2012 Tennessee Garden Thread
 

Contribute if you want, kibitz if you dare, post pictures when interesting things begin to happen, share your experience.

May a good time (and excellent crops) be had by all!

I got end of the year seeds from WEEKS of N.C. at the end of last season - and will specialize in giant tomatoes and giant cucumbers this year for the pure fun of it...

I'm hoping to add anise and sweet cicely to my herb garden this year.

(?)


Tell me about WHY you want those things....

Okay - I'm already started. For this year - I'm building what I think of as "Tomato Bridges" which are trellis sections supported flat by short stakes made of PVC tubing.

This is based on my last years experience with vertical trellis' and cages.

The cages will be used for something else.

I have two of them set up already, about five feet wide by thirty or more feet long. They support the plants eighteen to twenty inches off the ground, right at the height where they begin to spread out a lot. Pictures to eventually follow - this will hopefully get them to spread out so that they are not all bunched in cages, and support the load a lot better than last years attempt!

I want anise because I like the taste/smell and it is used medicinally in several ways.

I want Sweet Cicely because it is also used medicinally, but also can be used in recipes to add sweetness without calories.

My birthday was yesterday, so I spent some time placing the garden gnomes and spinners I received in various flower and herb gardens. I noticed that the crocus are blooming, along with bachelor's buttons and camassia quamash. My Sweet Alyssa never di die...it is still thriving unprotected on my front porch.

I particularly notice when the small yellow Daffodils come out - they are my first indicator that winter is moving to a close.

I don't trust it until I see larger trees and bushes begin to bud out; which they are doing in my area. It's better to observe nature for hints about the coming season, there seems to be a lot of good results by those who pay attention to nature as opposed to almanacs!

I am also going to have a lot more green leefy stuffs this year, they did so well all on their own last year that I have modified my basic plan because of it!!!

I had what I believe must have been an endive last year that didn't bolt until just at the end of autumn. It had a peppery flavor that went well with bacon and vinegar with garlic salt

Seed from various kinds has drifted all over the garden, but I know what they are now and transplant them once they reach good size to a special spot reserved for:

"Leafynessezzz" Oo.


Nothing on earth is prettier than a group of different lettuces and such all growing together in many colors...

What do you make of the temperature trends so far this year?

Will it frost or not?

When will be the last?

WEST TN! WHEN YOU RECKON IS THE BEST PLANTING TIME???

Do NOT get too impatient. The average last frost date in East TN is the first week of APRIL. I think we're going to get at least one more cold snap in March----probably 2 with snow in at least one of them. FWIW, the largest snow event in Chattanooga in recent memory occurred in April.

I always try to start planting some seeds indoors (going to plant some tomatoe & cilantro seeds TODAY) to help keep me from planting outside too early. I also start planning what seeds/plants I am going to put in my garden(s) and where I'm going to place them. Get everything together so the process is more efficient in a couple months---probably planting the outside gardens the second week of April.

The lawn grew so much the past month, I was forced to MOW in February! The peach and plum trees are starting to bud and the herbs have begun sprouting----maybe Spring HAS sprung early this year.

It was EIGHTY for a while this afternoon...


(I saw it on the bulb)

This is way above the norms for this time of year.


What if there IS SOMETHING to a gradual warming pattern???

GD meth heads stole dads tiller from the barn, took the gate off of the post and drove up to the barn, got the bush hog too, lookin for another old Troybuilt, I found him a rear section to build his engine and put it on, he ***** footed around until all of them sold now we have nothing! Can't break the ground until we can get another rear tine, yet he wants to wait and dismiss every one I find, either too far or too much, he knows they're expensive, yet thinks he'll get one as a give away! They stole the hand tools, tomato cages, animal traps, etc, I wanna do some shooting out at the farm, you can't have anything, I see them stealing my uncles tractor next.

That was done by someone who knew exactly what was there - and ALSO had to use some of the stolen stuff...

Think it over, who knew about it all?


Have you been pissing someone off that would do that?

The opposite, these punks are searching all properties in the area taking an inventory of everything, they broke in the house a couple times, and hit the one down the road owned by my other uncle, and other families. The antique stores in the area are taking the stuff they know is stolen, family and friends have been there numbers of times getting their stuff back, police know about it, and have no intention of stopping it. Cop told a friend that he don't care if he catches them stealing, he can't shoot at them, or detain them, or he'll go to jail. The homes all around are farm houses that no one lives in, so these guys have the ability to loot without fear of being stopped, they back up in the yard at great grandmothers house, up to the front porch and loaded the truck in broad daylight.

This sounds like the prelude to a Steven Segall movie...