The thread for people who have Green Thumbs (Gardening)

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

Mine died. Well. . .for the most part. The rosemary is still doing well but everything else died. I think Mom forgot to water my spearmint once I started back to school, and I think the stevia was just in too small of a pot.

The flowerbed hasn't been weeded in ages, so there are quite a few weeds amidst the other pretties, but for the most part it is doing well.

My monkshood is getting set to bloom, and will probably do so within the next two weeks or so. Getting excited, as seeing those brilliant blooms are always such a treat (especially as they occur so late in the season)

[fantasia]

You all are making me really want to plant a garden, but I think I'd better try to just keep the peppermint alive for now.

You can always start small and add another plant or two each year.

Wondering how your respective gardens are doing, Bella, fantasia, Aravanna, DiGs ...

I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't been out to pick anything for several weeks now... unless I specifically need something that is. The tomatoes are out of control. The peppers are pretty loaded too, but they're not quite as bad. I'll try to get out to take a picture tomorrow before the storms roll in.
Oh, and I'm also wanting to dig a sweet potato plant to see how they're coming along.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

FK, you and I are such similar gardeners. I love planting and bringing new life into the world. I love watching the plants grow, thrive, and produce. . . but I am the laziest picker in the world

[johobbit]

I don't have any monkshood in our gardens, DiGs, and would love to get some eventually.

Oh, and I'm also wanting to dig a sweet potato plant to see how they're coming along.

And ... ?

I don't mind picking if most of it is at a reasonable level above ground. But harvesting bush beans is nigh back-breaking. Tomatoes and corn aren't bad, though. Cucs are okay as there aren't dozens upon dozens per plant.

Our tomatoes are still thriving. Brought in a basket and a half of Jet Star and Brandywines this morning, and another good half basket of cherries and grapes (tomatoes). Love. Love. Love!

We figured that although the squirrels may have had a part of the destruction of our corn rows, we think that more likely that it was racoons who demolished them in the first place. No wonder they're all wandering around so fat!

The beans are pretty much done; the 2nd round of pea seeds I planted later in the summer season probably do not have enough time to come to fruition with our northern cool weather. The peppers are still doing very well. A couple of cucs might be left. Need to check on them! All the flowers are looking glorious in this cooler weather, and my three mum plants must have hundreds of buds/blooms each. So cheery and beautiful.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

I don't have any monkshood in our gardens, DiGs, and would love to get some eventually.

It can be exceptionally difficult to find as it is HIGHLY toxic. A lot of garden centres just don't carry it due to the risk, but I was lucky in that two local garden centres had some. My first plant is HUGE and is probably 4-5 years old by now. The second one I found at the fruit farm this year, but it's a different subspecies with smaller and earlier blooms (I think it bloomed in late June)

[johobbit]

Ah, okay, thanks for the heads up.

I can't get over our Sedum/Stonecrop: every five days or so it darkens a degree. At this time, it is a beautiful deep rose colour. Stunning! Very similar to this ...



Our tomatoes continue to produce, produce, produce. I devour them! Sure going to miss their freshness in the winter months, when store-bought tomatoes tend to taste like cardboard.

[johobbit]

So, that gorgeous shade of our Stonecrop has gradually darkened, and is now a deep red-brown. Still really pretty—very autumnal.

Our tall corn plants are all crispy and brown now, but I don't want to take them down yet, as I love seeing corn stalks waving in the breezes. We are still getting lots of peppers and tomatoes.

As the cooler temperatures have finally arrived here (late this year), I'm keeping a very close eye as to when to bring in my bougainvillea and two hibiscus. We could be receiving some wet flurries next week, so I may be trundling them in the house in the next few days, just to be safe.

So many things are fading now in the gardens, but something that thrives in the cooler weather is marigolds. They look gorgeous. And I love their scent too. Geraniums do very well in the cool also. As well, the nasturtium have become extremely full, as have the dusty miller. Considering the dm's were such tiny plants when I first purchased them, I love to see the growth and vibrancy over the months. My parsley is "very happy" too, to quote someone.

If you're on FB, here is my gardening photo album form 2013. Look towards the bottom for the most recent pics.

[HyperWing]

I bought my tomato plants a little too late this year. I got a Victoria cherry tomatoe and a Roma Tomatoe plant. The Victoria tomato plant is dying back but I already have four more growing in the container from planting one of the tomatoes. The Roma tomato refuses to ripen but has three tomatoes on it. I'm thinking of bringing the roma tomato indoors for the winter but need enough light for it. Any suggestions on a good way to keep enough light on it while it's too cold for it outside?

I also bought a bat-faced Cuphea that died back though I'm not sure why as I followed the instructions for caring for one in the desert.

[johobbit]

Hi HyperWing, hopefully someone else will be able to answer your tomato query, as I have never brought mine inside. Having said that, we recently pulled our four tomato plants up *weeps* (which all grew to over 5' tall and were so prolific), but just before, I picked all the large green ones off the Brandywine and Jet Star plants, which are gradually ripening indoors. As for our mini tomatoes (grape and cherry), there were many green ones, but I just left them *weeps again* and picked all the partly orange and fully red ones to enjoy yet.

I have not heard of a Cuphea before, so googled it. Maybe this is an unfamiliar plant to me because they look to thrive more in warmer climates than the frigid north. Wow, they're very attractive!

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

I've never had any experience with bringing tomatoes indoors for winter either. Sorry

Jo, it sounds as if you're in mourning over those tomato plants

[fantasia]

We got hit with our first hard freeze last night. Gardening for the year is over and done, so what do I find in my mailbox today? A seed catalog!!!

[johobbit]

Jo, it sounds as if you're in mourning over those tomato plants

I am .... was. I'm okay now. Except that some of the tomatoes I rescued before our first frost are rotting rather than ripening. Others seem to be all right. And from last I saw, it's not one variety that is prone to spoiling. Hmm.

Last Saturday I spent hours outside, pulling up annuals, cutting back perennials, and now there are piles of yard 'waste' all over the veggie and perennial gardens to collect and bag up. Thing is, some of the sunflower stalks are so thick and strong, wow! Will have to retrieve the machete from the shed for those. The corn stalks just fell apart once the frost got them, but we salvaged some beforehand to place by our front door. *loves autumnal decorations*

We had our first leaf pick-up yesterday, and I had raked piles to the curb, but there are many more yet. Most have fallen, but numerous ones are trapped in behind bushes and obstacles that are always fun to get out. Not. As the leaves have not yet rotted, the colours are glorious and crisp together. I would love to jump in a pile again.

After having brought in my two hibiscus, some of their leaves, as usual, are turning yellow, but then they come around after a month or two. My small tree actually is doing quite well, with the majority of its leaves still green with a few bright yellow ones interspersed. But the smaller plant is mostly yellow now and yet has opened lovely blooms, which looks kinda funny with its falling leaves.

My bougainvillea did not survive indoors, sadly. It reacted so quickly to the change and bit the dust almost immediately. I told it that it shouldn't have been quite so dramatic.

Gardening for the year is over and done, so what do I find in my mailbox today? A seed catalog!!!

Nothing like keeping gardening in your mind all year 'round.

Bella, I'm curious to know how your fall gardening and clean-up went, but I know you're really busy with school now ...

[fantasia]

Guess what time of year it is? It's 'Stuff FK'S Mailbox with Seed Catalogs!!" season. I'm up to 9 or 10 catalogs I think? Time to start planning.

[johobbit]

fantasia!

I have never received any seed catalogues on a regular basis, but have picked them up at the store from time to time, more to check out anything new and different. Even though they are fascinating, I find them overwhelming too. Do you, fk and Bella, always order your seeds that way? I've never known any way of purchasing ours except by going to our local nursery and buying packets from there. Mind you, I have not yet tried beginning plants in our house either, but I sure think it's cool that you two do!

[fantasia]

I make it my goal to try at least one new tomato and one new pepper each year. (And I usually just try a new vegetable every year too, there's so many to choose from!) And since the local places that sell seed packets don't usually offer the oddball varieties, the online places are where to go! I would say that I get 75% of my seeds from online websites via their catalogs. And of course they sell my name out to other seed companies so I get even more catalogs. My sister was complaining over the weekend that she hasn't gotten any yet, but I suspect that's because I almost always order in January and she doesn't until much later.

I haven't even started thinking about what to plant this year, but I do know I want root vegetables again at my house because of my kiddo. I'd also like to try Kale, but I don't have a lot of luck with leafy greens thanks to hungry munching caterpillars.

[DiGoRyKiRkE]

I love to get catalogues in the mail. . . pity they never come. They kinda stop sending them to you if you never order anything from them. Not that I'll be putting out a garden this year. . . it's impossible to do it without at least one other person helping you.

I may try some herbs in pots. . . . but probably won't even do that. . .