The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

[LookingToGrow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Sunbeam, thanks for the links!

[rubywillow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

BTW, I bought a 5# cantaloupe yesterday at a local fruit stand. I couldn't believe it!!! My gardening just didn't work out this summer with so much going on this summer, but I've found some incredible buys and I'm helping the local farmers economy. I always look for local farmers markets. I will have figs soon, though. A freak cold spell last spring killed all our apples, pears, first fig crop, etc. I'm only 2 generations removed from the farm; in other words my grandparents lived on and depended on their farm for their very lives. I was blessed to inherit a little bit of it (25 acres or so) and am about to pass it on to my son, with the proviso he CANNOT sell or mortgage it. It's where my grandpa, born in 1886, raised food for the cows. His grandfather received the land in a land grant (I have the original papers) when McIntosh ceded the the land from the Creek Indians to the whites. (It didn't end well for McIntosh) Anyhoo, its lush bottom land with a bold stream, lots of wild life, and higher, beautiful hardwoods, on a dead end road. My idea of heaven.

[Lavande]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

DG,

Another good place to check for Zone 5 planting is: Vegetable and Herb Garden Planting and Harvest Information
They'll tell you everything you need to know for Fall veggies and herbs. Just look on the Calendar.

I'm in a Zone 6-7 area, I know what we can get away with here but not sure about your area.
Happy gardening

[LookingToGrow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Lav, do you plant for the fall?

[Doggygirl]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Sunbeam and Lavande, thanks for the links!

Ruby, your place sounds like a slice of heaven, and how awesome that it ALSO has such a rich family history for you. That's like icing on the cake!

OK - the average first frost date where I live is October 14. Illinois First Fall Occurrence of 32?F, Illinois State Climatologist Office, Illinois State Water Survey, U of I So I'm thinking I need to work from that date backwards with the "time to maturity" information on the packages. I'm sure I should leave a little extra room - maybe a week? I'm thinking that will get me to the LATEST date I should even consider planting something.

Does that sound about right or how do you do it?

DG

[Sunbeam]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

DG, That really doesn't sound right to me because most people plant in spring. I don't know how you should figure, it may be different for different plants.

[Lavande]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

In answer to LTG,

We usually do plant some cool weather veggies in the end of August. Things like broccoli, spinach & lettuce enjoy growing in the cooler temps of Fall. Strange but my perennial herbs looked beautiful till nearly Christmas last year. Our Fall was cool but not necessarily frosty My rosemary, sage and French thyme held up the best if you are looking for herb ideas!

[rubywillow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

LTG, I found a tiny book I gave my mother for mother's day in '97 called 'The Language of Flowers'. She kept it posted in a little bracket in her living room. It has explanations of different flowers and their meanings. I'll post you a few.

[LookingToGrow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Ruby, I just found that book yesterday...LOL!!
Lavande, seems like nothing bothers my rosemary - heat or frost. Some lettuce might look nice with the herbs And the kale too.

[rubywillow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Anemone -forsaken
Bluebell- Constancy
Camellia - Perfected Lovliness
Columbine - Folly
Daffodil - Regard and Chivalry
Forget-me-not - True-Love
Geranium - Melancholy
Honeysuckle - Sweetness of Disposition
Hyacinth - Sorrow
Iris - Message
Jasmine - - Grace and Elagance
Lilac - First Emotions of Love
Lily - Purity
Lily of the Valley - Return of Happiness
Marigold - Grief
Narcissus - Egotism
Orchid - A Belle
Pansy - Thoughts
Primrose - Early Youth
Rose - Love
Sunflower - Haughtiness
Tulip - Declaration of Love
Violet - Modesty
Water Lily - Purity of Heart

Sweet Flower! that peeping from thy russet stem
Unfoldest timidly, (for in strange sort
This dark, frieze-coated, hoarse, teeth-chattering Month
Hath borrowed Zephyr's voice, and gazed upon thee
With blue voluputuous eye) alas, poor Flower! Samuel Taylor

[Sunbeam]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Wow, thanks Ruby! I love the poem, too!

Yesterday I went to buy daylilies from a grower. I just love seeing their field, with rows and rows of blooms. Today I will go to pick blueberries. I will use a picking jug, made from a 1 gallon plastic milk jug. Using a strong scissors, I cut through the handle at the base, so I can hang it on my waistband, and cut away the slanted part on the opposite side for an opening. When it gets too heavy I dump it into the bucket they provide, but the bucket is too big and heavy to keep at a convient spot.

Enjoy the day!

[rubywillow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

I try to take advantage of all the local coops and farmers markets. My cousin has about 20 blueberry bushes. I'm swapping her figs for blueberries! There's a place about 2 miles from our cabin called Edith's Daylilies, and she has the most PHENOMENAL selection of lilies. One trick I have is to go to Lowes, WalMart, groceries, etc., after the holidays and make obscenely low offers on their bloomed out lilies, just to get the roots. I have every color you can imagine that blooms from late May til early July. (Otherwise they throw them out.) If they hesitate, I ask for the store manager, and explain I recyle EVERYTHING, and that adding viable flower roots to landfills is a sin! I tell them I will contact anyone above them, and even media, since these are things that SHOULD be recylcled!! ( I am SO naughty)

[Sunbeam]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Ruby,
I love your bold approach to saving plants (and getting some cheap!), but that's not me.

I just cut up a cantelope and had it with my oatmeal - yum! My next job is to peel and cut up some peaches, which I will mix with vanilla yogurt. I used to always have them on vanilla ice cream, but the yogurt is way less calories. Then I need to freeze the blueberries I picked yesterday. I wash them, dry them on clean rags (they may stain towels), and freeze them in zip-lock bags. Then they are ready to pour into my oatmeal, or use in a recipe. The frozen berries are hard to mix into muffin batter because they make it too stiff, but work well for pies and cobbler.

I'm thinking of starting a new gardening thread under the title of "Gardening Hints". I'm hoping to get more ideas from others. What do you think? It could include basic food prep, like I did today with blueberries and peaches, but actual recipes should go in the recipe section.

[LookingToGrow]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Sunbeam, it would be nice to learn how to "processs" our own produce. Thanks!

Ruby, you are so clever :h

[southernbelle47]

The Gardening Thread v.2 - Fall Edition!

Blueberry crunch..

4 cups of berries or peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick butter cut up in small pieces
Put in pan in that order and bake 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Yum!