Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Dec. 30

Happy New Year, almost!

Last year's very red cattleya is blooming again. Unlike this year's, the older plant's flowers are unequivocally red in every light.

The first of this year's new orchids bloomed this week. It's another red one; nice, but not what I was expecting. The dealer's notes indicated that it would likely have flowers in the magenta-purple range, but while it does have a bluish cast in some light (but not in sunlight or with the on-camera flash), it looks red to me. The other new ones probably won't bloom for a year or two. When they finally do, one should be white and the other spotted.
(As usual, when WordPress resizes pictures to fit the column width, it also makes the colors duller. Click on the picture to see it larger and with more accurate color.) . . .

Both of those orchids are absolutely gorgeous.

You might want to follow Don's suggestion. . .

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Surprise! Real produce in winter!

Sorry to send this to you so late, Katy, but here are the last green beans, some of the prolific cherry tomatoes still going strong, one little pomegranate on the volunteer plant, and some of the fall/winter figs still on the tree slowly ripening as they dry out and the leaves start dropping. And baby Swiss chard. Nan in AZ

Volunteer pomegranate? Let us know how it tastes!

They look great!

Lovely.

Update to last week's Meyer Lemon content: The story of how the Meyer Lemon endangered citrus trees in America.

Putting things by:

Food to have on hand just in case . . .

Hi KT: just saw your green beans 'n' maters recipe, and it reminded me of something I've been practically living off of lately, my own whatever-you-got-handy concoction I call Texicajun vegetable medley. Very simple, very easy: one can of french-cut green beans; one can of white corn; one can of original-recipe Rotel; a whole shitload of butter; and a liberal sprinkling of Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning. Toss it all into a saucepan on medium heat, stir occasionally as it simmers, then eat the hell out of it. It's shockingly good stuff, trust me.
Mike from ColdFury

Sounds easy. Maybe even when the lights have gone out.

Ah, Nature

This lovely may have laid eggs by now:

Apologies for not seeing this email, it's been quite a year. Hoping you had a very Merry Christmas and wishing you all a Blessed New Year.
Sua Sponte (Professional Lurker)

Time for Catalogs

Cozy up to the fire and plan for next year's garden:

Botanical Interests

carries chocolate cherry tomato. Great for fall, when the nights cool off. Lovely botanical illustrations on the seed packets.

Burpee - New for 2024

See also these seasonal plants - Wintergreen (edible) and Hellebores (poisonous)

I actually tend to go for the old regulars more than the new stuff from Burpee.

Park Seed

Sunflowers, Big Yummy Tomatoes, watermelon Top Gun

For folks in the PNW, Nichols is having a sale.

What catalogs are you looking through?

Puttering

A reminder that quilters can sew the tops and bottoms of their quilts, then take them to someone who has a computerized longarm quilting machine for fancy finishing:

Gardens of The Horde

What's going on in your yard or garden? Still got decorations up?

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, Dec. 23

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 01:22 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Called the others.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at December 30, 2023 01:25 PM (qPw5n)

2 They must be reading the content.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at December 30, 2023 01:28 PM (qPw5n)

3 “You fool!” Gilbert Gottleib.

Posted by: Hokey Pokey at December 30, 2023 01:32 PM (49PKe)

4 Every time I go out back, I get to look at the raised beds I didn't put together. Gonna try and work on it when it warms up. I've got to hire someone to put the side fence back up and to till a patch for me in the back.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 30, 2023 01:34 PM (L8hCM)

5 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
My dead tree all but falling over Christmas Eve is all cleaned up, ant stump gone

Posted by: Skip at December 30, 2023 01:38 PM (fwDg9)

6 hiya

Posted by: JT at December 30, 2023 01:42 PM (T4tVD)

7 Beautiful figs!

Posted by: Brewingfrog at December 30, 2023 01:42 PM (17aRN)

8
Not quite garden related but washing machines that are now so 'frugal' with water? My answer was to purchase a splitter from Amazon (link below but your local hardware store probably carries them too) and attach it to the cold line running to the washer. It has it's own shut offs. With the purchase of a six foot line with garden hose fitting you can fill your washer to your hearts content in one to a few short minutes depending upon your water pressure. My wife has decided that letting clothes sit in the washer with detergent and lots of water overnight gets them cleaner then the normal way. My white socks and white underwear have never looked whiter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HCQL6TJ?

Posted by: Divide by Zero at December 30, 2023 01:45 PM (3qE2b)

9 Thanks for the great post K.T. As we stumble further into the cold days of winter, these bright pictures of plants, fruit and vegetables give us hope that, Yes, spring will come again. Happy, healthy New Year to you and your family.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at December 30, 2023 01:54 PM (/HoHj)

10 The photos are great, as usual. But those fresh figs made me start to drool. I know figs will grow in our area. I should check with the county Extension Service to see if there are dwarf types that can grow in a container. At my age it's easier to haul bags of soil than try to dig into the clay and rocks that pass for dirt around here.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 01:54 PM (7EjX1)

11 Beautiful blooms but the figs are perfect. I could eat a bushel.

Posted by: Eromero at December 30, 2023 01:58 PM (Ar0dN)

12 My indoor decorations are up and will be up until the day after Twelfth Night. We don't have outdoor wreaths or hangings because the treefrogs day-sleep behind them and poop all over the walls and wreaths--somewhat gardening related.

Posted by: wcgreen at December 30, 2023 02:00 PM (jQSQV)

13 Speaking of seed catalogs, I came across mention of Migardener which is out of Michigan. They deal mostly with heirloom varieties from around the country. They don't offer a paper catalog but it is available as a PDF download. Just wondering if anyone is familiar with them.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:01 PM (7EjX1)

14 Any recipe which calls for a shitload of butter can't be all that bad.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 30, 2023 02:05 PM (llON8)

15 Took compost material out to bin and dug it in some, pile is cooking.
Breezy and seems cooler than was this morning

Posted by: Skip at December 30, 2023 02:17 PM (fwDg9)

16 Mrs. JTB just came upstairs with a bag of seed packets we got last year that have been in the back of the fridge. Southern Expose Seed Exchange cukes, summer squash, various types of lettuce, and radishes. I've heard good things about Southern Exposure and should check their website for details on these varieties. We got them after we had trouble finding seeds during the early part of the covid BS period.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:22 PM (7EjX1)

17 >>> 15 Took compost material out to bin and dug it in some, pile is cooking.
Breezy and seems cooler than was this morning
Posted by: Skip at December 30, 2023 02:17 PM (fwDg9)

I really need to start dumping all the kitchen scraps that the chickens can't eat into the compost.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at December 30, 2023 02:22 PM (llON8)

18 I've got some new shiney bits for the truck that I want to put on - but darn-nabbit... the Maine winter decided to finally show up and now its snowing.

Oh well. Guess I'll wait till spring.

Posted by: Defenestratus at December 30, 2023 02:24 PM (EqUAE)

19 There are no kitchen scraps a chicken won’t eat.

Posted by: Eromero at December 30, 2023 02:25 PM (Ar0dN)

20 14 ... "Any recipe which calls for a shitload of butter can't be all that bad."

Agreed. I wonder if you can butter fry some butter, perhaps as an appetizer. It would probably help the entree slide down easily. :-)

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:25 PM (7EjX1)

21 Saw today somewhere picture of a cat and a chicken best friends cuddling up.
Didn't anyone tell the cat that is supper?

Posted by: Skip at December 30, 2023 02:30 PM (fwDg9)

22 Nice quilt

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at December 30, 2023 02:31 PM (eaI2m)

23 Our niece and her husband, both recently retired US Army, are getting into vegetable gardening with a basic green house, some raised beds, and trellis supports. We send them a lot of texts during the gardening thread of the "hey, did you know about ..." variety.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:32 PM (7EjX1)

24 Xmas decorations come down today. Invites a curse to allow them to see the new year.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at December 30, 2023 02:32 PM (eaI2m)

25 It STILL ain't warm out thar.

Posted by: JT at December 30, 2023 02:33 PM (T4tVD)

26 Seeds...
I want to plant Mrs. AZ-d-m's favorite flowers... sunflowers.
So Amazon has a vendor that sells 1300 seeds in a packet.
Yeah, about that packet. 10 different varieties and all mixed together and you can't plant them together or the tall ones will out compete the short ones.
Sigh, the birds get all of these.
Now I get to go get individual packets...

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 02:34 PM (Th1r/)

27 I bought a bunch of seeds last fall from Botanical Interests when they had a sale (hat tip to Jess at Roots and Refuge Youtube channel). There's an illustration of the seedlings on the seed packet, which can be very handy when you're dealing with something you haven't grown before.

My brother raised a bunch of blue butterfly pea flowers (Clitoria Ternatea, which made me laugh) last summer. He makes tea from the dried flowers. I asked him what the health benefits were, and he printed out this article for me. I was really wowed. Check it out (remove spaces):

https://www.medicinenet.com /8_health_benefits_of_blue _clitoria_ternate/article.htm

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:34 PM (Mzdiz)

28 19 There are no kitchen scraps a chicken won’t eat.

Posted by: Eromero at December 30, 2023 02:25 PM (Ar0dN)

I heard that citrus is bad for them.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:39 PM (Mzdiz)

29 Chickens don't care for orange peels.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 30, 2023 02:40 PM (L8hCM)

30 Regarding the OT washing machine and its first world problems - Publius insisted on getting one with an agitator and the best old school washer we could get, so we have a top-loading Speed Queen and have been very happy with it for the past two years.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:41 PM (Mzdiz)

31 26...Sigh, the birds get all of these.
Now I get to go get individual packets...
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 02:34 PM (Th1r/)

Very generally, and by no means foolproof: the larger the seed the bigger the sunflower...

Posted by: Question Authority bumper sticker at December 30, 2023 02:42 PM (Rbu5d)

32 We don't have outdoor wreaths or hangings because the treefrogs day-sleep behind them and poop all over the walls and wreaths--somewhat gardening related.

Posted by: wcgreen at December 30, 2023 02:00 PM (jQSQV)

We get either birds nests or wasp nests, so we've given up on door wreaths.

I didn't get the lights and decorations on the tree until Christmas day, so that sucker's gonna hang around for a few more weeks. It's really pretty. Most of the decorations were silver icicles, and I like the look.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:43 PM (Mzdiz)

33 I think Brown Turkey figs are the hardiest. I do need a fig tree here. And I'll try to put in fruit again. I just need to make sure the lawn guy knows where they are.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 30, 2023 02:43 PM (L8hCM)

34 well, yesterday was payday, so today's adventure is balancing the checkbook.

Posted by: anachronda at December 30, 2023 02:45 PM (M9Zwl)

35 Stunning flower photography. Kudos.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 30, 2023 02:46 PM (RIvkX)

36 34 I've already laid out my budget for 2024, at the end of which I'll be completely debt-free.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:46 PM (Mzdiz)

37 Beautiful flowers as always, but I have quilt envy.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:47 PM (Mzdiz)

38 Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:46 PM (Mzdiz)

Congratulations, and well done!

Posted by: Question Authority bumper sticker at December 30, 2023 02:47 PM (Rbu5d)

39 Went for my rainy morning walk around the point.

Saw a pair of Harlequin ducks, male and female, hanging out on a rock surrounded by water preening and fluffing themselves. They were very focused on their feather fluffing when a hooded merganser swam up, hopped on the rock and literally shoved them off. They tried to offer resistance, but the much larger merganser simply stood his ground and ignored them.

Birds are assholes.

Posted by: nurse ratched at December 30, 2023 02:48 PM (g9Z+o)

40 Congratulations, and well done!

Posted by: Question Authority bumper sticker at December 30, 2023 02:47 PM (Rbu5d)

Obsessive focus FTW!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 02:51 PM (Mzdiz)

41 Cut the fig in half, brush with canola, grill or broil for a minute, top with a 1/4 inch round of goat cheese, maybe broil again. Drizzle with balsamic or honey. Top with chopped pistachios. Really easy, pretty, healthy, and tastes like heaven.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at December 30, 2023 02:51 PM (RIvkX)

42 10 individual packs of sunflowers (and I found a 10 pack of different heirlooms tomatoes from the same place) ordered.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 02:51 PM (Th1r/)

43 41 Cut the fig in half, brush with canola, grill or broil for a minute, top with a 1/4 inch round of goat cheese, maybe broil again. Drizzle with balsamic or honey. Top with chopped pistachios. Really easy, pretty, healthy, and tastes like heaven.
Posted by: San Franpsycho

That sounds wonderful!

Posted by: nurse ratched at December 30, 2023 02:54 PM (kX8mD)

44
https://www.medicinenet.com /8_health_benefits_of_blue _clitoria_ternate/article.htm
Posted by: Miley, okravangelist

Butterfly pea nourishes hair follicles, promotes hair growth, reduces hair fall, and slows down the greying of hair.

Slowing down the greying of hair presupposes hair...

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 02:54 PM (Th1r/)

45 41 ... "Cut the fig in half, brush with canola, grill or broil for a minute, top with a 1/4 inch round of goat cheese, maybe broil again. Drizzle with balsamic or honey. Top with chopped pistachios. Really easy, pretty, healthy, and tastes like heaven."

That sounds delicious but improbable in our house. The fresh figs wouldn't be around long enough after I got to them.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:55 PM (7EjX1)

46
Very generally, and by no means foolproof: the larger the seed the bigger the sunflower...
Posted by: Question Authority

Agree; but, I'm quite lazy!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 02:56 PM (Th1r/)

47 33 I think Brown Turkey figs are the hardiest. I do need a fig tree here. And I'll try to put in fruit again. I just need to make sure the lawn guy knows where they are.
Posted by: Notsothoreau at December 30, 2023 02:43 PM (L8hCM

Chicago Hardy are one of the hardiest and supposedly taste better than Brown Turkey. I wouldn't know, having only grown/eaten the Chicago Hardy. I really liked them. When I ordered the smallest offering from Logees.com, I got fruit every year, including the first year.

I never succeeded in overwintering figs outside in almost-zone-6, but they did fine indoors over the winter.

Posted by: Emmie at December 30, 2023 02:57 PM (Sf2cq)

48 Gotta run some errands. I hope we all have a successful gardening 2024. And, as always, thanks to KT for her efforts.

Posted by: JTB at December 30, 2023 02:58 PM (7EjX1)

49 S IL 48°F
Great sunny day. Slight breeze is cold though.

Not OT but just news
Gil de Ferran, 2003 Indy 500 winner, dead at 56
https://mol.im/a/12911933

Posted by: Ciampino - beautiful weather here at December 30, 2023 03:03 PM (qfLjt)

50 Does anyone find edible fresh figs in any shops in Southern Illinois? My Walmart doesn't carry them. I haven't checked Kroger yet nor Aldi.

Posted by: Ciampino - Green or black, figs are delicious at December 30, 2023 03:06 PM (qfLjt)

51 Don in Kansas,

Most beautiful cattleya flower I've ever seen. Looks like red velvet.

Posted by: Floridachick at December 30, 2023 03:08 PM (F7pNW)

52 I hang a Moravian star. Kind of a family tradition.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at December 30, 2023 03:09 PM (HtNne)

53 >>>@19 There are no kitchen scraps a chicken won’t eat. Posted by: Eromero at December 30, 2023 02:25 PM (Ar0dN)
==============
One of my SILs has chickens which will eat cooked chicken ... She doesn't include it in their regular year-round diet, but often picks meat scraps off BBQ chicken bones after a picnic ... It's always fun watching anyone who's never seen this chicken-eating habit before!

Posted by: Kathy at December 30, 2023 03:16 PM (LPNLk)

54 My brother's already laid out his hoop houses with seed cups (these are medium styrofoam drink cups with a few wedge cutouts at the bottom that you can fit your thumb into to push the plant out when it's time). That way you get a real nice root ball.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 03:17 PM (Mzdiz)

55 From Boise area: Highs 32-45 F, lows 21-35. Snow fell on the morning of the 26th; this time it took 2 days to melt, instead of last week's one-half day.

What counts as puttering? I baked 2 loaves of bread from scratch. A friend in Wyoming sent me 2 dozen quail eggs, which turned into 2 scrambled egg breakfasts.

Husband had to clean out my glove box, after we found out that mice had chewed up the envelope holding my temporary handicapped placard, and one of my green bandanas. Grrr! At least they didn't get into the air filter... We'd noticed they were nibbling on apples in buckets in the garage, and had already brought the last apples indoors. Next year, the apple buckets will have boards over the tops so the mice can't hop in. We don't think they can chew the rinds of butternut squash, but we'll be checking the squashes periodically anyway. Plus, mousetraps!

Again, I wish us all a New Year of bountiful gardens!

Posted by: Pat* at December 30, 2023 03:17 PM (td6Vu)

56 From Boise area: Highs 32-45 F, lows 21-35. Snow fell on the morning of the 26th; this time it took 2 days to melt, instead of last week's one-half day.

Again, I wish us all a New Year of bountiful gardens!
Posted by: Pat*

Sister and husband moved from SoCal to Fruitland. I think I'll tease her about her high and low temps today (72F here.)

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 03:28 PM (Th1r/)

57 I have a pomegranate tree (shrub) at my place here in AZ. I have never had edible fruit off it. I think they are probably mature in June or early July, when I am not here. By Fall or Winter, they are brown, and hard as rocks. They blossom in April/May, and are setting fruit in May.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 30, 2023 03:32 PM (tkR6S)

58 Puttering -
Gonna work on building formwork to make 'chimneys' for the wastewater tank. Better than digging down two feet everytime soemthing goes 'off' or it needs to be pumped. Already did this for the secondary side. Most secondaries have a discharge filter that will clog with skum to keep the drainfield from clogging (some people dump grease into private septic which is not easily consumed by the natural actions). Also need chimney for the tertiary tank where the pump is (high water level so the drain field, by code, needs to be raised). Pumps fail so needs frequent access. Next time it needs service I am going to break code and lower the discharge line because it does not matter, arbitrary code.
Then primary side needs chimney... nasty side.

Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at December 30, 2023 03:32 PM (cOq4q)

59 I think they are probably mature in June or early July, when I am not here. By Fall or Winter, they are brown, and hard as rocks. They blossom in April/May, and are setting fruit in May.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon

If you need someone to check on them in Jun/July and send you pictures I'll gladly take a run by your place!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 03:41 PM (Th1r/)

60 If you need someone to check on them in Jun/July and send you pictures I'll gladly take a run by your place!
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at December 30, 2023 03:41 PM (Th1r/)

If they are ripe and edible, pick them and eat them!

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 30, 2023 03:44 PM (tkR6S)

61 Puttering: two of the three tires that I aired up today have already gone flat. The third isn't looking too hot. But, as long as they can hold air for five or ten minutes, that's enough to get the vehicles winched onto a trailer with no struggle, so there's that.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 30, 2023 03:52 PM (tkR6S)

62 I hang a Moravian star. Kind of a family tradition.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at December 30, 2023 03:09 PM (HtNne)

My late husband was descended from Bethlehem Moravian stock, and his mother was big on all such things, including music.

She's gone now, and I wonder if the grandchildren will hang on to enough of that to pass it down. I doubt it.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 03:54 PM (Mzdiz)

63 I've been straying from the topic at hand. I just ordered 3 Caddo and 3 Natchez thornless blackberry plants, for delivery in mid-March. I hope this works out. Never had berry bushes.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at December 30, 2023 03:57 PM (Mzdiz)

64 The no show winter here in NW IN has a few blooms on the forsythia.

Posted by: DaveA at December 30, 2023 04:14 PM (FhXTo)

65 Putterings continue. Just got my King Industrial mini-mill bolted down to the workbench in the workshop room.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at December 30, 2023 04:14 PM (tkR6S)

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