Get Your Summer Garden Started: Planting Tips and Progress Updates

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Discussion Overview

This thread centers around participants sharing their experiences and progress with summer gardening, including the types of plants they are growing and the challenges they face. Many contributors discuss their planting activities, while others reflect on their gardening successes and failures.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, shared their excitement about starting their garden, having planted various tomato and pepper plants, along with herbs in planters.
  • Another participant mentioned that their gardening efforts were hindered by a shed being placed in their garden area, impacting their ability to grow vegetables and flowers this year.
  • Several users reflected on their past gardening experiences, with one noting that they primarily grew weeds but had a resilient yellow squash plant returning this year.
  • One participant expressed a lack of gardening skills, humorously stating they have a "black thumb" and struggle to differentiate between weeds and vegetables.
  • Another participant shared their husband's gardening prowess, highlighting the variety of plants they have grown, including tomatoes and peppers.
  • Some participants discussed their planting lists, which included a wide range of vegetables and herbs, with one noting they had already started growing wildflowers and sunflowers.
  • One participant humorously mentioned their inability to keep even air plants alive, while another shared their admiration for their partner's gardening skills.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding their gardening abilities and experiences, with no clear consensus on the effectiveness of their gardening efforts.

Contextual Notes

Participants shared a variety of personal gardening experiences, reflecting different levels of expertise and success. The thread captures a range of emotions from excitement to humor about gardening challenges.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers within the consultant community who are interested in gardening, whether as beginners or experienced gardeners, may find the shared experiences relatable and engaging.

ChefBeckyD said:
Interesting.....it hasn't seemed to have much impact on mine....It's doing really well! :confused:
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In some locations it may not, it is just a precaution. I learned that last year from a friend.

I guess then maybe I can call myself a novice gardener now rather than a beginner since I know some basic facts? Naw, probably still a beginner....





Too funny, a topsy turvy commercial just came on TV as I'm typing! Ha! My 5 gallon buckets were free!!!!
 
Linda, I won't tell dh he is already jealous of my sister consultant. Every time she calls, "it's your girlfriend."

We are very lucky to have the space that we do, but next year the chickens are loosing real estate. Funny thing we started off the first year w/ no garden, then the next we had a small garden, then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I will see if I can take pics of what is planted so far. Oh I recounted my tomatoes I have 27 rings (all but 9 are planted).

Then once DS started eating eggs, I get the hair brain idea to raise chickens so we can save some $$ on eggs. Well I went a little crazy at the feed store and bought 5 of every kind of chic. We ended up w/ 50 chicks. Right now I have 34 chicks waiting to see how many roosters there are (they go to chicken dinner for my neighbors) & 37 chickens. That's why we had to start the farmer's market to get rid of eggs an extra veggies.

We have a decent growing season, but sometimes I wished we lived in the valley by Sacramento so it would be even longer. Depending on our weather I have harvested cucumbers as late as beginning of December.
 
Thanks Janet for the tips on Rhubarb. I bought some at safeway this year and froze it already. I absolutely love a berry rhubarb pie.Sara Lee makes this fruit of the forest pie; Apples, berries, & rhubarb. Oh I found it at thanksgiving last year when I couldn't find rhubarb. Oh I ate like 4 pies by myself in a month and a half. Oh I am hungry. This is an awesome thread.
 
Amanda - I used to have a picture up of my two kids with their chickens a few years ago.Did you know that chicken poop composted is supposed to make the best fertilizer for your garden? Something about how their pee and poop is in one that makes it better?So, I planted my garden this year where we used to keep our few chickens. The ground had 2 years to "soak up" the chicken poo nutrients...
 
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pamperedalf said:
Linda, I won't tell dh he is already jealous of my sister consultant. Every time she calls, "it's your girlfriend."

We are very lucky to have the space that we do, but next year the chickens are loosing real estate. Funny thing we started off the first year w/ no garden, then the next we had a small garden, then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. I will see if I can take pics of what is planted so far. Oh I recounted my tomatoes I have 27 rings (all but 9 are planted).

Then once DS started eating eggs, I get the hair brain idea to raise chickens so we can save some $$ on eggs. Well I went a little crazy at the feed store and bought 5 of every kind of chic. We ended up w/ 50 chicks. Right now I have 34 chicks waiting to see how many roosters there are (they go to chicken dinner for my neighbors) & 37 chickens. That's why we had to start the farmer's market to get rid of eggs an extra veggies.

We have a decent growing season, but sometimes I wished we lived in the valley by Sacramento so it would be even longer. Depending on our weather I have harvested cucumbers as late as beginning of December.
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I think the problem is that I grew up on a farm - and we had a garden that was at least an acre, plus our own fruit trees apples and pears), and raspberry bushes, and a strawberry patch. And our own chickens & eggs, and we had cows and pigs (just for ourselves - more of a hobby farm) and even though I live in the middle of town, I keep trying to emulate the farm where I lived growing up!

Most ironic fact in all of that is that growing up, I would do anything to keep from working in the garden! That was how I fell in love with cooking - I made a deal with my mom that if I cooked the meals, I didn't have to work in the garden! So, from the time I was 11, I was the chief cook and bottle washer during the summer.

I'm amazed at how much I learned about gardening - even though I did my best to stay away from it. I'm also amazed at how much I LOVE gardening today!
 
Janet in the winter we take all the shavings out of the chicken coop and put it in the garden along w/ the horse poop. Then we let them in the garden during the winter so they can scratch and eat the weed sprouts. It has helped a lot.Becky it's so funny the stuff we hated as kids, sometimes is the same thing that we love as adults. I grew up in over populated southern cali and now I live in a small town on 2.2 acres w/ a horse, chickens, dog, cat, dh & ds.
What's funny is the previous owners had chickens and I wanted nothing to do w/ them tore down their house. Now we are at 70 chickens, who would have thought.
 
We don't have any chickens right now - not enough time!!!! We do too much already, but DD learned A TON having them!
 
Sounds like me as a kid too Becky. My grandparents were farmers and their 'garden' was about the size of a football field! They farmed a couple 1000 acres so whatever wasn't in the garden, we'd have to go out to the fields to pick - yuck! My granny used to make me get out there and work the garden with her - I hated picking beans the most! Then when we'd have to snap, shell, shuck, can, freeze....whatever the fruit/veggie required. Oh, how I hated it. Now I look forward to it every summer! I'm planning to make strawberry jam later this week too.

Funny, out of 4 grandchildren, I'm the only on that does any of this stuff. Blows people's mind when they learn this side of me too - they think I'm the last person to garden and can! LOL My cousin told me not too long ago that I better get with granny and learn how she makes her chicken and dumplings "to be sure the recipe was passed down".....I told her to go pay a visit and learn it herself! LOL
 
We have the garlic, basil, thyme, parsley, mint, and oregano going. One cherry tomato plant in so far, but I am waiting to finish our next bed so I can plant more tomato plants, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Anyone ever planted Chocolate Pepper Plants? They are brown bell peppers that are supposed to be sweet. I will try anything chocolate! I am planting bell peppers this year. I about freaked when I went to buy a Red Bell Pepper yesterday and it was $4.99!!!
 
I planted chocolate bell peppers several years ago. They were sweet, kinda like the red/yellow/orange ones. They had a thinner flesh though. I haven't sen any seeds since then. This year I found a purple bell pepper plant at the garden center so I'm trying it.
 
peachey said:
We have the garlic, basil, thyme, parsley, mint, and oregano going. One cherry tomato plant in so far, but I am waiting to finish our next bed so I can plant more tomato plants, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Anyone ever planted Chocolate Pepper Plants? They are brown bell peppers that are supposed to be sweet. I will try anything chocolate! I am planting bell peppers this year. I about freaked when I went to buy a Red Bell Pepper yesterday and it was $4.99!!!
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don't pick them too early, they will be bitter. I found the purple ones were the same.
 
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pamperedlinda said:
Sounds like me as a kid too Becky. My grandparents were farmers and their 'garden' was about the size of a football field! They farmed a couple 1000 acres so whatever wasn't in the garden, we'd have to go out to the fields to pick - yuck! My granny used to make me get out there and work the garden with her - I hated picking beans the most! Then when we'd have to snap, shell, shuck, can, freeze....whatever the fruit/veggie required. Oh, how I hated it. Now I look forward to it every summer! I'm planning to make strawberry jam later this week too.

Funny, out of 4 grandchildren, I'm the only on that does any of this stuff. Blows people's mind when they learn this side of me too - they think I'm the last person to garden and can! LOL My cousin told me not too long ago that I better get with granny and learn how she makes her chicken and dumplings "to be sure the recipe was passed down".....I told her to go pay a visit and learn it herself! LOL
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My older brother is quite the gardener too - but with his job (Lt. Col - USMC) he doesn't have as much chance to dig any more, but I know that he and his wife have a good sized garden.

My grandparents had a garden that was about 3 times the size of ours when I was growing up - and I learned alot about cooking from my grandma. She was one of those that never used a recipe, and if she did have a recipe, it was on the back of an old envelope, or written on a scrap of paper....I still have her recipe for hot sweet & sour bacon salad dressing written by her on the back of an old envelope! So, I learned how to cook without recipes from her!
I always liked the canning/freezing/preserving part of the garden - but every year when I do it, I feel lonely. When I was doing it growing up, it was a big family event, with my mom, and grandma, and sometimes aunts and cousins all together in either my grandma's canning kitchen, or our canning kitchen. Now, it's just me - and it feels like something is missing. (I did get DH and DS to help me can salsa last year though!) Yep! I grew up with a 2nd kitchen that was used just for canning/preserving...and then also for putting up beef/pork/chicken/pheasant/venison......I realize now what a blessing and gift that was!
 
Happy to read I'm not the only Cheffer with chickens...
we have them mainly for eggs. Have sold or given away most of the roosters. I didn't ask their fate :)Amanda, your garden sounds like mine...and I also love the Fruits of the Forest pie. Haven't been able to find it for ages. Must contact the kitchens of Sara Lee about that.
 
CookingwithMary said:
Happy to read I'm not the only Cheffer with chickens...
we have them mainly for eggs. Have sold or given away most of the roosters. I didn't ask their fate :)

Amanda, your garden sounds like mine...and I also love the Fruits of the Forest pie. Haven't been able to find it for ages. Must contact the kitchens of Sara Lee about that.
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Oh my I saw it the other day at Safeway and had to talk myself out of it. I don't need to be eating a whole pie right now. Maybe I will splurge when we go camping in a few weeks. Ooh another countdown I can do.

I know what my neighbors do w/ the chickens, I just ask them not to do it in front of me, or invite me over to dinner when they eat them.
 
Becky - my granny has 2 kitchens too! The regular kitchen and the canning kitchen. She's 91 and still lives on the family farm (by herself!). Gardening is hard for her now, she's recently discovered Hay Bale Gardening and she grows some awesome tomatoes in her hay bales! She has someone come help her (ie: do all the work for her). She's still going strong!
 
Wow Amanda, you're quite the gardener too!
 
Okay Linda, what is hay bail gardening. Just out of curiosity. That's a new one for me.Lacy, I just kinda fell into it. As a kid we had a garden like twice that I can remember, which is odd to me since we were poor. I would have thought my mom would have done it more to save $$. Of course my MIL ask me if it's worth it every year, oh yeah home grown tastes way better than store bought. I keep telling my tomatoes to grow, grow. Okay off to make fajitas for dinner.
 
I'm green with envy with all your gardens!! I did chop down my rhubarb today :) I made rhubarb sour cream pie tonight and in the morning I'm making rhubarb/strawberry jam. Yahoo!!!
 
rennea I'm curious what is rhubarb sour cream Pie?I have only put rhubarb in a pie w/ berries. Oh I am going to be in trouble I can see it now. What else do you guys do w/ rhubarb?
 
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pamperedalf said:
rennea I'm curious what is rhubarb sour cream Pie?

I have only put rhubarb in a pie w/ berries. Oh I am going to be in trouble I can see it now. What else do you guys do w/ rhubarb?
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Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Rhubarb Pie (no berries) is my DH's favorite
Rhubarb Sauce - to use on ice cream or pound cake
Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Jam.......
 
pamperedalf said:
Okay Linda, what is hay bail gardening. Just out of curiosity. That's a new one for me..
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See this: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm
 
we just wash it and eat it like celery at our house
 
We have a big garden, can and freeze. we have tomotoes 12 , potatoes3 rows, corn 16 rows, 3 types of squash, 3 types of onions, beans, peas, peppers 4 types, eggplant, broccoli, brussel sprouts, we trade green beans with our friend for cucumbers, he plants 100 plants and makes tons of pickles. I make pickles, salsa, ect. I have a few herbs, but I have not been really successfull at growing those. and several flower beds.
 
We have 60 tomato plants (different varities) & will can A LOT this summer. I did some early girls, some middle of the summer & some late. I hope to not have my entire tomato crop at once!! I'll also sell some with MIL at the market. We've got sweet corn, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peas & onions.
 
pamperedlinda said:
See this: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/strawbales.htm
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Thanks Linda for the link. My dh thinks we should try it. We have 10 bails of straw lying around that got wet so we can't use it in the chicken coop. It would be a fun experiment. I was thinking strawberries might do really well in a bale.
 
We had frost and a freeze 2 nights in a row!!!!I didn't check this a.m. to see what survived, some came in, some got covered but a freeze is hard to prevent...YIKES!
 
We finally got ours planted on Monday as we didn't know if DH was changing jobs or not.

We planted the following:

Beets
Beans
Carrots
Peas
Cucs
Kohlorabi
bunching onions
radushes
Jalapenos
Grape Tomatoes
Big Beef Tomatoes
Red Peppers


Hopefully this cool weather we are having will quit so my garden can grow!!
 
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