A place to post and chat about plant pics...

Discussion in 'Conversations Forum' started by The Hollyberry Lady, Jun 14, 2009.

  1. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Nope, but if you ever get a shot, feel free to post it here.

    Just proves that weeds can be nice plants too!

    : )
     
  2. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    It won't be my shot. I'm NEVER EVER GOING BACK THERE.
     
  3. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    Don't mention Dandelions, I can give you bucket loads each spring and summer off my lawn when the seeds blow over and self set from my neighbours eyesore of a weed garden, I'm sick of the blinking things. Especially as I put so much effort in trying to keep it weed free. Its funny I can't ever recall seeing a Dandelion in Mexico in fact our lawns there are virtually weed free. Ironically though I have started cultivating stinging nettles for their incredible healing properties and Comfrey, a lot of people would regard those as weeds!

    On another note, I quite excited that I was able to obtain a baby vine on Saturday, can't wait to see how it takes to the garden, especially as one of my neighbours vines that he grows in the fron garden and trails up the front wall of his house was laden with grapes this year. Hope mine deos as well....
     
  4. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I'm not into manicured lawn and I love the way they are there up and "bloomin" the following day after a hair cut. In this dry place down the city they stay green and cheerful. Plus my goats like them out in the paddock. Of all the weeds they are the least likley to cause me concern. On the other hand a relative has reared it's head down the road (Ragwort) that is going big time as it ruins pasture and grows about 4 ft tall.
    Liz
     
  5. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    How come, Beth?


    : o
     
  6. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Too cold!
     
  7. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    Can't blame you for that Beth. I have had the central heating on permenantly since coming back from Mexico!
     
  8. ShearMe

    ShearMe Active Member

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    I play with weeds in pots until I get bored with their dullness sometimes. ;)
     
  9. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Too funny, Beth!

    The way you wrote it in capitals...like you'd witnessed a murder there or something! Then to come out with..."Too cold"!!!!

    : o

    You've been spoiled too long in that Ecuadorian sunshine and heat...it's made you a wuss!

    : o

    I know, I know...you're about to tell me how freezing the arctic circle is, right? Now, now...none of your feable excuses...

    You're just vulnerable to the cold because you moved away from Canada eh...and you're never coming back here either...I know.

    Not even for a visit?

    : )

     
  10. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    I'm not wussing out. If I ever want to lose contact with my toes again, I can climb the nearest glaciated volcano (Chimborazo) and it will remind me handily of why I moved.

    But Canada is freaking cold. I tend to adapt to my environment fairly rapidly, and I can tell you that the last time I was back in Canada (May two years ago, when there was still frost in Edmonton) it nearly killed me. I was ill for two months after I got back to Ecuador.

    The other issue is that you don't appreciate how rotten the food is until you've been eating Ecuadorean for a while. Then you go back to Canuckistan and first of all the lunch you've become accustomed to (soup, a hearty main course with salad, dessert, and fresh juice) and it sets you back $30 (I pay $1.50 to $2 for lunch here), and it's all made from frozen stuff and has exactly zero flavour and the lettuce is all limp and ughly and the tomato tastes like a cardboard cutout of a tomato and the juice and soup came out of cans, and the portions are so small as to be completely unsatisfying. I'm completely spoiled by the concept that the word "fresh" should mean "made about 10 minutes ago or harvested this morning."
     
  11. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    That's awful...Yuck!!!


    : o


    I can see why you're a gardener, Beth...and furthermore, why it's essential to you - after reading that!


    Yes, you are right...Canana is freaking cold! That's terrible that you got sick like that! I've about had enough of it already. Can't wait for Spring...


    : )
     
  12. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    I'm totally there with you Beth. Have you noticed that when you eat food in the States or Europe you feel bloated afterwards but you never do in Latin America because the food A) Is Fresh and B) deosnt have all the additives in it so its much easier to digest and better for you. Tomatoes for example arent grown using genetically modified fish genes to make them have a longer shelf life.

    Fresh and organic is definately best especially if its straight out of your own garden or the street market we have every friday at the back of our house in Mexico.
     
  13. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Yeah, Nath - I gained like 20 lbs in the month I was in Canada, and I'm convinced it was bloat from chemicals, because I lost it all again right away when I got back to Ecuador. We can't afford pesticides or hormones or whatnot, so the food's so much cleaner. I shop at a big market about 5 blocks from my home, and nothing there has traveled more than 100 km to get there.
     
  14. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    I think you showed pictures once of the market place, Beth. If not feel free anytime to post shots anytime...

    : )
     
  15. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Ah, but that was the market in Quito. The Ambato one is bigger! Next Monday we're planning to take the camera with us, since Grandma also wants pictures of it.
     
  16. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    I knew you posted shots of a market before. Looking forward to seeing more soon, Beth...even though I'll be jealous!

    : o
     
  17. Liz

    Liz Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I too noticed the difference between food quality over here and what we were getting for eg in supermarkets in UK.
    Mind you the markets are the place to shop here or the small green grocer not the large supermarkets who have there potatoes a certain size, the tomatoes disgusting and generaly everything tastes blah! We are loosing a lot of our farmers because of the supermarket conglomerates who demand ever lower prices so they import from asia instead and the food is old / cool store stuff and costs a lot compared to world prices. We have too little competition.

    Liz
     
  18. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Some of the so called 'fresh produce' here in the winter is enough to make my stomach turn! Tomatoes at many grocery stores have about the equivalent of flavor found in.....sawdust!

    : (


    I hit the farmer's market whenever I can in winter.

    : )
     
  19. Nath

    Nath Active Member

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    You can't beat a good farmers market especially if the produce is organically grown.

    My first batch of maize is 6 inches tall and hopefully will have reached 18 inches by April when I intend to plant it outside. I also plan to grow white onions as you can't seem to find them in the UK, lettuce, Tomatoes, Acelga Green Tomatos, potatoes, carrots, spinach, Broccoli,lettuce and all sorts of herbs and chiles, hope its a nice spring and long summer and we have a good harvest.
     
  20. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Yes, the Farmer's market in winter has many organically grown veggies that actually taste pretty good. It's very expensive, but I don't mind because I am just so grateful to have a good place I can go to in the winter months.

    I enjoy growing my own veggies to, but like to grow uncommon types that can't be found even at the summer market...like special heirloom tomatoes and peppers sweet and hot. I also like special uncommon melon varieties and might grow some this coming season.

    I am so excited about Spring...

    : )
     
  21. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    Geez Sherr, sounds like you are describing the tomatoes they sell here in the winter.
     
  22. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    Amazing too though, that they are perfectly red on the outside, but when you cut into them they're pale with white cores! No flavor at all.

    In fact I find freshly canned summer tomatoes to be more flavorful than the crap in the produce aisle in winter.

    : o
     
  23. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    And dont forget the lovely waxy color and flavour, that no matter how much you wash, u can still taste it.
    Me too, i buy canned tomatoes in the winter, once i run out of what i have froze.
     
  24. The Hollyberry Lady

    The Hollyberry Lady New Member

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    That wax is just disgusting!

    : o

    I fresh freeze stuff too. I like freezing whole cherry tomatoes, and then simmering them in a saucepan with some garlic and basil, over pasta with romano cheese. Mmmmmmm.

    : )
     
  25. PennyG

    PennyG Active Member

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    I thought i froze enough tomatoes again this year, but evidently not, i used the last on the weekend to make cabbage rolls, so i'm out.
     

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