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Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread, November 28, 2020 [KT]

delta sumsqush.jpg

Delta SUMMER squash

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all you gardeners, putterers and dreamers! I received my first printed seed catalog this week. We have had a couple of inquiries about seed catalogs, so I thought the one I got, Twilley Seeds, would be a good place to start. Have you received any catalogs yet? Dreaming about spring and summer yet?

Like a lot of seed catalogs, Twilley is distinctive. The variety in catalogs reminds me how big and inventive our country is. This one is aimed at market growers and bedding plant growers. It includes information on regional adaptation of different cultivars, etc. that used to be included in the "big" catalogs like Burpee.

This catalog also has a very large selection of pumpkins, well organized. Might help you guess if the pumpkin you bought for decoration is edible.

We also have a couple of Thanksgiving Garden Surprises from The Horde and a little art.

Thanksgiving Garden Surprises

From CSMBigBird:

Something very wrong with this year. Figs on Nov 22. Figs normally fruit rather early, as fruit does here. I am south of Mobile, AL. The trees should be dormant like all the other fruit trees I have.

figsbbrd.jpeg

From Gordon in Minnesota:

I was making broth from the turkey carcass. I pulled the last carrots. This one weighs in a little over two pounds.

"Honey, we're having pot roast with potatoes and carrot."

Pale yellow, really, except for the green part which was above the ground. The other one that came out was solid orange.

bigyelcarrot.jpg

Those big garden carrots have great flavor, especially if they have been in the cold ground for a while.

Last week, JAS had another suggestion:

A couple of years ago, due to a storm, we lost power. I had planned on cooking a pot roast. Well, I broke out the Coleman Deluxe Camp stove and the dutch oven. First time I tried parsnips. With spuds, carrots, etc. OMG. The best pot roast I ever made.

Puttering with Art

A friend of mine in the military is in COVID isolation due to a positive test. He decided to do a little butterfly art. Orange tip butterflies:

species buttrfly.jpg

He was just transferred recently, but friends brought him "real food" for Thanksgiving while he was in isolation. Nice.

Seed Catalogs

Twilley Seed Catalog

Here in the West, a lot of commercial growers seem to have personal relationships with their seed vendors. In the East, some seed vendors do not have interactive catalogs. Twilley is one of them. And the following online categories of vegetables are not currently reachable through their website, which is a shame.

Anyway, to order from them, have your order written down and call them on the phone. They are very business-like and ship fast. I appreciate the orderliness of the catalog. Look at how the hot peppers are categorized. The print catalog is a little different, but it is very easy to follow.

Pumpkins

Wow! What an assortment! If you look at the description, you may find clues to whether your ornamental pumpkins or gourds are edible. The two below are categorized as "Cinderella" types, which are edible. Though Cushaw squashes are not Cinderella types, which are related to Butternuts. (They also have a pumpkin-shaped "Autumn Frost" Butternut).

Cushaws are also a different species from most other pumpkins. Some people like them peeled and fried with onions and garlic. Do you have one you bought for decoration?

cindrella.jpg

cusshawy.jpg

'Pepitas' is included with the "decorative or cornucopia' pumpkins. It is naked-seeded, and has edible flesh.

pepitascornu.jpg


Broccoli

'Aspabroc' is like that fancy stuff you buy in stores. Said to be quite weather-tolerant.

Broccoli--aspabroc-320x320.jpg

'Lieutenant' was bred to perform in Eastern conditions (especially in the Southeast), in a project described in the catalog:

lieutnantbroc.jpg

Kohlrabi

'Grand Duke' is ready in only 45 days. Caterpillars don't attack the part you eat. They also have one called 'Konan' that you can harvest up to 6 inches across.

grand duke45 day-500x500.jpg

Mustard

'Savannah' is very dark green, mild and delicious in cool weather.

savannanamust-500x500.jpg

Color contrast, 'Miz America':

Mustard--Miz-America-320x320.jpg

The first time I ordered from them, it was for turnips. I don't think the following are true turnips. They don't have hairy leaves, and are mild and sweet. I eat them raw. Peeled. But Twilley has the old turnip-y kinds, too. Either for tops only or for roots and tops.

'Just Right' is a big fall turnip. Pick early for greens, or leave until it gets big. Don't try to use it for baby turnips.

Just-Right-500x500.jpg

'White Lady' is a "summer turnip", mild and sweet. Almost as good as Hakeuri, and doesn't crack as easily.

white lady-500x500.jpg

And they sell seed for bedding flowers. This is Zinnia marylandica 'Zahara Starlight Rose'. It is mildew-resistant.

Zinnia-Zahara-Starlight-Ros.jpg

Crosman Seed Catalog

Crosman Seeds is not very tech-savvy, though they may be better this year, having added essential oils and such. But their seeds are cheap and come in illustrated packets with planting directions. Old standards. Many open-pollinated. Some very good, like Romanette Bean, halfway between a Romano and a Blue Lake type. I love that bean. Surprisingly heat tolerant.

There are some other good beans and peas, too. Depending on your climate. They carry Fordhook 242 Limas. The fat ones. Heat resistant, need summer water.

There are a few hybrid veggies, old ones like the early and extremely productive Greyzini zucchini. Tender skin.

SquashGreyziAAS-535x535.jpg

Let me know if you want to give a gift to a beginning gardener, and I'll make some recommendations. Peas, beans and corn are separated from other veggies because they cost more to ship.

I really like some of the old-fashioned flowers. Examples: 'Mission Bells' California poppies. Single Portulaca. 'Dainty Marietta' French marigolds contrast with 'Queen Sophia'. Hard to find single Portulaca and 'Dainty Marietta'.

They have three kinds of annual phlox, including a tall mix (well, 14 inches).

Botanical Interests

This catalog features attractive illustrations rather than photographs, holiday gifts, fun to read. Seeds are't too expensive. Flowers, herbs and vegetables. One type also featured in the Crosman catalog is tall (not dwarf) annual phlox:

Starry Eyes blend Phlox Botanical Interest 20 inches

Scottish botanist, Thomas Drummond, starting sending phlox seeds from Texas back to Europe in 1835. After years of breeding, this phlox was born. The intriguing star patterns on bi-colored, clustered blooms make Starry Eyes a captivating addition to your cut-flower garden. Pollinators and hummingbirds are drawn to the quick-to-bloom, fragrant blossoms. Blooming may pause in intense summer heat, to renew in the cooler days of late summer and fall. In cooler areas, blooms continue through the summer.

Here's a photo of annual phlox gone wild.

Phlox Drummon.jpg

Do you have a favorite seed catalog?

Feel free to share your Thanksgiving veggie successes in the comments. We are keeping track.

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at that g mail dot com place

Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker.


Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:12 PM




Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 01:13 PM (9sWOw)

2 Thank you for a great Saturday "pick-me-up" thread, KT

Posted by: patti o'table, oxidizing slowly at November 28, 2020 01:15 PM (wtnJT)

3 Hi, Skip!

Posted by: KT at November 28, 2020 01:16 PM (BVQ+1)

4 Tomatoes are ripening from the 'after the night time temps drop' fruit setting.
Swiss Chard still going crazy.
Planted a Cherokee Purple and hope to keep it alive through any frosts we have here.

Planted winter stuff; but, the birds raked through the raised garden.
Now to build a net barrier and replant.

Posted by: AZ deplorably isolated at November 28, 2020 01:17 PM (gtatv)

5 Should work on leaves some more, the essential is done if it didn't happen nothing will happen to them.
Thought today was day the family members make up Christmas wreaths for graves of past family members but tomorrow afternoon.
But collected pine branches, and pine cones painting some silver for tomorrow.

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 01:17 PM (9sWOw)

6 hiya

Posted by: JT at November 28, 2020 01:17 PM (arJlL)

7 Steve Solomon talks about what he learned about seed quality. The home garden market gets the "sweepings from the floor". If they get a few oddball vegetables, they figure it was there fault. Market gardeners have to have good quality seed that produces true to the variety

In short, it's good to get seed from companies that sell to market gardeners.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at November 28, 2020 01:18 PM (YynYJ)

8 Maybe I will get a picture of one and send it to you KT and if worthy you can post it

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 01:20 PM (9sWOw)

9 'squarsh'

that's how my g'pa & g'ma pronounced it.

Posted by: Biden's dogs at November 28, 2020 01:24 PM (oAY8z)

10 I love the drawing of the butterflies.

Posted by: nurse ratched at November 28, 2020 01:26 PM (U2p+3)

11 I have a co-worker from Russia. He is naturalized American now, but he used to take American seeds home to plant because the carrots and such would be nice and uniform vs. seeds available there. And I think this was just 'home gardener' seeds.

I don't even manage to keep up with normal yard maintenance let alone garden the last few years. I like the luxury of not needing to garden to eat well, but I'm glad I pretty much know how in case it becomes necessary.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at November 28, 2020 01:27 PM (NOk+L)

12 I don't currently have a garden, but love this seed company's packaging. They get artists to design them:

https://hudsonvalleyseed.com/

Posted by: Lizzy at November 28, 2020 01:29 PM (bDqIh)

13 I like the luxury of not needing to garden to eat well, but I'm glad I pretty much know how in case it becomes necessary.
Posted by: PaleRider

True; but, I learned gardening in California. I could grow *anything*.
Now learning in Tempe AZ. There are *slight* differences.

Posted by: AZ deplorably isolated at November 28, 2020 01:29 PM (gtatv)

14 Thanks, KT!

I treat myself to the Whole Seed Catalogue each year, just for fun reading materiel. I may actually buy from them for 2021.
I challenged myself to read the whole thing and I am bending down corners for plants I might try. Pricey, but lots of variety.

Makes you really grateful for all the diveristy in the plant world and those who preserve it.

I'm doing the "Advent" lights differently this year by adding a strand a week, instead of doing them all at once. We only decorate the school street fence.
This is a cinch here in the new house, as we are not creeping along an 8 inch retaining wall two feet above a driveway slope stringing lights on a six foot wooden fence.
But it made the alley and driveway look festive.

Posted by: Sal at November 28, 2020 01:33 PM (KTdeA)

15 Wife had some weird plant growing among a couple other desirable plants in the solarium. Looked like some kind of succulent maybe. Very narrow leaves which put out some kind if seed on the tips. Very shallow root system. Don't know how it got started. It propagated very easily. I told her to get rid of them.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 01:33 PM (EMBU5)

16 My garden is pretty much dead except the horseradish, a few volunteer leeks, ginger, and cilantro.

Posted by: lin-duh at November 28, 2020 01:35 PM (UUBmN)

17 The only seed catalog I ever got was Gurneys. Not very exotic, but it served me well back in the day.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 01:38 PM (EMBU5)

18 Last of the garden carrots will be gathered and used this weekend. Mini-carrots and sweet.

Posted by: Mrs. JTB at November 28, 2020 01:38 PM (7EjX1)

19 I bought several Amaryllis at the hardware store. The bulbs are putting out leaves and haven't been planted yet. I bought one there last year and it had the most beautiful flowers I've seen on one.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at November 28, 2020 01:39 PM (YynYJ)

20 KT, Thanks for the informative thread and wonderful photos. Always a Saturday treat.

Posted by: Mrs. JTB at November 28, 2020 01:41 PM (7EjX1)

21 In the nature world, we had an owl in our pine tree last night.
Couldn't find him with the flashlight, but he sure was loud and eerie. So different and fun.
He had a friend over by the school and they were hooting back and forth.
He was there again this morning, while it was still a bit dark.
Hope he comes back!

There was a mocker eating the red berries off the snailseed vine on the neighbor's fence. A pretty fall/winter scene.

Posted by: Sal at November 28, 2020 01:41 PM (KTdeA)

22 I finished up the garden by drying "zucchini like" summer squash. I think it was a marrow since it was both zucchini shaped and the flesh was slightly yellow. Summer squash has never been a favorite of mine, though I like to grow some among my corn out of the belief that I am doing something interesting. (Delicata seems to do best)

I didn't pull my squash plants but instead left them in the garden this fall. I am always amazed how quickly those massive mounds of leaves and stems decay into nothing.

Squash dries well and reconstitutes in stews and curries very nicely. It seems to be more of a texture and filler than flavor. This year I put more effort into drying fruits and veggies than ever so now I have to find ways to use it. Soups, stews and the like seem to be the best way.

I have been toying with buying a big dehydrator, but I have been looking at this broken two drawer filing cabinet for a while and wondering if I should just gut it and put in a heating element and hardware cloth shelving, since those home dryers are all pretty much leaky metal boxes with shelves.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 28, 2020 01:43 PM (WyVLE)

23 we had an owl in our pine tree last night.
Had a Great Horned Owl visit last night. Didn't see it, but heard it hooting. They come by quite often.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 01:45 PM (EMBU5)

24 There's a seed company that specializes in seeds for the Deep South- called appropriately Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
Big range of beans, cowpeas, okras, greens...
Plus cotton, peanuts and tobacco.
I see them each year at the Mother Earth News Fest.

I used to love the Hastings Seeds company for southern seeds, but they are out of business.

Posted by: Sal at November 28, 2020 01:47 PM (KTdeA)

25 Skip at November 28, 2020 01:20 PM

That would be great, Skip.

Posted by: KT at November 28, 2020 01:48 PM (BVQ+1)

26 This year has blown by for me. It'll be time to start seeds indoors before I know it. Every year I swear I'll start herbs early enough to get nice sized plants to put in the ground and they end up playing catch up to what I end up buying. I swear that is going to change this year!

Posted by: dartist at November 28, 2020 01:48 PM (+ya+t)

27 I was out at a relative's place in the country, and staring me in the face was a black cap wild raspberry. (Rubus leucodermis)

They used to grow them commercially but they don't ship well so they grew out of favor. I love them when I have come across them in the woods, so I dug up the canes and have tried to plant it where my current raspberries are dying off. It can join the thimbleberry (Rubus parvifloris) I planted there in the hope that it would do well.

I admit that last year I thought I had found blackcaps and tried to transplant them but they turned out instead to be the native trailing blackberry that also has slightly bluish white stems. So I gotta eradicate that I suppose . . .



Posted by: Kindltot at November 28, 2020 01:50 PM (WyVLE)

28 This morning I cut some boughs from our evergreens, and cut some dried goldenrod, dried milkweed, and dried reeds tofill and decorate the two half barrel planters we have out front. I do this every year, it's something I enjoy: walking around the property, observing the land, gathering the materials. We have a leaky metal watering can, so I half filled it with sand, and decorated it in a similar fashion as the half barrels. I made a pretty red bow for the handle, and now the can sitson the front porch.

I also (finally) harvested the rose hips from our row of rugosa. I left probably 2/3 for the wild birds andcritters.

We got our Fedco "seed and supply" catalog this week.we're *almost* done with our interior painting project; I'm waiting to browse the catalog and dream of next season for when the drapes are back up and the furniture is in place.

Posted by: Flyover at November 28, 2020 01:51 PM (Rbu5d)

29 fell out of favor and growers went to to more commercial berries I meant.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 28, 2020 01:52 PM (WyVLE)

30 My young Blood Orange tree fruited for the first time this year. It was overly ambitious and dropped a bunch of oranges before they were ripe. Getting roughed up by a hurricane didn't help much either. I hope to get a few oranges in December. Lost my lemon tree tree a couple of years ago due to freezing.

Posted by: Javems at November 28, 2020 01:53 PM (vEZXe)

31 I bought a 500,000 btu propane torch as another solution to weed control. Just can't keep up with the weeds anymore and I hate to use poison.

Posted by: dartist at November 28, 2020 01:56 PM (+ya+t)

32 I bought a moderately priced dehydrator. I wanted the fancy one but this works well. Even has a timer function on it. Cosori is the brand. I plan to do a lot more dehydrated veggies and fruits next year.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at November 28, 2020 01:56 PM (YynYJ)

33 ...since those home dryers are all pretty much leaky metal boxes with shelves.
Posted by: Kindltot

Well, they have fans, too. By the time you install a rheostat for the temp., and a fan, you can own a ready made one.
We bought ours at Cabelas. Not too bad. We dry a bunch of peppers, both hot and sweet. We like cherry tomatoes for the "sun-dried" applications.
Great for jerky.

Posted by: MarkY at November 28, 2020 01:57 PM (Rk3zP)

34 Ladies and gentlemen...

Sod.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain, Cryptid Anarchist at November 28, 2020 01:59 PM (Clxcy)

35 23
we had an owl in our pine tree last night.
Had a Great Horned Owl visit last night. Didn't see it, but heard it hooting. They come by quite often.


Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 01:45 PM (EMBU5)


I was sitting outside in the back yard once when a Screech Owl let loose. I was reminded what primal fear felt like.

Posted by: Javems at November 28, 2020 01:59 PM (vEZXe)

36 21 In the nature world, we had an owl in our pine tree last night.
...
Posted by: Sal at November 28, 2020 01:41 PM (KTdeA)


The neighborhood owl was in our woods last night. They are so cool. The chickens didn't think so, though!

Posted by: Flyover at November 28, 2020 01:59 PM (Rbu5d)

37 There are/ is a Great Horned owl here, mostly only notice it in summer when windows are open, never seen it though know at times it's real close.

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 02:01 PM (9sWOw)

38 23 we had an owl in our pine tree last night.
Had a Great Horned Owl visit last night. Didn't see it, but heard it hooting. They come by quite often.
Posted by: Ronster at November

It's mating season now.

Posted by: CaliGirl at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (dyOwI)

39 It's Decorative Gourd Season MF'ers!

Any suggestions on preparing a garden bed for planting early next spring? It's overgrown with weeds currently and I have really never made use of it since I bought the property. It's a small raised bed about 4' x 8'.

I was thinking about just cutting the weeds down and covering with a tarp until early spring. Then mix in garden soil and "stuff". I want to grow tomatos, peppers, and maybe green beans if there's room.


Anything I'm missing preparation wise? I'm pretty new at this and I've never done a proper good garden before. I thought I'd try next year.

Posted by: banana Dream at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (l6b3d)

40 It's mating season now.Posted by: CaliGirl at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (dyOwI)


I think you are right. They lay eggs in Feb. and have to find a used nest as they cannot build their own.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 02:05 PM (EMBU5)

41 Beautiful day here in central Indiana. Warm. I've been tearing down the dead zinnias and dead tomato plants; my small garden plot is ready for next spring.

Posted by: AgathaPagatha at November 28, 2020 02:08 PM (xDMjB)

42 40 It's mating season now.Posted by: CaliGirl at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (dyOwI)


I think you are right. They lay eggs in Feb. and have to find a used nest as they cannot build their own.
Posted by: Ronster at November

I have a nest with a camera for the owls. They didn't use it last year. I hope they use it this year.
I've had the owls lay eggs from Super Bowl Sunday to March. The Barn owls lay eggs after the great horned owls.

Posted by: CaliGirl at November 28, 2020 02:08 PM (dyOwI)

43 40 It's mating season now.Posted by: CaliGirl at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (dyOwI)

So, maybe we were hearing a Mr. and Miss.

Posted by: Sal at November 28, 2020 02:08 PM (KTdeA)

44
It's mating season now.

Sure is, imma gonna fuck up the next bitch tells me cover my copd asthma nose with a mask of the beast.

Posted by: Banned at November 28, 2020 02:09 PM (T8cPY)

45 I have a nest with a camera for the owls.



That is great.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 02:11 PM (EMBU5)

46 27...
I admit that last year I thought I had found blackcaps and tried to transplant them but they turned out instead to be the native trailing blackberry that also has slightly bluish white stems. So I gotta eradicate that I suppose . . .

Posted by: Kindltot at November 28, 2020 01:50 PM (WyVLE)

How do you tell the difference? I*think* we found an old blackcap planting from the old old farm that used to be here, but...

Posted by: Flyover at November 28, 2020 02:12 PM (Rbu5d)

47 Anything I'm missing preparation wise? I'm pretty new at this and I've never done a proper good garden before. I thought I'd try next year.
Posted by: banana Dream

A bed that small, I'd pull the weeds, shake off the dirt, and turn them under with a gardening fork. Then, I'd use that bed as my compost bin through the winter (egg shells, vegetable peelings, etc.). Turn it again about half way through the winter.
Plant in spring.
He who has the most organic matter wins in gardening.

Posted by: MarkY at November 28, 2020 02:13 PM (Rk3zP)

48 Former Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to pick Cindy McCain, the wife of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), to be the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K.



Well the dems seem to prefer bootleggers as representatives to the Court of St James.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 28, 2020 02:13 PM (85Gof)

49 I was thinking about just cutting the weeds down and
covering with a tarp until early spring. Then mix in garden soil and
"stuff". I want to grow tomatos, peppers, and maybe green beans if
there's room.

Anything I'm missing preparation wise? I'm pretty new at this and
I've never done a proper good garden before. I thought I'd try next
year.
Posted by: banana Dream at November 28, 2020 02:02 PM (l6b3d)


It might be a touch late, but you might buy feed oats and work those in. They are less tenacious and don't reseed like the weeds. You can cover with old hay or leaves too, but you will need to rake it off well because that sort of winter mulch will keep the slugs safe over winter too.
The worms like the leaves and will supposedly aerate the soil and the leaves will keep the rain from compacting the dirt for spring.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 28, 2020 02:15 PM (WyVLE)

50 KT is a wealth of knowledge about all types of plants. I couldn't keep that much information in my tiny brain.

Posted by: Ronster at November 28, 2020 02:22 PM (EMBU5)

51 39...Any suggestions on preparing a garden bed for planting early next spring?

Tarp would work. I recommend staying away from plastic.

We have clay soil, so this is what we do to prepare a bed: cut grass/weeds short, poke holeswith the broadfork, lay down brown paper over bed, lay down compost and/or chicken coop straw over paper, cover with 8-12 " of mulch. Mulch can be chopped leaves, hay.

In the spring move aside the mulch to plant seed or transplant.

Posted by: Flyover at November 28, 2020 02:22 PM (Rbu5d)

52 I'd use that bed as my compost bin through the winter (egg shells, vegetable peelings, etc.). Turn it again about half way through the winter.
Plant in spring.
He who has the most organic matter wins in gardening.
Posted by: MarkY at November 28, 2020 02:13 PM (Rk3zP)


Great idea, I forgot that, we've done that, too. One mild winter I poured out old refrigerator stuff on on part of the garden. The poblanos I planted the next year there were taller than me (I'm 5'9") and very strong, and produced a LOT of peppers.

Posted by: Flyover at November 28, 2020 02:26 PM (Rbu5d)

53 Lots of Habaneros and Serranos right now. Just changed the ends on the hoses. Put in hot water first and a dab of vasaline.

Posted by: Hatari Somewhere on Ventura Highway at November 28, 2020 02:51 PM (WF/xn)

54 First winter back in Illinois for many years. House I moved into has mature roses facing east. Do I cut them back to the crown?

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 28, 2020 02:53 PM (p/cyQ)

55 54 First winter back in Illinois for many years. House I moved into has mature roses facing east. Do I cut them back to the crown?

Rule of thumb in my area is to cut down about half and tree roses about a third

Posted by: It's me donna at November 28, 2020 02:58 PM (Zmnko)

56 PET NOOD IS UP

Posted by: Skip, the guy who says NOOD at November 28, 2020 03:02 PM (9sWOw)

57 Thanks!

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 28, 2020 03:03 PM (p/cyQ)

58 Raked out the garden area of leaves, got a load of chopped up leaves into the compost bin

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 03:03 PM (9sWOw)

59 Puttering:
Just got (most of) the outside lights up. It used to be a pretty straight forward job, before siding. I'd just get a staple gun and run along the edge of the molding. Now I'm having to use those (f^&*ing) plastic clips, trying to anchor them to the leading edge of a shingle, and refiguring out how to hide the power. My finger's are torn up, fingernail's split, and I have half the lights up.
I'm going to hire someone to do it next year.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at November 28, 2020 03:19 PM (7Fj9P)

60 My cat Clyde grabbed a tufted titmouse off of our feeder the other day. I ran after him, and he dropped the bird. I picked it up, and s/he appeared uninjured. I took it back to the feeder, and offered my finger. s/he grabbed on then I placed it on the feeder roost. S/he sat there for about 15 minutes, staring out into space, then twittered away.
I love wild birds.

Posted by: Brave Sir Robin at November 28, 2020 03:26 PM (7Fj9P)

61 I should have put lights up if not ready to turn them on, was nice out

Posted by: Skip at November 28, 2020 04:12 PM (9sWOw)

62 From Idaho's Treasure Valley, Boise area: #39 banana Dream, that 4 foot x 8 foot bed is the same size as my raised beds. My vote is to dig the weeds and get rid of them all. Digging the weeds gets rid of roots that could re-grow. And why dig them in, and take a chance there's weed seeds being dug in too? Dig the weeds, get rid of them, turn the soil. Also, get a pH test kit and see what you've got - most veggies prefer pH of 6.5 or so. I've never used tarps, organic ground covers (leaves/straw), or cardboard, so I have no knowledge of whether that helps in any way.

I have lots of beds, so my plants are pretty well spread out - but trying to get tomatoes, peppers, and green beans in the same bed, to me that seems pretty crowded. Two Roma plants can fill up one of my beds by the end of the season!

Around here, we're still working on leaves. Maples get shredded for compost, oaks get burned, and sycamores get stuffed into bags for the trash company's fall cleanup program.

We're taking apart an ugly, long-needled pine tree, a bit each year, and using it to make wreaths. This year, we made just one, and hung it on the house above the door. Added a string of 50 lights plus a bow, and it's ready to hang. We also strung lights around the front door, and wound them around the two pillars on the front porch.

We've seen flickers in past years - this year we spotted 2 pairs out back. They look quite comical when they steal seeds from my feeder out front, since they're at least three times the size of the little birds the feeder is meant for.

Indoors, we thawed out five 1-gallon ziplock bags of red raspberries, and juiced them. We'll freeze all the juice, and at some point later, we'll make syrup or jelly. We still have the 5 buckets of apples in the garage, that we have to decide what to do with.

We did sit down last weekend to inventory all the seeds we have, and write down what we learned this year. Later sometime, we'll start figuring out what we want to grow, and try to figure out where we'll plant it.

I haven't gotten any new catalogs yet this year, though I expect one from Territorial Seed Company. I was happy with them and would order from them again. They have many organic and heirloom varieties. And their catalog is hugely informative! They give data like: soil temperature for germination, seed depth, plant spacing, days to emergence, row spacing, seed life, best pH, potential insects/diseases, when to harvest, how to store. In addition, they have both spring/summer catalogs, and fall/winter catalogs. (Gardening for fall/winter harvest is tough here, because some crops for fall would need to be planted in our blazing summer heat.)
*****
Remember: We are not The Deplorables.
We are The Unconquerables!
We won't be lied to, and we won't live under the lash.
Stay alert, stay prepared, stay safe out there.
Be ready to build over, build under, build around, if events should turn against us.

Posted by: Pat* at November 28, 2020 04:28 PM (2pX/F)

63 Spent the afternoon driving: bright but cold along I-75 in Michigan. I never thought about organic versus no organic seeds. I just bought mine from Kmart before it closed and the garden store last year. The only ones I got already were Black Beauty zucchini.

It's nice to read about the unexpected carrots and useful plants. I arrived home to defiantly green onions sticking out of the "volunteer" pot and geraniums in bloom on the porch.

The stupid geraniums survived four hard frosts now, so I gave in and brought them in for the winter. Still must unpack.

Happy gardening- or dreaming! - and reread Pat*'s closing thought.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at November 28, 2020 05:02 PM (/+bwe)

64 AZ deplorably isolated: I learned to garden in Long Beach, CA and then re-learned in Kingman, AZ and now am re-learning in Idaho. The shorter growing span is such a challenge. I push the envelope in a windowed well house with a grow light and heater but I just wish I had one more month of summer.

Posted by: S.Lynn at November 28, 2020 05:55 PM (2Kb6M)

65 I counted the pumpkin varieties at Twilley. Fifty one. New this year: Large Marge.


On their easy to grow list: Toad

I would guess that they categorize fewer than half as culinary varieties.


Posted by: KT at November 28, 2020 09:19 PM (BVQ+1)

66 Pat* at November 28, 2020 04:28 PM
Some great information there for banana Dream. Some possible additional tips:

An indeterminate tomato certainly can sprawl over four square feet by the end of the season. Going vertical may save some space. Supporting peppers may help some, too.
Peppers are ornamental. Maybe they can be used in the landscape. Some can be grown in large pots. There are also some green beans that will grow nicely in large pots. Probably not all season.

Since the location of tomatoes and peppers should be rotated (soil) from year to year, maybe while the bed is in disarray, some vertical soil dividers could be added. Here, I would also line the bottom with hardware cloth to keep gophers out.

Beans prefer a little cooler temperatures than tomatoes and peppers. If a compact variety that bears pretty much all at once is chosen, maybe it could be gone before the tomato and pepper plants get really big. The hardest part of growing beans for a lot of people is starting them in cold soil. So, for a small bed, starting indoors may be worthwhile.

And Pat*, we'll take you up on that compost tutorial offer.

Posted by: KT at November 28, 2020 10:33 PM (BVQ+1)

67 I've done a first draft of the compost article. I need to get Pat*'s Hubby to edit before I send it to you.

Posted by: Pat* at November 29, 2020 12:18 AM (2pX/F)

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