Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread, February 27 [KT]

Hi, everybody! Had a chance to go outdoors? What's it like where you are? Windy here.

We have the best lurkers here at AoSHQ. Look at the photo above, which was taken by a Lurker's Wife! And there's another one below the fold.

I follow your postings every Saturday. Please see two pictures my wife took during the top (or bottom) of the Texas storm.

Wow.

Those birds were identified by our Lurker. Want to take a guess?

Oh, yeah. Bird Dog at Maggie's Farm posted a photo of a rare bird. Wonder if it's some sort of cousin to the ones above?

Artful Ice

Attached is a photo I took this morning of some of the crystallized landscaping in my neighborhood here in north Fort Worth...most of the snow is already gone today, glad I got a chance to capture this at least.
I'm not a gardener - I have a plant that I've dragged between three homes that manages to live in spite of me, that's about the extent of it, but I do love all the great photos on the garden thread! Thanks for all the work.
jerake75

This is a great photo. The weather seems to have produced a few casualties on the right, though:

Caught this driving into town. The ice was all sparkling and stuff. This my camera from a Samsung phone. Not sure it captures the effect.
Paladin

Gorgeous, don't you think?

And from Don in Kansas during a real cold snap:

A detail from my front door this morning.

Beauty is where you find it. But BRRRRRR.

Spring is coming

From Diogenes on Crocus:

I like them as they always defy the winter. A hearty and robust little flower.

Yes!

Last Week

banana Dream posted a link to a video on the not-too-successful efforts of a chemistry guy to make transparent wood.

The guy that does all the chemistry stuff on youtube tried the transparent wood with limited success:
No where as good as his TP moonshine but I think he's always entertaining.

Thanks for the report, on behalf of all those stir-crazy wood shop Morons out there.

Members of The Horde are also ordering seeds and plants. You got anything to report this week?

Protected Gardening

Nick sent the following near the end of January:

Hi there. Loooong time reader/lurker on the AoS blog, and this is the first time I'm chiming in/piping up. I started gardening this year after being sent home to "work remotely", and I've been doing it ever since. I'm in the southern foothills of the Adirondacks in upstate NY. All winter, I've been winter gardening in greenhouses. I heated and lit my big greenhouse (20' x 8') until December, when it got too expensive to do so. My wife bought me a "little" (4'x4') greenhouse kit for Christmas, so I adapted it to use thicker plastic and set it up with an under-desk space heater a few days ago in a bid to save my warm-loving plants.
The cold greenhouse interior, with a space heater on "don't freeze" mode trying to keep my potatoes going for a few more weeks. I took this picture last night. I'm getting daytime highs near 95 in here on sunny days, but the nights are cold.

Brave.

The mini-greenhouse - exterior. I replaced the cover that came with it (flimsy anyway) with my own 6-mil UV treated plastic sheeting - the same stuff I built the big one out of. I'm able to maintain a constant 65 degrees in here on 600 watts of power. I expect this will improve as the season progresses. All lighting is LED - a combination of GE grow and Sansa bulbs. All combined it's about 120 watts for lighting.

The best shot of the mini-greenhouse interior I could get. Counter-clockwise from left. 2 levels of lettuce, container with borage, sunflowers and peas, 2 tomato plants and then more lettuce. I brought one potato plant that was in a bucket in here too. They've only been in here for 3 days now, so not sure how well this works yet, but it's 9 degrees out, and this is what they look like
Feel free to use the images and let me know if you like the topic - I'm going to be using the cold greenhouse to give myself an edge come spring in the outdoor garden (I hope!).

We enjoy seeing these photos in the winter, and would like to see how things go in the spring, too. Thanks!

Do you have any questions for Nick in upstate NY? I think the outdoor shot of the greenhouse enclosure looks kind of ghostly.

Farm Life

Over at American Digest, there was a piece on a Mennonite family that makes Sorghum syrup as part of Gerard's "Great Americans" series. Maybe you would like to order some.

Muddy Pond Sorghum is a manufacturer and seller of 100% pure sorghum syrup. We also offer pure honey, and sorghum barbecue sauce, all made by the Guenther family. Our mill is located midway between Nashville and Knoxville in the hills of Tennessee. Come visit us during September and October and watch us make sorghum syrup.

Gardens of and Puttering By The Horde

[Here] is an image of the snow 'n ice by the swimming pool. All told, we prolly had around 7" total. Other areas had a lot more. I'm quite satisfied with what we had - and as much as I like cold WX, I won't miss it now that it's gone. Well, not until we're in 100 degree days, anyway.
(Dr_No)

He was also inspired by The Famous Pat*'s Gardening Thread reminder:

Remember: We are not The Deplorables. We are The Unconquerables!

to create some artwork:

Fun!

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 the nic by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ,
unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:17 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 My guess is cedar waxwing. I used to see them in Montana, but never in the part of Colorado I live in.

Posted by: Pug Mahon, a fine Irish pub what no longer exists at February 27, 2021 01:20 PM (x8Wzq)

2 Good afternoon Greentumbs and Snow bunnies

From top of my head also a Cedar Waxwing or those western Cardinals that are not a Eastern Cardinal, never saw one that's why I am guessing.

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2021 01:25 PM (Cxk7w)

3 On garden yard been trying my hardest to get rid of pile of pine branches from 2 storms but even from end of November they are still too green to burn. Drizzly morning was a good time and though under plastic still can't get them to burn.

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2021 01:28 PM (Cxk7w)

4 Cedar waxwings. I had a big flock in a tree a week or two ago. Pic here:

https://tinyurl.com/2hh69t2k

Posted by: Dr. Varno at February 27, 2021 01:31 PM (vuisn)

5 I don't know that I've tasted sorghum but I have tasted blackstrap molasses and I hated it. Tasted like charred burnt sugar but without any sweetness I could detect.

Posted by: banana Dream at February 27, 2021 01:32 PM (SFSVc)

6 Dr. Varno at February 27, 2021 01:31 PM
Well, you DID have a gathering, didn't you?

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 01:33 PM (BVQ+1)

7 I chanced upon a flock of cedar waxwings in a really unexpected place - an industrial location. But they were feasting on berries from a tree, looked like a crabapple. They are beautiful birds, from what I've seen they do travel in mobs.

I've never seen them at my feeders however the junco mobs have arrived. They are very funny!

Posted by: kallisto at February 27, 2021 01:34 PM (DJFLF)

8 I am humbled by having inspired that artwork. (Remember that a Paladin Sword only stays bright when its wielder is inspired by Truth and Justice, not by revenge or malice.)

This may be where I got the term from, as I read the Instapundit blog every day:
https://nypost.com/2020/
12/17/its-time-for-the-deplorables
-to-become-the-unconquerables/

Remove the page breaks for that URL.

Posted by: Pat* at February 27, 2021 01:34 PM (2pX/F)

9 >>6 Dr. Varno at February 27, 2021 01:31 PM
Well, you DID have a gathering, didn't you?

There were actually more of them on the ground or in the bushes eating those red berries, but a pic of them in the tree was the only way for them to show up from a distance.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at February 27, 2021 01:35 PM (vuisn)

10 The birdie looks like a cardinal, only yellow. So that's a cedar waxwing.

Posted by: JuJuBee at February 27, 2021 01:40 PM (mNhhD)

11 A couple of years ago we had a flock of waxwings converge around the workplace where one smacked into a window. A coworker put the dazed bird in a cardboard box and took it home to her garage to nurse it back to health, where her cat proceeded to devour it.
Dick cat.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at February 27, 2021 01:44 PM (vuisn)

12 Saw a small flight of Sandhill cranes headed north yesterday.

Posted by: DaveA at February 27, 2021 01:45 PM (FhXTo)

13 From Boise area: Speaking of hardy flowers, my oft-mentioned Johnny Jump-Ups still flowering.

Husband saw about 15 Calif. Quail at seed block. About 10 flickers in yard, both searching through back lawn, and at front window seed feeder.

Vast majority of snow now melted off. I took a bucket of melted snow indoors to water tomato/poblano seedlings.

Leaf raking continues, but trash stuffing interrupted by needing to cut down leaves of Siberian Iris and bunchgrass before they sprout this spring.

Husband beginning to remove dead sod from southside lawn - will be a large project...

Posted by: Pat* at February 27, 2021 01:48 PM (2pX/F)

14 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, and have Unfettered Conversations!
***
My usual encouragement to all here: improve survival skills, build a trustworthy network of friends/allies, keep up morale, resist oppressive "FedCoats", and mock gov't officials & media (without getting caught red-handed). Also, write to your Senators/Reps to express opinions (politely will work better to get them to listen).

Posted by: Pat* at February 27, 2021 01:49 PM (2pX/F)

15 Woke up to beautiful sunshine and blue sky this morning.
All gone now. Back to clouds and grey.
Sigh...

Posted by: Diogenes at February 27, 2021 01:49 PM (axyOa)

16 Howdy. Taking a break. I'm sowing leek and onion seeds today. I'm about two weeks late, but who's counting.

Zone 5. We set up a shelving unit in our walkout basement, heating mats, grow lights, etc. our growing season has shrunk by a whole month (two weeks both ends), so I start indoors. 'Maters and peppers and cabbages and parsley soon. Then the insectary flowers

One of our flocks is in the (unheated) hoop house, so can't grow anything out there, yet, even under cover. (Hen: "give me that green stuff!,1!!) We'll be harvesting three roosters in about a month and will combine the flocks, so that won't be an issue next year.

You probably know this, but here goes, anyway: Be careful with temperature in a hoop house; 95 is too hot for most seeds to germinate. Too hot for cold season crops, too. Even though it's in the 30's on a "warm" day here, the fans in our (unheated) hoop house go on several times a day when the sun is shining.

Posted by: Flyover, sowing. at February 27, 2021 01:50 PM (Rbu5d)

17 I live near Muddy Pond, TN, which is a marvelous small community of primarily Mennonite-run stores and businesses. A very nice general store with lots of small and kitchen bits and various spices, raw foodstuff, etc. Down the road are two leather manufacturers and one leather "maker" repairman. A little farther down is a nice general store, sandwich shop, bakery (which I frequent for the cinnamon rolls), games/pictures/home decoration stuff. The sorghum is sold in the first general store and may be in the other. All nice people and friendly.

Posted by: LRob in TN at February 27, 2021 01:51 PM (jboH3)

18 Kind of gardening - we are looking at 100+ acres in NW Florida - I am trying to learn some about timber harvesting.

Posted by: blaster at February 27, 2021 01:52 PM (ZfRYq)

19 >Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread

I took the trash out

Posted by: DB- just DB at February 27, 2021 01:53 PM (iTXRQ)

20 > Saw a small flight of Sandhill cranes headed north yesterday.

Where are you? We've had anywhere from a few (3-5) up to large formations with 30-50 Sandhill cranes in multiple waves fly over us here in N. Central KY.

I've been trying to figure out their migration patterns. We see them going south most every fall/early winter and then back north about this time of the year.

Typically, on their trip north after they've passed us, we have bad storms.

Posted by: Martini Farmer - Now a Pirate, Hoisting the Black Flag at February 27, 2021 01:56 PM (3H9h1)

21 Sorghum is wonderful stuff. Molasses is too but don't get backstrap molasses. Bob's Red Mill sells one that is not a byproduct.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at February 27, 2021 01:58 PM (YynYJ)

22 Pat* at February 27, 2021 01:48 PM

Quail are so fun.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 01:58 PM (BVQ+1)

23 LOL DB. I spread around some of the spilled hay mixed with manure from my messy / picky eater group. Last year by the time I realized, accepted the fact that dad was not going to do the mowing the weeds had gotten entrenched. So I'm trying to keep them more smothered and maybe get a bit more ratio of grass this year. I really don't enjoy yard work, but I do enjoy having horses right at home and I dislike knee high weeds tripping me.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at February 27, 2021 01:59 PM (Aashi)

24 Cedar Waxwing -- beautiful bird. Grew up in San Jose. Pyracantha was a common foundation planting. Let the berries ripen and they would begin to ferment. Sometimes found a flock of these birds all fallen out after eating a bunch of alcoholic berries.

Posted by: Wade Hampton at February 27, 2021 02:02 PM (DkNJc)

25
I'm upping my game
just emptied the dishwasher

Posted by: DB- just DB at February 27, 2021 02:06 PM (iTXRQ)

26 My first thought was cedar waxwing, but I have never seen one, afaik. My Mom got me a deck of cards with various birds so I still remember some from childhood ... thanks Mom. Wiki says they are pretty much nationwide ... maybe they are more rare in some areas, idk. ... pretty pics. --
Daffodils now up two inches, even after that very cold stretch. Had a pretty good snow cover protecting them. Ice still on the pond but will be gone soon ... 50s for next ten days. Lane is a squishy mess, four inches or so thawed on top of the still hard frozen ground below makes for muck and ruts. Ground where there is tall grass stays frozen longer. ... hurray for spring, cheers to the growers.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 27, 2021 02:08 PM (Cus5s)

27 Love the bird, and ice and snow pictures (the latter two at a great distance).

I saw 12 Canadian geese fly over the yard the other morning, what were they doing in AZ?

The swiss chard is not having any problems with the frosty mornings. I have to cut it back to keep it out of the 3 tomato plants.
The snow pea is taking off slowly, very slowly.
Three types of lettuce, a couple of onions, and scattered carrots are doing well. This was the planter the birds rearranged. I think they were after the beet seeds as I should have had 12 (or 16?) in a sq ft.

The 5 types of succulents I picked up from the sister in Santa Barbara (near Shoreline park where the hawk/crow pictures were taken) are doing very well.

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at February 27, 2021 02:11 PM (gtatv)

28 don't know the bird but it's sitting on a yaupon cherry

Posted by: REDACTED at February 27, 2021 02:11 PM (6iURM)

29 I like the contour lines on the hillside in Paladin's photo. Love the trees.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 02:13 PM (BVQ+1)

30 I'm upping my game
just emptied the dishwasher
Posted by: DB- just DB at February 27, 2021 02:06 PM (iTXRQ)

I'm into filling the dishwasher

Posted by: SHEP at February 27, 2021 02:13 PM (6iURM)

31 So much for being productive. The nap I just woke up from made me feel even more tired.

Nice birds.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at February 27, 2021 02:13 PM (jvt6t)

32 Definitely cedar waxwings. Where we used to live we had a ginormous ligustrum (at least 10 feet tall) in our yard and its berries were a big draw for them. This being Texas, the berries were often fermented. Unfortunately, waxwings never heard that it was dangerous to drink and fly, so they often flew headlong into our windows. One day alone the death toll on our front deck was 7 waxwings. We'd get at least 10 over the course of the spring migration season every year.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at February 27, 2021 02:13 PM (fTtFy)

33 My only gardening plans this coming week are trying to dig up the rest of the prickly pear cactus that took over my garden. It was nice the first 4 or 5 years. Now it's not blooming much at all in the late Spring. I think it's dying so best to put it out of its misery.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 27, 2021 02:21 PM (nxdel)

34 idk where Paladin is, but I'd guess those contour lines are from cut soybeans. Fields look a lot cleaner after soybeans than after corn, but usually corns gets disked up, unless it is no-till. Most farmers around here do 15" rows for soybeans, 30" for corn. ... could be some other crop but yes ... nice lines.

Posted by: illiniwek at February 27, 2021 02:22 PM (Cus5s)

35 Cedar waxwing. One of my favorite birds. They love to flock to a berry tree and chow down on all the berries.

Posted by: RobertM at February 27, 2021 02:26 PM (qWhQP)

36
I saw 12 Canadian geese fly over the yard the other morning, what were they doing in AZ?*****
Still to cold up north?

Posted by: Cosda at February 27, 2021 02:29 PM (yeqcJ)

37 Monday I'll start my herbs and peppers to get a head start on them for a change. Hoping a month head start will give me more ripe peppers before the frost.

Posted by: dartist at February 27, 2021 02:30 PM (+ya+t)

38 I saw 12 Canadian geese fly over the yard the other morning, what were they doing in AZ?*****
Still to cold up north?
Posted by: Cosda

I thought of that; but, they were flying North!

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at February 27, 2021 02:31 PM (gtatv)

39 I saw 12 Canadian geese fly over the yard the other morning, what were they doing in AZ?*****
Still to cold up north?
Posted by: Cosda

---

There are large flocks of them in the St. Louis AO.

Posted by: SMH at February 27, 2021 02:32 PM (hEdp8)

40 I saw 12 Canadian geese fly over the yard the other morning, what were they doing in AZ?

It's geese so my guess would be pooping. That or terrorizing children.

I think AZ is pretty much the southern end of where they'll migrate to during the winter. Hopefully they'll head back north in a few weeks.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - moronhorde.com. Not scanning your email to sell you stuff like Google does. at February 27, 2021 02:34 PM (SchxB)

41 There are two red-tailed hawks circling and making a ton of noise this afternoon right outside. I assume it is their mating season.

Posted by: Tonypete at February 27, 2021 02:34 PM (Rvt88)

42 Beautiful Cedar Waxwing photos. Such subtle coloration, incredible what evolution has created (wink wink).

Thank you to all the contributors. There are a lot of bald eagles in this area of Idaho. There is an unfrozen area of the lake, and a bald eagle was just sitting on the ice, on the edge, looking for lunch. Does not seem like a good way to hunt, but he must know what he is doing. Interesting.

Posted by: MikeM at February 27, 2021 02:35 PM (G9gd2)

43 I saw what wife calls Johnny Jump Ups coming through the snow.
Just looked and Daffodils are inch high but at least their bed the snow has melted.
Sunny and 46 degrees here in se Pa

Posted by: Skip at February 27, 2021 02:39 PM (Cxk7w)

44 The chickens have been sprung from the coop. 47 degrees here today - with sunshine! Chix are having a ball even though there's still a couple of feet of snow on the ground. They gravitate to the front of the house where it's sunniest plus my daughter has dug out a plot of dirt for them to roll in.

The Winter has done some bad things to the personality of one particular rooster named Florence. He keeps nipping at one of the hens and now she has a bald patch on top. I'm hoping running around in the woods will work off some of that bad behavior.

Posted by: grammie winger at February 27, 2021 02:40 PM (45fpk)

45 Beautiful photos. Great ideas especially about growing in greenhouses.

Posted by: Mrs. JTB at February 27, 2021 02:46 PM (7EjX1)

46 Yes; I saw three crocuses by the side of the house yesterday. Diogenes describes them well; a hearty and robust flower that defies the winter. I like them too, and it always makes me happy to see the first ones, even though that probably means that it will snow again in two weeks.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at February 27, 2021 02:47 PM (VP4Cd)

47
We really trimmed back the bushes in the garden and cut down all the bulbs. Next week I suppose we'll get in there and start clearing any weeds.

The birds continue to enjoy the largesse at Schloss Hadrian: three tray feeders with sunflower seed, three tube feeders with millet and two suet cages. Plus a running fountain.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at February 27, 2021 02:47 PM (mht8P)

48 That's Dr. No's swimming pool? I want to move in with him.

Posted by: grammie winger at February 27, 2021 02:51 PM (45fpk)

49 The swimming pool picture is extra nice. The colors are incredible. Just curious about all the seating, Dr No. Do you have a hotel, an extra large family or entertain a lot. But more likely it's none of my business. Still a beautiful picture.

Posted by: AlmostYuman at February 27, 2021 03:00 PM (qZw87)

50 Had a lovely 5.3 about 2 miles north of Anchorage this morning, along with about 6 inches of snow yesterday and last night. Not a great deal of gardening going on, but my potted indoor pepper plants are starting to produce, after 3 months, under a grow light. Not exactly a greenhouse, but they look nice in the front window.

Dogs are still dodgy, which makes me think there will be a nice little aftershock pretty soon.

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at February 27, 2021 03:01 PM (sBwmm)

51 I'm hoping running around in the woods will work off some of that bad behavior.
Posted by: grammie winger at February 27, 2021 02:40 PM (45fpk)

If not, you could always invite him for dinner.

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at February 27, 2021 03:02 PM (sBwmm)

52 I think AZ is pretty much the southern end of where they'll migrate to during the winter. Hopefully they'll head back north in a few weeks.
Posted by: Blanco Basura - moronhorde.com. Not scanning your email to sell you stuff like Google does. at February 27, 2021 02:34 PM (SchxB)

Nah, you can keep 'em. Thanks.

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at February 27, 2021 03:03 PM (sBwmm)

53 I don't think that's Dr. No's pool. I mean if it is, then yeah, I want to move in with him! lol! btw.. doesn't look like that pool was drained before winter. You're supposed to drain it.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 27, 2021 03:03 PM (nxdel)

54 Beautiful photos! I love cedar waxwings but rarely see them. They generally just eat berries and seeds from the bush; aren't attracted to my feeders or piles. Cardinals visit in the dusk and before dawn.

My gardening consists of scraping ice and waiting for the snow banks to melt enough to rake the front garden. Daffodils have just started poking up from the bare patch in front of the porch.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at February 27, 2021 03:04 PM (/+bwe)

55 tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at February 27, 2021 03:01 PM

YIPES!

Nice to hear about your peppers. Not so nice to hear about the earthquake.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 03:12 PM (BVQ+1)

56 AZ deplorable isolated at February 27, 2021 02:11 PM

Thanks for the report. Nice to hear about some things actually growing this time of year!

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 03:15 PM (BVQ+1)

57 >>I don't think that's Dr. No's pool. I mean if it is, then yeah, I want to move in with him! lol! btw.. doesn't look like that pool was drained before winter. You're supposed to drain it.
Posted by: Jewells45

Depends where you live. When I lived in MI opening and closing the pool was Spring and Fall work. (Actually just draining below lines and blowing out the pipes with air.) TX pool stays open and pump is set to run when temp drops to keep lines from freezing. zWorks great unless there is extended power loss.

Posted by: Aviator at February 27, 2021 03:16 PM (HQ9Sl)

58 I have four cenizo sage shrubs planted in front of my porch. They're a hardy species, but not sure if they liked being encased in ice. Definitely look like goners, but we'll see.

Posted by: Jak Sucio at February 27, 2021 03:31 PM (jvt6t)

59 My prickly pear cacti in the front yard were killed as was my agave. I have a Mexican fan palm that looks poorly, don't know if it will survive.

Posted by: Aviator at February 27, 2021 03:37 PM (HQ9Sl)

60 Muddy Pond looks like a nice little day trip. My wife and I will make a point of taking the drive and trying some of their sorghum syrup. Thanks.

Posted by: Cumberland Astro at February 27, 2021 03:39 PM (d9Cw3)

61 So,
Nobody has a clue what's going on with the punk rocker cardinal type birdy? I've never seen that wild a coloration on any animal.
A genetic masterpiece.

Posted by: Jimmy Doolittle at February 27, 2021 03:47 PM (U8Hxf)

62 And, of course, I didn't click the link on it.... till now. Amazing.

Posted by: Jimmy Doolittle at February 27, 2021 03:50 PM (U8Hxf)

63 Jimmy Doolittle at February 27, 2021 03:47 PM

Yeah. Half male, half female. Article says only the left ovary in female birds is fertile. Never heard that before.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 03:51 PM (BVQ+1)

64 @ 53 I don't think that's Dr. No's pool. I mean if it is, then yeah, I want to move in with him! lol! btw.. doesn't look like that pool was drained before winter. You're supposed to drain it.
Posted by: Jewells45

_________

1. Cedar Waxwing. Definitely. We had about six of 'em pass thru once the snow began to melt, but I didn't have my camera when I saw them. My bad. Beautiful birds.

2. Ding!Ding!Ding! Yes! ... Jewells45 is right! Dr No neither owns nor maintains that pool. That's up to Property Mgmt, and they shoulda drained it - but they didn't. Prolly didn't want to incur the refill charges. Cheap bastards, they are. Now, about that movin' in thing ...

Posted by: Dr_No at February 27, 2021 03:52 PM (mu5GU)

65 Great Gardening Thread, as always, with interesting topics. Cedar Waxwings! Have seen twice in my (considerable) lifetime. Once on shrubbery outside the window. Got to watch them passing berries down the line, just like shown in the bird book.

I have been to Muddy Pond and watched portions of the molasses making process. A mule hitched to the mill walks an endless circle turning the stone to crush the juice from the canes. A mule shift-change happened while we were there.

While my parents were living, we visited many interesting places on day trips with the Model "A" Club. Muddy Pond is one of many good memories.

Posted by: EyeTest at February 27, 2021 04:04 PM (FkbB3)

66 Aviator I would guess the prickly pear will bounce back from the roots. Unless there are different species of it. But we had them growing wild in ND. They are cold hearty, although possibly a sudden freeze gets them vs gradually getting colder and colder.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at February 27, 2021 04:04 PM (Aashi)

67 I'm thinking that this first winter, potatoes and maybe the sunflower are the best bets for Nick's greenhouse. I'll be interested to hear. I think it should work great as a season extender with some temperature control.

Posted by: KT at February 27, 2021 04:09 PM (BVQ+1)

68 >>Aviator I would guess the prickly pear will bounce back from the roots. Unless there are different species of it. But we had them growing wild in ND. They are cold hearty, although possibly a sudden freeze gets them vs gradually getting colder and colder.
Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable

Hope so. They look like balloons that lost air. They are lying flat on the ground, deflated. Supposedly they are good down to about 10 degrees. We actually were a little colder than that here.

Posted by: Aviator at February 27, 2021 04:40 PM (HQ9Sl)

69 Started the first flat of 36 peppers, 'super hots' that take 3 weeks just to germinate, even with bottom heat. They go out no sooner than the middle of May.

The scorpion tail seed gave me fits of coughing and sneezing when i opened the pack!

Posted by: Cicero Kaboom! Kid at February 27, 2021 04:43 PM (n/szn)

70 I love the photos and the details of the greenhouses.

Posted by: m at February 27, 2021 05:53 PM (JyWGN)

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