[Magdalen] First fruits

[Grace Cangialosi]

No, with the straw bale method, there's no soil involved, but if you're worried about contamination, you can set the bales on sheets of black plastic.  I think it would be worth checking out.

> On May 9, 2016, at 2:29 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> But not in soil that has been poisoned by so many walnut trees you can't
> count 'em.....with squirrels by the dozens too. We've tried the hanging
> planters, but so far the best solution seems to be our "sky garden". It's
> the only place that gets enough light, also.
> 
>> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 1:55 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> You could also use the straw bale method...could plant as many as you
>> like. Just google straw bale planting.
>> 
>>> On May 9, 2016, at 11:20 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> No tomatoes here (damn walnut trees!) although s/o has read of a method
>>> which sounds promising.....filling a 5-gallon bucket (holes drilled in
>> the
>>> bottom for drainage) with good soil from elsewhere), covering the soil
>> with
>>> plastic, and inserting the tomato plants through slits in the plastic,
>> then
>>> keeping them in a place free of the incursions of walnut--infested soil
>> or
>>> marauding squirrels with walnuts to bury. Our upper deck would be a fine
>>> place. I don't have my herbs in either; they normally are planted in pots
>>> on said upper deck, but I haven't visited my neighborhood greenhouse due
>> to
>>> the exceedingly chilly, rainy weather. This week, for sure.
>>> 
>>> The greenhouse is run by a lovely Mennonite (conservative--wears "uniform
>>> dress" and cap, but drives) lady who employs several of her female
>>> relatives, including a look-alike sister, an exceedingly elderly woman
>> who
>>> is either her mother or aunt, and a sweet Down's syndrome woman who does
>> a
>>> great deal of the fetching and carrying and who surprised me last year by
>>> informing me that she was about to turn 53...I had her pegged for *much*
>>> younger, not because of the DS but because she simply looks about 35. In
>>> fact, they all look much younger than they are, except for granny. And
>>> Arlene (the owner) has just about the greenest thumb I've ever
>> encountered.
>>> She has the best collection of herbs anywhere, year after year, and
>> coleus
>>> that just knock your eye out, plus fine house plants and porch plants and
>>> occasional oddments of garden plants, besides the old standards in fine
>>> array. AND the best mulch anywhere. People come from all over just for
>> the
>>> mulch.
>>> 
>>> On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 12:57 AM, Rick Mashburn <ricklmashburn at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Alex is the gardener on our house. Looks like we are going to have a
>> bumper
>>>> crop of tomatoes this year!
>>>> 
>>>> Peace, Rick
>>>>> On May 8, 2016 9:43 PM, "Susan Hagen" <susanvhagen at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I had a salad with tiny lettuce thinnings and baby radishes from the
>>>>> garden.  The cucumber was from the grocery store but it all tasted
>>>>> wonderful.  I weeded the asparagus patch which, sadly, seems to be
>>>>> fading out, probably from neglect.  Still, I get a few cuttings from
>>>>> it each year.  I do enjoy eating from my back yard.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among
>>>>> you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the
>>>>> land of Egypt.
>>>>> Leviticus 19:34
>>