How does your garden grow?

[glo]

And thanks to others too about news of gardens.

In my little garden the first "midsummer roses" are soon open...


http://mediaserver-2.vuodatus.net/g/34138/1623620.jpg

Just in time for midsummer! :)

[glo]

Okay, here is another update.

After days of heavy rain everything has grown (including the weeds ... so I did some weeding this morning)


The tomatoes are staked up, and starting to grow fruit ... but are still quite a while from ripening ...

The beans are starting to climb and have the very first flowers:

The potatoes in the tyres have gone MAD:

I managed to find one raspberry, which my son must have missed this morning. (They are not quite ripe yet ... but that won't stop him from picking them!!)

The blackberries will come much later in the year, but they have started flowering:

[glo]

And one post dedicated to one of my favourite summer fruits - the strawberry:

Yum! :statisfie

[sister herb]

Peace with you dear sister glo;

I loved so much your mad potatoes. We here in my country admire the most new potatoes at summer and dill and herrings with them... I just can´t wait to get them soon.

:exhausted

Just after new potatoes next are strawberries. I know this is out of topic but hopely admins will understand at this time...

White Chocolate Cheesecake with fresh strawberries

Bottom:
170 g unsalted butter
75 g pecans
170 g flour
1 tbsp powdered sugar

Melt the butter. Chop the nuts finely. Combine everything and spread into a buttered springform pan, lined with a round of parchment paper or cut out teflon sheet. (You can attempt to do this without lining, but I wouldn't dare.)

Bake at 175° for 22-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.

Filling:
200 g cream cheese
300 g white chocolate
25 g sugar
500 ml (2 cups) heavy cream (35-40% fat)

Melt the chocolate. Mix sugar and cream cheese and add the chocolate to this. Beat the cream until it holds soft peaks - don't overbeat it. Fold in with the rest. Pour into the pan, and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least three hours.

Topping:
500 g strawberries

Trim the strawberries to a fairly even size, and decorate the top of the cake.

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[Zahida]

:sl:^^^^^ That cheesecake tasted lovely...........once i had made it. Thanks sis for the recipe, i never used pecan nuts in the base before and crushed them with the biscuits to make the base and it was delicious!!!!!!!!!!!:w::bump1:

[Yanal]

:salamext:
Bismillah Hair Rahmaan Naraheem
I am starting to garden insh'Allah this summer with my downstairs. I will be uploading a fee pictures as my garden is right now and what it will be insh'Allah. I do not have a backyard because my house is like a barn if you see it. Where is the best place to garden for me?

[glo]

Looking forward to your pictures, Yanal :)

[Yanal]

Insh'Allah after I find my camera uploader.

[saba muslimah]

Oh Dear Aunty Glo

I am impresed by your Lil Garden Area...

In school life its my hobby to growing diiferent kind of plants in my Lawn& garden but...........imsad but we live in flats...on Firstfloor. dats why i didn't grow any plant..

Do know How to grow indoor plants? & which plants are best grow in the house?

Please if anyone know about indoor plants.Let me know your ideas& info

Thanks

[glo]

Saba Muslimah, do you have a balcony in your flat? Or any window sills, which get direct sunlight during the day?

Are you interested in growing edible plants, or simply flowers?

[Yanal]

Yeah I sort of need guidance too.

[glo]

Post us some pictures of your house and yard, Yanal.
Then people can try to give you advice where best to plant.

[saba muslimah]

Saba Muslimah, do you have a balcony in your flat? Or any window sills, which get direct sunlight during the day?

Are you interested in growing edible plants, or simply flowers?

Aunty Glo,
Not even a single balcony/ or terrace,& isn't outside the window sill... Our flats window completly coverd with Grill:X

How could i grow indoor plants yeah m intrested to grow Edible.. & also flowering plants... what you think? which are best growing in house

[glo]

Hi Saba Muslimah

You can grow herbs indoors, also (if you have a bit more space, tomatoes and chilli peppers). But all those plants will need window space with good sunshine - otherwise they won't thrive.

As for other indoor plants, I don't know so much about them.
But you can buy plants for almost any situation: cacti which don't need much watering, ivy which doesn't need much sunlight.

Here is a website which gives you information on most indoor plants A-Z

[glo]

Today, after some heavy rainfall, I went out to do a bit of harvesting. Here is what I picked today:

Raspberries - garlic - strawberries

Some baby turnips and one (ridiculous!) carrot (We have somehow never managed to grow proper carrots ... :rollseyes)

[Yanal]

Insh'Allah right after I find my camera uploader. My house is old and we will be making a new one insh'Allah so dont laugh when I post the pictures.

[saba muslimah]

Thank you so much aunty GLO

JazakALLAH for info...

yeah i knw sunlight is necessary for any plant... Wht about moneyplant? it can easily gorw in water.. but it teks lots of water daily i think..???

[glo]

Thank you so much aunty GLO

JazakALLAH for info...

yeah i knw sunlight is necessary for any plant... Wht about moneyplant? it can easily gorw in water.. but it teks lots of water daily i think..???

A money plant doesn't need much water at all. (I know, because we once had one in our office and everybody took it upon themselves to water it. It started to look poorly ... and the worse it looked the more we watered it! We nearly killed the poor thing! +o()

These attractive plants are great for smaller spaces and desktops. Also known as the Jade Plant or Friendship Tree they are extremely easy to care for and will thrive even in dark rooms like kitchens and offices.
Water sparingly in winter and regularly in summer and these succulent plants will reward you with their distinctive glossy foliage all year round.

Jade plants are succulents, like cacti. The plants store water in the leaves and stems, not in the soil like many other plants. For this reason, they like very little water.

Source

Good luck! :)

[sister herb]

:sl:

I have a lot of money plants at home and that is correct, they don´t like too much water.

[glo]

I have kept some surplus plants to sell at tomorrow's fund-raiser event at our church.

[glo]

Now we are into August, we have started harvesting.

Especially the courgettes are doing well.

The beans are doing well, too.

The tomatoes are taking their time ripening - we've had much rain, but not too much sun.

Looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of blackberries

[glo]

And here a couple of pictures of some garden friends:

]

[crayon]

I can finally somewhat contribute to this thread!:D

Okay, so. I'm excited. I am determined to make this lil' bit of land beautiful! This is what I have to work with. Sorry for the low quality, they're from my phone.






First of all, how do I get rid of the annoying little bits of patch less grass?

I was going to buy seeds the other day. I checked out the planting/growing months and worked out which ones I would buy. But then my mom said since it's my first time, I should use the pre planted plants (don't know what the actual word for them is yet?). That just seems like a cop out though... Or do lots of people do that?

What plants and flowers work best in a mid east environment?

Hmm can't think of anything else at the moment.. Any tips you all have in general would be great!

[Snowflake]

^get some grass seeds and follow the instructions :)

[index123]

lol looks like my grandmas garden.

And she keeps her garden very nice and neat.

[glo]

First of all, how do I get rid of the annoying little bits of patch less grass?

I was going to buy seeds the other day. I checked out the planting/growing months and worked out which ones I would buy. But then my mom said since it's my first time, I should use the pre planted plants (don't know what the actual word for them is yet?). That just seems like a cop out though... Or do lots of people do that?

What plants and flowers work best in a mid east environment?

Hmm can't think of anything else at the moment.. Any tips you all have in general would be great!

I am not very good with the lawn either, crayon, but your lawn may need raking over and resowing in parts. Does it have weeds like clover or dandelions in it? Some people like them, but you may want to think about pulling them out.

The ground around the edges looks ideal for other plants, but it also looks quite dry.
Perhaps you should buy some good compost and mix it in to make the soil softer and more nutritious.

Buying 'ready plants' means you can make the garden look pretty quite quickly, rather than waiting for the next growing season and then waiting for the seeds to grow into decent sized plants.
You could always buy just a couple a ready plants, and then grow your own later ...

I am not sure what kind of plants do well in the middle east. What do your neighbours grow? (I think I can sport palms and Rhododendron, but don't know what the rest are)

[crayon]

^get some grass seeds and follow the instructions :)

Simple as that? Cool, will do inshaAllah! Thanks!

I am not very good with the lawn either, crayon, but your lawn may need raking over and resowing in parts. Does it have weeds like clover or dandelions in it? Some people like them, but you may want to think about pulling them out.

The ground around the edges looks ideal for other plants, but it also looks quite dry.
Perhaps you should buy some good compost and mix it in to make the soil softer and more nutritious.

Buying 'ready plants' means you can make the garden look pretty quite quickly, rather than waiting for the next growing season and then waiting for the seeds to grow into decent sized plants.
You could always buy just a couple a ready plants, and then grow your own later ...

I am not sure what kind of plants do well in the middle east. What do your neighbours grow? (I think I can sport palms and Rhododendron, but don't know what the rest are)

Okay, now I need some definitions:
Raking- Just as in like raking the leaves kind of raking? Or some specific gardening word kind of raking?
Resowing- Replanting the seeds?

It has some clovers I think, yeah. I tried looking for 4 leaved ones but didn't find any, sadly, lol. I guess I could get rid of them, ok.

Compost, okay, that's on my list inshaAllah. I think the main problem with the soil here is that it's more sand than it is soil; I know nothing about gardening but when I compare it to Syrian soil even I can tell the difference.

I guess that's a problem here as well, because the window for growing anything is really quite limited, since it's only the next couple of months that are slightly cool, the rest kill off any plant life (i assume).
And that's what I'm thinking of doing inshaAllah- get used to actually raising plants, then work on getting them to grow from little seedlings.

Those are actually our plants lol, but I think something is up with the fence, and they overflow everywhere. There are these wooden fence sort of things in them that I assume are to keep them upright, but they've gotten too heavy and fallen backwards- I tried fixing it the other day but it was much heavier than I anticipated- plus I kept getting surrounded by giant wasps, so I gave up. I'll try again though inshaAllah.

Thank you for your post, btw, really appreciate it! :)

[Santoku]

I love the growing season! :statisfie

We only have a small garden, but we try to grow as much food in it as we can.

Don't have much of a garden (less since some Expletive deleted so and so) dumped a load of concrete on it.

I do have an allotment plot which is my second home.

Love it - fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, you name it.

[Aayah]

Hi, this is my garden photos, theres photos are trees and flowers when they just starterd to grow,but I'm gonne show u the fruit and veg two.

[Aayah]

Eish! I definitely can't 4get 2show u this photo.One of da most venoms snakes in S.A., here in my garden!!!

[Aayah]

4got 2put this on.

[glo]

Crayon, here is a picture of our herb garden, which I only planted a couple of weeks ago (in our old kitchen sink).
The plants were shop-bought. Quick result and ready to be used!

Since the work in the garden is never really finished, I have started pegging down the strawberry runners into new pots - they will grow into big plants by next spring and will grow strawberries in their first year.

This morning at 5.30 I spotted our resident hedgehog, coming home from a night's hunting.
I gave him some catfood and watched him for a while.
The little fellow made me smile with his antics, shuffling and rustling about, trying to find a comfy place for his well-earned day-time rest.
He is only a baby. I hope he will stay for a while and feed on our garden pests!

[Ummu Sufyaan]

:sl:

I can finally somewhat contribute to this thread!:D

Okay, so. I'm excited. I am determined to make this lil' bit of land beautiful! This is what I have to work with. Sorry for the low quality, they're from my phone.

I was going to buy seeds the other day. I checked out the planting/growing months and worked out which ones I would buy. But then my mom said since it's my first time, I should use the pre planted plants (don't know what the actual word for them is yet?). That just seems like a cop out though... Or do lots of people do that?

yh lots of people do that :)

What plants and flowers work best in a mid east environment?

olives, oranges, lemons and prickly pair fruit (although that plant might be a little big for that small area)...

Hmm can't think of anything else at the moment.. Any tips you all have in general would be great!

im not much of a gardener myself, but some things that come to mind:
you can jazz up your garden without going into too much detail. for a small area like yours, i think the concept of "less is more" would be useful :)
get a fruit tree/s up :D you don't have to plant it in the ground, you can get a reasonable sized one in a large pot...
also that wall, omg you have to plant a grape vine! it'll look way awesome in season with its green leaves and purple fruits against that color wall...aaaand you can use the leaves for wara 3anab ;)

plants some herbs as well...u know pastley, mint, etc etc...

get a bird bath/feeder, cos then you'll have really cute birds flying around in your garden :statisfie

if you do any digging etc, be prepared for lil insects such as ants and spiders to pop up every now and again lol.

also to get a visual idea of what to do, look at you tube vids...there's always weird things everywhere :p

maybe also get facts sheets on the plants that you decide to plant as well...you can usually find them over the nest. just type in *your chosen plant* +fact sheet and inshallah, it'll have something. all the best :)

[MuslimahBarb]

Peace Glo

It has been some time since I visited this thread but wanted to say that it looks as if your garden did quite well this year. I really missed participating in the gardening activities this year but God willing I will be able to this coming year. Mustafa is already planning our garden for next year and I am really looking forward to it.

[glo]

Time to restart the old gardening thread! :D

Spring is well and truly here now.
There is frog spawn in the little pond and the flowers area delight.


Here is the neighbour's flowering current. The bees love the flowers!

These are wild hyacinths or grape hyacinths. They are so pretty!

I have started sowing seeds for the runner beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes. They will need to keep protected over night, because it still gets quite cold.

I am using recycled materials for the seed pots, such as newspapers, toilet roll inserts and egg boxes.
They are cheaper that sop bought ones and more environmentally friendly.

[~Raindrop~]

:exhausted:exhausted just finished reading this entire thread
we used to have a lovely garden in our old house. (note: the gardener did all the work :hiding:)
just recently, we've moved (temporarily) whilst our house is being renovated (those Victorian houses really do take time fixing!!- i miss my bedroom!)
our current house has a matchbox of a garden thats been unthoughtfully and very cruelly paved over :(
we used to love the wild blackberries that grew outside the house when we were little. now, we just go raspberry-picking but its not the same

[PouringRain]

Glo, This is such a great thread, thanks! We have rain barrels and a compost heap also. God blessed us with a good rain yesterday that filled our rain barrels to overflowing!

All my veggies are starting to sprout up, our Irises and Roses are in full bloom, the wildflowers in the yard are all blooming. We also have blueberry bushes, grape vines, and mulberry trees. I need to resize the pictures before I can share them, and I haven't taken pics of everything yet.

[glo]

Hello, PouringRain

I am not sure we have met. Welcome to the forum and to the gardening thread. :)

Where do you live?
I was just thinking today that we could do with some rain. I haven't dared say it out loud, because I find that when I do it starts raining and doesn't stop for weeks! :D

I look forward to seeing your pics.


Aisha, thank you for your post. I love your sig! :)

[Beardo]

I had a small vegetable garden, but when I went to Bangladesh for a week, nobody maintained it and they all ended dying. I should start re-growing. I'll probably buy some seeds soon...

[PouringRain]

Hello, PouringRain

I am not sure we have met. Welcome to the forum and to the gardening thread. :)

Where do you live?
I was just thinking today that we could do with some rain. I haven't dared say it out loud, because I find that when I do it starts raining and doesn't stop for weeks! :D

I look forward to seeing your pics.

Nice to meet you also. I noticed I broke 100 posts today! I wish we got rain that comes for weeks. Here it rains so rarely that when it does we run outside and rejoice in it thanking God and doing dances in the rain, and thanking God for filling up our rain barrels. I live in the US, but I don't normally say specifically. I can PM you and let you know if you want. I'll post the pics later, but I still haven't taken them of everything yet.

[PouringRain]

:( I spent hours resizing these and they are still super sized. Sorry. :hmm:

This grows wild all over the yard:

From the vegetable garden, but this is not everything.

[glo]

Wow, your growing season is ahead of ours!


I am only starting to put seeds out, although we still have some winter lettuces, which we planted last autumn.

The swiss chard is also still growing - although I am expecting it to bolt soon. I will put in new seeds for this year.
I love swiss chard as a spinach substitute and I find it much easier to grow than spinach.

[PouringRain]

Wow, your growing season is ahead of ours!






The swiss chard is also still growing - although I am expecting it to bolt soon. I will put in new seeds for this year.
I love swiss chard as a spinach substitute and I find it much easier to grow than spinach.

Spinach! You just reminded me that I didn't plant any this year. Spinach grows very well here up until summer and then the heat burns it out very quickly.

This year I planted by Mid-March. We actually had out last snow just a few days after I had planted, but I was lucky it was only a light fall that melted as it hit the ground. Last year in 2009 I planted by the end of February, because we were already having 90 degree days and had a mild winter. I get things in as early as possible so everything has as best a chance as possible. Once summer hits with 110 degree days and drought, many things do not do well.

[Woodrow]

We are finally having a warm spell and the desire to start a garden is strong. Sadly I have to put off the temptation. Snow is always probable here until late May. Although the weather says it is time to plant, I know our winter is just taking a short break and there will be more snow before it is really over. I will be looking at everybody's pictures and dreaming for mid May when it should be safe to start with cold hardy plants like Spinach. ( sorry Glo)

[glo]

Apart from spinach, what crops are you hoping to grow in such a short growing season, Woodrow?

Think of me, when you tuck into your fresh green spinach leaves! :)

[Woodrow]

Apart from spinach, what crops are you hoping to grow in such a short growing season, Woodrow?

Think of me, when you tuck into your fresh green spinach leaves! :)

We are very limited, for home gardens. The large farms plant various fast growing grains such as wheat, corn, oats etc. But those are not pracical for a home garden, but some things that have fast growing varieties or can survive a month of cold weather after full growth are:

Tomatoes
Potatoes (Yukon Gold Variety does best)
Spinach
Swiss chard
Aruga
Any of the kale family such as kale, cabbage, brussel sprout
Rhubarb
Asparagus does good but it takes years to establish a producing bed, there is wild asperagus growing in untouched land around here.
One or two varieties of strawberries can be grown

I will probably just plant Spinach, Dill, onions, Yukon gold potatoes and rhubarb(The Rhubarb is a perennial and does not need replanting as it will come back up each year.) Eureka, South Dakota not very far from us claims to be the Rhubarb capital of the world. The bakery there has some fame for it's Rhubarb Kolache, which it ships world wide.

[cat eyes]

The one next to him is the reason we went to that farm. We "rented" the black stallion for stud service of 4 of our mares that are ready for breeding.

oh my gosh i just love horses i use to do horse riding with my cusan. horses are beautiful creatures

[MuslimahBarb]

:sl:

It is great to see this thread active again, mashaAllah. Our garden isn't quite ready for planting yet. Mustafa has been adding more organic matter to make a better root bed for our veggies. Although Mustafa did plant some asparagus in one of our raised beds a few weeks ago. We hope to get the tomatoes planted this afternoon inshaAllah.

I added 2 new roses to my rose collection this spring one was to replace one that had been struggling the last couple of seasons and the other a new one.

Attachment 4039

We are also getting our first peaches on the peach trees this year, mashaAllah

Attachment 4040

[glo]

That's a beautiful rose, Barb.
And I wish I could grow peaches!

We planted a couple of apple trees last autumn though. Apples do very well in the British climate.

[glo]

Here are the blossoms on the new apple tree, which we planted last autumn.
Because our garden is quite small and narrow, we chose two 'ballerina' apple trees - they will grow up straight rather than branching out.

The broccoli is just starting to grow:

And here is some evidence that a small boy has been in the garden!! :ooh::mmokay::D

[smile]

granadillas, figs ...

[glo]

Today I spent some time in the garden, pricking out the little seedlings and planting them in individual pots (recycled from old newspapers) to given them more growing room.
The newspaper pots are very handy, because once the plants have grown to the right size I can plant them straight into the ground - including the pot - where the newspaper will degrade and the roots continue to grow. That way I won;t have to disturb the roots again.

The baby plants are sooo delicate, the leaves to little and the roots very thin - so it's a job which requires much time, patience and inner peace.
It's been quite a meditative activity. :)


The plants in this picture (from left to right) are broccoli, calendula and nasturtiums.
Having been a 'veggie gardener' for so long, I am beginning to appreciate the beauty of having colourful flowers dotted amongst the vegetables. And it attracts the bees and butterflies too!

[glo]

granadillas, figs ...

What are granadillas, smile?

[Life_Is_Short]

I love gardening too. :wub:
The builders messed up our entire garden so now we're rebuilding it. I am going to make a new patio all by myself this summer.

[MuslimahBarb]

:sl:

We got our tomatoes, eggplant and peppers planted today. I still need to get the camera out there and snap some photos.

Here is a pic of another rose

Attachment 4052

[glo]

The apple blossoms have grown from this

into this:

[Woodrow]

Today I spent some time in the garden, pricking out the little seedlings and planting them in individual pots (recycled from old newspapers) to given them more growing room.
The newspaper pots are very handy, because once the plants have grown to the right size I can plant them straight into the ground - including the pot - where the newspaper will degrade and the roots continue to grow. That way I won;t have to disturb the roots again.

The baby plants are sooo delicate, the leaves to little and the roots very thin - so it's a job which requires much time, patience and inner peace.
It's been quite a meditative activity. :)


The plants in this picture (from left to right) are broccoli, calendula and nasturtiums.
Having been a 'veggie gardener' for so long, I am beginning to appreciate the beauty of having colourful flowers dotted amongst the vegetables. And it attracts the bees and butterflies too!

Both Calendula and Nasturtiums are edible.

Here is a link to Calendulat recipes.

http://www.longcreekherbs.com/2007/0...a-recipes.html

I like to put Nasturtium leaves in salads. Gives a nice peppery flavor. Here are some nasturtium recipes. You will have to scroll down the page.

http://homecooking.about.com/gi/o.ht...turtiums2.html

[glo]

^
True, Woodrow.

The Calendula recipe doesn't open for me. I have only ever used the petals. Can you use the rest of the plant too?
We also call them Marigolds.

[Woodrow]

^
True, Woodrow.

The Calendula recipe doesn't open for me. I have only ever used the petals. Can you use the rest of the plant too?
We also call them Marigolds.

With Calendula the buds and petals are all I usually use I do know the leaves are edible. The buds make a low cost substitute for saffron.

Check here gives info about many edible flowers:

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....ndula+arvensis

Edible flowers make a great addition to a garden. Many Flowers are not only pretty but also delicious. some other over looked edibles, roses, violets, Day Lilies (Be cautious with them, be certain you have an edible variety, some varieties are poisonous) But if you have an edible variety, the buds can be used as a delicious vegetable, cooked like green beans.

[PouringRain]

My peach tree is full of baby peaches! And my Pear tree also has a few tiny pears! I am so excited! I get so excited when things grow. LOL I need to take pics of my garden, now that everything is growing up more, but I was sick the past few days and the weeds are overtaking it. I need to get out and weed it first!

[Snowflake]

Marigolds are good for cancer Glo :)

OK, I need some advice. I planted some seeds a few weeks ago and I didnt sow them individually. I just sorta chucked them over the soil. They are now about 2-3 inches long and tangled up. If I try to separate them they break as they are so delicate. Do I just let them grow and pull them apart when they are stronger? or are they going to strangle themselves?

[PouringRain]

Marigolds are good for cancer Glo :)

OK, I need some advice. I planted some seeds a few weeks ago and I didnt sow them individually. I just sorta chucked them over the soil. They are now about 2-3 inches long and tangled up. If I try to separate them they break as they are so delicate. Do I just let them grow and pull them apart when they are stronger? or are they going to strangle themselves?

I had this problem before, and our dirt here is so hard-packed that even if I soaked the ground to allow for easy transplanting then it still does not work. LOL If mine are too close, I just leave them and let them grow up alongside each other. If one chokes the other out then I just let it, and don't worry about it, because it would have broken and died anyhow had I tried to transplant it. You could wait until they are stronger and try then, or you could try soaking the ground and seeing if you can separate them at the root easier. Or you could just leave them like I do.

[Woodrow]

Hooray, I believe we had our last Blizzard of the winter yesterday. Actually it by passed us and did not get any closer than 25 miles from us. the snow line ended 25 miles north of us. I will begin planting tomorrow, but it will be a very small garden. Looks like we are not going to have much garden time this year. We bought 17 new horses today and none have ever been ridden or had a halter on. We hope to have them halter broke by the end of June so we can begin selling them. the ones we decide to keep and saddle break will take about 3 years to fully train. Horses are a long term commitment. I will take some pictures of the new bunch tomorrow.

we bought them very low cost. Came to be 11 cents per pound for the herd. Total weight of the herd was 11,700 pounds, there are a number of young foals in the herds although the largest stallion weighs over 2,000 pounds and makes up nearly 1/5 of the herd weight by himself.

[Snowflake]

I had this problem before, and our dirt here is so hard-packed that even if I soaked the ground to allow for easy transplanting then it still does not work. LOL If mine are too close, I just leave them and let them grow up alongside each other. If one chokes the other out then I just let it, and don't worry about it, because it would have broken and died anyhow had I tried to transplant it. You could wait until they are stronger and try then, or you could try soaking the ground and seeing if you can separate them at the root easier. Or you could just leave them like I do.

Lol, it seems we've way to go before we earn the green-fingered title. I didn't plant them in the garden though. I put them in a big plastic bowl and let them grow indoors. It was warm recently so I transferred them to the garden. They are so crowded I don't think they will survive. :(

Hooray, I believe we had our last Blizzard of the winter yesterday. Actually it by passed us and did not get any closer than 25 miles from us. the snow line ended 25 miles north of us. I will begin planting tomorrow, but it will be a very small garden. Looks like we are not going to have much garden time this year. We bought 17 new horses today and none have ever been ridden or had a halter on. We hope to have them halter broke by the end of June so we can begin selling them. the ones we decide to keep and saddle break will take about 3 years to fully train. Horses are a long term commitment. I will take some pictures of the new bunch tomorrow.

we bought them very low cost. Came to be 11 cents per pound for the herd. Total weight of the herd was 11,700 pounds, there are a number of young foals in the herds although the largest stallion weighs over 2,000 pounds and makes up nearly 1/5 of the herd weight by himself.

:sl: Lol hamdulillah. What'll you be planting Uncle Woodrow? Have you ever had Mulberries? Your place seems really inviting mashaAllah. If I was all alone in the world I'd probably have moved down there.


I just love this fruit.

I didn't even know about the white one until now..

[Woodrow]

:sl: Lol hamdulillah. What'll you be planting Uncle Woodrow? Have you ever had Mulberries? Your place seems really inviting mashaAllah. If I was all alone in the world I'd probably have moved down there.


I just love this fruit.

I didn't even know about the white one until now..

Since I am going to have a small garden I am keeping it with variety and not quantity. The plants and seed we now have, that I will be setting out tomorrow are Potomatoes (Tomatoes with Potato roots, You pick the tomatoes and in the fall dig up the potatoes) Salisfy, onions, garlic, parsnips, sweet corn, squash and cucumbers. We have a very short growing season, I do not really expect to get any vegetables except for the root veggies Salisfy, parsnips, and onions. But, Inshallah the summer may last long enough for the others.

[PouringRain]

We have mulberry trees, both the purple and the white. Two white, one purple. But our fruits do not grow in long strings like in that picture. I think long strings would certainly make them easier to collect from the trees! Ours just grow as individual berries. Like this picture I googled:

[nousername]

Insha'Allah in may i am moving to louisiana which is hot and humid and mild winters, any suggestions of what kind of veggies are good to grow in this kind of environment?

[glo]

My peach tree is full of baby peaches! And my Pear tree also has a few tiny pears! I am so excited! I get so excited when things grow. LOL

I am the same!
Every year I am amazed how seeds simply turn into plants - just put into the soil and given water. There is nothing to gardening, really.
Nature does it on its own.
It's nothing short of a miracle!!

I need to take pics of my garden, now that everything is growing up more, but I was sick the past few days and the weeds are overtaking it. I need to get out and weed it first!

Hope you are better.
Take care of yourself! :)

[glo]

OK, I need some advice. I planted some seeds a few weeks ago and I didnt sow them individually. I just sorta chucked them over the soil. They are now about 2-3 inches long and tangled up. If I try to separate them they break as they are so delicate. Do I just let them grow and pull them apart when they are stronger? or are they going to strangle themselves?

Hmmm, what kind of plants are they?

If they are vegetables, you might need to thin them out to allow each plant to grow healthily.
Trying to pull them out can cause damage to the neighbours' roots too.
My husband thins out the veggie seedlings by taking a small pair of scissors (such as nail scissors) and cutting the unwanted plants off just above soil level. (I always accuse him of 'playing God', by deciding which seedling should live and which should die LOL... but it does work ...)

Alternatively you can just let nature take its cause and let the plants grow until the stronger outgrow the weaker ... but you might end up with less healthy or strong plants overall.

[Woodrow]

Insha'Allah in may i am moving to louisiana which is hot and humid and mild winters, any suggestions of what kind of veggies are good to grow in this kind of environment?

:sl:

I lived in Louisiana and Texas for a good length of time. You will find 3 distinct growing regions in Louisiana. The Southern half of the state is best suited for Rice, sugar cane, Tomatoes. Hot peppers, Okra and the like. The North Western Section from Monroe/Ruston Westward and North of I-20 is very good for onions, nut trees, (Many Pecan orchards) actually nearly anything can grow in that region. I grew pineapples (Mexican Sugar loaf), bananas (cavendish will grow out doors) tomatoes, corn, nectarines do very well. Apple trees do not do well in any part of Louisiana. North Eastern Louisiana is best for Peaches.

One caution for areas North of I-20 if you try long term crops, That region is subject to an occasional severe winter about every 5 years. Many people have tried citrus trees only to loose them as soon as they reached bearing age.

I should point out in Louisiana you will have a nice long growing season and can have at least 2 different plantings a year and 3 quite often

[Snowflake]

Since I am going to have a small garden I am keeping it with variety and not quantity. The plants and seed we now have, that I will be setting out tomorrow are Potomatoes (Tomatoes with Potato roots, You pick the tomatoes and in the fall dig up the potatoes) Salisfy, onions, garlic, parsnips, sweet corn, squash and cucumbers. We have a very short growing season, I do not really expect to get any vegetables except for the root veggies Salisfy, parsnips, and onions. But, Inshallah the summer may last long enough for the others.

:sl: Nice selection you have there mashaAllah. But Potomatoes? There's actually a plant that grows tomatoes then later potatoes? How? lol :S

We have mulberry trees, both the purple and the white. Two white, one purple. But our fruits do not grow in long strings like in that picture. I think long strings would certainly make them easier to collect from the trees! Ours just grow as individual berries. Like this picture I googled:

I've never tasted the round variety. Do they taste similar to blackberries/raspberries? The long ones are native to Pakistan and have a musky berry smell. I wonder if you can get seeds from the internet. They really do taste exceptional :)

Hmmm, what kind of plants are they?

If they are vegetables, you might need to thin them out to allow each plant to grow healthily.
Trying to pull them out can cause damage to the neighbours' roots too.
My husband thins out the veggie seedlings by taking a small pair of scissors (such as nail scissors) and cutting the unwanted plants off just above soil level. (I always accuse him of 'playing God', by deciding which seedling should live and which should die LOL... but it does work ...)

Alternatively you can just let nature take its cause and let the plants grow until the stronger outgrow the weaker ... but you might end up with less healthy or strong plants overall.

Lol, men have stronger hearts sis. I tried to dig a clump out for my mum, only for the soil to crumble and crush the seedlings. It looked like mass murder.


I can't remember what the plants are called, but they are just flowers from a mixed seed packet. I tried separating them with a dinner fork but the soil isn't clumpy and just crumbles taking the seedlings with it. So I'll let Allah take care of them :)

[Woodrow]

:sl: Nice selection you have there mashaAllah. But Potomatoes? There's actually a plant that grows tomatoes then later potatoes? How? lol :S

It is an old farmer's trick that goes back a long time. I leaned it from my grandfather. The purpose is to save garden space. Tomatoes and potatoes are actually variations of the same plant species, As such they intergraft. You take a small tomato plant and stick it roots into a seed potato section than plant as if you are planting a potato. You end up with the tomato top and the potato roots. Really very easy to do. You can now buy some ready made grafts kits them.

http://www.microgear.net/gwinford/tompot.htm




(Unneeded and a waste of money, can do the same without any special tools and it is a very ancient thing and not a new discovery.)

[PouringRain]

I've never tasted the round variety. Do they taste similar to blackberries/raspberries? The long ones are native to Pakistan and have a musky berry smell. I wonder if you can get seeds from the internet. They really do taste exceptional :)

The darker ones have more flavor and a somewhat tart taste. Our white ones are not so tart and have a very mild flavor. I prefer the dark ones better. LOL

[Woodrow]

I was going to start my garden today. But the temperatures dropped fast we even had a fairly heavy snow early this morning. Seems winter is going to hold on a little longer. So that means you all get stuck looking at the 17 horses we bought yesterday, We got 7 yearlings and 10 older ones. They look a little rough, they spent the winter out in pasture and are now shedding their winter coats and need to regain the weight they lost over the winter. We plan to resale all but 2 of them after we put some weight on them, trim their hooves, brush them up and get them nice and shiney and train them to a saddle.

Here are the 7 yearlings.

Needless to say this filly talked us into keeping her and not plan to sell her.

Here are the 10 older ones. We have them seperated from our other horses for the time being.

We will be keeping this Buckskin mare. We spent the day working with her and she should make a very good cattle horse.

[PouringRain]

Beautiful horses! I like the one with the white spot between the eyes. :)

[Woodrow]

Beautiful horses! I like the one with the white spot between the eyes. :)

:sl:

She is one of the ones we are going to keep.
A very gentle line and we will be able to train her for inexperienced riders to ride.

I can't believe I actually started planting today. Beautiful warm day. Although we will probably get a few more snow storms before the end of May, it looks like the danger of extreme freezing is over. I began planting my Potomatoes today.

Here is how I plant them:

Begin with tomato plants and seed potatoes (Potatoes with growing eyes)

Cut a hole in the potato about the same size and shape as the Root ball on the tomato plant.

Stuff the roots of the tomato into the potato

Stick it into the ground and cover it with dirt up past the lowest branch or leaves on the tomato

Here are the first 5 planted:

My garden at the moment as seen from the back door. I have a lot left to do. I only have 10 days to 2 weeks to plant every veggie I intend to plant, if I expect them to produce anything during our very short growing season.

My farming methods may seem odd to most of you. I disturb the soil as little as possible when planting, do not use any insecticides or pesticides and absolutely no artificial fertilizers. I also do very little weeding. As long as I can still see the veggies, the wild plants will be left alone.

[glo]

I love the idea of the potomatoes, Woodrow.

I was telling my hubby about it, and he was wondering how, if at all, the system was different from simply planting a potato in the ground and a tomato plant on top.
Is there an advantage to your method?

[glo]

Today I planted out several young plants:


Mange touts

Runner beans

Broad beans (First time we are growing these)

Broccoli

[Woodrow]

I love the idea of the potomatoes, Woodrow.

I was telling my hubby about it, and he was wondering how, if at all, the system was different from simply planting a potato in the ground and a tomato plant on top.
Is there an advantage to your method?

The biggest advantage is for small gardens as you can get more variety in a small space. You grow both the tomatoes and the potatoes in the exact same space. The disadvantage is you are getting a lot less potatoes from each seed potato if I had cut those as normally I would for planting potatoes only, I could have gotten at least four to six plants from each seed potato.

[Woodrow]

I love the idea of the potomatoes, Woodrow.

I was telling my hubby about it, and he was wondering how, if at all, the system was different from simply planting a potato in the ground and a tomato plant on top.
Is there an advantage to your method?

The biggest advantage is for small gardens as you can get more variety in a small space. You grow both the tomatoes and the potatoes in the exact same space. The disadvantage is you are getting a lot less potatoes from each seed potato if I had cut those as normally I would for planting potatoes only, I could have gotten at least four to six plants from each seed potato.

[marwen]

The biggest advantage is for small gardens as you can get more variety in a small space. You grow both the tomatoes and the potatoes in the exact same space. The disadvantage is you are getting a lot less potatoes from each seed potato if I had cut those as normally I would for planting potatoes only, I could have gotten at least four to six plants from each seed potato.

Yes, and the advantage is also (for the tomato plant) is that it find in the potatoe seed all the minerals it needs, which is really difficult to find in the pure soil.

Inorganic constituents of Potato (minerals) :

Dry basis(Mg. Per 100 gm)
P 43.0 – 605
Ca 10-120
Mg 46-216
Na 0-332
K 1394-2825
Fe 3-18.5
S 43-423
Cl 45-805
Zn 1.7-2.2
Cu 0.6-2.8
Si 5.1 – 17.3
Mn 0.18-8.5
Al 0.2-35.4

Dry Basis(PPM)
Br 4.8-8.5
B 4.5-8.6
I 0.5-3.87
Li Trace
As 0.35
Co 0.065
Ni. 0.26
Mo 0.26

source..

[glo]

The biggest advantage is for small gardens as you can get more variety in a small space. You grow both the tomatoes and the potatoes in the exact same space. The disadvantage is you are getting a lot less potatoes from each seed potato if I had cut those as normally I would for planting potatoes only, I could have gotten at least four to six plants from each seed potato.

Please keep sending pictures as the potomatoes grow, Woodrow.
Will the tomato plant not get overgrown by the bushy potato plant?

Today I pulled out lat year's leaf beet, which had started bolting.
I have processed the remaining leafs and stems, ready to go in the freezer.

I have planted cucumbers into the space left by the leaf beet.

Suddenly it has become really lovely and warm. Hopefully the plants in the garden will start taking off soon! :)

We are eagerly waiting for the first strawberries and raspberries, although I expect they will be another couple of weeks or so ...

[Woodrow]

Please keep sending pictures as the potomatoes grow, Woodrow.
Will the tomato plant not get overgrown by the bushy potato plant?

Today I pulled out lat year's leaf beet, which had started bolting.
I have processed the remaining leafs and stems, ready to go in the freezer.

I have planted cucumbers into the space left by the leaf beet.

Suddenly it has become really lovely and warm. Hopefully the plants in the garden will start taking off soon! :)

We are eagerly waiting for the first strawberries and raspberries, although I expect they will be another couple of weeks or so ...

There is no separate potato top. The tomato plant is the top and the potato is the roots. They graft together forming a single plant with a tomato top and a potato bottom.

I'm back to square one. The very night I posted those pictures, we had a hard freeze and all the plants froze. We had a few light snow falls since then, without any more hard freezes. But, I decided to wait until June 1 to replant. I'm still trying to find out just how short of a growing season we do have here. We had a very short one in Minnesota But, here it is going to be much shorter. Although we are only 100 miles further North we are a a much higher elevation. About 1000 feet higher.

[glo]

And I thought our growing season was fairly short ... :uuh:

Good luck with your second attempt!

[PouringRain]

Two days ago I harvested all my potatoes. :) I can't tell you if they are good or not, because I do not eat potatoes due to my allergies. LOL The family liked them! Very shortly I will have zucchini and squash. Already they are growing. I will post pics later today if I have time.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

:sl:
i need the names of plants that grow and attach themselves to walls...i think they are termed as climbers and an example of then in the jasmine plant. what are some other varieties of these plants that can be used as a screen when planted and supported by lattice?

[glo]

Here are some plants which climb well up lattices or similar supports:

Clematis (Very beautiful, and comes in all sorts of different colours!)

Honeysuckle (Smells lovely, and great for attracting bees too!)

Virginia creeper (Creeping ivy with amazing autumn colours)

Morning glory (An annual plant, which can grow up to 3 metres in one season)

Passion flower (Beautiful flowers, which produce edible fruit in warmer climates)

[PouringRain]

Climbing roses are another. We have those on our trellis. On the fence on our back lot we have a yellow flower that climbs (a vine) but I can't recall the name or I'd put it here. In the front we have ones with purple all over.

[glo]

Very shortly I will have zucchini and squash. Already they are growing. I will post pics later today if I have time.

You are kidding!

This is how big (or little) our zucchini plants are at the moment.

[glo]

Here are a few more garden pictures:


The chives are in full flower now.

The bumblebees loves the chives especially!

We are waiting for the strawberries to ripen ... patience is required, it will be another week or two ...

These beautiful snapdragons have found a crack in the garden wall to grow in!

[MuslimahBarb]

Some recent photos from our garden



tomatoes

Attachment 4107

Purple sweet pepper

Attachment 4108


peach

Attachment 4109

[glo]

Wonderful, Barb!
Our tomatoes are only just flowering.

We had a good bit of rain recently, so everything in the garden is looking lush and green. I will post up some more pictures when I have time.

[glo]

A week later, and everything in the garden seems to be exploding into growth. We are just starting to harvest the first fruit and vegetables.

How about a 'Name the fruit/vegetable competition'?
How many do you know?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

[glo]

Today we've had torrential downpours.
After the rain I went in the garden, where I found a young hedgehog - out of all places perched on a pond plant in the middle of our (very small) pond.

He was cold and shivery, so we brought him inside, where we made him a box with newspapers and an old towel and a hot water bottle to warm him up again. He seems better now, because he has shuffled off the hot water bottle and is fast asleep.

Tonight, when he wakes up, we will let him out into the garden again.

[~Raindrop~]

The birdies ate all my strawberries. At least, I think it was them. It's the first thing we've planted now that we're doing our own gardening lol. We have some pretty purple flowers too.
Ooh glo- is your pond still flourishing?

[glo]

The birdies ate all my strawberries. At least, I think it was them. It's the first thing we've planted now that we're doing our own gardening lol. We have some pretty purple flowers too.

I find small boys more troublesome than birds when it comes to disappearing strawberries. :giggling:

Ooh glo- is your pond still flourishing?

Yes. If anything it is a bit overgrown. Just as well, really, otherwise I fear the hedgehog might have drowned ... :phew

* * *

I followed the link at the bottom of your sig, aisha. Are you a cyclist yourself?

[Asiyah3]

It's really just a compost bin.

But I suppose you are right ... we feed the worms with kitchen waste, and they breed and turn the waste into compost for us ...

Just for you, sis, I have taken a picture of the inside of the wormery. Prepare yourself!!! :D

I just noticed this thread...

I thought you were joking, wow.. Why do you have worms in the garden? :D

Edit: I mean do you like worms? :D

[glo]

I just noticed this thread...

I thought you were joking, wow.. Why do you have worms in the garden? :D

Edit: I mean do you like worms? :D

Worms play an important role in turning food waste into useful garden compost and fertiliser.
I neither like them nor dislike them. They are just part of creation and fulfill their purpose in the natural cycle.

http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/worm-compost.html

[Asiyah3]

Worms play an important role in turning food waste into useful garden compost and fertiliser.
I neither like them nor dislike them. They are just part of creation and fulfill their purpose in the natural cycle.

http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/worm-compost.html

True, I guess I never thought of it before. I agree. ^^

[~Raindrop~]

I find small boys more troublesome than birds when it comes to disappearing strawberries. :giggling:

lol- fortunately we don't have any small boys living in the house (unless you count their mental ages? :giggling:)

I followed the link at the bottom of your sig, aisha. Are you a cyclist yourself?

:)I was. Right now, my long clothes tend to get in the way lol. You could say cycling runs in our blood. My brother completed the Birmingham to Oxford charity bike ride a fortnight ago, so you could say we're quite keen :)

I love the hot pink climbing plant you posted above. It would look amazing against a cream house, don't you think?

EDIT: It's the Virginia Creeper

[glo]

lol- fortunately we don't have any small boys living in the house (unless you count their mental ages? :giggling:)

:D

:)I was. Right now, my long clothes tend to get in the way lol. You could say cycling runs in our blood. My brother completed the Birmingham to Oxford charity bike ride a fortnight ago, so you could say we're quite keen :)

Do you cycle anymore at all? It shouldn't be too difficult to find cycling clothing which is Islamically permissible - should it? Perhaps not racing gear, but at least basic cycling clothes) If it is, then somebody should design some!

I love the hot pink climbing plant you posted above. It would look amazing against a cream house, don't you think?

EDIT: It's the Virginia Creeper

Yes, I think that would look quite spectacular!

[~Raindrop~]

Do you cycle anymore at all? It shouldn't be too difficult to find cycling clothing which is Islamically permissible - should it? Perhaps not racing gear, but at least basic cycling clothes) If it is, then somebody should design some!

Yes, I think that would look quite spectacular!

Not really. I prefer walking now. I can usually walk 4 miles a day :D
Hmmm- I haven't given Islamic cycling clothes much thought. There's a lady I see sometimes who cycles in her Abayah and Niqab-cool as you please! I don't think I could be that brave. Islamically, the clothes would have to be loose, which could be dangerous if they get caught in the chain. :ermm:

Great! I think I'll persuade everyone to get the Virginia Creeper once our house has been done and we get the gardener back! I'm not sure if the boys would agree though...

[MuslimahBarb]

Assalamu Alaikum

Over the course of the last few weeks, I have been doing some preserving of some veggies. I have put squash, tomatoes and corn in the freezer. We have also been enjoying some fresh eggplant, cucumbers. I plan to make some pickles, inshaAllah.

On a separate note, it isn't pertaining to the garden, but we recently got some baby chicks.

[glo]

^
Ohh, how many chicks have you got?

We are seriously considering getting a couple of bantam chickens, although our garden is small and urban ....

[MuslimahBarb]

Peace Glo

We have a total of 27 chickens, 7 different breeds including one that originated there in England called a Speckled Sussex, it is one of the more attractive ones at this point. I will take some updated photos of them today and post them, inshaAllah. Our chickens are the standard breeds. Though the bantams would be more suited for your garden. Mustafa constructed a smaller "brooding" pen for the chicks and has also designed and is constructing a larger pen for when they are full grown. They will have a good bit of space to forage around in, inshaAllah.

[glo]

^
Wow! I'm envious now! :wub:

What do you do with all those eggs?? Do you sell them?

[__follower]

beautiful gardens every1
i wish v had place like dat as well

[glo]

You don't need much space for a garden of some kind, follower.
Some planters and pots on a patio or even a window sill would enable you to grow some plants, such as tomatoes, strawberries or lettuce.

[__follower]

here in taiwan ppl seldom give a thought to plants .so its reli rare to see gardens as beautiful as those in da pics

[glo]

I imagine Taiwan has a good climate for growing plants. Does it get hot? And humid?

[__follower]

its pretty humid here
especially the air pollution problems

[MuslimahBarb]

^
Wow! I'm envious now! :wub:

What do you do with all those eggs?? Do you sell them?

Peace Glo

They won't be producing eggs for a few months. The chicks are only 3 weeks old today. We will probably give them away to co-workers, neighbors etc.

[glo]

Peace Glo

They won't be producing eggs for a few months. The chicks are only 3 weeks old today. We will probably give them away to co-workers, neighbors etc.

It's a pity you live so far away ... :)

[~Raindrop~]

I was wondering abour insecticides/pesticides (incidently, what's the different between them?) Is it recommended to use them or not? We'e been pretty lucky so far (unless you count the strawberry-guzzling birds) or are we being far too trusting of those creepy crawlies?

[glo]

Having a small garden, we don't really use pesticides.
It is fairly easy to check plants over and pick obvious pests such as caterpillars and slugs/snails off. Plants can also be protected with netting - so the butterflies don't get to the plants in the first place and cannot lay their eggs.

For greenfly and blackfly I make a soapy water solution which I spray on the affected areas. Apparently the soap destroys their protective skin layer, which kills them. I'm not sorry! :nervous:

[~Raindrop~]

Ah, I see. We'll just leave them be and hope for the best :)

[sister herb]

I have at countryside own garden but unfortunately last year in cause of working I hadn´t time to go there and when I visited there this summer I found it like jungle (without apes and parrots of course).

Very green jungle...

From one corner I still found my little cottage.

;D Seems I won´t have problems what to do during free times at near future.

[~Raindrop~]

Sister harb, that looks so lovely and peaceful! and romantic lol
It looks like it's been taken straight out of a book :wub: It reminds me of Miss Honey's house (Matilda, by Roald Dahl) from the book's description.
I wouldn't mind a countryside retreat from time to time....

[PouringRain]

Sister harb, that is a beautiful place! It looks so peaceful.

[Ummu Sufyaan]

what is the alternative i could use for wooden lattice (for the climbers to grow on)...i've heard one can use steel lattice, but i think its going to be a bit expensive. any other ideas?

[PouringRain]

what is the alternative i could use for wooden lattice (for the climbers to grow on)...i've heard one can use steel lattice, but i think its going to be a bit expensive. any other ideas?

Are there places near you where you can go browse and find something?

Maybe bamboo, aluminum, or vinyl?

[glo]

Sister harb, that cottage looks adorable!
Now, how many of the sisters here could you invite into it? :D

[sister herb]

You are the most welcome, dear Glo.

:statisfie

[Ummu Sufyaan]

im doing some research about climber plants and have come across the term "creepers." what does it mean exactly? im sort of getting the impression that it refers to climbers plants that grow uncontrollably and "viciously" would i be right or...?

EDIT: ^ never mind that.

from answers.com:

Climbers can either move either horizontally or vertically. Creepers only move horizontally.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...s_and_creepers

[glo]

Ohhhh ... I found this old gardening thread!

Whilst I have been away from LI/IB, we have taken on a allotment (a piece of land rented from the town Council for growing fruit and veg). Admittedly hubby does most of the work. I help occasionally, although I am more of a take-pictures-sit-in-the-sun-and-pick-strawberries kind of girl ...


This is what the plot looked like when we took it on in August 2010:

We initially build some raised beds. In the spring/summer 2011 it looked like this:

This year the growing season was quite late due to the wet and cold April we've had. But things are starting to come along:

Garlic

Potatoes (we've had our first with yesterday's dinner!)

Strawberries (we are going to have tons!)

[sister herb]

Looks nice - hopely there isn´t too much work to do. I have now very tiny garden here, just few beds for herbs and flowers and for some peas but a lot of pots (about 30) for more herbs and flowers.

[glo]

I have at countryside own garden but unfortunately last year in cause of working I hadn´t time to go there and when I visited there this summer I found it like jungle (without apes and parrots of course).

Very green jungle...

From one corner I still found my little cottage.

;D Seems I won´t have problems what to do during free times at near future.

Do you not have this garden anymore, sister harb?
Have you moved house since then? I never got to visit your little garden cottage! imsad

[Qurratul Ayn]

Attachment 4898
Not sure what tree it is ^o) But it grows in one of my neighbour's garden and hangs over on my fence :D


Attachment 4899

A rose that grew in my relative's house - I grow roses too, but my rose bush that grew this spring/summer broke and fell :( It couldn't handle the torrential rain and blustery wind :p


Attachment 4900

A pear or apple tree growing in my relative's house

[Muhaba]

masha-ALlah, what beautiful plants.

where i live you can hardly see any. the place is near barren. and because i live in an apartment, i don't have any plants. i really want to plant some stuff in pots and put them in my balcony but i haven't been able to do anything yet. maybe this thread will inspire me.

so any advice? how should i start? should i buy plants or should i plant seeds?

[glo]

Where do you live, WRITER? I am asking because it might be getting a bit late for growing things from seeds.
If you have a balcony or space for some large pots or planters, then I would suggest herbs. Or tomato plants - especially little cherry tomatoes.
It's not too late to buy plants now.

[Qurratul Ayn]

should i buy plants or should i plant seeds?

You could do both.

You could purchase some little plant pots and plant seeds of herbs - mint, rosemary etc and flowers - for sun loving flowers I think the best ones are marigolds or petunias and for shady areas I think caladiums or begonias for the balcony (you can search online for flowers too, whatever you want to grow in them)

And buy flowers fo the main room, to brighten it up - I do, it adds so much colour and warmth I buy lilies that are still in their bud plus they smell GORGEOUS :D

Your choice :D

But I'm pretty sure the avid gardeners will have better advice for you :p

[sister herb]

Do you not have this garden anymore, sister harb?
Have you moved house since then? I never got to visit your little garden cottage! imsad

Don´t worry my little cottage is there and I visit that place sometimes. Garden is like wild jungle with its very old trees and bushes and flowers like jasmines and roses, some old lilys.

You are welcome. :statisfie

[Qurratul Ayn]

Don´t worry my little cottage is there and I visit that place sometimes. Garden is like wild jungle with its very old trees and bushes and flowers like jasmines and roses, some old lilys.

You are welcome.

May I come, please? :-[



​Pretty please :D

[sister herb]

May I come, please? :-[



​Pretty please :D

You are welcome too. May I make you both flower wreath by wild flowers there are...

[Scimitar]

Mines used to grow hydroponically... but that was another lifetime ago :D

Scimi

[Muhaba]

I live in the middle east. the weather here is really hot. and there is no rain in summertime.

i love gardening but never had a proper garden. i love flowers more than vegetable plants. we never had proper space for a garden but once we had a little space in the yard and my mother planted different stuff. she loves vegetables and fruits more than flowers so planted lots of those. we had eggplant plant and a small berry tree. we also had a tomatoe plant that grew by it self.

i will see whether i can still grow from seeds. i hate throwing seeds away because i feel that is such a waste. of course i have nothing to do with them so they end up in the garbage, but i wish i could plant them outside where there is soil but no plants.

i'll research the plants whose seeds i have to see whether they grow in this time and climate.

[glo]

I live in the middle east. the weather here is really hot. and there is no rain in summertime.

You should be able grow tomatoes, eggplants, peppers etc in that kind of climate. They don't take too much space.
Or try melons (it is rarely warm enough here in the UK to grow those). They will need regular watering though.

[Snowflake]

Help! My flowers died overnight :(


They were fine yesterday. You can see from the red one how weird they've gone. Any ideas, Glo, anyone?

[Periwinkle18]

^Beautiful

[Endymion]

I once tried to grow tomatoes but they never appear :( Just a wild plant appear and my dad made fun of me :hmm: But i have had lovely roses.Once my little engineer hit them and they all got dried and then,i forgot to water them and they destroyed.I give up gardening since then imsad

Looking back is sad :cry:

[White Rose]

I wish I had a garden :(. I love to work with plants :statisfie

[Muhaba]

Help! My flowers died overnight :(


They were fine yesterday. You can see from the red one how weird they've gone. Any ideas, Glo, anyone?

they look like they may have died of frost.

[Snowflake]

they look like they may have died of frost.

I'm not sure. I don't remember seeing frost for some time now. :confused:

Where's gardening expert Glo when you need her? :mad:

[Qurratul Ayn]

Where's gardening expert Glo when you need her?

Probably sleeping, it is quarter to 11 in the UK :D

[Snowflake]

^ Ohhh yeh! Beds beds beds. From flower beds to real a bed lol

[MustafaMc]

I live in the middle east. the weather here is really hot. and there is no rain in summertime.

One of the most drought and heat tolerant vegetables is okra. We like it fried or stewed with tomatoes and onion. You can't go wrong with tomatoes and a few plants in a large pot should be sufficient. A few plants of squash or zucchini would be nice as would cucumbers and bell peppers.

Allah (swt) has blessed us with a nice sized (12m X 33m) garden. We presently have growing: asparagus, potatoe, tomato, pepper, lima bean, cowpeas, green beans, okra, cantelope, watermelon, cucumber, squash, sweet corn, sunflower (for birds), and apple gourds (for decoration). The sweet corn is a special breeding project as I am trying to develop my own varieties, some that have a red or purple kernels in addition to the normal yellow.

Last weekend I finally connected the drip irrigation system, but it needs some modifications. Normally, we would irrigate by running water down the middles, but it used a LOT of water because our soil has a lot of clay that contracts and forms deep cracks when it dries. The cracks are so deep, I think we have been watering somebody's garden in China.

[MustafaMc]

Help! My flowers died overnight

They were fine yesterday. You can see from the red one how weird they've gone. Any ideas, Glo, anyone?

I am no expert on flowers as vegetables are more 'my cup of tea' (can't eat flowers). I suggest that your flowers are probably fine as the foliage looks quite healthy. Flowers go through natural process of developing bud, fresh bloom or flower, dried bloom, seed pod development. It seems some of your flowers have progressed into the dried bloom stage and the petals will soon fall of leaving the seed pod to develop and produce seed. The good thing is that you probably have new buds that will bloom soon.

[Darth Ultor]

With silver bells, a cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row. Sorry, I couldn't resist. My "garden" consists only of bushes around the patio.

[MustafaMc]

Picture taken May 20.

[glo]

Help! My flowers died overnight :(


They were fine yesterday. You can see from the red one how weird they've gone. Any ideas, Glo, anyone?

First off, I am no garden expert and this is no Ask-glo thread! ;D
Secondly, yes I do go to bed occasionally.

But this doesn't look like frost damage to me. (And even in the most northerly part of the UK we haven't had any frost for some weeks now, so it wouldn;t belikely anyway)
I agree with Mustafa. These flowers are just naturally dying off.
With reagrds to your comment that they were fine yesterday, Petunias are very pretty, but the flowers are also quite large and the get floppy in heavy rain and wind (which we have had!) quite quickly.

I suggest gently picking off the limp and dead looking flowers - which is supposed to encourage further buds. Overall the plants are looking nice and healthy.

Lovely looking hanging basket, BTW! :statisfie

[glo]

Picture taken May 20.

It's been great sharing your and Barbara's garden over the years, Mustafa. :)
What are the rows with the wooden frames? Some kind of bean?

[MustafaMc]

It's been great sharing your and Barbara's garden over the years, Mustafa.

Yes, and it has been nice to see what you and your husband have done with the allotment. Having a garden is a lot of work, but it is also an enjoyment and continuing a family tradition.

What are the rows with the wooden frames? Some kind of bean?

Yes, those 2 rows are pole lima beans with climbing vines. The variety is called Persian that produces abundant dark red beans with black splotches. I have tried several different varieties, but they made very few beans - mostly just vines - I think because they didn't have heat tolerance.

The poles are in the ground about 2 feet and braced with a board at an angle. A cable gows across the top and bottom with twine wrapped around to give the vines something to grow up. At the time, I hadn't finished the one on the right as the twine is still on the ground.

[Snowflake]

I am no expert on flowers as vegetables are more 'my cup of tea' (can't eat flowers). I suggest that your flowers are probably fine as the foliage looks quite healthy. Flowers go through natural process of developing bud, fresh bloom or flower, dried bloom, seed pod development. It seems some of your flowers have progressed into the dried bloom stage and the petals will soon fall of leaving the seed pod to develop and produce seed. The good thing is that you probably have new buds that will bloom soon.

First off, I am no garden expert and this is no Ask-glo thread! ;D <<<<<<< :giggling:
Secondly, yes I do go to bed occasionally.

But this doesn't look like frost damage to me. (And even in the most northerly part of the UK we haven't had any frost for some weeks now, so it wouldn;t belikely anyway)
I agree with Mustafa. These flowers are just naturally dying off.
With reagrds to your comment that they were fine yesterday, Petunias are very pretty, but the flowers are also quite large and the get floppy in heavy rain and wind (which we have had!) quite quickly.

I suggest gently picking off the limp and dead looking flowers - which is supposed to encourage further buds. Overall the plants are looking nice and healthy.

Lovely looking hanging basket, BTW! :statisfie

Thank you for your replies. I was hoping it was as you both said about old flowers dying. But as you can see the buds have died too. I remember the summer before, how some flowers would die while new ones bloomed, so my baskets were always filled with flowers. It's unusual for them to die all at once, and even stranger for the buds to die with them. I checked for signs of pest infestation but there's nothing. I'm just so, so confused.




shriveled up buds




I was going to make a basket for mum but ahem.... these died too :(



more dead flowers and buds

[Snowflake]

Picture taken May 20.

Masha Allah. A dream.

[MustafaMc]

Thank you for your replies. I was hoping it was as you both said about old flowers dying. But as you can see the buds have died too. I remember the summer before, how some flowers would die while new ones bloomed, so my baskets were always filled with flowers.

Sorry I couldn't help. Are the plants getting enough water?

[MustafaMc]

First squash bloom.

[glo]

The squash family have the most beautiful flowers, don't they?
Do you know that you can eat the flowers?

[Snowflake]

Sorry I couldn't help. Are the plants getting enough water?

Yes bro, plus we've had rain for days. I guess I'll just have to wait. Hopefully they will recover sooner or later insha Allah.

[Muhaba]

sqaush are beautiful plants. we once had squash plants. it was a vine that went all over the walls and on the roof of the house. and we got so many squash from it.

i didn't know you could eat the flowers. we never did.

[sister herb]

I got most important matter to my garden: hammock.

So nice lay there and look leaves of maple above me.

:statisfie

[Muhaba]

^how peaceful! i'm sure it's nice to lie there with no worries! is the weather nice overthere? you're in austria right?

[sister herb]

^how peaceful! i'm sure it's nice to lie there with no worries! is the weather nice overthere? you're in austria right?

No I am in Finland.

Weather is nice.

[glo]

No I am in Finland.

Weather is nice.

About as far away from Australia as you can get ... :)

[MustafaMc]

The squash family have the most beautiful flowers, don't they?

Yes, big and bold flowers.

Do you know that you can eat the flowers?

No, how do you cook them?

[MustafaMc]

I guess I'll just have to wait. Hopefully they will recover sooner or later insha Allah.

Please, let us know how they look in a few days. The plants looked healthy to me.

[Endymion]

Do you know that you can eat the flowers?

No, how do you cook them?

Thats Brutaaaaal ... :enough!:

[MustafaMc]

Thats Brutaaaaal ...

How so? Women think of gardening as producing beautiful flowers and men think in terms of growing something to eat. The same applies to our chickens. My wife sees them as her pets and I see them as something good to put in a pot with dumplings. :nervous:

[glo]

No, how do you cook them?

You can just eat them raw in a salad. They have a very mild, sweetish flavour.

Here are a few recipes for stuffing and cooking:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/stuf...0000000653517/

http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0805b.htm

Some of the batters ask for beer - but that's optional and can be replaced with other liquids, such as milk. I think the addition of beer just makes it a slightly lighter and aerier batter.

[glo]

How so? Women think of gardening as producing beautiful flowers and men think in terms of growing something to eat. The same applies to our chickens. My wife sees them as her pets and I see them as something good to put in a pot with dumplings. :nervous:

I must break that mould, Mustafa.

I always prefer function over beauty. Vegetables always take priority over flowers (although the latter have their uses in attracting bees)
As far as I am concerned, there is beauty in function - and that's good enough for me.

[MustafaMc]

I must break that mould, Mustafa.

You prove the point that 'generalizations are generally wrong'. You are an old-fashioned country girl with a distinct practical perspective.

I always prefer function over beauty. Vegetables always take priority over flowers (although the latter have their uses in attracting bees)
As far as I am concerned, there is beauty in function - and that's good enough for me.

In an odd way, your statement reminded me of the book, "Zen and the Art of Motrocycle Maintenance" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and...le_Maintenance "the book details two types of personalities: those who are interested mostly in gestalts (romantic viewpoints, such as Zen, focused on being "In the moment", and not on rational analysis), and those who seek to know the details, understand the inner workings, and master the mechanics (classic viewpoints with application of rational analysis, vis-a-vis motorcycle maintenance)".

The difference is in aesthetic vs functional beauty.

[MustafaMc]

You can just eat them raw in a salad. They have a very mild, sweetish flavour.

Here are a few recipes for stuffing and cooking:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/stuf...0000000653517/

http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0805b.htm

Some of the batters ask for beer - but that's optional and can be replaced with other liquids, such as milk. I think the addition of beer just makes it a slightly lighter and aerier batter.

So, could I eat them fresh out of the garden like I do cucumbers and tomatoes? Thanks, I have sent the recipies to my wife. Surely, she can find something to replace the beer with though like you said milk maybe mixed with honey.

[MustafaMc]

What we presently have growing:

Tomato - Better Boy, Nyagus (purple), Cherokee Puple, Green Zebra, Jetsetter, Sunmaster, Heatwave II, Top Gun, Roma (paste)
Pepper - Bonnies Best
Potato - Yukon Gold (yellow flesh)
Asparagus - Jersey Supreme
Cowpea - Queen Anne (blackeye), Holstien (black & white like the cow), Ozark Razorback (red & white), Dixie Lee, Mississippi Puple (very low germination)
Bush Lima - Thorogreen, Nemagreen (nematode resistant - low germ), Wood's Prolific, various outcross selections from Henderson (HOC)
Pole Lima - Persian (dark red with black splotches), Florida Speckled
Green Bean (snap) - Contender (favorite), Bounty, Gina (Roma type)
Dry Shell Bean - Perigion, Black Perigion (selection), Yin Yang (black & white like Chinese symbol)
Okra - Clemson Spineless, Louisianna Short, Blondie (selection)
Watermelon - Sugar Baby, Yellow Doll
Cantelope - Honey Rock, Athena (selection from hybrid)
Squash - Barq (name of local root beer - no alcohol - I like), Horn of Plenty (favorite), Sundance
Cucumber - Sweet Slice, Sassy (pickling type), Classy (pickling type)
Sunflower - Summer Sensations, JG-1 & 2 (ornamental type), Velvet Queen
Sweet Corn - JLPse+1 (purple kernel high sugar), JLPStalkse+ (same with red stalk), JLse+1 & 2 (yellow high sugar)
Gourd - Apple (shape like Apple, size of soccer ball), (Birdhouse-type did not come up)
Runner Bean - Scarlet Runner (dying from disease)
Blueberry - Misty, Briteblue, Climax, Tiftblue
Blackberry - Pime Jim, Prime Jan

[Snowflake]

Masha Allah. Awesome. So do you never need to buy produce from the supermarket brother Mustafa?

[MustafaMc]

Assalamu alikum, Sister Snowflake. We do buy some vegetables from the grocery, but it is more of what we don't grow. My wife processes the squash, okra, sweet corn, green beans, cowpeas, lima beans and tomatoes and we eat them during the winter.

[BadOlPuttyTat]

such a lovely garden, although I do not have a green thumb and what a nuclear bomb is to humans I am to plants. If plants had a judicial system I would be charged for mass murder against "potted kind". :phew I just that bad of a gardener

[Muhaba]

^i used to be a bad gardener too until i read: jealousy is to love as water is to roses. a little keeps it alive but too much kills it. and that made me realize i was over-watering my plants.

always ask the person you buy the plants from how much water that particular plant needs. then hopefully you won't go wrong.

[Snowflake]

Assalamu alikum, Sister Snowflake. We do buy some vegetables from the grocery, but it is more of what we don't grow. My wife processes the squash, okra, sweet corn, green beans, cowpeas, lima beans and tomatoes and we eat them during the winter.

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah akhi Mustafa,

Masha Allah, that's wonderful. It gives me so much pleasure to see and hear the benefits of growing one's own produce. I heard that the tomatoes in the supermarket don't contain lycopene because they are picked before they have ripened. Masha Allah you source your own. I'm going to try growing some insha Allah.

[Kyle]

Hard to garden living in an apartment, but I have previously grown Watermelon, Squash, Corn, Potatoes, and Carrots. Oh, and of course Tomatoes. Living in Texas, the weather is hot, so I'm sure what I have grown is at odds with what Europeans have grown!

[PouringRain]

So, could I eat them fresh out of the garden like I do cucumbers and tomatoes? Thanks, I have sent the recipies to my wife. Surely, she can find something to replace the beer with though like you said milk maybe mixed with honey.

Try replacing the beer with a seltzer water or sparkling water.

[MustafaMc]

Hard to garden living in an apartment,

Yep, that would be difficult. If you had a patio, then you could plant a few tomato plants.

but I have previously grown Watermelon, Squash, Corn, Potatoes, and Carrots. Oh, and of course Tomatoes. Living in Texas, the weather is hot, so I'm sure what I have grown is at odds with what Europeans have grown!

Yes, Texas gets hot, but not as hot as Arizona. I lived near Phoenix for a couple years a tried a small garden, but only the okra grew very well.

[MustafaMc]

Try replacing the beer with a seltzer water or sparkling water.

Thanks, I will tell my wife.

[MustafaMc]

Masha Allah, that's wonderful. It gives me so much pleasure to see and hear the benefits of growing one's own produce. I heard that the tomatoes in the supermarket don't contain lycopene because they are picked before they have ripened. Masha Allah you source your own. I'm going to try growing some insha Allah.

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu'Allahi wa barakatu, Ukhti Snowflake. Yes, it is as Allah (swt) has willed. There is something to be said for growing one's own food that gives a deeper appreciation for Allah's (swt) bountiful blessings. Another benefit is that I control the pesticides on the garden to practically nil. There is not much that compares to picking a ripe tomato off the vine and eating you right there. Over the weekend I dug the potatoes and picked 2 varieties of green beans. In a few days we will have fresh squash, in shaa Allah.

Glo would have a better idea for what would grow best in UK. It is also about trial and error to find out what works for you. Insha'Allah, you will have a nice garden.

[jameelash]

salam,jazakullah glo.wonderful garden mashahallah and something for us to learn

[MustafaMc]

We have gotten about 5 inches of rain in less than 2 weeks. Normally, the garden would have needed a couple of irrigations, but this year seems to be much wetter than normal. ... and to think I just finished connecting the drip irrigation system to our water line.

Insha'Allah, we will harvest green beans, lima beans, cowpeas and squash in a few days.

[glo]

^
We are having a very wet year so far too, Mustafa.
I have noticed that the native plants (cabbages, broad beans, lettuces, carrots) really love it - but the ones who are used to warmer weather (tomatoes, squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn etc) are struggling a little bit.

The plants who thrive the best in this wet weather seem to be the weeds! ^o)

[glo]

Insha'Allah, we will harvest green beans, lima beans, cowpeas and squash in a few days.

In a few days??! I hope you enjoy them. :statisfie

We have started picking the very first broad beans in their pods and mange-touts. The strawberries are very nearly ready, but could do with a few more rays of sunshine ...

[MustafaMc]

I have noticed that the native plants (cabbages, broad beans, lettuces, carrots) really love it - but the ones who are used to warmer weather (tomatoes, squashes, courgettes, sweetcorn etc) are struggling a little bit.

I have generally not grown the cool season crops as in your first set, but God willing I will begin, perhaps in the raised bed with the asparagus. I did plant some potatoes that did pretty well, though.

The plants who thrive the best in this wet weather seem to be the weeds!

Praise be to God that I have been able to stay on top of the weeds and keep them from going to seed. I have added mostly composted gin trash to our garden to increase the organic matter and I brought in some weed seeds from there. I also added 4 huge truck loads of a sandy soil that apparently brought in root-knot nematodes. I have noticed that the cowpeas are resistant to the nematodes and I rotate crops around different rows of the garden. The clay soil is now much easier to work from the addition of sand and gin trash.

[MustafaMc]

In a few days??! I hope you enjoy them.

I got a little anxious and picked one of the squash and a couple green peppers yesterday and we have already picked a mess of green beans.

We have started picking the very first broad beans in their pods and mange-touts. The strawberries are very nearly ready, but could do with a few more rays of sunshine ...

I haven't triaed broad (fava) beans or mange-touts (snap peas), but we did have strawberries that didn't seem to do well for me. I remember my dad had a garden and strawberries when I was about 4 years old. He had taken an 8mm movie of me where I kneeled down, picked a fresh strawberry, ate it and then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and had an expression of pleasure and satisfaction.:statisfie

[glo]

Now is the time when we are just starting to harvest the first fruit and vegetables.


The strawberries are just ripening:

And the raspberries are not far behind:

And the apples have turned from this ...

... into this ...

...into this:

They won't be ready for picking for some months though.

[Snowflake]

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatu'Allahi wa barakatu, Ukhti Snowflake. Yes, it is as Allah (swt) has willed. There is something to be said for growing one's own food that gives a deeper appreciation for Allah's (swt) bountiful blessings. Another benefit is that I control the pesticides on the garden to practically nil. There is not much that compares to picking a ripe tomato off the vine and eating you right there. Over the weekend I dug the potatoes and picked 2 varieties of green beans. In a few days we will have fresh squash, in shaa Allah.

Glo would have a better idea for what would grow best in UK. It is also about trial and error to find out what works for you. Insha'Allah, you will have a nice garden.

Masha Allah brother, my thoughts too. Those are the reasons I wish I could grow my own produce. The mention of potatoes and green beans reminds me of a delicious potato and green bean curry we enjoyed recently. Do you and your wife eat curries? I could forward you some easy recipes if you like.

[MustafaMc]

Do you and your wife eat curries? I could forward you some easy recipes if you like.

Assalamu alaikum. I love recipies with curry as my friend from Pakistan would sometimes cook for us and he used it and other spices a lot. My wife is a pretty typical American and cooks more simply with salt and pepper being the staples of her seasoning. I would love for you to share some of your favorite recipes as she sometimes gets adventurous in the kitchen.

[glo]

Masha Allah brother, my thoughts too. Those are the reasons I wish I could grow my own produce. The mention of potatoes and green beans reminds me of a delicious potato and green bean curry we enjoyed recently. Do you and your wife eat curries? I could forward you some easy recipes if you like.

Why not share the recipes in our kitchen thread too?

We have a Pakistani family in our street who share their wonderful biryani with us at Eid. And we are blessed with several local 'Asian shops', where we can buy every ingredient and spice we could wish for.
Although our children don't like it too spicy, we all love a good curry!
(And since you can't walk far in our town without the smell of curry wafting into the street from one house or another, we are reminded of it almost every day! :))

[Snowflake]

Assalamu alaikum. I love recipies with curry as my friend from Pakistan would sometimes cook for us and he used it and other spices a lot. My wife is a pretty typical American and cooks more simply with salt and pepper being the staples of her seasoning. I would love for you to share some of your favorite recipes as she sometimes gets adventurous in the kitchen.

Assalamu alaykum brother Mustafa,

Masha Allah, if you like curries, you'll be sure to like this one made from your own home grown ingredients. Insha Allah it will taste nth times better than cooking with shop bought ingredients. There's plenty of recipes that use greens you grow. I will post them in the Kitchen Thread soon. Hope you enjoy your new dish it insha Allah.


Green Bean & Potato Curry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YndZ9YulpTo

[Snowflake]

Why not share the recipes in our kitchen thread too?

We have a Pakistani family in our street who share their wonderful biryani with us at Eid. And we are blessed with several local 'Asian shops', where we can buy every ingredient and spice we could wish for.
Although our children don't like it too spicy, we all love a good curry!
(And since you can't walk far in our town without the smell of curry wafting into the street from one house or another, we are reminded of it almost every day! :))

That's the beauty of living in a multicultural society. :statisfie
Biryani is top nosh. I'll post the above and some other recipes (not mine) in the Kitchen thread God willing.

[Snowflake]

I found an onion that had started to sprout so I put it in a cup with a small amount of water. Days later it's growing nicely and pretty soon I'll have lovely bunch of green onion to add to my recipes. The onion must've cost a few pence, but a bunch of spring onions cost about 67p from the supermarket. That's a lot of money saved :)

[glo]

Snowflake, you won't be able to use the onion bulb itself anymore, but (like you say) you can use the green leaves to add to salads and sauces.

I found this blog:
"Once an onion (or garlic bulb) sprouts it's quality for eating slides downhill quickly. You could use it, but it's not going to be as tasty since it's putting it's energy (sugar) to work growing the leaves. Besides composting it, there are a couple other options.

One — set it in a window in a jar with a little water, and let the leaves grow. When they're a nice size chop them off and use them like green onion.

Two —Plant it. It won't grow baby onions (it's not a potato). But it will flower. You can treat that as an ornamental; onion flowers are rather pretty, though not as showy as an ornamental. Or you can let it go to seed and give a shot at growing onions from seed next year."

[Endymion]

Spring onion! Its time to have some pakorey :bravo:


Glo,i love your garden :thumbs_up

[Snowflake]

Snowflake, you won't be able to use the onion bulb itself anymore, but (like you say) you can use the green leaves to add to salads and sauces.

Thanks sis. I didn't think there'd be anything left in the onion to use lol. I like to add the stalks in stir-fried curries and omelettes, coucous and salads.

Would you know if it's possible to grow mint, parsely and basil on your windowsill all year round? Would I need a mini greenhouse? I need these herbs for health reasons.

[Snowflake]

Spring onion! Its time to have some pakorey :bravo:

I never though about using them in pakoras. When the stalks are long enough I'll try them insha Allah :)

[glo]

Would you know if it's possible to grow mint, parsely and basil on your windowsill all year round? Would I need a mini greenhouse? I need these herbs for health reasons.

You should be able to grow all of those on your windowsill, sis. A sunny window would be best.

[Snowflake]

You should be able to grow all of those on your windowsill, sis. A sunny window would be best.

All year round?

[glo]

^
I imagine so. Give it a try!

[MustafaMc]

Assalamu alaykum brother Mustafa,

Masha Allah, if you like curries, you'll be sure to like this one made from your own home grown ingredients. Insha Allah it will taste nth times better than cooking with shop bought ingredients. There's plenty of recipes that use greens you grow. I will post them in the Kitchen Thread soon. Hope you enjoy your new dish it insha Allah.


Green Bean & Potato Curry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YndZ9YulpTo

Wa alaikum assalm, jazak Allahu khayran, sister. Pictures and videos of food and cooking don't do much for me, but I sent the link to my wife. Now eating what has been prepared is a different story though :p. In shaa Allah, she will prepare it tonight as I need to pick the beans again today and we still have potatoes left.

[MustafaMc]

Now is the time when we are just starting to harvest the first fruit and vegetables.


The strawberries are just ripening:

glo, do you ever make jelly or jam? I love strawberry jam. My mom used to add strawberry flavored Jello mix to figs to make an 'imitation' strawberry jam.

[Snowflake]

Wa alaikum assalm, jazak Allahu khayran, sister. Pictures and videos of food and cooking don't do much for me, but I sent the link to my wife. Now eating what has been prepared is a different story though :p. In shaa Allah, she will prepare it tonight as I need to pick the beans again today and we still have potatoes left.

Wa iyyak bro,

Masha Allah sounds exciting! Did your wife make it? How did it turn out? I can't wait to hear about it :)

[Snowflake]

^
I imagine so. Give it a try!

Ok, will give it a go God willing. Even if I have to get UV lamps for it (in the winter) :)

[MustafaMc]

Wa iyyak bro,

Masha Allah sounds exciting! Did your wife make it? How did it turn out? I can't wait to hear about it :)

No, I went to pick the beans and they were all limp like they had been picked and left on the counter all day longimsad. I was disappointed that the plants seem to be dying, even more so than your flowers did. In shaa Allah, I will look at them again in the morning to see if they recovered.

[Snowflake]

No, I went to pick the beans and they were all limp like they had been picked and left on the counter all day longimsad. I was disappointed that the plants seem to be dying, even more so than your flowers did. In shaa Allah, I will look at them again in the morning to see if they recovered.

Sorry to hear that bro. Any idea why that's happening? I know some limp veggies can be soaked in cold water and this perks them up. Having said that my mum would've still cooked them and they would've still turned out delicious. Al hamdulillah my flowers are coming back to life, but looking very poorly though.

[glo]

glo, do you ever make jelly or jam? I love strawberry jam. My mom used to add strawberry flavored Jello mix to figs to make an 'imitation' strawberry jam.

I make a lot of jelly/jam. Not usually with our own strawberries though ... they simply get eaten before I have the chance.

I have just made a nice batch of rhubarb and vanilla jam (which seems to go down well with the family) and summer berries jam (but that was from frozen bags from the freezer shop)

You mum sounds like a frugal woman! :)

[MustafaMc]

I have just made a nice batch of rhubarb and vanilla jam

Sounds yummy, but I have no idea what rhubarb tastes like. My wife recently made some peach jelly with peaches from our tree.

[glo]

Rhubarb has a lovely sour taste - so it is off-set quite nicely by the vanilla.
I'd send you a jar ... but I don;t think it will survive the journey.
I'd trade it for Barb's peach jelly. :)

Are these this year's peaches already?

[MustafaMc]

Are these this year's peaches already?

Yes, and peaches on the second tree are ripe now. Perhaps she will make some jam this time.

[glo]

I am posting today's harvest. 1.5 kilos of strawberries, 1.2 kilos of new potatoes, half a pound of mange-touts and some wet garlic. That's dinner pretty much sorted out!

[MustafaMc]

I am posting today's harvest. 1.5 kilos of strawberries, 1.2 kilos of new potatoes, half a pound of mange-touts and some wet garlic. That's dinner pretty much sorted out!

Looks like a good harvest. In sha Allah, my wife will cook fresh squash, black-eyed peas, and potatoes from our garden for dinner tonight.

[patientgrace]

I love to work outside in my Garden! I enjoy seeing all of the pictures that everyone is posting!

Glo, those strawberries look absolutely delicious! They would go nicely in my homemade strawberry preserves!

In my garden I have; Lettuce, Kale and Chard, Green Onions, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Watermelon, Okra, Red Potatoes and Strawberries.

I also have a variety of flowers; Rudbeckias, Irises, Peonies, Roses, Daylilies, and Sunflowers!

[MustafaMc]

While picking peas today the Purple Martins were agitated and some seemed to want me to leave as they would fly at me real fast pulling up at the last second. It reminded me the 'The Birds' by Alfred Hitchcock.

[glo]

^ I like the cheery whistley tune. LOL
I never understood WHY the birds suddenly stopped attacking in the end. Was it ever explained?

I hope your purple martins are nothing like this, Mustafa!

[MustafaMc]

I hope your purple martins are nothing like this, Mustafa!

No, I wasn't terrorized by them LOL, but I found it odd. Maybe it was their payback for us checking on their babies. For some reason they must have seen me as a threat all of a sudden, or maybe they were just playing a game with me.

[MustafaMc]

A pan of peaches from our tree that my wife used to make peach jam and homemade ice cream.

Velvet Queen sunflower.

Okra bloom.

Okra

Unripe tomatoes.

[glo]

Beautiful pictures! Those peaches look very tasty! :)

Our tomatoes are only just flowering ...

[MustafaMc]

Praise be to God, yes, the peaches were quite good. We had peas, sliced cucumbers and fried okra all from the garden for dinner.

[PouringRain]

The squash sitting behind the peaches looks yummy also!

I wonder how squash-peach ice cream would taste? ^o)

[patientgrace]

The squash sitting behind the peaches looks yummy also!

I wonder how squash-peach ice cream would taste? ^o)

It actually sounds quite interesting, PouringRain :)

[PouringRain]

On Iron Chef once they talked about beef ice cream. I wouldn't be that brave, but the squash-peach combo doesn't sound too bad.

[patientgrace]

Oh yeah! I think I know exactly which episode you are talking about +o(

Squash is yummy regardless, and it can be used in a variety of desserts not just for dinner :P

I use squash or zucchini in just about everything I bake, it adds so much flavor and makes it so moist (if you are doing a bread/cake).

[MustafaMc]

I wonder how squash-peach ice cream would taste?

I don't consider myself adventurous enough to try, perhaps you can try it first and tell me if it was good or not.. I do like stewed squash with onions though.

[glo]

This year is the first year when we have more strawberries than we can simply eat. We are picking over a pound of strawberries every day and have picked more than 6 kg since the beginning of the season!

We had strawberries just on their own, with vanilla ice-cream and as a Pavlova. We have made strawberry ice-cream and strawberry jam. Tomorrow I will make a strawberry flan and either more jam or some strawberry syrup/cordial.

Any other ideas?
We don't have much freezer space.

[sister herb]

Have you tried to dry strawberries?

[glo]

We thought about that.

My husband built a fruit dryer last year and we have successfully dried apples and mushrooms in it. We thought that strawberries would contain A LOT of water and weren't sure how nice they would be dry.

Perhaps we'll give it a go. It's certainly a good way of preserving (and storing) fruit!

[patientgrace]

We thought about that.

My husband built a fruit dryer last year and we have successfully dried apples and mushrooms in it. We thought that strawberries would contain A LOT of water and weren't sure how nice they would be dry.

Perhaps we'll give it a go. It's certainly a good way of preserving (and storing) fruit!

You could always eat them over your cereal? If you happen to be a cereal person. Or you could make your own strawberry shortcake, strawberry muffins, strawberry parfait, strawberry jello, chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry french stuffed toast?

LOL I did not realize all of the things that could be done with strawberries! :)

[MustafaMc]

glo, I am glad you are having a great strawberry harvest, praise be to God. I am presently on a trip to North Carolina and splurged on a strawberry shortcake kind of desert with vanilla ice cream. I have had difficulty in growing strawberries, but our figs are doing great, as God has willed.

[glo]

Whilst Mustafa and his family are enjoying their squashes, our courgettes/zucchinis are this size.
(The squashes are still a way behind and are not flowering yet)

[glo]

I haven't posted in this thread for so long.
Summer was very slow coming here in England, and very wet to boot.
However, although delayed, harvest time is finally here!

[sister herb]

Looks nice. I wish I would have bigger garden... but next summer I have.

:statisfie

[MuslimahBarb]

Glo your veggie garden looks very nice, mashaAllah.

[glo]

Thank you, Barb. :thankyou:
The credit goes to my husband, really. I'm the one who eats the fruit and takes pictures ... ;D

[MustafaMc]

The credit goes to my husband

Well, I guess some husbands are good for more than just hogging the TV remote then.:nervous: He does a great job, masha'Allah.

[glo]

Well, I guess some husbands are good for more than just hogging the TV remote then.:nervous: He does a great job, masha'Allah.

Oh, he manages to hog the TV remote too ... usually whilst sitting in HIS special armchair! ;D
But I don't mind really. When I am knitting I don't really care what's on the TV ...

[glo]

Squashes!!

Any suggestions on how to cook these?

[Scimitar]

Looking tasty :D can i have one? :) the one that looks like a pumpkin :D

[glo]

Take your pick, Scimi. :)

[Scimitar]

pumpkin squash, the one at the back looks awesomely cute. (i never wrote that) (oh heck I did write that. It's cute. I find a veggie cute. So??? shoot me) :D

[glo]

pumpkin squash, the one at the back looks awesomely cute. (i never wrote that) (oh heck I did write that. It's cute. I find a veggie cute. So??? shoot me) :D

Your wish is my command.
Here it is - stuffed with couscous, feta cheese, walnuts and red onions (in case you are wondering what the red bits are. They look a bit like bacon, I suppose). Just for you!

[Scimitar]

looks yummy, apart from the bacon i guess. :)

Is it weird that my favourite veggie is bitter gourd? I liked gonzo in the muppets as a kid, and the bitter gourd is like - gonzo like in appearance.

Stuffed with curried mince meat though, it's faaaan-tashtix :D (pradon the Indian accent)

Oh yes, I'm going India on the 29th of Oct for a month - family land settlements and all. Whoop. I'll take pics of our garden there, we got fruit trees of the most exotic descriptions :) I havent been back in 19 yrs... I was only 18 then :D My trees have all grown up :D

Scimi

[Re.TiReD]

Assalamu 'alaykum

Attachment 5080

Tomatoes in FIL's garden Masha'Allah :D they are absolutely deelish. We also have an apple and pear tree, mint and corriander, green chilli's, pumpkins, strawberries, runner beans, onions and potatoes Alhamdulillah, although not all of them are growing at the moment.

Wassalam

[glo]

looks yummy, apart from the bacon i guess.

Did I not tell you that it was red onion and NOT bacon?
Either you are not paying attention or you are trying to annoy me. ^o)

Looking forward to the pictures from your garden in India. Please post the here. :)

[glo]

Assalamu 'alaykum

Attachment 5080

Tomatoes in FIL's garden Masha'Allah :D they are absolutely deelish. We also have an apple and pear tree, mint and corriander, green chilli's, pumpkins, strawberries, runner beans, onions and potatoes Alhamdulillah, although not all of them are growing at the moment.

Wassalam

Looks and sounds yummy, sis.
Do you live in the UK?

[sister herb]

Time of harvest here

and a lot of leaves on ground.

[Pure Purple]

You are very lucky glo having beautiful garden.
I am leaving in a flat.All I can have small flower plots in balcony.:(

[glo]

Time of harvest here

and a lot of leaves on ground.

Did I mention that the apple and plum harvest is very poor in the UK this year? That's because it was too cold and wet for the bees to be out pollinating when the trees were in flower.
I will have to look for apples from Finland in the shops. :)