How does your garden grow?

[KevT]

Although you can eat snake gourds when they are young. I let them get too big last year before I thought of it, but I might fry up a few this year.

Popular Snake gourd Recipes

Larro

Thanks for the info. My wife is a vegetarian and likes Indian food, she was very interested in the link you posted. Maybe I need to look into growing some. You live in the same growing season as me, when is the best time to plant?

 

[Duwop]

I'm with Larro, I knew some ole farmers that grew them as a kid and used them for dippin water workin the hay fields. I also remember seeing those gourd trees that the farmers had for the the migrating birds to use on there way south or north depending on the season. Anne is thinking of decorating some to sell at her road side veggie stand. We get a lot of summer folks visiting the area and they will buy just about anything perceived to be country. Heck I can take boards out of the old school on our place and make signs with kitschy sayings and the think there a hundred years old, just to display on there patio decks on the lake here. But mostly I grow them just because I can, I lived in suburbia from 16-39 longing to move back to the country and couldn't be happier now.
Last year I decided to buy a Massey 253 and that lead to finding implements to use with to ease the physical aspects of gardening. I have to say, I wish I had did this years ago working the garden and caring for my land is so more enjoyable with the right tools. I tell Anne I don't understand why but I just love growing food, I guess providing for myself and loved ones is the main reason although my kids just don't appreciate it the way I wish. They have time to come around though as they are just in their 20's. Sorry for rambling on I post more as the season progresses I really enjoy this thread.

 

[Larro Darro]

Thanks for the info. My wife is a vegetarian and likes Indian food, she was very interested in the link you posted. Maybe I need to look into growing some. You live in the same growing season as me, when is the best time to plant?

Any time after the last frost is good for planting. I use Farmers' Almanac Gardening Calendar for choosing planting dates when I can. Or I look up the actual moon signs themselves with April 2015 Moon Signs - Dates and Times and Astrological Signs of the Zodiac, Fertile Signs for Planting. But if all else fails, I plant when I have the seeds and the ground is ready

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

Last year I decided to buy a Massey 253 and that lead to finding implements to use with to ease the physical aspects of gardening. I have to say, I wish I had did this years ago working the garden and caring for my land is so more enjoyable with the right tools. I tell Anne I don't understand why but I just love growing food, I guess providing for myself and loved ones is the main reason although my kids just don't appreciate it the way I wish. They have time to come around though as they are just in their 20's. Sorry for rambling on I post more as the season progresses I really enjoy this thread.

I truck farmed for nearly half my life, so to me gardening wasn't much fun. It was just hard work for low pay. These last few years, now that there is no pay at all, I love spending hours in the garden. Maybe your kids will grow to love it when they get older.

Larro

 

[Larro Darro]

We had a real gully washer today. I got in just before dark and looked at the garden. Nothing is beat down, but as soon as it dries out I will have to loosen up the soil around the plants. Might have to side dress again too.

Larro

 

[KevT]

Be glad you got some. I haven't seen any rain for a while. My pastures are brown and I can't afford to irrigate. I installed a sprinkler system for the garden that I run for 20 minutes every morning, or I wouldn't have it either. Even the wild flowers along the roads here are not as strong as normal.

 

[Larro Darro]

One of Margie's friends does arts and crafts with her gourds. Here is some of her apple gourds in a basket she made from a bushel gourd. {The plastic apple is there for size comparison}

Larro

 

[Duwop]

Larro, pic is not there and I'd be interested in looking.

 

[Larro Darro]

Let's try this one more time. I saved them to my laptop, then posted, so this one should be for the money. All the small ones but the yellowish tan one has been painted.

 

[KevT]

WOW, makes me want to learn how to paint. Those are wild