Garden thread
Replies
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kshama2001 wrote: »First baby iris! (Planted them for the first time last fall.)
I'm jealous. All of my garden is still under a blanket of about 5" of snow.
Mine is all covered by snow now too.0 -
Some major spring fever here!
🌷🌷🌷
I was just about to buy a few herb savers for the fridge and realized.... why don’t I just buy plants?! 🌱 Last longer and smell better and they could go outside when it’s nice out!
🌿Anyone do a herb garden? Think I may start with rosemary and thyme. They are so fragrant and lovely. We do have some rabbits in our courtyard that will probably be interested. But they are the neighborhood bunnies so ...they need good eats too. I can share.
Already have basil! Though.... it’s so cute, I always kind of feel bad picking it’s leaves. Lol
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@Safari_Gal_ - Don't feel bad about picking those leaves, but pinch them off from the top to encourage a sturdier, bushier plant. I grow a lot of basil in large pots in the summer and use it for things like pesto or caprese salad with the gorgeous local tomatoes. I also plant cilantro, dill, parsley, marjoram, and sometimes tarragon in pots.
Plants that can survive the winter go directly into my garden. (They don't seem to be bothered by our local rabbits, deer, or other critters, who greatly prefer my rose bushes and border plants.) Thyme, oregano, lavender, and sage grow quite well in my coastal NJ climate (7a) and sandy soil, but I stuggle to keep rosemary over more than one or two winters. Mint and lemon balm have their own seperate area bounded by concrete walkways because they are invasive. But all of these things also can be grown in pots.
Herb gardening really is easy and very flexible. You don't need much space and pots are just fine. Go for it! The sensory pleasures are well worth the effort!1 -
beachwalker99 wrote: »@Safari_Gal_ - Don't feel bad about picking those leaves, but pinch them off from the top to encourage a sturdier, bushier plant. I grow a lot of basil in large pots in the summer and use it for things like pesto or caprese salad with the gorgeous local tomatoes. I also plant cilantro, dill, parsley, marjoram, and sometimes tarragon in pots.
Plants that can survive the winter go directly into my garden. (They don't seem to be bothered by our local rabbits, deer, or other critters, who greatly prefer my rose bushes and border plants.) Thyme, oregano, lavender, and sage grow quite well in my coastal NJ climate (7a) and sandy soil, but I stuggle to keep rosemary over more than one or two winters. Mint and lemon balm have their own seperate area bounded by concrete walkways because they are invasive. But all of these things also can be grown in pots.
Herb gardening really is easy and very flexible. You don't need much space and pots are just fine. Go for it! The sensory pleasures are well worth the effort!
@beachwalker99 / thanks for the tip about pinching the leaves from the top! I’ve been doing th opposite to hide the bald spots hahaha lol
Sensory pleasures indeed!!! I so love the fragrance of all the herbs! I’m in zone 7b (i think) —— going to go hunt down some rosemary plants! Mint after a rain smells so nice! I’ll have to report back! 🤗
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Safari_Gal_ wrote: »beachwalker99 wrote: »@Safari_Gal_ - Don't feel bad about picking those leaves, but pinch them off from the top to encourage a sturdier, bushier plant. I grow a lot of basil in large pots in the summer and use it for things like pesto or caprese salad with the gorgeous local tomatoes. I also plant cilantro, dill, parsley, marjoram, and sometimes tarragon in pots.
Plants that can survive the winter go directly into my garden. (They don't seem to be bothered by our local rabbits, deer, or other critters, who greatly prefer my rose bushes and border plants.) Thyme, oregano, lavender, and sage grow quite well in my coastal NJ climate (7a) and sandy soil, but I stuggle to keep rosemary over more than one or two winters. Mint and lemon balm have their own seperate area bounded by concrete walkways because they are invasive. But all of these things also can be grown in pots.
Herb gardening really is easy and very flexible. You don't need much space and pots are just fine. Go for it! The sensory pleasures are well worth the effort!
@beachwalker99 / thanks for the tip about pinching the leaves from the top! I’ve been doing th opposite to hide the bald spots hahaha lol
Sensory pleasures indeed!!! I so love the fragrance of all the herbs! I’m in zone 7b (i think) —— going to go hunt down some rosemary plants! Mint after a rain smells so nice! I’ll have to report back! 🤗
IME, rosemary is a little bit prone to root rot. Using a well-draining soil in the pot, and using care in watering (regularly, not oversoaking, not super inconsistent wet/dry) are things that help. I've had better luck, personally, with upright types of rosemary, rather than the trailing ones. If indoors in Winter, they need a lot of light for best results: South, ideally, West can work.
Some other great herbs you haven't mentioned: Chives, garlic chives (<== those can spread a little thuggishly, like the mint and lemon balm!), sage. Those are perennial, and hardy.
I'm in zone 5b here. I used to have more extensive herbs at a previous home, but now have just sage, thyme, oregano, lovage in my perennial flower bed, mint outdoors in a trough (stays out all Winter), and rosemary in a pot that comes indoors in Winter. I used to grow some annual herbs in a vegetable garden here (dill, basil, cilantro, others), but I don't do a vegetable garden here anymore (sigh!). If you have a spot, grow some Nasturtiums and try them in salad (flowers and leaves): They're spicy and delicious. I do a pot of those sometimes.1 -
Safari_Gal_ wrote: »Some major spring fever here!
🌷🌷🌷
I was just about to buy a few herb savers for the fridge and realized.... why don’t I just buy plants?! 🌱 Last longer and smell better and they could go outside when it’s nice out!
🌿Anyone do a herb garden? Think I may start with rosemary and thyme. They are so fragrant and lovely. We do have some rabbits in our courtyard that will probably be interested. But they are the neighborhood bunnies so ...they need good eats too. I can share.
Already have basil! Though.... it’s so cute, I always kind of feel bad picking it’s leaves. Lol
I'm in 9B so my herbs aren't great but aren't dead right now. Once it's spring Trader Joe's has good basil plants, I usually just get one instead of basil leaves but the stems are real weak right now. I started a bunch of old seeds not expecting any to grow and have over 30 seedlings of mixed varieties of basil, loose leaf lettuce, microgreens, and 4 sage plants on a grow table. My Aerogarden had thyme and basil and both are super healthy though the 3rd spot refuses to grow anything. Outside I have oregano, mint, chocolate mint, catnip, lavender, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, tarragon, and I think my garlic chives are dead. I love going out and harvesting herbs for recipes! I have stevia seeds to start soon as well, it's easy to grow but aphids got to my last plant. Dill has been another aphid victim, it's one of my favorite herbs but I can't keep critters away.1 -
Safari_Gal_ wrote: »beachwalker99 wrote: »@Safari_Gal_ - Don't feel bad about picking those leaves, but pinch them off from the top to encourage a sturdier, bushier plant. I grow a lot of basil in large pots in the summer and use it for things like pesto or caprese salad with the gorgeous local tomatoes. I also plant cilantro, dill, parsley, marjoram, and sometimes tarragon in pots.
Plants that can survive the winter go directly into my garden. (They don't seem to be bothered by our local rabbits, deer, or other critters, who greatly prefer my rose bushes and border plants.) Thyme, oregano, lavender, and sage grow quite well in my coastal NJ climate (7a) and sandy soil, but I stuggle to keep rosemary over more than one or two winters. Mint and lemon balm have their own seperate area bounded by concrete walkways because they are invasive. But all of these things also can be grown in pots.
Herb gardening really is easy and very flexible. You don't need much space and pots are just fine. Go for it! The sensory pleasures are well worth the effort!
@beachwalker99 / thanks for the tip about pinching the leaves from the top! I’ve been doing th opposite to hide the bald spots hahaha lol
Sensory pleasures indeed!!! I so love the fragrance of all the herbs! I’m in zone 7b (i think) —— going to go hunt down some rosemary plants! Mint after a rain smells so nice! I’ll have to report back! 🤗
IME, rosemary is a little bit prone to root rot. Using a well-draining soil in the pot, and using care in watering (regularly, not oversoaking, not super inconsistent wet/dry) are things that help. I've had better luck, personally, with upright types of rosemary, rather than the trailing ones. If indoors in Winter, they need a lot of light for best results: South, ideally, West can work.
Some other great herbs you haven't mentioned: Chives, garlic chives (<== those can spread a little thuggishly, like the mint and lemon balm!), sage. Those are perennial, and hardy.
I'm in zone 5b here. I used to have more extensive herbs at a previous home, but now have just sage, thyme, oregano, lovage in my perennial flower bed, mint outdoors in a trough (stays out all Winter), and rosemary in a pot that comes indoors in Winter. I used to grow some annual herbs in a vegetable garden here (dill, basil, cilantro, others), but I don't do a vegetable garden here anymore (sigh!). If you have a spot, grow some Nasturtiums and try them in salad (flowers and leaves): They're spicy and delicious. I do a pot of those sometimes.
4b/5a here (right on the line). I have a very small garden so my perennial herbs are chives, oregano, and sage. I do basil and sometimes parsley but don't bother with any other annuals. For some reason, I have never been able to overwinter rosemary.
I love nasturtiums! I would plant them as accents in my large planters and munch on them as they bloomed.
Has anyone grown a Bat Flower plant (Tacca chantrieri)? I think it would like the shady corner of my patio but I may not be able to bring it in (toxic to cats) and was wondering about cutting the plant back and wintering it that way.
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kshama2001 wrote: »First baby iris! (Planted them for the first time last fall.)
I'm jealous. All of my garden is still under a blanket of about 5" of snow.Mine is all covered by snow now too.
On the plus side for you guys, snow is "poor man's fertilizer."
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/the-poor-mans-fertilizer-3871 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »First baby iris! (Planted them for the first time last fall.)
I'm jealous. All of my garden is still under a blanket of about 5" of snow.Mine is all covered by snow now too.
On the plus side for you guys, snow is "poor man's fertilizer."
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/the-poor-mans-fertilizer-387
I like seeing snow on the perennial garden in winter. It does a great job of insulating the roots so the plants come up healthy and happy when it gets warm out. Bitter cold without snow is a root killer.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »First baby iris! (Planted them for the first time last fall.)
Ooo, I love rock garden iris: Can't wait for mine to show up (but it's probably going to be a few weeks
).
Your sedum look like they're excited about Spring, too.
(At least I'm thinking those are one of the sedums . . . !)
Yes, Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' (Stonecrop). These were just tiny transplants from my garden last May. This is the worst soil I've ever planted in. Normally I would improve the soil, but this is my neighbor's bed. Turns out, Stonegroup, portulaca, and gazania just love this soil and are fine with not getting watered (the gazania were happier in the fall when they got more rain.)
The sedum last May (you can barely see them next to the portulaca):
And last October. This is the view from my kitchen door, so it was a win win for me to plant at my neighbor's, who had utterly neglected it until I asked if I could plant in there:
I planted the dahlias mid-May, and thought they weren't going to do anything due to the poor soil (I do amend with some compost as I plant) but they presently surprised me at the end of the summer. I got them for free at a plant swap early May.3 -
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Some other great herbs you haven't mentioned: Chives, garlic chives (<== those can spread a little thuggishly, like the mint and lemon balm!), sage. Those are perennial, and hardy.
Garlic Chives have such as great flavor, definitely a fave! I often seed summer savory, and that will reseed itself each year- another lovely garden herb.
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Anyone planting strawberries this spring? 2 years ago, I had a great harvest. Last year ...nothing. I would like to plant them again. Any recommendations on how to grow them?0
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Anyone planting strawberries this spring? 2 years ago, I had a great harvest. Last year ...nothing. I would like to plant them again. Any recommendations on how to grow them?
I won't be planting strawberries this year - I will be giving plants away. They are like weeds, lol.
Last year wasn't a great year, but I still had berries. There was a weather-related issue for which I cannot recall the details - perhaps not enough sun and warmth at critical times. My plants might also be overcrowded.
I give them away on freecycle and in a local FB gardening group.
Anyone south of Boston interested in plants, let me know! Since they weren't in a warm nursery, they could probably be transplanted around the end of this month.
https://bonnieplants.com/how-to-grow/growing-strawberries/3 -
I am hoping the strawberries I planted last year come back up and give me berries. No reason they should have died, it hasn't been a bad winter.0
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Has anyone here done swiss chard before? My seedlings are looking leggy and i am worried about them . But never did swiss chard before0
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Has anyone here done swiss chard before? My seedlings are looking leggy and i am worried about them . But never did swiss chard before
Once established, Swiss chard is pretty indestructible. Pests here in Mass. don't bother it, and it can tolerate very cold and very warm weather. (It does droop on very hot days but bounces back.)
I usually buy seedlings from the garden center so can't advise about yours, but a picture would help. Are these indoors or out? Indoors without wind or the right kind of sun can cause legginess.1 -
Anyone planting strawberries this spring? 2 years ago, I had a great harvest. Last year ...nothing. I would like to plant them again. Any recommendations on how to grow them?
My strawberries barely produced last year but my oak tree is shading them. I probably got about 15. I had them in a wooden wine barrel and discovered the wood had been invaded by termites, talk about disgusting!1 -
To those of you that grow vegetables and like cucumbers I recommend trying Armenian cucumbers, they're really good! Some Asian vegetable growers sell them at the farmer's markets but they let them grow too big and they don't have the best flavor that way. It's a cross between a muskmelon and a cucumber.3
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Mine also barely produced, but it was the first year and it was a super rainy spring so everything was way delayed.
I did swiss chard last year and it did well, but I have no actual knowledge about it.0 -
Anyone planting strawberries this spring? 2 years ago, I had a great harvest. Last year ...nothing. I would like to plant them again. Any recommendations on how to grow them?
My strawberries barely produced last year but my oak tree is shading them. I probably got about 15. I had them in a wooden wine barrel and discovered the wood had been invaded by termites, talk about disgusting!
At my last place I had a guy trim a few branches from the oak tree to give the garden more light.0 -
Everyone talking about strawberries! 🍓 I would love to plant some here! I have a little patio with a side yard - not enclosed. We do have some raccoons, opossums and rabbits... apparently they all like strawberries too. 🤷♀️ cute lil buggers when they have a snack at night ... I watch from the window. I keep the herbs we use on a table just in case....
🐾1 -
We made these pallet planters 2 years ago. They are still holding up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3eKc0eFbIA 6 -
I just bought some frames for raised beds. I want to grow watermelons and some simple veggies like lettuce. I do not have a green thumb. Tips from seasoned gardeners appreciated!
I know I can handle the lettuce but the watermelon packet makes me think the plants are fussy. They need a certain pH apparently
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Safari_Gal_ wrote: »Everyone talking about strawberries! 🍓 I would love to plant some here! I have a little patio with a side yard - not enclosed. We do have some raccoons, opossums and rabbits... apparently they all like strawberries too. 🤷♀️ cute lil buggers when they have a snack at night ... I watch from the window. I keep the herbs we use on a table just in case....
🐾
We have lots of rabbits. I do my vegetables mostly in a raised bed (and my herbs in carts on my back porch), but they didn't actually seem to bother my other plants and flowers.
I did see a squirrel getting after my eggplant, after having observed that something was.1 -
Safari_Gal_ wrote: »Everyone talking about strawberries! 🍓 I would love to plant some here! I have a little patio with a side yard - not enclosed. We do have some raccoons, opossums and rabbits... apparently they all like strawberries too. 🤷♀️ cute lil buggers when they have a snack at night ... I watch from the window. I keep the herbs we use on a table just in case....
🐾
At my last place, I had enough strawberry plants to share with the squirrels and birds, but here I do not, so I have an 18" tall modular fence that I top with bird netting once the berries start turning red. Works great!
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NB1EECB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=13 -
I just bought some frames for raised beds. I want to grow watermelons and some simple veggies like lettuce. I do not have a green thumb. Tips from seasoned gardeners appreciated!
I know I can handle the lettuce but the watermelon packet makes me think the plants are fussy. They need a certain pH apparently
Lettuce is easy and you are likely to be successful.
Watermelons the hardest bit is they take a long time. I want you to google your last frost date in spring and first frost date in fall and figure out how many days are between them. Large watermelon take a really long number of days.
If you have lots of days and lots of bery su,ny space you will be fine.3 -
First crocus! (Seems a little late...)
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Our crocus and iris are long gone, but they were ridiculously early this year (Oregon). I have tulips that are up and ready to bloom, but we're getting a nighttime cold snap, so they're probably going to stay closed for another couple of weeks. Daffodils are in full bloom, magnolias too. I was going to put my cold weather veggies in, but with temps in the 20s at night now, I'll wait.
One thing I lost all of last year was butternut squash. I had over a dozen at my community garden plot and the squirrels got them ALL. That's never happened. I always lose some produce to pests, but an entire crop, never. I'll be planting more flowers this year...5 -
@kshama2001 I am looking at doing something similar - more for the neighbor kids and dogs though! Although, the squirrels are insane in our neighborhood! We watched birds snatch the ripe strawberries last year going to try painting rocks to match the various stages of ripeness to see if that desensitizes them...
Our progress for today! My 7 year old future farmer was a trooper! We have limited sun, and the few spots get heavy kid traffic (my 4 plus the neighborhood kids) and all that comes with them - baseballs, kickballs, basketballs, frisbees, etc. my husband suggested the gravel space since it is currently wasted space and fairly protected so I was prepping it for raised beds today... cleared space is around 4’x25’ with plans for a cattle panel trellis and growing sunflowers on the back edge of the bed against the fence... last year I raked back the gravel and planted them directly in the ground, but some washed under the fence into the neighbors yard - whoops!
My son likes to grow pumpkins, his bed is under the greenhouse cover mainly to keep kids and critters out so the vines don’t get damaged when they are young (nothing planted yet, but if the warm weather holds out we might put a few early seeds in for the heck of it).
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Had a visitor to our crocuses a few days ago - first one of the season! My daughter is getting a beehive this year so we will be seeing plenty of them here in a couple months!
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