Greetings from the Grange. I hope all of you have been able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weekends we have had. I know things around our homestead have been falling into place.

I have had my tomato plants in the ground one week, covered with mini greenhouses. Remember I am frugal (I know, I know I'm cheap but I prefer to be called Frugal.) My mini greenhouses are no more than recycled one gallon milk cartons. Just cut the bottom off and place them over the tomato plant. Remove the lid also to help prevent the plants from getting too hot and place a wire through the top opening into the soil to hold the mini greenhouse in place. These work and are much cheaper than the "water walls" that are advertized.

Today I removed the mini greenhouses to find blooms on the cherry 100 tomato plants. Normally this early I would pick the bloom to allow the root system to mature. I always remove fruit and flower from any plant I buy to plant, if they are there when I but the plant. The reason behind this is to promote root growth. The reason I am leaving these blooms on is because 1, The plant had a great root system when I planted it. 2, It was planted in an area that had been covered for two weeks with black plastic, raising the temperature of the soil 10 to 15 degrees 3, the pH of this soil is good. 4, it is a raised bed of one foot thick rich loamy soil. Alas color in my garden.

Speaking of color in the garden, Have you ever thought of using garden plants in your landscape? Many plants produce beautiful foliage and flowers that would add a splash of color to and landscape and you can eat it too.

Okra for example produces a saucer size light yellow flower with a purple center. If you follow my pruning program you can grow your okra as large as a tree...well a small tree at least. Luffa gourds as well as bird house and dipper gourds work well on a trellis. They vine, they flower and they produce.

You could alternate your flowers in front of your home with flowers, zucchini, flowers, yellow squash, flower etc. Both of these plants produce a compact flowering plant, adding plants, flowers and produce to your land scape.

What about a border of bib lettuce and/or radishes? (By the way I am eating both out of my garden along with asparagus) These could line your walks or flower beds. Both plants are about the size of "Lambs ear" or "Dusty Millers" and we plant them as borders all of the time

Some of your neighbors may think you're nuts (most of mine do anyway) while others may think you are ingenious. ( If my neighbors thought I was ingenious I would think they were nuts.) Either way you will have a unique yard with food at your finger tips and extras flowers for free...Frugal

I know I mentioned "My method of Pruning okra" earlier and I will tell you about that later in the season when you can have hands on experience with the plant. The method is simple, It makes the okra easier to pick, and your plants will produce more.

As Thomas A. Edison said "There are no rules here--we're trying to accomplish something."

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), April 29, 2001

Answers

Speaking of gardens, visit:

RIYADH UL JANNAH

-- imme (¿¿¿??@greenspun.com), January 21, 2003.