We've tried a garden every year for four years, this is the first year that we are really on to something though. Our Tomatoe plants are huge with tomatoes all over them, everywhere, now if they would just ripen, lol! We live in a new subdivision and of course when they developed it they took all the good topsoil off and sold it, so we've been tweeking this garden for four years adding dirt and special this and special that, and also this year I fertilized everything, where in the last few years I just didnt. Yesterday I took a thirteen inch zuchinni off of a plant and I have a few more. Its totally crazy. The green peppers and banana peppers are doing great too. I also have a few peach trees and I got five peaches off of one this year, (the trees are still little) they were so tasty. We have blackberry bushes that we planted, we've got huge berrys off of them. Also we have a strawberry patch. So how about all of you do you garden? And how does your garden grow? lol!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 09:37 am:

We bought 2 heirloom tomato plants from a local nursery and they're huge now. The kids have counted 7 tomatoes, a few of which are already about 2 inches in diameter. The rosemary and oregano plants are doing well, also. In a pot, we have basil, cilantro and mint. The basil we also bought from the local nursery and it's doing quite well. The kids are ready to harvest it and make some more pesto, because the plant is huge. The mint and cilantro are quite small yet.

My flowers are all pretty, but the zinnias we planted from seed, are taking their merry sweet time to grow. June was wet and cold, so I think that didn't help much. The sunflowers are about 2 feet high. I'll have to look today, to see if we have any buds starting. Even when you see buds, the plants still grow quite a bit, before they bloom. The geraniums are finally blooming. IT always seems that after I plant the geraniums, they have to get acclimated to the new spot and it's a long time before we see flowers again. For a while, they are just a pretty green plant, but just recently, they all started blooming, so we now have some red.

The beebalm is pretty. I should take a picture today!

By Mom2three1968 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 09:47 am:

Dawn,

I have a herb garden too, but one of the tomato plants is over taking the herb garden, the tomato plant sits right next to the compost bin and I swear that tomato plant is taller than my 12 year old ds. Do you know how to dry the herbs, or do you know if I can pick the basil and freeze it or what? How about rosemary those are the two I am wondering about. I also have sunflowers they are huge as well. We have grape vines with grapes growing on them for the first time, it is so cool...

By Colette on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 10:06 am:

I have basil, thyme, parsley, oregano, rosemary, 3 or 4 different mints, lavender, chives, and any other herb you can think of growing on my deck along with some hop vines. In my veg garden, I have several different kinds of tomatoes, 3 kinds of peppers, 2 kinds of eggplant, swiss chard, peas, beans, scallions, broccoli, yellow squash, zuchini, butternut squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, asparagus, blueberries and cantelope. We have grapes too, but no one usually eats them.

By Karen~admin on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 10:09 am:

I don't garden now, but years ago, we did square-foot-gardening. We composted for a year prior to that, X, measured, plotted, tilled, bought new dirt, even had horse manure delivered to fertilize the earth. UGH! It worked though.....everything grew like crazy! We planted a huge variety of vegies, including 3 different types of both lettuce and tomatoes (my FAVORITE was the butter lettuce - it had a true *buttery* taste to it, much moreso than what you can purchase at the grocery), bell peppers, cucumbers, baby carrots, green onions, zuchinni, yellow squash, radishes and some other stuff I can't remember - and had fresh salad/vegies for over 6 months out of the year.

But it was an INCREDIBLE amount of work to keep the weeds away, the garden tended, etc. We had also planted Marigolds to keep bugs away. The tomato plants went wild. We went on vacation one year and there were about 4 dozen tomatoes near ripe when we left, and the friend who was watching our house/pets ended up having to pass them out around the neighborhood so they wouldn't spoil/rot. LOL

Mom2three, hearing about your vegie garden makes me a bit envious now - I miss the flavor of fresh picked vegetables! And *especially* your fruit. I have never had fruit trees/vines/bushes of any type. I wish you'd post some pics of them.

Have either of you grown your herbs in small containers near the house?? Just wondering....my sister does that - herbs are the only thing she grows, but again, there's nothing to compare to the fresh herbs you pick yourself. Post pics of the herbs too! :-)

By Mom2three1968 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 10:17 am:

I'll take some pictures of everything sometime today and someone will need to post them for me!

By Colette on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 10:23 am:

I do my herbs in containers. I did them one year in the veg garden, but somehting came in and ate all of my basil down to stumps one night. I love fresh herbs and I can bring the pots in once it gets to cold in the fall.

By Karen~admin on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 10:39 am:

I'll post them for you, email them to me.

By Imamommyx4 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 01:02 pm:

I haven't done a garden for about 3 years. I hope I can do one next year. My tomatoes always have a hard time getting ripe, because I LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE fried green tomatoes. Wish I could have a few of yours.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 05:01 pm:

With the basil, I think we might make some pesto, with whatever is left, at the end of the summer and freeze it in an ice cube tray, so we have little cubes of pesto.

By Mom2three1968 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 06:45 pm:

imamommyx4,

I would love your fried green tomato recipe!!

Dawn,

Your pesto recipe would be good too!!

By Dawnk777 on Monday, July 14, 2008 - 11:35 pm:

PESTO

Pounding the basil releases its flavorful oils into the pesto more readily. Basil usually darkens in homemade pesto, but you can boost the green color a little by adding the optional parsley. For sharper flavor, substitute one tablespoon finely grated pecorino Romano cheese for one tablespoon of the Parmesan. The pesto can be kept in an airtight container, covered with a thin layer of oil (1 to 2 tablespoons), and refrigerated for up to four days or frozen for up to one month.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup pine nuts , toasted (or substitute almonds or walnuts)
3 medium cloves garlic , unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (optional)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano
Ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes; set aside. Add the garlic to the empty skillet and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool slightly, then peel, and chop.


2. Place the basil and parsley (if using) in a heavy-duty 1-gallon zipper-lock plastic bag. Pound the bag with the flat side of a meat pounder or rolling pin until all the leaves are bruised.

3. Process the nuts, garlic, herbs, oil, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE:
Bruising basil leaves with a meat pounder (or rolling pin) is a quick but effective substitute for hand-pounding with a mortar and pestle.

By Mom2three1968 on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 09:05 am:

Sounds good Dawn...! Thank you!!!

By Yjja123 on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - 05:46 pm:

We have a garden. It has tomato plants, peppers, strawberries (but darn Cosmo keeps eating them!), zucchini, lettuce, and carrots.
In my kitchen window, I have basil, catnip, parsley, chives, thyme, and rosemary.
We also have a mango tree, peach tree, and tangerine tree. We had banana trees but Wilma wiped them out. I add a new fruit tree at least once a year. I plan on having the whole fence line covered with fruit trees---yum!