The Gardening Shed

[moira finnie]

Just out of curiosity, Christy, how big is your garden? Can you water at all or has that been banned to conserve water? Were you able to catch any rainwater in a barrel? Here in upstate NY we are asked not to do that at all since any standing water is attractive for mosquito larvae and for the critters who spread West Nile Virus.

We had such an inundation of rain earlier this Spring that almost everyone held off until the last 2 weeks to put in flowers and plants, though, amazingly, the farmers were able to get some rhubarb and strawberries in and there are farm stands galore. We have only just started to see any local tomatoes for sale. It just wasn't sunny enough for them until this month.

[Lzcutter]

Our veggie and herb garden is hanging in there. The sage and rosemary are doing just fine. We've got a pot of thyme and a wine barrel filled with basil.

Mr Cutter, who has the green thumb in the family when it comes to veggies, has tomatoes growing, beans and squash which he says aren't doing so well but we think it may be because of the gloomy weather and not enough heat. The hot temps usually arrive around the 4th of July so there's still hope.

He's got a window box or two filled with a couple diferent kinds of lettuce, too.

And, he called last night, to say that our female box turtle was laying eggs near the squash.

Maybe we will get lucky this year and they will hatch. Miss Pris, the lovely Z, the only baby of Miss Dale and Stumpy's that survived six years ago might enjoy some company.

We'll see.

In the meantime, we'll be enjoying fresh tomatoes and basil in our summer time caprese!

[moira finnie]

WoW, what a garden Mr. C. has created, Lynn. Is the box turtle an unexpected tenant or just a pet? Our neglected back yard has 2 ground hogs, 2 rabbits, about a dozen squirrels, at least one chipmunk, and an occasional deer wandering by--so things disappear rapidly when placed in the garden, but we enjoy it anyhow.

[Lzcutter]

Moira,

No, Miss Dale and Stumpy are pets. We had Miss Dale and her former paramour, Roy, at our house up in Valencia. Our next door neighbor bequeathed them to us when she moved. She had gotten them because she (and we) had a major snail problem and box turtles love snails.

We definitely stopped having a snail problem when Miss Dale and Roy moved in.

Shortly after we moved down to the San Fernando Valley, Roy went missing from our backyard garden. I've always suspected that the kid who lived behind us and was intrigued by Roy nabbed him but we never had any proof.

The following spring of 2005, we contacted a Turtle Rescue Foundation and they had a young ornate male. We went to the far west side of the Valley and met them and the ornate turtle. Despite being solitary animals, Miss Dale and Roy had been a couple for quite a few years and we didn't want her to be alone, so we adopted him.

We named him Stumpy and he and Miss Dale have been a couple ever since. There are days when she wants nothing to do with him and days when they do everything together.

Miss Pris, the lovely Zorro (we thought she was a male after she was born) is their only surviving offspring.

But, who knows. That could all change this summer.

I'll keep you posted!

[JackFavell]

We named him Stumpy and he and Miss Dale have been a couple ever since. There are days when she wants nothing to do with him and days when they do everything together.

And this is unusual?

Congratulations! I didn't hear about MissPris!

[MissGoddess]

Though it was via an unrelated blog, I came across this video that seemed to tie in with the lively discussion of food, especially fresh vegetables---in the "Advice Thread".

I may be losing my marbles, but I found I couldn't take my eyes off this little mini-documentary about a family who demonstrate how to grow a vegetable garden on their terrace...in India! It confirms my impression that Indian women always look so impossibly serene and elegant no matter what mundane task they may be doing...the lady in this particular video looks like a queen in her garden (whereas I would be in messy pigtails, potting soil all over me more than in the ground where it belongs, and clumsy looking gloves on my hands while I over-water some poor soaked seedling!)

Anyway, you gardening fans might enjoy it as well, it's rather charming and when I viewed it there were English subtitles which helps...unless you understand Hindustani or whichever dialect is being spoken:

[youtube][/youtube]

This led me next to a home gardening video a little closer to "home" if you live Stateside (although somehow, this one is not quite as charming as the Indian family's garden, which is also so practical for any income):

[youtube][/youtube]

[rohanaka]

Wow.. so much good gardening advice in this thread.. way cool.

April.. I just wanted to comment that I think those videos are fascinating. That last one.. with the whole "urban homestead".. wow. And ps.. even if one were not to decide to go all out.. but just do a little.. I think patio gardens are a great idea for those who don't have the space or place to plant larger more "traditional" gardens.. I am sure "flower pot" veggies are just as delish as any others and a very nice alternative to the high grocery store prices.. not to mention better quality too.

But who am I to point fingers at the grocery store.. ha. I am likely their best customer. ha. As much as I DO like a good home grown veggie plate.. alas.. I am the poorest excuse for a gardener you will ever find. We have the space to do a pretty nice "back yard" garden and even tried our hand at it once.. but just did not have the time or will power to keep up with it. Alas. So we tend to just stick with the tried and true and traditional.. four tomato plants and an occassional pepper plant. That is about all we can keep up with. And we DO enjoy our tomatoes. Every year we get the same variety.. one "Early Girl" and usually a cherry (though this year we did not get one) and then a Big Boy and a Beef Steak too.

This year it has been so MISERABLE hot though, and they just have not done as well. Though I am happy to report that we got our first three tomatoes (finally) off of the "Early Girl" just this week.. they are sitting in the kitchen window sill finishing up a bit.. and (woo hoo) I hope to slice into those lovely red beauties this weekend, in fact. ha. The other three plants have tomatoes on them.. but not to many are even close to being ready. Still even the "Early Girl" is late this year.. with all the heat, I guess it has slowed her down.. ha)

[movieman1957]

There you are. We've missed you on this side of the room.

[rohanaka]

Thanks Mr. Movieman.. It has been a while. I don't get to post as often as I used to.. but I do check in now and then.. you know me... I do like to blab.. and I am the original "bad penny" ha.. sooner or later I'm bound to turn up.

[moira finnie]

It's good to see you around again, Rohanaka!

Those videos of the Indian and California farmers make me feel so lax as a gardener, though it is inspiring seeing them. The "locavore" movement appears to be catching on everywhere, especially as people realize how much better the food from nearby farmers can be, and how much it impacts local economies.

I have not been able to garden as much this year due to surgery recovery (again), but have some herbs and flowers in containers that are doing alright despite the heat and dry spells we are having this year. My modus operandi this Summer has been to drop by the garden nursery and look for sales, neglected plants at a discount that might not make it without a bit of TLC, and pick up smaller, hardier plants like hens and chickens succulents, and be satisfied with them. Thanks to plantings in years past, there are some luxurious hostas in the back yard and the front has a lush hydranga with delicate flowers that look like lace. I also have other hydrangas in pink and blue.

Other than herbs, I haven't accomplished much as a vegetable gardener, but we are surrounded with farms where berries, summer vegies and root vegetables are readily available from May to October. We have just begun to get corn locally and tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. Due to Spring weirdness (warmth followed by frost, followed by rain and now temps in the 90s on a daily basis with a deficit of rain) there will be no stone fruits available locally such as peaches. I'm crossing my fingers that the apple crop is okay.

[Lzcutter]

Wanted to give everyone a turtle update.

Five of the eggs from last summer hatched. Two last September and the other three in October. Raylen, Ringo, Liberty, Mose and Bart. Though Mose may be a girl along with Raylen.

They are growing up much faster than Z did when she was their age. Maybe all those turtle vitamins paid off!

Anyways, we were surprised when we discovered that Miss Dale (their mother) laid another clutch of eggs. MrCutter has them incubating and he suspects she may have laid another clutch. He's going to see if there are eggs there tomorrow. With the loss of Dale's partner, Stumpy, last Labor Day, we weren't really expecting her to be dropping eggs this summer.

Have no idea what we will do if they all hatch besides be awash in baby turtles (and one teenaged turtle).

Keep you posted.

[knitwit45]

um, I certainly don't know turtle biology, but if Stumpy went to turtle paradise last fall, and Miss Dale laid eggs this summer....would the eggs already be fertilized? inquiring (read: bewildered) minds want to know....

[moira finnie]

Good question about the immaculate conception, knitster. Maybe turtles have a long gestation period, like elephants?

The forecast for my area today:

95 degrees + humidity=108 degrees heat index.



I have an area of my garden near a chain link fence where hardly anything grows except weeds. I would like to reclaim this area, but wonder if it is a waste of time since there are so many gnats and bugs who hang out there due to a high water table in that area (normally). Any suggestions of what to plant or add to the soil to prevent the critters from thriving? I have been wondering if mint and chives would be good to put there since they seem to thrive (and sometimes take over) no matter what the conditions of the soil. Would marigolds or another insect-repelling flower do okay since this area only has sun part of the day (about 6 hours)?

[MissGoddess]

I have an area of my garden near a chain link fence where hardly anything grows except weeds. I would like to reclaim this area, but wonder if it is a waste of time since there are so many gnats and bugs who hang out there due to a high water table in that area (normally). Any suggestions of what to plant or add to the soil to prevent the critters from thriving?

Maybe we should ask Deborah Kerr and Hayley Mills about that? They know all about growing a garden in difficult soil.

[moira finnie]

Ha! I think their problem had something to do with "chalkiness" in the soil, Miss Greenfingers er, I mean Goddess.