[Magdalen] First fruits

[Jay Weigel]

​There is still the problem of the myriad squirrels burying the damn
walnuts, though. They even bury them in our flowerpots. They just don't get
up to the skybox!
​

On Mon, May 9, 2016 at 2:46 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> >>
>