The Official ConCen 2010/2011/2012 Gardening Thread

[April]

Crispy goodness...

[hilly7]

This is one of our gardens this year. Megan has helped me quite a lot with it. She has learned quite well.




In this garden we have the following:

1 row of Okra - Burgundy, Red, & Green
8 hills of Pumpkin
1 row of Vine Okra
5 or 6 hills of Pickling Cucumbers
5 hills of Straight 8 cucumbers
16 tomato plants
4 hills of Banana Melons
2 rows of Greasyback (maybe be some Stripy Greasybacks mixed in)
2 rows of 1/2 White Runners
2 rows of Turkey Crawl
2 rows of Peanut Beans
1/2 row of Tenderheart
1/2 row of a black/purple bean I got by accident last year.

[SiLVa]

It looks great hilly7. Glad to see you around. I was thinking of you the other day. Wondering if you were feeling better. Hows it going?

[April]

Great to see you hilly! and megan.... and your work there!

I don't recall ever eating a banana melon I might be interested in some of those seeds....

[hilly7]

Hey lady, I still have some banana melon seeds left, just let me and know and I'll send you some. Last year was the 1st year I had heard of them or grown them. Denise remembers her dad growing them when she was young. I also have quite a few Okra seeds, mixed between Red, Burgundy, and Green but all heirloom. The same goes for the rest of my friends here. It is important that we keep the real seeds going. I've given away a bunch of seeds and plants locally so far. Hopefully I'll have some Vine Okra after this year's season.

Hey Silva, Thanks man, I miss you all. We find out in August if it's gone completely but the tumor is gone. The "Cure" is as bad as the disease though, kind of screwed my body up. Some day I get up on top of the world and then some days I wake up and have to get the world off me, lol. A work in progress. I finally got back ahead of the Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma, working on the Squamous Cell carcinoma in the throat kind of opened the door for it up. Done that one naturally.

I hope all is well with everybody.

[April]

Just wanted to post some new pictures.....


Found this Giant Swallowtail Moth on Sunday.





Right now, there are a couple ground cherries ripe enough to eat every day... and there is fruit ALL OVER the plant... which is spanning 70 something inches. Next year, I'm going to make sure I have more of these planted, as it's becoming a favorite.





Hibiscus Flower


Purple hyacinth beans... (another gorgeous plant)






more soon.

[ToddTraf]

watch out for the ground cherry tomatillo type stuff. It will come up like weeds next year when ripe fruit begins to overwhelm you and end up in your dirt. Tomatillos and ground cherries still come up in a field I haven't planted them in in 8 years! I planted a patch at a family members just by dumping some rotted fruit on the ground. They make great green salsa BTW.

I have been actually taking pictures this year too. I haven't in a few years. They seemed redundant to prior years! My cherry, pear, and grape tomatoes are about 8ft tall right now. Last year they grew over a 7 ft fence and back to the ground on the other side.

My secret weapon this year was porcupine shit. Little bastard left a pile behind some junk in the back of one of my outbuildings. Was about 2 years composted when I found it. Seems to have worked great in my containers this year.

[Valentine]

Quote:watch out for the ground cherry tomatillo type stuff. It will come up like weeds next year when ripe fruit begins to overwhelm you and end up in your dirt. Tomatillos and ground cherries still come up in a field I haven't planted them in in 8 years! I planted a patch at a family members just by dumping some rotted fruit on the ground. They make great green salsa BTW.

That sounds like my kind of plant! I could use plants that take care of themselves, lol.

---

April, thank you for the stunning photos.

[hilly7]

April, I'm not sure impresses me the most. The beautiful subjects in your photo or the skill of which they are taken. Both are beautiful.

[April]

(07-27-2010 06:23 AM)ToddTraf Wrote:  watch out for the ground cherry tomatillo type stuff. It will come up like weeds next year when ripe fruit begins to overwhelm you and end up in your dirt. Tomatillos and ground cherries still come up in a field I haven't planted them in in 8 years! I planted a patch at a family members just by dumping some rotted fruit on the ground. They make great green salsa BTW.

Thanks for the advice ToddTraf.

We are going to be selling the house we live in within the next two-ish years..... so if ground cherries conspire to effortlessly take over my suburban backyard.... I HOPE THEY WIN.... and the buyers accept them, instead of monsanto/grocery store corporate food nonsense!
I ACTUALLY TOLD my ground cherries yesterday........ that if they want to collude to get crazy and grow all over the place next year.... that they most definitely have my permission! I hope they go forth, multiply..... and KILL the lawn actually! I will support them.

(07-27-2010 06:23 AM)ToddTraf Wrote:  I have been actually taking pictures this year too. I haven't in a few years. They seemed redundant to prior years! My cherry, pear, and grape tomatoes are about 8ft tall right now. Last year they grew over a 7 ft fence and back to the ground on the other side.

Would love to see some of the pictures you've taken! Don't be a tease!

(07-27-2010 06:23 AM)ToddTraf Wrote:  My secret weapon this year was porcupine shit. Little bastard left a pile behind some junk in the back of one of my outbuildings. Was about 2 years composted when I found it. Seems to have worked great in my containers this year.

NEAT !

We got a "Poopet" this year...
I stopped using it because the naughty dogs will hunt it out.... steal it.... and chew on it when i'm not looking. Oh well.







@ Val and Hilly....
Thank you.... flowers and a kiss even !!! Lucky me!

The photo's are nothing really.... I'm just looking at the screen and pressing the button. ( I am NO skilled photographer! )
And jeez hilly....... I'm a total amateur gardener, just having a good time compared to you!!! I have to take your reply as a massive compliment ! Thanks again...

[hilly7]

An amateur (French amateur "lover of", from Old French and ultimately from Latin amatorem nom. amator, "lover")

Yep lady, that describes you because you have done excellent work, far better that a "professional". I also fit that category for I love the garden. Too much I think, lol. It is my serenity plus when I feel bad I get to hand out something good to the neighbors. I sell the calves, sheep, and goats but the garden stuff either goes here or to whoever wants or needs it around. I'm being totally selfish because I do it because it makes me feel useful. Those pictures though... man, you could do that professionally lady. You are excellent at that too. Seriously, when Newsweek sent Ethan Hill to take pictures a couple of years ago, I believe you are better than him, and he is good.

Here is a couple of newer pics I took of ours. Don't expect much now. I'll have seeds for the standing Okra but they aren't separated, all are heirloom though. Hopefully I will also have some vine okra. Should have bean seeds and banana melon seeds too if anybody wants some just let m know.
           

[hilly7]

This is the first Banana Melon of this year. They are like a Cantaloupe only 100% better tasting. Last year I said that if I lived long enough that I would grow this old breed melon for my father-in-law, and my dad's Yellow Tomatoes he loved so much. dad passed before I could complete that but my father-in-law had this melon within about an hour after picking it.
   

[April]

lovely pictures hilly !!

I'm sold on some of those banana melon seeds still, though it's prolly a little late in the season for me to get them started.

I shall pm you my where-abouts.

Thanks for the offer... and the previous compliments.

August is a ruff gardening month. Everything's growing so quickly. The maintenance is the worst in the heat IMO. *exhausted

[solar]

Amazing pictures, everyone ...

... I'm getting hungry !

Thanks for posting these!

[hilly7]

You are welcome. It you want any of these seeds just pm me. The whole fun about a garden is sharing.