[helena]

today in my garden there was once again that suspiciously looking animal that i finally was able to identify as opossum (thanks god it's not a rat!)

[yumyum]

I've seen opossum in my back garden too -- and I'm in a pretty urban area. The sheer size of the one I saw rooting around the fountain gave me the creeps.

I need advice: I pulled out about 6 huge valerian plants that were taking up space in the border and threatening to go to seed at any moment. Now I have a sizable hole to fill in the bed. We need some mid-late summer color in that spot, but it doesn't get a lot of sun. Was originally thinking fritillaria, since I have such a crush on them, but usually they're way too subtle (sort of mauvey and I'd like bright red or orange). Now I'm considering bleeding heart but am wondering what other perennials should I look into? The soil isn't super, although my neighbor and I put down organic manure every spring so it could be worse. Drainage is good. I'm in zone 6 here in Somerville, MA. What am I forgetting?

[fml]

I've watched a skunk sauntering up my garden path to the compost. Something is digging up my flagstone patio.

[rancho_gordo]

First beans of the season! Tarahumara Tekomari runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus)


Blue speckled tepary


Blue speckled tepary bean

[mongo_jones]

my cherry tomaotes (sugarsnacks) are producing luverly, sweet fruit regularly. my yellow pear plant has also begun to fruit like crazy. the stupice has begun to put out fruit as well. still waiting on the two pomodori plants (bought from the farmer's market) to move from flower to fruit. these are the plants i grew from seedlings. the mature transplants have also put out more fruit but these plants look less robust (more yellowing leaves). the one roma plant is producing very small fruit. the fruit on the celebrities seem to be in stasis. ditto for the one champion--though in good news, the last fruit to ripen on that one was free of the blossom-end rot that plagued the first few. all of these mature transplants are producing far smaller fruit than i expected from online descriptions.

my mistake this year was to do so many different kinds of tomatoes. next year i'm going with 6 sugarsnacks, 6 yellow pears and 2-4 of a big, slicing heirloom variety suited to our climate.

the peppers--which were also mature transplants--are also in stasis.

[thistle]

My only tomatoes that have been worth a sh** this summer have been the sungold cherry tomatoes, although I'm finally starting to see something from my lemon boys-the only problem is since they're yellow, it's hard to tell when they're ripe.

This weekend, while babysitting my inlaws' toddlers (oh god, I am so glad my children are older), I made a tomato sald that was in the Food section (8/16) of the WA Post, from Cathal Armstrong-very simple, halved cherry tomatoes, shaved shallots (I thought about this for awhile, then used the Benriner & minced w/ a knife), olive oil, white balsamic, & basil (I used Thai, that's what I had & tossed in some tiny mozzarella pearlini), grilled some steaks & chick breasts, made a cheese pie, served with a salad. The tomatoes were awesome, the kids didn't know what they were missing!...

[tanabutler]

Question, please, experienced gardeners.

How do you know when corn on the cob is ripe? Do you need to pick it when the silk is brown? Can you leave it on there to keep growing? Will it get starchy?

Ours isn't very big, but I am under the impression that it should get picked as soon as it is ripe, to enjoy maximum tenderness and sweetness. But I'm willing to be wrong.

Thanks!

[flyfish]

We have never grown corn, so alas I can't respond. There must be a few out there who have?

Not today in the garden, alas - it's raining - but Friday evening:

Kale in front, chard behind it, cherry tomatoes and scarlet runner beans on the fence:



Glads:



Fly

[rancho_gordo]

flyfish, on Sep 3 2006, 02:48 PM, said:

We have never grown corn, so alas I can't respond. There must be a few out there who have?

Not today in the garden, alas - it's raining - but Friday evening:

Kale in front, chard behind it, cherry tomatoes and scarlet runner beans on the fence:



Glads:



Fly

Impressive!
Are you going to eat the beans fresh or let them dry? I had them for lunch today (check out the Lunch thread)

[flyfish]

I usually dry them (on the vine) then shell them and use them in something or other. We grow them because they are beautiful (and cover the rather ugly chain link fence) so the beans are a bonus!

Fly

[mongo_jones]

the last few days here have been quite chilly--minimums in the mid-40s. i fear that most of my still ripening tomatoes will not see maturity. i have one stupice plant that is supposed to do well in colder climates. if this proves to be true i think this might end up being my large tomato of choice next year.

[rancho_gordo]

This is one of Shelora's black beans looking for somewhere to go, so it made it's way onto this amaranth stalk. I didn't plant any amaranth thhis year but I've got plenty.



This is a Tarahumara sunflower. Apparently superior seeds for eating.



Huazontle. The Mexicans like to deep fry it in a batter and I think I will!



Nico on a tomatillo hunt.

[mongo_jones]

i just hate how much better your pictures are than mine.

[rancho_gordo]

mongo_jones, on Sep 7 2006, 09:03 PM, said:

i just hate how much better your pictures are than mine.

Can't you just be happy for me?

Some people look and some people see.

[GG Mora]

I wish I'd taken that.