Posted on 03/16/2012 7:55:02 AM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde
Good morning FRiends and gardeners! During the rain this past week, I've had a chance to do some reading and found some articles that may be of interest to you. So this week I am sharing links, and I hope you enjoy them and find some useful information. I also hope that you'll check in and let us know how your garden/garden planning is coming along.
In Kitchen Garden Creation, you'll learn about growing culinary and visual delights in the same place.
The following links are for those interested in improving the structure of their soil. If you have rocks or clay, or otherwise good soil that has been compacted, you will find excellent information on planting cover crops and the benefits of no-till planting.
Improve Your Soil With Cover Crops
Cover crops: blanket your idle vegetable plot this winter with a soil-building cover crop
Plant Cover Crops is an entire website dedicated to improving your soil through cover cropping and drawing earthworms. Second column from the right is an extensive list of categories covered. This is a must bookmark for any gardener.
Grow Spectacular Spuds is a great guide to growing taters. Seems that lots of folks on our garden list are interested in growing potatoes.
Plant Pollination: A Bounty to Buzz About explains the art of attracting nature’s best pollinators to your garden.
And, speaking of pollinators, I found some of my girls working over the holly hedge that runs along my front sidewalk, but oddly enough they won't touch the wisteria, that is loaded with an assortment of large bees, including carpenters and bumblebees:
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
Oh my goodness, Gabz. I pray that your allergies will improve quickly and that you have a week of peace and enjoyment and good weather!
You are welcome to as many as you would like! Your plans sound gorgeous. Send me your address via FReepmail.
Your tomato collection sounds yummy! I have taken to using strawberries in our salads, as I can’t find a decent tasting tomato anywhere. Sam’s sells little Cherubs, and they are okay, but still not like homegrown. Actually, we are liking the strawberries a lot ... with some raspberry vinegarette the salad is awesome.
Let us know how your soil analysis turns out ... you chose well on the level of testing. Did you figure out how big the brick path is? I found one of those last year as I was expanding my garden. Well, it was really a ‘pad’ rather than a path, but it had been outside one of the doors to the cow barn that was there before I was born. The bricks were really large and quite nice ... I’ve got them stacked and hope to do something with them in years to come.
It turned out to be more like a pad also, 3’x 5’. It is out in the middle of the Back yard and about 15’ away from a covered patio. It could have been used for just about anything. A base for a bird bath, planter or a BBQ pit, etc.
I will be glad to pass on the info from my soil test and what the Extension Agent recommends.
Not until the snow stops...
So you are having nice weather tubebender? I’m so glad.
It’s 75f and sunny here right now. It’s usually 30-45f here at this time of year.
AFTR, I’m going to throw some lettuce seeds in a bed just for the fun of it.
I could use a few wisteria seeds. I have a corner of the property, out by the Okra patch, that would be ideal for Wisteria, and I have always loved them.
Our St Patricks day was a green day for us, Mrs. r_d planted the garden yesterday, and took tomato seedlings over to several neighbors. We still have a few openings in the garden, so tomorrow I am going down to the seed store and get some more yellow squash and a couple of eggplants.
I just finished looking up some recipes using fresh raspberries that I wanted to try, because Walmart hasn't restocked for quite a while, but also in order to control the ingredients.
I like Romaine, onion, feta cheese, onions, and a sprinkle of Parmesan plus whatever fruit and nuts we have, topped off with the dressing.
I also grow a few tomatoes indoors during the winter, but they are slow, and I won't eat that supermarket junk. Hubby is not so particular though.
Bought two 6-ft. Kieffer pears, 10 fall gold raspberries, 4 latham and 4 heritage red raspberries.
Thank goodness for the hole digger attachment on my tractor! The ground is moist and mellow from all the rain.
I will send you some.
Hmm, sounds like those drone ants a chauvenists. Step on them.
I know we have to have a bag full of indentification to prove who we are, for just about everything, now the doj doesn’t want us to prove who we are to vote.
I found some wonderful strawberries at Sams and used them in salad, yogurt smoothies w/bananas, mashed and heated for waffles...I ate 2 eggs, hubby & guest got the waffles.PFHT!
We had some beautiful weather in Central Missouri this weekend. It rained yesterday morning, then the sun came out. Was sunny this morning, partly cloudy in the afternoon, but no rain.
Got my tomato beds ready for planting today, sowed lettuce and radishes, and a row of snap peas.
The peach trees are almost done blooming. Might get lucky this time...
Now that just makes me tired to read about it. LOL. Sounds awesome.
Expecting severe thunderstorms and flash flooding in and about San Antonio. NWS warns the storms may bring damaging wind, large hail, and even spawn tornadoes. Some areas may receive 5 inches, though 2 to 2 inches is likely for most of us.
I’ve got trays of peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggplant and cucumbers waiting to be transplanted. Except for a line of peppers and tomatoes, I’ve got 8 cherry and grape tomato plants in containers too big to fit under the patio awning.
But, this being San Antonio, maybe we’ll just get the 2 to 3 inches. That would be very nice. :-)
Still harvesting onions, collards, cabbage, lettuce and snap peas. Drat. The broccoli bolted.
Thanks.
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