Garlic is easy! I grew it last year. I didn't even plant it in the ground. If you have large planters or grow bags you can use them. Just give them lots of space. If you crowd them you get smaller bulbs.

I didn't do anything to the cloves before planting. I did mulch them for winter but you shouldn't need to in the South. I'm drying a bunch of heads now and will probably use them soon (harvested in July). They seem dry enough.

Garlic here needs cool weather ,and some of mine grows in shade , also a good soil is always better ,
Mine are Hardneck so farther south is a question ,I do not know about ,
Bubils are small and take some time to grow , not much difference from small bulbs My Bulbs of the Garlic are small I cannot match production sizes ,,

I added some Candy Cane Zinnia . I got some seeds from a white peppermint this morning , and as usual cross pollination from garden seeds maybe maybe not that they will look the same ,, I will check the Basil and mint later this evening ,

SC I willcheck out that Lettuce Leaf Basil in a while ,

Val After growing all this season 2 inches tall Baptisia trying to grow a new leaf , difficult to see About blooms , yes .


Candy Cane this morning

I just added the Nolana and a couple of other things. I also added to a couple that had run out. I'm still inventorying my seeds and I have way too many. So I still might add more. I'm just too sick of looking at seeds right now

Thanks elena! I always look forward to seeing what everyone finds during these swaps too. This morning during my walk, I finally had some veronica that was ready to harvest. I have pentas going to seed but they are still green.

I have to tell ya'll about my brugmansia. This year I did my research and finally ordered the Brug Black Currant Swirl. Parks waited about 3 weeks too long to send my order so it was really past time for germinating much. I was right there on the fence. I planted 9 seeds and ended up with 2 plants that just languished away. Or so I thought. Until 2 weeks ago. They are now both 3 ft tall, gaining more leaf buds to bush out and they both have at the least, 10 buds apiece on them. Well, I've been telling Val about this plant because I've never grown it. Wed I send her a pic of my brug. The buds were 2" long. 2 days later I'm looking at it again, this thing is now 6" long. Yesterday before the swap I went to check it again. It's trying it's best to bloom. I don't know why but an hour later I was outside again and I look at it and this thing is starting to bloom! By 11pm last night It was fully bloomed! This has been the neatest flower, blooming wise, that I have ever grown. I just have to show ya'll. It's going to be really pretty and I think I'm going to end up keeping brugs in my yard forever. And Val, it's back to a rose scent this morning. I'm going to say depending on the heat is what it smells like. I was standing up by my vegetable garden today and the breeze came through. All of a sudden I get a rose scent. That's the one brug that bloomed and it's well away from where I was standing. I have to walk past my passion vine and you could tell it was not the passion flowers that were so strong. I think I'm going to love this thing. Sorry about the pics being blurry...

Karen, that's beautiful!

So gorgeous, Karen...guess who wants to grow that next year!?! :D

Well, I had hoped I could have seeds by this swap but perhaps later on. I'm counting on it anyway, lol. You know we'll swap for them. ;)

I added a package of my driveway petunia seeds ,,

Jim,
That's VERY disappointing (your baptisia). Mine are about 8-10", I have 3-4 stems in my pot(s)
Is it in a shady area? It looks to be, but that could just be the time of day you took the picture.
Mine are in mostly full sun. I wonder if that would make a big difference if you moved it?

I have some malva alcea (pink)(perennial) if anyone's interested. I thought I had listed, but apparently did not. (pic below)



Does the swap end Thursday night, since it started last Friday night?

Rick, different thread, but going to write here....Yes, swaps and "needing" to buy seed to share is an ongoing struggle! :D

Have a great day everyone! Going to check the weather and see how Hermine's path is going to affect us today. Yesterday alot of rain by afternoon, but in the a.m. it had stalled and we went to the beach to check it out. Everything looked very calm on shore, tho the wave swells were supposed to be bad as it got closer

Hi everyone! I was out of town last weekend, not much of an internet signal, but I managed to get online and use my tickets. Thank you to everyone who put seeds in! What an incredible assortment to choose from. I am probably going overboard, but I can always share some seeds with friends if I end up with too many to plant. Happy trading!

Val i would really like that Alcea Pink perennial , If you get time ,Or have that as seeds ,, Butterfly plant ,, I saw the White Mallow ,
About the Baptisia , , I was shading it with the camera , it gets plenty of sun ,

Hope the storms go around , the severity

Jim,
I am off to list the malva alcea for you (and will put extra if anyone else wants it.
Happy to do so!

The sun was trying to come out today, and was successful a few times for short periods. I think the storm is done / petered out. Today was just like a "regular" rainy day. the winds were not high as expected. For that, we're thankful. We sure could use the rain. I dont think we got THAT much, all considered.

96 degrees and sunny ,broiling me ... Watering a few plants
Lots small plants growing .
last seasons trade
Tall bok choy (Rick Corey .. Partial shade this time of year


Silverlight Snapdragon appearance
From Elena


I had a construction Bucket full of Bronze Fennel seedlings that got ate last night ,, On the upside I still have three in other containers ,, Dusted them .

Those "Tall" white stem Bok Choy should be ready in 40 days, like Oct 13th. Maybe sooner in warm weather, certainly sooner if you want young plants smaller than the mature height of 8-10". The white stems are slender, so don't wait "for them to get fat".

I agree that shade is good at this time of year! But they should withstand mild or moderate frost as fall changes into winter.

If they bolt, well, they are OP! You can save seeds, but they will cross-pollinate with any flowering Brassica rapa for ?? miles. And to save seeds for many generations, you would have to save seeds from around 50 plants to maintain genetic diversity (B. rapa varieties are out-crossers.) (For Brassicas, I'd rather buy OP varieties in bulk or from Tainong Seeds.

Hi ya Rick for the Info I have a Spinach and a Black Mustard that cross rather easily,, as saying , I am aware brassicas cross like pooof , !!!
Only they also adapt that way and get easier to grow , As long as they still taste good and grow ,, I am satisfied ,,

Rabbit ate the larger one I had wintersowed to get more seeds from , But I can grow three times a year mustard 4 or 5 ,, Zoom the things grow ..



Choy and Turnip Greens
I forgot the partial row of Mustard Southern type

I agree they cross like rabbits!

And rabbits probably think that we are great humanitarians for growing so many kinds of greens for them to eat.

Growing them faster than critters is the goal ,,

@vma4922 - I'm sorry I thought I answered your question. I have my mints in containers since they're so invasive. I bring them in the garage for winter and bring them back out. I slowly up pot them or divide them into other pots and find homes for them. Once I get land.....in 10 years lol...I will plant them in the yard since I'll have acres to play with!

Hi Cheryl,

I keep my mint in a pot as well; I just wondered if you used alot of mint in cooking/baking, drinks, etc?