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You are here: Home / Garden Chats / Open Thread: Sunday Garden Chat

Open Thread: Sunday Garden Chat

by Anne Laurie|  July 31, 20116:04 am| 46 Comments

This post is in: Garden Chats, Open Threads

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From commentor Raven (formerly Stuckinred):

Here’s a close up of the raised beds with flowers, herbs and vegetables. The fencing is “Double Loop Ornamental” fence. You can see the shape at the top, at the bottom it is looped twice to make a very secure barrier against critters. You can also see the rose arbor over the blue gate that I recently built.
__
Here are the roses this spring:

Here’s a view from the side today. The pines range from 20 to 35 feet, crape myrtles, peaches, figs, apple and magnolias.

Garden and yard 11 years ago when we had the entire area plowed and graded. We terraced just above this section and this is where the pines were planted:

***********

North of Boston, the good news is that I’ve finally harvested half a dozen ripe Black Prince tomatoes. The bad news is that both Black Prince vines seem to be dying back now, for no reason I can figure (they are in different planters & the plants next to each are fine). Last year, the Black Krim ripened ahead of all the rest and promptly withered, but by then the Black Prince was producing, and when the Black Prince collapsed in late August the Japanese Black Trifele were finally ripening. This year, all the tomatoes are behind schedule, but the Krim and Trifele green fruit seem to be setting and ripening neck-and-neck. I’ve decided that 15 years of experience in this particular locale is just not long enough, and also, AGCC suxx. (Speaking of which, here’s hoping TS Don grants Texas bountiful rain and no destruction.)
__
What’s it like in your gardens, this summer Sunday morning?

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Reader Interactions

46Comments

  1. 1.

    Scuffletuffle

    July 31, 2011 at 6:07 am

    Raven, that is just gorgeous!

  2. 2.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    July 31, 2011 at 6:16 am

    My bride does the vast majority of the work and all the planning. Her mother had an incredible yard and garden in Virginia and it is in her blood. I’m good for the big project, hauling truck loads of mulch and compost, building fences and dummy work. She works out there constantly and that is why it has evolved into what it is. I am amazed everyday.

    eta I did build the screened porch!

  3. 3.

    Linda

    July 31, 2011 at 6:30 am

    My 4th of July tomatoes finally came across in mid-July, and while many things are behind, the heirlooms are right on time to ripen in August.
    The basil finally found itself and got good and bushy, and the lavender put up a good harvest; I’ve got lots for baking and potpourri.

  4. 4.

    AdamK

    July 31, 2011 at 7:27 am

    That’s fuckin bucolic.

  5. 5.

    jeffreyw

    July 31, 2011 at 7:37 am

    Trying out a new to me image hosting service, here’s a bit of my patio garden, jalapenos and Red Robin tomatoes.
    http://imgur.com/rxyXl

  6. 6.

    JPL

    July 31, 2011 at 7:38 am

    Raven, Your yard is magical and I love all the colors. The transformation is amazing after eleven years. You both deserve a lot of kudos.

  7. 7.

    Starfish

    July 31, 2011 at 7:55 am

    Formerly stuckinred, Raven and Shadow are names of Goth kids in their 20s. Your re-aliasing is causing cognitive dissonance.

  8. 8.

    OzarkHillbilly

    July 31, 2011 at 7:58 am

    Raven: Beautiful.

    Anne:First year for me with the Black Prince tomatoes. I love the flavor but they are bruised before I pick them. Is this normal?

    Also, I know I have promised pics of garden failures, but the computer crashed a couple weeks ago and is not yet quite right. Unfortunately my wife is the only computer literate person in this house and she is in Spain until the 13th.

    tom

  9. 9.

    Linda M

    July 31, 2011 at 8:06 am

    Beautiful work, Raven. I know how rewarding tending such a garden can be. It’s lots of work, but well worth it. We’ve been at our place for 15 years and front, back, and side yards are gardens, no grass. It’s all mature now and gives me so much pleasure. I’ll send pics soon. You and your bride make a good team.

  10. 10.

    Dianne

    July 31, 2011 at 8:06 am

    Gorgeous!

    I grew Black Prince tomatoes 2 years in a row and 2 years in a row they croaked on me. I think both times they got some kind of bacterial wilt. This year I did get a pretty decent harvest from them, but they’re off the list from now on. However, pink brandywine and moonglow have made the team!

  11. 11.

    arguingwithsignposts

    July 31, 2011 at 8:17 am

    I got no garden, so i’ll just note that kthuglu will be on the This Week roundtable with Grover Fucking Norquist.

  12. 12.

    Snarkworth

    July 31, 2011 at 8:35 am

    Linda, my July 4 tomatoes have been going full blast for nearly three weeks, too. I’m Zone 6a (SE PA); you?

    Rutgers are big and yellow-green. Better Boys are late, Red October (storage) are OK, and Mama Mia (plum) have blossom-end rot, alas.

  13. 13.

    debit

    July 31, 2011 at 8:37 am

    My tomatoes have gone mad. We had rain last night and half the cages had popped the little plastic connectors holding them together. I may go buy some stakes and try tying them up, but frankly, I don’t even know if I can get at the main body; they are that huge.

    I’ve harvested a handful of red cherry, a couple of Bonnie Bests (not a huge fan) a couple of Campbells (okay, but not wowing me) and one lonely yellow plum (delicious). I’m waiting very impatiently for my Brandywines, Black Pearls and Lemon Boys to ripen. I’ve given up on the beefsteak. I don’t know what happened, but there’s very little fruit and each one is on the small side. Sadness.

    ETA: Raven, that is one freaking gorgeous garden. I don’t know how you and your wife do it; I can barely keep up with 8 tomato plants and one smallish lawn. Seriously, it is just beautiful.

  14. 14.

    jnfr

    July 31, 2011 at 8:38 am

    Gorgeous yard, and love the trees, Raven. So lush and green and all those roses! Fantastic.

    I’m finally getting ripe tomatoes. No peppers yet but it looks like the blossoms have stopped dropping now that the heat has let up slightly. I do have baby eggplants growing, and the squash are finally blooming, though only males so far.

    Unfortunately the grasshoppers are here in large numbers again. I tossed Semaspore around the yard, though it’s supposed to work better earlier in the spring. I had to do something. Last year they ate my eggplant plants down to the stem. I hates them, I hates them forever.

  15. 15.

    Maude

    July 31, 2011 at 8:47 am

    @debit:
    Better Boy is okay. It is hardy and the flavor is good. I think the weather this year is just causing problems with plants.
    @Raven (formerly stuckinred):
    Lovely. Your bride has talent. You do too.

  16. 16.

    geg6

    July 31, 2011 at 8:47 am

    Today’s harvest is beans. Both green and wax. Have a bumper crop of each. The tomatoes are pitiful this year, as are the red and green peppers. But the banana peppers are looking lovely. Deer seem to be eating the tops off the carrots and beets. I want to just murder them. They are also drinking all the water in the koi pond. Grrrr!

  17. 17.

    Libby

    July 31, 2011 at 8:57 am

    Wow Raven (formerly stuckinred) that is one awesome garden. Love that you had the before pix so we can truly appreciate the transformation.

  18. 18.

    debit

    July 31, 2011 at 9:03 am

    @Maude: I assume they’ll taste fine, once they manage to ripen. I was just hoping for more. But as you say, it’s been a weird season, weather wise.

    I took your advice and let my feral tomatoes live; one looks like it’s going to give me a plum type, another looks like it wants to be a beefsteak, but of a tiny and gnarled sort. The others aren’t doing anything, so I may pull them, it being almost August.

  19. 19.

    TheMightyTrowel

    July 31, 2011 at 9:08 am

    Tomato question for those in the know:

    This is the first time I (or my partner) have ever grown tomatoes – we have 2 varieties of small (cherry and current sized) tomatoes growing on a sw facing window sill inside (we live in the UK, tomatoes don’t ripen outdoors here). So far so good, we’ve been harvesting amazing tomatoes for several weeks. Over the last week or two, branches without tomatoes/flowers on them have started to wither and die – the rest of the plant seems fine, tomatoes continue to ripen, leaves on tomato/flower bearing branches look fine. Is this normal or should I worry?

  20. 20.

    Maude

    July 31, 2011 at 9:12 am

    @TheMightyTrowel:
    Tomato plants can do that. I’d just leave the plants alone and harvest. Glad you are getting toms to eat.

    Edit: The the didn’t make sense.

  21. 21.

    Libby

    July 31, 2011 at 9:13 am

    For the record, since this is billed an open thread, I’ve read the advice in the comments. Have hovered, slowly, over every square inch of a variety of comments and still am not seeing the reply button. Using Chrome/XP (yeah I know it’s outdated).

    Not an issue since I don’t comment that much, but just so you know.

  22. 22.

    Libby

    July 31, 2011 at 9:16 am

    Adding, just tried it with my outdated IE browser, think it might be 7.0, and reply shows up fine. So there’s that.

  23. 23.

    TheMightyTrowel

    July 31, 2011 at 9:18 am

    @Maude: Cheers! I file this under ‘further adventures of a city kid learning to grow her own food’. Next year my project is carrots.

  24. 24.

    nipsip

    July 31, 2011 at 9:27 am

    I plant heirloom tomatoes every year and always have 20-30% or more that do not do well despite my planting them in a $10 hole, weeding and watering. I do like the heirlooms, however hate losing almost half the crop every year. This year I planted Jet Star and the vines are full and I did not lose a single one. I too live in the Boston area, west.

  25. 25.

    Violet

    July 31, 2011 at 9:30 am

    Raven, your garden is gorgeous. Very impressive. Love the rose arbor. Nice work!

  26. 26.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    July 31, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Thanks for the many positive comments,

    Starfish

    Raven was our late, great cocker spaniel.

  27. 27.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    July 31, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Zooks! Raven (and bride) that’s an amazing garden.

    We’ve had our home for 13 years now. When we moved in, the back yard (~ 1/8 acre) was overrun with trees (huge large silver maples, black gums, large red maples, scrubby hacked up redbuds and dogwoods, and some hollies. All the trees were sickly due to the overcrowding, trunks being covered with ivy, carpenter ants, etc., etc. We had about 20 trees removed in the first year and are very slowly making changes – there are still about a dozen trees and very large shrubs left. Maybe this fall we’ll finally have enough sunlight to think about making it our own.

    I love oaks, but I’m extremely allergic to their pollen. We’ll probably install a London Planetree as a shade tree, and maybe a couple of ornamentals like some Chinese maples. Dunno about annuals and perennials yet (we’re in USDA Zone 7a). I’m hoping to salvage a flowering cherry and/or start babies from cuttings.

    It’s really impressive what you’ve been able to achieve in a relatively short period of time! Thanks for sharing.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  28. 28.

    rikyrah

    July 31, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I have no green thumb, though, it’s almost August, and the summer plants my sister got me for this year have not died on me yet. If they make it until Labor Day, I will consider this a victory.

  29. 29.

    Chief

    July 31, 2011 at 10:06 am

    I picked our first tomato yesterday. And also picked a mess of bush beans.

    We have 2 Duke var. blueberry plants. About 10 days ago one of them began dropping leaves. Don’t know why.

  30. 30.

    daize

    July 31, 2011 at 10:15 am

    Raven — your garden is truly wonderful. Thanks for the before picture as well.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    July 31, 2011 at 10:27 am

    @jeffreyw:

    Beautiful! And it loads much faster.

  32. 32.

    HRA

    July 31, 2011 at 10:32 am

    Raven your garden it the kind I love to walk through. You did a magnificent job.

    Today is the first day of our yearly family vacation. I woke up to the rain making everything soggy. It’s good for my garden and not good for being on the beach for a vacation. Sigh!

  33. 33.

    tkogrumpy

    July 31, 2011 at 10:34 am

    Very impressive,Raven. I use Neem for various wilts and fungi, which are what cause die back in tomatoes. If I’m desperate I spray with copper. First broccoli planting harvested second planting going in today. Bushels of peas and beans, and the carrots are at 3/4″ diameter and ready to thin. Corn has tassled out, but the potato crop was a complete failure. Orange and red cherry tomatoes are profuse and ripe, Roma still green in mid-coast Maine.

  34. 34.

    WaterGirl

    July 31, 2011 at 10:34 am

    stuckinred (aka raven)

    Absolutely beautiful! And amazing, after seeing the “before” picture.

    I fell in love with crepe myrtles when I visited North Caroline. I was so sad when I got back and found that they wouldn’t grow here.

  35. 35.

    tkogrumpy

    July 31, 2011 at 10:38 am

    I’d like to post pics of the gardens, but last week while trying to block my grandsons jump shot on the basketball court my camera jumped out of my shirt pocket and dis-assembled itself on the asphalt.

  36. 36.

    gelfling545

    July 31, 2011 at 11:14 am

    That is an absolutely stunning garden. My congratulations on your vision & hard work.

    My garden is in a bit of a state since I was away for a week during which the temperature seemed to be set on “broil”. I had people watering but not anyone who was able to check the garden frequently of who KNOWS what a plant is asking for. There was a little rain yesterday & today so that may help.

    For my birthday I got a gift certificate for 3 hours of Garden Gnomes. There is a cleaning service locally called the Cleaning Pixies & they have added the Garden Gnome Dept. during the growing season. I now am trying to decide what project to put the gnomes to work on.

  37. 37.

    shortstop

    July 31, 2011 at 11:16 am

    God, what a wonderful garden, Raven. Your patience and sustained work have created something truly marvelous.

  38. 38.

    Aldorossi

    July 31, 2011 at 11:36 am

    Out in Southern California, we’ve had a terrible time with tomatoes for the past two seasons. The plants will get a good start, begin to fruit, and then die back. A little better this year, but we’ve still lost half of our plants. It has been unusually cool here in the coastal zone (we’re about 6 miles inland from the ocean in Los Angeles), the marine layer hangs around too long into the the summer. I think the lack of good hot sunny spells is the problem…

  39. 39.

    pukebot

    July 31, 2011 at 11:37 am

    beautiful garden raven. is there anything better than to be up early and have nothing to do other than spend the entire day in the garden? i’m off to dead head day lillies and lupines, weed my mesclun and arugula, and pull jewelweed and tie up phlox and do a little more stone edging and…

  40. 40.

    Anon

    July 31, 2011 at 11:47 am

    Raptors can be hard to see in side their containment area. Meanwhile enjoy your stay at the beautiful main house here on Jurassic Island.

  41. 41.

    SIA

    July 31, 2011 at 12:31 pm

    Raven, your house and yard reminds me of where I lived in Athens out Lexington Hwy. Love the idyllic southern home and garden you and the missus have created. What kind of roses are they?

    Maybe you could change your name to Raven-In-Red thus combining both handles with an allusion to the Dawgs! (there is The Raven who comments here occasionally).

  42. 42.

    Raven (formerly stuckinred)

    July 31, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    SIA

    The roses were transplanted from a garden in Virginia, not sure what variety.

    Raven was my handle at FDL for years and I just decided to reclaim it.

  43. 43.

    SteveinSC

    July 31, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    The bad news is that both Black Prince vines seem to be dying back now, for no reason I can figure (they are in different planters & the plants next to each are fine).

    Out in Southern California, we’ve had a terrible time with tomatoes for the past two seasons. The plants will get a good start, begin to fruit, and then die back. A little better this year, but we’ve still lost half of our plants.

    The tomato die-back happens frequently here as well, except it starts in mid-June when the first tomatoes come in. At first they grow like weeds, plenty of fruit then, seemingly overnight they go into rapid and irreversible decline. I plant VFN plants, but there must be something else floating around to cause tomato sudden-death-syndrome. Strange.

  44. 44.

    Kristine

    July 31, 2011 at 5:15 pm

    NE IL. One of the cherry tomatoes is finally, finally starting to redden–it’s my experience that they ripen a couple of weeks before the bigs. Not sure I’ll get the healthy crop of the two previous years, but at this point I’ll take what I can get.

  45. 45.

    Anne Laurie

    July 31, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    @tkogrumpy:

    I use Neem for various wilts and fungi, which are what cause die back in tomatoes.

    Hmm, never thought about that. I have some Serenade left over from last year, may try spraying my wilting Princes just as an experiment…

  46. 46.

    ira-NY

    July 31, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    Thank you for sharing your garden.

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