>Hehe. Maybe I could have termed it differently. When the veggies are >ripe, I
>take them to work pretty much every day to have with my lunch.
>
>A couple of my 1884's are starting to turn. The flavor of those is
>absolutely incredible. Can't wait.
>
>I like to see the looks I get when I slice up a 1 pound-plus tomato >durning
>lunch at work!
Isn't it grand?!!!
It's cool to take *one* tomato to a friend and have them astounded by the size of it. This year, I have gotten several Brandywines from the bushes whereas most years I am lucky to have more than two or three per plant. They and the Black Krims must surely be tomatoes straight from heaven!
I have tabouli base in the fridge and will be adding the tomatoes and other veggies in the morning for a great summer treat. Of course, tabouli is one of those things one loves or detests, no in-between on that one.
Wow! I counted 14 tomatoes on my one Brandywine .. and they're all huge! One is even starting to ripen. I am sooooo looking forward to it. I've never tasted a Brandwine before, but everyone says they're great.
Too bad they didn't also come with the builder (or at least the perseverance and directions), I'd borrow that brave person.
It does sound like they used one panel per cage, based on 4 feet times 4 sides is 16 feet. That's one big cage! (Or did you mean two sides of 4 feet?
Actually, that is what the failed hoop house is, except it is held in place with concrete blocks on either side of the ends. Originally, when it was going to be a hoop house, the blocks seemed a good idea to hold in that bit of extra heat. I'll move it into the main garden next year and will use the fence posts. As a hoop house, it was definitely in the wrong location, a mistake I often make but seem to have a need to try absurd things (such as the location for this one) to subsequently succeed (sounds like a young child, doesn't it?).
The original use for the panels was to be a temporary trellis for the kiwi until I can afford to have a custom arbor built, but that wasn't a good idea for that purpose which became apparent with them in place only two days. I have changed to pvc electrical conduit because it will be very easy to cut out the pipe when I have the arbor built, and a minimum of pruning the longer vines when moving them to lay across the new structure. This is yet another of my adventures, some of which are misadventures.
When one of my middle son's work mates delivered a load of compost to my yard while I was at work, both of them unloading it, they went into the back yard. His fellow worker graciously said, "Your mother's eclectic, isn't she?" When he told me that, I laughed and said, "That is a polite way of saying your mom's weird." Later, the person and I talked in person, and he told me they are like that also, using all sorts of things in unusual ways, or "out of the norm" of the way others might use them. Many people would buy new concrete blocks to build a wall rather than acquire used ones if they had the opportunity. Most people would not use concrete blocks for a raised bed, but when I got them for free (only labor needed), it seemed logical (and longer lasting than wood).
Two ideas, one I use, the other to try. I'm a horrid junk store addict which was started by my grandmother when I was very young, bless her heart!
Those 5-1/4" disk holders that are now obsolete for most computer users make great seed packet holders (except for the large packs of seeds), complete with dividers.
Last summer, I was looking at golf club bags at Goodwill and asked someone if they thought they'd make good garden tool holders. Me, not a golfer, asked the right person. He told me that sometimes they get wheeled carts for the bags and those work well. Yesterday afternoon, I stopped at one of the stores and there it was . . . that lovely large-wheeled cart just waiting for me! I already have some black 12-inch drain pipe to fasten to it. Whether it works well or not, at least it'll be worth the try. It's still in the car but later today will go into the garden. :-)
OH! My potentially greatest garden find of the year is skylights. Yes, skylights. I found some 4x8 domes at a rebuilder's center and bought three. Two will be the roof of my greenhouse. Oh, back to the greenhouse. This spring, when we had our neighborhood cleanup, I parked the pickup (on semi-permanent loan from dear friends in exchange for parking it here) near the dump boxes with a sign, "Flower pots and unbroken window glass, please." Folks are already accustomed to me collecting the pots for the garden club whose members start seedlings, sell them and provide funds for various organizations around the community so didn't think I was particularly peculiar. The window glass was for a greenhouse, decided to see what would come up from recycled before buying the solar fiberglass (?) for the sides and roof. One neighbor had just replaced *all* his double-hung sash windows, so with his and the others, enough were collected for a small greenhouse and now I have the domes for the roof! How cool is that? My middle son is an engineer who I've asked to design the greenhouse to utilize the materials I have. So, my greenhouse will be a green greenhouse, using nearly all recycled materials, and should look attractive as well.
More ideas, folks? What do you do that is out of the norm but serves its purpose?
On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 10:47:37 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@pmug.org (Glenna Rose) wrote: (snip)
I tried concrete blocks around my raised beds but found them too uncomfortable to work around. I like to work in the garden in shorts and barefoot, and working around those concrete blocks was too often painful and involved too much loss of skin. Those things are rough. Anyway, my beds aren't exactly raised, since, after taking the rocks out of my VERY rocky Ozarks soil I needed to fluff the soil and add organic matter just to bring it to its original level. So far having the beds at the original soil level seems to be working fine.
I get a lot of stuff from thrift stores, flea markets, and auctions, too. One thing I keep my eyes open for at auctions is glass, in the form of windows, shower doors, patio doors, etc. I've gotten some pretty good deals like that and have just about enough stuff to build a good greenhouse already.
At the last auction I went to I bought one of those big-wheeled strollers for use as a garden cart to haul tools and watering cans in. ;)
I've seen plans for a pit greenhouse that looks nice and efficient. With a nice big water tank in it for storing heat, the guy who owns it says he can keep the temperature above freezing through most of the Ozark winter without supplemental heating.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.