Given the price of corn in the stores this year....

.......I'm sure happy we grew lots ! Ü

(Pumpkins are doing well too :)

Picture taken at the patch we rent at the city's community gardens.

This message was edited Aug 4, 2008 4:29 PM

Our watermelon is gonna give those in the south a run for their money too *cough, cough* ;D

Well they won't grow very big but they *will* mature in time. :)




This message was edited Aug 3, 2008 4:32 PM

Muskmelon is doing very well.......I also have some European Melons growing (they are a little further behind but they too have a pretty good chance of being mature prior to Jack's appearance).

Those look wonderful, and I'll bet they'll be delicious! Good growin'! :-)

Thanks Critter! :) I thought I should put them up now because this year the farmers here have put in twice the previous record re claims for hail....July is usually the worst month so I *may* make it to the end now with a darn nice harvest (crossing fingers and toes).

Looking good, you have me beat good this year. even the watermelons could not over come the drought.

After posting the above I wondered if I should've deleted the part about the south (I remembered after that you are in drought FarmerDill)...I was thinking though of your usual crop when I posted (and laughing at the size watermelons get to here).

Most of this years rains have missed us too.....for which I am thankful since the majority were carrying hail (last year we lost every plant in our yard and this year our farm was hailed out).

We both seem to be living in next year country. :'(

I have had so many melons look good until about 3 weeks before harvest and then get "mature vine decline" or wilt or something and not finish well leaving the fruits without good flavor or sweetness.....so between hail, disease, drought, insects, and animals vine crops can be a challenge.

The vine crops sure can be Indy.

While we don't have any insects that can do serious damage to vine crops I'm sure grateful for the wire fence that surrounds our two community gardens since deer can be a problem (we used to garden at another patch that didn't have a fence.....one person nearby to ours had deer eat a chunk out of every pumpkin).

Nice looking garden ya got going on there. : ) There a bunch of us whose garden sare croakign from lack of rain this year, but sure is nice to see other folks having some luck. Kinda gives ya some insperation to continue to try again next time.

Wish I could reach through this puter screen and nab that watermelon. ; ) Looks like it gonan be nice and juicy.

How do you keep other people out of your stuff at a community garden. If my garden looked any where near that good, I would be guarding it day and night.

LOLOLOL Starlight don't you dare!!!! It's just been recently, with climate change/global warming (depending on your take on it) that we have been able to get directly seeded watermelons to maturity (prior to this century people here would have had to lay black plastic to warm the ground early, build a mini greenhouse over it all, etc).

Gardenglory the gates at the two gated gardens are locked; people whose houses overlook the gardens watch them; some in the neighbourhood walk loud barking dogs in the evening, and most people here know each other (or chances are they will know you or eyeball you if they don't) so if you are spotted at a patch that isn't yours (someone may be watching) and really the majority that have a key are trustworthy (and I've shared my tips with those that are new and have asked what do I do). . When we first gardened there the peeps in charge said the soil didn't need fertilizer......we hauled in wagon loads of manure anyways. ;) This year people are following suit so most gardens there are looking pretty good.

Years ago it was mainly children that raided here......now with the advent of video games and scheduled sports, etc. raiding isn't reported much any more.

At the bottom of the garden is a single railway track and the fellows that shuffle the train cars back and forth also keep an eye on the garden (we always get a big wave from them). So far adults stealing food isn't a problem (we expect kids but none have gotten in....one tried three years ago). I imagine if food prices keep rising it may happen though.

I should make note that the cow/horse manure we use is at least 4 years old and extremely well rotted....none of the nasties are to be found in it.

One time I got a public garden plot to grow pumpkins and watermelons, that I didn't have room for on my old place. The site was one block away from the junior high. Guess what all got smashed!

My heart would break if that happened! There is a high school and elementary one a couple of blocks away but they, so far, really don't seem interested (climbing the chain link fence may be too much effort).

Was your pubic garden gated and locked LTilton?

Not even fenced. They didn't have a chance.

Lilypon --- Congratulations! Everything looks really good! It is a shame that we have people today that we must fence our garden to protect it from theft. I would gladly share my crops to the hungry but to destroy them just for the fun of it is sinful....

LTilton I'm sorry that happened to you.......there was one Hallowe'en where some of mine were smashed (but it would be heartbreaking when they are still on the plant).. Once the witching hour approaches the life span of Jack shortens considerably

:) Thanks TPlant!

I agree it's a sad state of affairs re fencing but I'm pretty sure there has always been a certain group, throughout the ages, that have amused themselves by raiding (and wrecking) gardens. On the whole, here, I think there is very little raiding occurring now compared years gone by. However, going by our local paper, the occasional decorative garden item seems to be developing feet. I will worry about my pumpkins being smashed however until we have harvested them (thankfully my patch is far away from the street so am hoping for out of sight/out of mind).

Regarding the hungry we are having a gardener's market at the patch to raise money to donate to the local food bank. The managers of the patch also encourage those less fortunate to garden there as well.

The local college, where the prairie is, is growing a garden for the food pantry. [they let their stuff go too long before harvest in my o]

The pantry encourages gardeners to donate produce.

We will be doing that as well.......locally they get quite a bit of produce donated (from farm gardens/city gardens) come the gardening season but this year they thought, prior to our major harvest, that it might be a good idea to sell some early to raise money for the purchase of other food that we can't grow.

Going by the size of some single people's tater/etc. patches (my husband said his parents on the farm grew less for a family of 5) I'm guessing there will be plenty of veggies donated come fall.

We also have some patches that are being cared for and grown just for the food bank.

This message was edited Aug 5, 2008 9:27 AM