Re: [gardeners] how does your garden grow
Cheryl & Erich Schaefer (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Fri, 14 Nov 1997 21:14:44 -0500
I grow carrots and even managed a few parsnips one season, both in clay
soil amended with compost and sawdust and sifted free of stones. Given the
response to the parsnips I would have done better to let them grow and
flower - and would have had I known before what one can get from a parsnip
plant.
I was good yesterday after dyeing a final pot of autumn colored yarn.
Knowing that the sky was about to descend in the form of several inches of
snow, I dug a twelve foot trench and put in every potted tree and plant,
and every pot of tulips and crocuses needing protection for the winter.
Never mind that all of it should have been properly planted last month, or
the month before. I even brought in from the garden every pot, every
bucket, every tool. Never mind that I managed to forget about the whole
cartful of stuff that was supposed to go into the shed and left it to be
covered, completely, with snow; it's all in one place, at least. Sometimes
I wonder where it all came from, how we managed to accumulate so much stuff
- all garden related - in nine years. I should ask George Carlin, I
suppose. But there isn't a thing I would change. Love those tools, those
pots, those myriad things that fill a gardening life; the gazillion seed
packets, catalogs, magazines, garden books, and the computer which brings
so many neat garden people into my life. That's enough, Cheryl. Yes, Ma'am.
>Catherine: what kind of soil do you have? I always heard you needed sandy
>or at least more fiberous soil to grow carrots. We do OK with radishes -
>wondered if the little baby carrots would do OK in our wonderful Missouri
>clay.
> Never grown parsnips and not sure I'd want to but if the blooms are
>beautiful.....
>Two of our problems is space and shade - not enough space and too much
>shade. Don't think there's much chance of mvoing to another yard, and
>short of neighbor's houses burning down or being swept away by a twister,
>can't see that we'll ever GET any more land! Do wish we could convince
>some of the neighbors to CUT DOWN their silver maples.
> We had snow yesterday when picking our daughter up at the St.Louis
>airport
>- could hardly see to drive for awhile, but it wasn't sticking on the road
>and very little on the ground. By the time we got to Columbia (120 miles
>west of St. Louis) NO snow at all. They are calling for some today, but so
>far, so good1 Guess winter had finally arrived. will have to just sit in
>our plant room/greenhouse and enjoy the flowers blooming there. He has
>several orchids blooming right now and some smell wonderful.
> Keep warm everyone!
>Barb
>At 11:44 PM 11/13/97 +0000, you wrote:
>>Barb wrote:
>>
>>> Made my egg plant dip and curry dip - served those
>>> little baby carrots with the curry dip. LOVE those little things - so nice
>>> and easy to eat. Anyone grow them? We just don't even try carrots here.
>>
>>I've been growing the little round dutch ones (starts with a "P") this
>>year. They've done well and are great fun to pop in your mouth in the
>>garden. I like them better than Thumbelina.
>>
>>A woman who owns a herb nursery in NC told me on the phone today that she
>>planted some parsnips to shut up one of her grandkids who was yammering
>>that he wanted some. Well, she said she forgot about 'em....never pulled
>>'em and was pleasantly surprised when they shot up 6 feet and bloomed to
>>beat the band. She said they were absolutely gorgeous. I'm gonna try it.
>>
>>Catharine
>>
>>
>>
>>
Cheryl Schaefer
SchaeferYarns
beautiful hand painted fibers
schaefer @epix.net
Zone 5 in the fabulous Finger Lakes of NY