The 'mater with mayo on squishy white' ranks as one of my top 3 sammy's ... and just to confirm that the garden state knows no sammich bounds I'm gonna share another of the top 3 that might fall into the class of 'odd' ... my parents always had a garden in our yard while I was growing up and one of the staples they grew were green beans. My dad used to saute a little garlic in olive oil, add the green beans and a small can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper ... then simmer the beans til tender. Well, it started innocently enough, our italian heritage being what it is ... eating the beans and sopping up the sauce with bread but somehow evolved into a green bean sammich ... that is 'omg good
that does sound good. when i make chili or spaghetti sauce ill often skip the main dish and do the spoonful of the saucy stuff as dip with a bread stick . yum!
and the last of my top three happens to be one that has to be purchased ... from tony lukes. It's a chicken cutlet hoagie w/sharp provolone and long hots. Best damned sandwich in the tri-state area
it sounds good but just thinking about it makes me feel full. lol. hmm that might be good for the diet. ill think of foods that will fill me up and get instantly full! this one reminds me of one of the popular sandwiches in the near midwest. hamburgers with fries and slaw all mushed together on a bun. when i lived there people told me i had to try it and i did but one mouthful was too much. i think we get so used to the regional differences in food that the stars of other regions taste off. i never could find good italian food in the midwest. nothing that compares to ny/nj/ct/ma/ri italian. oh and dont get me started on the breakfast joints. there is no comparison between the standard east coast breakfasts and those you find in other places. i remember standing in line to have breakfast at this place in the midwest that everyone raved about. once it arrived the pancakes were soggy, the bacon greasy and the home fries were those minced patties of stuck togetherness. nope. give me them wedges smothered with peppers and onions and a truck load of spices anyday .
-- Edited by nesea on Friday 17th of July 2009 01:38:56 PM
hmm i dont have a gazpacho recipe tho i can tell you my favorite 4 things to do with fresh garden tomatoes. the first is a sandwich with fresh mozzerella and spinach. the second is to dice them, saute them with a lil olive and ground turkey and spread it over whole wheat pasta, homemade salsa is another and finally just plain eating them like an apple or worst guilty pleasure of all time a 'mater sammich on white bread with lettuce and mayo. ill have to wait a bit tho im salivating thinking of the latter. i have about 3 green tomatoes on the vine. i do have green beans tho and was able to pick enough for dinner.
The 'mater with mayo on squishy white' ranks as one of my top 3 sammy's ... and just to confirm that the garden state knows no sammich bounds I'm gonna share another of the top 3 that might fall into the class of 'odd' ... my parents always had a garden in our yard while I was growing up and one of the staples they grew were green beans. My dad used to saute a little garlic in olive oil, add the green beans and a small can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper ... then simmer the beans til tender. Well, it started innocently enough, our italian heritage being what it is ... eating the beans and sopping up the sauce with bread but somehow evolved into a green bean sammich ... that is 'omg good' :)
and the last of my top three happens to be one that has to be purchased ... from tony lukes. It's a chicken cutlet hoagie w/sharp provolone and long hots. Best damned sandwich in the tri-state area
-- Edited by nesea on Friday 17th of July 2009 01:38:56 PM
Once they start here it happens quick. The sun is very intense now. There are more to the right that were cut out of the frame. The ones by the string are picked as of this am and, the ones near the bottom will be this evening.Mine still blooming too. The photo was taken around sunrise yesterday. I have 15 ripe in the kitchen. The big boy is in the shade and, not near ready. Anyone have a good gazpaccio (sp) recipe please post it. Gator
hmm i dont have a gazpacho recipe tho i can tell you my favorite 4 things to do with fresh garden tomatoes. the first is a sandwich with fresh mozzerella and spinach. the second is to dice them, saute them with a lil olive and ground turkey and spread it over whole wheat pasta, homemade salsa is another and finally just plain eating them like an apple or worst guilty pleasure of all time a 'mater sammich on white bread with lettuce and mayo. ill have to wait a bit tho im salivating thinking of the latter. i have about 3 green tomatoes on the vine. i do have green beans tho and was able to pick enough for dinner.
lol the latter got me too! pazpacho is for another season since i am not canning. I love beans and, can stand in a garden and eat them raw. You have a lot planted. I'm inspired for nex year. lol
15! holy moley! how is the flavor? i moved my tomato plants this year hoping that the move will increase the flavor. they dont have the same oomph i remember from my childhood.
Even though I said I was gonna and, have all the stuff to do so, I am not canning so far. I've handed out lots! The two plants in the earth box are prolific producers of the best tasting tomatoes I have had in a very long time. I've never got a phone call follow up thank you so much when I have handed out a few extra grown veggies. And, all the comments have been............they taste just like I remember in my childhood................a good old fashion tomato.LOLGator
now thats what i am talking about! all the ones ive had in recent years are nearly as tasteless as the hothouse variety.
It is nice and, I expect a full report when yours mature. I do know that since I have been more vigilant after you posted about slow food that the produce is better tasting. My cucumbers were well worth the effort because I can not remember the last time I ate the skin of one what with all the chemicals they pore on them. I had a hard time telling when to pick them because they certainly are altered in the grocery and, those skins I got use to are fake I tell ya. :). Gator
Once they start here it happens quick. The sun is very intense now. There are more to the right that were cut out of the frame. The ones by the string are picked as of this am and, the ones near the bottom will be this evening.Mine still blooming too. The photo was taken around sunrise yesterday. I have 15 ripe in the kitchen. The big boy is in the shade and, not near ready. Anyone have a good gazpaccio (sp) recipe please post it. Gator
hmm i dont have a gazpacho recipe tho i can tell you my favorite 4 things to do with fresh garden tomatoes. the first is a sandwich with fresh mozzerella and spinach. the second is to dice them, saute them with a lil olive and ground turkey and spread it over whole wheat pasta, homemade salsa is another and finally just plain eating them like an apple or worst guilty pleasure of all time a 'mater sammich on white bread with lettuce and mayo. ill have to wait a bit tho im salivating thinking of the latter. i have about 3 green tomatoes on the vine. i do have green beans tho and was able to pick enough for dinner.
15! holy moley! how is the flavor? i moved my tomato plants this year hoping that the move will increase the flavor. they dont have the same oomph i remember from my childhood.
Even though I said I was gonna and, have all the stuff to do so, I am not canning so far. I've handed out lots! The two plants in the earth box are prolific producers of the best tasting tomatoes I have had in a very long time. I've never got a phone call follow up thank you so much when I have handed out a few extra grown veggies. And, all the comments have been............they taste just like I remember in my childhood................a good old fashion tomato.LOLGator
now thats what i am talking about! all the ones ive had in recent years are nearly as tasteless as the hothouse variety.
Once they start here it happens quick. The sun is very intense now. There are more to the right that were cut out of the frame. The ones by the string are picked as of this am and, the ones near the bottom will be this evening.Mine still blooming too. The photo was taken around sunrise yesterday. I have 15 ripe in the kitchen. The big boy is in the shade and, not near ready. Anyone have a good gazpaccio (sp) recipe please post it. Gator
15! holy moley! how is the flavor? i moved my tomato plants this year hoping that the move will increase the flavor. they dont have the same oomph i remember from my childhood.
Even though I said I was gonna and, have all the stuff to do so, I am not canning so far. I've handed out lots! The two plants in the earth box are prolific producers of the best tasting tomatoes I have had in a very long time. I've never got a phone call follow up thank you so much when I have handed out a few extra grown veggies. And, all the comments have been............they taste just like I remember in my childhood................a good old fashion tomato.LOLGator
nope. my friend gave me all of the raspberry cuttings when i first moved in and last year i got a whole 3 berries. lol. the blackberry plants came from wally worlds gardening center last year as did the blueberries. the blueberries havent borne fruit yet and i dont think they will this year. the blackberries were abundant, small but very sweet and flavorful. the raspberries are huge and just coming into season. i also have a bunch of strawberry plants but those are a bust again this year. i dont think the soil is right for them. i got a few but not enough to mention.
I saw a few plants tryng to spring up so, I quit mowing there and, they are multiplying. For 2 years now only a few berries. I'm not sure if my yard friends are eating them green or if they are not producing.
i covered mine this year. it was a bird problem. they love them. the mesh i put over them allowed the sun and rain in but kept the birds and bugs out. i think that was the big problem last year.
I put mushroom compost around some this spring and, that seemed to have hurt them more than help. I'm thinking I should just ignore them so they can do their thing. Definately want to read up caring for them for next year. I big time love berries. Gator
they spread fast. the cover most of my back fence now and i love that. one caution wear gloves when harvesting. my hands and arms are all cut up from the thorns:)
Once they start here it happens quick. The sun is very intense now. There are more to the right that were cut out of the frame. The ones by the string are picked as of this am and, the ones near the bottom will be this evening.Mine still blooming too. The photo was taken around sunrise yesterday. I have 15 ripe in the kitchen. The big boy is in the shade and, not near ready. Anyone have a good gazpaccio (sp) recipe please post it. Gator
15! holy moley! how is the flavor? i moved my tomato plants this year hoping that the move will increase the flavor. they dont have the same oomph i remember from my childhood.
Once they start here it happens quick. The sun is very intense now. There are more to the right that were cut out of the frame. The ones by the string are picked as of this am and, the ones near the bottom will be this evening.Mine still blooming too. The photo was taken around sunrise yesterday. I have 15 ripe in the kitchen. The big boy is in the shade and, not near ready. Anyone have a good gazpaccio (sp) recipe please post it. Gator
ommg youve got tomatoes! and they look like they are weeks from ready! mine have not even formed a tomato, still budding. i am having a bumper crop of berries tho. about 8 pints of blackberries picked thus far and 3 raspberries.
8 pints is alot. Are your blackberries wild? I saw a few plants tryng to spring up so, I quit mowing there and, they are multiplying. For 2 years now only a few berries. I'm not sure if my yard friends are eating them green or if they are not producing. I put mushroom compost around some this spring and, that seemed to have hurt them more than help. I'm thinking I should just ignore them so they can do their thing. Definately want to read up caring for them for next year. I big time love berries. Gator
ommg youve got tomatoes! and they look like they are weeks from ready! mine have not even formed a tomato, still budding. i am having a bumper crop of berries tho. about 8 pints of blackberries picked thus far and 3 raspberries.
Thanks. (And you too, Gator.) --------------------------------- how did you get close enough to capture it without the flutterbye flying off?
I was wearing my cloak of invisiblity
(and also cropped and enlarged.)
Sort of like this:
Before...
And after...
I don't have a decent photoshop in this PC, but I can zoom in, and crop with the basic AOL junk, and do. The photos I end up posting here lose a lot of detail in the process, but that's due largely to their being put through so many paces ... the original "after" on this, for instance, is MUCH sharper.
-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 on Tuesday 2nd of June 2009 11:48:25 AM
anyone ever eat fiddleheads? im told they are edible and they are growing freely all over the place here. weird looking things and im curious about them. i looked them up, not that i dont trust my old yankee neighbors on whats edible and all but one cant be too careful, and, according to online sources, apparently there is some danger to consuming these things tho other websites say they are safe if done properly.
I absolutely love the photos........one of my favorites here..........Gator Well, thanks. :)
The flower bed is now about 5' tall. Pointedly, and I daresay almost Petulantly Purple, with some Puffs of Pink (It was a windy day, which is why the top of the pink one is cut off, LOL)
ive been told that i can turn my grandma balls blue by putting some epsom salts around them in the fall.
Hey, where are you owl? want to talk about your flowers and the eggplant and mint I planted today. oh and I got a fishing permit. Anyone like to fish? Gator
yep, I like to fish. And I like quiet and stillness that comes with floating on the lake ... and watching the heron's fish and looking at all the pretty scenery .. although I'm not very good at coaxing a fish to bite. Still, I enjoy it anyway.
no fisherwoman here tho i once had great fun letting a woman i was crushed on teach me the fine art of fly fishing. that was enjoyable for reasons other than the fishing aspect. aside from that id have a had time with the worms and the fish. i think what is desireable about it is the sitting in silence with nature.
I absolutely love the photos........one of my favorites here..........Gator Well, thanks. :)
The flower bed is now about 5' tall. Pointedly, and I daresay almost Petulantly Purple, with some Puffs of Pink (It was a windy day, which is why the top of the pink one is cut off, LOL)
i wonder if the purpleness has to do with soil ph? ive been told that i can turn my grandma balls blue by putting some epsom salts around them in the fall.
I absolutely love the photos........one of my favorites here..........Gator Well, thanks. :)
The flower bed is now about 5' tall. Pointedly, and I daresay almost Petulantly Purple, with some Puffs of Pink (It was a windy day, which is why the top of the pink one is cut off, LOL)
Hey, where are you owl? want to talk about your flowers and the eggplant and mint I planted today. oh and I got a fishing permit. Anyone like to fish? Gator
yep, I like to fish. And I like quiet and stillness that comes with floating on the lake ... and watching the heron's fish and looking at all the pretty scenery .. although I'm not very good at coaxing a fish to bite. Still, I enjoy it anyway.
I'm here. :) Flowers continue to bloom (new ones all the time) but I thought I was becoming a big boring talking about them so much, with all the photos.
I absolutely love the photos........one of my favorites here..........Gator
and I'll add that some are good enough (BD's too) to put on one of those web sites that pay royality when they are chosen to be used for something or such. Gator
I'm here. :) Flowers continue to bloom (new ones all the time) but I thought I was becoming a big boring talking about them so much, with all the photos.
I absolutely love the photos........one of my favorites here..........Gator
Hey, where are you owl? want to talk about your flowers and the eggplant and mint I planted today. oh and I got a fishing permit. Anyone like to fish? Gator
YUM!
I'm here. :) Flowers continue to bloom (new ones all the time) but I thought I was becoming a big boring talking about them so much, with all the photos.
not boring to me. i love the close up photos and the details. its not often that people get to see those kinds of details and im enjoying them so keep em coming!
Pulled one onion the other day from the middle of the bed. I've been chopping up the stems one at a time, and using them in various dishes, and am sort of tickled at what a wonderful addition they are. It really does seem as if they're "different" from the green onion stuff you get in the stores (MUCH more flavorful) but that's probably all in my head. :)
prolly is more flavorful. is there agriculture in any part of az? im thinking prolly not much so that the fresh from the garden prolly is noticeable. when i lived in the near midwest i thought the produce sold in the grocery stores was terrible with the exception of whole foods and always thought that it was because there was so little farming nearby and all of the produce had to be trucked in. ,y garden is coming up the lettuce is nearly ready for picking and by god i have cilantro! lol
Hey, where are you owl? want to talk about your flowers and the eggplant and mint I planted today. oh and I got a fishing permit. Anyone like to fish? Gator
YUM!
I'm here. :) Flowers continue to bloom (new ones all the time) but I thought I was becoming a big boring talking about them so much, with all the photos.
Pulled one onion the other day from the middle of the bed. I've been chopping up the stems one at a time, and using them in various dishes, and am sort of tickled at what a wonderful addition they are. It really does seem as if they're "different" from the green onion stuff you get in the stores (MUCH more flavorful) but that's probably all in my head. :)
Hey, where are you owl? want to talk about your flowers and the eggplant and mint I planted today. oh and I got a fishing permit. Anyone like to fish? Gator
The dishes are rich and beautiful-sounding, fit to be eaten with the same care and ritual with which they are prepared. Most are presented in the context that Alice discovered or created them, and her memories are rarely mundane: One day when Picasso was to lunch with us I decorated a fish in a way that I thought would amuse him
i love this idea. care and ritual in both preparation and eating. what a change from the mindless grazing that most of us do even with regular meals.
this collection looks awesome .. and amazon has a "like new" used book for $16 big ones ...
it could happen ... lol
There is a cute story about at the last minute putting a friends recipie in not knowing it was marijuana in the brownies. I'm thinking she well knew from other stuff I read. Some say it is where the term "toke" came from. Anyway...................the American print (I think harpers) omitted this recipie but, the British one and, others I forget has it. Gator
"The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook" is both a handbook for the aspiring gourmet and a memoir of the lives together of two remarkable women, Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein.
Alice B. Toklas (1877-1967) was born in San Francisco in 1877 and educated in the United States. At 29 she moved to Paris and fell in love with writer and fellow American Gertrude Stein. The women became lifelong partners, never separating until Steins death in 1946.
Originally published in 1954, the Alice B. Toklas Cook Book is a memoir of Stein and Toklas life together, from the salon years, hosting the eras artistic and literary elite in their famous Paris apartment at 27 Rue de Fleurus, through to the years when France was occupied by Nazi Germany. It is also a genuine cook book, containing about 300 recipes. The quality of these recipes, combined with the books undeniable literary quality, has kept the Alice B. Toklas Cook Book almost constantly in print for the last 45 years.
Recipes in the Alice B. Toklas Cook Book
To modern North Americans raised on canned goods, Toklas gourmet fare can be intimidating. There are a few simple recipes but most require fresh ingredients and slow, elaborate preparation.
The dishes are rich and beautiful-sounding, fit to be eaten with the same care and ritual with which they are prepared. Most are presented in the context that Alice discovered or created them, and her memories are rarely mundane: One day when Picasso was to lunch with us I decorated a fish in a way that I thought would amuse him
I seem pretty much destined to have a predominantly purple and gold flowerbed this year. A wee bit bummed by that, but there are still plenty of other flowers yet to bloom, so who knows?
SOME GARDENERS SWEAR that they grow great potatoes in old trash cans-either plastic or galvanized metal. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the bottom. (A barrel, a wooden box, or any large container at least 18 inches deep with good drainage will work.) Put a layer of soil about six inches deep into the bottom. Place the seed potatoes inside, then cover with three inches of mulch or soil. When leaves appear and plants are six to eight inches high, add another layer of soil and continue hilling them up until they reach the top. To harvest, simply turn the can onto its side and shake out the crop!
Illustration by Sara Mintz Zwicker
You know? That illustration looks pretty promising. I know here in Phoenix, they used to sell the old (big) recycle trash bins for $5 each (the ones that were wrecked) and you could turn them into compost bins, but then they started cutting them down and MAKING them (shorter) compost bins, so ... while it's better for the composter, I suppose, not so much so for the person who wants to use it as a garden patch. I confess, those potatoes way down deep like that look really promising, but gads, what kind of gardening faith would a person have to have, to "trust" that, without ever seeing above the soil line? Mustard seed faith;)
I'd hate to do everything, and then on the grand opening day, tip over the barrel to discover I'd grown... a really big barrel of compost...
I doubt I will be able to wait till the process end. After a bloom I will be gently digging for a new potato or two. Yield is very dependent on layering after each new growth and, using seedabout the size of an egg. I read of someone growing yukons in a 20 gal container and 2 store seeds and got a pound yield.Potatoes are not in the top 20 of high yield crop but, I'm still looking into all the other edible parts of the plant and, the blooms are impressive. Gator
SOME GARDENERS SWEAR that they grow great potatoes in old trash cans-either plastic or galvanized metal. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the bottom. (A barrel, a wooden box, or any large container at least 18 inches deep with good drainage will work.) Put a layer of soil about six inches deep into the bottom. Place the seed potatoes inside, then cover with three inches of mulch or soil. When leaves appear and plants are six to eight inches high, add another layer of soil and continue hilling them up until they reach the top. To harvest, simply turn the can onto its side and shake out the crop!
Illustration by Sara Mintz Zwicker
You know? That illustration looks pretty promising. I know here in Phoenix, they used to sell the old (big) recycle trash bins for $5 each (the ones that were wrecked) and you could turn them into compost bins, but then they started cutting them down and MAKING them (shorter) compost bins, so ... while it's better for the composter, I suppose, not so much so for the person who wants to use it as a garden patch. I confess, those potatoes way down deep like that look really promising, but gads, what kind of gardening faith would a person have to have, to "trust" that, without ever seeing above the soil line? I'd hate to do everything, and then on the grand opening day, tip over the barrel to discover I'd grown... a really big barrel of compost...
I've been playing in the yard this am and, am plum inspired. I'm heading to the feed store to buy some sweet and, a red or, exotic hard to find variety of potato. I'm really into the weed free garden this year so, I am going to try this method I found at the "Old Farmers Almanac". Also, you can only plant a potato in ground one season and, then the soil is contaiminated so, this method takes care of that problem. Besides, I have other plans for the pasture and, will forgo worrying about trashing the back yard with weird containers for food. I'm on the lookout for a nice yard sculpture to lead the eye away till this class of morning glory blooms and overflows the can. I've heard you can eat the green until the harvest but, have yet to try them. Anyone here ever eat the foilage? I'd love to cop some wine barrels but, will make do with the trash cans sitting un used in my shed.Gator
SOME GARDENERS SWEAR that they grow great potatoes in old trash cans-either plastic or galvanized metal. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the bottom. (A barrel, a wooden box, or any large container at least 18 inches deep with good drainage will work.) Put a layer of soil about six inches deep into the bottom. Place the seed potatoes inside, then cover with three inches of mulch or soil. When leaves appear and plants are six to eight inches high, add another layer of soil and continue hilling them up until they reach the top. To harvest, simply turn the can onto its side and shake out the crop!
Illustration by Sara Mintz Zwicker
I tried growing potatoes once. Not even CLOSE. : ( All I know about them is that they take more water and less heat than I can provide. Oh, and more land.
The bucket thing does sound intriguing, though. I wonder how big a crop that would yield? After that, I'm wondering exactly what kind of soil and climate would be required to grow a bucket of Yukon Golds... :) (I already know it's too hot for them here, but cripes... our markets do seem to take their name too literally, suggesting that they really ARE "worth their weight in gold" and we should pay accordingly.
I was reading about the bins (wire)before I decided on a 50 gallon container and, they say to just add plastic in arid climates. Containers take less water than in ground but, it must not dry out.I also saw where someone had Yukons growing in a 5 gallon pot and I imagine that it gets very hot in a small container like that.And, not enough room for any kind of yield.The nice thing is no soil is needed. They can be grown with hay or straw and manure. I'm doing soil because, I have a good size compost pile. Another nice thing is no need for fertilizer and, the less of that the sweeter the potato.
I didn't know that about one season of potatoes contaminating the soil for subsequent seasons. Guess they suck all the nutrients out of the soil? I wonder what, in terms of crop rotation, would be the best thing to plant the following season in that former potato patch.
They do suck the nutrients out of the soil but, the main reason is disease and insects. Remember the great potato famines ? A lot here rotate with rye and, corn. Gator
Our potato sets are cut from certified seed, carefully packed and guaranteed to reach you in good condition. We supply large seed pieces (sets) which will grow more vigorous sprouts. These potato sets will be ready to plant when you receive them. Detailed planting information included.
Sorry, we do not ship potato sets to AK, AZ, Ca, HI, or OR.
---------------------------
I may be wrong about this but......................The reason it is not recomended to use store potato for planting is that they use chemicals to stop sprouting. Organics do not that I know of because there is research ongoing on how to organically inhibit it. There still is the chance for disease but, I would imagine the same buying sets. So, maybe buying at the grocery one already sprouting and, unfit to consume (worth a discount) may work?Gator
Our potato sets are cut from certified seed, carefully packed and guaranteed to reach you in good condition. We supply large seed pieces (sets) which will grow more vigorous sprouts. These potato sets will be ready to plant when you receive them. Detailed planting information included.
Sorry, we do not ship potato sets to AK, AZ, Ca, HI, or OR.
I've been playing in the yard this am and, am plum inspired. I'm heading to the feed store to buy some sweet and, a red or, exotic hard to find variety of potato. I'm really into the weed free garden this year so, I am going to try this method I found at the "Old Farmers Almanac". Also, you can only plant a potato in ground one season and, then the soil is contaiminated so, this method takes care of that problem. Besides, I have other plans for the pasture and, will forgo worrying about trashing the back yard with weird containers for food. I'm on the lookout for a nice yard sculpture to lead the eye away till this class of morning glory blooms and overflows the can. I've heard you can eat the green until the harvest but, have yet to try them. Anyone here ever eat the foilage? I'd love to cop some wine barrels but, will make do with the trash cans sitting un used in my shed.Gator
SOME GARDENERS SWEAR that they grow great potatoes in old trash cans-either plastic or galvanized metal. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the bottom. (A barrel, a wooden box, or any large container at least 18 inches deep with good drainage will work.) Put a layer of soil about six inches deep into the bottom. Place the seed potatoes inside, then cover with three inches of mulch or soil. When leaves appear and plants are six to eight inches high, add another layer of soil and continue hilling them up until they reach the top. To harvest, simply turn the can onto its side and shake out the crop!
Illustration by Sara Mintz Zwicker
I tried growing potatoes once. Not even CLOSE. : ( All I know about them is that they take more water and less heat than I can provide. Oh, and more land.
The bucket thing does sound intriguing, though. I wonder how big a crop that would yield? After that, I'm wondering exactly what kind of soil and climate would be required to grow a bucket of Yukon Golds... :) (I already know it's too hot for them here, but cripes... our markets do seem to take their name too literally, suggesting that they really ARE "worth their weight in gold" and we should pay accordingly.
I didn't know that about one season of potatoes contaminating the soil for subsequent seasons. Guess they suck all the nutrients out of the soil? I wonder what, in terms of crop rotation, would be the best thing to plant the following season in that former potato patch.
I've been playing in the yard this am and, am plum inspired. I'm heading to the feed store to buy some sweet and, a red or, exotic hard to find variety of potato. I'm really into the weed free garden this year so, I am going to try this method I found at the "Old Farmers Almanac". Also, you can only plant a potato in ground one season and, then the soil is contaiminated so, this method takes care of that problem. Besides, I have other plans for the pasture and, will forgo worrying about trashing the back yard with weird containers for food. I'm on the lookout for a nice yard sculpture to lead the eye away till this class of morning glory blooms and overflows the can. I've heard you can eat the green until the harvest but, have yet to try them. Anyone here ever eat the foilage? I'd love to cop some wine barrels but, will make do with the trash cans sitting un used in my shed.Gator
SOME GARDENERS SWEAR that they grow great potatoes in old trash cans-either plastic or galvanized metal. Be sure to punch some drainage holes in the bottom. (A barrel, a wooden box, or any large container at least 18 inches deep with good drainage will work.) Put a layer of soil about six inches deep into the bottom. Place the seed potatoes inside, then cover with three inches of mulch or soil. When leaves appear and plants are six to eight inches high, add another layer of soil and continue hilling them up until they reach the top. To harvest, simply turn the can onto its side and shake out the crop!
Whatever it is, it looks like it will be delicate ... just hope the heat doesn't do it in. This is the tall (tallest in the whole flowerbed) sort of fern looking plant, which once was almost indistinuishible from the African Daisies, and none of them have opened yet.
The others, the purple Zinnias, continue to bloom, though. I have about 13 full blossoms, with 2-3 times that many buds showing color. Also, some pink ones have cropped up. I really miss my tripod... am bummed that I couldn't hold the camera more still for this shot, but I couldn't. Anyway, I especially like the little scrolls, ready to unfurl:
And another:
"Watch Owl" (Still too early for the African Dasies to have opened for the day) :
You know? I was thinking, yesterday, about ... well, about people who have money for, and employ gardeners. There IS the thing about having a beautiful area to look upon and appreciate, which gardeners can provide, but separate and apart from that, at least for me, is the pleasure of sowing seeds, nurturing them, and then seeing what they become, you know? I mean... weird as it may sound, I really do have a sort of ... I dunno ... "relationship with" seems too far fetched, but at least "awareness of" each individual plant in this flowerbed, and that gives me something in addition to just looking at flowers, so I'm thankful that I was gifted with having to spend the better part of a day digging down about a foot and a half in this whole bed, and then hauling, shovel by shovel, compost over, and laying it (in, if I remember correctly,) seven layers of alternate compost and soil, and then picking the rocks out, sowing the seeds, and doing the daily watering. Having a garden is different from gardening, and I appreciate, and am thankful for, both.
-- Edited by Nightowlhoot3 on Sunday 24th of May 2009 08:00:31 AM
i think there is something soothing about getting on hands and knees and planting. its one of those things that people are very present in doing and then there is the slowness of it, the watching and waiting and finally the sense of completion and follow thru and accomplishment. youve really done a great job getting some fairly exotic flowers to bloom.