Plants, gardening and growing things

Ruchel

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:16 am

In our previous place we had a garden with roses, strawberries, a pear tree, and some other veggies.

Here we had cucumbers, strawberries and tomatoes on a balcony but they died. We're soon trying again on a balcony on the other side (less sunny and hot) with a sweet potatoe...

Seraph you remind me that my husband grew basilic and oregano too!
As a teen I grew tons of cacti but they all died at once and I was disgusted!

Last edited by Ruchel on Mon, Sep 07 2009, 12:02 pm; edited 2 times in total

ss321 ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:35 am

I love growing stuff Smile

I do it myself, with my DH helping to haul some of the heavy stuff (like bags of soil). Everyone in my neighborhood seems to get a gardener, but my mother always planted stuff herself in the backyard and I learned from her. When we got a house, I wanted to "beautify" it.
I think in Brooklyn it is stylish to have a gardener and not do it yourself, which I really think is pathetic and sad. Gardening is one of my biggest pleasures in life! It is such a great de-stresser. Last year right after we moved my older DS planted some seeds and from his seeds he (/we) got cucumbers this year, and he was so proud of the fruits (or rather vegetables lol) of his labor! I got a gardener to help us do some weeding, just because since our backyard is not that big (this is New York City after all) we dont have all the tools, and it was just easier to pay someone 40 dollars than to kill ourselves doing it for hours and hours.

No indoor plants because of little kids. We once had two trees by our entryway but when I found my baby trying to eat the dirt one day (hey it doesnt look all that different from crushed oreos, why not), I gave them away to an older woman that night.
Outdoor we have a tree in the front and one in the back leftover from old neighbors. one is really old and tall (like 40 feet tall) and I want to get a swing for it.
We have cucumbers and tomatoes and also some herbs, and then some gigantic rose bushes from the old neighbors that were buried behind garbage in the backyard. I revitalized them and added tons more stuff like lilies and pansies. Maybe one day Ill post a pic Smile

I wish I had a fruit tree...like a lemon tree or s/t. but I dont think they grow so well in NY.

btMOMtoFFBs ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:48 am

ss321, I feel the same as you. Gardening is a huge outlet for me. I love teaching my kids how H' runs the world through examples in the garden. It is satisfying and such a good, wholesome activity with the children.

While you probably can't grow lemon trees in your yard, you could for sure plant apple trees. Those grow beautifully in NY.

I just moved out of my house where for 3 years I had planted tons of flowers and leafy greens. My view was so pretty. I moved into a rental house with a yard full of weeds *sigh*. I also left behind 4 very productive tomato plants. There is nothing yummier than freshly picked tomatoes, still warm from the sun.

Anyway Seraph, I enjoy the beauty of different seasons of flowers (spring bulbs and pansies, summer lillies, fall mums etc) and green leafy plants as much as veggies. Designing the garden layout with symmetry and order is very satisfying.

↑ Seraph ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:51 am

In our garden right now we grow:

Reeds. My husband found them on a hike and sprouted them and now we got a bunch growing in our garden. Its a funky look.

Cherry tomatoes. So far havent gotten so much yield, but its still nice.

Mint.

Passion fruit vines. Currently 4 planted, one looks like it is about to die. One is decently big (we only transplanted it there a month ago) and the others are still tiny. They grow fast, so hopefully soon they'll cover our fence and start giving us passion fruit.

A loofah vine.

Still small. But you can make a back scrubber out of the "fruit".

Swiss chard. Not doing so hotly right now, but iy'h soon.

A few cacti and decorative plants, like jade and others that I don't know their name.

We've got a few indoor plants, decorative draping ones. They are really high up so uriel can't reach them.
We also have a bamboo plant growing inside in a nice vase.

Growing up, back in the US we grew:
Grapes, rasberries, blueberries, wineberries

(They're like rasberrries, just more tart.)
Strawberries
Gooseberries

Sour cherries
Sweet cherries
Apricots
Figs
Mint
Chives
Rhubarb
Jerusalem Artichoke
Delicious Heirloom Tomatoes
Corn
Pumpkin
Snow peas
Other squashes
Basil
Oregano
And I'm sure plenty more that I'm not remembering...

My husband also grew a lot growing up. He grew-
Pomegranates
Lemons
Kumquats
Olives
Grapes
Mulberries
Plus other stuff that I don't know...

↑ Seraph ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:55 am

btMOMtoFFBs wrote:

There is nothing yummier than freshly picked tomatoes, still warm from the sun.

Oh my, how right you are.
But its not just taste. The smell is heavenly!
I sometimes catch vine ripened tomatoes at a greengrocery near here, and I only buy the ones that have that special smell. Once they enter the refrigerator, they lose that smell...
My husband laughs when he catches me sniffing tomatoes, but unless you experienced that "freshly picked tomatoes" smell, you just can't understand...

e1234

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 11:56 am

seraph - I think our husbands would get along well.
I'm not into gardening but my husband does it to relax and my son likes it as well.
They are growing many things -- including pomegranate,cactus,corn,olives,dates,starfish fruit tree, tomatoes,peppers,potatoes - tons of flowers and I'm sure much more then I'm remembering.

solo ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 1:34 pm

its so nice to know there r other imamothers that enjoy gardening. I was kinda disappointed when I became a member to see this topic empty.
ss321 I think the reason people in brooklyn have gardeners has less to do with style and more to do with lack of interest.
none of my friends or neighbors know the first thing bout gardening.
when we were looking for a house it was really important to me to have ven a small patch of earth.
and thats what I got.
I have a tiny front lawn which I keep "formal" with a row of box hedges and a dogwood.
and my back yard is concrete except for a 2' x8' l shaped patch that was hidden beneath an above ground pool we removed. I keep it full of perennials:
3 peonies, 2 lilac, sweet william, lillies, baloonflowers, hibiscus, clematis, verbena, and geranium
and fill in with annuals (mostly impatients)
I have a pot of herbs: basil, lemon balm, oregano, thyme
and a pot with passion vine. its new so hasnt produced any fruit this yr. I hope it survives the winter.
I didnt plant any frit cuz I think itll make a mess, and planted veggis in the past but dont like to eat them cuz of the cats that sit on them so stopped planting them.
I luv my garden, but do think its a bit of a mess. especially the hibiscus.
I would luv to see photos of other small gardens like mine.

↑ ss321 ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 6:41 pm

wow seraph! I love those loofah things! how beautiful Smile

can you post passion fruit pics in ur yard? ive never seen them growing!

btmomtoffbs, yea, it is totally an outlet. I also love oragnizing. making things symmetrical, designing it as the season changes, etc.
I was talking to my DH about trees last week, and he really doesnt want us to get any fruit trees because of all the halachic implications. what if we move and someone else knocks it down? we dont want to be responsible. what if it in 30 years hits the septic tank for the toilets and must be uprooted? who knows. I would really love one, but thats ok. Ill stick to tomatoes. ITA, there is nothing like a freshly picked yummy tomato still hard and warm from the sun!
solo, IDK what it is.I feel like all my jappy FB friends are all so "shocked" when they hear that I did it myself. as in the same shock somoene would have if you cooked something instead of your chef, or you made your bed instead of your maid. and Im so proud of my handiwork Smile

Its so fun Smile

I am gonna try to take some pix and post if I have time! I want ideas Smile

I hope more US people post. As gorgoeus as your backyard is seraph, unfortunately, all those exotic things would never hold here Sad

↑ solo ↓

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 7:23 pm

ss321 if ur scared of fruit trees u can plant berries instead. strawberries, blueberries, I always wanted to plant gooseberries. I think raspberries r too difficult to check. do u think passion frit has the same halachot as a fruit tree. well mine is in a large planter for now so I dont hafta worry just yet.
oh and yeah people also think its weird and eccentric that I garden

↑ Seraph

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 9:28 pm

ss321 wrote:

wow seraph! I love those loofah things! how beautiful Smile

Its so fun Smile

I am gonna try to take some pix and post if I have time! I want ideas Smile

I hope more US people post. As gorgoeus as your backyard is seraph, unfortunately, all those exotic things would never hold here Sad

ss321, those pics were found on the inet. They're not pics of my backyard. unfortunately.

Flowerpot

Mon, Sep 07 2009, 10:29 pm

I'm in love with my garden and would never let a gardener into my artwork. you bet its an outlet nothing is beter for the nerves that trimming the grass and smellin em fresh. I mostly have flowers all kinds and tomatoes peppers and cucumbers. rose bushes and lots of greenery. I wonder if I can do mint?

↑ ss321

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 6:55 am

solo wrote:

thats a great idea...anywhere local where I can buy some blueberry or strawberry vines? even a fruit tree in a pot, my DH is scared of, because what do we do when it gets too big for the pot? and anyway, you cant even "enjoy" it for 3 yrs, right? so the potted years, you miss out on. IDK....its too much of a stressor. any idea where I can get berries? Id love to plant them now with my boys so they are ready next season iyh.

and flowerpot you should totally add some mint. you can buy the seeds anywhere, and you can also buy the plants like at any home depot or nursery. I have rosemary and mint, not even to use for food, more just for the yummy smell!

Rubber Ducky ↓

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 7:38 am

This year we're growing (or grew) tomatoes, Japanese eggplant, cucumbers, crookneck squash, salad greens, a few ears of corn, and herbs -- thyme, mint, and sage. We have 2 raised beds, each 4' x 8'. The cukes and squash caught some sort of mildew and died after ripening only a few fruits, but the tomatoes have produced extremely well. The salad greens and eggplant were also easy and have produced well. The greens were surprisingly un-buggy.

The only fruit tree we have is an Asian pear, which refuses to fruit -- not enough sun, I think. One of these days we may order some blueberries and raspberries or wineberries. Wineberries will fruit in partial shade.There are wineberries growing wild by the creek that runs through the neighborhood, and they're delicious.

We let our sons choose what vegetables to grow when they were younger. Our foster son, who came to us just after planting, has put in a request for next year: cherry tomatoes.

A nursery/website I really like for fruit windowshopping is Edible Landscaping, based in Virginia. They specialize in disease-resistant and bug-resistant varieties.

↑ DefyGravity ↓

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 9:20 am

solo wrote:

Blueberries have a problem with orlah, which is made more complicated because they spread with individual shoots, and each new shoot is considered a completely new tree. At least this is what it seemed like, according to our research. DH really wanted to plant blueberries, but once he asked about it, it seemed like it was too complicated.

↑ DefyGravity ↓

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 9:23 am

flowerpot wrote:

Just be careful with mint, it spreads very quickly, so you need to either plant it in something, or constantly cut it back to keep it from spreading. We like having mint because it's great at attracting bees.

Rubber Ducky, how many stalks of corn did you plant, and how many ears of corn did you end up with? We grew corn one year, and it didn't seem worthwhile for all that you have to plant in order to get the corn. We also planted it during a year where we didn't get a lot of rain, and they need a ton of water.

louche

Tue, Sep 08 2009, 9:38 am

My fantasy is to have a vegetable-and-culinary-herb garden right outside my kitchen door; a fragrance herb garden just beyond that; two flower gardens, one for show in place and one for cutting; a greenhouse; a fruit orchard; at least one each of willow, myrtle, palm and citron for Arba Minim; and possibly a field or two of grain.

My reality is a dozen small houseplants in pots on the windowsill in my office. I have GOT to stop touring wealthy estates...