Happy Spring, Fellow Gardeners!

[GottaSki]

My husband built me fantastic raised beds five years ago. There is seating all the way around so I do not have to bend. I grow intensively. It is unreal how much we harvest!

 

can't wait....going to build raised beds from block -- then add the weathered brick on top in time -- rest of my yard has the brick border and will be beautiful eventually...for now....i just want to get growing...will make it pretty later

[dilettantesteph]

We've been getting a ton of rain too.  Thank goodness for the raised beds.  They were like islands in the sea of water puddles.  We're eating well with strawberries, kohlrabi, broccoli, snap peas, beets, even a few tomatoes which started indoors before I transplanted them.  New tomatoes won't be along for a while.  We had some cold spells which did in most of the green bits, but they grew back and I'm getting flowers again.  So far this year the chipmunks haven't been doing too much damage.  I think some foxes may have been by to take care of them.  I saw some presents they left behind for me to clean up.  I need to get going on starting my beans and corn.  We're looking at some good weather coming up so I should be able to get busy.  Happy gardening everyone.

[w8in4dave]

I just cannot w8 To start canning!! Pickling and dehydrating!! All the good stuff!! So I can eat it all winter!!  

[nvsmom]

It won't stop raining here either! My plants won't grow because they're so soggy. It rarely hits 70F and it's so overcast we have to turn on lights to read. Blech.  The surounding towns are all flooding and even Banff is having mudslides. Mudslides! We're supposed to be semi-arid here.  LOL

 

If we go outside, it's either raining or we attacked by swarms of mosquitoes. It's funny watching the kids playing soccer - they're running around waving their arms while they play, and our goalo

 

On the bright side, we are usually brown and dried out by mid July... don't think that will happen this year.  LOL

[Adalaide]

I used to love those days back in PA. So dim that you could barely read a book without a light, rain on the tin roof if I went to my Grammy's house. Those were the best!

 

I already can't remember the last time it rained here. I have to water the garden every day. Potted plants don't need it so much, except the mint which seems to suck up as much water as I'll give it. I can't believe the size of those first two I brought home. Their monsters! But the corn needs watering every day because its in the ground and even though it is mulched it is tall enough now that it wants water every day. At least it doesn't need so much water with the mulch on it and it won't die if I forget a day.

[notme]

MINT NEED ALL WATER NOW!  MINT LIKE ALL GARDEN!  MINT TAKE OVER NOW!  lolz 

Potted plants don't need it so much, except the mint which seems to suck up as much water as I'll give it. I can't believe the size of those first two I brought home. They're monsters! 

mine is still behaving, looking all quiet and unassuming in it's separate pot, away from all other innocent plants.  husband went out and hacked off a yellow squash the size of a nerf football and he says i got zucchini on deck.  note to self:  need a good gluten-free zucchini bread recipe.  i made zuke fritters last year and they were yummz.  the yellow he brought in tonite i am going to make squash ribbons. always wanted to try to stuff squash blossoms - anybody ever try that?  stuff it with ???  

 

and i got green beans - many, many green beans - it's been raining 'just enough' to keep everything watered.  i hate using the city water to water the garden - too much chlorine or whatnot.  good thing i only drink it.  (what?)        

[Adalaide]

MINT NEED ALL WATER NOW!  MINT LIKE ALL GARDEN!  MINT TAKE OVER NOW!  lolz 

mine is still behaving, looking all quiet and unassuming in it's separate pot, away from all other innocent plants.  husband went out and hacked off a yellow squash the size of a nerf football and he says i got zucchini on deck.  note to self:  need a good gluten-free zucchini bread recipe.  i made zuke fritters last year and they were yummz.  the yellow he brought in tonite i am going to make squash ribbons. always wanted to try to stuff squash blossoms - anybody ever try that?  stuff it with ???  

 

and i got green beans - many, many green beans - it's been raining 'just enough' to keep everything watered.  i hate using the city water to water the garden - too much chlorine or whatnot.  good thing i only drink it.  (what?)        

 

I had the sense to keep my mint potted. Not for me, but because this is my MILs house. She would have a cow if I put mint in the ground!

 

And we're just the opposite. I don't care who does what with city water... as long as no one makes me drink it. I water my plants with it every day, and really what choice would I have? My husband says it tastes fine, I say it tastes like a swimming pool. Blech! I buy filtered or spring water thanks. I cook with it, because I can't taste it, but even that bothers me cause ewwww.

 

I wish I had a good zucchini bread recipe for you. I'm afraid mine never survive past zucchini cakes, like the fried in a pan things. YUM!

[IrishHeart]

zucchini bread

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

 

 

choc zucchini cake

 

Open Original Shared Link

[w8in4dave]

My Daughter came down From Grand Rapids Mi. She brought me some Chocolate 100"s Tomato plants!! I did not winter sow any Tomato plants this year so I don't have any chocolate's or purple Tomatoes. Lazy me!! I knew I wanted them!! I was depending on a buddy to get me some and they didn't come thru! Last time that happens!! 

[notme]

thanx, irish, both of those use coconut milk, which i loooove (also warrants opening the whole can without wasting the leftovers) and i was also looking at the one here

 

 https://www.celiac.com/articles/812/1/Zucchini-Bread-Gluten-Free/Page1.html

 

anybody try this one?  although i am not a huge walnut fan (and if i leave them out that is 1 whole cup)  maybe pecans....

[GottaSki]

thanx, irish, both of those use coconut milk, which i loooove (also warrants opening the whole can without wasting the leftovers) and i was also looking at the one here

 

 https://www.celiac.com/articles/812/1/Zucchini-Bread-Gluten-Free/Page1.html

 

anybody try this one?  although i am not a huge walnut fan (and if i leave them out that is 1 whole cup)  maybe pecans....

 

I make one almost like that with ground almonds instead of walnuts...yum.

[w8in4dave]

I am going to be gone for a couple of weeks, I think I will make hubbs frozen dinners before I leave!! I am not sure yet how or what! (I have time) But It just came to me!! He is such a hard working man, and I go on Vaca for 2 weeks , the least I can do! He works 10 hr days, drives an hr. there and back, then also works on the weekends most of the time! SO i just came up with this idea!! I can make him at least 10 meals freeze them and he can heat them up for supper!! What do you think? Any ideas?

[GottaSki]

I am going to be gone for a couple of weeks, I think I will make hubbs frozen dinners before I leave!! I am not sure yet how or what! (I have time) But It just came to me!! He is such a hard working man, and I go on Vaca for 2 weeks , the least I can do! He works 10 hr days, drives an hr. there and back, then also works on the weekends most of the time! SO i just came up with this idea!! I can make him at least 10 meals freeze them and he can heat them up for supper!! What do you think? Any ideas?

 

You are a dear.....

 

I suggest....make three cassaroles....then chop them into very large portions and freeze -- label with dates to pull out of the freeze -- then skip away -- or add the schedule to your google calender and remind him....and then skip away and have fun.

 

Oh...and leave a huge ziplock with salad -- let him know where it and a bottle of his favorite dressing is - DONE.

 

Edited to add...you got me...perhaps we should be chatting about this in the dinner thread????

[w8in4dave]

You are a dear.....

 

I suggest....make three cassaroles....then chop them into very large portions and freeze -- label with dates to pull out of the freeze -- then skip away -- or add the schedule to your google calender and remind him....and then skip away and have fun.

 

Oh...and leave a huge ziplock with salad -- let him know where it and a bottle of his favorite dressing is - DONE.

 

Edited to add...you got me...perhaps we should be chatting about this in the dinner thread????

Uhhh humm yea my fault!! I thought I put this in dinner thread!! Lol Thank you!! I was looking for it over there!! Hahaha is that brain fog again! It wants to hang around!! 

[IrishHeart]

Uhhh humm yea my fault!! I thought I put this in dinner thread!! Lol Thank you!! I was looking for it over there!! Hahaha is that brain fog again! It wants to hang around!! 

 

 

oh, we've all done that at least once!!post dinner here instead of there.....it's because we seem to be the same crowd on both threads 

 

Lisa beat me to it. I was going to say chili or casseroles. Makes enough for a few meals.

[dilettantesteph]

First all that rain and now it's hot and muggy with thunderstorms.  Plus, we've got mosquitoes now too.  We didn't get them till pretty late.  I still haven't seen a Japanese beetle yet but I'm sure I will soon.  I haven't even started my beans yet.  I need to get busy.

[GottaSki]

Oh yay...triple digit temps in June -- sorry -- I melt.

 

Done b%$@#ing...here is the question bouncing around my head this morning -- I will ask google...but wonder if any of you have experience....is there any gray water that can be used for gardens?  Seems like laundry and dish soap would not be a good thing to add to my vegies...but hell just my patio herb garden has increase our water bill!  sure wish they'd figure out that whole desalination deal -- well they know how...now to make it affordable  

[GottaSki]

it seems I could use our washing machine grey water....but not our bathroom tub as I use loads of epsom salt which would kill more poor little veggie plants....

 

going to talk to the hubs about hooking our washer up to my lawn (soon to be veggie garden).

 

....... for those of you that live elsewhere -- Southern California is a desert -- most of our water gets transported from elsewhere and those sources are beyond stretched -- thus our water cost has increased exponentially over the past twenty years.

[IrishHeart]

First all that rain and now it's hot and muggy with thunderstorms.  Plus, we've got mosquitoes now too.  We didn't get them till pretty late.  I still haven't seen a Japanese beetle yet but I'm sure I will soon.  I haven't even started my beans yet.  I need to get busy.

oh yes, it's Japanese beetle time again !  UGH!

 

Time to get the traps out. My dad used to hand pick those things off his flowers and tomatoes....and drop them in a small jar of gasoline.

He'd have been thrilled to see the traps they make now. Pretty effective, but not foolproof. Better than losing everything to those chewers!!

 

Our tomato plants and herbs are flourishing now that the rain has stopped and the sun has come out.

 

Wish we could ship some of this rain and excess water to places that need it

Ski, I hate to tell you what reclaimed water they use for gardens in Florida, but I will tell you this....it smells "lovely"..... blech.

[GottaSki]

oh yes, it's Japanese beetle time again !  UGH!

 

Time to get the traps out. My dad used to hand pick those things off his flowers and tomatoes....and drop them in a small jar of gasoline.

He'd have been thrilled to see the traps they make now. Pretty effective, but not foolproof. Better than losing everything to those chewers!!

 

Our tomato plants and herbs are flourishing now that the rain has stopped and the sun has come out.

 

Wish we could ship some of this rain and excess water to places that need it

Ski, I hate to tell you what reclaimed water they use for gardens in Florida, but I will tell you this....it smells "lovely"..... blech.

 

well aware of what reclaimed water they are (you will be) using....California - well the entire southwest needs to invest in all water reclamation activities -- even the not so palatable ones -- we are flushing poop with liquid gold -- oh sorry if those reading along haven't had their 'wheaties' (haven't used that phrase in a long time -- lol)

[IrishHeart]

wheaties ha ha ...

hey? what are those?

[nvsmom]

We have a bit of a water shortage because there is too much water, the water treatment plant is having a tough time because of all the silt and mud in the river... Luckily we don'e need to water gardens.  LOL

 

I don't believe we get Japanes beetles up here. Too cold maybe?

[Adalaide]

There was talk here recently about one of the local cities looking into spending the millions it would take to set up a system for reclamation. We're in the desert here too, lawns and gardens get watered. It still boggles my mind that people waste perfectly good water on freaking GRASS when we know damn well we're going to be staring a water shortage in the face in a few months. Every year the same thing, people with sense begging morons to let their grass grow longer so it'll have deeper roots. Still, I see people with sprinklers running on cloudy days like yesterday when we get a spritz of rain over grass that is hardly 2 inches tall. I want to throttle those morons.

 

I do have to say that I talked to my husband a week or two ago. While I got sicker and sicker I told him that I would never want to own a home that had "land" around it. I wanted a condo. Now though I'm far too addicted to having my garden. Still, the lawn thing bothers me. I told him what I would do to his mother's house if it were up to me and he completely agreed. It would involved digging up every last blade of grass on the property. No point in owning a lawnmower when you can garden and have edible landscaping.

 

My tomatoes have little baby tomatoes on them, just the size of my pinkie nail. They're so cute! I need to figure out what else to do with all this mint. My husband keeps bugging the heck out of me to bake him things. As if I need more things to bake.

[notme]

oh, we've all done that at least once!!post dinner here instead of there.....it's because we seem to be the same crowd on both threads 

 

Lisa beat me to it. I was going to say chili or casseroles. Makes enough for a few meals.

when i leave mine alone, he cooks all kinds of stuff i hate to eat.  pork fat stew, gizzards with lizzards, innards with brain cheese, you know.  and he grows a beard.  and takes things apart.  one time i went up to my sister's and when i came home, the dining room ceiling was gone.......  true story......  

[notme]

My tomatoes have little baby tomatoes on them, just the size of my pinkie nail. They're so cute! I need to figure out what else to do with all this mint. My husband keeps bugging the heck out of me to bake him things. As if I need more things to bake.

awesomme!!  my 'maters' are growing, but still green - i know when they're going to turn, the day before i go away on vacation   jerks...

 

i picked green beans and i have 100,000 - actually probably 10 lbs - nice and straight and stringless - i am pickling them when he gets home.  i told him i can do it by myself now but he looked so bummed i said i would wait    he likes to do it but must keep his manly man status.   

 

hey, addy, don't you have the pineapple mint?  that would be yumz muddled into a mojito-type summer drink  or in a fruity-ish salad type thing.  or on salmon  <mmmm