My neighbor Dale and I are planting food in my back yard. This is going to be a potato. I don't mind sharing the leaves with a hungry bug as long as it leaves the potatoes for me.
We had three tomatoes growing as of yesterday. Probably more today. They are determined, and in the spot Dale chose for them it's apparently not too hard.
We have garlic, cucumbers, eggplant, and onions. More to be planted on Sunday.
I tossed this purple onion into the compost because it had mold on it. The onion took advantage of the opportunity and sprouted. So I followed the onion's opportunist example and stuck it in the ground. We shall see. Maybe it'll turn out to be food, maybe not.
But as Dale says, "They're plants. They know what to do."
I wonder where you can find all these wonderful plants in the wild??? Congrats to you and Dale for putting together a wonderful garden! Love, love, love homegrown tomatoes!!!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until a few years ago that I saw purple onions... I didn't know they came in varieties at all.
ReplyDeleteChieftess, Dale has even more stuff growing at his house. I'm learning what he already knows, I think.
ReplyDeleteWilliam, the purple ones have a strong flavor. You don't need much!
You're lucky, you have all the right ingredients for growing vegetables - an empty garden without too much shade. We found that French beans and cherry tomatoes did best of all. Just water and feed your plantings, then harvestand eat. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love purple onions! I have this weird fear of gardening. I'm afraid I'll be an abject failure. But I'm determined to try at some point. Next year probably. You make it look easy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bellis. Yes, we have plenty of sun, free leaf mulch and a yard full of dirt. That about does it, along with the hose.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I am learning from my wise friend Dale that indeed we will have failures. But we will also have successes and that's what a garden does.
I have to admit I'm really excited about it.
I'm excited for you.
ReplyDeleteYay, you, Petrea. Nothing tastes quite as good as food you've grown yourself. Yummy.
ReplyDeleteIt must be because we had a garden as I was growing up. I find grocery store produce to be bland, especially tomatoes and apples. The farmers' markets are better, but often more expensive. I'm hoping this will be the thing.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to check out Christina's blog at http://www.athinkingstomach.com
ReplyDeleteShe's a great source of information and inspiration. I'm afraid the sweat is something we bring to the table.
Thanks, PA. I know Christina and I love her blog. Your reminder to check it is timely.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to garden, Petrea! (Unfortunately, if I did that in my back yard, the dogs would "water" them for me. eww")
ReplyDeleteBetty, if this project continues when a new family member arrives, we'll fence in the food!
ReplyDeleteNothing you buy ever compares to what you grow.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be fun watching your garden grow.
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited. Really. Inordinately excited. We have 8 potato plants sprouting now, and 11 onions. 12, if you count the purple one.
ReplyDeleteI made little seedling planters from toilet paper rolls (shall I post pictures?) and hope to plant more stuff tomorrow, including three apple seed sprouts. I am amazed.
Produce in California has seen better days...all the tweaking that growers have done to plants have tweaked the flavor right out of it all!!! When I was a kid, we had a produce guy drive around the neighborhood with fresh produce that was fantastic...I rarely eat fruit anymore as it's usually hard or mealy and hardly any flavor...unless I get it at a farmer's market!!! Or grow it myself...but then...my house plants will tell you I don't have a very green thumb!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is exciting. Have fun with it!
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited, Dina, as you can tell.
ReplyDeleteChieftess, this is one of the reasons I'm growing things. We also have 3 fruit trees and I planted apple seedlings, so maybe we'll eventually have 4. But for now, the farmers' markets are the only place to get decent fruit in my part of California.
Speaking of inspiration, I didn't think I was going to plant anything this year. But then I saw this and felt rather left out, so I planted some tomatoes lovage, basil, and peppers. And I'm glad I did.
ReplyDeleteWell thanks, that makes me feel good. Do you fence off your edibles to protect them from Albert's uh, markings?
ReplyDeleteSort of. I have an eight foot tomato cage that's laid horizontally.
ReplyDeleteI hope it works. Or you can buy that vegetable wash stuff. I don't know if it's effective but I feel good about it, and they say the placebo effect is real.
ReplyDelete“Determined” tomatoes? Do you mean “determinate”? Determinate tomatoes have a definite growing cycle, after which they die off. Indeterminate tomatoes will keep growing and fruiting until they are killed by frost (here in the Northeast, at least).
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, thanks for your comment. I meant my tomatoes are determined to grow, which they have. I've never known about determinate vs. indeterminate tomatoes. It's good to learn something new.
ReplyDelete