What did you do in the garden today?

[IamRainey]

Thank you, penny. I believe I will and I look forward to it!

 

[perchie.girl]

@perchie.girl nice to see you over here! Yes, a list would be a good start. Are you looking to do some raised beds and aquaponics? Or one rather than the other?

I would prefer aquaponics but I have been reading that some things have an odd taste from it.


So leaving it open. I have pleanty of yard....

I want

Blackeyed peas both for snaps and for dried beans.
Pinto beans
Butter beans
English peas... (may not grow in my heat)
Cucumbers
Pumpkins (small variety if there is such a thing)
Cantelope
Watermelon
Blue berries (yes there is a varitey )
Strawberries
Acorn squash
....

Then trees for the yard:

Apple
Fig.... Hope there is a variety that likes the desert.
Pomegranite
Cherry

Then for the courtyard:
Lemon
Lime
Kumquat
Tangarine
Orange (there are some that can handle the cold the ones above either are cold hearty or have varieties that are....)

OF all the plants I am most familiar with Citrus.... I plan to espalier them around the courtyard fence... Excellent thorny predator deterent.

All can be preserved in some fashion.... I am dying to make Kumquat Marmalade....
Lemons and limes can be preserved MiddleEastern style. poach in hot salt water then let dry till they are black... Use them as seasoning in Lamb and beef dishes.... Oh yumm... I guess I will need to get a dehydrator as well.

Oh adnd I want herbs.... California Laurel which is our version of bayleaf.... Grows to be a small tree and is VERY hearty...

Then I want to plant natives about that attract humming birds and butterflies My Mesquite makes beans about six to eight inches long. Those beans can be ground up Pod and all after they are dried... to make low Gluten Flour...

Plus there are medicinals all over my property.... I have a book I need to locate a local expert... To make sure I have identified the plant and its usage. There are several Kumeay tribes I can probably find someone who can help me. I use to know at least two Shamans.... Long gone moved away.... Sigh

deb

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Does it freeze in the winter? Can you grow citrus?

Growing citrus is just a Dream here in New England!

 

[Rammy]

I mowed it down.

 

[perchie.girl]

Does it freeze in the winter? Can you grow citrus?

Growing citrus is just a Dream here in New England!

yes it does freeze here wind blows hard as well. Young trees and plants have to be protected from the wind. Citrus does have varieties that are cold hearty... Mostly Lemons and limes and some tangerines... Kumquats fall in the Lemon category I believ.e

They do have to be protected from frost and if it gets cold enough to kill it back to the root stock the variety that grows back are lemons. Most citrus are grafted on to a lemon root. You can see the line at the bottom of the tree usually the root stock is a bit bigger... anything that grows out of that needs to be pruned off.

Most of California at lower elevations can and does grow citrus.... and mostly in Southern California. My dad used to make extra money smudging the orange groves before going to school.... He taught me a bunch of info on citrus... Grandma had a Citrus tree that had many the varieties grafted on to it... Lemon Lime Valencia Navel and grapefruit. Grandpa did Stone fruit... Several different varieties grafted on to a tree.

Down here ins Southern southern California we can grow Olives.... Cant grow em up at my place I dont believe. But I will check it out. we had an olive tree in our front yard back in 67 Dad would strip it pick through and fill an eighty Gallon Trash can... Bran new never been used. Hed rinse and rinse and rinse again till the bird crap and dirt was washed off.

Hed then Dump half a can of Draino in and stir it up carefully. the container would rest in the garage for a week or so then he woulld start pulling olives and slicing the meat off to see how far the lye had penetrated. When it was all the way to the core hed dump the water out....

Then fill it with water and about a gallon of vinegar.... Once they were done hed put em in a stronger vinegar solution with Garlic or peppers or Dill.... and Salt. Another couple of weeks and wed start blowing through them olives.

I have NO idea where he found the recipe but I have looked it up and its out there on the internet. I want to do salt cured .... Many people here will bow to you if you want to strip their trees of olives. Messy Messy trees. purple stains when they would hit the car.... Water thrifty and lots of places use them as lanscape material....

Id love to have loquats too but they are not cold hearty at all. Mom has one though I can steal some of hers. The fruit tastes like a cross between mellon and lemon.... Very sweet... you can make Liquoure out of em.

deb

 

[pennyJo1960]

I love green olives never cared for the black ones

 

[karenerwin]

I love green olives never cared for the black ones

LOL! I'm the opposite! I love black olives but i don't like the green ones!

 

[pennyJo1960]

That's funny had to show BF and Son the little itty bitty brussle sprouts

 

[cavemanrich]

told me the square dishware was strange! Lol.

Square dishes serve SQUARE MEALS I like to have 3 squares per day,,,, plus dessert.

On the olive subject,,,,, I like them both GREEN and RIPE

 

[perchie.girl]

Square dishes serve SQUARE MEALS I like to have 3 squares per day,,,, plus dessert.

On the olive subject,,,,, I like them both GREEN and RIPE

The way dad did them both Green and black would come out the same color... Just a little different one would be darker Gray the other would be lighter gray.

All tasted the same.... Rich and mild and What ever herb was in the jar. they were niether bitter or Vinegary... We did one more batch the next year... But he had other things to do the rest...

I love Greek olives that are salt cured. I found a recipe on line and cant wait to give it a try. Takes a little bit longer to make em...

For what its worth I am suspecting that there are as many recipes for olives as there are people in the Mediterranean....

We just know the green salty stuffed with pimento and the black I used to put one on each finger at Thanks giving...

deb