Gardening!

[Holly]

I Love to veggie garden! This year I have a 40 x 60 area set aside to garden in, so far have Cukes, Zukes summer squash, green beans tomatos, okra, of many different varieties planted, Have even been harvesting already!

Who else gardens?

[Chanda]

I have a black thumb, so no garden here.  I'm happy when the violas pop up on their own.

Do like the garden fresh veggies, when I can get them.

[Holly]

Oh no!!
I grew up with a garden, but when I started my own a few years ago I had so much ( and still do ) to learn..... Ive recently found a tomato variety that should thrive in this Texas heat!

[dcwolcott]

I grew up on a farm in New York, and we had a big garden, an orchard of all kinds of apples and pears, a concord grape arbor, rhubarb as high as the first story of our 3 story barn, huge blackberry and raspberry patches, and the wonderful northern strawberries -- both domesticated and those tiny wild ones (they were the best!!).  But here in Florida, its so hard to get anything to survive the extreme heat. 

But, I used to run my horses in a smaller paddock over the winter here, so in the spring, I could set up a new garden in this horrid Florida sand!  But with good horse manure, things did grow, but certainly not as nicely as they did in the colder temperatures!!

You'll have to keep us posted on how things go for you!

[Anna]

I garden - well not strictly 'garden' as my plants are all in pots right now waiting until we get a new garden organised once the house construction has been finished. Last year we did make a small garden in the corner of one of the fields to mark the area where some of our beloved animals have been buried - still got some more planting up to do over there once the weather warms up.  But I'm a plant person, never seem to have much luck with veggies I'm afraid - all my fresh veggies come from the local village stores   

[Renée]

I like to garden even though I don't know much and the temperatures here make it hard. We get serious heat in the summer and then snow in the winter so it is hard to find plants that do well. I like Anna am more a flower gardener than a veggie gardener but my youngest keeps on at me to start growing some food so maybe I will get organised. At the moment we just have our herbs and tomatoes in pots.
How about sharing some pics to give me ideas.

[Holly]

I have some things in pots, like the asparagus, because its my first year growing it and I am not positive where I can put it permanently just yet. I have some jalapenos, coolepenos, green peppers and banana peppers in  a few pots, I have onion and cilantro , some other herbs in select areas. The majority is cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and green beans...
Please excuse the mess in the yard, weve had serious flooding and all the water is piled against my horse fence, and still 6 inches deep, cant get there to rake it out, going to have to do major clean up!

[Ryan]

Ace Holly !!

I also love to garden , more though in the summer than the winter here. I have some photos of my veggie garden that Ill find and add

My biggest Zhuccini was nearly 2m long .  Theres nothing better than fresh veggies grown by yourself

[dcwolcott]

WOW, Ryan!  That sounds HUGE !!  Can't wait to see the pictures!

[Ryan]

Some of the things I grew during the summer months here.

[Holly]

Love it Ryan!!
I see you7 do raised beds too, I am slowly switching over, so much easier on the back!!

[dcwolcott]

Wonderful Ryan!  Looks just yummy.  I miss gardening, and all the fresh veggies, but here, the Florida heat is hard on growing, unless you want to do lots of special work to protect the plants.  Years ago, I probably would have fought harder to grow things, but I'll try some "cold weather" veggies in the late fall and see how it goes again.  Those veggies have my mouth watering !!

[Ryan]

Thankyou ladies

Yeah I switched to raised beds last year and it really did make a massive difference.

Im learning each year what works and what doesnt here, what needs support and what likes to be eaten by the ducks and rabbits.

[Holly]

It has been trial and error here too... I dont know if yall like pickles or pickled things , But I have a very yummy cucumber pickle receipt...

for a full 1 gallon container, I fill with fresh cut cukes,
I use 1/3 a package of Mrs Wages Kosher Dill Pickle seasoning1-2 cups vinegar depending on how much you like vinegar, 1/2 -1 cup sugar depending on how sweet you like it, and I heat that up til disolved, pour into container over cukes, add water to fill, screw on lid tip a few times , let sit 24 hrs then start snacking...

[Ryan]

Hows your veggies coming along Holly ? 

Ive opted not to plant anything over the winter months here. I Put some lettuce,  Baby cauliflowers and broccoli in , but woke to the rabbits had had a three course meal with them, so Im just going to work on fencing for around the raised garden beds so I can plant them out without feeding the local wildlife come summer

(which I wish would hurry up )