welcome!! i know that you will just love it here!! these guys/gals are just delightful!! and of course some of them as ya found out ya have to watch out for!!! LOL i am so happy to meet a new sfg'r!! ~Medo

Thanks, Medo!

Jen - welcome to the sfg forum. I'm sure you will like it here, and everyone is very helpful. Sinfonian, granny, and others can answer just about any question a new gardener might have. I've learned tons throughout the year. They are why my experience is overall a success. Again, welcome - and don't be shy!

ps - don't pay any attention to the talkative one....you know who i'm referring to. :)

EG

Hey Hey play nice!!
i'll say something nice!! ummm....Eg is very helpful!! he helped me with my gh!! and he can help you build anything you want!! ~Medo

Welcome! I love Sinfonian's blog, too, although it makes me feel a bit lazy.

Welcome Jen, to the SFG forum and as a new blogger! I hope we see a lot of you around here.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Absolutely, WELCOME, WELCOME! I'm so glad we turned a lurker into a poster/blogger! It really is all worth it. LOL

Blessings,
Angela

Welcome Jen. I suspect you already know which one to look out for.:o)

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

Thanks, everyone. I've mentally taken bits and pieces from several of your plans when thinking about how to create my own SFG. EG, I can only hope that my trellises are 1/16th as perfectly constructed as yours are!!! I'm really looking forward to taking on this challenge. I think it will be a therapeutic outlet for me.

Jen - my trellises aren't perfect, but they work pretty well. I'm growing some big melons next year, maybe even pumpkins. Anyway, if I can ever help you with anything, please let me know - and i'll try my best. The whole gardening thing is a very good therapeutic outlet. I call it my personal serenity device.

EG

"Jen - my trellises aren't perfect,"
Spoken like a true engineer. :) Thanks for the offer of help, I may take you up on that this spring. My big battles have been bugs and birds, and I may be looking for some ways to create removable covers of insect netting that aren't totally unattractive. I know part of my problem was because of the incessant moisture this year, but we'll see.

I like my trellises. You just buy two puppies, then spend $200 for a safe playpen for them, then realize they will not use said playpen, so you move it out to the corner of the garden and plant things that will climb its 6' high chain link walls. Easy! Expensive, but easy.

BTW, when we got the hard freeze last week, the beans that were climbing on the solid corner post froze, but the ones on the chain link that was attached to the post didn't freeze.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Jen - i'm really glad that you "came out" lol. I mean.....there's only a handful of us that keep this forum going, and when someone leaves, there's a void that must be filled.
Ahem....all lurkers please come on in!

I still miss Laura, Maureen, crystabel, and others.....They were fun. Sigh.......

Granny - The difference in your freeze/beans scenario should be because of the thermal conductive properties of the air versus metal post(which is a much better conductor of heat) It's all explained in the psychrometric properties of air.......

EG

This forum must die down a lot in the winter time, but it seems to be chock full of info in the planting season. I see though that some of the pre-September 20th posts may be obliterated? That would be terrible, as most of the info I get from GW has been from older posts.

I think you're right peel, but it seems counterintuitive to me that it would die down in the winter, when I can't garden and I have time to post, lol.

Jen - I expect it to die down even further than it is now.....but it will still fare better than some of the other forums.

EG

EG, I know that. DUH! Of course, last winter that fact completely escaped me when I put a metal ladder over my small ficus tree and then covered that with a sheet. I froze that poor little tree terribly where it touched the metal. It did survive though, and the neighbor's tree (completely uncovered) didn't. I just had to prune off the branches that had touched the metal. Yes, it does freeze in Arizona. The past two winters we've had a week or two when the temp was down around 16F. Some years the water hoses don't even freeze, so we never know what we're going to get.

Jen, this is why we have so many OT threads now. Many of us aren't gardening at all from now until spring, but some of us still like to keep in touch.

Granny

I know what you mean, carolynp! I think I'm going to plan, revise, revise again, and again, and again over the coming months. I've already got a list of seeds to buy that would take up 3 times as much gardening space as I have, and I haven't even been seriously looking yet!

Woohoo! Another new person!! This fall was my first attempt at a SFG. I've learned a lot about what NOT to do and I've already planned about 84 new blocks for next spring. Glad we'll be trying it together!

I requested a few catalogs a few months ago, but none of them have arrived....anyone know if they come on a seasonal basis?

Heh. Granny - sounded pretty technical for a redneck, though......Ha!

Well, i've got about another 4 weeks of gardening left, but after that - i'll probably get pretty detailed with the planning of next year's horticultural happenings. Still - i'll have to stay in touch with my gardening buddies! I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm gonna grow more cole crops at the beginning of the year.

EG

Peel, be sure and look at the cool seed source discussion, I listed a bunch of cool new seeds I just got that I'm willing to share. Heh, every seed you get is one less you have to buy.
Granny, I will miss you SO when you are gone.
Ribbit: I think they DO send those catalogs on a seasonal basis. I might recommend you look online, too. The only problem with this is, if you're like me, getting the catalogs and looking online only assures I buy twice as much. Yikes!!

I use to post on several forums on GW and other web sites, like the SFG, Organics, Soil and Composting, Propagation and Greenhouse and Garden Structures. On the GW forums, I have restricted myself to the SFG forum because of the people. Here at SFG they are polite and friendly with creditable help without egos and self appointed expertise getting in the way (EG and Granny, among others donÂt get a swelled head). Sometimes I will post here when the post would better fit on another forum but I prefer the SFG forum.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

John just gave me a swelled head. He and EG have a way of doing that to me :-D VBG

I know what you mean, John. I'm blown away by the rude way some people act on some of the other forums! We have so many nice people here on SFG.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

i totally agree with John!! i post here, propagation sometimes, because sometimes no one will answer anyone and i feel bad for the person or they give them dumb answers!! or i feel my way is much easier!!
and winter sowing sometimes, they are way nice people!! so sweet and full of info. never rude!!
and lets see i know there's gotta be one more. the other side of seed exchange. and maybe that is it.
i don't like it when people are so critical and judgemental. if people are going to be like that they should just zip it!! ya know?? somebodys great idea may work for them and they not know it, just sound weird.
i will have a short time to do one of my plans and a long time to do the other garden plans!! LOL but i do plan to fill them beds with leaves and newspapers and horse poo and see how they come out!! LOL ya know for over the winter. ~Medo

Ya! Gots to agree, mad love for the SFG forum.

*GASP*!! I LOVE those self appointed masters at one thing or another who have more time on their hands than sense and think that just because they've tried one thing that worked for them, or better yet they had a friend who tried something that THEY swore was the only way to do it, that this is the one and only way a certain task can be performed or acomplished.

I go mushy and gooey inside, bring my hands up under my chin, bat my eyes and just sigh in awe and wonder...

at their stupidity, and then laugh my way straight back to this board where I know I'll find the guidance I need.

I lurked as well...7-8 months I might say, and saw a genuine friendship blossom within the people here.

EG, totally doing a spring crop as well. I bit with our weather down here we could get a relatively early jump. I'll never figure out why I didn't plant lettuce sooner and I believe that if I deepen the boxes, everything will do much better.

Ribbit - You sure know how to fit right in nicely, don't you? ROFL!!! Love your post above!

Carolyn - Are we converting you to seed exchanging before you've actually received a single seed? Wow! You're just wonderful, girl, you know that?

EG - You wrote, "I still miss Laura, Maureen, crystabel, and others.....They were fun. Sigh....... "... No JOKE! We do need some more to join our crazy, wonderful group! I'm SO glad the lurkers are "Coming Out of the Closet"!!!! ROFL!!!

John - Wow! I feel the same way, but an 'ole pro like you... I am so in awe!

Medo - Yep, the wintersowing group are awesome/friendly and the "talking" side of the seed exchange, too..... you and I think so much alike, don't we?

Blessings,
Angela

LOL, I was already a seed convert, I just never have enough to spread around. I'm like you Angela: only heirlooms from now on, so I can share and trade more. I'll have to try the wintersowing list. I have to figure out some layouts for the spring garden. It's weird because I'm really considering the swc's for all the tomatoes from here on end. Tomatoes are taking FOREVER to ripen, though, and they look a bit small. This is my least favorite time for tomatoes, the time between little green ones and ripe red ones. Sigh...

Man, I go away from here for a few days and look what mess you all get into... Welcome Jen! Congratulations on starting a SFG. It's an amazing gardening setup for space challenged gardeners. And as EG and others can attest, it's amazing even if you have more space than you need for many other reasons. If you've got questions, we've got answers and opinions. Through it all you'll find your way. I guarantee it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

Don't you worry, Angela, I've got a few screws loose and will most likely provide some additional comic relief, most of the time unintentionally. :)

Is spring here yet?!?!?

Should I fill my boxes this fall or wait until spring? I'm not doing any winter sowing. I really want to get going as far as I can now, but I'm not sure if it makes practical sense.

I'd fill now and top off in the spring. Remember, you are probably going to get close to 3" of settling. Not to mention you'll be preventing early spring growth of whatever is under those boxes by putting down a barrier covered with soil. If you have some leaves you could chop and mix in, it they would compost through the winter and just add to the soil.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

I would wait til spring, but that's just my opinion. Once you fill it, you're pretty much stuck with it - where it's at. Over the winter, you might decide that another location might be better. :) Additional comic relief is ALWAYS welcome. I need help with driving everyone else insane! LOL

EG

Well, there really isn't anywhere else to go with it, so I don't think that's an issue.

HOOHAAA!

Did that make you laugh? :)

EG's right! I filled my three 8-foot boxes, and didn't notice until much later that one was not quite at the proper angle with the rest. Drives me nuts, but nothing I can do about it now, I'm not going to empty it! It's only a matter of being off by maybe 5-6" on the back end, and probably nobody else will even notice, especially since it took me so long to see it. I'm sure I had them measured correctly, but we must have pushed one end over while dumping in a load of compost.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Granny - 5-6" ? Oh that wouldn't do......I'd have to dump the whole thing out, and start over. Either that, or take a picture of it - stick it to the refrigerator door, and put a sign above it, saying " WAY TO GO, EG...YOU BLEW IT".

EG

YES! I'll blame it on EG!

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Ok, this thread has seriously deteriorated. But settling? Someone isn't using Mel's mix. I've prayed for settling so I could add compost at replanting. I've seen next to none in a year. My brother said it would settle, but has admitted it isn't. Muahahahah!

Sinfonian - no settling? That's unbelievable....mine settled a good 2".

Peel - well...although it didn't really make me laugh, I can tell that you've got great potential! Keep up the good work. This forum needs people like you. :) Yay team!

Granny....No....you're not blaming your mistake on me! I wasn't even there. hee hee *gyah*

EG

EG: not even if I tell you to picture me looking like a feminine Al Pacino? Still nothing?

Eeeeewwww....Al Peelcino? That's a scary image.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Peel - well it's all according to which Al Pacino....the one in Dog day afternoon, or "say hello to my little friend" from scarface....

Sinfonian - yeah, the thread kinda went haywire somewhere...it's grannie's fault. Oh well, it's Peel's thread - as long as she doesn't mind.

EG

Of course I don't mind, I've dropped it down a few notches myself.

Sure, blame it on Granny. Hey, I don't have claim to the title "Queen of Off Topic" for nothing!!!

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

Welcome Jen. I have missed a couple of days but I LOVE this forum. This group is so much fun! I didn't think I had the right place to grow veggies but the SFG is making it possible. This fall is my first try and so far so good!