Farmer's Market

[Marilyn]

So glad that I decided to visit the Farmer's Market yesterday. My little pot garden was a flop due to, I believe, too much fertilizer. I bought some fresh home grown tomatoes, squash (zuchinni and yellow straight neck), cucumbers and cantelope. They are all sooo good. My only regret is that I didn't buy more squash and cucumbers.

Today for Father's Day lunch Rex is having ham, grilled squash and onions, blackeyed peas, cucumber salad & cornbread. So, so good!! I'll have to go again next weekend. It's getting a little late for some of these veggies, but I'm sure they will have some a little longer.

[Janet]

I love going to the Farmers Market here too. Not only do they have all the fresh fruits and veggies, but quite a few booths that sell things misc. items. I didn't go this past Saturday because it was just too darn hot to be out walking around the town square.

[Marilyn]

Our farmer's market is pretty small. Only about 7 or 8 vendors. There was one mehennite or amish family selling bread and jelly's. I asked the price of a loaf of bread and it was $3. I didn't want one that bad. Their jars of jelly looked like they had seen a few Saturdays. I hadn't been to the market in a very long time though, and as I said the spring vegetable season is winding down, so when it was at it's peak, there may have been more vendors. I'll just have to keep going and see what it's like during the year.

It opens at 10 a.m. and I went just after it opened, so it wasn't too hot, yet.

[judy]

I am hoping to get to our Farmer's Market Saturday. It's in a round barn, so the heat isn't too bad. Somebody told me that they have organic fruit and veggies, which I want to try.

There are also other vendors inside and outside. It's very nice.

[HALEY]

I just went to Duda's farm stand its right down the road from work last Thursday when my mom had Micah. I got some watermelon and strawberries for my mom boy where they gooodddd!!

[DianaB]

Yumm!!! Everything sounds so good!!! We have a very small farmer's market on Tuesday's but I don't ususally go. What I need to do is go down and check the garden that Glen and the kids planted and see what's going on there!!!!

[gja1000]

I love farmer's markets!!! I haven't been yet since I've had tomatoes, squash, and peppers from my garden. And my hubby's friend has a stand at the farmers market so I get new potatoes, and watermelon from him.

[Marilyn]

Yesterday, I stopped at a little tent stand a family had on the side of the road and got some more squash. They had cucumbers, but they were too big to be really good ones. I'm going to keep my eyes open when I travel around for work and see what I can find. The home grown food is just sooo much better!!! They had dewberry jelly that they had made this past weekend. I started to buy some, but we're all on diets, and I don't know that we would have eaten a whole jar. We're not real big on jellies.

Gayle, I was wondering how your garden worked out. If you posted about it recently, I'd missed it until now.

[Shada]

With all this talk of Farmer's Market's...

Where are the carrots???
Seriously. I love carrots. But have never seen fresh carrots EVER at any roadside produce stand or Farmer's Market's. Why?? I want fresh carrots!!!!

Thankfully, right now I do have fresh green beans in my fridge that I will be cooking tonight! Yummy... first time eating them this season..

[gja1000]

Gayle, I was wondering how your garden worked out. If you posted about it recently, I'd missed it until now.

Hi Marilyn,
I've been so busy this summer - plus trying to take some down time too - that I haven't updated about my garden.

It did pretty well for my first attempt is MANY years! I have tomatoes coming out my ears. Gary has developed hives from eating so many - he even had to go to the doctor to get some medicine - and he is NOT eating them any longer - but I still have too many. Wish you all were closer so I could give them to you.

My squash did well until we were gone the end of May/first of June. Maybe they got too much water, not sure. Anyway, my daughter still has squash so she has shared with me.

We have lots of jalapeno and bell peppers and a few banana and a hot cheery pepper.

My strawberries did great, I just didn't plant enough of them.

My herbs were good too. The parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary and bay leaves are still producing well. The cilantro is a cool weather plant and it went to seed at the first hint of heat.

My tomatoes grew over my eggplant and I've had 3 little eggplants which were good - and Gary doesn't like them anyway so it was perfect for me.

I'm getting ready to pull out 3 of my tomato plants - one that is dying, one that didn't produce any tomatoes and one that is a cherry tomatoes plant - to make room for fall tomatoes. They need to be planted in July, so I"m going to put them in before we leave again on vacation July 10th.

I'm also going to put in winter squash - but may wait till I get back - can't remember if it is supposed to go in in July or Aug. I'm going to do some summer squash also.

Anyway, it was a learning experience - I had 6 tomato plants and that was about 3 too many!

[DianaB]

It sounds like overall your garden was a success!!!

[Janet]

I loved having a garden and yours sounds really nice. I just don't know if I could keep up with one now especially in this heat.

[Marilyn]

Gayle, that sounds great!!!! Sorry Gary had a problem with the tomatoes. I've gotten hives from eating too many cherry tomatoes, but that was many years ago. Wish we were closer so we could get some of those yummy tomatoes, too.

Don't know if I'll get Rex to help me put an a square foot garden or not. He's really busy keeping his grass green and lush in this drought. He seems to have beat the brown spot problem we had last summer and I'm not sure he will let me put a garden on his lawn.

I may just try the pot garden again, but I'll be changing out all the soil. 50/50 compost to potting soil was a huge mistake. The rosemary is the only thing that survived.

My fig tree is looking great. It's about 3 years old, and it's getting very full, and is loaded with figs. I think we are going to have to put a net over it though to keep the birds away. The one fig that got ripe already was thoroughly picked on by a bird. I'm really looking forward to putting up a few pints of fig preserves. They are our favorite!! Daughter, Karen, especially likes them.

[gja1000]

Marilyn, I'm sure you are right about the net over the figs. I had to put a net over my strawberries - THEN I had to fight the roly polies for them. I used diatamaceous earth to keep the RP's away and it works well.

I bought bird nets at the nursery. I think they were 12' by 12' maybe even 14'. They were very light weight. I'm sure they would work well over the figs.

Janet, I water and pick every morning between 6-7 when I get up to let the dogs out and feed them. I'm a morning person and so I love being outside at that time! It's not too bad. I do go out and check everything when I get home in the evening, but don't stay too long as it is HOT!

[Tiramisu]

Gayle, your garden sounds so fresh and yummy. We cut back and didn't put in enough cucumber and tomato plants this year and have run out already. We put in too many squash plants and have given lots away.

Texas ladies - any repellant for armadillos? The critters got most all of my daffodils and work every night in my rose garden. I don't want to put up fencing around that area, but might be forced to.

[DianaB]

I've got an armadillo that's digging in my yard too. Any ideas on how to get rid of it? I'm too tired at night to go out with a flashlight and a gun!!!!

[Tiramisu]

Diana, I'm with you on the tired! Harold told me that pouring human urine will keep them out. I reminded him that it hasn't stopped them where he goes out back! And, when I have to go, I have to go - no time to grab a container!

[DianaB]

That sounds interesting, Sandy. I'm going to have to think on that one for awhile.

[judy]

Maybe you have to pee on the armadillo!

I had a critter that chewed quite a nice chunk of my deck wall. There isn't a hole though. I think I'll have to fill the chunk though.

As long as there are no bears on my deck, I'm good. Jessie and Steve saw one running down the highway last week.

[Marilyn]

I had an armadillo that kept eating my caladiums. So I quit planting caladiums. Haven't seen the critter or evidence of him since.

[gja1000]

I don't know how to get rid of armadillos. My daughter said one had been rooting around in their yard too.

Oh, now I remember something. I heard on the gardening show that they are rooting for grubs, and if you get rid of the grubs, they won't root up the yard. Of course, that didn't help with them eating Marilyn's caladiums, now did it! :D

[DianaB]

I knew that they ate grubs but there's no way to get rid of them in the yard. Once Glen gets the fence completely up they won't be able to get in without digging under it. Another Aunt and Uncle live in Texas and they go out with a flashlight and a gun. One holds the flashlight while the other shoots!!! We may have to try that one!!!

[gja1000]

There is a way to get rid of grubs - beneficial nematodes. They live in the soil under the grass and eat grub eggs. BUT, you have to water the grass at least once every 7-10 days if it doesn't rain because the nematodes will dry up and die if you don't. They also eat flea eggs, thus they keep fleas out of your yard, as well as fire ants. I've used them for about 10 years now and dont' have fleas, grubs, or fire ants in the yard. YAY!

Diana, i think you have the problem solved though with the fence - now just get your hubby to finish it!

[DianaB]

I'd complain but he's busy trying to get the ground worked and crops put in. Now is NOT the time to complain about anything. With all of the wet weather that we've had he's behind in getting things done. He's up early and home late. He'll probably get the fence finished in the fall sometime.

[Janet]

Where do you find this....beneficial nematodes? We have moles, would it help? Is it safe for the dogs?

[gja1000]

Nope, beneficial nematodes won't eat moles. B-nematodes are microscopic organisms that live in the soil and eat the eggs of fleas, ants, and grubs; thus, they cannot grow to maturity and do not invade the soil yard.

I started using them to keep the fleas out of the yard and they work GREAT! I haven't used any commercial flea medicine on my boys for several years - except when we travel.

You get b-nematodes at most any organic gardening store.

[judy]

Do you know of anything for flies Gayle?

[gja1000]

Unfortunately no, flies are so difficult to control. I have a doggie door and the flies come in around the cracks from the swinging plastic - it drives me crazy. I have put the sticky fly strips around the frame on the outside and it kinda works - but then I find yorkie hair stuck to the strips and I know that it has pulled out their hair and that can't be comfortable.

[Janet]

Nope, beneficial nematodes won't eat moles. B-nematodes are microscopic organisms that live in the soil and eat the eggs of fleas, ants, and grubs; thus, they cannot grow to maturity and do not invade the soil yard.

I started using them to keep the fleas out of the yard and they work GREAT! I haven't used any commercial flea medicine on my boys for several years - except when we travel.

You get b-nematodes at most any organic gardening store.

I really didn't think they would eat the moles, but moles eat grubs. If they eat the eggs of grubs...maybe the moles will go away.

[judy]

Good thinking Janet! Maybe you can research that. The old food chain pest prevention!

Diana, I think you should go with the flashlight and gun method. It's quick and efficient.

[DianaB]

......Diana, I think you should go with the flashlight and gun method. It's quick and efficient.

I may have to do that!!!!!

Janet, there's some pellets that you can put in a mole tunnel and it gets rid of them. I've used it on my yard. Sorry, but I don't remember the name.

[gja1000]

I really didn't think they would eat the moles, but moles eat grubs. If they eat the eggs of grubs...maybe the moles will go away.

Well, that's really good thinking becuase they say if you keep the grubs out of your yard, then the armadillos won't come in - so the same should hold true for moles!!!