I'm drooling over the glossy wish books, how 'bout yous?

I've just been waiting and hoping for this topic on the forum discussions! Has anyone seen the Nichols Garden Nursery catalogue? Nichols

I have been ordering from them for 20 years. They have herb seeds and plants, all sorts of vegetable seeds (even space savers for those with limited room for veggies), unusual varieties of everything, and even tea plants (Camellia sinensis). They have flower seeds too, Maggie.

They also have beer and wine making supplies. One year I ordered Neal "beer in a bag." All you add is water and after a month or so, you have this huge bag full of really, really good beer.

This year, I've marked so many selections in red ink, that it looks like the catalogue is bleeding.

Oh, and they have the hard to find French Charantais melons that taste like honey! No reason even a flower gardener couldn't run the vines up a little trellis just for the pleasure of having such fab melons that cannot be bought in stores here. The Charantais are actually true cantelope. What we refer to here as "cantelope" is actually a muskmelon, which tastes nothing like a real cantelope.

I always look at that one and get sad that I have no room for veggies anymore Caro. But you sure have some great ideas and tips about incorporating them into a small yard garden. Wish I could think of a sunny wet spot for those melons. That would be novel to taste the real thing - hope you grow it and will share a taste :-)
I've always wanted a tea camellia - cool.
I have a friend who makes his own Guinness from a kit!

Do you do much mailorder Terry? and what's that funny word for eggplant over there... arba, ama, aba something gines ? Then there's something else for what is called squash here - not the drink - cor something, corgettes?

Aubergines are your eggplants, Maggie, but I don't think courgettes are the same as your squash, they are baby marrows. Does that make it any clearer, or should I change to something with a lower alcohol content? J

Far as I know, marrows are the same as squash. Both are def of the Cucurbitaceae family. Originally a Central Amer native plant, 'squash' begot its No. Amer name from the Mass. Indians - askootasquash - meaning "eaten raw". How the Brits managed to name it same as the innerds of bones, I dunno ;-)
After that, we might all want to start readying another bottle for the tree !

I was wondering about that, Maggie. Wondering if our summer staple of yellow crookneck squash was grown across the pond. Is okra grown there? It might be interesting to compare common veggies, but Terry doesn't grow them, and I think he's pretty much carnivorous, so perhaps he doesn't know. J

The summers are too short and too mild to grow okra in UK. Terry has prob not even heard of it. huh T ? Corn on the cob is a pretty new novelty there - its probably being brought in from so europe or africa nowadays tho.
A 'corn crop' there, usually means assorted grains grown for livestock fodder, you agree Terry? Tomatoes are usually grown in greenhouses. Their veg gardens probably equate more with a New England one here = shorter, milder summers. We used to have things in our plot in Eng that I now have to buy at the store - rhubarb, raspberries, ummmm so good. Also had the same annual things we can grow in a spring or fall veg garden here. Lettuce & radishes were never bitter. Our pod peas and string beans were sweet as sugar!

I grow a Rhubarb plant as well as the Reud one ;-). You are correct, Maggie, about our corn fields not having corn, I was in my early thirties before I realised that. Ours contain wheat and barley mostly, although a few do now attempt to grow sweet corn, but it needs an exceptional summer to ripen.
Usual veg. crops in gardens are potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, carrots, beetroot, onions, peas, broad, runner and french beans, lettuce, radish, leeks.
In the greenhouse it's tomatoes and cucumber mainly, but many now grow peppers and aubergenes.
Fruits are apples, pears, plums, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants.
There are of course many others but the ones listed are perhaps the most commonly grown.
I have heard of okra, I believe that it's also called ladies fingers over here.
We are eating a yellow squash at the moment Carolyn, first time we've tried it. What about that for a coincidence. It tastes very good. Just went to check in the fridge but it's all gone now. It was yellow and looked like a giant pear, would that be the one?

Maggie was right about your summer veggies, Terry. Those are the ones we grow in Spring and Fall, our Summers being too hot for most of them. I had never even heard of rhubarb until I married and we lived in North Dakota. The plants get huge and I love the rhubarb pie my mother-in-law makes.

Terry, here is a picture of yellow summer squash.

Shall I try that again? I did everything right, but when it finished uploading, the screen never changed.

That's the one Carolyn, put me down for half a dozen.

Watch out Terry, When squash gets going, we are looking for people to give dozens too. You might end up with more squash than you bargained for. But boy would a fresh squash taste good now!

I grew some winter squash for the first time this year. (for those not familar with squash - It's grown in the summer, and has that really hard shell, and stores well for the winter) I had been told you can use it just like summer squash and the taste was similar. I just couldn't eat it. . . tasted more like pumpkin/sweet potato cross to me. But it was delicious made into a pie topped with whipped cream!

I've grown okra here - when we have a sunny summer. Last year it didn't produce - too many cloudy days. I'm always looking for good short season cucumbers and tomatoes too. So I can enjoy them for more days during the season.

I always try new tomatoes each year but the Early Girl is my favorite. This year I'm going to try one from Pinetree Gardens called Olpaka. It's not a short season tomato but sounds interesting. "A paste tomato that has the appearance of a bull's horn with massive solid fruit". Sounds like a TX tomato to me!

Yes, squash is usually a bumper crop. Even if the vines look like something the cat dragged in, those plants produce and produce. Terry, in just about any cookbook in the South, there are dozens of squash recipes. You can eat it raw in salads, sliced and fried, baked, and one of my personal favorites is to fill the squash blossoms with cream cheese and crabmeat, pinch the ends together and dip in a batter and deep fry. I made that the last time my Montana in-laws visited and although they were only humoring me by tasting it (you could tell by the skeptical one raised eyebrow), after dinner there were none left in the dish. Oh, and Terry, FYI, just about every church publishes cookbooks periodically filled with the members' favorite recipes. They are a great source of tasty and high fat food that sticks to the thighs.

Didn't there used to be someone named Maggie Something or Other who participated in this forum?

Meow <:"-)
Is that a pic of squash from your garden Caro?
I had the same experience with winter sq too MK.
Terry, did you eat the squash raw or cooked?
And I want answers ;-)

Here's a pic I made last summer, knowing that some day I'd get to use it !

Ahh. now I remember, that! Maggie, the commandant.

Sir! Cooked! Sir!

Nothing personal in that Sir, Maggie, just influenced by Due South.

Now you've used that pic can you explain what it is please?

Put your pointer on the pic ;-)
What's Due South?

Opposite to Due North.

No it's a TV program about a Canadian Mountie, he always calls his lady boss "Sir".

Is that tom"ahhh"toe or tom"ate"o? J

Most Southerners use the latter pronunciation, except its more like "toe-may-toe"; Northerners use the former and pronounce it "ta-ma-toe" (because they don't know any better).

and 'mater' like the French for ma, with a longer maaaaa, is really deep South for tomato!
Terry, does that mean we should call Caro 'sir'? ;-)

I was interested to see in the Nichols catalog that the Carmondel oranges could not be shipped to TX and other states (prob those that crop commercial varieties). A friend in E TX dug a seedling of it from underneath her's, that now lives here. It doesn't seem to like the high pH of my place tho. Which is prob a good thing, since the non-grafted ones get really large with mean thorns. Sure would like a grafted one in a pot tho. We carried them in plant store that I ran in the 70's, must have not been banned back then. They make the sweetest (not flavor, which is bitter) miniature fruit - a tiny replica of the big ones in every detail. Now I know why I haven't seen them in the nurseries around here. :-(

If you know someone near the borders of OK, LA or AR, you could have it shipped there, and go pick it up. And, I expect you to all salute when you say "Sir" to me.J

The Colorado pics from another thread are great, but MK's garden is prettier.

Can I show and tell too?



Maggie these were grown in the flower bed among the annuals. See there is no such thing as no room for veggies. But I did have to sacrifice a few annuals.

I have ordered a hard copy of this catalog. They feature sample seed pkgs for 30 cents as well as larger pkgs. Thought that would be just right for this sq ft gardening Carolyn is getting me into.

30 cent seeds

Can the US order from Chiltern Seeds? if so anyone want to clue me in on how to convert the prices? I saw that they have lots of shrubs and tree seeds. I like to experiment!

I've sown my first seeds for under the lights. Feels good to get my fingers in the dirt again! Carolyn was amazed that I just use recycled milk jugs and shop lights. Here's the proof:



These were put in front of the cool window to begin hardening off and make room for more new seedlings under the lights. (Can't find that picture of the light set up anywhere)

Its gotta be the pure mountain water. Gotta be. Or, a seriously green thumb, which I suspect is the real culprit here. The broccoli is so pretty. Its very difficult to grow it here, between the cabbage worms eating it and the rogue 90 degree days in March causing it to bolt. I always plant it, though, and hope for the best. And MK, your post just reminded me to have Neal to get the shop light for me, since I don't know where anything is since he rearranged the shop a few months ago. Notice I didn't say "cleaned."

Terry, which clematis are you thinking of getting this year to add to your collection? Maggie, any suggestions for Texas-hardy ones? Since the one I got last year seems to be growing well, I'd like to try a couple of more this year.

And, does anyone know if you can grow a soapberry tree from the berry? I know I could look it up, but it would be easier if someone told me. J

MK, I just looked at that site. The veggie varieties particularly sound so interesting. I bet I could do some damage to the pocketbook even at 30 cents a pack.

Love seeing your winter gardening MK!! That brocie makes my mouth water. And you just have to tell us what the seedlings are!!

I've had some asperagus in the long border for a long time - but it doesn't do too well. And I used to put radishes along the front row of the twin ter beds as a spring edging. Trouble is, the bed rises from its front edge and I need to keep a row of a perennial edge plants there to keep from having to re-dig the mound between each annual change. Now a mondo grass holds the soil up in front of the pansies where I used to grow radishes. But,,, there is still a little space between the mondo mounds. Might do some more squeezing in this one last time before it fills in completely! Someone gave me an artichoke this fall, hope it survived the cold snaps - I probably should have keep a pot over it tho.

I had seen small pks of seeds sold for 50 before, but never 30 - that is a neat site. If you order from them, grow some campanulas for me, ok? :-)

I never know these days what plants I shall add to the garden, there seem to be so many new varieties arriving each year, and I'm sure a few will tempt me. I always fancied C. armandii, but not sure if it would be hardy and my front south facing wall is somewhat full. Do you have that one Maggie, it's the evergreen with white flowers in late winter/early spring. Someone near us grows it so I'm letting them test it for me, (shhh. they don't know they are) as it is an expensive one.

Sorry Maggie, I can't tell what the plants in the window are right now either - they are last year's plants. And my mind just can't identify that well. Maybe with this year's plants I can show some and tell what they are. At least then I can read the label before I post.

I was wondering why you were starting things so early for your area MK. Sorry I misunderstood. The big leaves remind of the calendula in your snowy pic of them. Or maybe a shasta or oxeye daisy? Just playing 'ID the foliage' here ;-) I am also amazed at the results you get with just a shop light and window. It is excellent to learn that!

No, I don't have the armandii Terry, altho I did buy one locally that was labeled as such and it turned out not to be. Friend BJ has one, not far from me. I looked up its published hardiness rating - two sources said USDA Zone 5-9. With Yorkshire translated to our 7, that does sound promising.

About your clem question Caro, the large flowered clems do fine over here if their roots stay wet. The books always say to keep their roots cool, but that's not much of an option here is it!? - so I am not too convinced about that cool root thing when I've managed to get them to do ok as long as they live in a damp spot. I have found that they still require a good amount of sun to grow well and they are as hungry for food as roses in my garden's earth. The smaller bloomed C. viticellas are being reported as good for hot climates, but BJ does well with all kinds. She has made wonderful bedding soil and keeps her clems well watered. Mine might do better this year now that the sprinkler system has been installed. You can't go wrong with the lavender Ramona, wine-colored Ernest Markum and Jack Mannii purple in the large-flowered class. The species pink C. texensis and its hybrid Duchess of Albany are also sure bets here, for clems with smaller bell-shaped blooms.

I found this pic from last spring, of my Ernest Markum. The story goes that its developer William Robinson (garden writer/designer around end of 19th c.), named it after his head gardener because he said it was as prolific as Ernie was - who had 11 kids. He should have named after Mrs. Markum - poor woman.

I had cut a lot of the top-most growth off in the previous winter - not that you need to.

Thank you for the picture Maggie, we are frost bound at the moment so it was nice to see some plants with life in them.

Thanx for the reply on the clematis question, Maggie. I, too enjoyed your pic. A little reminder that there is life after winter. Of course, I'd actually forgotten what winter is. I've been reminded now.

Oh yes - winter just like the old days, instead of that 6 months of spring we were starting to get used to! Maybe this means we won't be punished with another killer summer ,, maybe it means our climate has kicked back into normal this year and we will have an almost-bearable summer. Fingers xed!
You would have felt right at home here today Terry, it has been soggy, dark and foggy all day ;-)

Yep, no fun today. Too many overcast days in a row for me. So looking forward to chores this evening. Just love it when the mud sucks the boots right off my feet.L

I would have welcomed being anywhere else today, have you tried living in a house in winter with just openings where windows and doors used to be. Good planning to have new ones installed in January, but at least the plants have plenty of time to recover. That was my real reason for having them done now, not many site workers are garden enthusiasts, so the more dormant the garden the better.

Only a gardener would have the windows replaced in winter Terry !!! oxoxox

You are telling me Maggie, and a mad gardener at that. Only one window and one door to go and there are still a few snowdrops standing. We have a light covering of snow this morning so it looks like another cold day brrrrrrrr.

Have you ever ordered from J L Hudson, Seedsman? This is my first year to have this catalog, and my list of seeds to order continues to grow!

They have the White Bush Marrow - think this will be like Terry's squash? I'm going to give it a try.

And they also have French Melons that Carolyn said were so sweet. I'm going to try the Early Black Rock. Mostly because the very dark skin turns orange when ripe. Now I'll know when to harvest the melons - always my hardest decision.

MK, Have you heard of Vernon Barnes and Son Nursery in McMinnville, TN? Is that anywhere near you? One of my garden club friends ordered lots of trees and shrubs from them, as they will sell for discounted price for multiples, and their prices seem pretty cheap anyway. They don't have a website, just a little catalogue on newsprint.

I've never heard of JL Hudson. Is there a website?

Carolyn, Hudson's doesn't have an online catalog but you can order one at their site.

website for Hudson seeds

Then get your reading glasses on! it's alot of small print and no pictures, but lots of selections.

I'm wondering if anyone knows if you can eat asparagus beans? I planted several asparagus beans in my garden, my first garden...the beans grew into plants, they bloomed and then sprouted long, thin, green (like green beans only much longer) and is filled with beans. The only information via the internet that I could find - mentions these only one time and states that the "female" plant bears the beans and the male plant does not, but I can't find what I am to do with them? Leave them? Eat them? Please help if you can, my email is: eganteena@yahoo.com. Thanks Teena

I found 570,000 links for it on Google. It is a common food in Southeastern Asia, Thailand and Southern China, described as crisp, but tender and delicious. Harvest and cook pods (not just the seeds) like green beans. American home growers report it needs a very hot climate to bear well and can be grown on a 6-8 foot trellis.