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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 22, 2014 13:28:08 GMT -5
My garden has just been producing like crazy. Too bad we're not getting any FREE water (rain) these days. Mostly tomatoes and zucchini at this end. Fig tree to extreme back left has been feeding the birds. 
Just some of the tomatoes. I've been real popular with my neighbors (and my dad, his neighbors, my sister, etc, etc). 
Once you've had a home grown tomato, you just can't eat a tasteless, store-bought one. 
A pepper plant bought at Home Depot, called "Spicy Cajun Bell." Have not seen them offered since I got this one. 
They are very hot and spicy, to me, more so than the jalapenos. But lots of flavor. 
Regular bell peppers. Been slicing these thin, sautéing with onions, and adding them to everything. 
Have five jalapeno plants. Good for grilling, making jalapeno jelly (not jam, James!), and drying and grinding up for powder after they turn red. 
This is a good grilling size. Put in a bag with a little olive oil to coat first, then grill them slowly. Take off grill, put in bowl, cover with foil. After 10 minutes or so, skin peels off easily. (But not for me!!!) 
Zucchini in hand. Good size to pick, been eating a lot of this nuked. (Lucy gets some, too.) 
When they get out of hand. What happens when you don't pick for a couple days. 
And what happens when they actually hide from you, lol. 
Wish I knew someone with a goat or something that would eat these big ones. Oh well, I just add them to the mulch pile. 
That's about it, thanks for looking. Jean |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 22, 2014 14:59:16 GMT -5
This is not in the garden, but out in the front yard with the cactus.
For you, Brian beefjello . I've been watching this stapelia bud for a week now, waiting for it to open. Today it did! 
I think this is the biggest it has ever been. A good foot from tip to tip. 
A ruler this time (instead on my feet in flip-flops) for size reference. 
Got up close for this pic, they sure do smell like dead meat! |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 22, 2014 15:24:29 GMT -5
A most beautiful but functional garden. You must have fertile soil to grow zucchini that big. And the reddest tomatoes. i can smell that flower from here.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 22, 2014 16:52:01 GMT -5
Great garden Jean. I want to get some raised beds going but the back isn't in shoveling mode these days.
The zucchini are whoppers. Remember what they say about zucchini-harvest season: be sure to lock your car or your neighbor may fill it with his "extra" zucchini.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 22, 2014 17:09:34 GMT -5
James, you must have the best sniffer in all the south! The stapelia flower does stink, but not quite that much.
I've had to give tomatoes to my dad, because he has rats that are eating all of his veggies! He has yet to pick a ripe (or unripe, for that matter) tomato. They've eaten all the plums off the tree, and are now starting in on the 1" sized, hard green fruits on the nectarine tree. They chew off all the hard meat, then leave just the pit hanging. I've never seen the likes of it in all my years. They also hollow out oranges and tangerines still on the tree. We've been trying to live trap them for weeks now, they manage to steal the bait, but don't get caught in the trap. They did not even touch peanut butter on a Ritz cracker. As much as I hate poison, I picked up a bait station at the Depot. If it works, my dad will (hopefully!) soon be smelling the wonderful aroma of dead things... ehhhh.
I just hate rats. Glad I do not have that problem here.
Yeah, Rick, I've heard that. However, I have yet to do it to anybody else! When they go into the mulch pile, they make it back into the garden eventually.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 22, 2014 19:58:48 GMT -5
Try sticky traps.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 19:58:51 GMT -5
What??? No flies? The Japanese would never pick ANY fruit before it is perfectly ready to eat. So, every cherry tomato (tens of gallons worth) at every buffet was a deep scarlet red similar to the best you have ever picked in your gardens. The Japanese have a verve for high quality and never (never, ever, never ever) accept less. They utilize just a little bit more patience and a little bit more attention to details to succeed in their endeavors. From frogs and lizards to Yubari Melons, to tomatoes. $58.00 cantaloupe. Imagine the finest, freshest, sweetest, juiciest and most succulent cantaloupe you have ever had. And if it was store bought the raise THAT to the power of Tau Jean your garden looks delicious (save the aesclepiad). I have some one bite kills them dead rodent baits. If you promise to isolate canines from the baits and the dead rodents I'll send you some. PM me your addy again! |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 22, 2014 20:13:04 GMT -5
Scott, I think I chased the flies away when I moved in close. Believe me, they returned with a vengeance, were having an orgy on that stinky stapelia!
The rat poison I put in the bait trap Monday was not the kind that makes the rats dehydrate. Forget the name, the whole box is at dad's house. Will get with you on that. James, I don't think my (insert adjective here) brother could handle rats stuck to traps. Should he catch one in the live trap, he hauls it off and turns it loose! Dad jokes that the rat will beat him home, lol.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 22:22:35 GMT -5
Scott, I think I chased the flies away when I moved in close. Believe me, they returned with a vengeance, were having an orgy on that stinky stapelia! The rat poison I put in the bait trap Monday was not the kind that makes the rats dehydrate. Forget the name, the whole box is at dad's house. Will get with you on that. James, I don't think my (insert adjective here) brother could handle rats stuck to traps. Should he catch one in the live trap, he hauls it off and turns it loose! Dad jokes that the rat will beat him home, lol. My baits came from a pro exterminator. I asked for enough to kill " A gopher or two" and he gave me like 150 bait packs. One bite kills. If you need some, they are yours. |
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 22, 2014 22:37:13 GMT -5
Scott, since 150 baits may be more than Jean needs may I put in a request for a few? I have a gopher that's systematically excavating my yard and Clark Pest Control is no help. I'm also finding strange black droppings about 10 times the size of rice grains in one particular area of the yard and I smell a rat (I'm sure they're not bass-turds). I have no remorse at all over killing gophers and rats. That baby possum my cat brought into the house recently was mighty cute and he was quite the Thespian: his death scene was very convincing until I tried to pick him up. Spry little devil. We had an interesting chase around the house and I gave him and his relatives the Roman thumbs-up because they're not destructive -- unless you have a fruit tree. Gophers and rats, thumbs-down.
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Jul 22, 2014 23:52:12 GMT -5
Enjoyed the garden pics. nothing like fresh veggies. Some years ago I pulled up to the driveup at the bank, one car ahead of me. The lady was shoving zucchinis through the tray. I leaned out and asked her what interest rate she got on them. "You want some too?" Two things for rats; Decon and guns. Both work great.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jul 23, 2014 7:37:25 GMT -5
We have to have cats to control the rodents. Otherwise it is rodents everywhere.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 10:45:13 GMT -5
Scott, since 150 baits may be more than Jean needs may I put in a request for a few? I have a gopher that's systematically excavating my yard and Clark Pest Control is no help. I'm also finding strange black droppings about 10 times the size of rice grains in one particular area of the yard and I smell a rat (I'm sure they're not bass-turds). I have no remorse at all over killing gophers and rats. That baby possum my cat brought into the house recently was mighty cute and he was quite the Thespian: his death scene was very convincing until I tried to pick him up. Spry little devil. We had an interesting chase around the house and I gave him and his relatives the Roman thumbs-up because they're not destructive -- unless you have a fruit tree. Gophers and rats, thumbs-down. I had gopher-zilla(!!) that all common methods failed to kill. Two years of trying and still a complete fail. I called my exterminator buddy and he left a small pail of baits on my porch. One bait pack in the next hole and one dead gopher. Yard is still recovering. I PM'd you Rick. If this bait had not worked I was going to put a 2" flex hose from the exhaust of my truck into his burrow system and let it idle for half an hour. I was hoping the back pressure from the burrow and hose would cause it to idle rough and spew hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into it's lungs. Did not need to go to this extreme, luckily! Rat poops are the size and shape of small gel capsules. |
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 25, 2014 9:20:52 GMT -5
Got to love gardening......Great garden Jean....I have my stuff just starting to mature,like corn,watermellon,tomatoes,radishes,lettuce,peppers( Japanese,Habanero,Bells and Jalapeno)...Plus a few hills of spuds..
Haven't planted those seeds you sent yet...
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snuffy
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Post by snuffy on Jul 26, 2014 0:55:29 GMT -5
Great going Jean! Been out of town,just got back and seen these pics.Love to see someone elses garden.Mine is about to be put to rest until September.
snuffy
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Post by Rockoonz on Jul 26, 2014 1:09:34 GMT -5
Jean I have no problem making all my zucchinis go away, even large ones. My latino freinds take them all, a large tub full brought to work will vanish in seconds.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 26, 2014 5:10:42 GMT -5
Thanks, Lee. The shop my DH works at is not very big, just a handful of employees - less than ten anyway. I have sent produce in with him, but they don't seem too fond of the zucchini, small or large. However, they will take all the tomatoes, tangerines and avocados I care to send their way!
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Post by snowmom on Jul 27, 2014 7:52:36 GMT -5
what do I feel about home grown tomatoes......
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Post by beefjello on Sept 17, 2014 19:30:13 GMT -5
This is not in the garden, but out in the front yard with the cactus.
For you, Brian beefjello . I've been watching this stapelia bud for a week now, waiting for it to open. Today it did!
I think this is the biggest it has ever been. A good foot from tip to tip.
A ruler this time (instead on my feet in flip-flops) for size reference.
Got up close for this pic, they sure do smell like dead meat! Hi Jean! Sorry I'm a little late to your garden party. Nice big bloom there!! Took this pic week before last, they've been really busting out. Ours average about 8 - 9 inches across  I'll bet those tomatoes and zucchinis were delicious! We grilled some zukes from Christa's mom's garden last night along with some catfish.. oh so good  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 19, 2014 11:25:15 GMT -5
Thanks, Brian. Mine has a couple blooms open on it right now!
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