What are you going to try for the first time this year? - Page 2

[FarmerCathy]

Aren't the peter peppers fun? I should grow some nipple fruit next to them.

[JamieCatheryn]

OMG erotic gardening. This redefines garden porn (as discussed on the seed catalog thread)! I blushed deep red to see those peter peppers!

My dad got me a canning set for Christmas (yay!), I hope my tomatillos do grow like crazy and give me a lot. I LOVE enchiladas with salsa verde.

[rhianna813]

For this year I am going to attempt cucumbers and beets. My soil is very dense and clayish, so root veggies do not grow well. I am looking to use large pots for the beets... until I get some raised beds made.

I want the cucumbers to trellis but am not sure what is best to use and how high it should be. I want to ferment/pickle the cucumbers, so they need to be small.

I also might try peppers in pots and grow them near my house in the front driveway. Its the spot that gets the most sun. Normally the peppers just barely grow and turn green before the frost hits. They never seem to get red, which I like best. I bought Yum Yum mini peppers from Territorial seeds.

Rhianna

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

OMG erotic gardening. This redefines garden porn (as discussed on the seed catalog thread)! I blushed deep red to see those peter peppers!

My dad got me a canning set for Christmas (yay!), I hope my tomatillos do grow like crazy and give me a lot. I LOVE enchiladas with salsa verde.

Hehe!

That is awesome you got a canning set for Christmas. We have a water bath canner and a pressure canner where we are registered for our wedding. Hoping that we get both.

[Ruthiegirl]

I am going to try onions from seed. I have done sets before, but I understand that onions form seed store better. I have to get these going soon!

[mumm]

I am trying ground cherries, edamame, garlic and sesame. Also corn, which I've grown ornamentally, but not for food.

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Aren't the peter peppers fun? I should grow some nipple fruit next to them.

The peppers are great! I saw the photo of nipple fruit in the baker's catalog but couldn't find the description of it while standing at the mail box.

Also so thrilled to see your photo. (and sorry about your loss.) What a great face! I'm not really a creepy stalker but you always have such great info and share it in a way that makes us less experienced (clueless!) folks not feel demeaned. Now when I say "Farmer Cathy says" I have a face to back it up!!

[verde]

Rutabagas and Brussels sprouts.

[steffanie3]

Originally Posted by atobols

dry beans, brussel sprouts, turnips, parsnips, huckleberries, and cantaloupe

I forgot to say those garden huckleberries produced like crazy for me, one plant was huge and plenty for us for fresh eating.

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

I bought Stevia seeds from Baker Creek (yes, I know that they are notoriously difficult to germinate), and am going to give it a shot. I struck out when looking for anyone who carries Stevia plants in my area, or even someone nearby that I could get a cutting from.

I am going to try stevia too, I bought the seed last year but never gave it a try

Originally Posted by HeatherAtHome

It's our first real garden so everything is new!

Congratulations

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

Good luck to all of you trying out new things in the garden. I've always got at least one new to me crop or variety. This year hopefully it will be the Peter Pepper.

Oh my!

Don't forget the seed swap for those things you want to try this year or to share extras you have. http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1157034

Oh, I am trying Chinese Red Meat radishes, Mother of Pearl poppies, and Yellow Monster peppers hopefully tomatillos (purple preferably), Ali Baba watermelon, and a new tomato or two.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

That is awesome you got a canning set for Christmas. We have a water bath canner and a pressure canner where we are registered for our wedding. Hoping that we get both.

You two just crack me up. All American 921, right? Were you doing the Ashland water bath canner, too? Just call me an enabler...

Originally Posted by FarmerCathy

This year hopefully it will be the Peter Pepper. I've been trying to grow this the last two years and have failed. This year I'm determined to grow it.

Oh. my. stars.

Originally Posted by earthmama369

I'm going to try not to go overboard on the garden this year.

Yeah. Kinda my hope, too. But Cathy and co. might help me go overboard regardless. There's worse things.

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

I bought Stevia seeds from Baker Creek (yes, I know that they are notoriously difficult to germinate), and am going to give it a shot. I struck out when looking for anyone who carries Stevia plants in my area, or even someone nearby that I could get a cutting from.

Just be persistent. I don't know how many Stevia seeds I planted last year, but I think I got like 4-6 seedlings, and managed to kill all but 2 of them from various issues.

Originally Posted by rhianna813

I want the cucumbers to trellis but am not sure what is best to use and how high it should be. I want to ferment/pickle the cucumbers, so they need to be small.

I also might try peppers in pots and grow them near my house in the front driveway. Its the spot that gets the most sun. Normally the peppers just barely grow and turn green before the frost hits. They never seem to get red, which I like best. I bought Yum Yum mini peppers from Territorial seeds.

My cukes only get 3-4 feet long, so trellises 4 feet do just fine for cukes for me. And red peppers? If you pick them as they're as mature as they're going to get outside and let them ripen on your kitchen counter (like tomatoes), they'll turn red.


My big things this year? Not going too crazy with the garden. In case we actually do move before the end of harvest season. And turning a cattle panel trellis deal into a greenhouse. And using a ton of pots - so if we do manage to move this summer (if we even do!), I can take some of my goodies with me. A good 1/4-1/3 of my in-ground bed I'm planning on just throwing pots down on and calling it good.


Which reminds me, anyone ever spray painted their pots?
I have some [cheap but giant] pots I've gotten from a local nursery, and they're not exactly the prettiest things with them being all black. So, I was debating letting the kids pick out a few colors and spray painting the outside and top lips of the pots to add some extra pizazz to the yard. If we have time or get around to it, who knows if it'd actually happen, but I think it could be fun.

Oh, and I'd like to grow a little spinach before it bolts. So, like, right now would be ideal to plant it because apparently we skipped right past winter this year - it's already April weather here.

[steffanie3]

Originally Posted by lmonter

Oh, and I'd like to grow a little spinach before it bolts. So, like, right now would be ideal to plant it because apparently we skipped right past winter this year - it's already April weather here.

I know we are not too far apart, I keep wondering if I should put in my cold crops, my husband assures me that it will probably get cold again, but I am not so sure.

Oh and in light of the holiday, I don't think Punxsutawney Phil has any idea what is going on in Idaho.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by steffanie3

I know we are not too far apart, I keep wondering if I should put in my cold crops, my husband assures me that it will probably get cold again, but I am not so sure.

You're more in the banana belt there though. But yeah, if I had the energy or drive it's possible I'd be out in the yard between the mud doing something. Right now I'm lucky to have clean underwear for me and the kids. Hubby and I keep joking that we've gotten Portland's weather this year, and they got part of our winter. It's been April here for like a month, I swear.

[zensven42]

cauliflower! woohoo cauliflower!

[KristyDi]

In the past I've just done tomatoes and jalapenos in pots on the driveway. Oh I once grew a cucumber plant in a pot.

This year I'm putting in a raised bed because the thought of trying to make my GA red clay yard into a reasonable place to grow a garden exhausts me. I'm thinking I'll make it about 3x3 and use cinder blocks. I also have a bog planter box on my back deck that's a little bigger than 2x2.

I know I want tomatoes and jalapenos and poblanos. I'm debating between zukes, yellow squash, and some herbs. Oh and I also really want to grow some rouge vif d'etampes pumpkins. I may just try some in the yard.

I'm hoping to have enough tomatoes to can some.

I'm probably going to go overboard. I've accepted it.

[lakeruby]

A sesame plant!

Also several herbs-- we'll see how it goes with germination: Lovage, motherwort, echinacia, elecampagne, and calendula.

[sunnysandiegan]

I have only container gardened in the past for food crops. I've been working on our soil the slow, inexpensive way all this time and we've had some major home repair/improvement projects that inevitably dump junk into our garden beds since our space is so small. I had advance warning on the roofing project and laid down newspaper to protect all my hard work. My plan was to remove the newspaper and the roofing stuff this weekend and get started on the next step. However, the skies just opened up a few minutes ago and it is POURING down rain. I see online it is expected to continue through Sunday. Hmph.

In containers, I already have new to me food growing:
blueberry bush (started as a bush from local family-owned nursery)
broccoli (started as a six-pack starter from above nursery)
beets (started as seeds from cropswapper locally)
romaine, Amish deer tongue, and spinach in my lettuce bowl (started as six-pack starters from above nursery and four-inch pot starters from local farmer's market)
bay leaf plant (started as small plant from favorite nursery after a free class in herbs)

I also have asparagus that is still in it's six-pack because I don't have another container and I wanted it in the ground.

Not new to me is parsley outside in a strawberry pot. I've only grown herbs and strawberries before.

Inside I am trying parsley, chives, and thyme in small containers for easy use in the kitchen. Frequent watering is far easier to remember with them right inside, also. However, they aren't doing anything right now and were living fine outside before all the roofing construction. Could be time of year or could be they don't like our kitchen! (We don't have any heat this winter and it is mild here anyway.)

We have some shoots coming up that we are unfamiliar with... thinking garlic or spring onions maybe? We also have potatoes growing that we don't have a clue about. Had to ask neighbors what they even were. (We compost directly in the ground a la Loren Nancarrow and some other local gardeners.)

We have a tiny space really, so I am learning how to get plants to grow in unusual containers and situations. So far, I am liking the idea of mounting rain gutters along the shed wall (stucco wall) and wood fence. I've been attending a local food movement lecture series and saw these there. They seem like a good idea for our growing situation.

I want to grow a variety of foods we like to eat, but not a lot of any one food. We don't have room to store the food long-term, so we want what is edible when it is ready and hopefully we can swap with neighbors and friends if we have too much at one time. Everyone wants our "extra" blueberries already. As if there will be any....