Re: [gardeners] Our Gardens

George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 07 Jul 1999 15:09:48 -0500 

Tantrika wrote:

> What have people got growing?
>
> By way of saying hello to this list, I thought I would let you know what
> i'm growing in my garden:
>
> My name is Joy, and I live in the Santa Cruz mountains on about 30 acres of
> a community owned property....
>
> I just finished planting the last of my greenhouse started seedlings Big
> Rainbow, Purple Cherokee and Evergreen maters to add to the romas, the
> yellow pear, the sun gold, the sweet 100's, marmande, brandywines, marvel
> stripes, better boys, yellow brandywine, genovese, romas, and green
> zebras... I think I got them all planted, I may have a few left... I need a
> place for all my yellow pears :)
>
> Peppers:  64 plants, about 13 cultivars from hot habaneros to sweet bells.
>
> Here's what's in my raised beds:
>
> #1, french tarragon, green beans (Jade and blue Lake) anaheim chilis,
> jalapenos
> #2, Sage, chives, marjoram, thyme, johny jump ups, cilantro, red oak
> lettus, green leaf lettuce, lemon sorrel :) cilantro, italian parsley
> #3, lots of flowers, penstemon, lavendar, asiatic lillies, coreopsis, lobelia
> #4strawberries
> #5 tiger baby melons, cantelopes, sonora melons, charmel melons, lettuce
> miscuin, Fino verde basil, lovage, a stray nasturtium and johnny jumpups,
> pumpkin
> #6 habaneros, superchilis green peppers, purple bells, poblanos, italian
> sweet, banana peppers, super pimientos and a mystery chili
> #7 serranos, fresnos, yolo wonder bells, red bell, thai basil, arugula
> (it's a weed for me)
> #8 lemon cukes, japanese cukes, cornichons (for pickling) spinach from
> seed, weeds.....
> #9 mammouth basil (big leaves!) cilantro, yellow brandywine, marmande,
> marvel stripe, Santa Clara tomatoes, better boys, radishes and a volunteer
> dill.
> #10! the three sisters:  Corn, bean and pumpkins, tomatoes of the above
> varieties, sweet, lemon, spicy and purple ruffle basil, italian and curley
> parsley, savory, oregano, rosemary, red oak leaf lettuce, radishes, partima
> carrots and dill (the last three from seed).  oh... purple mustard... a
> weed.  A volunteer horseradish!
>
> In pots yet MORE tomatoes, and Lemon grass.
>
> The Nectarines are ripening... gonna make nectarine chutney!
> the almond tree has two (count 'em) almonds!
> my pomegranate tree has pomegranates!
> my grapefruit is recovering from our horrid winter as is the limequat.
> probably be a couple of years before we see fruit though.
> The loganberries are being got before the birds get them :)  I have two
> gallon bags filled with frozen berries!  Can we say "jam"?
>
> On the ranch:
> the Apples are ripening.  The grapevines are getting bushy.  Terri's guava
> tree is flowering, the walnuts are getting bigger, maybe we'll get some
> before the squirrels start treating them as if they were tactical weapons
> when they throw them at the dog. :}  The olives are fattening up, but
> considering I don't know the first thing about olive processing it's rather
> a moot point. :) We lost the cherries to the birds (again) and the
> blackberries that aren't weeds are bearing fruit thought they aren't ripe yet.
>
> We chopped up an olive tree that had fallen and blocked the path to the
> mulch pile that one of the ranch residents contributed to the ranch.
>
> Tom got the whole garden set up on a watering system.  We made a trellis
> for the cukes and put cages round the maters (some of them).
>
> Tom got his wood workshop mostly set up.
>
> We are looking into getting a smoker to smoke the jalapenos for
> chilpotles...if that doesn't work, for smoked chicken and stuff :)
>
> I'm learning salsa recipes, and experimenting!
>
> I love my ranch! I love Santa Cruz!

For some good information and assistance on putting up, preserving, freezing, etc
food try the rec.food.preserving newsgroup. Also do a search of that newsgroup on
DejaNews for "olives." Was quite a thread on there last year on processing olives
and making olive oil. We've also got plenty of expertise on this list for putting
food by, the Mertens are a good source as are several others.

George