The thread for people who have Green Thumbs (Gardening)

[stargazer]

Does anyone else just love the scent of growing plants ... tomatoes, especially?

*raises hand* Yes, I do! Especially in the spring, which should be coming any month now.

When I still lived with my parents it was nice just to go into the backyard and smell all the plants coming back to life.

I think our last-frost date is similar to yours, jo, though it can come in June as well.

Just the other day my gardening expert, Ryadian's mother, mentioned that she's usually started growing cold-weather crops (like peas and lettuce) indoors by now, but she's late this year. She enjoys getting the garden going each spring (along with help from her family), and once we lose all this snow they'll be busy.

[fantasia]

I've been waiting for things to dry up this week so I can start tilling the garden. I'm late this year because NORMALLY we don't have such solid cold weather and the ground has been either frozen or soaking wet. I don't think we're supposed to get any more rain til Friday so maybe Thursday my husband and I can go till.

In the meantime, my tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are doing wonderfully well.

[fantasia]

I am REALLY behind on gardening outdoors this year because it's been the coldest winter on record... seriously. We even celebrated the first day of spring with 3" of snow. Luckily, being in the midwest where weather can change dramatically on a daily basis, yesterday it got up to 72F *celebration!!!!
After my husband got home from work yesterday, we hightailed it out to the garden where he started tilling (yeah, we're REALLY behind) and I started unburying my herb garden. I was very happy to find my oregano and thyme in really good shape, and my garlic starting to come up as well. I also had to get my peppermint back in check as its goal is garden domination. But the thing I was most excited about is that i have volunteer parsley this year! (At least I think it's parsley. There's a possibility it could be cilantro.
Anywhoo... I managed to get my lettuce, spinach, mesclun, mustard greens, green onions, yellow onions, and white onions planted last night before it got too dark to see. I don't know how much more I'll be able to do this week though cause it's supposed to be pretty rainy, but next week looks good so I'll try and get more things in then.

[Shadowlander]

I understand what you mean, FK. This was one of the longest, wackiest winters we've had in NC for quite some time. It's now getting into the low 70's here too and my wife and I are thinking about what to put down this year. I'm mostly thinking of just sticking in a bunch of flowers in ugly spots on my property (marigold chief among them). But I'm nervous about putting them down right now...I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and 6 inches of snow to descend upon us with no warning.

This has been a really weird year weather-wise!

[QueenSusanJ316]

Hello,
I work at a greenhouse, and I love working with the plants. It is not uncommon for my boss to find me with pollen all over me because I smelled so many flowers! Where I live it is too early to plant, but when we can I really love potatoes and onions. I wish I could grow corn, but everyear we try it dies

[stargazer]

Great pics, fantasia_kitty! They remind me of Ryadian's parents' basement in most years (that's where they begin plants indoors for transplant later in the season). That's the most green I've seen (except for coniferous trees) since last October.

Almost all our snow is gone but it's still too early to plant outside here. It hasn't hit 70F yet but it should later this week.

Can't wait for those garden-grown tomatoes (only about 4 months away! )

QueenSusanJ316, I'm glad you enjoy your greenhouse job! In my younger days I think I would have enjoyed such a job too - but now I don't dare as I've developed some allergies to pollen in the last 10 years or so).

[wolfloversk]

My mom had bought a ton of seeds and I think my dad actually intends to plant them this year. I really hope so, I absolutly love plants and gardens. I know she got carrots, morning glories and pumpkins, but she got a lot more, I just can't remember what they are.

If she doesn't plant them I'll probably buy a bunch of soil and containers and start an indoor garden. Especially since I've been wanting to do that for a while.

As for the smell of growing plants, I must say I enjoy it (although I prefer pine over tomato.) I really like earthy and natury smells (most of the time)

[starkat]

I don't claim to have a green thumb, but fantasia sent me some tomato seeds. I bought a packet of squash seeds so the starter I bought wouldn't go to waste. I planted the squash seedlings in the ground yesterday. The tomato seedling that sprouted isn't big enough yet to plant in the ground. Should be interesting to see if any of these survive to actually produce.

I just hope our homeowner association doesn't protest to having a garden in the front yard. lol. I have a dog in the back and as this is the first year I've ever really tried this. If I'm successful, next year I may ask dad if I can dig a small garden in the back if I promise to reseed it with grass if I don't follow through.

Will the same stuff work on squash and tomato to keep bugs away?

[Shadowlander]

In my humble opinion, the best "starter" vegetable is the simple, humble greenbean. Tomatoes are fairly easy to grow but can be tempermental at times...but the greenbean grows fast, yields a lot of pods, and will keep pumping them out steadily for several months, provided you keep them watered regularly. Plant 9-10 seeds and within a few months (usually mid summer) you'll have more greenbeans than you know what to do with.

[johobbit]

Mmm, I love reading over these posts. Earth, soil, and home-grown produce is so ... contenting and peaceful.

My plan is to plant my Brandywine tomato seeds indoors in the next couple of weeks, wooot!

fk, I'm thoroughly enjoying your progressive gardening photos.

*agrees with Shadowlander* that one of the best vegetables to begin growing, if you haven't tried anything before, is beans. They're virtually indestructible, very prolific, and the end result is so yummy-tasting, whether raw—right off the plant—or cooked. The only 'iffy' thing I've found about beans is that daddy-long-legs enjoy sheltering under their abundant green leaves.

EDIT: kat, I'm not sure what works for both squash and tomatoes, but I do know I use bloodmeal freely in my vegetable and flower gardens, and it works to repel small animals, 'though it has to be applied after every rain, as it washes into the soil, which, btw, is very good for those growing plants.

[johobbit]

*bumps this topic to the first page*

I spent two half-days in the last week just cleaning up old, dead leaves from collector spots around the yard, front, back, and side, digging out those wildly persistent dandelions ('though personally I love the look of bright, yellow dandelions—until they go to seed—but our neighbours wouldn't agree ), and turning over the earth in various gardens. What a satisfying feeling.

And ... this weekend I'm planting (indoors) my Brandywine tomato seeds. Can't wait! This way they should be ready to dig in outdoors by early June.

We bought two containers of 'hens and chickens'—dark red and green—awhile ago, and will be digging them into the front garden. I've loved the look (and name) of these for years. They spread well and are just so ... cute.

Also, over the last few months a number of people have given me spring flowers of various types—mainly hyacinths, though, this being my ultimate favourite. I'm saving them all for planting in the ground this fall, having dug up a garden at the very back of our yard, as well as a smaller one nearer the house, which will house these spring beauties, as well as a variety of plants we've been given over time.

One final thing: a friend—a NarniaWebber, no less—sent me a number of hyacinth bulbs, which I planted close to our back patio door last fall, and they're coming up beautifully. Still quite small, but growing with time. They're arranged around a garden stone, and I'll have to take a photo when they're fully up and in bloom.

[DamselJillPole]

I just moved and i should start gardening again soon with my moms help

The only place where I have been creating dream gardens is on my Sims 2 game. The ones I create I wish i could do in real life.

[wolfloversk]

^I have a similar problem with Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2, they make me want to create vast exhibits or gardens... but alas I don't have the time, space, or money (... two loves of my life... landscaping and zoology)

Aaanyway... back to topic...

My mom just bought some bush that she wants to plant, I forget the name of it, but I think we used to have one of the same type before she pruned it to death...

There are also a few plants at the store that I want to get for some more interior rainforesty decorations in my room. My cacti have not been doing well at all... only half survived the winter, probably do to lack of sunlight (oops... ). Luckily my ivy plant is doing much better. Eight full leaves, and I believe its growing 3 more. Time for a larger vase and or pot.

[pickle]

I'm planting things this year, as I've done for the last 2 or so years. This year I planted: 11 different varieties of tomatoes (tomatoes for the win!), cucumbers, peppers, melons (go honey dew!), beans, zucchini, and squash.

A tip for zucchini growers: Unless you have a huge family to feed, you only need ONE zucchini plant. In a normal growing season, it will yield about 50-60 zucchinis.

[Shadowlander]

My wife and I put in a ton of petunias in our flowerboxes Sunday. Last Thursday I cleared out the drainage ditch on one of the roads running by our property (it was filled with 2 years worth of dead leaves, weeds, and Heaven knows what else), tilled the top inch or two of soil up, and then planted a giant bag of wildflower seeds, as well as some tiny fertilizer pellets. It's close to a 30 foot stretch of soil, 2 feet wide at it's smallest and 4 at it's widest, and I was one sore Shadowlander when it was all said and done.

And today I went out and took a look and I have sprouts coming up! Wooty wootage! The bag is supposed to contain 25 different wildflowers (although, interestingly enough, 70% of the bag is some kind of inorganic "filler" ). So, according to the instructions within a few weeks I'll have morning glories, marigolds, black eyed susans, daisies, and a whole host of other things growing in a normally ugly rut on the border of my property, and said flowers are promised to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This pleases me.

[fantasia]

Well I am officially finished planting my personal backyard garden for the year.

Here's what I've got....

Herbs
Lettuce, spinach, mesclun, and mustard greens
Green onions, yellow onions, and white onions
Carrots, beets, and radishes
Green cucumbers
Tomatoes - Black Krim, Juliet Hybrid, Black Pearl, and Honeybunch
Peppers - Flavorburst (a yellow/green bell pepper), Anaheim, Habenero, and 2 Random Hot Peppers
Asparagus
Rhubarb
Strawberries
Blueberries

A few pictures....