Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, May 7

Happy Saturday and Happy Mother's Day Weekend! Need flowers or plants? Think about something that might live in a garden. Things that might lift our spirits when times get tough, even:

Amid the destruction of the storms around here, a lot of the little things have been doing quite well. My irises are blooming nicely, and this is the time of year when the Azaleas show why we like them so. - Tom Servo

So striking!

Bet that iris smells good.

Edible Gardening

Think about growing some salad fixin's, because Gordon is documenting a rise in the cost of salad dressings. Plus, your own veggies will taste better.

Got a homemade salad dressing recipe you like?

Two ounces less is a 15 percent increase in price.

Ouch! Here are 19 dressings from Taste of Home.

PLUS, a revenge video! "A good YouTube about how to deal with treacherous neighbors who steal water and power." The guy stealing is an attorney?

Putting things by

By-Tor has responded to requests for a recipe for the fermented dill pickles last week:

Used up my last batch with my Fair entries so I put so more naturally fermented garlic dill pickles in the bucket. It's so simple anyone can do it. It is simply a 5% salt water brine solution, in a container, with cucumbers. And some dill and garlic. Use non-iodized salt.
For Luddites, I did a simple conversion if you don't want to do metric meaurements:
3 tablespoons of salt per 1 quart of hot water. Pour enough of this in the bucket to cover up the pickles. I use a saucer to weigh down the pickles so they stay under the brine. These are about five days old. Almost done, but honestly, this style of pickles is done when you say it is done.
When done, you can slice them, leave them whole. make them spears, or make relish.

Thanks, By-Tor! Good luck at the fair.

GARDENS OF THE HORDE

Longtime lurker Miss Susan here. First photo is of a three-weeks-at-home, 3-inch potted rose purchased from the local grocer for me by hubby as a snowy Valentine's Day 2020 gift... I named her Rosie. Two and a half-months later, she rode in the front seat of my little SUV 2,000 miles all the way to East Texas where she, and we, lived in an airbnb looking for a house in the middle of Kung Flu. We finally found a charming, newly constructed farm house on some small acreage where she was transplanted in August of that same year. Little Rosie survived the great 2020 Texas SnowColdPocalypse by being covered in a cardboard box with a light bulb tucked underneath. Second photo, here she is, two years and two thousand miles later, loving East Texas as much as we do ....

Great plant! That kind of plant could make a nice Mother's Day gift, too. (Hint, hint.)

This report from badgerwx is slightly delayed:

The intermittent cool spells let me stretch the spring transplanting
season, but once the irises start blooming it's time to quit. So far
only my dwarf iris is blooming but the big guys won't be far behind.

The mid-atlantic isn't the best climate for lilacs, but being from Wis I
gotta have some. Three of my 4 lilacs are in full bloom now. The 4th -
Miss Kim - is always the last to bloom. The hybrid tulips most people
plant are pretty much annuals around here, so I'm trying to grow species
tulips in hopes that they'll naturalize.

On the puttering side, it's time to repot my houseplants, but I'll have
to wait to repot this confused holiday cactus. It usually gets 1-2 flowers each spring in addition to its regular fall bloom. And a wildlife note - my mourning dove has flown the coop and there was no sign it had any eggs. So did something eat them shells & all? Or did that dopey dove spend over 2 weeks sitting on an empty nest?

Sometimes animals are inscrutable.

Critters

From: lurker in NorCal Sierra Foothills:
We have had many deer on our property. Even doing unusual, entertaining, and frustrating things. But in all my 60+ years in the woods I have never seen one laying down with their head laying all the way down on the ground like the middle one in this group! It was a little unsettling.

Gorgeous property and interesting wildlife observation!

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread, April 30, which included information on fermented pickles for the fair, squirrels, bunnies, a snake, flowers, lots of succulents, and perennial veggies? Any thoughts or questions?

The comments here are closed so you won't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Did we decide what the snake was? That big, blooming succulent?

Posted by: K.T. at 01:23 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Howdy KT

Posted by: Duke Lowell at May 07, 2022 01:24 PM (u73oe)

2 Called em

Posted by: Duke Lowell at May 07, 2022 01:25 PM (u73oe)

3 Howdy, Duke

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 01:25 PM (rrtZS)

4 Love those delicate little tulips hiding under the lilac.

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 01:26 PM (rrtZS)

5 And those dwarf iris are an interesting color.

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 01:26 PM (rrtZS)

6 Wife is already harvesting some (small) peppers.

Posted by: BignJames at May 07, 2022 01:32 PM (AwYPR)

7 I thought the snake was just a prairie black snake?

Posted by: MkY at May 07, 2022 01:34 PM (cPGH3)

8 I have Show and Tell
https://tinyurl.com/2bw5rcy8
This picture is my compost pile from fall of 2019, nothing been done to it since it got piled under plastic in 2020.

https://tinyurl.com/596j7rbw
This is same material now sifted through a Mason wire screen and gets shoveled back into garden.

No plants yet, still been quite cool and have half that compost pile to sift.

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 01:37 PM (2JoB8)

9 Miss Susan, I bought a Joseph's Coat rose for Mrs.E and the snowpocalypse killed it last year. You reminded me, need to get another one.

Posted by: Eromero at May 07, 2022 01:37 PM (gktX6)

10 Only puddering is plumbing problems

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 01:38 PM (2JoB8)

11 Strawberries are flowering. The serviceberry are gonna give good pie and jam fixin's, and we're harvesting asparagus. Darned cold spring, so we need to acclimate our maters peppers, etc. before going out. Spose to in the 90's next week.

Posted by: MkY at May 07, 2022 01:39 PM (cPGH3)

12 Love the photo of the irises. Those full blooms with shades of lavender and highlights of yellow always look so elegant. It would be interesting to capture the look in pastels or watercolors. (Wish I had the talent!)

Posted by: JTB at May 07, 2022 01:44 PM (7EjX1)

13 We mowed this morning and were going to take out the kitchen pail of compost but--nope, highly pregnant does have taken over the trees adjacent to the compost pile so we have to pass for a day or two until they deliver this year's batch of fawns.

This is our first summer with our rescue, Luna, who has become indifferent to the deer even when they are in HER yard. Don't know what she'll think of the fawns though.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at May 07, 2022 01:45 PM (fTtFy)

14 I viewed the beginning of the revenge story. The creator hails from somewhere in the British Commonwealth, judging by his spelling.

Posted by: kallisto at May 07, 2022 01:46 PM (DJFLF)

15 Strawberries are flowering.

Posted by: MkY at May 07, 2022 01:39 PM (cPGH3)

Got some at a local farm this week. Great.

Posted by: BignJames at May 07, 2022 01:46 PM (AwYPR)

16 10 Only puddering is plumbing problems

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 01:38 PM (2JoB

Me too! No fun for us.

Posted by: kallisto at May 07, 2022 01:47 PM (DJFLF)

17 THANK YOU, By-Tor!

That fermented dill pickle recipe is going to get a lot of use. My taste for fermented veggies seems to increase as I get older.

Posted by: JTB at May 07, 2022 01:47 PM (7EjX1)

18 I love irises. When I was a kid, we lived for a time next door to an iris breeder. She was trying for a black iris.

I have some in this yard, rescues that someone dug up and left out for the taking. One is a lovely yellow. When I get settled, I will be planting irises.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at May 07, 2022 01:47 PM (YynYJ)

19 Once Upon a Chef has excellent recipes for Caesar and green goddess dressings. Ina Garten's recipe for blue cheese dressing is also great. I've been making all of them for years.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at May 07, 2022 01:48 PM (fTtFy)

20 Yippee! I got my Logees.com shipment today! Gorgeous fruiting plants. Logees does a great job.

Posted by: Emmie at May 07, 2022 01:50 PM (t62xj)

21 My Iris has only 1 bloom so far, dark purple one, have lavender similar to one above but nothing yet

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 01:53 PM (2JoB8)

22 Thanks for the thread KT!

Revenge: Sweet!

Tor, Thank you!

Pest update: based on the smell something died in the RV garage after some hunting a squirrel carcass found. The stupid bugger snuck in when one of the doors was open and got stuck in there. Silly squirrel.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 01:57 PM (wEvS2)

23 Had a few crocus for a few days, daffodils were also gone in a flash but the tulips are blooming. I enjoy them but they are too scattered to make a good picture. The Alliums are thriving, they've done the best at taking care of themselves. I bought a couple packets of annual flower seeds and want to plant them this weekend.

Posted by: PaleRider, Simple Irredeemable at May 07, 2022 02:10 PM (3cGpq)

24 I am thinking of making apple cider vinegar this year. According to some sources I could use the pulp left over after I press cider. I have to look into this since I only have 4 months or so before I have to have the equipment ready

Posted by: Kindltot at May 07, 2022 02:10 PM (xhaym)

25 Since I have to visit Zuckerbook for business reasons now, I have discovered a group for Phoenix area folks whose citrus trees are producing more than the homewoners need. It's kind of late for this year but I'll be ready for 2023.

It is surprising how quickly one gets accustomed to fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.

Posted by: Gordon Scott at May 07, 2022 02:12 PM (vELAA)

26 Much digging in my schedule today. Trying to install my new veggie garden by Monday.

Posted by: Emmie at May 07, 2022 02:13 PM (t62xj)

27 This thread could almost double as a photography thread.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at May 07, 2022 02:13 PM (m0zqP)

28 It is surprising how quickly one gets accustomed to fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.
Posted by: Gordon Scott at May 07, 2022 02:12 PM (vELAA

Love fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice!

Posted by: Emmie at May 07, 2022 02:14 PM (t62xj)

29
It is surprising how quickly one gets accustomed to fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.
Posted by: Gordon Scott

New neighbor (without citrus trees) came by and gave us 2 reusable shopping bags full of grapefruit. They've all be squeezed and frozen into grapefruit pucks (mini cupcake molds). My meds don't allow me to have grapefruit so she's loving it.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 02:15 PM (AU8g4)

30 I dug up blackcap raspberries to plant in my raspberry patch. I fertilized them and the thimbleberries and they may actually do well. At least they are not dead yet.

I am thinking of getting a serviceberry too. They are native around here and will need less care than a peach

I watched some video on sun drying and storing peaches and tomatoes in Northern Spain. That is giving me some ideas too.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 07, 2022 02:17 PM (xhaym)

31 I'm pretty sure the snake was a rat snake of some kind.

On the photo, the snake appears mostly black with some grey here and there. Here's a closer look.

https://tinyurl.com/38pmdvvx

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at May 07, 2022 02:17 PM (m0zqP)

32 Frozen grapefruit pucks. Now why didn't I think of that when I could pick up as many as I wanted when walking the dogs?

Posted by: Gordon Scott at May 07, 2022 02:18 PM (vELAA)

33 Frozen grapefruit pucks. Now why didn't I think of that when I could pick up as many as I wanted when walking the dogs?
Posted by: Gordon Scott

heh, heh, heh... it'll work next year too!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 02:19 PM (AU8g4)

34 I think some more exotic looking roses are grafted onto heartier stock roses. My gardener hacked my beautiful purple rose back due to rust. I yelled at him to stop it as I treat that with copper and it does just fine. Well the rose grew back and now it's blooming..... red roses! Nooo! I loved that purple one. Now to find another purple rose to put in my yard I guess

Posted by: keena at May 07, 2022 02:20 PM (RiTnx)

35 Has anyone tried Baker Creek seeds? They have some real exotic looking kinds especially tomatoes. My friend planted a bunch of their tomato seeds. She planted six different types. However, she did not label what they were so now we all have these exotic heirloom seedlings and we have no idea what kind of tomatoes we will get. I can't wait to see what I get in another couple months!

Posted by: keena at May 07, 2022 02:22 PM (RiTnx)

36 I think some more exotic looking roses are grafted onto heartier stock roses. My gardener hacked my beautiful purple rose back due to rust. I yelled at him to stop it as I treat that with copper and it does just fine. Well the rose grew back and now it's blooming..... red roses! Nooo! I loved that purple one. Now to find another purple rose to put in my yard I guess

Posted by: keena at May 07, 2022 02:20 PM (RiTnx)

My mom has a yellow rose (limoncello?) that has 1 red bloom every year.

Posted by: BignJames at May 07, 2022 02:24 PM (AwYPR)

37 I think I made three posts in row in the last thread, the legit send off.

Fresh orange and grapefruit juice is one of those things you never come back from. My tip is order them from Texas. You can't beat Texas grapefruit. I will stake my honor on this one. Try a Salty Dog with the Texas stuff.

Posted by: Quint at May 07, 2022 02:25 PM (MKu/Q)

38 KT,
Thanks, as always, for the gardening thread. So much beauty and so much information.

I'll mention this on the food thread tomorrow. We just got a couple of bags of ruby red Vidalia onions. They are only available for May and maybe early June. They are called Real Sweet (tm) and grown by Shuman Farms. The damn things are seriously addictive. Their regular Vidalias are also excellent.

I bring this up here because their website has a bunch of recipes and using our home-grown veggies and herbs would fit right in with those recipes.

Posted by: JTB at May 07, 2022 02:30 PM (7EjX1)

39 BignJames @ 36-
Joseph's Coat rose always has at least 4 different colors. Beautiful.

Posted by: Eromero at May 07, 2022 02:34 PM (gktX6)

40 What percentage of this country can grow lemons, grapefruit, and oranges? My guess is maybe five percent. I remember a funny scene of The King if Queens where someone was stealing their neighbor's lemons. I have been the only guy to notice all those shows are set in New York but shot in L.A.

Posted by: Quint at May 07, 2022 02:34 PM (MKu/Q)

41 Nice irises, Tom. Azaleas look great too.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at May 07, 2022 02:40 PM (uWF4x)

42 Just got back from the garden center. Bought basil, oregano and red peppers to plant. Ground is still a bit wet so I will wait til tomorrow to plant them. Potted up some sweet potato vine, verbena and coleus. For now.

Posted by: Jewells45 at May 07, 2022 02:45 PM (nxdel)

43 hiya

Posted by: JT at May 07, 2022 02:48 PM (arJlL)

44 Hey JT

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 02:51 PM (+cjrd)

45 I always get my basil at the grocery store in the vegetable department, they have herbs to be grown hydroponic but I put the in the garden and they do well.
Looked the other day and no dill yet but sure it will come up.

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 02:56 PM (2JoB8)

46 I have been busy. If you don't recall and why should you (IYDRAWSY) , I built a 4' x 8' raised planter box. I have Roma tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, thyme, onions (both green and regular) from seeds, and two other tomato (salad/burger) varieties. I love that I can water the bed in the morning and the plants aren't wilting by noon.

Tomorrow, because it is never too soon, I will spray the tomatoes with Thuricide BT. Last year I got burned pretty badly. Not going to happen this year.

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at May 07, 2022 02:59 PM (lKAqb)

47 Only the onions are from seeds. LOL

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at May 07, 2022 03:00 PM (lKAqb)

48 Sounds like a busy 4x8!
Hope you have a bumper crop.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:02 PM (+cjrd)

49 This is why it's hard to garden here. It's 50 and raining. Going to rain all week and will get up to the 60s the end of the week. It's too cold for hot weather plants. But if you grow the cold weather stuff, it will bolt when the rain clears.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at May 07, 2022 03:09 PM (YynYJ)

50 But if you grow the cold weather stuff, it will bolt when the rain clears.
Posted by: Notsothoreau

Now think about having to plant where the warm-weather stuff just stops growing when it gets 'hot'...
Your cold weather plants must be planted in Aug here...

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:16 PM (+cjrd)

51 One of the tomatoes was a gift. I have to give it a chance.

The romas are determinate. So, do I need a rack/guide?

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at May 07, 2022 03:16 PM (lKAqb)

52 Pets are up!

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at May 07, 2022 03:16 PM (llON8)

53 Nood Pets!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:17 PM (+cjrd)

54 The plan is one tomato at one end and another at the other end. With other things in the gap.

Posted by: Chatterbox Mouse at May 07, 2022 03:17 PM (lKAqb)

55 I had some beautiful Siberian irises like those when I lived in Kansas. Didnt even know about them at first because they were on the side of the house I never checked.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at May 07, 2022 03:23 PM (PoPnB)

56 Chatterbox Mouse at May 07, 2022 03:16 PM

You don't necessarily need a support for determinate Roma tomatoes, but it usually helps your yield. You don't need a giant support.

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 03:24 PM (rrtZS)

57
The romas are determinate. So, do I need a rack/guide?
Posted by: Chatterbox

Yes, you'll need to support them unless you want your tomatoes laying on the ground.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:24 PM (tP18f)

58 but it usually helps your yield. You don't need a giant support.
Posted by: KT

I defer to KT; but, the Romas at my last house couldn't support the yield.
I really do need to get the raised bed protected so I can plant without feeding everything to the wildlife.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:26 PM (tP18f)

59 Hello, gardening Morons!

I bought a new lawnmower today. Everyone was shopping today, buying flowers.

My lawn is full of dandelions, violets, and clover. I wouldn't mind, but thistles and a spiny vine are popping up, too.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at May 07, 2022 03:26 PM (/+bwe)

60 35 Has anyone tried Baker Creek seeds?
Posted by: keena at May 07, 2022 02:22 PM (RiTnx)

Mikey mentioned them recently. I see some really cool-looking stuff I want to try next year.

Posted by: Emmie at May 07, 2022 03:27 PM (t62xj)

61 AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 03:26 PM

You sound like someone who intends to harvest all his tomatoes. I live in field tomato country. A lot of them end up in the dirt.

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 03:36 PM (rrtZS)

62 Still puttering away on the plumbing here at stately Peon Manor. All the piping, both drains and supply, are now stripped away from the kitchen sink, and all the lime crust cleaned off the back of the sink top. About to crawl under, and see if I can remove the faucet, and the spigot for the RO filter.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at May 07, 2022 03:52 PM (e1yJj)

63
You sound like someone who intends to harvest all his tomatoes. I live in field tomato country. A lot of them end up in the dirt.
Posted by: KT

Yup, raised beds here.
Family is from East of Visalia so I've seen those crops and orchards.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at May 07, 2022 04:04 PM (DYHi4)

64 AOP have to get a feed to bathroom sink up through wall, but opened up a bigger hole so hopefully can put all together and not solder inside wall

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 04:14 PM (2JoB8)

65

I was Cheated through hidden
electrical wiring. I called Pepco
my Utility Company, perplexed why
my bills were $350-400/mo.
when I live simply, no A.C, no TV.
Pepco said, turn off breakers
& my bill went down to nearly nothing.
Landlord (his own building) insisted
I turn breakers back on. Crooked man.

Posted by: zigzag at May 07, 2022 04:43 PM (by+Ib)

66 Start cutting wires,or turn yours off and double up to 220v line frying all else on it

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 05:01 PM (2JoB8)

67 Hobby Thread

Posted by: Skip at May 07, 2022 05:03 PM (2JoB8)

68 Has anyone tried Baker Creek seeds?
I love their catalog. The pictures and writeup make me want to buy and grow everything. So far what I've tried has grown well.

Posted by: gingeroni (central TX) at May 07, 2022 08:15 PM (X7FeU)

69 Dang. I have practically missed World Naked Gardening Day!

https://twitter.com/saqibmufc/status/
1522925819835953152

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 08:25 PM (rrtZS)

70 From Boise area, food gardening report: Lows 39-55 F, highs 57-72 F. Rain on Mon., Thurs., and Sat. - helps ease drought, plays havoc with garden plans.

In the raised beds: 2 of 4 lettuces sprouting - 4 of 4 spinach - 2 of 2 cabbage - a number of tiny carrot sprouts - both plantings of red radishes up - the only batch of purple radishes up - both plantings of green onions up. Just put in 4 shelling peas a few days ago.

I let myself get diverted by cutting all the dead stalks off the oregano, which is looking fabulous. What I should have been doing was cutting off dead strawberry leaves, and I did get a start on that, but there are two full 4 by 8 foot beds to do, so it's gonna take a while. Some are already flowering - especially the "surprise" ever-bearers in the lilac row.

Haven't checked whether any of the fruit trees are setting fruit yet. The midget blueberry bushes are budding so at least we'll get something. Red raspberry canes are leafing out, but until they flower, we don't pay much attention to them. The chives are just about to flower.

I still need to clip the spearmint, lavender, and maybe a bit off the thyme.
(post 1 of 2)

Posted by: Pat* at May 07, 2022 10:17 PM (2pX/F)

71 From Boise area, non-food gardening/puttering: Husband has been working on bringing up irrigation system one zone at a time, using tuna cans to test where water is hitting and how much; also replacing dead sprayers.

We planted 4 Austrian pines near the back property edge, have 4-6 more to do. When they come out of raised bed where they were heeled in, peas get planted. I'm working on mixing a pile of grass into emptied compost bin #6. Also working on dead strawberry leaf removal. (We hope to catch some of the runners from the everbearing "lilac strawberries" and start replacing the ones in the raised beds, which bear only once.)

The one bearded iris has started putting up stems. All our Siberian Irises will not bloom for Mothers Day...

Trees starting to leaf out - maples furthest along, sycamores barely started, oak just has tassels. Redbud has started dropping blooms just as dogwood flowers starting to become brighter white. Lilacs ready to flower - lilies of the valley have just started. Crabapple blossoms dropping, with all this wind and rain. Tulip season probably at midpoint.
(post 2 of 2.)

Posted by: Pat* at May 07, 2022 10:29 PM (2pX/F)

72 Nice job Skip. Only here an avid composters get compost porn, LOL.

Posted by: Farmer at May 07, 2022 11:00 PM (55Qr6)

73 Pat* at May 07, 2022 10:17 PM

I am impressed by the midget blueberry bushes in your climate!

Posted by: KT at May 07, 2022 11:59 PM (rrtZS)

74 They have done some really great breeding with miniature roses. I spent some serious time discussing roses with a famous breeder. I think he has passed on now.

Posted by: KT at May 08, 2022 12:01 AM (rrtZS)

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