What's Growing In Your Garden? Horticultural Science

[yurburdcansing]

** sigh**

I think I've found my home.

I love gardening. I haven't grown any veggies in quite awhile. I just don't have much time anymore but I still work with flowers quite a bit.

Big Dog I noticed you said this is your first success. Congrats and well done. Don't get too flustered though. Sometimes it takes a few seasons to get a garden or flower bed working. You have to have the patients to find the right soil additives like peat or sand and also the right plants for your yard and the areas of your yard.

For example, I can put just about anything in front because it's full sun but the back yard is almost all shade. Sometimes I have to move things around to find just the right location for them too.

[Michaelangelica]

And a picture tour of the garden as post 1700...

 

I think these are really cool flowers. I am not sure what they are, I should ask Shannon. I am always amazed at how nature finds a purpose for such an intricate pattern. Whatever they are I think they are beautiful.

 

Bill

Great Pics thanks

The flowers are Digitalis purpurea or Foxglove. It was thought that the flowers were used by the fairies as gloves or thimbles hence "Folk's glove"

The pattern is also in infra red (i think) to help the bees find the pollen.

Foxglove has saved the lives of probably the population of America. A heart drug was developed out of it from UK country Doctor after seeing his patients improve on a local "Witch's Brew" made from foxglove. The drug makes the blood vessels of the heart open up to allow more blood-flow to the muscle. Amazing!

Underneath is Yarrow. Great to make a tea of when you have a cold. The bees love it too. The flowers dry well and can be used in arrangements

--

Michael

[Chacmool]

Wow, great pictures - thanks BigDog!

And wonderful information - thanks Michaelangelica!

[Edella]

The Good...

 

Started harvesting the green beans today-they are blemish free and taste great.The radishes grew like mad,and quickly too;dont know why I planted so many,I don't really like them that much.Carrots,spinach both looking good so far.

 

The Bad...

 

Blossom end rot on one tomato plant!A quick google search,and I find that Blossom-end rot is not caused by a parasitic organism but is a physiologic disorder associated with a low concentration of calcium in the fruit.Yet I have three other tomato plants within two meters of the affected plant which have healthy fruit.I'm gonna read up on this a little more,but has anyone had this problem with their tomato plants?

[Chacmool]

Yummy, I love radishes! Congratulations on your great crop.

 

You might want to ask Boerseun about tomatoes; he used to farm with them.

[Michaelangelica]

I don't think "Liquid Compost" has been my finest garden moment.

 

I have put everything in it seaweed, fish emulsion, yeast, sugar, kitchen scraps, pee, manure.

 

I am a little afraid of it

 

I dreamt it ate my plants.

 

It bubbles

 

If I tip it out I am afraid of a Chernobyl type incident.

[TheBigDog]

You may have seen my locality in the news this week. We had 12 inches of rain at my house last week. Where I live and work was ground zero of the flooding that happened in North East Ohio. Many of the people I work with had mild to severe damage from the flooding. I was lucky. The only thing that happened at my house is that the rain beat some of our tall flowers flat to the ground. The veggie garden seemed to love the attention, and the yellow squash, eggplant and tomatoes are still going strong. And #1 just walked in with a cantalope from the garden!

 

Here is a picture of #4 preparing to meet the FEMA inspectors so I can get federal aid to stand my flowers back up...

 

 

Bill

[Turtle]

And #1 just walked in with a cantalope from the garden!

Since you're already married, you cant elope. :doh: :lol:

 

Here is a picture of #4 preparing to meet the FEMA inspectors so I can get federal aid to stand my flowers back up...

 

 

Bill

 

Are those Hollyhocks that are still standing? Don't tell the kids, but back in the 20's we called them shithouse roses because everyone planted them 'round the outhouse.:cup: Historical Horticultural Humor:eek2:

[Turtle]

My garden continues rather normally, with one exception. My normal tomatoes are heavy with green fruit & I see no identifiable variance among the tomato plants with charcoal enriched soil & those without.

I continue to harvest radishes every couple days, but I have noticed the patches I have replanted do not grow as vigorous a crop.

I am harvesting - and trying to eat! - one cucumber per day. :hihi: :eek:

I have one green watermelon on the vine among a dozen plants.:omg: It is all of 1.5 cm in diameter.:shrug:

The acorn squash are growing vigorously & flowering, but no fruit yet.

The one exception I have to normal growth is a sunflower plant with a Siamese-twin flower head! Maybe it's not uncommon, but I have never seen a two-fer before. When I have my camera out of the SUCTON enclosure I'll grab a photo of the little freak.:eek2: :secret:

[Michaelangelica]

My garden continues rather normally, with one exception. My normal tomatoes are heavy with green fruit & I see no identifiable variance among the tomato plants with charcoal enriched soil & those without.

Have you used fertilisers as well?

The charcoal only seems to work when there is added fertiliser.

Then again you may need two years and 20% charcoal to see real difference!

 

I have found a few,some odd, differences, including better water retention, and will post them soon. Spring is coming!

[Turtle]

What's growing in my garden, you ask? a Conjoined-Twin Sunflower, that's what!:secret:

[Michaelangelica]

What's growing in my garden, you ask? Conjoined-Twin Sunflower , that's what!:secret:

And how is the local Nuclear Waste Dump going?

[Turtle]

And how is the local Nuclear Waste Dump going?

:eek: :hyper: I'm getting that question a lot, so here's the situation for my Siamese Sunflower. ;) I have 11 Sunflower plants of which Freak Head is only one. They all came from the same seed pack; all planted at the same time along the West wall of the house; all fertilized 3 times at the same time (10:10:10 mix-with-water type); all watered at the same time each day. I'll get a group photo soon to post.

The whole subdivision is less than ten years old & was previously farm & pasture land. Since 1825 or there abouts when Fort Vancouver was established here, there have been folks doing folksy things but no industrial toxic dumps right here that I am aware of.

But, I am sitting on top of hundreds of feet of flood deposit from the Missoula Floods & they say it is rich in Radon gas. :eek: :D Whatever the case, separation is out of the question as both Flowers share critical xylem & phloem.:evil:

[Turtle]

More Conjoined-Twin-Head Sunflower trivia.

 

It is the shortest of all 11 Sunflowers in the patch.

It has bloomed before any of the otherr 10 Sunflowers in the patch.

[Michaelangelica]

More Conjoined-Twin-Head Sunflower trivia.

 

It is the shortest of all 11 Sunflowers in the patch.

It has bloomed before any of the otherr 10 Sunflowers in the patch.

I would be inclined to keep the seed and see if they breed true next year.

I am sure florists would appreciate them.

[Turtle]

I would be inclined to keep the seed and see if they breed true next year.

I am sure florists would appreciate them.

 

I concur. Thy will be done.:ip: :rose: :moon:

[Michaelangelica]

I concur. Thy will be done.:ip: :rose: :moon:

SEE TO IT

AS I HAVE CREATED THESE SUNFLOWERS FOR YOU!!!!

(godly voice)

Besides you might make a quid out of it.