Posted on 02/10/2017 2:10:25 PM PST by greeneyes
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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - there is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.
Got mine at Ace (Lowe’s) hardware... google them to see the color changes from dawn to dusk.
I believe you may be right bout it being too hot in Texas since they are a Fall crop.
In moderate New York, they are somewhat difficult to grow since it is in the Fall that the roots grow larger in cooler conditions, and absorb some of the nutrients from their green tops.
Also, when exposed to freezing temperatures , the roots 'sweeten up' and it changes both the texture and the flavor.
Found while internet snooping (may require "raised beds") :
www.experientialgardener.com/2013/12/growing-parsnips-in-texas.html
Nice picture. Thanks for sharing. Glad you got a break from the rain.
“I consider the idea of guerilla gardening an extension of urban gardening or prepping for difficult times
using natural plant camouflage where the uninformed see the plants in plain sight without realizing it to be a food source.”
TIK: In my playbook that is the precise reason to practice guerilla gardening now. Most folks don’t recognize a lot of common food plants.
My experiment with the root crops I mentioned was 2-fold. First was to see if the crops would grow well in the location in the event I needed extra space. I lived in the country about a mile from the location. I was concerned that in the event of crisis water for my 1/4 acre garden and fruit orchard would become a problem so the location by near the creek gave me another water option. No, it wasn’t *urban* but the experiment applied to urban because my parents were in a city beside a creek. Their city lot with water never had sun for a garden as it’s in a pecan orchard. One block from their house the creek runs thru an undeveloped area of about 20 acres. My dad and I had thought that might be a sight for their urban garden if TSHTF. This was in the mid-80’s before so many folks considered what we now call prepping.
Second reason I tried it was just to see if any of the country folks around me would notice. The swimming hole was popular and many of us who used it did garden. I wanted to see if it went unnoticed. As far as I could tell the only thing bothered was lettuce-type things and cabbage and that was varmints. I got more turnip greens and turnips than I did from my garden. The potatoes and carrots did well too. I think having them randomly placed as opposed to rows or beds provided all the camouflage.
I also find that people don’t tend to notice squash or different types of bush beans in a flower bed. In a SHTF event those kinds of crops hiding in plain sight are good as gold.
Haven’t figured out how to hide my fruit trees, tomatoes and peppers yet. What are your thoughts on those?
“like to do it in the winter when I need the heat. Then in the summer, I don’t have to heat up the house-just open the jar and eat it or slightly heat it.”
Me too!
For years my old farmhouse was only heated by propane space heaters and I didnt have a/c at all. Baking and canning provided much needed winter heat and it was a great blessing in summer not to add more heat. I now have nice central heat and air but those old habits remain. I see no reason to waste utility $$$ by not being sensible. Added bonus is my hubby had never been fed with home baked bread much. In cold weather I can’t hardy bring myself to purchase bread when baking bread is such a good way to warm the house. He now blames me and mainly the bread for a 30# weight gain. I keep telling him it’s not a problem, he was too skinny to start with ;)
I have to watch my carbs so I don’t do the bread anymore, but I used to bake bread every week and that was enough for the rest of the week.
Once it cooled, wrapped in T towel and placed in blue granite canner. Then slice it as needed. That’s the way my Granny did it.
“Love the knockouts, but really want a climber or two.”
Gotcha! I love climbing roses. I would be more agreeable to hubby wanting roses if we put some climbers along the fences. The two of us have occasional issues because he would really love a more formal landscape than I. I enjoy attempting to create a more “wild space” appearance in the plantings. It’s funny because my husband and I have both had long careers in industrial drafting. His primary employment has been in manufacturing where things needed to be as orderly and organized as possible. He’d like that carried over in our lawn and home. In my career I excelled in a field where I needed to fit components in the smallest possible space and then make it a little smaller. I like doing the same thing with my gardens. Order doesn’t matter so much, I want many things randomly crammed in small spaces. Since I’m the one with the love of gardening (he’d prefer to hire a landscaper) most of the outside space is arranged by me. But, since he wants a couple of rose bushes beside our garage, I will get them there. Two of them. Evenly spaced in the area in front of our front porch where he likes to sit and have coffee.
Apparantly I may get a couple of raised beds built as a birthday gift. I will have to try the parsnips again in there. They will be built on the north side of the property. That side of our land overlooks some Corp of Engineer property adjacent to a lake. Two or three times/year we get a light frost over there when the rest of the land is sheltered. Maybe that will be a parsnip boon.
Oh my! Mr.Bender, again I believe you have one of the more beautiful spots in the USofA
Yeah, those bread carbs are the downside of keeping it made in the cold of the year. Fortunately the Mister and I are healthy on our blood sugar levels and NOT diabetic but it’s common in both our families so we watch the diet. Everytime my mom visits she actually checks our blood sugar. Mom never in her life gained an extra 2 pounds and prides herself on still wearing the size 8 she wore in high school. I got the weight gain gene from mom’s mom and mama has worried over me being too fat since I was 8. (I wear size 14 and don’t consider myself fat but that’s beside the point) Three years ago mama was diagnosed as diabetic and now stresses that since she’s got it my brothers and I are bound to have it now too.
Fruit trees are an investment into the future; generally, it takes three years or more, before you get into any production;
and even then, it's "you vs. the critters".
The only way to camouflage fruit trees is either grape vines, poison ivy, or kudzu; all of these will reduce production or lead to killing the tree.
That is Not at all practical.
We associate vegetables with color that we are used to..
Change the color, and people become oblivious. Also, certain colors are higher in anti-oxidents and beta carotenes: such as purple, black, gold, bright yellow
That is why I would suggest black, or deep purple colored fruit/vegetables : black Krim tomatoes, Cherokee Black
--------------------------------
Well , you asked or it - here are some sources and photos of what might be in a "Guerilla Garden" , the last source is dated (2008)
-----------------------------
10 Strange & Unusual Fruits & Veggies (with photos)
http://www.veggiegardener.com/10-strange-unusual-fruits-veggies/
Okinawan Purple Sweet Potato (purple interior veggie)
Romanescu or Romanesco-Veronica, broccoli {cole family-Italy} (cone shaped broccoli)
Durian ( thorny husk, asian fruit)
Pitaya or Dragon Fruit {Asian}(red scales over a sweet fruit)
Salsify or Goatsbeard (root tastes like oyster-light fish flavor)
PawPaw (largest edible fruit in America- sustained lewis and Clark expedition)
-----------------------------
Grow your usual vegetables in unusual colours!
http://grow-vegetables-at-home.com/allotment-gardening/grow-your-usual-vegetables-in-unusual-colours/
Deep Purple (F1) Carrots (all purple)
Purple haze (F1) Carrots (purple exterior, organge center)
Yellowstone - pale yellow Carrots (healthy eyes,prevent macular degeneration,cancer fighter, eases astherosclerosis(hardening of the arteries)
Black Knight -carrots (reduce LDL (bad cholesterols) Red Carrots - pink interior (reduce macular degeneration,reduce heart disease, prostate cancer)
Purple Cauliflowers- Purple Graffiti (F1) flowering purple/ color may bleed
French Beans
Golden Gate - climber (heavy crop white beans, long season cropping)
Borlotto Firetongue - french dwarf, red and white pod
Valdor - dwarf(yellow pod, long cropping, virus resistance)
Beetroot
- Albina Ice (all white, no bleed)
Leaf Beet - Bright Lights - multi colored stems, leaf is savoy, lighter than chard, each color has unique flavor.
#1) Beetroot -Beetroot are known to boost the bodies immune system, and have roots rich in potassium and folate, plus vitamin C. The tops are high in beta carotene, iron and calcium.
#2)Boiling beetroot can actually increase the nutrient value whereas pickling will reduce it.
Brussel Sprouts
Falstaff (purple- longer growing season, nuttier flavor than green, greater color intesity after frost)
Tozer Selection (Crimson red in winter, nuttier flaovr after frost)
Courgettes (Zucchini)
San Pasquale (dark green with light green stripes)
Radish
Nero Tondo Black Spanish Radish (hierloom, black exterior ,white interior, globe shape 3 - 4 inches across, slight peppery taste, milder as it gets older)
Radish Daikon Mino Early Japanese White Radish or Mooli (white, crisp, mild pungency)
White Icicle AKA White Naples (heirloom, crisp, white flesh, length 6 inches in loose soft soil
------------------------------
Unusual Vegetables Varieties
http://www.gardendesk.com/unusual-vegetable-varieties/
Black tomatoes - Black Krim (with photo alongside red tomatoes -
http://www.gardendesk.com/2007/08/more-black-krims-and-more-watering.html)
White Tomesol - (available Baker Seed or Amishland HEIRLOOM Seed - all white tomato)
From the Website, Quote "ALL HEIRLOOMS"(dated 2008):
http://www.gardendesk.com/2008/02/heirloom-tomatoes-for-2008.html
So to recap, my complete 2008 Tomato Heirloom Team is:
Red:
Brandywine
Principe Borghese - best for sun-dried
Pink: Caspian Pink
Purple/Black:
Prudens Purple
Black Krim
Black Cherry
Yellow:
Dixie Golden Giant
Egg Yolk
Green:
Green Zebra
Green Moldovan
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Aunt Ruby's German Cherry
Orange:
Kellogg's Breakfast
Kentucky Beefsteak
White:
Great White
White Tomesol
Wow! That is quite a list isn't it?
A rainbow of delicious and interesting heirloom tomato excellence! "(2008)
Bkmk
TIK - if I lived near you there’s nothing I would enjoy more than cooperative work on guerilla garden. I greatly admire seeing some work that has been done in inner cities toward using vacant spaces toward food production. At risk of breaking thread politics rules I must say this. Typically the politics of the folks doing those project ticks me off. This goes a good length toward me keeping Christian thoughts about those folks but it also motivates me as a Christian. Until the social welfare system kicked in feeding the hungry was a responsibility and we as Christians have forgotten we need to do that. I am very proud of a good friend of mine in the next county who brought this up to her church elders. Their church sits on 3 acres and is now up and going as a community garden.
Knowing your new situation, with the limited garden space, I might suggest approaching a house of worship of your choice that has some soil available to use. Even though that dirt would not be as secret, there might also be good connections for forming a like-minded prepping community.
Awesome. I’ve planted 4 fruit trees and 1.5 of them have survived, so I’m taking all the information I can get. (There is Lazarus the apple tree in the front yard, but I can’t take credit for him; he was there when we bought the house.)
Well, I wish I wore clothes as small a size as you do. I need to loose weight. If I eat more than 60g of carbs, I gain weight. If I eat between 50 or 60g I stay the same. I don’t loose unless I eat less carbs than that.
If I eat more than 60g carbs, my ankles swell, even though I take HCTZ. The endocrinologist advised me to stick to the diabetic diet of 60g or less. I self diagnosed that I was developing insulin resistance, and she confirmed it.
Not enough to be prediabetic, and not diabetic, but still on the way. In addition if I eat stuff like bread, then I crave it all day long and for several days after. So I’m better off just avoiding it.
That’s another reason that I have gone to raising my own stuff and canning. So many foods these days have HFC which is just a bit worse than sugar for the insulin reaction.
Interesting list. I have planted Rosa Rugosa for Rose hips, various types of edible violas, and various herbs. We leave a lot of edible weeds in the yard like dandelions, and the medicinal too.
One of the most recent edibles is the Passion Flower - a native plant. We found one growing, took the fruits and planted them around various places. It’s growing like gang busters.
Leaves can be boiled, drained and stir fried or dried and used for tea-helps fight insomnia. Flowers are also edible, I think. The fruit is a citrus flavor - I used it and added club soda for an interesting soft drink.
I am a firm believer in community gardens providing it is "Self-Help", not public, tax payer supported "entitlements",; I don't believe in "giveme dats !"
Sometimes people need just a little encouragement to see that they they can control their own livelihood and fate, especially when it comes to gardening and good, healthy food .
I spent a decade in a Church which had its own welfare assistance which was 'work fare'; you received assistance from the Church and were paid for work effort, "no freebies !"
While employed full time as LEO,I volunteered and plowed a 4 acre field for corn, and then canned that corn in a Church cannery, and even delivered Church Welfare food
to needy families, both members and non-members who were caught between 'a rock and a hard place'.
There was only one proviso for Church Welfare : that you NOT be receiving State (tax payer) Public Assistance, and that you participate in Church "work fare".
In the cannery, I worked alongside both people who were receiving Church work fare, a President of a fortune 100 company, and you didn't know who was which,..and it didn't matter;
we were all there to help provide sustenance for those less fortunate than ourselves, and we had a job to do !
It was through this volunteer effort that I realized how dependent we all are on our food sources; all that it would take is a truckers strike, gasoline or diesel shortage,
collapsing infrastructure, falling bridges, civil upheaval, or a natural disaster (earthquake/ flooding) to interrupt our food supplies.
As a result I got into "prepping", long term food storage, gardening and food production, and the use of heritage heirloom seeds as well as the use of hybrid plants.
Don't forget that our forefathers created 'spring houses' for refrigeration, smoke houses for meat preservation, and 'root cellars' for crop longevity and personal safety.
Additionally, they salted and home canned, and pickled their foods for preservation.
See ? All our forefathers were all farmers and gardeners, and what we now, conventionally, call: "preppers" (AKA - prudent, preparing for the unknowns of the future)
T I K
(P.S.- the last entry about "unusual vegetable varieties" (dated 2008) was included in my guerilla garden as they all are listed as heirloom tomatoes (save the seeds for future crop).
My fishing buddy in New Hampshire still grows beans that his great-great-great grandfather grew.
He always retains and holds back, 1/3 of the crop for future crops; this way even in crop failure, he keeps the seed variety from generation-to-generation, etc.)
Herbals are vastly underrated , and remain largely unknown, except for those who have taken the time to study them, and their medicinal properties.
Most modern pharmacology has been initially dependent on floral properties.
I like the idea of "dual purpose" plants like 'rugosa roses' : numerous flowers, rose hips for vitamin C, but also for an impenetrable hedge when planted closely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.