Sky wrote:
> How many RFCers grow seasonal gardens for fresh produce? What do you
> try to grow? Any special tricks or hints (for whatevers)?
>
> I'm trying to grow tomatoes this year again, but alas have not had much
> luck. I also have strawberries, grapes, cayenne peppers, basil, chives,
> garlic, and oregano growing. In another area in my front yard, I
> planted mint, taragon, rosemary, and thyme. These herbs are rather
> ornamental (to me) and are nice alternatives to inedible shrubbery.


You don't say where you're located or what zone you're in. That makes a
difference when gardening. My special trick or hint is to check with
the folks at your local garden center and follow their advice. When
getting advice online or buying mail order, go with the product that's
closest to you. Plants and advice that apply to one coast or one soil
or one temperature don't do so well in the next.


I'm a trial and error sort of gardener.

I tried zucchini several years, never won a battle with a squash vine
borer, and have strawberries in the barrel now.

I don't like tomatoes, but I'm terrific at growing them. Jim loves
them, eats them every day for lunch, and I just gave some to my
neighbors. I stack the tomato cages and put in a few extra, then drape
the tomato stalks on the cages.

Yesterday we had fresh green beans. They tasted the same as the ones I
get at the supermarket but were more fun. I planted the pole variety,
and they grew up the chain link fence and the tomato cages I provided
for them. This year I planted seeds from a seed packet, but in the
past, I've used black beans or chili beans from my cupboard. They grew
just fine.

I put in 6 parsley plants and love having a fresh supply. I just pick
what I'm going to use in the salad or dressing. That's growing well.

One year we grew a lot of basil, enough to make pesto several times and
freeze it. This year, the basil is growing but not great guns the way
it did before.

My main experiment this year is celeriac. That's a vegetable we love
but see rarely at the supermarket. It seems to be doing well, but I
haven't peeked under the soil to see how large the roots are.

We also put in 6 fingerling eggplants. We got exactly one small
eggplant per plant.


I'm not sure what to tell you about the squirrels. We have them in the
trees, but they don't bother the garden. It might be because they can
hear the dog barking at them or because they're stupid.


We put in raspberry bushes 10 years ago. They've grown like weeds.
Hard to go wrong with them except they take over.


--Lia