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Winter Garden

post #1 of 25
11/13/01 at 12:11am
Thread Starter 
Although we do not have winter in Greece with the classical definition of the word : cold, rain, snows etc etc etc

This morning I found out that what I have planted for winter is growing!!! :bounce:

I have spinach, beet roots, lettuces, cabbages, garlics. I am taking great care of these garlics because I use them fresh for pickles. The ultimate pickles!!




This week- end I planted my tulips also!

How are your gardens doing?
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post #2 of 25
11/13/01 at 10:42pm
I planted some violas (johnny-jump-ups or tiny pansies) because they look so great in salads and on desserts. I didn't plant any cole crops this year (no cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc) because LAST year when we sprayed for worms with baccillus thuriengis it made our new dog really sick (he eats EVERYTHING). Next year we'll fence the garden and keep him out! Last year it was so warm here that all my leafy things bolted really early but it's much cooler this year so I think my spinach and lettuces will be very happy. I'm trying some watermelon radishes, they are so beautiful, striated pink and white flesh! I crushed some unidentified grapes from our arbor and am trying some vinegar in a little 2-gallon barrel, using a mother from a Zinfandel vinegar I made last year. We'll see!

Love ~ Debbie
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post #3 of 25
11/13/01 at 10:44pm
Thread Starter 

Vinegar Tip

For the vinegar.
When you place it in the barrel, add a couple of pieces of raw pasta inside!

;)
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post #4 of 25
11/14/01 at 12:34pm
My garden is still my summer garden but it's doing amazingly well considering it's already November. No more tomatoes and peppers, but the herbs except for basil are thriving. The Italian parsley is all over the place. I still have lavender, tarragon, mint, sage, chives and a little oregano. It's been unseasonably warm here this fall.
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post #5 of 25
11/15/01 at 8:23pm
My herbs are still flourishing too. But tell me about raw pasta in the vinegar? Is that dried pasta? Or fresh uncooked pasta? Something else I'm trying for the first time is planting a cover crop of nitrogen fixing plants to till in to the soil in very early spring to improve the soil. I mixed in some California wildflower seeds, so now we a a really nice green meadow - no flowers yet of course. I decided last year that if I want the garden double-dug I'll have to hire someone to do it - we are too old and too busy!

My dogs really made me laugh while I was pulling out the last of the squash vines last weekend. The young male dog, Bandit, was out there in the dirt with me, yanking on the vines and trying to dig holes to China, and our older female, Maggie, was sitting outside the garden giving him the most disdainful look. But she was the one who wanted to help me carry everything to the compost pile, while he went off to bark at the resident squirrels! I guess like in any good relationship, they have the work suitably divided...

Love ~ Debbie
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post #6 of 25
11/18/01 at 10:08am
Thread Starter 

Photos please

Debbie.

I put a couple of pieces of dried pasta and leave the bottle under the sun for 10 days.

As for your pets... Photos please...:cool:
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post #7 of 25
11/18/01 at 10:20am
Athenaeus,
What does the dry pasta do?
Does it somehow help with fermantation?does it turn the vinegar cloudy?
cc
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post #8 of 25
11/19/01 at 4:38am

Gardens

I truly envy those of you with gardens. I live in the forest and miss gardening a lot. I plan to clear cut a small area over the winter and try a small garden plot in springtime. It's such a pity to have all this wonderfuly rich soil from thousands of years of natural compost and not grow vegetables in it. A friend sent me some herb seeds from her garden in California and I will be planting some of them inside. I miss having garden fresh vegetables and herbs. Besides a little digging in the soil is such a rewarding way to relax the mind from worries and cares.
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post #9 of 25
11/19/01 at 11:09am

Miss my Veggie patch

Back in Sunny Pretoria, South Africa,
november will be getting ready to harvest Cantonese Dong Gwha (marrow), Sang gwah (gourd), Foo Gwah (bitter melon), thois continued through to march/april.

In Ottawa, wre getting ready for our first snows, so that a contrast.

SUre missing the small veggie patch. will be at it again next spring.
:lips:
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post #10 of 25
11/19/01 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
Having in mind that Papa has olive trees in Connecticut that he has found a way to keep them in his house I do not see why you do not have small gardens in flower pots.

Dear Wolfgang4711 I think that it worths to give a try with planting herbs in pots! Same for you Glutz!

Do not say no! Because I will have to take a plane and come show you how to do it :)

Seriously now, Papa has posted some advices for gardens in the North. We will be glad to answer questions.

I STRONGLY encourage you to try! My husband's village is in a forest on the mountains and we have created a small garden in a corner of our garden that it's filled with firs.

PS Yes ! Pasta turns the vinegar cloudy.
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post #11 of 25
11/19/01 at 12:28pm

Athenaeus

Hi Athenaeus,

I am geting pots together now to start planting Oregano, Thyme, Basil and Lemon Basil in my sunroom over winter. Any other suggestions for indoor herbs? I was wondering if Chives are worth the effort for a small indoor space.
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post #12 of 25
11/19/01 at 12:36pm
Chives
cut the leaves just above soil level, invigorates further growth.

Spring onions
cut off the roots with about 1/16 inch of white,
into soil and soon you have more spring onions.
In the garden, the heads multiply themsleves for the winter rest.
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post #13 of 25
11/19/01 at 4:37pm
I was never able to get herbs to grow indoor. No idea what I did wrong or why.
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post #14 of 25
11/20/01 at 12:22am
Hey Wolfgang, I used to live in West Virginia around Morgantown, but I don't know where Berkel;y Springs is. I hope your herbs do well indoors this winter but in early spring be sure to find ramps growing wild in your woods. They give you the most terrible gas but they are the most glorious combination of green onion and garlic flavor! They are a total classic with the venison you hunted in the fall. Somebody in a little holler will show you where they are and give you a little snootful of moonshine or, if you are lucky, some dandelion glow, to boot! What else are you finding there??

Love ~ Debbie
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post #15 of 25
11/20/01 at 12:31am
And I just thought of something else - do the chives! They are great with scrambled eggs and FABULOUS with thin-skinned potatoes, with butter and parmesan cheese. AND the blossoms are fantastic in salads. I keep writing about this, I guess I really love flowers in salad! They do best if you try to keep just one clump in a pot - they like rich soil.

Love ~ Debbie
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post #16 of 25
11/20/01 at 3:06am

Herbs and things~~Isa & Olive

Isa,

Herbs need lots of light. I keep them in a window and turn them every day so all sides get light. Also most folks over water them and they drown out or the roots rot. Some folks forget to water them. It's been a few years since I had them inside, but I loved having them fresh within reach.

Debbie,

Berkeley Springs is in the North Eastern corner of the Eastern Panhande, boardered by PA and MD. Morgantown is Southwest about 80 miles.

I have eaten ramps and they are very tastey, but strong and a little goes a long way. I also have wild mushrooms and blueberries on my property.

As for the animals, I have a salt lick out for the deer that live on the property and feed them apples. I have a lot of wild nut producing trees and the ground is covered with acorns and the like in Spring and the deer and squirrels love them.

Every year I get a hunting license and see lots of deer, but I have never been able to kill any animal. I've had deer in my sights a hundred times and I can't pull the trigger, so I feed them and my property is a haven for them now during hunting season. They don't even run off when they see me anymore. I'm a big wuss!
;)
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post #17 of 25
11/20/01 at 8:47am
My windows are on the west side so it's very sunny in the kitchen. I watered them as often as needed but the rosemary always dried up very fast. The thyme lasted a bit longer but not much.

Next time I'll use seeds instead of plants.
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post #18 of 25
11/20/01 at 1:36pm

Indoor Herb Garden

Hi Isa,

I was just thinking. It might be that your home is too dry or too hot. You might keep a mister bottle handy and sray your plans every once in a while throughout the day.

I hope you're having a good day:)
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post #19 of 25
11/20/01 at 2:47pm
Isa,

Herbs need a tremendous amount of light, try getting a grow light. They're under $10.00 at places like Wal-Mart, then you can grow them anywhere you wish. Also, herbs like to "dry out" they can be very easily overwatered.
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post #20 of 25
11/20/01 at 6:06pm
It's a fine line between drying and over watering. I did used a mister, not that it changed anything. Within a month the indoor herbs were dead. Funny enough the herbs I keep outside all summer thrived. Go figure that one out.
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post #21 of 25
12/3/01 at 6:23pm

Chives

With Omelette. definetely yes yes.

Also good with Chow Mein,
for those in Summery areas, when you have young bunches,
a good brothy soup, add 1/3 cup sliced beef with usual Chinese meat flavourings and 2TBS conrflour to thicken.

My spring onions heads give me a once weekly cutting of greens.

Happy harvesting,

ken

:rolleyes:
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post #22 of 25
1/29/02 at 5:12pm

When to plant my herb seeds

It has been frightfully cold here and we even has some snow yesterday on the mountain tops...brrrr.

When should I plant the seeds for herbs? I will be using terracotta pots for my herbs. Should I wait until March??:confused:
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post #23 of 25
2/3/02 at 9:55pm
I wouldn't wait - I'd start them now inside. Days are getting longer and the seeds know that it is time to grow. It's not so much the specific temperature as it is the length of the days. But keep them in til you know they won't freeze!

Love ~ Debbie

P.S. Some are annual (replant every year) like basil, parsley, mint, chives (where you are). Some are perennial and will live over the winter and start to grow again in spring if you help them avoid a killing frost, like thyme and rosemary.
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post #24 of 25
2/4/02 at 10:25am
Bufano,

Check here for a wonderful guide to Winter Sowing. If you haven't had much experience growing herbs from seed, I'd wait till it gets a little warmer unless you really pay attention to what they need which is lots of light and warmth. It's difficult to even keep healthy plants alive inside unless you can provide the optimum conditions.

Debbie, I'm going to have to disagree. Herbs like hot temperatures and full sun (at least eight hours of direct sunlight.

If you want to start herb seeds indoors, use a gardeners heating pad under the flats and grow lights for the best results.
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post #25 of 25
2/7/02 at 6:53pm
Hi cchiu! I agree, herbs like hot sun and long days. I thought we were talking about germinating herb seeds for planting out later. Sorry!

Love ~ Debbie
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