[Magdalen] First fruits

[Grace Cangialosi]

:^{

> On May 9, 2016, at 2:49 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> ​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
>>