Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Sept. 2

Happy Labor Day Weekend, Everybody! Doing any labor in the garden? Here are some magnolias and other flora from Dave in Oahu, where there are places where gardens just grow by themselves.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Pat* won ribbons at the Western Idaho Fair!

This is the best photo I could get, because there were so many ribbons! The top ones are from the Agriculture Division, the three smaller ones at the bottom are from the Flower Division.
That "Best of Division" ribbon was for my Common Garden Sage.

Yay!

That's a lot of ribbons!

Dear K.T.,
Attached is a photo of some of my garden's bounty. The peppers and
eggplant have done very well this year, as you can see. Fortunately, my
wife "Annalucia" loves to cook Middle Eastern-style; her
lamb-and-eggplant stew is outstanding. Perhaps you remember the picture
of the peaches I sent you a month ago; we harvested them recently, and
they were delicious, both eaten out of the hand and in cobblers.
Annalucia also canned a batch of peach jam, for us to enjoy on pancakes
or toast when the snow flies. Earlier, we harvested nearly ten pounds of
raspberries; and the pears will be coming in soon. Our little backyard
garden has been most generous to us.
BTW, my nom-de-cyber is "Nemo".
Regards

The garden produce above is gorgeous. The photo of the peaches on the tree showed mere promises of ripe peaches. But here's a photo of a ripe one from a friend.

Ah, Nature

Big snek

Equity… pic.twitter.com/RhZWg4W7gw
— @amuse (@amuse) August 27, 2023

This is what happens when lightning strikes an electric fence

[📹 Emily R. Head]pic.twitter.com/1FmiGABHcr
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 30, 2023

Autumn Alpines

#SixOnSaturday ~ alpines from our autumn shows.

1. Biarum davisii
2. Cyclamen mirabile 'Tilebarn Nicholas'
3. Sternbergia lutea
4. Biarum marmarisense 'Simi Form'
5. Gentiana 'Shot Silk'
6. Empodium elongatum

Check our website for details of all our autumn shows and plant fairs pic.twitter.com/Elft4pppSk
— Alpine Garden Society (@AlpineGardenSoc) September 2, 2023

Adventure

More photos from Oahu, from another friend:

Wild animals:

Gardens of The Horde

Magnolia seed pod today.
- fd

Hi K.T.,
I am blessed to have many roses of various varieties at my house here on a wide tidal river. Typically the blooms are particularly lovely in late summer when heat abates and the darn Japanese beetles are vamoose.
Sorry I can't recall the specific variety of this one.
Re. edibles our tomatoes are terrific this year--but even better are the figs. I don't have a pic but did make a wonderful fig cake with them. Yum.
I go by groovy girl when I post.
Always enjoy your columns!

Perhaps my favorite color for roses. Thanks for sending a photo!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Aug. 26

There were some late comments by Pat* and others about apples, pickles and other topics.

Follow-up:

Thanks for posting my garden pics. We had a hellacious windstorm and downpour tuesday (1.02" in 10 minutes) that wiped out our peaches and plums.
You asked about the primotalli pepper. 2.2 million scoville. I didn't know what it was when I bought it and after seeing people on you tube eat it, i might just give away seeds.
And regarding carrot thinning, i let a few carrots go to seed every year. I kneel and thin to perfection. I always scatter way too many seeds but so nice to have fresh carrots in the winter. And the dogs love them.
Shari in SW Idaho

Hate to learn that you have lost your peaches and plums!

I don't think I could eat one of those peppers. Below, a guy who eats really hot peppers all the time tries to review some hot pepper sauces after having eaten a Primotalli pepper (dried). I don't think his reviews are real coherent.

Then he eats another one (6 minutes).

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.

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. Any comments can go in today's post!

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

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 01:26 PM (PIMgt)

2 Hi, Skip

Posted by: KT at September 02, 2023 01:27 PM (rrtZS)

3 Peach cobbler is on my cooking list today, since a neighbor had such an abundance of them! Yum.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 01:28 PM (MeG8a)

4 Had a grow bag that just randomly sprouted a tomato plant. It’s about three feet tall now with plenty of blooms. It’ll be interesting to see what variety it is.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 02, 2023 01:30 PM (u73oe)

5 gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 01:28 PM

Biscuit, pie or cake type?

Posted by: KT at September 02, 2023 01:30 PM (rrtZS)

6 I wonder if Shari could make some Primotalli hot sauce? Or are those peppers too dangerous to touch?

Posted by: KT at September 02, 2023 01:32 PM (rrtZS)

7 Also, I built a nice trellis for my beams to grow on and grow they did. Had plenty of blooms and I thought I’d get a good crop. Then they just withered and died and I can’t figure out why.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 02, 2023 01:33 PM (u73oe)

8 I'm cooking them in a baking pan, with oatmeal, some brown sugar (not much), and a roll out pastry which will be based on whole wheat flour, some raisins added just for the heck of it. Served with cream on the side.
Sort of ad lib. The temperature here is cool so it will be a perfect day for it.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 01:34 PM (MeG8a)

9 Nice eggplants! No, not a euphanism.

Pole beans and tomatoes are overwhelming right now. I've been buying sweet corn from a fella up the road and it is beautiful and inexpensive. Took to stripping it off the cob and freezing it for use during the winter.

When shopping for crepe myrtle and magnolias yesterday and spent about an hour with the owner of the nursery discussing care, varities, trimming and such. The folks in the neighborhood are just butchering many of their plants with the unavoidable outcomes so I wanted to ask the expert. We'll go back in a month or two to buy what we need.

Still working on cutting back the hollys - four to go, each of them 20-25 feet. No one touched them for 20 years and it shows.

Posted by: Tonypete at September 02, 2023 01:35 PM (+5YjI)

10
"Is he a tree snake?"
"No he's a carpet snake"

...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at September 02, 2023 01:35 PM (ynpvh)

11 9 Nice eggplants! No, not a euphanism.
...
Posted by: Tonypete at September 02, 2023 01:35 PM (+5YjI)

Well, one of them does have back.

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at September 02, 2023 01:36 PM (ynpvh)

12 Also found some lovely peaches this week so the long suffering R. baked a delightful peach custard pie yesterday. Why, yes - I had some for lunch. Was that wrong?

Posted by: Tonypete at September 02, 2023 01:36 PM (+5YjI)

13 Earlier this year, in front of the house I cut down several truckloads of lantana, which had grown completely out of control and had fallen over blocking my sidewalk. It had to go. A commenter here said that I needed to pluck out every tendril or else it would be back. It did. So, I added yellow lantana to the purple and now it is about a foot tall.
I know when I am licked. LOL

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 01:38 PM (MeG8a)

14 Also found some lovely peaches this week so the long suffering R. baked a delightful peach custard pie yesterday. Why, yes - I had some for lunch. Was that wrong?
Posted by: Tonypete at September 02, 2023 01:36 PM (+5YjI)

—————-

Only if you don’t share.

*Looks at Tonypete*
*Looks at USB port*
*Looks at Tonypete*

Posted by: Duke Lowell at September 02, 2023 01:39 PM (u73oe)

15 I have a rose close to that color from Heritage Roses called Louise Clements. I have a couple of Albas and a white rose called Bolero. After killing everything off last fall when I didn't get them planted in the ground, I've decided to go with roses in pots. Seems to be working well so far. I've ordered one last one, a David Austin called Golden Celebration, to plant in my last pot.

I decided to end my first hydroponic experiment. The lettuce mix had mostly romaine, which got very leggy and started bolting. I have other lettuce blends to try. I have enough for sandwiches and a salad or two. will be welcome when it gets cold, so I'm going to keep trying

Posted by: Notsothoreau at September 02, 2023 01:40 PM (ouTlx)

16 I'm back
Well caught another small rabbit ( way bigger than the baby bunnies, in garden and came to conclusion they only eat dill and not basil, chives or oregano that also grow in my garden

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 01:43 PM (MOY79)

17 It's interesting out here because I used to get all my fruit from local orchards. You still had the stuff from California in the stores. Here, we get stuff from California and the local stuff is from Colorado. Their peaches this year don't look like much but seem pretty tasty. And they got in Rocky Ford melons this week.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at September 02, 2023 01:44 PM (ouTlx)

18 hiya

Posted by: JT at September 02, 2023 01:46 PM (T4tVD)

19 After more than seven weeks with no more than 1/100th of an inch of rain (official Houston report), I'm going to resort to Desperate Measures.

Even though it's dead and not growing, I am going to mow the lawn.

I'm also going to wash and wax the car.

And finally, I'm going to plan and prepare for a picnic.

HAS to be at least as effective as the best Indian Rain Dance, right?

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at September 02, 2023 01:46 PM (e6UQI)

20 The lettuce mix had mostly romaine, which got very leggy and started bolting.

Was the Sheriff chasing it ?

Posted by: JT at September 02, 2023 01:47 PM (T4tVD)

21 No, but it did look a bit like something Van Gogh might have painted

Posted by: Notsothoreau at September 02, 2023 01:50 PM (ouTlx)

22 For watering garden no less than every other day it rained mid week so didn't bother until this morning.
Also move a tiny and foot tall dill without leaves inside greenhouse to try and keep from my rabbit population.
Cleaned and filled birdbath as going to be a hot week ahead.

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 01:54 PM (MOY79)

23
I planted some of the 'heritage' seeds I bought a couple of years ago. Everything grew well but the cucumbers are interesting. They do not look at all like store bought. As they ripen they get a little orange yew to them. But my wife swears they are the best she's ever eaten.

Which perhaps raises the question that if consumers hit the produce aisle and prefer the deep green color of one variety, do they realize they are missing out on flavor? My guess is these sort of decisions are guided by the cruel reality that the produce manager has to move inventory and deep green moves quicker.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 02, 2023 01:54 PM (enJYY)

24 Beautiful pics, KT .

Thanks to all.

Posted by: Adriane the Saturday Night Critic on Saturday Morning . . . at September 02, 2023 01:55 PM (4Winp)

25
Our firebushes have bloomed and not only the number but also the variety of bees is amazing.

Despite the drought, we have a healthy crop of milkweed, so the monarchs can fuel up here.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 02, 2023 01:56 PM (MoZTd)

26
I'm also going to wash and wax the car.

_________

I washed the RV yesterday and nothing happened.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 02, 2023 01:57 PM (MoZTd)

27 We're up to our eyeballs in cherry tomatoes. My wife and I just cut up a bunch to dehydrate. There are untold dozens still on the vines but we can't deal with them.

The black bean harvest will commence in about a week or two.

Hints of fall abound, but it's going to be fairly hot here in Bourbon Country for another couple days.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 02, 2023 02:05 PM (Q4IgG)

28 I wonder if Miley is hospitalized from all the garden work.

Posted by: Ronster at September 02, 2023 02:06 PM (s0oe6)

29 One of my brothers came over last weekend and "helped" me take down the fence between my house and the condemned house. He's stronger and handier with power tools, for sure.

I took down enough grapevine to fill two contractor bags. The amazing thing was that they had ripening grapes - and not the itty-bitty wild grapes, but full-sized, perhaps Concorde grapes gone wild.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 02, 2023 02:07 PM (4UrNc)

30 Divide by zero, some of the apples that never made it commercially are highlights of my childhood. I used to be able to find Wolfriver apples wherever feedpiles were sold, but not in years.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 02, 2023 02:09 PM (4UrNc)

31 Wow, Pat has more ribbons than General Milley. And she earned hers.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at September 02, 2023 02:10 PM (Angsy)

32 OrangeEnt too funny but your right.

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 02:12 PM (MOY79)

33 Was the Sheriff chasing it ?

Posted by: JT at September 02, 2023 01:47 PM (T4tVD)

I'm gonna barbeque your ass in molasses!

Posted by: Now It's a Movie Thread at September 02, 2023 02:19 PM (Angsy)

34 Growing up, my grandparents had a "banana apple". But I think that name is given to several apples.

Posted by: KT at September 02, 2023 02:20 PM (rrtZS)

35 The potted tomatoes have done well this summer. Cherry and something else. Don't know what the bigger ones are. Wifey never writes it down.

Posted by: Ronster at September 02, 2023 02:26 PM (s0oe6)

36
Her Majesty was in Minnesota last weekend. There was a farmer's market at the site she was staying at and she bought a good many tomatoes, which she said were super excellent, much better than the ones at a supermarket.

I assume the ones at the store are some kind of fast-growing hybrid that get plucked too soon and are ripened artificially. Throughput is the enemy of quality.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at September 02, 2023 02:31 PM (MoZTd)

37 The effort to make produce cosmetically appealing (nothing really wrong with that) began with the introduction of "baby carrots". Of course, there's no such thing. These are carrots which were deemed "ugly carrots" which have been mechanically peeled and shaped into bite size, rescuing them from the dumpster. Carrots are notoriously inconsistent in size, shape, color and taste. They are the original Ugly Food, and I love them.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 02:38 PM (MeG8a)

38 Winter banana apples. I've had them. They have a faint banana like fragrence. They are good keepers and a late ripening apple. I miss all those weird heirlooms I used to be able to buy. We get apples from Michigan and some boring varieties from WA state. I need to find one of those gift pack places that has heirloom apples.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at September 02, 2023 02:41 PM (ouTlx)

39 gourmand just don't put them in chile around here or you will go to the box

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 02:42 PM (MOY79)

40 I've been leaving the windows open on my car and that hasn't helped either. Predicted to rain next weekend.

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

41 Weasel is actively farming organic trees! Actually, I just harvested grass and weeds on a mile of farm road. Have to say I love my tractor!

Posted by: Weasel at September 02, 2023 02:43 PM (catAT)

42 Carrots are naturally sweet and have no place in chili, a savory dish. I've never chimed in about this, unlike .45 vs 9mm.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at September 02, 2023 02:45 PM (MeG8a)

43 I love carrots in salad or cooked around a roast beef, that's about it.
Speaking of chili, lots of a new batch starting on my hot peppers plants.

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 02:52 PM (MOY79)

44 43 I love carrots in salad or cooked around a roast beef, that's about it.
Speaking of chili, lots of a new batch starting on my hot peppers plants.
Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 02:52 PM (MOY79)

Pretty much anything slathered in gravy is good.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 02, 2023 02:57 PM (zZu0s)

45 Enjoying the gardens in Nantucket... btw, this seems to be one of the few places where people still enjoy Bud Light.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at September 02, 2023 03:04 PM (tRetr)

46 That big snek had great core strength,

Posted by: All Hail Eris at September 02, 2023 03:04 PM (ynMLt)

47 45 Enjoying the gardens in Nantucket... btw, this seems to be one of the few places where people still enjoy Bud Light.
Posted by: Chairman LMAO at September 02, 2023 03:04 PM (tRetr)

Watch out for your cornhole, bud.

Posted by: Lawrence at September 02, 2023 03:05 PM (zZu0s)

48 @43 I hate carrots in anything. If someone serves me something with carrots in it I'll eat them, but I eat them first so they don't spoil the rest of my meal.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at September 02, 2023 03:06 PM (tRetr)

49 My grandmother made big roast beef with carrots around it

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 03:06 PM (MOY79)

50 Winter banana apples. I've had them. They have a faint banana like fragrence.

Alex the grey parrot knows more than 100 words. But when he doesn't know a word, he makes it up from words that he is already familiar with

For example, he calls a juicy red apple, which appears to remind him of bananas and cherries, a "banerry".

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko stuff at September 02, 2023 03:08 PM (xypP4)

51 48 @43 I hate carrots in anything. If someone serves me something with carrots in it I'll eat them, but I eat them first so they don't spoil the rest of my meal.

Posted by: Chairman LMAO at September 02, 2023 03:06 PM (tRetr)

Hard to make a mirepoix without carrots...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at September 02, 2023 03:10 PM (ynpvh)

52 I saw that Magnolia seed pod while cutting grass this morning about 11:00 and sent it to KT. That some agile publishing right there.

A little while ago some more seeds had popped out and some had been shed. The pick color of the husk, or seed holder, or whatever that thing is called, is what caught my attention.

Posted by: fd at September 02, 2023 03:10 PM (vFG9F)

53 Hard to make a mirepoix without carrots...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at September 02, 2023 03:10 PM (ynpvh)

Mirepoix is a fun word to say.

Meer-eh-pwah!

Posted by: Lawrence at September 02, 2023 03:13 PM (zZu0s)

54 The thing I remember about the chickens that were all over Kauai was the roosters didn't know how to crow right. They would cock-a-doodle but there would be no doo.

Posted by: fd at September 02, 2023 03:15 PM (vFG9F)

55 My garden is a disappointment this year.

Waah.

Posted by: Emmie at September 02, 2023 03:16 PM (Sf2cq)

56 The last jar of sliced jalapenos we got had a few sliced carrots in it. Very weird. I was afraid of what else I might find in there.

Posted by: fd at September 02, 2023 03:17 PM (vFG9F)

57 Lived on the North Shore and the damn chickens wouldn't let you sleep past sunrise. But that's fine, because catching the sunrise at Haleiwa Beach, then grabbing a java at the Coffee Gallery, was heaven.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at September 02, 2023 03:22 PM (ynMLt)

58 I'm down to four tomato plants (Oxheart, Brandywine, Boxcar Willy, and the promiscuous Sungold cherry) which are all taking a breather but seem about ready to get their second wind. It was too much for a whole there.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at September 02, 2023 03:25 PM (ynMLt)

59 I planted pansies for fall. Said I was done for the season but our garden center roped me back in, like the sucker I am.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at September 02, 2023 03:28 PM (ynMLt)

60 Most ppl significantly under-cook carrots for my taste.

I cook them until all raw carrot taste is gone. It can take a while. Esp store bought.

Posted by: Thesokorus at September 02, 2023 03:29 PM (3mOji)

61 Husband and I once stayed at Cibolo Creek Ranch--yes, where Justice Scalia died--during the winter. It was practically empty and after an spectacular dinner the chef joined us and I asked about a roasted red pepper soup we'd had.

He said in a thick West Texas accent, "Waaal, you start with your basic mirepoix..."

To this day I can't read that word without hearing it in his voice. He was a great chef, BTW.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at September 02, 2023 03:39 PM (fTtFy)

62 Late to the thread, but...does anybody have any experience with pla ting and growing Lemon Verbena? I want to plant some around the garden.

Zone 6B!

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 02, 2023 03:40 PM (M5QzP)

63 PET NOOD IS HERE

Posted by: Skip at September 02, 2023 03:42 PM (MOY79)

64 I love lemon verbena! It is frost sensitive. I think 29 degrees is as low as it can handle. I've not been able to winter it, for some reason.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at September 02, 2023 03:46 PM (ouTlx)

65 CBD, lemon verbena likes free-draining soil. If your soil is heavy, plant it in a pot or put up a little edging so it will be above grade. The romantic thing to do is to plant it near walkways so you can brush it as you walk by. But watch for bees.

Posted by: KT at September 02, 2023 04:09 PM (rrtZS)

66 From Boise area: As you saw, it was Pickup Day at the Western Idaho Fair. Most of my exhibits were compost, but my ribbons and cash were worth getting!

I'm picking green beans, SunGold cherry tomatoes, slicers and paste tomatoes. I got a chance to do a little weeding (but harvesting has priority).

We steam-juiced about 10 pounds of chokecherries. Will make syrup soon - also strawberry jam from frozen berries.

Husband cut boards, assembled, and installed a new strawberry ziggurat. We filled it with soil from a harvested potato bag (about 3.5 pounds of fingerlings). Husband also burned the fall burn pile - sawed up some dried tree limbs we had lying around - and tied up the Leaning Tomato Tower of Pisa.

Planning to try a tomato calcium experiment Husband found online, to reduce blossom end rot - 2 Tbsp ground eggshells, 2 Tbsp vinegar, per gallon jug. Let fizz for an hour (or more), then add water to fill, and water a tomato plant.

Stay prepared out there!

Posted by: Pat* at September 02, 2023 04:13 PM (td6Vu)

67 Congrats Pat. I've never thought about entering anything in a fair. Maybe i'll check into Owyhee county fair next year.

Posted by: S. LYNN at September 02, 2023 10:37 PM (xnbkk)

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