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Nellilein's Buzz Apr 30, 2012
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Went to a gardening function last night and brought a basket of lettuce heads from the garden - you'd have thought I was sharing gold and diamonds!
Nellilein replied about 1 year ago
I belong to what I call the "anti garden club" garden club.  Most of these women belonged to a garden club but it became too up uptight with many rules and requirements.  So they dropped out and started their own loose group.  Last night was a progressive dinner and I brought dessert (an apple and mixed berry crisp with ice cream) at two members homes.  I also brought a basket of lettuce heads picked right from te garden and laid in the basket along with many plastic bags.  Before leaving the first house they all made sure they took a bag full of lettuce and to oohs and aahs were quite audible.  My husband was amazed watching them.  It was quite pretty, as I'm growing a couple of lettuce mixes as well as individual varieties.  This was a great way to turn excess amounts into a good deed.  Another member shared tomato starts and I came home with a new variety called 'Mountain Magic".  Now, where am I going to put another tomato plant???
JMTKMS replied about 1 year ago
I am sure you will find a home for the new tomato, and what a wonderful group.  It really sounds like you will have a great time with this group.  :)
Nellilein replied about 1 year ago
Yes, they are a fun group of women - and their husbands.  Some are retired another works in the family business, which is growing cut flowers (lilies, calla lilies and roses), and 2 work for seed companies.  My raised beds are full, but still need room for more veggies, so will be searching and planting this afternoon.  Heck, what's one more plant?? 
JMTKMS replied about 1 year ago
I don't know for sure, but I would say you better be making room for a couple more plants....  That group sounds like they just might share a little more.  :)
Nellilein replied about 1 year ago
You're absolutely right. I also belong to CRFG (CA Rare Fruit Growers) and the Master Gardeners.  Have come home from both groups with a new plant - or two, or three!  In fact, one of the CRFG members asked me if I wanted some baby raspberry plants, and of course I said Yes.  Came home with more than just raspberries too!  Their property was amazing and I love talking to gardeners - everyone does something unique and love to hear their stories too.  These people have been on a 2+ acre property for over 35 years.  They have so many trees of some many varieties and planted very close together.  They could probably feed a small town from what they grow!
JMTKMS replied about 1 year ago
I am thinking now that your might want to get close to your neighborsÂ... see if they have a little room they could rent you, for payment in veggies.  Your garden is expanding by the minute!
Nellilein replied about 1 year ago
Well, truth be told, I have plenty of room.  Problem is we're in deer country (and gopher and rabbit too).  So, I trying to grow everything within an 8 ft deer fence enclosure.  Another problem is the slope.  We had 5 raised bed constructed in a minimal slope area.  We also planted along all the fence lines (or have the plants ready but not the gopher cages) with perennial plants.  We also have most of our orchard in place, so now it's trying to figure out whether to plant in the ground (with gopher cages) or to plop containers here and there with extra vegetables plants and where do the drip lines go?    And, we need to leave room for the chickens.  The surrounding neighbors (which we share 2 wells with), barely garden at all, let along grow vegetables.  So, I'll need to figure out what to do when we're really all out of space.  We're considering raised bed behind the kitchen side of the house and possibly creating a mini hoop house, but not sure that would be deer proof.  Also considering individual plantings with fencing surrounding it.  Ah, it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle and I have to figure out the right sequence.   I truly appreciate your suggestion and hope you keep it coming.    Nell
JMTKMS replied about 1 year ago
Well, I guess we will have to see how creative you get.  I just watch a video on a post, about a spray for deer repellent.  She mixed 1 c water with hot hot peppers, and 1 egg.  She says you have to spray it on at least 2 weeks before harvest... then be sure to wash everything very well.  Trying to remember whose post it was... I will have to look and see if I can find it again.
Nellilein replied about 1 year ago
The deer here aren't selective at all.  Last year they ate my dwarf nectarine down to a foot high, fruit wasn't ripe and they ate all the leaves and stems.  They actually did a great pruning job - if I wanted it pruned!  The spring last year they ate the buds out of my 1 gallon fruit trees that I had just grafted a few weeks earlier - they were on my work bench - about 3 ft. off the ground!  They didn't just eat my blueberries planted in wine barrels, but leaves and stems, all of the swiss chard down to the ground, and my strawberry plants too - all in a single night!  I gave my friends some dried peppers I grew a few years because they were too hot for us.  She's used it a couple of times, but a 1/4 of a teaspoon in a pot of chili is too hot!  Might just ask her for some of it back and make a tea/spray with it.  Thanks for the tip!

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