Went out Monday and picked about about 9 or 10 quarts of sugar snap
peas. Yesterday I hulled the overripe, destringed the rest, washed,
rewashed, and spun dried the product. After that I put up 8 quarts of
peas in vacuum bags and then froze them. Also froze two gallons of Aji
Limon de Peru hot chiles. These came off the three plants that made it
from last spring until this spring. I swear this particular chile likes
colder weather than any of the others. Seems to produce more once cold
weather, or what passes for winter here in zone 9b, comes to town.

Today I need to harvest about 24 feet of swiss chard and do much the
same to it. Our freezer is almost completely full again after we tossed
the entire 15 cubic feet contents on September 26, 2005 after Rita
turned off our power for a couple of weeks.

The garden soil is just a few degrees shy of 70F and it will soon reach
that magic planting temperature. At that time the spring garden will go
into the ground. Green beans, radishes, spring crop of swiss chard (can
you tell we really like chard?), corn, tomato plants, cukes, bell
peppers, okra, eggplant, and the latest crop of hot chiles.

I bought a new 12 quart combination pot a couple of weeks ago at Bed,
Bath, and Beyond. Has the standard pasta pot inside it plus a smaller
steamer section at the top. Got it for about 50 bucks tax, title and
plates included. Was able to blanch and entire crop of sugar snap peas
and one time and, after two minutes, dump them into a sink full of ice
water until chilled through. I like this pot already but now have to
figure where to store it. Our pantry is also full. Could make some room
if I box my empty jars so reckon I'll do that job today.

This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out by
Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by Rita.
Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those berries. I
still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so will be
looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George

George Shirley wrote:
This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out by
Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by Rita.
Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those berries. I
still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so will be
looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George



I vote for "Youngberries", unless you just really have your heart set on
a thornless variety.

I just placed my seeds order last weekend from Pinetree. Pinetree is
*really* slow this time of year, but that's OK because I can't plant
anything out until April.

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 09:45:55 -0600, George Shirley
wrote:

Went out Monday and picked about about 9 or 10 quarts of sugar snap
peas. Yesterday I hulled the overripe, destringed the rest, washed,
rewashed, and spun dried the product. After that I put up 8 quarts of
peas in vacuum bags and then froze them. Also froze two gallons of Aji
Limon de Peru hot chiles. These came off the three plants that made it
from last spring until this spring. I swear this particular chile likes
colder weather than any of the others. Seems to produce more once cold
weather, or what passes for winter here in zone 9b, comes to town.

We just planted our peas on Sunday.

Today I need to harvest about 24 feet of swiss chard and do much the
same to it. Our freezer is almost completely full again after we tossed
the entire 15 cubic feet contents on September 26, 2005 after Rita
turned off our power for a couple of weeks.

I set out about 1" tall swill chard plants yesterday. I also set out
broccoli plants. I still have about 1/2 of the plants I started to
set out later.

The garden soil is just a few degrees shy of 70F and it will soon reach
that magic planting temperature. At that time the spring garden will go
into the ground. Green beans, radishes, spring crop of swiss chard (can
you tell we really like chard?), corn, tomato plants, cukes, bell
peppers, okra, eggplant, and the latest crop of hot chiles.

My tomato seeds are germinating. I can't plant the summer stuff out
until later April. May even wait later for the peppers and eggplant.
I think you can throw out okra seeds any time.

I bought a new 12 quart combination pot a couple of weeks ago at Bed,
Bath, and Beyond. Has the standard pasta pot inside it plus a smaller
steamer section at the top. Got it for about 50 bucks tax, title and
plates included. Was able to blanch and entire crop of sugar snap peas
and one time and, after two minutes, dump them into a sink full of ice
water until chilled through. I like this pot already but now have to
figure where to store it. Our pantry is also full. Could make some room
if I box my empty jars so reckon I'll do that job today.

This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out by
Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by Rita.
Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those berries. I
still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so will be
looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

zxcvbob wrote:
George Shirley wrote:

This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out
by Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by
Rita. Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those
berries. I still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so
will be looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George



I vote for "Youngberries", unless you just really have your heart set on
a thornless variety.

I agree on the Youngberry as I grew them some 35 years ago when we lived
in Orange, TX. Very large, juicy berries, and very prolific. Only
problem nowadays is that my skin is now so thin that a scratch lasts
three or four weeks so I'm opting for the thornless type.

I just placed my seeds order last weekend from Pinetree. Pinetree is
*really* slow this time of year, but that's OK because I can't plant
anything out until April.

I've had my order since January, very small one this time. Didn't get
the bush Blue Lake green beans as they were out. Found them in the Ferry
brand at Lowe's so sent Pinetree an email cancelling them. By the time
they get more seed in I will have planted the green beans and they will
have true leaves. Going in the ground, I hope, this coming weekend.

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob

Why do you care if anyone notices? It isn't illegal to grow tobacco for
your own consumption AFAIK. I grew some, Lo! these many years ago, and
had my Mom roll me some seegars. She was a cigar maker back in the early
1920's. Things made me cough so bad I couldn't smoke them. You gonna
have to spray the hell out of them or they will attract tobacco
hornworms to your garden. In laws place in Southern MD was totally
surrounded by tobacco fields back in the fifties and sixties and all the
baccy farmers sprayed almost daily to keep the bugs down.

George

The Cook wrote:

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 09:45:55 -0600, George Shirley
wrote:


Went out Monday and picked about about 9 or 10 quarts of sugar snap
peas. Yesterday I hulled the overripe, destringed the rest, washed,
rewashed, and spun dried the product. After that I put up 8 quarts of
peas in vacuum bags and then froze them. Also froze two gallons of Aji
Limon de Peru hot chiles. These came off the three plants that made it

from last spring until this spring. I swear this particular chile likes

colder weather than any of the others. Seems to produce more once cold
weather, or what passes for winter here in zone 9b, comes to town.


We just planted our peas on Sunday.

Today I need to harvest about 24 feet of swiss chard and do much the
same to it. Our freezer is almost completely full again after we tossed
the entire 15 cubic feet contents on September 26, 2005 after Rita
turned off our power for a couple of weeks.


I set out about 1" tall swill chard plants yesterday. I also set out
broccoli plants. I still have about 1/2 of the plants I started to
set out later.

The garden soil is just a few degrees shy of 70F and it will soon reach
that magic planting temperature. At that time the spring garden will go
into the ground. Green beans, radishes, spring crop of swiss chard (can
you tell we really like chard?), corn, tomato plants, cukes, bell
peppers, okra, eggplant, and the latest crop of hot chiles.


My tomato seeds are germinating. I can't plant the summer stuff out
until later April. May even wait later for the peppers and eggplant.
I think you can throw out okra seeds any time.

I bought a new 12 quart combination pot a couple of weeks ago at Bed,
Bath, and Beyond. Has the standard pasta pot inside it plus a smaller
steamer section at the top. Got it for about 50 bucks tax, title and
plates included. Was able to blanch and entire crop of sugar snap peas
and one time and, after two minutes, dump them into a sink full of ice
water until chilled through. I like this pot already but now have to
figure where to store it. Our pantry is also full. Could make some room
if I box my empty jars so reckon I'll do that job today.

This past weekend I planted a Santa Rosa plum to pollenate our Bruce
plum and vice versa and also planted an LSU variety of La Feliciana
peach. The Santa Rosa is to replace our pluot tree that was wiped out by
Rita along with the excellent Flordaglo peach also wiped out by Rita.
Wife put in four more blueberry bushes as she likes those berries. I
still have room for about a dozen thornless blackberries so will be
looking at varieties of those.

Life is good.

George

Puir, cold place dwellers, only have one planting season a year. What
y'all consider spring plants are winter plants down here in zone 9b. I
don't envy you your seasons as I lived in the NE US for three years when
I was younger. Remind me to tell you about three cruises up along the
Artic pack ice hunting subs from the "Evil Empire." Darn near froze
several body parts off. VBG

George

George Shirley wrote:

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob


Why do you care if anyone notices? It isn't illegal to grow tobacco for
your own consumption AFAIK. I grew some, Lo! these many years ago, and
had my Mom roll me some seegars. She was a cigar maker back in the early
1920's. Things made me cough so bad I couldn't smoke them. You gonna
have to spray the hell out of them or they will attract tobacco
hornworms to your garden. In laws place in Southern MD was totally
surrounded by tobacco fields back in the fifties and sixties and all the
baccy farmers sprayed almost daily to keep the bugs down.

George


Cuz the 2 females I live with won't approve of the tobacco. But I also
don't think they'll notice.

It's legal to grow up to someting like 1/4 acre of tobacco for home use.
I don't know what the legal limit really is, I just know I'll be *way*
under it.

I don't even smoke, but making homemade cigars is a dying skill and I'm
a sucker for stuff like that. One box of seegars should last me for
several decades.

Bob

On Wed, 08 Mar 2006 10:55:25 -0600, George Shirley
wrote:

Puir, cold place dwellers, only have one planting season a year. What
y'all consider spring plants are winter plants down here in zone 9b. I
don't envy you your seasons as I lived in the NE US for three years when
I was younger. Remind me to tell you about three cruises up along the
Artic pack ice hunting subs from the "Evil Empire." Darn near froze
several body parts off. VBG

George


I'm not as far north as Barb. I live in western North Carolina in the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We moved here in 2003 after
hurricane Isabel came through Hampton Roads, Virginia. We had lived
there for 25 years with little damage and few problems from
hurricanes. Decided not to push our luck.

My husband was in the Air Force so we lived in MA, CO, TX, Northern VA
and Tidewater VA. We lived less than a mile (as the crow flies) from
Langley AFB flight line. Guess where they stationed the Raptors?

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974

In article ,
George Shirley wrote:

Went out Monday and picked about about 9 or 10 quarts of sugar snap
peas.

Hissssssssssssssss
--
-Barb
www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 3-5-2006 Church review #8

In article ,
zxcvbob wrote:


I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...


It's legal to grow up to someting like 1/4 acre of tobacco for home use.
I don't know what the legal limit really is, I just know I'll be *way*
under it.

I don't even smoke, but making homemade cigars is a dying skill and I'm
a sucker for stuff like that. One box of seegars should last me for
several decades.

Bob

Gurney Seed Catalog got that, do they? Would your females be surprised
if you ever did anything "normal?"
--
-Barb
www.jamlady.eboard.com Updated 3-5-2006 Church review #8

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
In article , zxcvbob
wrote:


I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year
and see if anybody notices...



It's legal to grow up to someting like 1/4 acre of tobacco for home
use. I don't know what the legal limit really is, I just know I'll
be *way* under it.

I don't even smoke, but making homemade cigars is a dying skill and
I'm a sucker for stuff like that. One box of seegars should last
me for several decades.

Bob


Gurney Seed Catalog got that, do they?

I dunno. I've never been real happy with Gurney's; their quality is too
inconsistant.

Would your females be surprised if you ever did anything "normal?"

I think they'd be disappointed, actually.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

George Shirley wrote:

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob


Why do you care if anyone notices? It isn't illegal to grow tobacco for
your own consumption AFAIK. I grew some, Lo! these many years ago, and
had my Mom roll me some seegars. She was a cigar maker back in the early
1920's. Things made me cough so bad I couldn't smoke them. You gonna
have to spray the hell out of them or they will attract tobacco
hornworms to your garden. In laws place in Southern MD was totally
surrounded by tobacco fields back in the fifties and sixties and all the
baccy farmers sprayed almost daily to keep the bugs down.

George

Cuz the 2 females I live with won't approve of the tobacco. But I also
don't think they'll notice.

It's legal to grow up to someting like 1/4 acre of tobacco for home use.
I don't know what the legal limit really is, I just know I'll be *way*
under it.

I don't even smoke, but making homemade cigars is a dying skill and I'm
a sucker for stuff like that. One box of seegars should last me for
several decades.

Bob

The 'baccy is for making your own pesticide, isn't it? Except on tomatoes &
peppers. Right.
Edrena, really enjoying some of my own basil pesto I put up last spring in the
freezer. It's still good. I did seal these little jars with the foodsaver tho.

Puester wrote:
George Shirley wrote:


The garden soil is just a few degrees shy of 70F and it will soon
reach that magic planting temperature. At that time the spring garden
will go into the ground. Green beans, radishes, spring crop of swiss
chard (can you tell we really like chard?), corn, tomato plants,
cukes, bell peppers, okra, eggplant, and the latest crop of hot chiles.


Hah! After a winter of temps mostly in the 50's and 60's, we are
getting our fourth snowstorm of the year today. At least the apricot
trees aren't in bloom yet.

It's silly to think about planting before June 1 here. (We've had snow
as late as June 8 and as early as Sept. 2 in the 21 years we've lived in
the Denver area.) I haven't planted anything even indoors although I
have bought flower and veg seeds.

I did manage to kill two more rosemary plants indoors this winter, one a
really pretty Christmas-tree-shape. They don't like as much water as I
provide. Darn.

Glad to hear you are replanting your yard. That must mean you are
feeling OK and ready to get on with life.

gloria p

Pretty much so. Still have my ups and downs but the neurologist says to
expect that for the rest of my life. You can't do damage to your brain
without some problems. Heck, I can't even eat too much any more, takes
more blood from the brain than I can afford just to digest what I've
eaten. Wife says I'm getting plum purty as my waist size shrinks. I
don't argue with her on that although I'm sure my "purty" days are long
gone. VBG

George

The Joneses wrote:

zxcvbob wrote:


George Shirley wrote:

I'm gonna plant a row of cigar tobacco in the garden this year and see
if anybody notices...

Bob


Why do you care if anyone notices? It isn't illegal to grow tobacco for
your own consumption AFAIK. I grew some, Lo! these many years ago, and
had my Mom roll me some seegars. She was a cigar maker back in the early
1920's. Things made me cough so bad I couldn't smoke them. You gonna
have to spray the hell out of them or they will attract tobacco
hornworms to your garden. In laws place in Southern MD was totally
surrounded by tobacco fields back in the fifties and sixties and all the
baccy farmers sprayed almost daily to keep the bugs down.

George

Cuz the 2 females I live with won't approve of the tobacco. But I also
don't think they'll notice.

It's legal to grow up to someting like 1/4 acre of tobacco for home use.
I don't know what the legal limit really is, I just know I'll be *way*
under it.

I don't even smoke, but making homemade cigars is a dying skill and I'm
a sucker for stuff like that. One box of seegars should last me for
several decades.

Bob


The 'baccy is for making your own pesticide, isn't it? Except on tomatoes &
peppers. Right.
Edrena, really enjoying some of my own basil pesto I put up last spring in the
freezer. It's still good. I did seal these little jars with the foodsaver tho.


I put mine up in vac bags Edrena, works real good and they store flat.

George

George Shirley wrote:

really enjoying some of my own basil pesto I put up last spring in the
freezer. It's still good. I did seal these little jars with the foodsaver tho.

I put mine up in vac bags Edrena, works real good and they store flat.

George

Y'all put it up in icecube trays first or flat in some other kinda dish? That might
be nice. I do pico de gallo and stock in ice cube trays.
Edrena

The Joneses wrote:
George Shirley wrote:


really enjoying some of my own basil pesto I put up last spring in the
freezer. It's still good. I did seal these little jars with the foodsaver tho.


I put mine up in vac bags Edrena, works real good and they store flat.

George


Y'all put it up in icecube trays first or flat in some other kinda dish? That might
be nice. I do pico de gallo and stock in ice cube trays.
Edrena


I freeze it on a bun pan with the pesto about half an inch thick. Once
frozen I take a pizza cutter and cut it into slabs that will fit inside
a quart size vac bag and quickly vacuum seal it. I've kept it as much as
three years and it still smells and tastes freshly made.

Of course I grow a whole lot of basil here too. Pine nuts are terrible
expensive here so I use walnuts to make the pesto.

George