[gardeners] This week in the garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 17 Oct 2000 19:04:56 -0500
Not much going on at the Shirley Swankienda this week. All the fall garden is in
and the green beans, lettuce, and radishes are up and growing. The cabbage,
broccoli, and cauliflower plants are looking good with their little foil cutworm
collars at ground level.
I successfully transplanted a Corno di Toro mild chile into a 5 gallon pot and
it has perked up and is flowering. It is my hope that it will produce over the
winter as other chiles I have done this with have. The new herbs, lemon verbena
and sweet marjoram, are doing well in their new, larger pots and now I'm looking
for some lemon balm, everyone else's pest died on me. I can't seem to grow the
stuff for some reason or other.
If I get back from the VA hospital (going to see if they can do anything for
these old weak eyes) in time tomorrow I will harvest the last of the sweet basil
and make a run at cutting some Mexican Mint Marigold for drying. The lavenders,
less one that is still in the herb garden, are doing okay in their new beds.
Will move the one still in the herb garden when I get a chance.
The Ponderosa lemons are turning yellow and the kumquats are turning gold. It
will soon be marmalade time again so I had better stock up on sugar. I'm going
to cut the raspberries and boysenberries back to about 1 foot high pretty soon.
Haven't decided exactly when though.
The hot chiles have slowed down production a smidgeon since a little cooler
weather has moved in. I'm only getting a pint a day versus a quart a day from
them. If they make it there will be 4 or 5 two year old chile plants out there
in January. The Thai Hots are starting to look like small trees, over six feet
tall with trunks about 2 or 3 inches in diameter.
Nature has been good to the Shirley family this year. Other than taking the two
oak trees out we haven't lost much in the way of plantings and have actually
gained a few. I knew that nursery moving in less than a mile away was going to
be trouble. <VBG>
Think I'll go clean up my kitchen, got a dirty wok and a rice steamer that need
cleaning. The chicken stirfry was good though. Had to feed Miz Anne before she
went off at 6 pm to teach her Leisure Learning class at the local University.
She was home almost two hours before she had to leave again. It's getting worse,
she signed up for an introductory computer user course at the school district
resource center and is going to sign up for 6 hours of college credit in
January. Probably some more art classes or one of the better classroom
management courses. Don't have to worry about my lady wandering the streets, she
be too busy. The dog and I sit at home and pine for her and then do a happy
dance when she comes in.
George and Sleepy, two old lonesome dogs