On 22 Jan 2004 09:33:01 -0800, (Mark) wrote:

Janice wrote in message . ..
On 21 Jan 2004 17:34:48 -0800, (Mark) wrote:

Heather wrote in message ...
Well, the seed catalogs are coming! It's hard to envision being outside
and puttering around in the garden when it's so cold, but with the
catalogs comes this year's plan. What's everyone doing?

We've got the 6 raised beds, as usual.

We'll probably pass on growing corn this year; it always ends up with
us buying our ears at the farmers' market.

I was thinking that if I ever wanted "normal" corn again, I'd have to
start raising it because the only thing I've found at markets is the
nasty "sweet" stuff that doesn't even taste like corn anymore. I
threw away the last I bought it was so nasty tasting to me! I'd
rather eat field corn than that stuff!

I agree. I don't buy "sweet" corn, just regular yellow corn.


The usual carrots, but a few varied types. Sugar snap peas. Roma
tomatoes. A few types of bell peppers...a few types of warm to hot
peppers...

My lovely wife would like to see some broccoli this year, so that's in
the works. I might try to grow some onions, too.

Almost most-anticipated: my 4 artichoke plants which have been
wintering over under a thick layer of straw mulch. The lowest the
temps have gotten this winter (so far) has been ~15 (F). With the
brevity of the low temps and the mulch, I hope they'll take off this
spring and end up giving us a nice crop by late summer.

is that ~15 mean -15 f?

It's supposed to mean "about 15 degrees". No sub-zero temps so far
this year.


The MOST anticipated addition to the garden this year is the ducks.
The kids and I are looking forward to getting 4 ducklings this spring
to help keep the bug'n'slug population to a minimum. The wife? --
She's hoping my neighborhood reputation as "that odd guy" won't be
carried over to her by me having a flock of fowl in the middle of our
city. The way I figure it, if they have names, they're not livestock,
right? They're pets.

They legal there?

I guess I'll find out. I plan on building a miniature picket fence to
keep them in (instead of chicken wire), so that might hide them a
little. I asked the neighbors whose yards border mine, and they all
said they would have no problem with the ducks.

How miniature of a fence? Non-Muscovys can fly, and even the hens in
the muscovys can get a way if they start high. I'm not talking fly up
in the air, and take a little trip, but they can get a little loft to
get over stuff. The India Runner ducks probably couldn't .. they
always look surprised, and remind me of a penguin and a bowling pin
having young ;-) Not the right "attitude" to gain much altitude ;-)


One thing to keep in mind, they do need some green area as all will
get sores on their feet if they don't have considerable non-hard dry
areas to walk.

The ducks' area will be about 1/4 acre, and the garden is inside that.
Plenty of lawn for them to roam in.


well I'm jealous, ducks got more ground than my whole yard has. (Oh,
keep in mind... drake ducks.. well. all those shows where they show
how the lab that's out swimming and the duck are such good "friends"
... that duck has whole other ideas! Those white ducks..they're the
randiest and most aggressive and non-specific in their "desires" that
it's disgustin'! That's why you'll find all those poor splotchy mixes
of mallard and peking duck offspring in the parks. Splotch of white,
splotch of normal mallard color, splotch of white.. and I've rescued
poor hens being chased down by 3 or 4 peking drakes. SHOOT 'EM all..
to the Presses with them.. Pressed duck a' la orange!! ;-)
Mark


I don't know the exact name of the variety I have, but they were
devised to accomodate New Zealand's climate. The support they have
right now is simply the back chainlink fence, but if they get too
heavy, I'll be able to prune them back and build a sturdy
pergola-thing for them to climb.

I've been wanting to get some hardy kiwis but I have to put up
sturdier support than the 4 x 4 posts and wire that I have for the
grapes I've been told and read, they need additional posts and wires
when they bear because they're heavier than grapes. I wanted the
pretty male plants that have green white and pink leaves, but the
female vines I heard don't have as much color. I'll check a couple
more things before I decide. What varieties do you have?

P.P.S. The garden shed is done, but I still have to complete the
gutter system so I can water only with collected rainwater. And I
still want to construct a little lean-to greenhouse on the side...not
there yet.

Sounds like you've been busy!! I haven't been able to do any active
gardening or much of anything for years, but I'm hoping that this year
I can at least start some tomatoes and get them in the ground because
I have some other folks here with me who may be of use come summer.

I can only hope!

Good gardening!

Janice


I've got a house full of kids who love messing around in the garden.
Two of my sons (and their friends) helped me build the shed last
summer, and all the neighborhood kids come by frequently to help
themselves to the "snack bushes" in the garden -- mainly the sugar
snap peas and the grape tomatoes...though there is this one little
girl who likes to pick fresh spinach leaves for a snack.

First thing my dad did here when I got this place was cut down a big
maple in the back corner of the property after clearing it with the
neighbor,it was growing mostly on her side of the fence, and through
it into mine, and then he built a shed. He always paid more
attention to there being a shed/shop/outbuildings on a place than he
did to the house, much to my mother's consternation. He was born in
1904 and his father would take chunks of land on to homestead, prove
them up, sell them and go homestead another, and they lived out of
horse drawn wagon for quite a few of his early years.. so he had a
different kind of viewpoint, but I have a shed, that was a home for
chickens for quite some time, and now it's needing a cleaning out!

Good luck this summer. I hope you can corral some labor to get your
garden going.

Me too, but with each passing day, I'm thinkin' my friend's boy isn't
going to be much use.

Enjoy!

Janice