[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

Cam, thank you so much for the documentary! I've really enjoyed the pics and all. I hope we can start another thread in the spring.

I found some half price perennials and planted them last weekend. They seem to be taking hold, as does everything I stick in this dirt. I planted oregano and rosemary, too. Hoping they come back. I know it's late but I think there's time before the hard freeze. I'm choosing places carefully, trying for sheltered spots. Do you think the granite stays a bit warmer? Either way, I'll mulch them when it gets cold. (57 when I got up this morning....BRRRR!)

I got half price perennials a year ago, tossed them in my back garden and moved them up front this spring. They did wonderfully! Almost too well, I have to rethink what I did now lol.

Where did you end up moving to? I am near the river and have great farming soil.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by jimazee

it's so Connecticut

It really is, isn't it? I was on a cruise one time down in the Caribbean and saw this lady and somehow I knew for sure she was from Greenwich, even though I had never met her. We got into a conversation and she said she had the same reaction when she saw me. Turned out, we'd both lived in Greenwich during the same years. I had been living outside the state for a while, but her comment was "You can take the girl out of Connecticut, but you can't take Connecticut out of the girl".

Back to the topic at hand, I like the idea of perennial gardens. What works best these days for an area by the shore? I think Martha Stewart did a segment on it years ago, but I've forgotten what her recommendations were. I'm such a disaster tending a garden, other than weed-pulling, so I like the idea of plants that come up year after year.

[clutchrider]

Originally Posted by kmarc

Is it just me, or did anyone else get a laugh out of seeing those jars of canned peppers on a Ralph Lauren towel?

Don't get me wrong, I get a kick out of using Ralph Lauren cotton T-shirts for cleaning rags, but it just struck me funny.

I think you mean tomatoes, they were ran through a food mill. As for the towel, I never even noticed it until now, it just so happened to be the first one on the pile of beach towels and I didn't want to worry about the counter top being damaged from the hot jars. It is worth a chuckle though.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by clutchrider

I think you mean tomatoes, they were ran through a food mill. As for the towel, I never even noticed it until now, it just so happened to be the first one on the pile of beach towels and I didn't want to worry about the counter top being damaged from the hot jars. It is worth a chuckle though.

Oops, sorry, yes, I just assumed they were peppers because of the prior photos. The absolute BEST tomatoes I have ever had came out of my family's garden in Connecticut. Huge, meaty beefsteak tomatoes that tasted better than any I have had before or since. We gorged on them at the end of August and into September. That's pretty much all we grew, except I do remember one year we did have some bibb lettuce and lots of it, more than we could handle. It was pretty decent, too.

I think it's great you're doing preserving and canning. People around the country seem to be getting into that more these days.

[hunterseat]

We have so many trees I had to choose shade loving perennials. I can't even remember their names. That's bad, I know.

I'm focusing on some spots that are more visible from the road to start with. There are a couple of blueberry bushes already there, ferns and some small evergreen stuff. I moved some hostas and day lilies. Then my new plants. I'll have to get a picture.

We're going to clear a bunch of trees that have just come up wild and are now... fireplace-log sized. I don't know how else to describe them. There are BIG trees that we will leave but all the rest are going to go. That's the plan. So I don't want to plant anything in the vicinity of "construction" progress.

The outside of the house will be painted soon-ish so I can't establish beds along the house. I'm thinking hydrangeas for along one section. I love all the variation in hydrangeas.

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

We have so many trees I had to choose shade loving perennials. I can't even remember their names. That's bad, I know.

I'm focusing on some spots that are more visible from the road to start with. There are a couple of blueberry bushes already there, ferns and some small evergreen stuff. I moved some hostas and day lilies. Then my new plants. I'll have to get a picture.

We're going to clear a bunch of trees that have just come up wild and are now... fireplace-log sized. I don't know how else to describe them. There are BIG trees that we will leave but all the rest are going to go. That's the plan. So I don't want to plant anything in the vicinity of "construction" progress.

The outside of the house will be painted soon-ish so I can't establish beds along the house. I'm thinking hydrangeas for along one section. I love all the variation in hydrangeas.

A landscaper we used to have at one of our former residences called those wild trees that spring up "volunteers". In the coastal south of the country, they're often species of oaks that turn into scrub oaks. And yes, they're great for the fireplace.

Thumbs up on the hydrangeas, I love hydrangeas myself.

[hunterseat]

I took pictures of my two shade-loving perennials.

[Cambium]

September 20, 2015

Well... didn't think I would but... Here's an update.. Just one of those years.. Peppers, Kale, Swiss Chard, Beets, Tomatoes, Figs, still going. Usually by now we would get 40s at night and 60s for highs but not even close this year so the garden is still growing. (I can see why farmers would love a warming trend)

I did pull up most of the tomatoes but left a few to see how far it can go... Sure enough... still producing.

I sometimes envision that Pine tree with snow on it. lol



Lots of Sweet Bells



Close-up

Spoiler

White flowers new blooms and you can see the new ones forming..




Pretty colors Hot Peppers.



More Hot Peppers.



2 ripe tomatoes..



There's a rare mid September site... Baby Watermelon growing. I never planted the seed but when I saw the vine growing from the ground I let it be. This was a surprise to see today.




That's some sad looking Okras. LOL. Was a bad spot for them. Don't mind the weeds. Just been too hot to tackle.



Whats up Doc?



Kale/Swiss Chard



Didn't think they make it!!! My favorite!!!

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by clutchrider

Grabbed a case of Ball jars and did my sterilizing, boiled the tomatoes quick to get the skins off then processed them and jarred. Very happy with the results and I still have another 8-10 jars worth on the vines ripening now.

NICE!!! I didn't do any canning this year. Probably still not too late as I see Farmer Market stands with boxes of Tomatoes. The heat truly didn't get me in the mood. My neighbor did it though. 80 jars. My cousin did 150. I really enjoyed the fresh sauce throughout the winter but I just wasn't in the mood this year. those are looking good. Enjoy.

My neighbor last month. Just didn't feel right doing this with hot temps. He hated it too but its a tradition and routine.

[hunterseat]

150 jars! Wonder how many your neighbor ended up with.

Your garden is certainly taking advantage of the weather! I'm still trying to figure out the best location for my compost pile.