Get the most out of your garden

[Lazy Gardener]

Bee, I have nasturtiums growing wild in my garden! I put flowers in my garden more for the beauty than for any expected pest deterrent. I just love the color! Nasturtium is supposed to deter cucumber beetles. I have plenty of both! Marigold is supposed to deter nematodes. Don't know if I have nematodes, but IMO, Marigold smells bad enough that it should deter a lot of pests! I like to put citronella here and there in the garden. By far, my most prevalent self sowed flower is calendula. Love my calendula!

 

[Hinotori]

Nasturtiums are tasty as well as pretty. Nice and peppery. I like the flowers more than the leaves, but it's all good in salads.

 

[Britesea]

you can pickle the green nasturtium seed pods as well- makes a good substitute for capers

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, I have nasturtiums growing wild in my garden! I put flowers in my garden more for the beauty than for any expected pest deterrent. I just love the color! Nasturtium is supposed to deter cucumber beetles. I have plenty of both! Marigold is supposed to deter nematodes. Don't know if I have nematodes, but IMO, Marigold smells bad enough that it should deter a lot of pests! I like to put citronella here and there in the garden. By far, my most prevalent self sowed flower is calendula. Love my calendula!

LG, nothing self sows around here...just..nothing. I even have trouble direct sowing flower seeds except for zinnias. My calendula do not come back, even. I've planted so many flowers over the years...Black eyed Susan, Blanket Flower, daisies, etc. and NOTHING will grow of that nature. No matter how much I feed it, compost placed around it, etc.

So, annuals are the only thing I can grow in this heavy clay soil. Even roses do crappy here.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Bee, you have my cheeks in pain from smiling at your last post. Um.... I'm betting that you have plenty of self sowing going on. But... you have many intercessors. All those lovely flower seeds are being turned into eggs!

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, you have my cheeks in pain from smiling at your last post. Um.... I'm betting that you have plenty of self sowing going on. But... you have many intercessors. All those lovely flower seeds are being turned into eggs!

You could very well be right about that! But, you'd think at least ONE thing would survive the flock gleaning...just one.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Do you glean seed in the fall? Every year, beginning mid August, I stuff seeds into my pockets every time I go to the garden. It drives DH crazy, cause I'll have little stashes of seeds all over the place drying out. But, I like to hedge my bets on how many seeds will be left behind by the chickens AND THE WILD BIRDS! Of course, there are the veggie seeds that must be saved as well, including my beloved Fortex!

 

[Beekissed]

Do you glean seed in the fall? Every year, beginning mid August, I stuff seeds into my pockets every time I go to the garden. It drives DH crazy, cause I'll have little stashes of seeds all over the place drying out. But, I like to hedge my bets on how many seeds will be left behind by the chickens AND THE WILD BIRDS! Of course, there are the veggie seeds that must be saved as well, including my beloved Fortex!

I do the zinnias and calendula.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Need to add nasturtiums to your gleanings! And tomatoes! And cukes if you grow OP. Lettuce is super easy to save also. though a lot of people would just prefer to buy new seed instead of taking the time to glean and dry the seed. I still have a pillow case of lettuce seed from about 4 years ago that I can't bear to part with b/c it's so nice to reach in there and grab a fist full of seed that I've saved from years past!

 

[Beekissed]

Need to add nasturtiums to your gleanings! And tomatoes! And cukes if you grow OP. Lettuce is super easy to save also. though a lot of people would just prefer to buy new seed instead of taking the time to glean and dry the seed. I still have a pillow case of lettuce seed from about 4 years ago that I can't bear to part with b/c it's so nice to reach in there and grab a fist full of seed that I've saved from years past!

Wow! A whole pillowcase!!! You must grow a LOT of lettuce!

I save tomatoes, cukes, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, garlic and pepper seeds. Have never grown nasturtiums here successfully, so have never gotten any seeds but am trying once again this year via preplanting in trays.

I eat my lettuce before it goes to seed, usually. If it bolts easily, I normally don't want to save that seed...I like growing lettuces that are slow to bolt.