How's Your Garden?

[RogueDiscus]

I spend more time in the garden this time of year than on fish, and it still needs more. It's already been so hot I'm having trouble getting out there to keep up with the weeds, but here are a couple quick pics.

The Monarch butterfly garden:milkweed and nectar plants

110889

Tomatoes, potatoes, and the raspberry patch

110890

[brewmaster15]

Great topic!

Looks like you are having a great growing season there! Butterfly garden looks really nice. Good crop of tomatoes coming along too.


I spend most of my free time outdoors here too in the growing season. Gardens are doing great this year! I'm a bit of an eclectic Gardener... If it holds Dirt.. I plant in it...especially if I can re-use or repurpose something.


Russian Kale and Lettuce
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4212/34921798844_d60ac40091_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VcVm95)20170706_151016 (https://flic.kr/p/VcVm95)


Various Hot Peppers and japanese eggplant

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4002/35721954476_72f9be5c54_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCmwQ)20170706_151023 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCmwQ)



Italian Parsley and Tuscan Kale

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4236/35721953086_828d5e1807_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCm7S)20170706_151030 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCm7S)


Zucchini, Cherry tomatoes, and sweet peppers (Italian Fryers and Cubanelle)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4121/35721951746_4db60a5289_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCkHL)20170706_151041 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCkHL)


Swiss Chard

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4231/35721950306_410ab00a25_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCkhW)20170706_151051 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCkhW)


Water Puddle/frog pond.. Not really a pond.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4279/35721949186_9f7b137554_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCjXC)20170706_151122 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCjXC)


Herb Gardens...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4216/35721947746_5002e34c50_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WqCjwN)20170706_151143 (https://flic.kr/p/WqCjwN)

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4075/34952951603_bb1497507a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VfF1LB)20170706_151154 (https://flic.kr/p/VfF1LB)


String Beans..

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4003/35763031595_f8b966291a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WufTk2)20170706_151221 (https://flic.kr/p/WufTk2)



Got a ton of weeds and over grown junk too, but I will spare you those shots!
al

[rickztahone]

Man, i am so jealous! I wish I had that many herbs to pick from on a daily basis.

[Bethzb]

Our garden after the groundhog battle.

110897

[Clawhammer]

I should have known you guys would be into all the good hobbies!

This is my third and most successful year maxing out my little urban garden...

Onions, green beans, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes
110898

Onions
110899

Cucumbers finally catching up
110900

Tomato tunnel
110901

I have 8 of these 25 gallon potato bags... One of my favorite things to grow
110902

Carrots
110903

Blackberries!!
110904

[brewmaster15]

I should have known you guys would be into all the good hobbies!

This is my third and most successful year maxing out my little urban garden...

Onions, green beans, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes
110898

Onions
110899

Cucumbers finally catching up
110900

Tomato tunnel
110901

I have 8 of these 25 gallon potato bags... One of my favorite things to grow
110902

Carrots
110903

Blackberries!!
110904

Beautiful Eric! Nicely Done!! Nicely done indeed!

al

[brewmaster15]

Our garden after the groundhog battle.

110897

Beth they are my mortal enemy. I battle them year after. I have to worn you though. The ones we have out here in CT would scale that fence no problem.:cry:

I swear the smell my stringbeans. They will find them any where I put them.. that and my parsley. Last year the bugger would just sit down smack dab in the pot and go to town.

al

[Bethzb]

Beth they are my mortal enemy. I battle them year after. I have to worn you though. The ones we have out here in CT would scale that fence no problem.:cry:

I swear the smell my stringbeans. They will find them any where I put them.. that and my parsley. Last year the bugger would just sit down smack dab in the pot and go to town.

al

So far this guy is more interested in easier fare. Namely my neighbors who did not fence theirs off ;) We did however leave the top foot of fencing detached so theoretically, if he does try to climb, the fence would bend outward. Wish I had as much space as you though. Very limited in what I can plant here.
Beth

[brewmaster15]

Don't you hate when you have uninvited dinner guests in your Garden?

Noticed my Kale was looking a bit chewed up in places...Being a pesticide free yard I had to deal with them the old fashion way...by hand.
cabbage moth caterpillars..
110962

al

[RogueDiscus]

Those and the cucumber beetles (green looking lady bugs) are my nemeses. I'm out every morning picking them off and looking for the caterpillar eggs on my cole starts.

[Discus-n00b]

Looks like that could be a good source of fishing bait Al no? Any way to use them for fishroom food?

[brewmaster15]

lol...I fed them to my pet toad and salamanders:)

[brewmaster15]

Given Steve's recent thread on his garden 2018 And not wanting to photo bomb his homestead thread..thought Id bump this back up. :)

[jeep]

It's been very hot, and even with regular water mine is showing some stress. Beans have been infested with some stupid little black bug that leaves bite marks in them and the tomatoes are a little ragged but still producing heavy. Salsa time in a few weeks!

[Paul Sabucchi]

Hard to produce a traditional looking garden here, climate can be harsh with long hot summers and cold winters, 1500 feet above sea level with soil that is mostly sand and clay. Also very little water for irrigation. Anyway here is the fruit orchard I have been working on for the last 2 years. Planted cherries, apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches, apples and traditional varieties of table grapes. As for veggies just a dozen plants of cherry tomatoes and some chillies for this year, thinking of making some raised beds.
The shading at the bottom is to cover my pond-tubs, something I started last year to learn on a small scale the basics of outdoor fishkeeping. Got goldfish in the bigger tub, rainbow shiners in another and Aphanius mento "Kirkgoz" in another. I will probably put Japanese ricefish in the fourth. Will soon be ordering more bog plants (much more appealing than veggies)

[brewmaster15]

It's been very hot, and even with regular water mine is showing some stress. Beans have been infested with some stupid little black bug that leaves bite marks in them and the tomatoes are a little ragged but still producing heavy. Salsa time in a few weeks!

I am so jealous... My tomatoes are behind this year.. I wont really get any until the end of August. Peppers are doing well though..


116792

and my kale is still growing well despite the heat..

116793
al

[brewmaster15]

Flower gardens are loving the heat....

116794

116795

but Im watering too much. Its been dry here. Next week looks to be a wet one for us though.

al

[discuspaul]

Flower gardens are loving the heat....

116794

116795

but Im watering too much. Its been dry here. Next week looks to be a wet one for us though.

al

I'm very jealous of you folks' beautiful gardens - wish I had the yard room to do that, since my wife loves to garden (and I don't mind it - lol)

Al, I noticed you grow some peppers - (hot ones ?) -what kind do you have this year in your garden.

I love Mexican food so I regularly make authentic red enchilada sauce with Guajillo, Ancho, &/or Pasilla or Chipotle peppers (and green sauce from Tomatillos). I buy them dried though. Great flavors in all the hot Mexican chiles.

[RogueDiscus]

I have about 30 pepper plants of several varieties growing this year. After doing this for a few years, and recognizing that I don't do much processing for storage, I mostly grow varieties that will get used as fresh or cooked as fresh. For us and the kids who live in town and look forward to dad's garden :) . Like Al, the availability of good, inexpensive dried peppers for homemade sauce, makes that the easier route for that.

[brewmaster15]

Paul I grow a variety of peppers here in barrels. They do best for me that way here. My staple peppers are Jalapeno, cayenne, serrano, and habenero. These are my salsa peppers and any time a need a little heat in something.I jar a ton of salsa each year and we use it in various Dishes.I also dehydrate them for use in the winter.If I can get my hands on other hot varieties I will grow those as well as cubanelles, hungarian waxy, and Italian fryer... The farm stands here were lacking in variety this year so I just have my basics. I also grow egyptian onion and horse radish galore.

al

[discuspaul]

Jalapenos, Cayenne, Serranos, and Habaneros are plenty hot enough Al, and I occasionally use all of those too - especially fresh off the vine serranos & habeneros which are widely available locally, along with jalapenos.
I should actually try growing some myself - I do have room in the yard for growing those.

I don't know if you have to, or want to, use some of the less hot peppers in your salsas, but I just learned a tip recently about 'de-fusing' the hotter chiles like habaneros when desired (which do have great flavor but which is somewhat hidden/overpowered by the heat) - this is done by cutting them open, removing the seeds & ribs, and soaking the flattened pepper skin(s) in a bit of alcohol (vodka is good - many Mexicans will use tequila, it's said) . Soak for 1 hour to reduce the heat by up to 50% - soak for 2 hours and most of the high heat is removed.
You probably already knew this, but it was a revelation to me - I tried it & it works well.

The residual alcohol takes up all the heat - so you can really burn your mouth by drinking that!

[jeep]

I am so jealous... My tomatoes are behind this year.. I wont really get any until the end of August. Peppers are doing well though
al

I feel kind of lucky this year. Last year we had some wilt move through my area and I lost 14 of 16 plants very early. A guy up the street from me lost over 400 plants.

I have the traditional peppers as well, along with others. I'm not sure what they all are but I have 16 different varieties of sweets and hots. All go into my salsa. It's interesting to let them battle it out and see how the salsa turns out, lol...

[brewmaster15]

Jalapenos, Cayenne, Serranos, and Habaneros are plenty hot enough Al, and I occasionally use all of those too - especially fresh off the vine serranos & habeneros which are widely available locally, along with jalapenos.
I should actually try growing some myself - I do have room in the yard for growing those.

I don't know if you have to, or want to, use some of the less hot peppers in your salsas, but I just learned a tip recently about 'de-fusing' the hotter chiles like habaneros when desired (which do have great flavor but which is somewhat hidden/overpowered by the heat) - this is done by cutting them open, removing the seeds & ribs, and soaking the flattened pepper skin(s) in a bit of alcohol (vodka is good - many Mexicans will use tequila, it's said) . Soak for 1 hour to reduce the heat by up to 50% - soak for 2 hours and most of the high heat is removed.
You probably already knew this, but is was a revelation to me - I tried it & it works well.

The residual alcohol takes up all the heat - so you can really burn your mouth by drinking that!

Paul thats a new one to me and one I will definitely give a try .Thanks for the tip!
Al

[brewmaster15]

Brian, Do you still make barbeque sauce?
al

[jeep]

Brian, Do you still make barbecue sauce?
al

Not recently. Computer crashed a few years ago and I didn't back up my recipe that had taken me years to figure out. I still know the basics though:)

[discuspaul]

A bit off topic - but since we're discussing hot chiles, for those of you who like Mexican food, and specifically enchiladas, here's a link to an authentic Mexican red enchilada sauce recipe that I've been making from scratch for over a year now - it's the real thing, it's easy to make, and it's delicious.
So much better than any store bought canned enchilada sauce !!!

I make a new batch every month or so, which lasts me for 4 or 5 meals.

The only change I've made to the recipe is to use twice the amount of dried guajillo chiles to ancho chiles - e.g. 8 guajillos & 4 anchos - produces better color & flavor.

And you can omit the steps which call for 'toasting' the chiles a bit before re-hydrating them, and for 'frying' the finished red sauce once blended & sieved - not necessary as it does not enhance the flavor in my opinion.

https://mexicanfoodjournal.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

[RogueDiscus]

Perfect Paul! I always look up 2 or 3 recipes when making my own. I'll definitely give this a try.

[discuspaul]

Perfect Paul! I always look up 2 or 3 recipes when making my own. I'll definitely give this a try.

Please do Steve - it's the real thing - and it seems to get better every time you make it !