the occasion with unusual gusto this year - without much effort on my part, TG! haha. So since vegetables that bear fruit cannot do so without blooming flowers - I'll sneak in a shot of some flora in here .

Cheers! And lotsa bloomin' luck!
Harry.

 

[FoolKiller]

First big harvest. Banana peppers, mini bell peppers, and tomatoes.

 

[photonrider]

Nice, nice, nice, FK - those look mouthwatering alright. I'm sure you tasted the difference; here are some cherry tomatoes I harvested a few days ago - I had been snacking on them whenever I passed the patch and saw a bright red glint of sunshine call from the thicket of green - and I was delighted by the difference in the taste of the homegrown; the stuff from the grocers is bland by comparison.
Also your advice about fresh herbs on food - yes, fresh finely shredded basil on a tomato salad is intoxicating. These babies get sliced in halves, then tossed lightly with diced green onion and finely cubed cukes. Another herb I like fresh on my food is chopped cilantro floating on a piping-hot minestone.

 

[photonrider]

Well, guys, it's pretty much the end of the season here; days are getting colder, sweaters are coming hot, mini-skirts are becoming maxis, and Halloween stuff is on the shelves - not a good sign for us gardeners over here.

My cherry tomatoes still keep producing as you can see, so plenty of fresh tomato for salads as yet.

What news about how your gardening went this season?

 

[photonrider]

Time to unearth this discussion again, buried as usual all Winter (since you cobbers down under don't give us any news of what's sprouting over there anyway.)

Guess it must be Autumn for you folks down south - do your trees actually burst into flame?
Over here, things are suddenly beginning to sprout like mad - all the tulips, lily, hyacinth, crocus, daffodil that I have planted in the gardens and courtyards of the various buildings I service are coming up - it's always a shock to see my work suddenly reappear!
And, of course . . . they have divided and multiplied.
The several lilacs I planted last year at one building are budding beautifully . . . soon there will be this heady fragrance right throughout the neighborhood.

Good feelings to look forward to. Good thing the Earth does its job, too.

Pics soon. Veggie patch looks a disaster. Shovels and rakes are being prepared.

 

[FoolKiller]

With the kitchen remodel we haven't had a chance to do anything yet. But planting time is still two weeks off. Once things get going I'll post my results.

One note of interest: Along with my rosemary, which was expected, my chives have survived the winter, so I already have a large chives plant.

 

[photonrider]

With the kitchen remodel we haven't had a chance to do anything yet. But planting time is still two weeks off. Once things get going I'll post my results.

Still a bit early as you say, but I've learned to never trust the flow of Time. Before I know it it will be the famous 'May two-four Weekend' as they call it around here - official kick-off to the planting - and the weekend that all the Nurseries are choc-a-block ( ) with seedlings of all kinds. Not sure how much I'll do with Veggies this year myself, but I intend getting some trees in, and maybe a swath of other flowering shrubs. I need to go around the next few weeks and look at all the sites that need tending; the weather was 22 C (about 72 F) today - and getting warmer by the day, so I'm trying to get the cold out of my bones.

One note of interest: Along with my rosemary, which was expected, my chives have survived the winter, so I already have a large chives plant.

Yes, as I noted in a previous post, FK, I am having annuals survive the Winters - which is kind of odd. As well, when they come back for the second time around, they flourish even better, bigger, etc. Would be interesting to see whether you can grow some giant prize-winning chive!
The Rosemary this year is going to look . . . fab.

 

[FoolKiller]

Well, yesterday I found that my chives are already trying to flower. I may have to cut them way back and then freeze the chopped up bits in ice cubes just to keep them from a very early flowering and seeding. It could also be a sign of stress from the currently unpredictable weather patterns. I may have to baby it through the next few weeks.

The rosemary is going into its third season. This time of year it always gets this dull coloration that leaves me worrying, but once it recovers it flourishes. I just have to cut back the harder hit branches.

 

[photonrider]

This happened to my Dusty Miller (a small silvery-leaved shrub that I use to line walkways) from the year before last. They usually die off every year, but last year they came back, flourished like weeds, and burst into bloom early on in the season - which took me by huge surprise, since I had never seen the blooms before - huge clusters of dandelion-yellow flowers (got pics somewhere, will post).
This year - they survived again - and I'm now all agog to see what this third year 'mutant' will bring out this year. I should take some before and after pics.

My dream about Rosemary is to grow a fairly large shrub. Still working on it
Rosemary is a must on my lamb.

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Squash, gourd, watermelon and pumpkin have engulfed my storage shed!

The watermelon plants escape from the shackles of little sunlight thanks to the gigantic gourd leaves!

Pumpkins amidst my watermelon plant. We have two kinds this year. Your garden variety Jackolantern which volunteered from our compost and a smaller heirloom variety for baking. (has a whiteness to its flesh.)

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Watermelon snapshots

Taken last weekend (8/10)

 

[photonrider]

Suspicious-looking thing. Were you the one responsible for the trouble in Edinburgh? Poor Tian Tian. Or maybe we should be celebrating.

How young is that thing? And what are you feeding it? I'm hoping to see you grow that thing into a monster. Doesn't look like it wants to get into the proper shape at this time though.

Happy to see you still at it - my veggie garden fell fallow this year - mostly chocolate mint running wild, since I really did not have time to play Cain this year and raise anything. I did well with my Rose garden, and went a bit crazy with some sunflower seeds, spreading them at various locations around the city that I had work at, but otherwise feeling very shabby in the grow-your-own department.

Of course, seeing your contributions now makes me wish I had put a little more effort into my veggie plot.

Great job! 👍

 

[diabolicwyvern]

Those are two different melons. Each vine out from the original plant produces 1 melon every ten our so feet. I have eight vines and large melons on five of them. Watermelon aren't natural climbers, but I trained a couple vines this year. So far it hasn't been a fruitful venture as they aren't flowering. Also, I have catnip right next door to ward of mosquitos and the bees are drawn to it, so they're are helping to pollinate as much.

I'm going to update tomorrow. We're harvesting beans, tomatoes, peppers and squash. Canteloupe, pumpkin and watermelon in the coming weeks.

 

[Omnis]

My friend has some ridiculous zucchini:

 

[Slash]

That's about the average size I get in my garden every year. That tomato looks really small though.

 

[Omnis]

She has zukes the size of small children.

 

[Slash]

Nevermind then hahaha. Most of ours are roughly 1 foot long to a foot and a half and maybe 4-5 inches wide.

 

[FoolKiller]

My friend has some ridiculous zucchini:

Ruined. Mostly seeds. Good for bread but not much else.

 

[photonrider]

Those are two different melons.

I meant the bottom one, but the upper looks like it doesn't want to be round, too; maybe - judging from the size of the leaves - they are both still tender.

Each vine out from the original plant produces 1 melon every ten our so feet. I have eight vines and large melons on five of them. Watermelon aren't natural climbers, but I trained a couple vines this year. So far it hasn't been a fruitful venture as they aren't flowering. Also, I have catnip right next door to ward of mosquitos and the bees are drawn to it, so they're are helping to pollinate as much.

Interesting problem - and one we gardeners face all the time, eh. Those birds and bees have a mind of their own.
Many amateur gardeners forget that male and female plants are sometimes needed together, and that without the regulatory sex that plants need to get off on, there will be less or no fruit.

My untended herb-patch which was overrun by the invasive chocolate mint became popular with some of the neighbors, and I had to make several pots of it to satisfy their greed. Amazing how a free potted plant can make people happy.

I'm going to update tomorrow. We're harvesting beans, tomatoes, peppers and squash. Canteloupe, pumpkin and watermelon in the coming weeks.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of your harvest - and seeing those melons take shape.