Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hello, Roseta -- Always happy to meet another gardener! : ) With tough economic times upon us, and with our food supply under such assault from genetic modification, toxic ingredients imported from China, and rising food costs, it just makes good sense to grow as much of your own food as you can. We live in the foothills of Mt. Rainier in Washington state at about 1400', so our growing season is shorter and cooler than yours, I imagine. Our beans, purple pole beans and scarlet runners, were knocked out by an early frost, as were the squash, both summer and winter ones, alas. The frost was the earliest we've had in the 12 years we've lived here, and no one expected it, so most of my gardening friends, even at lower elevations, lost the tender things in their garden. The cole crops do well here and now we have lots of brussels sprounts, kale, collards and late broccoli. I have lettuce and a few other things in the greenhouse and the Sungold tomatoes are still producing in there. The late apples are ready to harvest and store. Where is your garden? What sort of fruit do you grow? ~ irene > Irene, I do all the time. We grow all our fruit and vegetables, just > had a very bad year for tomatoes so I have been buying some of those > at the store this year. Right now I still have a lot of eggplants and > peppers, I just harvested a small crop of blue corn (for corn bread) > and I have a few beans going, Kentucky wonders and fresh limas. We > also have lettuces and arugula for salads, and just about any herb you > would want. I planted a bunch of cole crops so I am expectantly > watching the ground.... > Where is your garden? > Roseta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Both gardens are in Los Angeles county, one at 800 feet, the other at 1500 or so....they are really small by a lot of standards in areas where land is not so pricey, we do companion planting a lot, and 4 season gardening. Fruit trees? we have several baby trees that do not produce yet, of the ones that do produce in between the two gardens: orange, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits, loquats, plums, nectarine, peach, figs, and pecans. We get pomegranates and concord grapes from the neighbors too. Not grown in trees but this year we also planted some watermelons and cantaloupes. The weather is great, the bugs are a problem with some tings though.....sorry to hear about your weather but you can still do cole crops and maybe carrots/parsnips/beets right? , irene wrote: > > Hello, Roseta -- > > Always happy to meet another gardener! : ) > > With tough economic times upon us, and with our food supply under > such assault from genetic modification, toxic ingredients imported > from China, and rising food costs, it just makes good sense to grow > as much of your own food as you can. > > We live in the foothills of Mt. Rainier in Washington state at about > 1400', so our growing season is shorter and cooler than yours, I > imagine. Our beans, purple pole beans and scarlet runners, were > knocked out by an early frost, as were the squash, both summer and > winter ones, alas. The frost was the earliest we've had in the 12 > years we've lived here, and no one expected it, so most of my > gardening friends, even at lower elevations, lost the tender things > in their garden. > > The cole crops do well here and now we have lots of brussels > sprounts, kale, collards and late broccoli. I have lettuce and a few > other things in the greenhouse and the Sungold tomatoes are still > producing in there. The late apples are ready to harvest and store. > > Where is your garden? What sort of fruit do you grow? > > > ~ irene > > > > Irene, I do all the time. We grow all our fruit and vegetables, just > > had a very bad year for tomatoes so I have been buying some of those > > at the store this year. Right now I still have a lot of eggplants and > > peppers, I just harvested a small crop of blue corn (for corn bread) > > and I have a few beans going, Kentucky wonders and fresh limas. We > > also have lettuces and arugula for salads, and just about any herb you > > would want. I planted a bunch of cole crops so I am expectantly > > watching the ground.... > > Where is your garden? > > Roseta > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 How wonderful to be able to grow such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Lucky you! Yes, the carrots, parsnips, beets and potatoes hold in the ground through the winter so we harvest them as needed. The cole crops can get by in the winter, though they do take a beating from the rain and snow. We're planning to set up a hoop house this year to increase the amount of food we grow. Nothing beats homegrown! ~ irene > Both gardens are in Los Angeles county, one at 800 feet, the other at > 1500 or so....they are really small by a lot of standards in areas > where land is not so pricey, we do companion planting a lot, and 4 > season gardening. Fruit trees? we have several baby trees that do not > produce yet, of the ones that do produce in between the two gardens: > orange, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits, loquats, plums, > nectarine, peach, figs, and pecans. We get pomegranates and concord > grapes from the neighbors too. Not grown in trees but this year we > also planted some watermelons and cantaloupes. The weather is great, > the bugs are a problem with some tings though.....sorry to hear about > your weather but you can still do cole crops and maybe > carrots/parsnips/beets right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hey....... We are very lucky here in east Texas we have can have two gardens every year.....a summer garden that is planted in early spring and a fall garden that is planted in early summer. We don't always have a lot of luck with broccoli or brussel sprouts and the like though.....just doesn't get cold enough usually. I am curious about one thing though. I have been gardening my whole live but have never heard or read the term " cole " garden. Where does that term come from and exactly what does it mean? As I read it I would think the word you were after is " cold " for cold weather crops which is what I have always read broccoli, brussel sprouts, along with English peas and a few other vegetables have always been considered to be here in east Texas. Just wondering. Nancy C. Price, Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hi, Nancy -- > Hey....... > We are very lucky here in east Texas we have can have two gardens > every year.....a summer garden that is planted in early spring and > a fall garden that is planted in early summer. That's great! > I am curious about one thing though. I have been gardening my > whole live but have never heard or read the term " cole " garden. > Where does that term come from and exactly what does it mean? It's a term used alternately with 'brassica,' which refers to all the members of the cabbage family. Here's a Virginia Tech website with more info: http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-403/426-403.html ~ irene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 what is a hoop house Barb --- On Fri, 11/14/08, irene <irene wrote: irene <irene Re: Vegetable gardens Friday, November 14, 2008, 4:45 PM How wonderful to be able to grow such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Lucky you! Yes, the carrots, parsnips, beets and potatoes hold in the ground through the winter so we harvest them as needed. The cole crops can get by in the winter, though they do take a beating from the rain and snow. We're planning to set up a hoop house this year to increase the amount of food we grow. Nothing beats homegrown! ~ irene > Both gardens are in Los Angeles county, one at 800 feet, the other at > 1500 or so....they are really small by a lot of standards in areas > where land is not so pricey, we do companion planting a lot, and 4 > season gardening. Fruit trees? we have several baby trees that do not > produce yet, of the ones that do produce in between the two gardens: > orange, tangerines, lemons, limes, grapefruits, loquats, plums, > nectarine, peach, figs, and pecans. We get pomegranates and concord > grapes from the neighbors too. Not grown in trees but this year we > also planted some watermelons and cantaloupes. The weather is great, > the bugs are a problem with some tings though.....sorry to hear about > your weather but you can still do cole crops and maybe > carrots/parsnips/ beets right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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