Cooking Resources

taxlady · 03-04-2011, 09:05 PM

w00t!

**PrincessFiona60** · 03-04-2011, 10:51 PM

Yea! You will have so much fun!

spork · 03-04-2011, 11:11 PM

I've read about this, and it seems like a lot of fun, largely from shooting the breeze with your fellow green neighbors and coordinating strategic warfare against the foes of a healthy summer squash. Best of luck, Kathleen! If you keep us updated, I promise not to derive sadistic glee from your crop failures, hee hee.

Bolas De Fraile · 03-05-2011, 12:20 AM

Kathleen its the best fun ever and good exercise,this is some of our garden last year, my kid brother helped us a lot, the flowers are down to him and my wife I just use the machines and clean up after MaxPictures by Hvar2010 - Photobucket

CWS4322 · 03-05-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kathleen

I'm pouring through websites to see where I should start, etc.

CONGRATULATIONS! That's fantastic. There is a book "Carrots love Tomatoes" (or is it Tomatoes Love Carrots), anyway, my copy is around her someplace, but not on the bookshelf next to my computer. It is basically about companion planting. To get more "mileage" out of your real estate, you might consider planting carrots between your tomato plants, etc.. I also plant garlic/onions between the tomato plants (I do have a lot more real estate with which to work...however) and basil and parsley.

You may also want to consider a theme garden, e.g., salsa garden, salad garden. Decide what you really like (green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, eggplant) and then sit down with a piece of paper and plot your garden.

Be careful with starting seeds...I have a hard time not planting what I've started so I end up with more plants that I really should have...

I try something new each year. Last year we planted Russian Blue potatoes (LOVE 'EM), the year before it was mallows, the year before that was another kind of summer squash. This year we are trying Violet Queen cauliflower and purple sweet peppers. I am also putting in some "strawberry spinach" this year. Supposedly, these self-seed. Anyone have any experience re: this? How invasive is it?

You'll have so much fun. I love broccoli from the garden...and kale...and sweet corn...and new potatoes...and swiss chard...I can hardly wait for the gardening season!

CWS4322 · 03-05-2011, 03:36 PM

The Canadian Living website has a section: from Seed to Supper. I like to plan new recipes to try using different veggies throughout the summer (not the reason I dropped by the CL site, but it might be of interest to some folks who want to try new plants, not sure what to do with stuff, etc.).

How to grow and eat: Eggplants - Seed to Supper - Canadian Living

Somebunny · 03-05-2011, 03:49 PM

Good for you Kathleen, I hope you enjoy gardening as much as some of he rest of us. I find it very rewarding. I have only a small space to use, but with some education you can learn how to pack alot into a small space. I love that your community has this available.

Kathleen · 03-05-2011, 11:16 PM

@ SomeBunny - We seem to have seven community farms like this one around the city. Also, there are a lot of farming co-ops and also a few community gardens. I love some of the urban gardening groups around here.

@ CWS4322 - I'll look into the books. I'd love to find a good resource about succession planting.

@ Bolas - Beautiful pictures! How much time do you spend on gardening per week?

@ Spork - My total crop yield last year was three cherry tomatoes. But they were excellent cherry tomatoes.

@ DaveInMD - You know I will have you on speed dial!

@ PF - I will. I'm sure Frank will too, but he doesn't realize it yet!!!!

Bolas De Fraile · 03-06-2011, 02:31 AM

Kath last year we had the hottest May and June on record so we lived in the garden.
The garden was established but had not been touched for about 10 years before we moved in, it had no veg plot so with the help of the best Rotovator the Merry Tiller we started the plot the first week in April.
They first thing we did before using the Tiller was to build the raised bed in march, I used a wheel barrow to move 2 tons of delivered top soil 100 yrds and dumped it in the frame, it took me 12 hours with breaks.

Claire · 03-06-2011, 05:08 AM

Tomatoes, to me, are the essence of gardening. A tomato from the garden just tastes so completely different from what you buy in the grocery store that if I had to grow only one thing, a couple of tomato plants would be it.

I always have a good herb garden going. Where I live now my lettuce/greens patch, tomatoes, and herbs are right out the kitchen door. So, when fixing dinner in the summer, I can just step right out and it is seconds from in the garden to on the table.