Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, July 22

Happy July, everybody! Above and below, some roses from Switzerland. What's growing where you are?

Our forecast today is 108 degrees, but it should cool off at night, more than in the desert. How are you folks doing there? A niece and her family are currently moving cross-country and should arrive there soon. Bad timing for a move, I think. I guess it's pretty hot in much of the country right now.

And a Rose of Sharon, I think.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

We had to pick all the crabapples because the birds were getting into them, so we made a batch of jelly. Got 6 little jars from the 3 cups of juice and a pretty amber color. Sweet and tart, tried the one in the fridge already -- they all jelled and popped their lids but we couldn't resist trying one ...
Nan in AZ

Mmmmm

Hi KT,
This is Della, with our potatoes that are curing on the screen porch. Works for either the garden or pet thread.
Miley, okravangelist

Della looks like a good helper! Bet she keeps the rodents away! And the potatoes look great!

Time lapse, garden beds

Hi, KT!
I emailed the Horde a couple of months ago about my newly acquired garden beds because I am a total newbie about gardening. I refugeed South from NYC to East Tennessee a couple of years ago (Southerner come home) and bought my house in March out in the country. I thought you would get a kick out of how I actually bought more plants than I can deal with! I really feel like if I parted the leaves of these giant squash plants I would find Steve Martin in there somewhere...
First pic is June 10th.
Regards, lurker Beverly

Well, I don't see Steve Martin, and I don't see those Marigolds under the squash leaves anymore, either. Fast growth!

Ah, Nature

Do you need one of these, or no?

This is a strangler fig tree, Inside this tree is a hollow space where a different tree stood

The strangler fig's seeds have made their way into the canopy of a host tree and germinated. As the fig's roots grow, they cascade down the trunk,
Once they are in the ground it… pic.twitter.com/UsdUCXJGV9
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 20, 2023

Garden Visitors

From Eromero, back in May:

Broad daylight, eating jelly from oriole feeder.

First is a Soldier butterfly, it mimics the Monarch quite closely. (taking advantage of the fact that the monarch is poisonous to birds). There are 3 species that mimic the Monarch; the Viceroy, the Queen, and the Soldier, with the Soldier rarely seen outside of Texas. The lack of many white dots at the leading edge of the wing mark this one as a Soldier butterfly. thanks!
Second is the Sound of Summer for all us in the south, the cicada. Those things are all over right now, and the REEEEEE from the treetops is constant in the evenings.
Tom Servo

Soldier butterflies are rare. Sometimes called "Tropical Queens".

Gardens of The Horde

My Missouri Potted Plumeria

From Shadowbass:

I thought you might like to see my 6' tall plumeria. It's my version of the tropics in the Ozarks. It smells like ambrosia and gardenias.
I have many tropical fragrant plants, Brunsfelsia, citrus, jasmine, orchids, tropical and desert cactus, etc, if you can grow it in a pot, I've probably tried it. I live in a modest townhouse in a small town and I don't really have a backyard for a garden, but I do have a deck, so I make the best of it. By the way I check Ace of Spades daily.

Just remarkable! Plumeria is hard enough to grow in California!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

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? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, July 15

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:20 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at July 22, 2023 01:22 PM (LSHOP)

2 Wasn't supposed to get first
Lots of cucumbers which like squash are growing over everything. Hundreds of blossom but so far under a dozen. Lots of unripe peppers and only green tomatoes.

Posted by: Skip at July 22, 2023 01:24 PM (LSHOP)

3 The raccoon cracks me up.

Posted by: KT at July 22, 2023 01:27 PM (rrtZS)

4 Hey

Posted by: Ciampino -- from a jack to a king; mtcmtmail= at July 22, 2023 01:28 PM (qfLjt)

5 I grew some potatoes in my yard one year; they had sprouted in the kitchen initially. When I harvested and cooked them, they were very, very good. Wife believes it's the terre noir.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:28 PM (ynpvh)

6 Nice cicada. I've only seen the brown ones, but then again, I grew up on the border. (and no, that's not a brown-skinned comment...)

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:29 PM (ynpvh)

7 )%(*)(#*U^@{(! peach borers have attacked my mom's nectarine tree, seemingly overnight. I'm spraying two or three types of crap all over it.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at July 22, 2023 01:33 PM (llON8)

8 7 )%(*)(#*U^@{(! peach borers have attacked my mom's nectarine tree, seemingly overnight. I'm spraying two or three types of crap all over it.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at July 22, 2023 01:33 PM (llON

I didn't know you could speak Qbert.
https://youtu.be/uNsKIgTNvM8

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:35 PM (ynpvh)

9 I was watching a hummingbird sip from my bean blossoms yesterday. Other than that, I dug 10lbs of potatoes from one row, and I am waiting for the other rows to die back.

I have flea beetles on my horseradish, and I may have to buy some neem oil for them. Other than that ii has been hot.

Potatoes taste better when grown in your own garden for some reason.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:36 PM (xhaym)

10 Lovely flower photos, time lapse garden, and Rocky Raccoon caught red-handed!

Posted by: kallisto at July 22, 2023 01:36 PM (dCxaZ)

11 6 Nice cicada. I've only seen the brown ones, but then again, I grew up on the border. (and no, that's not a brown-skinned comment...)
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:29 PM (ynpvh)

There are a lot of sub-groups. Growing up in Phoenix, there were all rather small and black, the big green ones are the ETEX - Louisiana ones. Now I have to see if I can get a picture of the big cicada killer Wasps, which are busy building burrows in my front yard! They look frightening and are very big, but they have no interest at all in humans unless you are foolish enough to mess with them. Don't do that.

Posted by: Gen'l Buck Turgidson at July 22, 2023 01:38 PM (S6gqv)

12 This is a strangler fig tree

Wow, just how socialism and communism are good for a country.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:40 PM (ynpvh)

13 I should probably buy some neem oil. It seems to be good against everything!

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 22, 2023 01:40 PM (nC+QA)

14 I canned 25 lbs of cherries last week, and it is a bumper year for apples, pears and plums. I have no idea where I am going to stow it all.
I suppose this is a good sort of problem to have.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:40 PM (xhaym)

15 14 I canned 25 lbs of cherries last week, and it is a bumper year for apples, pears and plums. I have no idea where I am going to stow it all.
I suppose this is a good sort of problem to have.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:40 PM (xhaym)

Insurance against the lean times...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:41 PM (ynpvh)

16 13 I should probably buy some neem oil. It seems to be good against everything!

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 22, 2023 01:40 PM (nC+QA)

Never heard of neem oil. Had to look it up.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:42 PM (ynpvh)

17 Really lovely flowers in the top pics. Those garden beds are coming along great too.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 22, 2023 01:44 PM (nC+QA)

18 off general buck sock!

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2023 01:44 PM (S6gqv)

19 Insurance against the lean times...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:41 PM (ynpvh)

It is just that now I am running out of room under the bed, and I am eyeing the space under the sofa . . .

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:46 PM (xhaym)

20 19 Insurance against the lean times...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:41 PM (ynpvh)

It is just that now I am running out of room under the bed, and I am eyeing the space under the sofa . . .

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:46 PM (xhaym)

Could someone buy some offa ya?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:47 PM (ynpvh)

21 That Rose of Sharon is also called Althea - I have a big specimen of that exact type just outside my living room window. The bloom prolifically all summer, a wonderful plant to have. Another member of the hibiscus family.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2023 01:49 PM (S6gqv)

22 Tater cat looks formidable.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at July 22, 2023 01:50 PM (nzEeq)

23 Oh, and I had a seedless grape that I am growing from a cutting. All of a sudden all the budding leaves disappeared and I suspected either a cutworm or slugs. I wrapped steel wool around it and dabbled some permethrin stuff on it and the leaves started surviving. I later found the giant cutworm and smashed it, so the grape is starting to thrive.

My other insect realization is that those Grow Boxes that they sell that have the reservoir under the planter also can serve as mosquito larva hatcheries, so I put vegetable oil in both of the ones I am using.

I have taro, sweet potato and ginger growing in them. The taro and ginger isn't much, but I have been trying to grow sweet potatoes for years and never managed to get them to do anything. Maybe this year will be different.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:51 PM (xhaym)

24 Could someone buy some offa ya?
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 01:47 PM (ynpvh)

No, I reserve all the space under the sofa for me and the family.

Posted by: Kindltot at July 22, 2023 01:52 PM (xhaym)

25 the shade of that top rose - I'd say it's peach - is just beautiful!

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2023 01:58 PM (S6gqv)

26 I'm jealous about the crabapple jelly. I want to make spiced crabapples if I ever get a source for the fruit. I had them once at a restaurant when I was a kid and loved them. My M-i-L got me a jar from the store one time, but they tasted like pipe tobacco smells which wasn't the right taste at all.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 22, 2023 02:01 PM (nC+QA)

27 That plumeria is beautiful.

My entire backyard is a mess. Because I wasn't around in the spring, all sorts of weeds got a foothold: bindweed, pokeweed, wild lettuce (6 feet high in about a week!), and wild grapevine. I've been pulling a bag a week.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at July 22, 2023 02:03 PM (/+bwe)

28 The roses and flowers are gorgeous looking. The raccoon had the right idea... fruit is always a good choice. Crabapple jelly, yum. Thanks for sharing. I remember, it had to have been in the mid-2000's when the big cicadas emerge happened. New to this area and the insect awakening, I couldn't believe the noise-deafening- and their lifeless bodies covering everything. I heard them a few years ago but it was mild and it didn't last very long either.

Posted by: Joyce at July 22, 2023 02:04 PM (hGlnS)

29 I have never heard of "curing" potatoes does that mean "blessing by a cat?"

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 22, 2023 02:06 PM (JvZF+)

30 29 I have never heard of "curing" potatoes does that mean "blessing by a cat?"

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 22, 2023 02:06 PM (JvZF+)

Maybe the Cat is using holy water.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:10 PM (ynpvh)

31 26 I'm jealous about the crabapple jelly. I want to make spiced crabapples if I ever get a source for the fruit. I had them once at a restaurant when I was a kid and loved them. My M-i-L got me a jar from the store one time, but they tasted like pipe tobacco smells which wasn't the right taste at all.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at July 22, 2023 02:01 PM (nC+QA)

Hmmm. That's an odd flavorant for jam or jelly.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:17 PM (ynpvh)

32 26

Reminds me of the joke.
A manure hauler breaks down just outside an insane asylum. As he tries to get the truck up and running, one of the inmates comes up to the fence.
Inmate: "Whatcha got in the truck"
Trucker: "Manure. It's for strawberries"
Inmate: "That's strange. I normally put whipped cream and sugar on mine"

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:19 PM (ynpvh)

33 I used to have a rainbow plumeria in my yard. Beautiful plant. It started to long for the fjords when the blackberry took over...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:20 PM (ynpvh)

34 Gorgeous flowers today!

To Lurker Beverly - I never thought to thin the leaves on my squash plants until I watched a video about them. If you trim back 4-6 of the largest leaves, it will be easier for your pollinators to get in there and do their jobs. Also, it may cut down on the chance of powdery mildew, allowing better circulation. Then you'll see your squash before they become monsters.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:21 PM (Mzdiz)

35 Those are some great looking roses.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at July 22, 2023 02:21 PM (uWF4x)

36 Tater cat looks formidable.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at July 22, 2023 01:50 PM (nzEeq)

We call her The Tick because she's gotten so fat. Her favorite thing is tearing up the wings on beautiful butterflies.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:25 PM (Mzdiz)

37 Got stung by wasps again so I get to take a break. I'm gonna ask for the rest of the day off.

Posted by: fd at July 22, 2023 02:25 PM (iayUP)

38 36 Tater cat looks formidable.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at July 22, 2023 01:50 PM (nzEeq)

We call her The Tick because she's gotten so fat. Her favorite thing is tearing up the wings on beautiful butterflies.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:25 PM (Mzdiz)

So she leaves the ugly ones alone?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:26 PM (ynpvh)

39 29 I have never heard of "curing" potatoes does that mean "blessing by a cat?"
Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 22, 2023 02:06 PM (JvZF+)

The tater's aren't dead when you harvest them. Keep them cool (50-60 deg F), dry, and dark for a week or two and minor damage will heal and the skins get thicker. Nice for baking taters and good for long term (over the winter) storage.

Posted by: Iron Mike Golf A2E6, Easy 6 Titanium Enhanced at July 22, 2023 02:30 PM (8C7+r)

40 Roses can be so finicky. Reminds me of this:

https://is.gd/U8ESUq

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:31 PM (ynpvh)

41 39 29 I have never heard of "curing" potatoes does that mean "blessing by a cat?"
Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 22, 2023 02:06 PM (JvZF+)

The tater's aren't dead when you harvest them. Keep them cool (50-60 deg F), dry, and dark for a week or two and minor damage will heal and the skins get thicker. Nice for baking taters and good for long term (over the winter) storage.

Posted by: Iron Mike Golf A2E6, Easy 6 Titanium Enhanced at July 22, 2023 02:30 PM (8C7+r)

I kinda do the same with the pecans (whatever the crows leave me); I let them sit for a few weeks before trying to eat them.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:32 PM (ynpvh)

42 29 I have never heard of "curing" potatoes does that mean "blessing by a cat?"

Posted by: San Franpsycho at July 22, 2023 02:06 PM (JvZF+)

Maybe the Cat is using holy water.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:10 PM (ynpvh)

LOL!

To toughen the skins for long-term storage. Not that we have a place to store them - no cellar.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:36 PM (Mzdiz)

43 Roses are beautiful, but as a certified Black-Thumber I can't grow them. I have a couple of plants that yield a few anemic-looking blooms, but mostly just scraggly branches and leaves.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 22, 2023 02:37 PM (PHmov)

44 Thanks, Miley. I do see some powdery mildew, I think, on the big leaves: white splotches out of nowhere, and we've had a Lot of rain. The bees are busy pollinating the squash blossoms.

My brussels sprouts are starting to show little sproutlings on the stalks. I also have purple cauliflower, eggplant, and a couple of potato plants. This is my first garden, so I'm having fun and learning as I go. My next-door neighbor grew up on a farm and has a really big backyard garden, so she's given me some advice.

Posted by: Beverly at July 22, 2023 02:37 PM (Epeb0)

45 hiya

Posted by: JT at July 22, 2023 02:38 PM (T4tVD)

46 So she leaves the ugly ones alone?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:26 PM (ynpvh)

Nah, she'll kill moths too. Boring old moths.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:38 PM (Mzdiz)

47 ... and that Strangler Fig really is the perfect metaphor, isn't it? Probably identifies as an oak tree, or whatever it killed.

Posted by: Beverly at July 22, 2023 02:38 PM (Epeb0)

48 33 I used to have a rainbow plumeria in my yard. Beautiful plant. It started to long for the fjords when the blackberry took over...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:20 PM (ynpvh)

I have blackberry that keeps trying to come up all over the yard, I pull it whenever I find it. I like the idea of blackberries, but that vine is a horrible mess if you let it get big. as you say, it's dedicated to taking over.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2023 02:40 PM (i9ffA)

49 46 So she leaves the ugly ones alone?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:26 PM (ynpvh)

Nah, she'll kill moths too. Boring old moths.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:38 PM (Mzdiz)

Obviously not to her.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:41 PM (ynpvh)

50 I am locked in what seems to be a life and death struggle with Bittersweet. Those who do not have the problem, account yourselves fortunate. Then...there's the Virginia Creeper...and the runaway English Ivy.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 02:41 PM (+M3be)

51 I bought one of those small indoor hydroponic kits. Figured I could grow enough lettuce for salads and maybe greens for stir fry. I do have sprouted seeds in all 12 containers. I'm enjoying it. I did get my new roses planted in containers. Just need to put the rescue rose in the ground.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at July 22, 2023 02:42 PM (ouTlx)

52 48 33 I used to have a rainbow plumeria in my yard. Beautiful plant. It started to long for the fjords when the blackberry took over...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:20 PM (ynpvh)

I have blackberry that keeps trying to come up all over the yard, I pull it whenever I find it. I like the idea of blackberries, but that vine is a horrible mess if you let it get big. as you say, it's dedicated to taking over.

Posted by: Tom Servo at July 22, 2023 02:40 PM (i9ffA)

The fruit are quite nice. I have more than a few this year that were 1 1/2" to 2" long. Over the years I've become somewhat adept at avoiding *most* of the thorns:
Large (on the canes)
Medium (on the smaller branches)
small (on the leaves)

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:43 PM (ynpvh)

53 Thanks, Miley. I do see some powdery mildew, I think, on the big leaves: white splotches out of nowhere, and we've had a Lot of rain. The bees are busy pollinating the squash blossoms.

My brussels sprouts are starting to show little sproutlings on the stalks. I also have purple cauliflower, eggplant, and a couple of potato plants. This is my first garden, so I'm having fun and learning as I go. My next-door neighbor grew up on a farm and has a really big backyard garden, so she's given me some advice.

Posted by: Beverly at July 22, 2023 02:37 PM (Epeb0)

You've got to deal with that powdery mildew right away or you'll lose the plants. Some people use a solution of a gallon of water with 1 T baking soda and 2-3 drops of Dawn dish liquid. Spray both the top and the underside of the leaves. Other people use one part milk to 10 parts water. Don't spray during the heat of the day. Early morning is best.

I have some eggplants, but I'm not sure how big they're supposed to get. One Japanese type has a skinny foot long eggplant on it, looks like a you-know-what.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:43 PM (Mzdiz)

54 NaughtyPine - What part of the country are you in?

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 02:44 PM (+M3be)

55 So it's time to start planning the fall garden. I'm already running a bit late.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:45 PM (Mzdiz)

56 Cicadas certainly are the sound of summer 'round hyar.

Daisy the overly-affectionate Malinois loves chasing bugs, the hoppers especially. A couple of times now she's found a poor suffering cicada, still buzzing but somehow incapacitated. Unlike with some bugs, she seems to have no taste for cicada, so she just plays with them until they quit buzzing. She's part cat like that.

MiladyJo and I have had no gardens this year, but Daughter and Neighbor Bob have both shared their bounty. This morning, Bob brought a bag of various peppers and 'maters.

Also, Daughter & SiL went to the Peach Festival last week, and brought us really tasty peaches, and some other market stuff, including some really delicious corn.

Some pix from earlier this year of Daughter's backyard garden, top post at autodidactlog.wordpress.com.

Posted by: mindful webworker - garden pet threads mash-up at July 22, 2023 02:45 PM (/5TNL)

57 My grandmother used to make spiced crab apples from a tree in her yard. Haven’t had any since she passed away in 1990.

Found this recipe online (not the recipe she used) but have never been able to find a source for the Whitney crab apples.

https://tinyurl.com/2zmhdxuf

Posted by: Mental Block at July 22, 2023 02:47 PM (TxGVz)

58 Not much to report about the garden. The rosemary and thyme are actually doing well to our great surprise. The leaf lettuce has been reliable in the past but this year is a lost cause. The rose of Sharon is blooming and besides being pretty will attract hummingbirds. The crepe myrtle looks healthy but isn't showing much bloom so far. Maybe in the weeks to come. Ours is a notoriously late bloomer.

Posted by: JTB at July 22, 2023 02:49 PM (7EjX1)

59 How Loud are Cicadas?

https://housegrail.com/how-loud-is-cicada-in-decibels/

106.7 dB on average. That's like a chainsaw or leafblower. >85dB is considered harmful.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:49 PM (ynpvh)

60 Love the photos of the roses, especially what looks like a Peace rose. And I'm jealous of lurker Beverly's raised bed gardens.

Thanks to KT and all the contributors for the gardening thread. Even when I don't have much to say it is interesting.

Posted by: JTB at July 22, 2023 02:52 PM (7EjX1)

61 Is anyone here conversant with thornless blackberries? I want some, but I'm not sure which ones will do best. We have pretty good soil, well-drained but not particularly sandy. Zone 7b with hot and humid summers.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:53 PM (Mzdiz)

62 Cicadas are loud enough to drive you crazy if you're tent camping.

Posted by: Eromero at July 22, 2023 02:57 PM (z3WCn)

63 I love plumeria! Reminds me of Maui.

My Rose of Sharon and jasmine are in full flower. I love the jasmine. It smells so wonderful in the evenings after it's watered.

I'm going to head over to the Alki Art Fair in a few. Should be some good people watching.

Posted by: nurse ratched at July 22, 2023 02:57 PM (lSfFP)

64 61 Is anyone here conversant with thornless blackberries? I want some, but I'm not sure which ones will do best. We have pretty good soil, well-drained but not particularly sandy. Zone 7b with hot and humid summers.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:53 PM (Mzdiz)

Only have thorned, living in San Diego. Did a quick search on intertubes, are varieties that can do well in zones 5-9 and 6-9...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:59 PM (ynpvh)

65 Gotta get back to weeding and harvesting okra. I'll check back later.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 02:59 PM (Mzdiz)

66 Cicadas are loud enough to drive you crazy if you're tent camping.

Posted by: Eromero at July 22, 2023 02:57 PM (z3WCn)

Isn't that what #8 shot with a wide open choke is for?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 22, 2023 02:59 PM (PHmov)

67 62 Cicadas are loud enough to drive you crazy if you're tent camping.

Posted by: Eromero at July 22, 2023 02:57 PM (z3WCn)

Maybe these are zee bugzzz you need to eat.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 02:59 PM (ynpvh)

68 My Rose of Sharon and jasmine are in full flower. I love the jasmine. It smells so wonderful in the evenings after it's watered.

Posted by: nurse ratched
-----

I am amazed by how profligate the Rose of Sharon are. They produce *lots* of seeds. I have the them popping up all over the place. Once they are 12" high or so, I dig them up and offer them to neighbors. Probably creating a monster. Btw, 'Hi'.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:00 PM (yMEwp)

69 I'm going to head over to the Alki Art Fair in a few. Should be some good people watching.

Posted by: nurse ratched at July 22, 2023 02:57 PM (lSfFP)

What's that...an art show for drunkard artists?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at July 22, 2023 03:00 PM (PHmov)

70 Alki is a district in Seattle.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at July 22, 2023 03:01 PM (ouTlx)

71 Thornless blackberries...
https://is.gd/3uwmbS

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 03:01 PM (ynpvh)

72
Isn't that what #8 shot with a wide open choke is for?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo
-------

*wonders if there are sub-sonic .22 'ratshot' cartridges*

Poor coverage though.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:03 PM (yMEwp)

73 Wanted to mention, that top pic, when it popped up on the screen, was really a splash of beauty.

In my grandmother's day, all along the fence down by the gate were marvelous pink roses - maybe by now some kind of "classic" variety? There's still a thriving shrub or two near the gate. We've tried to cut & propagate a few times. Maybe next year.

Posted by: mindful webworker - AI 8-ball says, outlook rosy at July 22, 2023 03:03 PM (/5TNL)

74 CBD, the FlyZapper salt shooter is not gonna handle banzai cicadas. You'd need more and bigger 'stuff'.

Posted by: Eromero at July 22, 2023 03:13 PM (z3WCn)

75 CBD, the FlyZapper salt shooter is not gonna handle banzai cicadas. You'd need more and bigger 'stuff'.
Posted by: Eromero
-------

Hand loaded 12 ga. salt might be...efficacious.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:18 PM (7EcrL)

76 Hi Mike Hammer! I owe you an email.

Alki is my neighborhood here in Seattle. Surrounded by water on three sides, we have spectacular views of the city to the east,, the Olympics due west and Mt Rainier to the south. To the north is Magnolia and Puget Sound leading to the Straits of Juan de Fuca that is the shipping lane to the Pacific Ocean. It really is lovely.

Posted by: nurse ratched at July 22, 2023 03:18 PM (qQ8au)

77 *stop! stop, Hammer...don't take a nap!*

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:19 PM (7EcrL)

78 nurse - Alki sounds like an indian name though perhaps something to do with the soil?

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:20 PM (7EcrL)

79 Hmm. Per Wiki:
The name "Alki" is a Chinook Jargon word meaning "by and by" or "eventually".[1] It is a shortened version of the original name, "New York Alki." The name "New York" may have been chosen because it was the state of origin of several of the settlers.[2]

In the Lushootseed language, the name of the point is sbaqʷabqs, meaning "prairie point."[3]

Other names in English for the point include Battery Point, Me-Kwah-Mooks Point, and Roberts Point.[4]

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 03:22 PM (7EcrL)

80 78 nurse - Alki sounds like an indian name though perhaps something to do with the soil?
Posted by: Mike Hammer

It's a Chinook word, "by the by."

Perfect for a beach.

Posted by: nurse ratched at July 22, 2023 03:23 PM (qQ8au)

81 The Alki Point Lighthouse is a working Coast Guard installation. They do tours daily in the summertime. I should go to one sometime.

Posted by: nurse ratched at July 22, 2023 03:30 PM (U2p+3)

82 mindful webworker - AI 8-ball says, outlook rosy at July 22, 2023 03:03 PM

There are gizmos that you can clamp on a stem, over a bud, to allow rooting directly on a stem. Or you can pin a stem under soil. Look for instructions.

Posted by: KT at July 22, 2023 03:39 PM (rrtZS)

83 71 Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at July 22, 2023 03:01 PM (ynpvh)

I already had that open in another tab!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at July 22, 2023 03:52 PM (Mzdiz)

84 (Continuing to substitute for Pat*, still recovering from knee surgery.)

From the Boise, ID area: High 90s or triple digits this whole week and into the next, 60s overnight; everything looks heat stressed.

Started pulling onions, which have not reached full size but are drying up in the heat. Also the first carrots, due to risk of them bolting. Getting some beans, raspberries and cherry tomatoes, but again limited by the heat. Squash and melon vines growing like crazy.

Looks like we should get good crops of Golden Delicious apples, peaches and Seckel pears. All up to the stage where they need bug spray and setting out yellow jacket traps.

Posted by: Pat*'s Hubbie at July 22, 2023 03:58 PM (ru2kb)

85 Late to the thread, but I had to share.

Got my first ripe beefsteak! It's a "Boxcar Willy", but I have renamed it "Groundskeeper Willy" because it's a big brawny red savage.

It was delicious!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at July 22, 2023 03:59 PM (IO+iC)

86 NaughtyPine - What part of the country are you in?
Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at July 22, 2023 02:44 PM

Michigan.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at July 22, 2023 06:07 PM (/+bwe)

87 You can almost smell the roses..its been years since having roses. Deer love them

Posted by: S. LYNN at July 23, 2023 08:33 AM (xnbkk)

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