Russell

I go back and forth between south bend and niles so it sounds like I might be in your neck of the woods.

I'm a gardening newbie but am enjoying learning and would love to know someone around here who also enjoys going to nurseries etc.

Susan

I'm in West Michigan and a plant nut but I hardly have room for the stuff I have now. Must do major planning and moving. I'm in the Grand Rapids area.

:) BYOH.

Bring Your Own Hoe.

Or we could do tours of the local greenhouses. Varners Greenhouse is sort of cool. God's Green Earth is too, if you like butterflies and water gardens. Ginger Valley in Granger is nice.

The best tomatoes you can buy around here are grown by a guy named Karackson, he lives on US 12 outside of Edwardsburg. Nearly as good as home-grown tomatoes. And other than a fondness for rhubarb, he's a great guy.

I'm not going to rise to the weeding party bait, JKirk. Your mention of Ginger Valley intrigutes me, though. Do they actually specialize in gingers? That sounds dangerous (to my wallet, that is). And thanks for the tip about the tomato grower -- looks like no vegetable garden for us this summer, so we'll be on the lookout for something beyond the rubber handballs that typically populate the tomato section of the produce aisle. As for your libelous comments about rhubarb :>) -- have you witnessed the glory of ornamental rhubarbs such as Rheum palmatum and R. alexandrae? Although I can't speak to their culinary merits (which likely are none).

Well it's like this. When it comes to taste buds, most people are average. The researchers put a template on your tongue, add some blue food coloring, and count the number of taste buds.

So, 90% of people are average tasters.

5% of people are called 'Non-Tasters' because they have really sparse taste buds. One advantage is they can eat anything without complaining. Spinach pie? Sure !

About 5% are called 'Super-Tasters' because they have THREE times as many taste buds per square inch as the average joe. Their advantage is that they can detect poisons, as most poisons are bitter.

It's the people with the sparse taste buds that like Rhubarb Pie, you see.

Yuck.

I accidentally got some Rhubarb cheesecake at a potluck three weeks ago. One taste and my tongue tried to escape ! I think it actually tried to jump out of my mouth !!!

I thought some whacko had put sour lemon in the cheesecake with tart-sour cherries. Ackkk !

I was astounded until I realized it must be Rhubarb-Cherry cheesecake.

There's something Mr Karackson and I do NOT agree on. He likes cherries that are so sour your mouth puckers up. Makes my jaw hurt to think about it.

What's wrong with Sweet Cherries? Strawberry Shortcake?

I make a Sweet & Sour stirfry, but it's not very sour. Pineapple for the sweet, some flavored vinegar for the sour. Anything stronger I can't deal with.

Well, Brownies are fine ! As long as there's no rhubarb in them.

What's the other nursery there? I have a friend who lives in Coopersville outside GR and am over there quite a bit. We often drive down to Wavecrest and would love to visit another nursery in the area.

Janet, off to make some strawberry-rhubarb jam!

I REALLY think you folks would enjoy a weeding party... in MY garden !

We could even take turns with the machete, attacking the Sumac trees in the field next door. I could demonstrate how to use a Propane Flamer.

Maybe one of us knows how to service small engines, and we could have a seminar on cleaning carburators... oh, the things we could DO together !

And afterward, ya'll can compete to paint my Aunt Polly's picket fence !

I'd grill some Hebrew National hot dogs, maybe some of my famous Bill Burgers-- this could be GREAT !

Later we could all drive to Ginger Valley and ask if they can order us some Corn Gluten !

Each fifteen minutes apart, of course. Think they'd notice it was a setup ?

And karen w, if you want, you can bring your own ho. I don't have enough ho's to go around.

That's a pity -- I'm still searching for a ho that will weed my garden...

Replying to Janet's earlier post -- I can't remember the name of the nursery near Wavecrest. All I know is it's on the opposite (east) side of the interstate from Wavecrest. From what I've heard it has some good stuff. Hope to visit it this summer and find out for myself.

Russell

On your subject of the other nursery in Fennville, I belive the one you are thinking of is Huntree. Its on 68th street. Never been there but Ive heard its realy nice.

Russell

But the original post mentioned get-togethers. When are we going to have one?

Swaps and pot lucks are fun - and you can even meet Karen - she will be the one with the hohoho.

I will have some Japanese anemones to share.

Cheers - Kiwi in Kalamazoo