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Good morning to all of you gardeners. There will not be a Weekly Gardening Thread Christmas Day or New Years Day so I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I would also like to thank all of you who have stopped by and contributed to this thread during the year. I enjoyed posting the thread and think it was very successful. All of you who are in the path of this winter storm please keep warm and safe. It looks like a bad one. It passed through here overnight and this...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. If only Global Warming would hurry up and get here! I hope all of you deniers who have had to endure the pre-winter storm are doing all right. I would like to relate a series of events that started with a post I made on the November 6th Weekly Gardening thread. It all started when a fellow Freeper who lives in Indonesia posted that he often lurked and enjoyed the thread. One thing leads to another and I ended up posting part of an email I received from my friend who also lives...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. It looks like I may get a little snow tonight. It has decided to finally cool off a bit here in Mississippi with highs in the 40s and 50s with an odd day in the 60s. I hope everybody is staying warm and planning their gardens for the spring. Any of you ordering seeds yet?

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving Day and enjoyed a wonderful meal. It was a wonderful day here in East Central Mississippi sunny and mid 50’s. Nice quiet day. I roasted our turkey breast side down and turned it over for the last hour and it turned out very nice! We had great sides of cornbread dressing, roasted butternut squash, homemade cranberry sauce, green beans and then egg custard for dessert. Now I need to start collecting the leaves off my lawn and add to the compost pile.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Thanksgiving is next week and I hope all Freepers enjoy a bountiful feast with family and friends. Don’t forget to give thanks, it can turn a meal into a feast. A reminder for those of you who have a frozen turkey, for every 4 pounds of turkey it will take a day to thaw in the refrigerator. A 20-pound turkey will take 5 days so you need to start defrosting it tomorrow. If your turkey will not fit into your fridge defrost it in an ice chest with ice. If the turkey is...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. I hope all of you are doing well this first week in November. This past week has been beautiful here in Miss. Highs in the mid 70’s, clear and dry. Great weather to clean up the yard and add to my compost pile but I just could not get motivated to do it. The indexing/archiving of this past year’s posts is still on going. Please let me know if there was a particular post that you found helpful or just interested you.

Good morning gardeners! Happy Halloween. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour Sat. night! Since things have slowed down I thought I would revisit this years threads and try to locate and archive some of the great posts, advice and info you Freepers have given out over the past year. My objective would be to then put all the posts in to categories like; Fertilizer, Gardening Methods, Flowers etc. And then post all of this info in one thread at the beginning of next year. What do y’all think? Also I would like your input. Let me know...

Good afternoon to all of you gardeners. I apologize for the late post today. Well the last days of October are upon us and the garden is finally tilled for the last time this year. I seeded it with an annual rye grass. I also started rebuilding my compost pile. The oak and pecan trees have yet to drop their leaves so I will have to wait for their contribution to the compost pile until November.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. It looks like the rains have finally passed by my area at least for the next week. October is typically one of the driest months here in Mississippi but we have had rain from 4 to 16 inches above normal. It will take a couple of days for my garden area to dry out before I can get in there and clean up a little more and then till in my compost.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Running a little late with the post this morning. My garden area is now clear of plants. If the daily rain showers will just by pass me for a few days I will do a final tilling and remove a few more of the roots left behind. To all of you with Fall/Winter gardens I wish you the best.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. I started the clean up of my garden this past week. I am taking my time doing it. I started with my tomato plants and decided not to use them in my compost pile. I do plan on pulling up my landscape fabric and saving it for next season. I would like to plant winter rye grass in the garden but would like other advice from y’all. What would be a good cover for this area until spring?

If you're going to be in N.E. Florida this weekend, come visit! IT'S FREE! Just West of the SR16 & I-95 exit, off of CR208. look for the KFC, Agriculture Center Drive is the next left. Go all the way to the end.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Rain! Rain! Rain! Constant trains of thunderstorms have brought my gardening to an end for this year. My tomatoes could not handle all the water and they have drowned. My other garden plants have succumbed to the big wet also. Once things dry out a bit I will be digging up the garden and concentrate on building up my compost pile. I will miss the fresh tomatoes but have more than enough canned to get through the winter months. I enjoyed my garden very much and will now work to make next years...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. For most of us this summer’s gardening season is almost over and some of you have started fall/winter gardens. I thought it would be interesting to find out what you have planted in your winter gardens and also what you are doing now to prepare for next springs garden. If you have a favorite recipe for the foods you have grown or just a recipe you would like to share please feel free to post it.

Much was given, many were lost on this day, A man of terror tried to take our spirit away. Do not let our new found spirit and unity fade, As you look on this flag, remember this day ... 9-11-01

WASHINGTON -- Whether it's a motorcade or a security perimeter, D.C. drivers are pretty accustomed to road blocks and disruptions, but even the most seasoned D.C. road warrior might be a little upset to find his commute may have to change because of a farmers' market. The Office of First Lady Michelle Obama is supporting a request to periodically close a section of Vermont Avenue, not far from the White House, for a farmers' market. "You know Michelle set up that garden in the White House," Obama said. "One of the things we're trying to do now is to figure...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. A couple of FReepers have sent me alerts to threads posted on FR that many of you gardeners might find informative or interesting. I have posted links to them below the Gardening Banner. Thanks to Freepers tubebender and Califreak.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. It looks like the weather, rain and unusually cool temperatures, or heat and drought have been big factors for many gardeners this season. Diana in Wisconsin reports that her 4th of July tomatoes finally ripened on August 26th! MtnClimber reports his 4th of July tomatoes are loaded with green tomatoes and he is worried about them not ripening before the first freeze. Tells us where you are located and how your garden has done this season.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Hopefully everyone has had some success with his or her gardens this year. I ran across a nice web site a few weeks ago that lists Pick-Your-Own farms by state and by county. It also has Illustrated Canning instructions and recipes for just about any fruit and vegetable. A link to the site is below the Weekly Gardening banner.

Hillard Green has the right idea. The old adage "Waste not want not" applies for sure in these days of exorbitant food prices. And those of us who grow our own have always known the value of preserving nature's bounty for off-season use. Since tomatoes are easy to grow and often plentiful, you may find yourself up to your ears in the ripe, scarlet fruit as frost approaches—and a few hints on the preservation of the harvest may be welcome. I've also taken the canning jar shortage into account in preparing this article, and have included some guides to the...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. It is Mid August and so far the gardening thread has been a nice success. I hope those of you who have experienced some of the weather extremes that have plagued many regions are getting some relief. I am in Central Mississippi and we have experienced some nice weather this summer after having a very wet spring. My garden is doing quite well.

Despite some really eloquent speeches to the contrary, our “for sale” House of Representatives passed the Food Fascism Act….euphemistically called a food safety act, by a margin of about 140 over the naysayer’s. True to form, Rosa DeLauro spoke about things she knows nothing about and couldn’t care less; Rosa just loves her some Monsanto! And that exclusion for farms??? Gone! And that includes you organic idiots who thought you had kissed enough behinds to have your industry excluded. The newly revised bill that appeared overnight after the original was defeated 29th of July, now includes all those farms we...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. A lot of you in the North and North East have been experiencing an abnormal cool and wet summer this year. These weather conditions are ideal for Late Blight in tomato and potato plants. I have posted a link (below the Gardening Banner) to the web site “Cold Climate Gardening” which has pictures of what Late Blight looks like in both plants. The web site also has information on what action to take if your plants have Late Blight and links to other sites with more information.

The House has passed a far-reaching food safety bill requiring more government inspections and imposing new penalties on those who violate the law, reacting strongly to an outbreak of salmonella in peanuts that killed at least nine people. The legislation would require greater oversight of food manufacturers and give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to order recalls. It also would require the FDA to develop a system for better tracing food-borne illnesses. Food companies would be required to create detailed food safety plans. President Barack Obama praised the bill soon after it was passed, calling it "a major...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. The last day of July and I am wondering what August has in store for us weather wise? One thing I do know is the weather will continue to do what it wants and the only thing you can do about it is to accept it or move somewhere else. Of course once you move the weather there will change.

I believe it's some sort of orb spider, isn't it? Harmless, but good for the garden? Looks huge, but it was about as big as a skinny quarter...beautiful markings though! Here's the original picture:

Good morning to all of you gardeners. There is only one more week left in July and hopefully everyone is enjoying their summer gardens and enjoying the harvest. If you are planning a Fall garden now is the time plan what you will be planting and when to plant. The key to successful winter gardening is knowing the average date of the first killing frost in your region. You then plant your winter crops early enough to let them reach their full maturity before that killing frost. Local garden authorities can give you information about the timing of first frosts...

Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15) Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years. To us, Suelo probably sounds...

HR 2749 is being rushed through Congress, and the house may look to suspend the rules and fast track the bill at Obama’s request. Just what can we expect from this legislation? A lot more of the following: Dick Peixoto planted hedges of fennel and flowering cilantro around his organic vegetable fields in the Pajaro Valley near Watsonville to harbor beneficial insects, an alternative to pesticides. He has since ripped out such plants in the name of food safety, because his big customers demand sterile buffers around his crops. No vegetation. No water. No wildlife of any kind. “I was...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Well it looks like the weather is going to be cooling down in the Midwest, East Coast and parts of the South starting today and continuing through the weekend. Wow it is looking like September in July! Our plants are going to be confused!

The insect world living in Colorado gardens looks much different this year, thanks to the cool, wet spring. People are abuzz about masses of ladybugs up in the mountains and in the Denver area. "In some parts of the state they're through the roof," said Whitney Cranshaw, an extension entomologist at Colorado State University. "We've never seen so many." Aphids and mosquitoes are also out in force, along with slugs and snails. Spring deluges triggered an abundance of certain insects. But some experts also cite the "victory garden" factor. "It's a phenomenal year for people to be gardening," said Carol...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Toward the end of last weeks Gardening Thread there was a short discussion about saving Heirloom Tomato seeds. Many of you might have missed the information so I thought I would start this weeks thread on that topic.

   Michelle signals there is heavy metal in the soil. Tragic news for Sasha, Malia and crunchy gourmets everywhere:It was meant to be a show case for healthy living, with the first lady, Michelle Obama, personally putting hand to pitch fork in a crowd of school children to dig up the first White House vegetable garden in more than 50 years. Instead, an embarrassed White House admitted today that the plot — whose lettuce, herbs and other produce have been consumed by the first family, visiting dignitaries, local school children and a women's homeless shelter — had tested positive...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. I hope every one of you have a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend! Since just about everyone grows tomatoes in their vegetable garden I thought I would share some information I stumbled across concerning when to pick your tomatoes.Every tomato lover knows fresh, “vine-ripe” flavor is by far the best.At the same time, many don’t know what “vine ripe” means. So, whether growing or buying tomatoes, they may be limiting their access to the top flavor of the season.Tomatoes develop their optimum nutrition, color and flavor when they’re in the full...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead although it is not at dangerous levels. White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick-Lelyveld said Thursday that tests on the soil in the White House garden detected lead levels of 93 parts per million. Soil is considered unsafe for growing vegetables when it reaches more than 500 parts per million.

Good morning to all of you gardeners. It is time for some of us to start harvesting the fruit of our labor. Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Eggplants, Zukes, Cukes and Hot Peppers! What wonderful veggies have y’all harvested so far and what veggies are you anticipating the most?

We have been plagued with groundhogs burrowing under our front porch slab for a couple of years. The burrowing has caused several cracks in the slab. We have tried liquid fence, mothballs, noise, electric trip wires, have a heart trap, plugging up holes with stone and cement (it just digs new ones). Sometimes we are rid of them for a little bit, then a new one comes along. This morning, I went out to pick some lettuce from my small garden and there wasn't any left. It had all been chewed off. We live in suburbia and can't exactly sit...

Good morning to all of you gardeners. This Sunday is the official beginning of summer. Here in Mississippi the heat of summer has been around for weeks and will continue into October. Daytime highs are in the mid to high 90’s with nighttime temperatures in the lower 70’s. Meanwhile at the White Hut - Michelle’s garden has produced 90 pounds of produce including lettuce, snap peas, beans, kale, collard greens, chard, broccoli and green beans and one beautiful eggplant. Michelle and a bunch of kids picked an additional 73 pounds of lettuce and 12 pounds of peas last Tuesday.

Until Michelle Obama writes a mega-selling diet book — be it “First Ladies Don’t Get Fat” or “The South Lawn Diet” — two questions loom: What do the Obamas eat at home, and how do they stay so thin? snipNutrition experts, too, say Americans need a much better glimpse of what’s being dished up behind the gates of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “We have no idea what their regular breakfasts, lunches and dinners are like,” said American Dietetic Association spokeswoman and D.C. nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge. “Burgers, that’s all I ever hear about. They go to burger joints because it shows they’re...

Good morning gardeners. The beginning of summer is on June 21, only 9 days away. I thought I would post this summer’s weather forecast for the major areas of the USA as predicted by AccuWeather.com . Here is the weather forecast from AccuWeather for this summer. AccuWeather.com reports the heat wave that occurred in late April across much of the East may ultimately be the hottest and longest duration of heat across much of the East this year. The core of the coldest weather will become anchored over the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, which means temperatures in the 70s and...

Good morning gardeners. June is here and the 1st brought freeze and frost warnings to some Freepers located in the North East and higher elevations of Colorado. I hope those gardens that were affected survived and all is well. Ok FReepers tell us how your garden is doing.

Good morning Freeper gardeners. This weekend marks the end of May and I hope everyone’s gardens are doing well. I know some have had to delay planting due to weather and we all hope conditions have improved for you. So far this weekend is looking like a good one, weather wise, all across the Nation except for some lingering rain in the extreme NE. Lets get gardening!

This is the second edition of the 2009 Weekly Gardening Thread. If you are a gardener or an aspiring gardener please stop in from time to time during the next week and share your experiences. Last weeks thread was a great success. Thanks to all who participated!

Nothing tastes better than vegetables and herbs picked fresh from your own garden. It is now the middle of May and many Freepers are starting gardens for the first time this year. And there are those lucky Freepers whose gardens are well established at this time. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying skill levels from Master Gardener to novice and I hope all of you will stop by this thread each week and share your experiences.

The annual garden club show is this coming weekend, at the St. John's County Agriculture Center. Things are looking good up there, the volunteer crew is putting on the finishing touches. It's early, lot's more good stuff still to come. Only one Magnolia is in bloom now, it's a little tree, but it sure is trying hard!

It seems everyone is getting into gardens. First Lady Michelle Obama held a groundbreaking Friday for a White House Kitchen Garden and today California First Lady Maria Shriver announced that a similar garden would be planted on the Capitol Park grounds in Sacramento. Shriver's office is still working out details, but the 800-square-foot "demonstration garden" will be on the east side of the Capitol building and will be planted in May. It will replace an existing flower bed. "We're going to see how that will work. If it's successful we'll talk about expanding it," said Francisco Castillo, Shriver's spokesman. He...

Obamas Prepare to Plant White House Vegetable Garden By MARIAN BURROS WASHINGTON — On Friday, Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of White House lawn to plant a vegetable garden, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden in World War II. There will be no beets (the president doesn’t like them) but arugula will make the cut. While the organic garden will provide food for the first family’s meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a...

(excerpt)WASHINGTON – The White House is getting a new garden. First lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to break ground Friday on a new garden near the fountain on the South Lawn that will supply the White House kitchen. She will be joined by students from Bancroft Elementary School in the District of Columbia. The children will stay involved with the project, including planting the fruits, vegetables and herbs in the coming weeks and harvesting the crops later in the year.... Michelle wants a garden

We've lived in our current home for something like 14 years. I've never been a yard freak. I think I mowed my lawn once last year. I had to recently pull up several small trees from the front yard that sprouted. But this year hope springs eternal. I want to really make my yard great. However there's one thing I'm worried about: moles. I'm pretty sure there's an entire city of moles living under my grass. They've been there quite a while and they're fat, dumb and happy. I want to bring pain to their world. What is THE best...

An Amazing and Prolific Urban Homestead by Jules Dervaes Looking back at 1965, the year I entered college, I hardly recognize myself! At 18 I was headed — like everyone I knew — for life in the professional world. My dad was providing for our family by working for Chevron as a district manager of central Florida. For me, class valedictorian at Tampa’s Jesuit High School, the die had been cast to make my living by wearing a white collar. Working at manual labor was never a possibility, never even imagined. Getting married in 1970 brought new responsibilities and a...