Gardening

Beth Gallagher

Beth Gallagher

Well-known member
I know a lot of us love gardening and playing in the dirt. I said last summer that I have had my "last vegetable garden" so we'll see how that goes. I'm sure I will manage a couple of tomato plants in containers or whatever but I'm not able to keep up with a bigger garden any longer. I have downsized a bit more each year.

It is getting closer to time to start some seeds; the seed catalogues have already started arriving. I'm like a little kid with the old Sears Christmas Catalog when I start looking at seeds.

What are your garden plans for this coming season? I know that some members are in Australia, so they are opposite of the USA/Canada when it comes to seasons.
 
I have started some tree collards, which are supposed to be a kind of perennial kale/collard plant. I want to grow more plants that don’t have to be planted every year, so I am also thinking about making a dedicated asparagus bed somewhere. The tree collards are supposed to overwinter here, and people also start them from cuttings, instead of from seeds each time.
Mine came from a place where they are developing more kinds of them, and said the seeds might have different looks as they grow.



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I already have my seeds, although with the multitude of catalogs I get, I am always tempted. I was reading last night about Good King Henry. I understand it to be a British green vegetable that is super hardy. Do Smithy or any other Brits on here know anything about it or how it tastes? I was discussing Skirret with someone from Britain in the past, perhaps @Tom Galty . I never could find a source that would ship here though. Perhaps when I visit the Lower 48 next year, I may be able to find some. Anyone familiar with these or other unusual ploants?
 
I am on K. VAN BOURGONDIEN mailing list. They are a nursery I’ve purchased from before, with good results. My recent email was for tree peonies. I don't remember seeing these before. One of the photos had a very pretty flower. See below. I wish I had seen this before I planted the 3 peony plants in the front bed. Maybe next season I'll be able to fit a tree peony in one of the back yard beds.


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Tony Page said:
I am on K. VAN BOURGONDIEN mailing list. They are a nursery I’ve purchased from before, with good results. My recent email was for tree peonies. I don't remember seeing these before. One of the photos had a very pretty flower. See below. I wish I had seen this before I planted the 3 peony plants in the front bed. Maybe next season I'll be able to fit a tree peony in one of the back yard beds.


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I have one tree peony planted years ago. It was supposed to be red but it is more of a rose color. It is the first garden flower to bloom after the Virginia blue bells. The fragrance is intoxicating and it is outside of my front door. Sadly the blooms don't last as long as normal peonies. The one in your picture would make me want to make another purchase but they are very expensive now. Mine has been ready for dividing but I worry I might hurt the whole plant.
 
Don Alaska said:
I already have my seeds, although with the multitude of catalogs I get, I am always tempted. I was reading last night about Good King Henry. I understand it to be a British green vegetable that is super hardy. Do Smithy or any other Brits on here know anything about it or how it tastes? I was discussing Skirret with someone from Britain in the past, perhaps @Tom Galty . I never could find a source that would ship here though. Perhaps when I visit the Lower 48 next year, I may be able to find some. Anyone familiar with these or other unusual plants?
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I ordered some Good King Henry seeds on amazon although they don't look like the ones I've seen in pics. They are in my fridge just now but I am hoping the gamble works out. Not sure where to plant my seedlings if they come up. Theoretically they can grow in the woods. But we had so many critters stealing my plants last year, even if i put a cage over them, woodchucks could get them. At least I can see if they will actually grow in planters wrapped in chicken wire.
 
I have planters with green beans growing in my south window--another experiment but the beans being produced are very small. I also have some odd variety of lettuce that is supposed to be the 'cutest' you can grow. Begins with a c but I can't think of the name right now. I have some service berry seeds and other things I picked up around hubby's house that I want to put add in my wild food farm. I even started some polk seeds because I have a recipe I want to try. Some think of it as a noxious (poisonous) weed but I want to try the flexible stems that sound yummy. They look like they need a couple of years to be worth anything. I also have some seaberry seeds that I want to put on the NW border of my property. I have heard interesting things about the berries but the brambles might keep trespassers at bay. We have some nasty prickly ash up there that hasn't made it into the old pasture area yet.
As bad as the garden was from weather, critters and laziness last year, I have hopes to restart this year. I am going to set up the barnhouse to be more comfortable so I don't have to go home for lunch or a rest.
 
I can't really grow anything with natural light yet as the days are too short--about 4 hours of sunlight daily. We won't have good light until March. I may start something under lights in the next month or so. I have lettuce and dwarf cilantro planted in the attached greenhouse, but it looks pretty sickly at the moment.
 
For this coming season, I plan to plant several different tomato plants.. I like the yellow grape, the beefsteak, and the early girl variety..
Zucchini is also something I grow very well..
Green beans grow very well here as well..
I tried to grow onions and carrots but they came out very small and useless..
Now, I also grow marijuana which is legal here.. I don't consume it, but I make an ointment for pain and arthritis..
 
If you like early stuff, there are two Canadian varieties I have grown--Scotia tomatoes and Redskin bell peppers. Both bear very early and, although they are not quite as good as later varieties, they will get you through until the later stuff comes on. I used to buy them from Vesey's on P.E.I. I found Vesey's to be a good source of vegetables and such for the North.
 
We have bought from Vessey's also, but for the tomato and other plants, I rather buy them from our local garden center already a plant rather than a seed..
Up here, we can't put anything in the ground till the first week-end of June.. Usually just after Labour day all plants must come out before we get a frost that will kill everything.. A very short growing season up here..
 
Steve North said:
We have bought from Vessey's also, but for the tomato and other plants, I rather buy them from our local garden center already a plant rather than a seed..
Up here, we can't put anything in the ground till the first week-end of June.. Usually just after Labour day all plants must come out before we get a frost that will kill everything.. A very short growing season up here..
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That is our growing season as well @Steve North--about 90 days depending on the year. We have started all our plants indoors and transplant them out, even beets, sunflowers and corn (if I am brave and have extra space). I have multiple greenhouses that I use to extend the season, one of which is attached to the house and is heated to 50 F./10 C. all winter. Plants don't actively grow there during the end of November to the beginning of March as there is too little light, but tender perennials stay alive and are ready to go when the days lengthen. I have an array of "Light Shelves" that I use later when prepping for spring and summer, and I kick my wife's car out of the garage when I need that space too.:)
 
I decided before I left home a couple of days ago I’ll be pulling out my unnamed tomato plants when I get home , I’ve mentioned I bought seedlings marked Grosse Lisse which is a smooth large round tomato ….instead I got very small very tough skinned very small cherry type tomatoes …..so it’s going to be tomato binning time when I get home ….not just the tomatoes ..the plants and all …

Do you think it would be to late to plant new plants 1/2 way through summer ( I’ve got Roma's growing nicely ) on the other side of the house
@Don Alaska

I’m not going to trust that garden centre anyone ..this is the 3 rd year I’ve got different plants to what I thought i way buying
as well as buying sweet long yellow capisums that turned out to be small red hot bell shaped chilli’s
 
Kate Ellery said:
I decided before I left home a couple of days ago I’ll be pulling out my unnamed tomato plants when I get home , I’ve mentioned I bought seedlings marked Grosse Lisse which is a smooth large round tomato ….instead I got very small very tough skinned very small cherry type tomatoes …..so it’s going to be tomato binning time when I get home ….not just the tomatoes ..the plants and all …

Do you think it would be to late to plant new plants 1/2 way through summer ( I’ve got Roma's growing nicely ) on the other side of the house
@Don Alaska

I’m not going to trust that garden centre anyone ..this is the 3 rd year I’ve got different plants to what I thought i way buying
as well as buying sweet long yellow capisums that turned out to be small red hot bell shaped chilli’s
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I can't really comment on whether it is too late to replant tomatoes in your area @Kate Ellery. I am not that familiar with your growing season and you have varieties I am not at all familiar with. Go by the maturity dates and the length of your remaining season, or ask a local gardening expert. If the garden center you bought the tomatoes from is that careless with varieties, I wouldn't ask them though. Some of those palces think you won't know the difference or will blame the problems on yourself, both reasons not to frequent that place.
 
Don Alaska said:
I can't really comment on whether it is too late to replant tomatoes in your area @Kate Ellery. I am not that familiar with your growing season and you have varieties I am not at all familiar with. Go by the maturity dates and the length of your remaining season, or ask a local gardening expert. If the garden center you bought the tomatoes from is that careless with varieties, I wouldn't ask them though. Some of those palces think you won't know the difference or will blame the problems on yourself, both reasons not to frequent that place.
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It’s kinda warm till Easter each year ….regardless of what date Easter falls on ….you can just about bet your last $$$ it will turn cooler right after Easter…… @Don Alaska temps seen to drop from around the 18c overnight ( 64 F ) to maybe about 15 c ….unless we have what’s called the Indian summer …it doesn't really start getting xtra blanket weather ….till about mid May then it’s usually about 10 c overnight ( 50 F) we don’t have snow …but we get ….

Copied this bit…..
Winter (June to August) in South Australia, is characterized by cold, damp conditions with strong, biting winds originating from the Southern Ocean/Antarctic region.
 
Kate Ellery said:
It’s kinda warm till Easter each year ….regardless of what date Easter falls on ….you can just about bet your last $$$ it will turn cooler right after Easter…… @Don Alaska temps seen to drop from around the 18c overnight ( 64 F ) to maybe about 15 c ….unless we have what’s called the Indian summer …it doesn't really start getting xtra blanket weather ….till about mid May then it’s usually about 10 c overnight ( 50 F) we don’t have snow …but we get ….

Copied this bit…..
Winter (June to August) in South Australia, is characterized by cold, damp conditions with strong, biting winds originating from the Southern Ocean/Antarctic region.
Click to expand...
Only a few tomatoes will set fruit under 50 F./10 C., and you probably don't grow those. Those will be for @Steve North and me. We need one that set at low temperatures due to our short seasons. Most in the U.S and even a lot of Canada can successfully grow standard varieties of tomatoes without a greenhouse or tunnel.
 
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