THE RELUCTANT GOURMET COOKING COMMUNITY

[ninjabut]

Well, here's the new thread as requested. Only problem is, I'm in between seasons and our spring was so late that everything is running a month late!
The asparagus was disappointing. Only a few spears. I'll have to plant more!
Right now all I have is lettuce, a few radishes, a few carrots, 2 artichokes, onions, garlic and plenty of herbs.
The tomatoes are finally getting flowers as are the peppers, eggplant and tomatillos. The basil is coming along. I've got so much planted I MIGHT be in trouble in a couple of months! Green beans are SLOW! I've re-planted 3x already! Squash and cukes are coming along.
It's finally warming up into the 80s, so things should start taking off in the next couple of weeks. I'll probably get everything at once instead of spread out over several weeks time! With my luck, that will probably happen during a heat wave, when relatives are visiting, during my first week back at work! LOL
Gophers invaded my big garden bed, so instead of digging everything out, I'm making a new herb garden totally in pots! I've collected all shapes and sizes and will plant a ground cover to grow in and around the pots along with some stepping stones to get to the herbs. Oh and lots of flowers in there also! Should be pretty!
If I ever figure out how to post a link to pictures, I'll do that.....some day =) Nancy

[tullius]

Aah...Thanx, I can smell the basil & the weird stink of tomatoes. I don't like radishes much, but DH does. They are pretty little things tho & the first to harvest, so I always enjoyed growing them.

Too bad about the asparagus. I've never grown them. In Iowa I had places along the tracks where I picked them wild. I've found spots here too but last I checked they weren't up yet. Maybe too late now.

I love growing herbs. I have a few spots where I could grow a few or do in pots. It feels so late to start but June 15th is the last hard frost date for my area! A friend who has gardened here for years tells me its never really safe though.

There are kinds of thyme that work as ground covers. Smells good when you walk on them. In my experience they are pretty slow growers tho.

I always liked growing peas. I'd get the edible pod kind, but some usually got too big so I would shell them. You know I've long suspected peas were grown so there would be a chore that could be done sitting, cause they just don't seem worth the labor. There is something about sitting on the porch shelling peas tho, it makes me feel connected to generations of women before me.

[Dilbert]

asparagus is a perennial - it usually takes 3-5 years to get a patch into production. the first spears should be allowed to grow into the fern like stalks - they start building up the root system. if you started with 2 yr old crowns, you can start a light harvest the second year.

the good news is, a well prepared patch will produce for 10 years or more.

[ninjabut]

The problem with the asparagus is that I probably planted 20-25 2 years ago and only had 5 or 6 come back this year!
I let them grow into tall ferny-like things and will cut them in the fall.
Planted my new herb garden in pots today. It looks pretty cool. NT

[Dilbert]

>2 yrs ago

oh dear - not good . . . it can be a little fussy about its setting - too wet is often the problem for east coasters (roots rot)

btw, I tripped over this the other day - didn't see a huge amount of immediately useful info, but . . .

http://kitchengardeners.org/groups/school-gardens