I found a great thing to do with my trellis material left over from last year - I have a neighbor who ran a board fence that faces away from me straight across my front yard. Ugly - but I can fix that, having asked permission first

At the top of the supporting posts (4x4) I screwed in potholder hooks, and from that hung the trellis wire. It runs in a continuous sweep right about twenty yards, and on it I will grow vines. I have cypress vines sprouting up everywhere, and they are a far nicer vine than morning glory - they form small trumpets that attract humming birds, and the leaves on them I can only describe as looking like a green feather boa....

(Photo from "Davesgarden.com" - follow link)
http://pics.davesgarden.com/



The bell of the trumpets is approximately 3/4 of an inch in diameter, so they are tiny but incredibly pretty florets

As you can see - there are at least three colors. At Davesgarden I thought I saw a blue variety, and I may just have to have them TOO!

~Wolfie

PS: Best of all - they come back every year, where they last were.... If you can get one of each colour to grow, you are set for all time

 

I use my privacy fence to garden....I hang window sill-style planters along it and plant extra tomato, pepper & cucumber plants in them.

 

What amazes me is that I painted the entire 72 1/2 foot by six foot tall trellis (garden green rustoleum) in less than 20 minutes. I got smart and used a roller this time!

 

I mention this every year, so here goes----ACE Hardware has all of their veggie plants on sale at 75% off. (You read that right.) Herbs are 25% off and certain flowers are 50% off.

I bought some extra pepper and basil plants and put them in containers around the estate. With frost coming in October or November, I should get my 10-15 CENTS' worth out of each plant.

Got 'em all done before the rain hit last night. We're forecasted to get another 3-6 INCHES of rain by Saturday-----might be time to invest in sandbag & canoe stock.

 

~Or snap up whatever FEMA trailers are left over!

I hear they go at a fraction of cost....
(But that's the government for ya...)

I moved a prime Genovese Basil plant to the planter one of my best tomato plants are in, I have heard they will transfer some of the aroma and flavor to the tomatos.

*Genovese Basil was one of my great successes last year - people who have grown their own Basil before were stunned by the intensity of the plant, and yet it is a sweet basil. If you can find that specific variety I highly commend it for the results I have gotten myself.

I also dropped more seed for Bell pepper, Anahiem Chile, and a new kid on the horizon: "Maruga Scorpions". The jury is still out on whether or not they are in fact the hottest pepper on earth. They are rated at MORE THAN two MILLION Scoville units

They are presently under review by the Guiness Book of World Records

If they can reach their full strength anywhere, I bet Memphis Tennessee is the right place

*My "Seed Bank" by the way, is now very extensive. If I have it - I can send it to you through an SASE. Ask if I have got it - If I do it can be yours

I have loads of an excellent habanero that is as smokey flavored as you could ever want - just ask Mac!

 

I will attest that the Wolf has some great seeds....my garden has benefitted from them over the past few years.

My favorite basil is the Red Rubin....not as strong as the sweet varieties with a hint of heat.

 

I believe my cucumbers are forcing me to make some chow-chow....I currently have 9 in the fridge with about 4 or 5 more nearly ready to harvest in the garden. Not a bad problem, per se, but the apricot butter all-day extravaganza plum wore me out.

Herbs need thinning as well. If the rain stops enough this weekend, it may be a harvest bonanza....

 

I am watching for pepper sprouts - and I hope there is time left with what I think is going to be a long (if not EXTENDED) summer.

If the Maruga Scorpions are what they were touted to be, my GOD think of the hot sauce that will come of it!

 

Harvested 6 cucumbers, 1 zucchini squash, peppermint, spearmint, thyme, red basil & sweet basil out of the gardens today while dodging downpours.

The estate has received 7 inches of rain since Wednesday....and it's STILL coming down.

 

The fennel you gave me seems to be about ready to make seeds - which I am guessing is what is wanted...

I am having a hard day because of old memories. A garden is a good thing to have - it helps me to calm down

Old things that do not matter anymore seem smaller, when I look at the new things that are coming up right in front of me.

I have heavy duty PTSD from long before my service, and it is all jumping on my back right now

My garden is my therapy, since the PROZAC ran out years ago - much good that it did. I would much rather hurt AND CARE ABOUT IT!
* That is all PROZAC does, you fail to care anymore. It interrupts that...


~I have a lot of old memories that I should have just dumped in the trash long ago


I planted a lot of Gladiolus that come up in mixed colours - there is no way to tell what they are until the buds open.


Like the peach colored one I gave to a Lady next door. Now I have one bursting out in the brightest red I have ever seen...

I wonder what it will look like tomorrow?

I can see and recognise that I am in a dangerous mood

 

The fennel seeds have a licorice or anise taste....good with beef or venison (or goat) dishes. It is also good to chew on a teaspoons full----aids the digestive system. If you swallow them, it is also good roughage.

 

I planted eleven "MOONFLOWER" seeds today - a funny vine.

They are the exact opposite of a Morning Glory.

The blooms are bigger too - but they are pure white and only open when the sun goes down

 

My mother has moonflowers and LOVES them. Hers re-seed every year for her (going on 11 years, at this point). I've been wanting to get some, but always forget to look for them when plant/seed hunting.

 

Send me another SASE - I happen to have fifteen of them left, and they are yours if you want them!

I also re-potted my Meyer Lemon today. NOW I know why it was struggling - the roots completely filled the bottom of the plastic wash tub it was in.

The new container is a landscapers tree pot, and is roughly double the capacity.

~Dutch

PS: I also have access to a large quantity of locally grown second generation seeds - but I can't guarantee that they will haVE THE SAME VERY LARGE BLOOMS.

tHE SEED DIDN'T LOOK AS LARGE (ROUGHLY 1/4 INCH DIAMETER) SO i HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY ARE AS GOOD.

tHE SEED I DO HAVE IS FOR THE BIG DUDES. i HAVE EVERY REASON TO EXPEcT THEY WILL SPROUT, AND WILL GIVE YOU ALL OF THEM. sURELY ONE OF THEM WILL DO WELL...

Oh crap - I hit the caps lock button by accident.

No way am I going to erase and re-write all of that though, so there it is.


I just have big fingers....

They are from PARK SEEDS, and so are outstanding stock


* I am going to set that seed packet aside just for you.


I saw some of them grown successfully last year, and they were every bit of six inches across (the flowers). I can't recall seeing a morning glory type that got that big

*And they really do open (within a few minutes) after the light level drops in the evening - it is fascinating to see! It is like watching solar driveway marker lights turn on....


By the looks of it you had better get these from me - they are SOLD OUT!

http://parkseed.com/moon-vine/p/01052-PK-P1/

THEY ARE last years seeds - but I have never seen year old seeds fail.

If I can find your address on file somewhere I will send them to you anyway in the morning, reserving only two of them for Theo and Sissy.


LOOKIT - DO THIS:

PM me your address again, and they will be on their way.

It is much faster - and what is forty cents between friends?


The growing season waits for no one, and these are year old seed

*The FENNEL you sent to me is busting (BURSTING?) out like wild!



We do things like this - to share is wonderful!

I hope I can send you some Genovese Basil seed next year

 

Thanks, Wolf! That is most generous of you. Glad to hear about the fennel, too. I got the plant at ACE Hardware, I think, on a whim and it has been one of the hardiest plants I've ever grown. I hope yours are just as successful.

I don't have a lot of luck with seeds, but you have inspired me to try and start harvesting some----particularly the herb seeds. This will be a new challenge for me.