We lived in Saudi Arabia for five years in the early eighties, in a two
story concrete town house. Had a small area outside the dining room
where we planted frangi pani and had our imported Thai Orchids hanging
under a shade. On the roof we had two foot by two foot by two foot high
wooden boxes. Some had plants that hung over the side of the roof and
had beautiful red flowers. The rest had vegetables growing in them.
Average daily temperature was around 125F but the air was very dry so we
didn't notice the heat that much.

We had an open house once and invited both the imported workers and the
locals to come through and see our flowers, etc. The Saudi's were amazed
and oohed and ahhed the whole time they were there. We left Saudi not
long after that and sold all the flowers, etc. Took in about $5K
American on the stuff, mostly bought by the locals.

If you take the time and do the work you can grow things on cement or
rocks. Stick with it T, eventually you will be happier.

George, preparing to do a rain dance in the backyard, we need the water.

On 10/22/2016 05:55 AM, George Shirley wrote:
We lived in Saudi Arabia for five years in the early eighties, in a two
story concrete town house. Had a small area outside the dining room
where we planted frangi pani and had our imported Thai Orchids hanging
under a shade. On the roof we had two foot by two foot by two foot high
wooden boxes. Some had plants that hung over the side of the roof and
had beautiful red flowers. The rest had vegetables growing in them.
Average daily temperature was around 125F but the air was very dry so we
didn't notice the heat that much.

We had an open house once and invited both the imported workers and the
locals to come through and see our flowers, etc. The Saudi's were amazed
and oohed and ahhed the whole time they were there. We left Saudi not
long after that and sold all the flowers, etc. Took in about $5K
American on the stuff, mostly bought by the locals.

If you take the time and do the work you can grow things on cement or
rocks. Stick with it T, eventually you will be happier.

George, preparing to do a rain dance in the backyard, we need the water.

Hi George,

Thank you! I am sticking with it! Never quit!

Every time I go out and garden, my blood sugar goes down to the 70's.
Office work is nuts on blood sugar.

I got a freeze full of bags of frozen (cooked) vegi's this years
to be proud of too.

And the tomatoes that didn't get killed in the freeze and
now going nuts. But, I doubt the will get a chance
to ripen before the next freeze.

And I am looking forward to planting my over winter shallots
and potato onions. Over winter gardening IS SO CHEATING!

I have four tiny little Goki berries facing the coming
winter in four of my ground pots. So far they are slowing
growing. They are so fragile looking when they are this small,
their branches are like human hairs. And the earwigs haven't
found them.

Thank you for the words of encouragement! There is a lot of
skill involved that I am learning.

My bother in law use to say: "Hand me the can; hand me
the can opener; I am a cook."

Hand me the seeds; hand me dirt; I am a farmer. Chuckle.
There is a lot to learn in both cooking and gardening/farming.
Since starting all this, I have gains a HUGE respect for
professional farmers.

-T

T wrote:
....
And the tomatoes that didn't get killed in the freeze and
now going nuts. But, I doubt the will get a chance
to ripen before the next freeze.

if you pick them before they get frozen
they can finish inside. some may not make
it and rot, but others will gradually ripen.
we put them on a table in the garage where
they won't be disturbed. a few years we've
had enough ripen that way that we've even
canned some of them in November.


And I am looking forward to planting my over winter shallots
and potato onions. Over winter gardening IS SO CHEATING!

not at all.


I have four tiny little Goki berries facing the coming
winter in four of my ground pots. So far they are slowing
growing. They are so fragile looking when they are this small,
their branches are like human hairs. And the earwigs haven't
found them.

Thank you for the words of encouragement! There is a lot of
skill involved that I am learning.

you're doing just fine there IMO.


My bother in law use to say: "Hand me the can; hand me
the can opener; I am a cook."

Hand me the seeds; hand me dirt; I am a farmer. Chuckle.

gardener IMO a more small scale and
nurturing way to get good food.


There is a lot to learn in both cooking and gardening/farming.
Since starting all this, I have gains a HUGE respect for
professional farmers.

unfortunately the large number of farmers
around here are still mining their topsoil
and losing it. few cherish it and protect it.


songbird

On 10/22/2016 7:25 PM, T wrote:
On 10/22/2016 05:55 AM, George Shirley wrote:
We lived in Saudi Arabia for five years in the early eighties, in a two
story concrete town house. Had a small area outside the dining room
where we planted frangi pani and had our imported Thai Orchids hanging
under a shade. On the roof we had two foot by two foot by two foot high
wooden boxes. Some had plants that hung over the side of the roof and
had beautiful red flowers. The rest had vegetables growing in them.
Average daily temperature was around 125F but the air was very dry so we
didn't notice the heat that much.

We had an open house once and invited both the imported workers and the
locals to come through and see our flowers, etc. The Saudi's were amazed
and oohed and ahhed the whole time they were there. We left Saudi not
long after that and sold all the flowers, etc. Took in about $5K
American on the stuff, mostly bought by the locals.

If you take the time and do the work you can grow things on cement or
rocks. Stick with it T, eventually you will be happier.

George, preparing to do a rain dance in the backyard, we need the water.

Hi George,

Thank you! I am sticking with it! Never quit!

Every time I go out and garden, my blood sugar goes down to the 70's.
Office work is nuts on blood sugar.

I got a freeze full of bags of frozen (cooked) vegi's this years
to be proud of too.

And the tomatoes that didn't get killed in the freeze and
now going nuts. But, I doubt the will get a chance
to ripen before the next freeze.

And I am looking forward to planting my over winter shallots
and potato onions. Over winter gardening IS SO CHEATING!

I have four tiny little Goki berries facing the coming
winter in four of my ground pots. So far they are slowing
growing. They are so fragile looking when they are this small,
their branches are like human hairs. And the earwigs haven't
found them.

Thank you for the words of encouragement! There is a lot of
skill involved that I am learning.

My bother in law use to say: "Hand me the can; hand me
the can opener; I am a cook."

Hand me the seeds; hand me dirt; I am a farmer. Chuckle.
There is a lot to learn in both cooking and gardening/farming.
Since starting all this, I have gains a HUGE respect for
professional farmers.

-T



We have a 25 cubic foot freezer full of vegetables, fruits, ready made
meals (we made those too), plus loaves of bread we made. The meat
freezer is only about 4 cubic feet, attached to the refrigerator. We buy
meat when it goes into the "used meat" bin at the supermarket, that
means the meat is rapidly approaching its toss out date, ribeye steaks,
chicken, fish, pork, you name it, all bought at half or quarter price
depending on how close it is to the toss out date. When I'm tired of
baking my own bread and cookies there's always the "used bread and
cookies" bin, same same. Stuff has the original sticker at around $3 to
$5 and another sticker for $1.49 over it, still good stuff, goes in the
freezer or just gets eaten in a couple of days. Many ways to get good
stuff at a lower price. We also hit Big Lots store about every other
month, lots of good stuff with off brand companies and low prices. I
have run into some really tasty stuff that I never heard of before at
that place. Including some clothing, household goods, etc. Bought a $2K
60 inch TV there for $600.00 because someone decided they didn't need
the TV, original price tag on it was over $1200.00. We've had that one
three years now and it's still going strong.

We learned how to do these things when we were shopping at our mother's
knees, wife from a large family, me from a frugal family. Waste not,
want not is the motto. Plus we can and freeze and dehydrate our own
stuff grown in our small garden, including my herb garden. Lots of dried
herbs go to family and friends every year. I have well over a hundred
empty canning jars in the canning pantry and I buy lids with no names in
300 lid lots when needed. Of course a lot of this stuff is because we
have been married 56 years, so far, and dated two years before that.
We're a well oiled team now plus a nice little dog to catch anything
that falls off the counter. G

George

On 10/22/2016 9:42 PM, songbird wrote:
T wrote:
...
And the tomatoes that didn't get killed in the freeze and
now going nuts. But, I doubt the will get a chance
to ripen before the next freeze.

if you pick them before they get frozen
they can finish inside. some may not make
it and rot, but others will gradually ripen.
we put them on a table in the garage where
they won't be disturbed. a few years we've
had enough ripen that way that we've even
canned some of them in November.


And I am looking forward to planting my over winter shallots
and potato onions. Over winter gardening IS SO CHEATING!

not at all.


I have four tiny little Goki berries facing the coming
winter in four of my ground pots. So far they are slowing
growing. They are so fragile looking when they are this small,
their branches are like human hairs. And the earwigs haven't
found them.

Thank you for the words of encouragement! There is a lot of
skill involved that I am learning.

you're doing just fine there IMO.


My bother in law use to say: "Hand me the can; hand me
the can opener; I am a cook."

Hand me the seeds; hand me dirt; I am a farmer. Chuckle.

gardener IMO a more small scale and
nurturing way to get good food.


There is a lot to learn in both cooking and gardening/farming.
Since starting all this, I have gains a HUGE respect for
professional farmers.

unfortunately the large number of farmers
around here are still mining their topsoil
and losing it. few cherish it and protect it.


songbird

With our small property and using raised beds and Square Foot Gardening,
we throw in some composted cow manure annually and mix the the mix up
again plus we pothole our leftover's greens etc. in the beds.

We still have the one Gypsy pepper producing fruit, now it is going into
its third year of growth and production. I'm hoping it keeps on going,
just imagine a perennial pepper going on. The fruit is smaller but
prolific. We have bags of chopped peppers and wife hauls a bag or two to
the church pantry for the poor every week. Right now the Japanese
eggplant is going crazy as is the okra, church pantry is getting two or
three bags a week lately. Alas, the temperatures are dropping pretty
good, getting up to low fifties then hitting low eighties again by
mid-afternoon. I think we might actually get somewhat of a winter this year.

George

On 10/23/2016 04:23 AM, George Shirley wrote:
On 10/22/2016 7:25 PM, T wrote:
On 10/22/2016 05:55 AM, George Shirley wrote:
We lived in Saudi Arabia for five years in the early eighties, in a two
story concrete town house. Had a small area outside the dining room
where we planted frangi pani and had our imported Thai Orchids hanging
under a shade. On the roof we had two foot by two foot by two foot high
wooden boxes. Some had plants that hung over the side of the roof and
had beautiful red flowers. The rest had vegetables growing in them.
Average daily temperature was around 125F but the air was very dry so we
didn't notice the heat that much.

We had an open house once and invited both the imported workers and the
locals to come through and see our flowers, etc. The Saudi's were amazed
and oohed and ahhed the whole time they were there. We left Saudi not
long after that and sold all the flowers, etc. Took in about $5K
American on the stuff, mostly bought by the locals.

If you take the time and do the work you can grow things on cement or
rocks. Stick with it T, eventually you will be happier.

George, preparing to do a rain dance in the backyard, we need the water.

Hi George,

Thank you! I am sticking with it! Never quit!

Every time I go out and garden, my blood sugar goes down to the 70's.
Office work is nuts on blood sugar.

I got a freeze full of bags of frozen (cooked) vegi's this years
to be proud of too.

And the tomatoes that didn't get killed in the freeze and
now going nuts. But, I doubt the will get a chance
to ripen before the next freeze.

And I am looking forward to planting my over winter shallots
and potato onions. Over winter gardening IS SO CHEATING!

I have four tiny little Goki berries facing the coming
winter in four of my ground pots. So far they are slowing
growing. They are so fragile looking when they are this small,
their branches are like human hairs. And the earwigs haven't
found them.

Thank you for the words of encouragement! There is a lot of
skill involved that I am learning.

My bother in law use to say: "Hand me the can; hand me
the can opener; I am a cook."

Hand me the seeds; hand me dirt; I am a farmer. Chuckle.
There is a lot to learn in both cooking and gardening/farming.
Since starting all this, I have gains a HUGE respect for
professional farmers.

-T



We have a 25 cubic foot freezer full of vegetables, fruits, ready made
meals (we made those too), plus loaves of bread we made. The meat
freezer is only about 4 cubic feet, attached to the refrigerator. We buy
meat when it goes into the "used meat" bin at the supermarket, that
means the meat is rapidly approaching its toss out date, ribeye steaks,
chicken, fish, pork, you name it, all bought at half or quarter price
depending on how close it is to the toss out date. When I'm tired of
baking my own bread and cookies there's always the "used bread and
cookies" bin, same same. Stuff has the original sticker at around $3 to
$5 and another sticker for $1.49 over it, still good stuff, goes in the
freezer or just gets eaten in a couple of days. Many ways to get good
stuff at a lower price. We also hit Big Lots store about every other
month, lots of good stuff with off brand companies and low prices. I
have run into some really tasty stuff that I never heard of before at
that place. Including some clothing, household goods, etc. Bought a $2K
60 inch TV there for $600.00 because someone decided they didn't need
the TV, original price tag on it was over $1200.00. We've had that one
three years now and it's still going strong.

We learned how to do these things when we were shopping at our mother's
knees, wife from a large family, me from a frugal family. Waste not,
want not is the motto. Plus we can and freeze and dehydrate our own
stuff grown in our small garden, including my herb garden. Lots of dried
herbs go to family and friends every year. I have well over a hundred
empty canning jars in the canning pantry and I buy lids with no names in
300 lid lots when needed. Of course a lot of this stuff is because we
have been married 56 years, so far, and dated two years before that.
We're a well oiled team now plus a nice little dog to catch anything
that falls off the counter. G

George

Wow!

On 10/23/2016 04:23 AM, George Shirley wrote:
plus a nice little dog to catch anything that falls off the counter

That is probably instinct! :-)