tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post114987319655284536..comments2024-03-19T00:54:49.043-05:00Comments on In My Kitchen Garden: What's Growin' On: 6/9/06Farmgirl Susanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04851855517852917202noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1151734413035771742006-07-01T01:13:00.000-05:002006-07-01T01:13:00.000-05:00Have you heard of Vella Dry Monterey Jack? If not...Have you heard of Vella Dry Monterey Jack? If not, is a Jack cheese made here in Sonoma and dried so it's grateable like a Parm or Romano. Anyway, the Vella family, decades ago had a creamery on the square, right where Sam Sebastiani's place is now, and they made the most wonderful black raspberry ice cream. It's been years since I've been able to find it anywhere, but I will never forget it. What a perfume. Lucky you to have the berries growing there.ZaZahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12612336460423701718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1150693438809221432006-06-19T00:03:00.000-05:002006-06-19T00:03:00.000-05:00Thanks for the helpful advice! I opted for vicki's...Thanks for the helpful advice! I opted for <I>vicki</I>'s idea of draping the netting (instead of building a big frame like I was thinking of doing originally). It was good to hear from <I>coastalcagardener</I> that tomato-eating-birds are a consistent garden visitor in these parts. I already have a bird bath, but I only have room for 1 since I have a relatively small yard. I like <I>paintbrushpoet</I> and <I>sally</I>'s idea of the baking pan cacophony & <I>laurie</I>'s suggestion of a radio, but since I live in a condo with many strict association rules, I'd worry about complaints from neighbors if I tried either of these methods while I live here. I've decided to try pinwheels for a moving reflective object; I used tinfoil streamers last year, but they kept falling down in the wind. I think someday I'll try <I>teree</I>'s method of a more permanent canopy structure. Thank you <B>so much</B> for all your help! Hopefully this year I'll get a chance to eat more tomatoes than the birds!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14022545546007093387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1150121697008717892006-06-12T09:14:00.000-05:002006-06-12T09:14:00.000-05:00Speaking of critter problems, a coworker just aske...Speaking of critter problems, a coworker just asked if I have any suggestions on what she can do about groundhogs invading her garden, eating her seedlings, etc. I have no clue! So she wondered if I could post the question here since there are so many friendly and helpful gardeners. Any recommendations!?! She's about ready to catch and cook the groundhogs, which recently expanded from one or two to include a family of four kids!Jephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02843262392217281569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1150032148481900812006-06-11T08:22:00.000-05:002006-06-11T08:22:00.000-05:00Next May, look under those berry bushes for Morrel...Next May, look under those berry bushes for Morrel mushrooms. They seem to like growing right among the bracts. The pain of the picking is worth the harvest. <BR/><BR/>I've never had a problem with birds and tomatoes, but I know the aluminum pan will scare them off other fruits - for a while. Grackos and Blue Jays are cheeky buggers that don't scare easily, at least for long. Good luck!Sallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02202463147917151854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1150006234091787932006-06-11T01:10:00.000-05:002006-06-11T01:10:00.000-05:00MMMMMmmmmmm! Yummy raspberries! I bet the turtle...MMMMMmmmmmm! Yummy raspberries! I bet the turtles are wishing they could jump.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149898446259347112006-06-09T19:14:00.000-05:002006-06-09T19:14:00.000-05:00Yes, bird netting is a pain, but sometimes necessa...Yes, bird netting is a pain, but sometimes necessary. I am going to try "opposite birdcages" on the plants (basically the plants are on the inside and the birds on the outside. But as you mentioned Flatlander is in CA, she might also want to try adding some water for the birds in the garden. Many times, birds are looking for water in our dry summers, and they've learned to peck at tomatoes and stone fruits to get it. I added 3 bird baths and they stopped pecking at my nectarines. But with all the quail that are in my garden, berries are a favorite treat of theirs.CoastalCAGardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09098668391291009991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149888468529769622006-06-09T16:27:00.000-05:002006-06-09T16:27:00.000-05:00Why couldn't the netting just be draped over the t...Why couldn't the netting just be draped over the tomato cages or possibly make "hoops" (creating a tunnel over the tomatos) with light weight pvc pipe then drape the netting and secure with twisty ties to hoops. Usually tomatos are nestled between the leaves so if the netting is draped over several plants then I would think the tomatos would be protected. Or what about a light weight row cover instead of netting? Then this could just be draped over the tomatos without all the bother of building a frame.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149882471046719232006-06-09T14:47:00.000-05:002006-06-09T14:47:00.000-05:00I know an organic farmer who puts a radio under a ...I know an organic farmer who puts a radio under a small (foot-tall) shelter in the middle of his garden, and leaves it on a talk station. I always forget to ask him if it works well, but this is the second year I've seen him use it. <BR/><BR/>My father used all kinds of tricks to keep the birds out of his blueberries and nothing ever worked for long. Finally he had enough blueberry bushes to feed both us and the birds and we didn't have to worry about heart attacks from hearing his "air cannon" suddenly go off. I'm going to try the radio or the foil pans if I begin having problems.Lauriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13607467794651542046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149881502415855422006-06-09T14:31:00.000-05:002006-06-09T14:31:00.000-05:00Black raspberries are the best. I have planted to...Black raspberries are the best. I have planted tons of them. They are great fresh and by themselves but best when sugared lightly and left to juice up and then served over melty vanilla ice cream. Yum.meresy_ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01586109095715179608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149880996821573512006-06-09T14:23:00.000-05:002006-06-09T14:23:00.000-05:00My neighbors have their blueberries enclosed in a ...My neighbors have their blueberries enclosed in a chicken wire and timber cage, it is pretty ugly but they've been getting beautiful berries for about 20 years I hear.Stunned Donorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08760806404865427760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149877310451406042006-06-09T13:21:00.000-05:002006-06-09T13:21:00.000-05:00Here's a couple of things I've done that worked:Th...Here's a couple of things I've done that worked:<BR/>The old fashioned foil baking pans tied to a stick with a string. The birds don't like that banging them in the face while they eat. The breeze moves it. All things reflective deter animals. Maybe they think it is a gun.<BR/>Also I have used tomato cages and wrapped net around the whole thing. The thought here is the tomatoes don't grow out the top (usually) on a tall plant. <BR/>Good luck!<BR/>Paintpaintbrushpoethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17635049918526544564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21318605.post-1149873759527545902006-06-09T12:22:00.000-05:002006-06-09T12:22:00.000-05:00Oooooh, black raspberries! I love them and they a...Oooooh, black raspberries! I love them and they are so hard to find. Black raspberry pie is the best.Pattihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03044615535864848757noreply@blogger.com