Survey: What does your garden grow?

[hlao23]

Food girl (and my longing for summer)inspired me to ask these questions: What kind of veggies do you like to grow in your garden? Which ones do you use most?

[SandyM]

This is a bittersweet topic for me. I grew up on a farm, when going out into the tomato patch and pulling one, hot from the vine, and eating it like an apple, was pure heaven. My father passed on his love of gardening to me. Unfortunately, of late, my garden has succombed to deer.

Short of putting an electric fence around it, I don't know what I'm going to do. For the last 2 years I haven't reaped anything from my garden. They eat the tomatoes hard and green, demolished my cucumbers; one even tasted a jalapeno pepper. Go figure.

Anyway, typically I grow a salsa garden: 4-5 different types of tomatoes, green onions, purple onions, white onions, 4-5 different types of peppers, cucumbers, zucchini. Every now and then I'll throw in beans or peas. This year I'm going to try swiss chard (if I can find a 6' high fence that is!!!)

[MrsReber]

We normally grow alot of tomatoes. I grow plum tomatoes so I can make sundried tomatoes. They are so sweet when you make them yourself! Then we can some tomatoes with basil mixed in (we grow the basil, too!). I have grown peppers because I can grow all different colors and I like to use them when I make pickles. Last year I also grew lettuce and broccoli, which a huge groundhog ate. My husband eliminated the groundhog, but we won't get into that. I was surprised at how easily the broccoli grew, but you have to start early. Carrots are very easy to grow, too, and my husband's nephew loved to pick them for us! He kept looking for more all winter!

We tried cucumbers, but they didn't taste very good. I'd love to grow squash, but my husband won't eat it. I think I may grow it this year anyway. The other half of our garden in herbs- rosemary, sage, thyme, lavendar, basil, patchouli, and parsley. We had to relocate the mint. It was taking over.

Each year, we somehow end up with a pumpkins growing, even though I don't plant them. Odd.

We used to have strawberries. The people who lived in our house before us planted a ton of them. We picked strawberries forever! I made a ton of jelly with them, too, but we gave up on them after the third year. Way too much work. They were driving us crazy and we had bags and bags in the freezer.

[SandyM]

Mrs. Reber - may sound like a stupid question, but I'd love to know how to "make" sundried tomatoes!

[sneezles]

I was hoping to start a garden but we've had nothing but RAIN!!! We are almost 15" ahead for the year-glad to have some but this is ridiculous! Hoping for a better chance soon.

SandyM-have you look for the exotic wildlife fencing? Most ranchers around here use it to keep them in but it could very easily be used to keep the buggers out as well!

[sal]

Ahh, a topic near and dear to my heart. I play around every year, sometimes trying new things. Some years are better than others. I always plant a few Roma tomato plants, green beans (the super thin french kind are my fav), lima beans (yummmmmmm), bell peppers, onions and eggplant (which never work but I keep trying)! This year I'm going to try to find grape tomatos, zucchini (but just 1 plant!), garlic and a fall crop of broccoli. I read the Burpee catalog like I do my favorite cookbooks. I also live next door to "Mr. Greenjeans" so I enjoy the excess bounty from their beautiful gardens. I have an herb garden right next to the veggies, but I am not very well versed on cooking with herbs and my family is not too adventurous in taste (esp. dh).sally

[donleyk]

We also have a salsa garden and then grow 4 or 5 spices too. We try one different thing each year. Brussel sprouts turned out good. Usually a cuke plant. Our garden is small, we started another one for beans along our garage wall. They have worked out wonderfully there. I can't wait to get started, but we have to wait until May.

[pammy]

How funny, we also grow a "salsa" garden. At least 3 different types of tomatoes, always beefsteak and roma with a new kind thrown in. This year I think I want to try grape tomatoes, too. I want to branch out on the peppers, we have only done jalapeno and bell peppers up to this point. And I have a wonderful herb garden. Lemon thyme was my favorite last year - tasted incredible on just about anything. Hmm, donleyk, you gave me a good idea about the beans, does the side of your garage get alot of sun, ours does and we don't have anything planted there yet. Oh, now I am even itchier for spring!!!

[Leanne]

I have a very small plot & we've had NO rain here, unlike Sneezles - watering bans make it hard to grow things. But, I do seem to manange to grow basil & parsley. I try tomatoes & only get a couple each year. I've tried green pepper too & haven't ever gotten one b/4 the bugs did.

[sal]

Two years ago we had drought/watering restrictions here in MD - I remember using my children's bathwater to do my flowerbed. It was such a pain to keep hauling buckets outside, but I had spent a lot of time and some $$ on the plants. My veggies did very poorly in the drought - the peppers that did grow had very thin, bitter flesh.

[Anne]

I guess it is time to pull out the garden catalogs again - one of my favorite mid-winter rituals. Most veges in the cabbage family do very well in our garden, along with root veges, salad greens and squash. Berries grow well but not most fruit trees. I am hoping to build a greenhouse soon so I can grow tomatoes.

[donleyk]

Pammy,

It is south facing so it gets sun all day. We have a rabbit proof fence up so we get most of our beans. They aren't as picky about the soil as the other veggies we grow. I am ready too, for spring.
Originally posted by pammy:

How funny, we also grow a "salsa" garden. At least 3 different types of tomatoes, always beefsteak and roma with a new kind thrown in. This year I think I want to try grape tomatoes, too. I want to branch out on the peppers, we have only done jalapeno and bell peppers up to this point. And I have a wonderful herb garden. Lemon thyme was my favorite last year - tasted incredible on just about anything. Hmm, donleyk, you gave me a good idea about the beans, does the side of your garage get alot of sun, ours does and we don't have anything planted there yet. Oh, now I am even itchier for spring!!!

[TheresaM]

Hi everyone, I just started the early girls, broccoli and peppers, last night. We start everything from seeds. Walgreens has 10 packs for $1.00, you can't go wrong with this. We have a hugh garden. SO and I spend plenty of time, just playing in the garden, it's our favorite past time. The only thing we don't have luck with is corn. One thing we are bad with is through out starter plants, I believe I planted 50 broccoli, last year. I could eat them, but they sqeezed the space of other plants. This year I am planting 9 types of peppers. I am in search of the perfect pepper for chili rellenos. I want a med-hot pepper. I still have not found the right pepper. Generally all the peppers to date have either been mild or super hot. Does anyone have any suggestions. I plant peas, lettuce and radish around 4/15, just 8 short weeks away... Theresa

[KimKelly]

I was actually sitting here sniffling thru this rotten winter cold checking out the latest Burpee catalogue last night! It's raining and hailing out, but my son and I have made a few choices. We do the afore mentioned salsa garden, roma tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and green onions. My peppers just haven't done well the last couple of years, I don't think it gets hot enough. I can get cheap, big beautiful ones at the local farmers market so I've eliminated them this year. My son has chosen a HUGE pumpkin that he wants to try to grow, so we are going to give it a shot. I read somewhere that you can write the childs name on it when it is small. Sounds like fun. We also do the zucchini and yellow squash, and cucumbers. I always get way too many! Wish they would not be ready with 15 all at one time, so the neighbors are well supplied. We are doing more flowers this year too. My son is into red anthing, so we have chosen some bright red zinnias. Also sunflowers, we dry the heads and then put them out in the winter for the birds. It's fun to watch them eat.

Hurry up spring!

Kim

[Lizz13.1]

I just had my first garden last year and LOVED it...I even canned and still have "stuff". Last year successes: roma tomatoes, romaine lettuce (so good did it twice), yellow squash, basil (still some in freezer), rosemary, cucumbers, and eggplant. My zuchini got a funky white fungus and I forgot I hate green peppers (which of course did well). This years bigger and better plan...cucumbers on rack-thing, roma's, romaine, green beans, basil, dill, zuchini, eggplant, yellow squash, onions, and butternut squash. My red peppers never turned red due to the big NewEngland rain last year.

[kwormann]

I hate to admit it, but I seem to have a black thumb...I d love to grow a salsa garden and zucchini when I get my new house, but Im afraid ill put in the expense and kill everything...plus its so hot here in Houston and Im from the midwest and I dont know how tomatoes would handle the heat....(Indiana is famous for GREAT tomatoes)...ideas anyone???

Kim

[gobluem82]

My garden is very small and doesn't get a lot of sun, so I stick mostly with tomatoes (a must!) and mesclun lettuce. It's so great to snip off greens right before dinner. I tried heirloom tomatoes for the first time last summer but they didn't turn out very well--it may have been the cool, rainy summer we had out here. We have to have a fence, though, to keep the deer and groundhogs away. I have a separate herb garden as well--I miss having them around in the winter!

[Marsha]

I'm in sunny southeast Texas so we have 365 days/year to grow stuff...of course that also means we have 365 days to grow weeds.... We plant tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cukes, okra, asparagus beans (yard long beans), basil (several varieties), Mexican marigold mint, oregano, thyme, garlic chives, tomatillo (no luck with these so far) for the summer. For fall/winter/spring which is pretty much one season for us most of the time, we plant radishes, lettuces, arugula, spinach, potatoes, bok choy, snow peas, kohlrabi, beets, cilantro, parsley, dill - our cold weather crops. Try beets raw - they are really good...so are kohlrabi.

[cryskie]

Well, I tried growing lots of things in containers last year on our apartment balcony. Cherry tomatoes, Big Jims (possibly a good pepper for chile rellenos, if not, poblanos are pretty authentic), tons of herbs, and some flowers. Nothing survived except a fern that my mom gave me. I don't guess I really know how to garden, I just kind of put them in pots and fed them and watered them from time to time. Things did grow, but it got soooooo hot (near Austin--we had huge water restrictions last summer), that they didn't grow long. We're now renting a house, so I'm hoping to try again! Don't really know when to start, though.

Crystal

[Chefmom]

Oh, one of my favorite subjects! This is my first garden, besides all the herbs I have grown in pots for years. Two years ago I started digging. Me and my shovel, all over my tiny yard to plant herbs and flowers. Last year was my first tomatoes. I grew two Amish varieties and a German variety. I think I had cross polination because the tomatoes were wonderful, but really weird looking. I also had Spring peas ! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif one of my favorites.

This year I'm going for tomatoes (doing hybrids this time), and Ancho peppers. I will naturally have a large crop of peas (last years wasn't big enough) and I'm going to try to grow corn, but to harvest when it's tiny, like those baby corns you see in Chinese Stir Fry's. I'm also going to try shallots, and my daughter has already picked out carrots and more sunflowers for this year. She planted them everywhere last year and our yard was FULL of birds! It was so wonderful!

Naturally I have herbs everywhere, the Dill pops up now by itself, the Chive patch will be separated, and I'm adding garlic chives too. I always have a huge crop of parsley, the flat kind. And the others, several basils, the oregano is gorgeous, catnip for the kitties, savory, rosemary, mint in pots. My bay tree grows verrrrryyyyyy slowwwwwly. New for this year is chammomile. Oh, I also have a large thyme pot. I have it in a huge window box and I end up giving a ton away (even though I use a ton). My lavender is getting old and woody, so I'll probably start new plants, I can't get enough lavender!

I'll probably try lemon thyme, and maybe another like lemon balm.

My pansies will be popping up soon! I noticed little green spots under the leaves after the snow melted away. I'm excited! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Tami

[lorilei]

Due to the constraints of apartment living, I've always done "container gardening" wherever we've lived. This year, we're renting a house, so hopefully I'll have part of a yard in which to plant.

I always plant tomatoes (roma and cherry tomatoes have grown the best), eggplant, peppers (sweet and hot) and lots of herbs -- always basil (usually multiple varieties), parsley, rosemary, oregano, coriander, catnip, and thyme.

I've wintered some of my herbs in the house, and I'm debating whether or not to keep a couple of them in my kitchen this summer -- or plant them down in the yard. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Beth]

Kim, you can grow tomatoes here very well, but you probably need to start earlier so you will have fruit set before the temps get too hot (the plants don't set fruit when it gets too hot, but they will ripen what is set). There are some varieties that are supposed to set in hotter weather. I saw one for the first time last year and I can't tell you how they do.

We have planted tomatoes, peppers of all sorts, cucumbers, beans, and squash (but something got that last year). Our herb garden has thyme, parsley, mint, lemongrass, basil, chives. Our strawberries are more ornamental at this point. We have a few fruit trees planted but not old enough to bear yet.

For those of you who like to grow basil, try Sweet Aussie of you can find it. I bought it at a plant sale that said it was sought after by chefs. It has a smaller leaf that sweet basil, but a pleasing flavor. One of the nicest things about it is that it doesn't bloom and doesn't have to be pinched back all summer. However, you will need to take cutings, root them and bring them in for the winter. It will freeze over the winter and not come back. I learned the hard way last year and was unable to replace it. I'll be looking again this year.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 02-14-2001).]

[MrsReber]

I hope I get my garden this year after reading all these posts. Hubby has to really help me out with it since the baby will be here in May! Anyway, we have five fruit trees planted by the former residents of our house- one apple, three pear, and one cherry. The cherry started producing fruit last year and the pears are always out of control, but the birds usually get to them. I hear you need more than one apple tree for good apples? Does anybody know? We never get decent apples.

I really love all the blossoms in the spring, though. The trees are on the side of the house with the bedrooms so if the windows are open that great smell comes through the house. They are just so beautiful, too. And we have sunflowers that just keep coming back every year. Guess the seeds drop off from the birds eating them.

My husband has his own methods for getting rid of garden critters. It involves weapons. Well, at least they don't come back....

[Zinnia]

Every year I grow ALOT of stuff! I have growing or start from seed these 'every year' ones; strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, jalapenos, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, radishes, leaf lettuce, collards. Herbs; lemon grass, basil, chives, it. parsley & catnip.
I also have many perennial flowers & plants around & start alot from seed. Our outdoor gardening/growing season is from maybe late May or early June to late August or early September--(I grow alot of 'em indoors in BIG pots too!) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Zinnia

[Anne]

Hi Mrs. Reber. You do need a second apple tree for good polination with most varieties. However, not all types of apples will cross pollinate. You need to find a kind that is compatible with yours. Do you know what variety you have?

[browneye]

Oh how I love those gardens. I used to have a HUGE space, but in my current location it is very shady, so it is containers only. I do container gardening anywhere I can find a patch of sun. Mostly, I do tomatoes, herbs, even zucchini, greens like chard and lettuce. I was wondering about doing peppers in containers, anyone have luck with those in containers in a relatively cool and short growing season? (seattle area)

[McSix]

I have a very small (maybe 6 ft. by 8 ft.) garden that is basically a salad garden. We grow all those expensive lettuces, radishes, zucchini (2 plants do the job for us...all those seeds), and bush beans. It's amazing what you can do with a small space. I've already visited the spot several times and can't wait for spring!

[KellyD]

Oh I miss my Southern California all year growing season... I had a fabulous garden there, but moving to Houston and trying to grow vegetables has provided hours of amusement for my family and friends. I know this is a litle off the subject, but the first lesson I learned is that you MUST pick the tomatoes before they turn red or the birds will get much more enjoyment out of them than you will. I guess California birds don't like tomatoes?? Secondly, I had to learn about pollinating my own vegetables. I guess we have lazy bees, or use too much insecticide - because all of my squash and cukes flowered beautifully - but no fruit! So during a party (and after a fair amount of wine, I might add), my next neighbor dubbed himself the "mighty pollinator" and proceeded to pollinate my vegetables. Darn if it didn't work! This year, I'm enclosing the tomatoes under bird mesh, and have my neighbor on retainer for pollinating duties!

[MrsReber]

Anne, I wish I knew what kind of apples they were. The tree is big, but the apples grow very small and green. My father had mentioned something about having to have 2 apples trees so that they will cross pollinate correctly. We were just letting the tree grow, figuring it wasn't established yet. It's between 2 pear trees now.

[Anne]

Hi again Mrs. Reber. Without knowing what variety of apple tree you have its hard to guess what type you should have for pollination. I think a lot of the art/science of matching trees is to get varieties that bloom at the same time and have about the same maturation period. For example, a tree that blooms on April 7-15th and has apples ripe in August would not match well with a tree that blooms on April 30th and has apples ripe in September. Maybe there is a cooperative extension agent or local gardening club that could take a look at your tree and tell what it is. Also, sweet cherries do better with a second tree to polinate them but pie (sour) cherries are self fertile. I am just jealous that you can have so many types of fruit trees. That, along with life without fresh tomatoes and corn, is one of the things I miss most living in Alaska.

[Grace]

browneye, I'm SURE peppers would do well in a container, and they actually do better in cooler weather as opposed to really hot weather. Here in Chicago, I am still picking peppers into November (and it's COLD here!). You can get a pepper plant for a dollar or two at the garden center, it would certainly be worth a try, in my opinion. Good luck!

[MrsReber]

Thanks for the advice Anne. Our cherry tree was tiny when we moved in, but it's done very well. I was very surprised to see the cherries on it last year and they were sweet. We have one pear tree that is not doing well. I was thinking if we put another apple tree in it's place, maybe we'd get decent apples. Can't beat the blossoms, though! My husband wants to cut the trees down because he hates mowing around them! I told him no way. We talk about visiting Alaska. It looks so beautiful there. We'll come visit and bring you some fresh Jersey tomatoes!

[Leanne]

I have a tip for keeping animals away that worked for us when I was growing up - my mom had a pretty large veggie garden.

This sounds gross but it works - put human hair around the garden. My mom used to get it from her beauty shop - all the clippings they get off the floor.

The "human" smell scares the animals - like rabbits, squirrels, etc. We didn't have deer nearby - but it may work on them too.

Another tip for keeping bugs from the tomatoes - plant basil nearby & marigolds. I tried it last year & it worked. Keep in mind - I didn't get very many tomatoes - but the bugs didn't take any from me. (the bugs still liked the peppers though.)

[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 02-16-2001).]

[browneye]

Tarragon is also a great insect-repellant herb to plant near tomatoes, and both tarragon and basil protect tomato plants from the dreaded hornworm...

[MrsReber]

Okay, I have to ask, what is a hornworm?

[MrsReber]

Yuck. I had to ask. We had a couple of very weird looking things in the tomatoes. They are green, more like an inchworm, but very fat. They're hard to see because they're the same color as the plants so they always surprise me. I've only seen a couple of them and they look almost like they have eggs on them or something. My husband was even afraid to touch it. He killed it and buried it in the yard.

[KellyD]

Oh my gosh - they are the most disgusting looking insects on the face of the earth. They look exactly like their name implies - fat, caterpillar looking things with a horn on the end. They can destroy a plant in a day!