I can't wait to harvest my first crop of garlic! I planted Chet's Italian red, and German Extra Hardy. (From Seedsavers, of course!)

They are growing like crazy...

Mmmm.... :)

I want to try a worm compost unit inside (or least in the garage this winter), but the hubs is against having worms as indoor roommates....I have talked him into a rabbit though! Maybe Santa will bring a rabbit this Christmas!

Another random thought: My kids LOVE the book "Diary of an Earthworm"...it is pretty funny! Check it out!

Final(weird)random thought: What a shame that human poop is no good! I had 3 babies in 5 yrs-for a while I could have sold it by the diaper! :) (I know, weird) :)

Great post! This is exactly what I've planned for next Spring! The ONLY thing I've ever done in my backyard is mow it (the kids don't play back there anyway), so why not turn the whole thing into a veggie garden? :)

The tarp sure beats Roundup! Cheaper too! :) -Jada

Very cute! I love the Muppet veggies! :)

Awesome! I'm in Georgia too, and my okra was also happy! Yours looks much happier though! You must be in the perfect spot...lots of good sun and good soil! :)

I have a great recipe for okra fritters if you are interested...little fried corncakes w/okra slices. SO good! :)

Great read! I would agree that a hot biscuit is the way to go with sorghum! :)

I am lucky that one of our local area grocery stores (Ingles) usually sells sorghum, so I always have a supply. Failing that, my mom has a source for it in Burns, TN, from a couple who makes it there! It makes the BEST gingerbread and ginger cookies...much better than regular molasses in my opinion! Wouldn't think of Christmas baking without a jar or two...

Thanks for sharing!!

Funny how the critters know where to go for tomatoes! I haven't seen a rabbit in our neighborhood in the 8 yrs we've lived there, but this summer we caught a HUGE rabbit in the yard, sniffing the garden! LOL! I got his picture before he ran off, and we haven't seen him again....

Your greenhouse is great! Nice to have such a big herb garden close to the kitchen, I bet! :)

I'm just gonna put myself out there and say this: I am a complete amateur! A total padawan to Patti's ObiWan-ness (Star Wars fan)! I am AMAZED! I'm also inspired to take over my entire house with grow space...The kids could sleep in the bathroom...LOL!

WOW!!! :)

Those carvings are absolutely fabulous! I love the skeleton! That would be so hard to do...

Happy Halloween, all! :)

This is SO cool....and makes the end of summer gardening more fun! May we remember our harvests in fond memory! :)

Just too cool! Amazing what you can grow with a little space and a little ingenuity! :)

Hey Foodie,
I have the best seed starting success with the Burpee or Jiffy starter kits. There's a bit of a start-up cost to buy the trays and mat, but they are reusable year after year! (You just buy the refill seed pots.) The seed pots provide the right soil...potting soil is sometimes too heavy and doesn't drain enough. I really love the smaller trays that fit on my windowsills! You also water them from the bottom, so the tiny leaves don't get disturbed.

I've tried growing seeds in other containers such as yogurt cups, etc, but I consistantly get better results from the kits...Hope this helps?? -Jada :)

That's some brutal summer temps! I'm in the Atlanta area, so we get pretty hot too..high 90's in the summer, with humidity too! Anyway, I start my tomato seeds inside in very early March, and plant them around April 15. (That the last frost date for the Atlanta area.) I also buy a few tomato plants from Lowes in April, and plant them at the same time. Mine do great all Spring and early summer...
I grow a lot of my tomatoes in big container pots, so when the summer heat hits really hard, I have to water everyday. That keeps 'em going, but I think daily watering does not make tomatoes all that happy. By end of August, the plants are done and the containers can't hold any more plant growth.
Hope you get some opinions from your fellow Texan gardeners! Post some pictures next Spring! -Jada :)

One of the things I do to unwind after a long at work is go out and tend my herbs. The fall temps have finally done my sweet basil's demise, but I still have a really nice rosemary plant, and a good amount of sage! What a pleasure to go out and cut a sprig of rosemary to add to some roasted potatoes...
I grew my herbs in my front yard, right in with my flowers! They looked great, and were a good way to have my "edibles" near the kitchen! :)

This article was perfect timing for me...we just carved a pumpkin last night that had tons of seeds. It's a yearly tradition for us to roast most of the seeds for "good eats", but I did put a few aside for saving! Now I know how to preserve them properly! :)

I forgot the original intent of my post! LOL I've got to stop daydreaming...
My coworker has a 6x8 greenhouse, that he heats with a small spaceheater with a timer. He also heats his garage, which acts as a 2nd greenhouse. (The garage has windows.) He tells me that his electric bill doubles in the coldest months! Usually a total of $120-180 a month total! WOW!! I never realized how much energy those spaceheaters use. That dollar amount is probably a low figure for you in California...here in Georgia I think we pay much less.

Hope you get some good ideas! :)

Since you posted that FAB-U-LOUS greenhouse, I just HAD to post this link of my dreamhouse. Notice the fireplace, that will keep YOU and your plants nice and toasty. I suspect that this owner doesn't worry about electricity bills all that much!
When I get rich and famous, I will have this house! I'm working on the rich and famous part... :)

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/Luxury-Greenhouses/products/1098/

WOW, what a beautiful greenhouse! I hope you are able to fill it to the ceiling with good stuff! Those tomatoes are beautful too!

I think you are right about the powers that be controlling the seed...I plan to save seeds next summer for the first time. I'm also a member of SeedSavers, which is fun!

Please post pictures this winter of your greenhouse/farmers market! :) Would love to hear what you are able to produce despite the cold outside....

I had never even heard of the Burren...very cool place!

My hubby is going to be ordering some frozen chiles from New Mexico this month! We are also "chile heads", but I can't grow 'em hot enough for hubby...Maybe I'll try again next year to grow my own! :)

PS. My favorite meal to eat chiles is definitely breakfast! A breakfast tortilla with egg, chile, and salsa is my PERFECT breakfast! :)

Thanks for sharing your photos! :)

Thanks Garden Girl! I really appreciate the info! There is a rabbit rescue organization in my area, that has either single bunnies or bonded pairs. I think a pair would be better too! I was thinking the Angora bunny would be harder to groom, so I'm looking for a mini-rex or dutch...
Thanks again! Happy gardening...Jada

I love it! Wonder if any planes overhead got confused? :)

Beautiful garden! I also check my "veggie babies" every afternoon when I get home!

Thanks Chris!
I will definitely check out that particular book! There is certainly no shortage of rabbits up for adoption in this area...there seems to be a lot of unplanned pregnancies in the rabbit community! :)

I think a pair (spayed/neutered!) would be a great addition to our family...I didn't realize how intelligent and social rabbits are! I've already found a source for timothy hay and my hubby is going to build a nice hutch. So, once we have a bunny house, we'll be good to go!

Thanks again for the info...mucho appreciated! :) Jada

Great article...Hubby and I are going to clear out an entire section of shrubs in our front yard, and replace it with a mixture of flowers and EDIBLES! I had good luck this summer with growing jalopenos and herbs right in with my front flowers! Quite a few veggie plants can be decorative too...

I haven't canned in SO many years! Forgotten how much fun it can be...My husband has a grand plan to can his "famous" marinara sauce next year with our tomatoes. I'm going to have to grow a LOT more tomatoes next Spring! :)

The jelly looks SO good in your video! :)

Great info! I invested in several different tomato seeds from Seed Savers this year...will be fun to save my own next season! :)

What beautiful food! I could definitely go for potatoes at every meal myself...
I hope my leeks get that big! Right now they're just seedlings in my window. The only food in your article that I have to turn my nose at is rutabagas! :) Just can't stand 'em!
Glad you had a nice trip! Thanks for sharing your photos, etc.! Jada

Extremely helpful article! I bought a packet of "Giant Musselburgh" on a whim (ever buy seeds on a whim?), but now I'm excited to get my seeds started tonight!
Leek and potato soup in my future..... :)

I never thought to take cuttings from my big basil plant! Hubby uses it in everything, so an indoor plant would be nice this winter.... :)

Really beautiful garden! I hope future administrations keep up this really nice tradition! I bet the chefs really enjoy walking out and writing the menu based on what's ready for harvest...

It may be a little late now (it's mid-Sept as I write this), but I'm gonna try to plant some peas this weekend. I'm in the Atlanta area, so I may can eek out enough warm fall days to harvest a few....Assuming I can still find seed at the store! :)

Hi Patti, I'm amazed at what you're able to grow in your garden! Question: Did you put drainage holes in the garbage can that holds your cherry tree? I'm thinking of trying a dwarf citrus tree...Thanks for any advice! :)

How interesting! I will definitely try this since my composter is full right now! I'm always looking for ways to enrich my Georgia clay soil! :)

Hi there...this year my family enjoyed watching tons of hummingbirds! My kids really loved watching them fight for territory as they buzzed around. I planted a large number of zinnias in every color I could find, and that seemed to really attract them. I also planted some bee balm and foxglove in that area.
We had a hummingbird feeder among the flowers, but I really think the zinnias were the primary attraction...Hope this helps! :)
Happy gardening....Jada

Just for fun, this year I signed up with the National Wildlife Federation to be a "certified wildlife habitat". I thought it would be lots of fun for my kids to learn about local birds and other critters. It has been a LOT of fun for the whole family! By far, our favorite wildlife to watch are the American goldfinches, stripping our zinnea flowers down to the seed pods! The birds tear the petals off, and then snack away until the pod is completely empty. We have finch feeders, but "our" finches much prefer our zinnias...
I would love to tear out the zinneas and put in some fresh plants for fall, but I'm going to wait until the finches have had their fun! :)

Awesome! I posted a question about gooseberries a couple of weeks ago, and this is PERFECT! Great info...I think I'm going to try growing them for sure! :)

Thanks Chris!...They seem like happy critters, that's for sure! They must not mind the heat either-my tumbler gets really hot in our Georgia summer...Happy gardening! :)

What a beautiful farm! Nice video...I especially liked seeing Deborah Madison, because I love her cookbooks so much! :) Would love to make it to Decorah someday...it's on my bucket list, for sure! :)

Great going, Garden Kid! I wish I had some of those raspberries for my cereal! :) My three kids like to pick yellow cherry tomatoes and snip okra in my garden, but they LOVE to pick blueberries and blackberries at Grandpa's house! Keep those videos coming.... :)

Great article! Do you have a source for the wineberry plants? I've checked the big seed website with no luck...Thanks! :)

Great article...I have found that pepper plants, herbs, and lettuce look really great in my front flower bed! Swiss chard also looks really good as a border plant. I just tuck them in around my zinnias and daisies, and they definitely look like they belong! :)

I'm one of those weird Southerners who actually does NOT like tomatoes! (I know, it's a shame.) BUT, my hubby LOVES them, so I grow them especially for him, as well as a number of coworkers and family. I've got 6 different heirlooms growing this year, with plans to double that amount next season. Tomatoes are fun to grow! They have been a great way to get my kids involved in gardening. My top producers this year have been some beautiful yellow cherry tomatoes, as well as my "Talladega" and "German Queen" vines. While I can't say I want to eat them off the vine, I sure love to grow them for the folks that do! :)

Very helpful info! I'm going to plant garlic for the first time this fall, and didn't really know what to expect! :) (BTW, Seed Savers.org has a great selection of garlic right now!) :)

Excellent info...I was definitely not pruning correctly! And it's gotta be Hellmann's mayo, right? :)