INTRODUCTIONS

[Ian]

Hi, If you're new here, why not introduce yourself and have a bit more freedom to tell us all about your garden..

[Robert Durkin]

Hello,

Starting our fall season in middle of second year of organic garden in Upper Valley of El Paso, Texas, a half mile from the RIo Grande.

This one has a big house and so I invite people to live here and participate. One is a musician, another is a handy man, another is AN ORGANIC GARDENER, made her living at it for years.

So last year we put in first garden. This year tripled size, super tomatoes, plenty squash, beans, purple beans, herbs, eggplants galore, bell peppers.

End of last year cold framed chard and turnip greens. Huge amounts.

Running a freezer and putting up lots this years.
Metta love to all gardeners in the world.

Walkin' Bob in Texas

[Jerry Salisbury]

Hello, my name is Jerry Salisbury and I have been lurking for some time. I have been a gardener for many years but I have become a much more active gardener since my retirement three years ago. I live just outside of Akron, Ohio. I use mostly raised beds to grow a variety of vegetables and flowers. I have started several fruit trees and the apples are bearing well this year. My wife and I are committed to organic and sustainable agriculture. Before we returned to Ohio four years ago, we lived in Seattle and we completed the Master Recycler/Composer program in King County. It was a train-the-trainer program and we spent several years training people about waste reduction and composting.

Recently I completed the certification requirements to become an Ohio State University Extension (OSUE) Master Gardener. I am currently working on a certification through OSUE in Back Yard Gardening and Local Foods.

My new experiences for the last year include building my 10' X 12' greenhouse, helping start a community garden at Green United Methodist Church, and helping start a local "farm market". It's been a good year......

Best Regards,
Jerry

[Robert Durkin]

Welcome Jerry , impressive work you are doing.
Did you say you built your greenhouse yourself?
Out of what materials?
have a photo?

Thanks
Bob in el paso

[Michelle W. Flannery]

Hi there. My dad is 82, and he built his own greenhouse this year, in time for his birthday in May. Wouldn't let any of us help him. Couldn't be prouder. Take a look at my dad's greenhouse story and pics.

[Everett McDonald]

Hey Michelle,
Just read about your Dads greenhouse and tomatoes etc. great pictures. Were those tomatoes
growing like that early last spring?

[Elizabeth Archer]

Hello everyone

Am I one of the few or only members in Australia? I live in Perth, Western Australia, which is a city built on a sand dune, so lots of manure and compost is required.

I have a number of fruit trees in pots that move with me and produce such few precious fruit that they rarely make it to a jar or bottle, but the house we're in at the moment has an established garden with lemons, several different varieties of oranges, mandarins, and olives. I've also planted out a vegetable patch with broadbeans, peas, snowpeas, butter beans, tuscan kale, cabbage, broccolini, lettuces, rocket (aragula) and herbs. It's the middle of winter here, so everything is in a sort of hibernation, but in a month or two spring will creep in and we'll have a huge spurt of growth.

This year, being very brave, I've decided to enter a couple of jars of jam and preserves in the Perth Royal Show. As a first-timer I've no expectations, especially considering I'm up against some stiff farm competition. But we'll see...

Elizabeth

[Robert Durkin]

Best of luck on the jam competition.
Wonderful to garden. Keep us posted how your plantings do!

Let's see, it's the middle of winter in Australia, no?

How's yer weather?

walkin' bob in texas

[Robert Durkin]

Oh, I just got smart and clicked on yer photo and got your page and see the answers to my questions.
WONDERFUL.

My favorite cousin is married to a lady from Australia. She is from Vineyard, near Sydney.

walkin' bob in texas

[Gillian]

Hello Elizabeth -
welcome to the group - no we have quite a few Australians - a lot from the Adelaide area. I am up in the northern Tropics, near Cairns, and I dont know if we have anyone in the Perth area. Please join our group Gardening in Australia. Good luck in the show....
Gillian

[de Moffarts Eugène]

To have more permanent results of compost and manure you can integrate "biochar " to the ground.(1 pounds for 10 square feet). Biochar is charcoal granules of powder .You have to do this only one time.The results are better for a very long time.

[Rob Halliwell]

Hi All,

I'm Rob From the UK, I have recently aquired a large plot of land and would like to start growing my own organic fruit and veg.

Not sure if i'm the only one from the UK but where i live in the North West we get lots and lots of Rain :-( good for growing i guess though.

[Robert Durkin]

Welcome Rob.
We here in the desert of West Texas are envious of all your rain!
Very best to you!

Robert in Texas