My Garden

[Stronza]

Hi, Claudio. Nice photo of your father! Yes, to answer your question, I come from a farm. Even tho we had a truck, we still occasionally used horses for transportation & ploughing the garden in the 1950s. I have countless fond memories of our old-fashioned, backward little farm. The garden was huge - typical prairie garden. Something like Sean (Doc) Martin's, I guess! Or at least the one he hopes to have! Our house was heated by wood burning stoves. The work was hard, and endless. Where I live now I have grown grapes, also, but I am sure they are not as nice as the ones in Italy. Good enough, though.

I can't imagine what it is like gardening and farming in a mountainous area. Olive trees - wow. It isn't clear to me exactly what sort of area you are living in now, though. 2 acres of bush sounds nice. I feel sorry for people who are stuck in apartments or small homes in the central, old part of cities - yet many seem to like it like that. Ghastly!

[Sean Martin]

I would have resolved the court case if the government wasn’t paying me to farm the land. That is the main reason I don’t have 15 acres in corn or whatever. The government figures what the value of the best crop to raise there would be then they send me a check with that amount every year.

The awesome thing is if they pay me not to raise corn, I can still raise beans. Right now I am just taking the check, I will probably get scolded for that one.

Originally Posted by Stronza

The garden was huge - typical prairie garden. Something like Sean (Doc) Martin's, I guess!

I want to fix my house on the farm to be able to operate completely off the grid with wood heat and such, but with electricity also.

Or at least the one he hopes to have! Our house was heated by wood burning stoves. The work was hard, and endless.

I forgot that dad has about 200 feet of grapes and such here. We have them on an 8 foot scaffold so we can walk under them.

Where I live now I have grown grapes, also, but I am sure they are not as nice as the ones in Italy. Good enough, though.

Where I live level land is either cut out of mountains or very rare in it’s natural state.

I can't imagine what it is like gardening and farming in a mountainous area.

You would be amazed how many people hate having as much as a lawn to mow. Many people like apartments. My sister hates this place because I am 11 miles from the nearest red light. She lives across from a store and other things of the city life in the suburbs of Detroit. I wouldn’t move back to Detroit for a million dollars literally.

I feel sorry for people who are stuck in apartments or small homes in the central, old part of cities - yet many seem to like it like that. Ghastly!

[H.N.]

Self sustaining agriculture is important for the times that lay ahead. Good job.

[Stronza]

Originally Posted by Gerhard

What is a good way to keep bugs under control? I have heard that growing certain types of plants along with your garden can draw the pests away. Marigolds were mentioned to me by someone. Any other suggestions?

There's 2 kinds of serious bug infestations.

In one case, insects are attracted to weak, inferior plants - they may look good (or not) but their mineral content is low. Mother Nature sends insects to devour them - this is the way of the world. The solution is to improve soil and any growing conditions that are not right. For example, poor drainage and excess or insufficient acidity of the soil - pH - are important factors in causing plants to be weak and therefore attractive to bugs. Also, and I don't know much about this, but sometimes the seed is not of the best quality and therefore may produce a weakened plant regardless of other factors.

I have grown potatoes in so-so soil. Always the plants are covered with potato beetle. When I add plenty of good-quality organic matter, plus virgin soil, and then pour a bit of diluted vinegar into the planting hole, there is not a potato beetle to be found. Not one. I have experimented this way several times.

HOWEVER. No matter how wonderful your soil and other growing conditions, including perfect weather, some insects are attracted even to healthy and strong plants. Why? Because that plant is needed by the insect. Best example is the cabbage butterfly, which must lay its eggs on plants that belong to the cabbage family, of which there are quite a few varieties. What I do when the cabbage butterfly comes along, if there are lots of them, is cover the plants with polyester row cover for a few weeks until the butterfly gets discouraged and goes elsewhere. If I am growing kale or collards, I may let the butterfly lay her eggs, hatch those dreadful green worms and eat the plants up, because in late August when evenings get chilly the green bugs die and the plants are tough enough to revive themselves and by 3rd week of September, they are like new.

Yes, they say that marigolds cause certain insects to be repelled. I have heard that catnip is good, also. I have both in my garden. There is quite a bit written about this, so if you have a gardening book, that might be helpful. And then of course there is the internet. So best of luck. Pouring poison, natural or not, doesn't solve the basic underlying problem, as I see it.

[Gerhard]

Originally Posted by Stronza

There's 2 kinds of serious bug infestations.

In one case, insects are attracted to weak, inferior plants - they may look good (or not) but their mineral content is low. Mother Nature sends insects to devour them - this is the way of the world. The solution is to improve soil and any growing conditions that are not right. For example, poor drainage and excess or insufficient acidity of the soil - pH - are important factors in causing plants to be weak and therefore attractive to bugs. Also, and I don't know much about this, but sometimes the seed is not of the best quality and therefore may produce a weakened plant regardless of other factors.
Yes, they say that marigolds cause certain insects to be repelled. I have heard that catnip is good, also. I have both in my garden. There is quite a bit written about this, so if you have a gardening book, that might be helpful. And then of course there is the internet. So best of luck. Pouring poison, natural or not, doesn't solve the basic underlying problem, as I see it.

I am lucky, in that, the soil I have is very good. I check the pH before I plant and keep a check on it. I have been quite surprised that everything I have used this year has been all natural and has worked quite well. The bugs have been light and I mainly just pick them off and everything has been fine.

That's been my main motivation this year to prove it can be done. I researched on the net different types of non-genetically modified seed and getting a descritption of the types that would best work for my soil type and climate. So far all has been great. Hard to tell about potatoes until it's time to harvest them. Personally, it's just great to have veggies that taste like something other than store bought "cardboard" types!!

I may try the marigolds and catnip next year. I have a cat and he is hooked on the nip.

[Kievsky]

Just my experience this year -- my mother in law as usual was in a pessimistic panic about pests. "we won't get anything, the bugs are eating everything, we have to douse the garden in pesticides or it will be devoured!"

I went out to the garden to verify what she said. I found daddy long leg spiders hanging around the potato plants Birds sneaking around under the canopy of plants -- all food plants have overgrown every inch of space, so I usually don't have to weed after June. Dragonflies and other predatory looking bugs skulking around. Not too many plant eating bugs, and very little damage. Not that time, but many other times I see fat garden snakes.

Personally, I'd rather take my chances on my plants getting eaten rather than poisoning my land and making it hostile to spiders and snakes and birds and predatory insects. Seeing those predators of garden pests thriving on my garden makes me very happy.

Interesting point about why pests eat weakened plants. I knew that was true, I just didn't know why until Stronza said that it's the way of Nature destroying weakened flora, just as predatory fish eat weakened or wounded minnows.

[blueskies]

Originally Posted by Stronza

Hi, Claudio. Nice photo of your father! Yes, to answer your question, I come from a farm. Even tho we had a truck, we still occasionally used horses for transportation & ploughing the garden in the 1950s. I have countless fond memories of our old-fashioned, backward little farm. The garden was huge - typical prairie garden. Something like Sean (Doc) Martin's, I guess! Or at least the one he hopes to have! Our house was heated by wood burning stoves. The work was hard, and endless. Where I live now I have grown grapes, also, but I am sure they are not as nice as the ones in Italy. Good enough, though.

I can't imagine what it is like gardening and farming in a mountainous area. Olive trees - wow. It isn't clear to me exactly what sort of area you are living in now, though. 2 acres of bush sounds nice. I feel sorry for people who are stuck in apartments or small homes in the central, old part of cities - yet many seem to like it like that. Ghastly!

I remember the mountains and at night, the sky was lit with stars. (I’m reminded of the film lord of the rings, hobbit, I want to see mountains again Gandalf, mountains lol) and at the mill olives was processed, was thick like honey, we use to spread it on a bread.

New Jersey is below sea level. I’m in Delaware valley Philly area. Sweetsbore, Vineland, toward Cape May, below the mason Dixie line, is agriculture. Past 30 years, New Jersey paved hundreds of thousands of mile of roads because of two major city, Philly and New York work and reside in NJ.

WW1 WW2 attributed Industrial rapid transformation

[Stronza]

Originally Posted by Claudio

I remember the mountains and at night, the sky was lit with stars. (I’m reminded of the film lord of the rings, hobbit, I want to see mountains again Gandalf, mountains lol) and at the mill olives was processed, was thick like honey, we use to spread it on a bread.

Oh, what an image. When you mentioned eating fresh olive oil on bread, right away I recalled that scene in Godfather Part 3 where that old bastard Altobello and the assassin were talking. And eating bread with olive oil. And the old man says words praising this kind of food, ending with "...saltano in Sicilia." Or is that spelled "soltano"...(I think it goes like that.) Now I want some too but you can't grow olives in Canada!

[blueskies]

Originally Posted by Stronza

Oh, what an image. When you mentioned eating fresh olive oil on bread, right away I recalled that scene in Godfather Part 3 where that old bastard Altobello and the assassin were talking. And eating bread with olive oil. And the old man says words praising this kind of food, ending with "...saltano in Sicilia." Or is that spelled "soltano"...(I think it goes like that.) Now I want some too but you can't grow olives in Canada!

I think I might go to Europe this year in the fall for two weeks. Haven’t been back since I moved here 1972. Long time still though have memories. Matter of fact the day I left, planted a chestnut so I look forward if it’s grown. a neighbor of mine also moved to Montreal, he owns a bar visits us in NJ and will see my old neighbor in Canada maybe in the winter tour spectacular Niagara falls, and all .

Soltano" is the correct term.

[blueskies]

Joisie tomato’s , and as you can see, i put an egg just to get idea how big.
That my office.
Cut a dead tree,and this fall i will split it with an axe fire-wood.

Last photo down is my front-yard

[America First]

Good to have a garden I agree, I have a small one my self, it green's like Kale's and onions.

I wanted to post this as so many good folk still use diet drinks and foods with this poison and should not.

Aspartame Side Effects
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true. How can one chemical create such chaos?

Aspartame dissolves into solution and can therefore travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue. The body digests aspartame unlike saccharin, which does not break down within humans.

The multitude of aspartame side effects are indicative to your genetic individuality and physical weaknesses. It is important to put two and two together, nonetheless, and identify which side effects aspartame is creating within you.

Aspartame Information:

Aspartame Side Effects
Aspartame Case Histories
Artifical Sweeteners
Phenylalanine
Phenylketonuria

Aspartame Detoxifcation:

How to Detox
Read about SweetPoison
Contact Janet Hull






Aspartame Side Effects
The components of aspartame can lead to a number of health problems, as you have read. Side effects can occur gradually, can be immediate, or can be acute reactions. According to Lendon Smith, M.D. there is an enormous population suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms. Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all. Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

These are not allergies or sensitivities, but diseases and disease syndromes. Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook ‘disease’ symptoms, such as Grave’s Disease.

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning.

Ever gone to the doctor with real, physical symptoms, but he/she can’t find the cause? Well, it’s probably your diet, your environment, or both.

Aspartame is the common denominator for over 92 different health symptoms at the root of modern disease. The Aspartame Detoxification Program demonstrates the most effective way to reverse disease symptoms is removing the underlying cause - aspartame.

I counsel aspartame victims worldwide and have witnessed nine out of 10 clients restore their health by following the Aspartame Detoxification Program. Begin with detoxifying your body of all residual chemical toxins from aspartame's chemical make up of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and their toxic by-products, and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try the Aspartame Detoxification Program, and within 30 days your symptoms should disappear.

Steps:

Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.
I designed this Ten Step Program to help protect your health and the health of those you love from being seduced by the sugar-free diet craze. Wishing you good health.

What can you do about aspartame side effects?
Set an example by changing your diet.

Tell everyone you know.
Talk to the schools and day care centers. Offer to speak at parent-teachers meetings.
Contact your local, state, and Federal government representatives.
If you see someone with a diet drink, ask if they have had any of the typical aspartame side effects.
Spread the word at your work.
Distribute the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot's Hotline
Tell your doctor about the scientific research available proving the negative side effects of aspartame.
Register a complaint with the FDA, the FAA, the NutraSweet Company about aspartame poisoning.
Return all food products with aspartame, opened or unopened, to your grocer. Tell him/her the products make you sick. The grocer can return them to the manufacturer for a store refund. The manufacturer should get the message. So, will the grocer.
Spread the word on computer networks.
Publish articles in newsletters at your church, place of work, or neighborhood association.
Set a personal example for health and wellness.
Click Here To See Aspartame Symptoms Submitted to the FDA.




Search SweetPoison.com:

[blueskies]

The use of aspartame basically is for longevity of food product on the shelf or warehouses for months on end but not for folks, number one related health issue in U.S is heart disease.

With the blessing of communist jews, the capitalist pigs maximize profits at the expense of folks.

[Rounder]

I'm right proud of my garden this year (07). 3 rows, each 70 feet long.

75-80 cantelopes and muskmellons
45-50 watermellons (Charleston Greys and Sugar Babies)
125-150 tomatoes (on 7 plants and more are growing, as of 25 August)
40-50 squash (strong winds destroyed 3 of my 7 squash plants)
50-60 hot peppers from 2 plants
Butterbeans - enough for 7-8 meals (3 eaters)
200 or more large cucumbers (only about 25 feet of row)
Snap beans (watermellon vines covered them so thoroughly, they became too large and tough to eat by the time I checked them, but there were lots of them)

Excellent soil here in SW Missouri for crops, but usually not enough rain, therefore watering is necessary.

[6KILLER]

Originally Posted by Rounder

I'm right proud of my garden this year (07). 3 rows, each 70 feet long.

75-80 cantelopes and muskmellons
45-50 watermellons (Charleston Greys and Sugar Babies)
125-150 tomatoes (on 7 plants and more are growing, as of 25 August)
40-50 squash (strong winds destroyed 3 of my 7 squash plants)
50-60 hot peppers from 2 plants
Butterbeans - enough for 7-8 meals (3 eaters)
200 or more large cucumbers (only about 25 feet of row)
Snap beans (watermellon vines covered them so thoroughly, they became too large and tough to eat by the time I checked them, but there were lots of them)

Excellent soil here in SW Missouri for crops, but usually not enough rain, therefore watering is necessary.

Glenn, do you make your own whiskey as well?

[Stronza]

That's quite some tomatoes, Claudio. Ours are still kind of green, but then I grow the long-season kind. What variety are those?

Rounder, that is a helluva garden. No kohl rabi? (My favourite veg, and I have about 60 plants this year.)

Hope everybody reading this thread will show us photos of your garden or at least tell us about them...I live for this kind of thing.

[blueskies]

Originally Posted by Stronza

That's quite some tomatoes, Claudio. Ours are still kind of green, but then I grow the long-season kind. What variety are those?

.

Beefsteak tomatoes!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beefsteak_%28tomato%29

[Sudaka]

I planted "German Queen" tomato seeds however many months ago and just ONE grew -- but by Christ it was, I shit you not, the reddest, fattest, and tastiest tomato I've ever had.

[Rounder]

Originally Posted by Stronza

That's quite some tomatoes, Claudio. Ours are still kind of green, but then I grow the long-season kind. What variety are those?

Rounder, that is a helluva garden. No kohl rabi? (My favourite veg, and I have about 60 plants this year.)

Hope everybody reading this thread will show us photos of your garden or at least tell us about them...I live for this kind of thing.

I don't know what "kohi rabi" is, Stronza. Sounds a little too kosher to suit my taste, though.

Yes, I really enjoy gardening. You sound like a bit of an enthusiast, yourself.

I've been a farm-nut ever since I was a boy plowing the soil, barefooted, behind a mule.

[Sudaka]

Originally Posted by Rounder

I don't know what "kohi rabi" is, Stronza. Sounds a little too kosher to suit my taste, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi

It's a German compound. You for example would be a Kohlkopf.

[Rounder]

Originally Posted by Sudaka

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlrabi

It's a German compound. You for example would be a Kohlkopf.

From it's description, it sounds damn good, Sudaka. I'll make note and may plant a few next Spring.

I forgot to mention I harvested 14 cabbages this year from my garden. As you know, cabbages mature quickly. The ones I planted made in 40 days or less.

My bell pepper plants failed miserably, though. And I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Forgot how, I guess. Back in North Carolina, I grew large, delicious ones every year. But here in Missouri, mine grow no bigger than a golf ball. Any tips ??