Home Grown Foods

[TaterTot]

I remember my dad use to grow some tasty vegetables in our back yard. It was nice to cook and eat some healthy home grown veggies from the backyard. It was nice to eat at home a lot as well as opposed to always going out to restaurants.. some good home cookin do u guys ever grow foods?

[jglass]

We live in a apartment so the best I can do is a few pots of herbs on the balcony. Im lucky enough to have a father in law who lives about 5 miles from me who does raise a garden every year. He lets me have what ever I want from it. He grows some of my favorite herbs in the garden along with tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, assorted squash and assorted peppers. He grows a lot of potatoes and onions. We have red and green leaf lettuce and then he puts out greens for the fall. I made some different types of pickles this year and canned some bruschetta and assorted jams and marmalades. He has apple trees there too. I made some jalapeno pepper jelly & some salsa. I have dried a couple jars of tomatoes and stored them in the fridge in olive oil. Im not sure how much longer the goodies are going to last but they have been delsih while they are here. I love bruschetta with basil, garlic and a good drizzle of olive oil. I have even had it for breakfast lol.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Do I grow my own food??? Don't even get me started TaterTot! I have everything I possibly can put into the ground, and chickens to have fresh eggs and we only live on a city lot and I tell you what it's the best food in the world, and I am so glad to have put in the garden this year! Here's what I have in the ground right now (my 2nd or fall garden this summer) Eggplant, tomatoes, green beans, okra, bell peppers (red, green & yellow varieties) turnip greens, canteloupe, squash (3 varieties), cucumber, pumpkins and watermelon. I have many different herbs in pots on the deck and I am enjoying all the fresh veggies like crazy!!!

TaterTot I encourage anyone that wants to at least try to have a garden. It tales time, work, and devotion but it is so worth it!!!

If you want to next year put in a garden and need helpful hints and tips just holler we all will help you any way we can

[CanMan]

With the higher prices at the market, EVERYONE should be growing something in their backyard or patio (in pots). It's called "free food". Amazing results for a little sweat equity put into gardening.

I grow my tomatoes "upside down" since I don't have the garden space. Peppers and cucumbers are grown in pots. A lot of people have success growing potatoes in pots or in straw on top of the ground. String beans are another fun one if you have a place to climb. Any place you have sun you can find a way to grow something.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi CanMan,

How did your tomatoes do being planted upside down? I did not have good results with mine at all, in fact they died!

Let me know, Cathy

[mrsjimmyp]

A country girl here...lol...yes I plant a garden and grow my own vegetables.
I planted Tomatoes..Eggplant..bellpepers..Sweet Bannana Pepper...Okra...Squash...Butterbeans...Watermelon. .Cantaloupe....didn't get the peas planted this year because I was late getting my garden tilled and planted and the Deer would have eaten them anyway since they LOVE peas !
Homegrown vegetables are a taste of heaven in my book.

[CanMan]

How did your tomatoes do being planted upside down? I did not have good results with mine at all, in fact they died!

They did fine, but you have to watch the level of dirt and make sure it is watered almost every day. I thought it would be easier, but it is actually more labor intensive. Great alternative though if you don't have the ground space.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Good Question, Tot!

I'm like Janie, live in a city condo with a patio and although there's room for a "container garden" this year I only planted herbs and flowers.

I was raised in the country nearby though, and every year we grew and canned our own groceries, and even raised livestock & hunted, so we butchered our own meat to supplement our freezer, so I know the life-style well. In fact, I'm lucky as my Dad & his wife still keep a garden, so I work it often w/ him and benefit from his shared bounty.

For most of my adult life I've worked a hectic job that didn't leave much time or energy for gardening- even though for some it's a relaxing hobby- I recognize that gardening is hard work that requires daily attention. I also worked a job where I was at random locations for sporadic, brief periods of time that invlolved constant travel and long periods away from home, so planting and the upkeep of watering, weeding, harvesting, etc. just didn't fit into my lifestyle then.

Next summer I hope to plan and grow many things. I'm gonna take CanMan's advice and try growing the up-side-down 'maters. I also hope to follow Cathy's and Frannie's lead and grow so much that I have stuff to put-up for the winter, and share w/ neighbors!

[jglass]

I tried that Miracle Grow potting soil this year thats supposed to have enough food in it for several months. My stuff didnt do well at all. They did much better last year with just the plain old cheap potting soil. The herbs I put in it still havent gotten over 3 inches tall and they are very thin. I will never use it again.

Funny story...first year I grew stuff on the balcony it was just flowers. No matter what I tried they died and quick. I watered and even used the food sticks. They turned brown and croaked. I was leaving one day and my little neighbor who has since moved told me she just didnt know what was wrong with my flowers ...she said no matter how much liquid fertilizer she put on the for me didnt seem to help at all. Ah ha...between her "helping" me and the plant sticks I was using we incinerated the poor things lol.
The next year before I put anything out there I asked he to please not help me anymore lol.