heliotropicmoth's garden 2013

[heliotropicmoth]

So my garden pretty much sucked this year. Part of it was us not putting in enough work and part of it I can't really explain. We started our peppers and tomatoes inside like always planted as soon as we could and our harvest has been poor compared to last years abundance. I plan on redesigning my garden area this year and putting in some more compost.

Some things did do well like my mouse melon.



I did a post on them here http://www.littlecountryhouse.blogspot.com/2013/09/mouse-melon.html.
You seriously need to grow these. Best addition to my garden this year!





Also my Rosa Rugosa doubled in size this year.



I did a rather detailed blog post on why you should grow this awesome plant. Check it out if you are interested.
http://www.littlecountryhouse.blogspot.com/2013/10/growing-your-own-vitamin-c-in-zone-6a.html

Next year I hope I can do better in the garden with weeding and watering. Hopefully the nutritional amendments I plan on doing this fall help.

Patrick

[zarfbloot]

Great article about the rose hips. We have some knockout roses but I would love to grow a different variety that is edible like that.

[heliotropicmoth]

Thanks, I think everyone should grow Rosa Rugosa. If you ever wanted to put in a living fence this is the stuff you want to use. No one or animal in their right mind would want to walk through a Rosa Rugosa hedge.

[Cedar]

I failed on my "Mexican Gherkins" this year. None of my cukes or melons came up sans one. And it did not even get to blossom. Yours look awesome.

And it must be the season on rosehips. The day before yesterday I picked rosehips and yesterday I made rosehip syrup from a WWII recipe. If you have not made the syrup yet, give it a ago.

Cedar

[heliotropicmoth]

Thanks Cedar,

I planted 3 mouse melon plants I started in soilcubes and only one made it. But that one put out hundreds of fruit. I left a few dozen on the plant to ripen so I can save the seeds and never worry about buying seed again. I have not harvested my rose hips yet. I may try making syrup, can you share the recipe?

Patrick

[heliotropicmoth]

Does anyone else grow Eucalyptus? I hope this one makes it through the winter.

[Cedar]

I sorta made/followed a recipe, but such as it is, here it is...

I used:
2 cups of rose hips
3 pints of water
1 pint of white sugar, but next time I will use the more traditional brown sugar and then try honey

Boil the water first. Then put in the rosehips. This preserves the Vit C. Boil 10 minutes. Cover for a bit (I was cooking dinner at the same time). I covered and let sit for 10 mins? Then I put a funnel on top of a quart jar, lined with a coffee filter. Poured off. Squeezed the coffee filter to get the rest of the liquid (do this CAREFULLY). Returned liquid to the pot, added 1 pintish of white sugar, stirring all the time, brought to a boil again and boiled for 5 minutes. Tried it on a spoon to see if it was thick when cool. Poured off into a pint jar, sealed and let cool. Kept trying to scrape pot to lick it  It is indeed yummy.



Cedar

[Cedar]

Does anyone else grow Eucalyptus? I hope this one makes it through the winter.

Mom did in her Zone 7 yard for many years. It lived until she sold the house and the new owners took several tens of thousands of landscaping out.. including the Eucalyptus. She has several branches she dried for decorations and still has them in her new house. They still smell good.

Cedar

[heliotropicmoth]

Nice, thanks for the recipe. I will try it with honey. Yeah the Eucalyptus I am growing says it is hardy in zone 6, so I hope it will establish. It smells so amazing. I plan on taking some cuttings after it gets a chance to grow up a bit, maybe two three years and put them in the shower. I have read the steam will open up the pores of the leaves and your whole bathroom will smell like a Swedish sauna! Can't wait!

[mountainmoma]

Ok, Cedar, I scoped out plenty of rose hips of the california wild rose bushes out back. So, did you put the hips in whole or cut and scrape out the seeds first ?