Gardeners/ food planters/harvesters

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Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

Thanks Derek. I've had similar "problems". We had a pumpkin plant last year that trailed 30 feet across the back yard. I've got an artichoke plant that is threatening to take over half of my raised bed. crazy!

derekf
Posts: 937
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 am

Post by derekf »

Left a Slide, those are very nice, I especially like the juniper tree.

Something I've just recently realized that should have been common sense. When you plant in raised beds filled with a soil mixture I came up with using various recipes (peat moss, compost, vermiculite, good gardening soil, etc.) things tend to do very well and the result has been the overcrowding of nearly everything. I had to remove two tomato plants because they grew too large and were competing with others and nothing was doing what I wanted. I also removed 6 corn plants, all of the red romaine lettuce and about half of the carrots. The cucumbers outgrew the box and have spread across an area three times the size they were planted in. I've made more tzatziki than any one man should ever have to eat. Even my neighbors are sick of it.

I suppose these are good problems to have for future reference but for this year's growing season, much time and vegetables have been lost.

Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

Here you go:

Raised bed

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6 year old Juniper

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14 year old Coast Live Oak

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Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

Will do, but I am heading out of town for the weekend. The bonsai thing is pretty fun, but you have to be patient!

derekf
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Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 am

Post by derekf »

Left A Slide wrote:Wow! that is just awesome! Nice work
Thank you. Now how about some pictures of those bonzai trees? I've always wanted to do one of those but it seems like something you need fine motor skills for. I'm more of a sledge hammer than a scalpel.

Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

Wow! that is just awesome! Nice work

derekf
Posts: 937
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 am

Post by derekf »

As I said last year, taking Left A Slide's cue, I built two 4' x 8' raised beds, then quickly added a third and later, two more. I also built two trellises (trelli?), one for sugar snaps and one for french green beans. Only three of the beds are in use this year because I built the last two late and couldn't get anything into them in time. It gets hot down here quick and the plants would have just suffered.

The three that were planted have all heirloom vegetables grown from seed purchased at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. (rareseeds.com). There are 2 different types of corn, red romaine, short french carrots, cucumbers and 6 different types of tomatoes. One bed has about 60 heads of garlic planted last October that should be ready in mid to late May. I will be giving a lot of that away so if anyone wants some, PM me an address and I'll get it to you. This is not shitty store-bought garlic.

The two hanging baskets have alpine strawberries planted in them, they won't produce this year but should next. If you notice in the pictures, there are a bunch of really large pots set around the boxes that are filled with different types of flowers, all of which should attract bees and butterflies; Calendula, Court Jester Marigold, Sweet William Catchfly, Dwarf Red Coreopsis, Nasturtium, Gailardia and Rudbeckia.

Left A Slide, it's your turn.



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Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

Got the plants going in, built a new raised bed after the other one worked out so well. Made two bonsai's with my son too! Will post pictures one of these days. Life is good.
Lefty

half-n-half
Posts: 2567
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:31 am

Post by half-n-half »

Careless petal toss.
my rose bush has exploded. so many blooms that one can grab the petals off of many flowers, jump up and throw them in the air, if that's yer thing, and still have a bunch of flowers left over. Glorious really.

half-n-half
Posts: 2567
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:31 am

Post by half-n-half »

Left A Slide wrote:"You're a good neighbor. Can we see your compost bin?"


I'll show you mine if you show me yours.
Fair enough :wink:

Left A Slide
Posts: 824
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:43 am

Post by Left A Slide »

"You're a good neighbor. Can we see your compost bin?"


I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

half-n-half
Posts: 2567
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:31 am

Post by half-n-half »

derekf wrote:
half-n-half wrote:Reporting a fox in our suburban neighborhood. long, lean, low to the ground, pointy ears, bushy tail. We got this laissez faire thing going. I throw out over ripe goods or moldy fridge stuff and maybe the fox'll eat it. maybe fox'll stop sometime and talk. i could use the company.
You should get out and mingle with some folks. Maybe invite a neighbor or two over for a Texas game. Cook something for them, it builds goodwill and is good for your standing in the neighborhood. I smoked 5 whole chickens for the Alabama – Florida game. I kept two and gave the other three to my neighbors across the street and directly beside me. One turned around and gave me a bottle of red wine and another offered me a pipe full of weed, which I declined at the time.

As for gardening, I tore down the picket fence I built because it was ugly, and taking Left A Slide’s cue, built two raised beds. I also used the old pickets to build a compost bin. I need to find about a yard and a half of good soil that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg but I’ve got time before next spring.
You're a good neighbor. Can we see your compost bin?

derekf
Posts: 937
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 am

Post by derekf »

half-n-half wrote:Reporting a fox in our suburban neighborhood. long, lean, low to the ground, pointy ears, bushy tail. We got this laissez faire thing going. I throw out over ripe goods or moldy fridge stuff and maybe the fox'll eat it. maybe fox'll stop sometime and talk. i could use the company.
You should get out and mingle with some folks. Maybe invite a neighbor or two over for a Texas game. Cook something for them, it builds goodwill and is good for your standing in the neighborhood. I smoked 5 whole chickens for the Alabama – Florida game. I kept two and gave the other three to my neighbors across the street and directly beside me. One turned around and gave me a bottle of red wine and another offered me a pipe full of weed, which I declined at the time.

As for gardening, I tore down the picket fence I built because it was ugly, and taking Left A Slide’s cue, built two raised beds. I also used the old pickets to build a compost bin. I need to find about a yard and a half of good soil that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg but I’ve got time before next spring.

half-n-half
Posts: 2567
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2003 2:31 am

Post by half-n-half »

Reporting a fox in our suburban neighborhood. long, lean, low to the ground, pointy ears, bushy tail. We got this laissez faire thing going. I throw out over ripe goods or moldy fridge stuff and maybe the fox'll eat it. maybe fox'll stop sometime and talk. i could use the company.

derekf
Posts: 937
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:00 am

Post by derekf »

half-n-half wrote:Derek* did your elderly woman behind the counter and across the fence give you any lip regarding boundaries? Nice fence job. Can we get any closer shots showing specific wood privacy fence construction or detailing? And are there any shots of shirtless fence builders?

Discuss.


*I like to say Derek

You're speaking of Olean, I take it. I stopped talking to her a few years ago when I realized she was the way she is. If she had offered an opinion on the fence or its placement, I would not have listened. And it's just a 6 ft. privacy fence so I don't think there's really that much to its construction. 4x4 posts held together with 2x4 stringers and half inch x 6 ft. pickets. I'm sorry but there are no pictures of shirtless fence builders.


Who doesn't?

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