This has got to be one of the toughest decisions of the gardening year. There are so many and so many that I really love. When making a list of favorites, the ease of growing needs to be taken into consideration. Also, is the plant a good companion plant? Will the plant crossbreed with other plants and possibly cause undesirable offspring. How much space is available?
The list of favorites include things like black peppercorn, cumin and curry. Research shows that black pepper comes from the piper tree. These trees are used as street plantings in Santiago, Chile. I brought seeds back on my last trip; but they did not germinate. Curry is actually a blend of herbs. That will require some study. Cumin which is one of the ingredients of curry is widely not considered possible to grow in Charlotte. It is seeded in May and harvested in September. Why can’t I grow it here?
That will be one of my candidates for the herb garden this year. Herb garden should be clarified. We no longer have a herb garden. The herbs are planted in flower beds and as companion plants in the raised beds with other crops.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
When it Rains it Pours
The rain barrel was full Saturday morning. Charlotte got 5” of rain Sunday. Should I get another rain barrel? By mid-June, I can almost guarantee the barrel will be empty. Today the sun is trying to shine. The wind is heavy, which will dry the ground some. The sun might raise the greens from the dead.
On Saturday another raised bed was nailed together and some compost was turned. Lots of work got done in the greenhouse. Sunday nothing got done at all. Monday the sun came back out and everything was wonderful again. Unfortunately I had to work late. The pansies did get planted in the “artificial waterfall”.
The “waterfall” is a stack of concrete blocks, veneered with rocks. The blocks are filled with dirt. Pansies are planted to simulate a water fall. Blue pansies are in the center for water and white pansies are on the edge for foam. I ran out of “water” so I will have to buy some more blue pansies.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
On Saturday another raised bed was nailed together and some compost was turned. Lots of work got done in the greenhouse. Sunday nothing got done at all. Monday the sun came back out and everything was wonderful again. Unfortunately I had to work late. The pansies did get planted in the “artificial waterfall”.
The “waterfall” is a stack of concrete blocks, veneered with rocks. The blocks are filled with dirt. Pansies are planted to simulate a water fall. Blue pansies are in the center for water and white pansies are on the edge for foam. I ran out of “water” so I will have to buy some more blue pansies.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Yesterday was so beautiful, I had to go home and play in the yard. The hard cold spell that just ended left dead tomato plants (in the greenhouse raised bed) and high gas bills. It also left a bunch of wood ashes. We let the woodstove go out so it could be cleaned. Ashes go in the compost. A little bit of compost got turned as well and the earthworms got fed. The cold weather did not hurt them. They are wiggling away. It is almost time to clean their bin.
I haven’t made up my mind whether to consider the raised bed in the greenhouse as a failed experiment or try again. I will be moving the lights to the bench area for use on the bedding plants. The space where the bed is would make a good spot for a cabinet or a workbench. The little growies are very happy with the warm sunshine. I started some more basil and parsley plants; because there are never enough of them. They are great companion plants.
Today is order day from Burpee’s for the spring seeds and the rest of the greenhouse plantings. I’m so excited. Ordering seeds is one of the most difficult and exciting parts of the spring garden. Seed catalogs really start the dream juices going.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
I haven’t made up my mind whether to consider the raised bed in the greenhouse as a failed experiment or try again. I will be moving the lights to the bench area for use on the bedding plants. The space where the bed is would make a good spot for a cabinet or a workbench. The little growies are very happy with the warm sunshine. I started some more basil and parsley plants; because there are never enough of them. They are great companion plants.
Today is order day from Burpee’s for the spring seeds and the rest of the greenhouse plantings. I’m so excited. Ordering seeds is one of the most difficult and exciting parts of the spring garden. Seed catalogs really start the dream juices going.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Dead Heroes
Some of the winter heroes praised in the last article have fallen in combat against the cold. It is possible they have a little bit of Lazarus in them however. The older kale plants look to be beyond recovery. The newer kale and the mustard and arugula seem to be recovering after the warm spell and a day of rain. The rosemary and thyme actually seemed to enjoy the cold. The onions had no damage from the cold and experienced a growth spurt when the rain came.
The tomatoes in the greenhouse did not fare so well. All but one is totally dead. That one still looks very frost bitten. The bedding plants held up fine. The earthworms enjoyed their protected habitat.
Garden plans for next year are coming along well. 17 boxes for beds have been built. Most have been filled. The lumber for one more is cut and ready to nail together. A list of needed plants and seeds has been compared with the inventory and the order should be ready for Burpee by tomorrow. Bulk seeds will be bought from Renfrow’s as needed. The seeds needed for the greenhouse are not available there. Many plants have been started; but the serious preparation and planting needs to be done this weekend.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The tomatoes in the greenhouse did not fare so well. All but one is totally dead. That one still looks very frost bitten. The bedding plants held up fine. The earthworms enjoyed their protected habitat.
Garden plans for next year are coming along well. 17 boxes for beds have been built. Most have been filled. The lumber for one more is cut and ready to nail together. A list of needed plants and seeds has been compared with the inventory and the order should be ready for Burpee by tomorrow. Bulk seeds will be bought from Renfrow’s as needed. The seeds needed for the greenhouse are not available there. Many plants have been started; but the serious preparation and planting needs to be done this weekend.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, January 8, 2010
Winter Heroes
When winter comes and most of the garden is fallow, there are still some heroes that provide fresh vegetables, vitamins and quality meals. These are the members of the crucifer and allium families. The low temperatures here have been in the low twenties and high teens for 4 nights. The rain barrel in the greenhouse has a ¼ “ skim of ice on it. The top 3” of the compost piles are frozen. The wood in the woodpile is stuck together. It is cold!!
The mustard, turnips, arugula and fall planted kale and radishes are still fine. The radishes are not big enough to pull yet and they are growing slow; but they are growing. The greens are tenderer and better tasting. We don’t usually pick them while they are so stressed. We will wait until after a rain perks them up some.
Last nights dinner was spaghetti squash. Fresh green onions from the garden and rosemary and thyme personalized the spaghetti sauce. Rosemary and thyme are winter hardy as are the onions. The only problem with the onions was that extra care was required in pulling them; because the ground was frozen. The spaghetti squash is a winter squash. It was picked in August and has been laying around in the dining room. It would probably keep for several more months. Sadly this is the last one.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The mustard, turnips, arugula and fall planted kale and radishes are still fine. The radishes are not big enough to pull yet and they are growing slow; but they are growing. The greens are tenderer and better tasting. We don’t usually pick them while they are so stressed. We will wait until after a rain perks them up some.
Last nights dinner was spaghetti squash. Fresh green onions from the garden and rosemary and thyme personalized the spaghetti sauce. Rosemary and thyme are winter hardy as are the onions. The only problem with the onions was that extra care was required in pulling them; because the ground was frozen. The spaghetti squash is a winter squash. It was picked in August and has been laying around in the dining room. It would probably keep for several more months. Sadly this is the last one.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
That's Cold
Every weekend morning that I am home, I work in the yard or the greenhouse. We were out of town through Saturday. Sunday I went out to do the routine. Normally the compost turning starts on Saturday. The top of the compost in the 4th bin was frozen. No big deal. It broke apart on the 2”X4” wire than screens it into the 5th (storage) bin. Even with gloves on my fingers got so cold I could not stand to pick up the compost from the top to take it back to the 1st (accumulation) bin.
Perhaps I could work in the greenhouse. The rain barrel inside the greenhouse had a skim of ice on it. The tomatoes planted in the raised bed, looked frostbitten. I turned the heater up a little; but I guess that is like closing the barn door after the horse gets out. The plants for next years garden have bottom heat from pads. I think I will lose some of them as well. Too cold to work in the greenhouse.
I went home early to water the plants; because the enriched water had ice on the top. It was still icy. Plants do not like ice water. It took 2 gallons of hot tap water to bring the temperature in a 5 gallon bucket up to something that would not shock the plants. This morning it was even colder (19 degrees). The winter garden plants did not seem to mind except for the Kale from last spring.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Perhaps I could work in the greenhouse. The rain barrel inside the greenhouse had a skim of ice on it. The tomatoes planted in the raised bed, looked frostbitten. I turned the heater up a little; but I guess that is like closing the barn door after the horse gets out. The plants for next years garden have bottom heat from pads. I think I will lose some of them as well. Too cold to work in the greenhouse.
I went home early to water the plants; because the enriched water had ice on the top. It was still icy. Plants do not like ice water. It took 2 gallons of hot tap water to bring the temperature in a 5 gallon bucket up to something that would not shock the plants. This morning it was even colder (19 degrees). The winter garden plants did not seem to mind except for the Kale from last spring.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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