Well, grabbing those tomatoes and hauling them in every freeze last winter has begun to pay off. Actually, the last freeze we bought a 60.00 dollar sheet (huge) of visquine and threw it over top. About a week ago my Park's seeds bare root order of 'Tribute' everbearing strawberries came in. They were immediately placed in peat pots. Look how they've grown already! Wow, glad I ordered from them, all in great shape. My alpine strawberries (grown from seed) were placed in 4 separate hanging baskets at the same time I potted up the regular sized strawberries. They aren't migonette, are the white species 'vesca.' The cherry tomatoes are nine pots, and huge. Gino gets at least a 5.00 container's worth a day now, so well worth my effort and monies spent. The peppers are beginning to grow. I placed one in a very large, 30 gallon tub to see if I can get it to go 'tree' on me. Since the screenhouse is bug free, and by fall Gino will be adding to it with protective area, I can allow it to keep growing. It already has a woody stem. The carmine jjewel cherries are brand new arrivals, just repotted a couple of days ago. As soon as roots peep through peat pot bottoms, they will be repotted again. I want these trees to fruit within 2 years, so am really going to 'baby' them. I also started seeds of vigna caracalla and the purple vigna. Behind them you can see small brugmansia sanguineas, with no hardened stem yet. Brugs are about 6 weeks old. The passiflora caeruleas were grown not for their fruits (which are said to be not near as tasty as many other species of passie) but because they help cross-pollinate and set better fruit with other types of passions. Another photo shows my larger brugmansia sanguineas, one of which as already made a 'Y' Crucial for flowering, it was born in November, as are the others surrounding it. Gino will be adding 3 more 12 x 16 ft. attached screen houses to this one in the fall. I will really need the space, as I have potted blueberries, blackberries, actinidia arguta, and some other fruiting plants outside that will need protection from the insects and squirrels. All will be placed in roomy raised beds. Also have some late season buttercrunch, mesclun, nicely growing basil, some asclepias (incarnata and tuberosa) finally found a shrimp plant 'fruit cocktail,' regular shrimps, various other brugs, white bauhinia (orchid tree) and true caper bush mixed in there. About 80 percent of my plants are from seed. I really do enjoy starting my plants this way. The only things I am currently waiting on now is 7 other species of asclepias, bicolor buddleia. ..3 hazelnut from arbordayfoundation.org) I think that's it anyway, lol. Started the nelumbo for another larger garden pond we dug in January. Already has Papyrus and gotu kola growing in it. Water finally balanced and will be adding guppies this weekend. I hope you enjoy my little photo tour. NW corner...a wall of cherry tomatoes ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) 5 week old vigna caracalla with brugmansia sanguinea behind ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) columbine seedlings ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) Peppers, cherry tomatoes and strawberries ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) Parkseed's strawberries 'Tribute' ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) Nelumbo-Lotus-top view 2 days old in water, bottom, unchipped and no water ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) Another view cherry tomatoes ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) 4 month old passiflora caerulea ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) 5 month old brugmansia sanguinea ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) alpine strawberry basket ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden ) Carmine jewel cherry (peat pots, front) ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden )
Holy moly!!! Look at all that! You've been busy. I'm so jealous. I need a screen house like that too! Great job. Everything is looking absolutely marvelous.
Goodness!! I'm going to take a rest now after looking at all the great plants starting and a 'wall of cherry tomatoes' you have an exciting start on spring. Congratulations!! Jerry
Thank you ladies and gentlemen. I just came back in from screenhouse. It is sooo nice to hear the grasshoppers buzzing OUTside. They sometimes come up and land on the screen, spitting their nasty green juices. I just know that they are secretly thinking...'If only I could find a way in...those tomatoes smell so good...so close...but so far away... edit: my terrible typos
Oh MY Goodness.... did I go green with envy when I looked at all those healthy looking plants! You have a gorgeous looking array there. I was imagining all the sights, sounds and smells, tastes.... I'm sure it is wonderful... I would love to hear more about your caper bush -- capers and caper berries?! Oh, how wonderful. Is that tricky to grow?
Daisy, yes. (ref:caper bush) Absolutely slow to germinate, and picky about watering situation. I read up a lot on them before buying the seed. It appears they love high altitude, rock garden situations, and not too much water. I am keeping mine moist as tiny seedlings...only 3 of about 20 seed up so far. They say hard/sporadic to germinate, so I'll keep an eye on them for another few months to give them all a chance. Thank you Kay. I know you're dealing with some wicked weather right now. But spring is right around the corner. In actuality, I will miss the cool nights and drier days. That's why I am trying to spend every minute I can outside right now. In another month, you'll have to pry me out from under the air conditioner.
Guys and Gals, I just picked a total of 8 lbs. of tomatoes day before yesterday. Today I'll probably have as many. They're ripening so quick I'm going to have to give some to my neighbors 8 lbs. cherry tomatoes-yummy!! ( photo / image / picture from Bodhi's Garden )
Bodhi, I'm the color of your avatar...froggy green...with envy! Next year I'll have my greenhouse up I can even put a heater in it.... 8) oh the plans!! Thank you so much for sharing your treasures!
Cheryl, they are sooo sweet, and I wish you were one of my neighbors too Thanks Diggie...and welcome too! I hope your greenhouse goes well. I'd never have these beauties without the screen stopping the pests, it really made all the difference. And with your greenhouse, your neighbors will be 'green with envy' come winter when you're the one with organic fresh tomatoes.
Oh the things I could do with all those luscious tomatoes!! What a fantastic crop you've got there Bodhi - almost worth moving away from Scotland for.
