I love to see my garden bloom
POSTED BY: SignyM
UPDATED: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 18:16
VIEWED: 2241
PAGE 1 of 2
I had enough time this year to dig out some sod and put in a vegetable garden. Nothing fancy: tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, rainbow chard, collards, herbs. On a lark, I tossed in some breadseed poppies and cosmos and strawberries.
I didn't expect it to be such a bee-friendly garden. But between the camellias, cosmos, poppies, cilantro, basil, and oregano there were always some blooms for busy little bees. Right now, my basil blooms are just fading. I was surprised how avid bees are for basil blooms. There are usually 5-10 bees on the plant. But not only did I see regular (European) honeybees, I've seen about six different California natives... little black-and-white striped ones, green-headed ones, fuzzy yellow ones, and one so big it rivaled a small grasshopper. The oregano blooms are just beginning, with puffs of purple flowers. Not a bee favorite (they'll go to the basil, only visiting the oregano if nothing else is available) but definitely a hit with butterflies.
I learned that native bees need bare dirt, mulch is a real problem for them, so in my "native" garden it'll be.. bare dirt.
I had a bonanza this year. I had more than my share of "the one that got away" zucchini... you know, the ones you don't see until Oh my god what's THAT??? A baseball bat??
So as I was wondering what to do with a big zucchini, some zippy Hungarian banana peppers, some absolutely SWEET red peppers, yellow bells and chocolate peppers, and a bunch of tomatoes, I came up with this....
coconut oil
small onion
several cloves garlic
six or seven mixed peppers... some hot
three med tomatoes
half of a stupid-sized zucchini (or five supermarket-sized)
cumin
fresh ground black pepper
salt
zest of one lime plus 2 T juice
shredded unsweetened coconut
serve with shrimp, or blackened chicken, and rice
I can't solve the world's problems. But I can make a little piece of heaven right here.
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I got blackberries this year, which were delicious, but the heat got the mulberries - and there were TONS of them on the tree; it was literally weighted down and sagging with berries, and then it didn't rain, and they all just dried up and fell off. :( Normally, the birds and squirrels get them all, but they wouldn't even eat these.
I also had tons of peaches, but the squirrels got every last one of them, wiping them out just as they started to turn colors and ripen... Dammit.
But I did get blackberries, so I'll count that as a tiny victory, especially considering I pulled the blackberry plant out of the compost heap and replanted it last fall.
Someday I'll keep the squirrels from wiping out my peaches... 
AURaptor's Greatest Hits:
Friday, May 28, 2010 - 20:32 To AnthonyT:
Go fuck yourself.
On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you.
Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:26 To President Obama:
Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar.
Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.
... go fuck yourself, Mr. President.
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*envy* *envy* *envy*
I spent 3 years putting in a huge garden with tons of herbs, flowers, veggies, berries....
Then I had to move and rent the house out and it's mostly gone to wilderness. Icky fungus took out my 12 foot hollyhocks that I raised from little seeds. 
Someday I'll have a house again. Until then - you should see my potted basil! It's HUGE, and I'm already made several batches of pesto. Mmmmm.
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hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left
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We just grew tomatoes. But they were GOOOOOOOOD!
The laughing Chrisisall
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hmm-burble-blah, blah-blah-blah, take a left
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LOL, it was in a pot, and we watered it excessively.
Small, but delicious.
The laughing Chrisisall
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Yeah, we've got oregano, basil, and rosemary that are doing well. This time of year, though, there's almost nothing you can do to keep things from burning up! Next year I'm going for tomatoes again, and hopefully jalapeño and serrano peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, and limes. I'm looking at putting in some citrus trees along the side, and possibly a couple of olive trees, since they'll produce here. I clipped some wild grape vines, but they didn't take. :(
I don't have any illusions of being "self sufficient" with my little garden; I just like fresh salsas and pico de gallo. :)
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Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
"self sufficient" with my little garden
Mike, you NEED to become what you propose to be not; the coming 'pockseclypse will end us if we don't prepare.
Dude.
The Damnation-Alley Chrisisall
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Gonna be a bumper crop up here too, what with all the rain, storms or no...
And the Wayne County State Fair is already in progress, which Alice has been looting to where we're gonna have to figure a way to store it all, good thing I have a canning kit - cause I am right damn sick of having to give up PB&J cause all the commercially available "Jelly", even the hoity-toity stuff, is all just artificially flavored HFCS gel!
So dammit we is gonna make our own, right on then.
Bees are nice pollinators, happy and industrious, and usually not aggressive or tempermental - beekeepin is kind of a hobby around here, but they do on occasion have their moments...
OMG, BEES!
http://www.heritage.com/articles/2010/07/27/ypsilanti_courier/news/doc
4c4f8b0c9d7df220336287.txt
That was kinda their own fault though.
On the other hand, I despise any insect which'll sting you just for shits n giggles (Yellowjackets, some wasps) and will go pretty far to retaliate by finding and destroying it's nest - it's like they bloody know it too, cause they'll move AWAY from me, so folk who seem to draw them (and the horde of giant bloodsucking skeeters) like to move in close to me for protection, ha!
Which means imma get dragged to the fair on Wed as a living, mobile bug repellent, fun fun fun, damn well better get some corn dogs outta that.
-Frem
I do not serve the Blind God.
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Quote:
Originally posted by chrisisall:Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
"self sufficient" with my little garden
Mike, you NEED to become what you propose to be not; the coming 'pockseclypse will end us if we don't prepare.
Dude.
A) I don't buy into apocalyptic rumors. They are terrors for children, nothing more.
B) I have guns and ammo. Lots. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get food. Good, bad - I'm the guy with the gun. :)
AURaptor's Greatest Hits:
Friday, May 28, 2010 - 20:32 To AnthonyT:
Go fuck yourself.
On this matter, make no mistake. I want you to go fuck yourself long and hard, as well as anyone who agrees with you. I got no use for you.
Friday, May 28, 2010 - 18:26 To President Obama:
Mr. President, you're a god damn, mother fucking liar.
Fuck you, you cock sucking community activist piece of shit.
... go fuck yourself, Mr. President.
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