Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread

Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread - March 20 [KT]

Diogenes has some great looking crocus now! Is it getting to be spring where you are?

Wildlife

Not a lot of gardening pictures, after everything here in East Texas got wiped out by Winter Storm Younger Dryas! But here's some pictures from my birdfeeder that the birds were clustered around, when all was ice.
A robin that just sat on my porch, wishing I would let him in; a cardinal in
the snow, a downy woodpecker; and a little olive green bird I haven't
quite been able to identify, although I believe it's a type of warbler.

- Tom Servo

Anybody know what that last bird is?

Last Week

Great comment on herons and a titmouse. Heh.

Freezing raspberries.

Mmmmm

Pat* wondered how deep we wanted to go with ideas on Prepping.

redc1c4 (IRL) sends in tips on solving the seed shortage through swapping from Garden & Gun.

Perhaps this video featuring VDH might inspire some thoughts. Take Me Home, Country Roads. It doesn't just discuss farming. It also discusses small businessmen, craftsmen and people who work with them -- people who are responsible for all facets of their own business. He suggests that you need a strong minority of these people to keep a civilization strong.

The video was inspired by an article on The Triumph of the Country Mouse. From June, 2020.

But millions will increasingly seek to avoid cities and will appreciate their virtual upsides from a distance without having to endure their real downsides.
Wherever we live, in our dreams at least, we are all country mice now.

Meanwhile, City Journal tries to provide some hope for the cities. NYC has endured a lot. With a bleak scene of Central Park during the Great Depression.

Our city brothers and sisters might want to keep some suburban and rural connections, though.

Maple Syrup

Tips for city slickers (and the rest of us) from PointyHairedBoss:

This is what happens when it's too cold.

We just bottled our first batch of maple syrup - 3 1/2 liters. We usually wait until we have enough sap to get a 10-20 liter batch but it got too cold & the trees shut down for a few days. Better sap weather is on the way.

CBD's mouth is watering already.

Gardens of The Horde

Hey KT,
Just sending another agave update. This picture is 10 days after the last one I sent in and it looks to me like it has grown 2.5 feet. I don't know how far back I will have to stand to get the next shots. I took a close up of the stem (not my best photography, still learning my camera I am afraid) so you can see the little flower buds forming. These will bloom and then all those flowers will become baby agave pups.
The first time one of my agaves did this I planted two whole flats with pups making 50 agaves. Everyone I knew got a plant. Now I am more reserved and I only plant about 5.
We are full on into spring here. Last night was 39 degrees but now it looks like we are headed for 80 degree days with lows no lower than 50 so it is off to the races for my spring garden. Hope the rest of the horde can get their hands dirty soon!
Wee Kreek Farm Girl

Fascinating.

Getting Tall!

Here in the Central Valley of California, our Silky Gold tropical milkweed has finally produced a couple of seedpods, after blooming all fall and winter.

From our special friend in Florida, a more vibrant plant, with a ladybug.

And a more traditionally-colored flower with a little Monarch Butterfly caterpillar. I don't think we are in the flight path here.

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 01:26 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Having some technical difficulties this morning.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 01:30 PM (BVQ+1)

2 Croci.

Posted by: davidt at March 20, 2021 01:30 PM (5ZHS+)

3 Good afternoon Greentumbs, Spring is here!

Posted by: Skip at March 20, 2021 01:30 PM (Cxk7w)

4 Watching last if snow pile in back melt away. Still have a bit in front where it gets no sun.

Posted by: Skip at March 20, 2021 01:32 PM (Cxk7w)

5 Still under the snow piles, but starting my seeds indoors, the ones that I can. Also, investigating options for raised beds, since 2x8's are now a buck a foot and that's a pretty penny.

Posted by: tcn in AK, Hail to the Thief at March 20, 2021 01:32 PM (N5Tno)

6 tcn any stones around to do it with?

Posted by: Skip at March 20, 2021 01:34 PM (Cxk7w)

7 Beautiful photographs!

I am expecting eight new rosebushes to arrive this week!

Posted by: CN at March 20, 2021 01:38 PM (ONvIw)

8 My grass seed is still under some snow. It should get a nice start. Supposed to be 60s today with a chance of a 1/10th size storm Sunday night- Monday. Putting a crimp in my plans for doing a lot of early spring riding, but I was praying for a good wet snowstorm and spring moisture for the area farmers.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 01:38 PM (Aashi)

9 Good morning, KT. Been a while. We're having a cool spring, so, I'm holding off on planting anything.

Side note: I have a tomato plant I cut back to see if it would survive the winter, it did and now I'm waiting to see if it will grow and produce. So far, we have the new leaves and growing thing going on. As for the rest? Wait and see.

I also have a green pepper plant, along with an Anaheim pepper plant that made it also.

After we get back from AZ next month, I'll start getting stuff in the ground.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing at March 20, 2021 01:39 PM (2SdPm)

10 We got a tulip from someone as a gift and it just up and died. I have no idea what the problem is, I cared for it well and it simply gave up.

Our cat demolished a Thanksgiving cactus someone gave us too. It was doing fine and he chewed and clawed it to bits, laid on it, etc.

I can't figure it out either, I have two others and he does nothing to them. Its like he hated that plant.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at March 20, 2021 01:42 PM (KZzsI)

11 Its not nearly as tidy, but I believe one can do somewhat raised beds with paths between them w/o any frames on the beds. You could just use some wire fencing to enforce only walking on the paths and not packing down the beds. If you don't need to get really raised beds to allow tending without having to bend over that would probably work, while you keep an eye out for people looking to dispose of old 2x4s and so on to gradually build up bed frames. Or maybe use a bunch of short 'stakes' from branches collected in the bountiful AK forests?

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 01:44 PM (Aashi)

12 Tulips do that CRT. Outside they bloom in the spring, the leaves and everything die back by summer, the bulbs need the cold period over winter and then they repeat. If its a potted plant others can advise better but I think you let the soil dry, dig out the bulb(s) and put them in the fridge for X weeks and then you may be able to force it again next year for winter blooms.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 01:48 PM (Aashi)

13 for the maple syrupers, 3 Panel Soul has a very moronesque take todayhttp://www.threepanelsoul.com/

Posted by: mark reardon at March 20, 2021 01:49 PM (pTqmC)

14 Those milkweeds look a lot different than the ones native to PA

Posted by: kallisto at March 20, 2021 01:49 PM (DJFLF)

15 We got a tulip from someone as a gift and it just up and died. I have no idea what the problem is, I cared for it well and it simply gave up.

They have a very short time span where they look pretty, then they "die" (go dormant). Plant it in the ground and it will bloom next Spring.

Posted by: Jewells45 at March 20, 2021 01:50 PM (nxdel)

16 Listen to Jewells, she used to work for a nursery that sold all kinds of flowering bulbs IIRC.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 01:51 PM (Aashi)

17 Cut first rose bloom of the season yesterday

Posted by: San Franpsycho at March 20, 2021 01:51 PM (EZebt)

18 My tulips are popping up. I wish now I hadn't been so lazy that day last fall and I planted more. I think I only planted a dozen. I also planted some in a pot but those died. That 2 weeks of frigid weather did them in.

Posted by: Jewells45 at March 20, 2021 01:52 PM (nxdel)

19 We have some spring bulbs and the iris sending up stems and leaves. Flowers wont arrive for a few weeks.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 01:53 PM (Aashi)

20 Daffodils are in full bloom here.

Pruned the poinsettias.

Tomato and flower seeds have sprouted; waiting on the peppers.

Posted by: JQ at March 20, 2021 01:55 PM (09wCi)

21 Finally got the last photos to post. Had trouble with some others.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 01:56 PM (BVQ+1)

22 The close-ups from the Florida milkweed flowers look to me like very tiny little orchids.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 01:58 PM (BVQ+1)

23 Listen to Jewells, she used to work for a nursery that sold all kinds of flowering bulbs IIRC.

Close, I worked for a dutch company that imported bulbs from Holland. I'm fairly knowledgable

Posted by: Jewells45 at March 20, 2021 01:59 PM (nxdel)

24 I think it's great how VDH came home from earning a PhD and his dad told him that now he had better start learning some useful things.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 02:01 PM (BVQ+1)

25 Nice shots, Diogenese and Tom Servo. KT, your friend in Florida managed to make milkweed look really good. Great stuff.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at March 20, 2021 02:02 PM (uWF4x)

26 The pic from Wee Kreek Farm Girl, we had one of those cacti just up the street from us. I looked it up and they grow that huge stalk every few years, I think it is. I was looking forward to it blooming, and, boy was I disappointed, because I was expecting something spectacular.

I think the owners were also, because, shortly after, they had the cactus removed.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing at March 20, 2021 02:04 PM (2SdPm)

27 My tomato seedlings are actually growing; transplanted them into small pots and they're out on my patio getting used to outdoors. Little bell pepper seedlings still in their tiny compartments under a grow bulb.

Trying to use things I already have around, like big kitty litter pails, to use as final containers. Just to see how little money I can spend. Buying the good potting soil and fertilizer though. Spent some time this morning drilling drainage holes in the containers. This is all new to me.

Love all the pictures today, so beautiful.

Posted by: skywch at March 20, 2021 02:06 PM (Y/Ps0)

28 That maple syrup looks amazing!

I've been defending the swiss chard and lettuce from whatever bird like them, shredded leaves on all the low growing swiss chard and the outer lettuce leaves too.

I don't remember having to protect lettuce or chard in SoCal.

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at March 20, 2021 02:06 PM (gtatv)

29 got about 15K spikes from the daylillies and hostas appearing today

in a couple of weeks, I'l dig up 800 or 1000 hostas and divide them

should pot them up and sell them

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:09 PM (6iURM)

30 I'm thinking I might try to plant a few taters this year. Our neighbor did a garden last year in old water tanks and halves of plastic totes that liquids are shipped in.

I have an old water tank that I could move to be handy to a hydrant that already has some years old compost in it. I do have the tractor that should allow moving it w/o wrenching my back. I tamp down urges to plant a full garden because summer is my season to go off on long weekends with the horse and even take full week trips, but I do feel like I should do a little bit this year. Get back in a bit of practice cuz it feels like growing some food might become a necessity.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 02:09 PM (Aashi)

31 kallisto at March 20, 2021 01:49 PM
Yes, the milkweed flowers are very different. More like butterfly weed.
The pods are also very different. Skinny little things.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 02:10 PM (BVQ+1)

32 I have a big azalea bush outside my home office window. The bush is really flowering this spring in electric pink. The afternoon sun is now lighting up those flowers and my normally light beige office walls are pink too.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 20, 2021 02:11 PM (FJ81s)

33 So I'm wondering if there is a process to harvest agave sap? and make syrup. All I know is some product labels proclaim "sweetened with agave"

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 02:11 PM (Aashi)

34 We had yellow, white and purple crocus in one flowerbed, but the cats apparently dug up all but 4 purple ones that are now in bloom here in the Bluegrass. The tulips in the same bed are sticking their heads up, but no blooms yet.

Interestingly, a lot of purple clover is in bloom too. The fields around here will soon be either purple with that, or yellow with some type of "mustard" weed that flowers in late March/early April.

Posted by: Martini Farmer - Now a Pirate, Hoisting the Black Flag at March 20, 2021 02:11 PM (3H9h1)

35 REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:09 PM
Wow.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 02:12 PM (BVQ+1)

36
I think the owners were also, because, shortly after, they had the cactus removed.
Posted by: blake

One of the local agave blooms once and then dies; so people tend to rip them out quickly once they have flowered.
You can sometimes tell the landscapers bought all their plants at one time from the same place because an impressive resort's gardens will all blossom and all need to be replaced at once.

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at March 20, 2021 02:12 PM (gtatv)

37 in a couple of weeks, I'l dig up 800 or 1000 hostas and divide them

I need to do that to mine. They get so huge it's time to divide them but I'm just too lazy.

Posted by: Jewells45 at March 20, 2021 02:12 PM (nxdel)

38 Saw my first Robin yesterday. Spring is sprung, snow is mostly melted, which means, spring yard work. Yay?

Posted by: 4 at March 20, 2021 02:13 PM (KnJdm)

39 PaleRider, I am thinking the same thing about learning to grow food, save seeds, etc. sounds like you are way ahead on the possibility curve, lol. I was wondering about taters too; have the mulching bag from my mower that I'm never going to use and was pondering planting some in that.

Posted by: skywch at March 20, 2021 02:14 PM (Y/Ps0)

40 Time to go feed the horses. I'll read what the actual gardeners are up to later.

Have a great weekend all.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 02:14 PM (Aashi)

41 Not exactly on-thread, but close: I ventured out into my backyard today. (When it's cared for and such, for an urban backyard of only, roughly 50'x25', it's gorgeous and there's a big enough center patio for a quadrille or a 5-person, longwise set.) Well I took my new-ish, pretty little kitty, Pretty Girl, out there since she has been staring out the back window at it for weeks, and she had a short, but grand, time patrolling until she decided she wanted to come in for cold treats and a cat tree to lounge in. She's not running away. Can't wait until I can leave the back door open for her all day.

Posted by: SFGoth at March 20, 2021 02:15 PM (KAi1n)

42 35 REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:09 PM
Wow.
Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 02:12 PM (BVQ+1)

I have a friend who owns a nursery/tree farm in McMinnville TN

so I get them for 1 or 2 bucks a 2 gallon pot

otherwise, no way

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:15 PM (6iURM)

43 >>>Diogenes has some great looking crocus.

Dude knows how to wow the ladies, all flaunting his crocus all over the web.

Posted by: 4 at March 20, 2021 02:16 PM (KnJdm)

44 I saved a bunch of dog food bags (~50lb size), thinking they might wrk for growing potatoes?

They're made of plastic, tarp-like material. Definitely would need to punch drainage holes at bottom.

Should I also ventilate up the sides? Or, just use something else?

Posted by: JQ at March 20, 2021 02:17 PM (09wCi)

45 37 in a couple of weeks, I'l dig up 800 or 1000 hostas and divide them

I need to do that to mine. They get so huge it's time to divide them but I'm just too lazy.
Posted by: Jewells45 at March 20, 2021 02:12 PM (nxdel)

it's kinda counterintuitive that you wash all the dirt off the roots but what the hey

I have help doing mine

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:17 PM (6iURM)

46 This spring is our first spring in this house. We rent from my daughter. Years ago when she and her husband lived here, I remember planting tulips, daffodils, and phlox with her. Some kind of ground cover that starts with a P, too. It will be interesting to see if her intermediate tenants managed to kill them all. My feeling is, they did, and now we'll have to start from scratch. At least I know that the two rosebushes are still alive.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:18 PM (45fpk)

47 in a couple of weeks, I'l dig up 800 or 1000 hostas and divide them

should pot them up and sell them

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:09 PM (6iURM)

I'll take a dozen.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:20 PM (45fpk)

48 > Is it getting to be spring where you are?

Only on the calendar.

Posted by: DB- just DB at March 20, 2021 02:20 PM (iTXRQ)

49 Is it getting to be spring where you are?

We just got home from Little League tryouts, so yes - Spring!

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:21 PM (45fpk)

50 800 or 1000 hostas

We'll take them all...

Posted by: JQ's hungry slugs at March 20, 2021 02:22 PM (09wCi)

51 Nashville Warbler???

Posted by: underhat at March 20, 2021 02:23 PM (F8zNn)

52 Here's part of my office window:

https://___ur.com/i5SQCfY

Feels a little like being in a tropical paradise. I just need to pour my coffee into a coconut and find one of those little stick umbrellas to put in it.

Posted by: banana Dream at March 20, 2021 02:27 PM (FJ81s)

53 @KT,

I downsized those photos and resent them.

Posted by: That Guy What Always Says Yeah Buddy TM at March 20, 2021 02:27 PM (R5lpX)

54 "and a little olive green bird I haven't
quite been able to identify, although I believe it's a type of warbler.

- Tom Servo

My wife, who's a pretty hardcore birder, said it's an orange-crowned warbler.

Posted by: Grimmy at March 20, 2021 02:27 PM (3MG/9)

55 try: Here's part of my office window:

https://IMGur.com/i5SQCfY

Posted by: banana Dream at March 20, 2021 02:28 PM (FJ81s)

56 Dude knows how to wow the ladies, all flaunting his crocus all over the web.

**looks at self in mirror...winks**

Posted by: Diogenes at March 20, 2021 02:28 PM (axyOa)

57 I ordered Serrano and Candy Cane pepper seeds from Pepper Joe's online. Then I was reading in a couple forums they are infamous for sending the wrong seeds. I ordered from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, but they didn't have Candy Canes, so I went with Txorixero Sweet Peppers instead.

I'm starting late, but this was a sudden inspiration to do a project with my son. I haven't grown anything from seed since grammar school.

Posted by: bonhomme at March 20, 2021 02:30 PM (i0wNm)

58 I'll take a dozen.
Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:20 PM (45fpk)

We'll take them all...
Posted by: JQ's hungry slugs at March 20, 2021 02:22 PM (09wCi)

that escalated quickly

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:32 PM (6iURM)

59 One of the local agave blooms once and then dies; so people tend to rip them out quickly once they have flowered.

We had one in the front yard, I had to remove it after it flowered. Plant has some kind of irritant in it, makes skin itch like crazy. Any more pop up and I'm killing them as fast as I can find them.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - moronhorde.com. Serving all Americans, even the Neanderthals. at March 20, 2021 02:35 PM (SchxB)

60 I should start planting tomato seeds. Last year that went really well, except for two plants killed by tomato worms.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at March 20, 2021 02:35 PM (uWF4x)

61 'Superhots' peppers are green, green, geeen! ( habanero types). I started seedlings according to the moon signs this year. Today is the last day to plant seedlings before the next moon cycle. I have a typenof thai i want to plant and a flat of oriental eggplant.

Stay green, thumbs!

Posted by: Cicero Kaboom! Kid at March 20, 2021 02:36 PM (n/szn)

62 Just picked up my Mason bees from a local Master Gardner organization. I raise the bees during the Spring then store the cocoons in the fridge until I turn the cocoons over to the Master Gardners in the Fall. That way I don't have to clean the cocoons and the Master Gardners get lots of bees to sell this time of year. Typically I hand over about 900 cocoons every year.

My new cocoons will stay in the fridge longer than the recommended time to put them outside. I wait until the maple trees are ready to bloom before putting them out. The bees seem to be bigger and healthier on maple pollen than the local cherry tree pollen.

Posted by: Beartooth at March 20, 2021 02:38 PM (ZN7T5)

63 Great pics Tom.
So far this morning I've counted six different bird species in the yard.
Robin
Hummingbird
Blue jay
Goldfinch
Starling
And the ever present crows.
I'm expecting Nurse's woodpeckers in a couple weeks.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 20, 2021 02:40 PM (axyOa)

64 If any of you are so inclined, the nurseries around Smithville and McMinnville TN are very accommodating to end users if you buy a decent quantity

I usually fly down to Nashville with a friend of mine. We rent a couple of 24 ft Budget trucks and drive out to that area, about an hour

It really depends on your access and price of decent plants

but I live in the Berkshires, where plants are expensive

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:41 PM (6iURM)

65 I raise the bees during the Spring then store the cocoons in the fridge

There's a sentence I never expected to read.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:41 PM (45fpk)

66 50: Good luck with that

Posted by: CN's miserable damnable hungry deer at March 20, 2021 02:43 PM (ONvIw)

67 >There's a sentence I never expected to read.
Posted by: grammie winger

Hand me that piano.

Posted by: DB- just DB at March 20, 2021 02:43 PM (iTXRQ)

68 There's a sentence I never expected to read.
Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 02:41 PM (45fpk)

gotta be code for sumptin

Posted by: REDACTED at March 20, 2021 02:44 PM (6iURM)

69 That Guy What Always Says Yeah Buddy at March 20, 2021 02:27 PM

I was really surprised that I couldn't get them to work. Will try for a later thread.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 02:44 PM (BVQ+1)

70 raise the bees during the Spring then store the cocoons in the fridge

There's a sentence I never expected to read.
Posted by: grammie winger at March 20

It's true. You let the cocoons mature during the summer then store in the fridge to make them hibernate. They are then cleaned of mites and fungus then cold storage until about now.

Posted by: Beartooth at March 20, 2021 02:45 PM (ZN7T5)

71 Mason bees are solitary bees not social bees like honey bees. However, they are something like 50 times better at pollination than honey bees.

Posted by: Beartooth at March 20, 2021 02:47 PM (ZN7T5)

72 It's true. You let the cocoons mature during the summer then store in the fridge to make them hibernate. They are then cleaned of mites and fungus then cold storage until about now.
Posted by: Beartooth at March 20, 2021 02:45 PM (ZN7T5)

Damn.
And all this time I thought those little dark things on the butter were toast crumbs.

Posted by: Diogenes at March 20, 2021 02:49 PM (axyOa)

73 Damn.
And all this time I thought those little dark things on the butter were toast crumbs.
Posted by: Diogenes at March

Think raisins.

Posted by: Beartooth at March 20, 2021 02:51 PM (ZN7T5)

74 Mystery bird looks sorta like my Goldfinches in winter plumage. Reminds me to feed them again.

Posted by: klaftern at March 20, 2021 02:57 PM (RuIsu)

75 Any more pop up and I'm killing them as fast as I can find them.
Posted by: Blanco Basura

lol, you are not supposed to touch any of them!
I wear gloves always and then I throw them out because sooner or later the thorns work through the glove.
I just picked up a beavertail pad that I noted last year had really pretty bright lavender flowers. Letting it harden off for a day and then I'll plant with a bit of root-tone on 1/3 of the pad.

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at March 20, 2021 03:00 PM (gtatv)

76 Mr. Bar-the-Door just put in a Tiffany light/fan. In the kitchen.

Looks kinda nice. Fan retracts when not in use. Remote is a little complex.

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 03:01 PM (BVQ+1)

77 Logged on and saw the picture of the crocus(croci) and realized I'd taken almost the exact same shot and forgot to send it. Mine are a little darker purple. Definitely a sign of spring. I did send it along a few minutes ago.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at March 20, 2021 03:03 PM (sd8p8)

78 Sign of Spring: Rev just put the snow shovel away for the year.

Sign of Dumbness: Rev just put the snow shovel away for the year.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 03:06 PM (45fpk)

79 Sign of Spring: Rev just put the snow shovel away for the year.

Sign of Dumbness: Rev just put the snow shovel away for the year.
Posted by: grammie winger

Hope springs eternal!

Posted by: AZ deplorable isolated at March 20, 2021 03:08 PM (gtatv)

80 **looks at self in mirror...winks**
Posted by: Diogenes at March 20, 2021 02:28 PM (axyOa)

lol

Posted by: 4 at March 20, 2021 03:12 PM (KnJdm)

81
nood pets

Posted by: AltonJackson at March 20, 2021 03:16 PM (BH/+/)

82 Okay so my daughter and I are stumped. About ten years ago we planted a ground cover alongside of the garage where now live. (She lived here first - we rent from her now). It filled in after the first year. I think it was mostly green foliage with some white in there somewhere. There is no sign of anything emerging and I'm afraid it got wrecked by the previous savages - I mean renters. I'd like it again but I can't for the life of me think of the name. Seems like it had a feminine sounding name.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 03:17 PM (45fpk)

83 someone beat me to the "goldfinch" ID... but that's what it looks like to me. when Herself gets back from errands, i'll ask her, as she is the real birder here.

Posted by: redc1c4 (*OTUS Zhou Bai-Din Cheated) at March 20, 2021 03:20 PM (0iL44)

84 grammie winger at March 20, 2021 03:17 PM

Sun or shade? How tall?

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 03:25 PM (BVQ+1)

85 KT - my daughter just remembered it! Creeping Nancy! I'm excited to get this garden back to where it was when my daughter lived here. I have a feeling the savages killed the Phlox too. Another project. Thanks for the thread!

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 03:39 PM (45fpk)

86 Grammie, is this your plant?

perennials.com/plants/
lamium-maculatum-white-nancy.html

Posted by: JQ at March 20, 2021 03:52 PM (09wCi)

87 Anybody know what that last bird is?

Wild parakeet ?

Posted by: JT at March 20, 2021 03:54 PM (arJlL)

88 Grammie, is this your plant?

perennials.com/plants/

lamium-maculatum-white-nancy.html

Posted by: JQ at March 20, 2021 03:52 PM (09wCi)

Yes!! Thank you - that's a great picture too.

Posted by: grammie winger at March 20, 2021 04:14 PM (45fpk)

89 From Idaho's Treasure Valley, Pat*'s First Day of Spring Report, in pieces:
This winter was mild, except for one snowstorm in Feb., up to 12" total. Felt like drier than average - hope mountains got plenty of snow.

Husband mowed down the old alfalfa stems before the sprouts could get any bigger, then changed oil in mower (he's learning maintenance on this mower, since it was new last spring).

He stripped dead sod off front lawn - I ripped it into smaller pieces and got it into compost, alternating with leaf layers. We'll re-seed the stripped area once irrigation comes on (usually late April).

He pulled the stumps out of the corn bed, borrowed the neighbor's tiller, and tilled in finished compost. We replaced our squid-like irrigation tubing setup, and planted 20' of peas. Put up 4 fenceposts - fencing comes later, corn planting much later.

We cut down all the bunchgrass (Calamagrostis 'Overdam') and Siberian Iris leaves before new sprouts showed up.

We re-started the gutter screen installation project we started last fall - a few pieces go up at a time.
(Piece 1).

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 04:15 PM (2pX/F)

90 Just popped in to see the posts and of course Pat*.

My crocuses are up: dark purple, light purple, yellow, and white-with-yellow-speckles. Daffodils are forming heads.

Today's "gardening" consisted of picking up stickes andcleaning windows. They're streaked but so much better than pollen- and dirt-coated.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at March 20, 2021 04:31 PM (/+bwe)

91 This bleeping thing won't let me post pieces 2 and 3, calls me a spammer. I'll try again later. Not sure what the heck is going on, but it's sure annoying.

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 04:35 PM (2pX/F)

92 Pat, you might need to let some paragraphs run together. After the troll who was copy/pasting entire threads into his post the # of line breaks got limited. I think only 6 to 8 are allowed.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at March 20, 2021 04:43 PM (Aashi)

93 More from Pat*: Silver maples are flowering. Box elder bugs are out. Tulip leaves look strong (small beds by front sidewalk plus 5 planter pots). Mums behind the kitchen have small sprouts. Hyacinths behind kitchen are blooming! - we have blue, and fragrant white. I found some very tiny lily of the valley pips coming up - we have circles around 2 trees.

I pulled out all the old tomato stumps. I dug and turned the soil in the 6 raised beds that change annually. I cleaned up dead stems/leaves in the 2 "blueberry beds" - one is 2 small blueberry bushes plus hummingbird mix flowers and chamomile; the other has 1 blueberry, same mixed flowers, plus hollyhock (planted last year & survived) and chives (already over 6").

Winter sowing boxes have produced results! - just spotted today!, 2 Super Beefsteak sprouts and 1 Roma sprout. 9 onion seeds had already sprouted; I planted more later.

I barely got started removing dead strawberry leaves in two beds, each 4'x8' - big job... Yesterday was wet, today is windy/cold, it can wait for another day. (Piece 2).

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 05:26 PM (2pX/F)

94 More from Pat*: We laid out and marked spots for this year's planned 3 fruit trees - still have to buy them.

Out in the beds, I planted 2 spinach seeds (hoping to stagger the planting), and all the old onion starts we had - we found if you let them grow all season, they become decent-sized onions. We bought German Butterball potato starts, we have fingerlings we saved, so we'll plan potatoes this week (after buying fresh soil).

Indoors, we have healthy sprouts of tomato and poblano. We mark each variety of tomato with toothpicks marked with colored markers, so we know which is which. So far, knock wood, no deaths from mold or damping-off, which we had a heck of a time with, last year. (Piece 3.)

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 05:27 PM (2pX/F)

95 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). (Piece 4/end).

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 05:29 PM (2pX/F)

96 Pat*,

You two have been busy! What kind of fruit trees are you planning to plant?

Posted by: KT at March 20, 2021 06:51 PM (BVQ+1)

97 Pears 'Seckel' and 'Warren', peach either 'Elberta' or 'O'Henry'. Need to find out which is more cold-tolerant.

Posted by: Pat* at March 20, 2021 11:49 PM (2pX/F)

98 Pat*, there are several strains of Elberta peach. Some are common in your region, others not so much.

Posted by: KT at March 21, 2021 10:35 AM (BVQ+1)

99 Pat*
Here is a chart of intermountain peach varieties. O Henry is not listed. Early Elberta is hardier than Elberta. Gleason Elberta is a superior strain of Early Elberta. J.H. Hale is great, but requires a pollinator. Halehaven and Cresthaven have good reputations.

https://tinyurl.com/3p4vb9t7

Posted by: KT at March 21, 2021 05:10 PM (BVQ+1)

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