Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Nov. 23

Happy Thanksgiving Prep Week! Above and below, gorgeous fall colors from Hrothgar.

Here in the South-Central San Joaquin Valley, we were supposed to catch part of the "Atmospheric River" that produced flooding in the Bay Area, but we only got a few sprinkles. Our power went out for a little while yesterday, though.

How is the weather treating your yard and garden?

Love the light on the leaves!

From a regular lurker:
Beautiful red roses still blooming right before Thanksgiving in a North Jersey churchyard. Noticed them the day after the election.

A wonderful sight!

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Harvest season seems to be winding down for most of The Horde. Including something from the garden in your Thankgiving dinner? Or dinners? I think it's a good idea to spread Thanksgiving over two or three days, to appreciate the special foods of the season.

I generally partially microwave sweet potatoes, then finish in the oven, but here's a recipe that calls for freezing them for a couple of hours before baking, for an extra-fluffy result. Has anyone ever tried this for breakfast on the Saturday after Thanksgiving?

It also recommends not poking holes in the skins of sweet potatoes. But I know someone who had one explode in the oven. Messy.

Have you ever grown sweet potatoes? Plan on trying it next year?

There are more sweet potato recipes at the link. By the way, are you making PIE?

Smoking a turkey outdoors this year? Prepared in case of rain?

Garden's BBQ area

[📹 paulmarkkitchens]pic.twitter.com/j0oRnEVucp
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) October 21, 2024

Ah, Nature

Anybody else getting wild visitors?

Yes, we will be posting over time.

The Neighborhood Watch, Los Feliz, top of the hill near Griffith Park, southeast corner, near I-5 ("the five")
I was told if you see a coyote in the day time, he could be rabid. Is that true?

I don't know, but a coyote was once seen stalking me as I walked in daytime on the Newport Beach Back Bay. Pets had been taken in the area.

Dawn was breaking the next day and I caught this wise old fella.
From Cakeman

Puttering

Only after I brought the tulips home to Mrs. BD did I realize how well they matched the vase made by a local artisan.
Regards from Jerusalem,
Biden's Dog

Perfect! Happy Thanksgiving!

Gardens of The Horde

A couple more photos from Burnthewitch, Datura and its seedhead:

A note on the Datua (jimsonweed) - The flowers have a very unusual and wonderful smell. I can't think of anything to relate it to in a verbal description but it is probably the best thing about the plant.

Anything going on in your garden?

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, Nov. 16

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.

Hearts fluttering with joy, the Pre-kindergarten class recently set their newly-hatched butterflies free in the Sacred Heart garden, witnessing the beauty of nature’s transformation firsthand.🦋🌸💝 pic.twitter.com/LRKu5Vyg6r
— Restoring Your Faith in Humanity (@HumanityChad) November 22, 2024

Posted by: K.T. at 01:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I'll go get the others.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at November 23, 2024 01:32 PM (O7YUW)

2 Coyotes should be shot on site.

They have no place in human residence areas whatsoever.

Kill them all.

Posted by: Just Sayin... at November 23, 2024 01:35 PM (71Fj2)

3 Very nice tulip and vase arrangement that Biden's Dog got for his Missus.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at November 23, 2024 01:35 PM (O7YUW)

4 I saw a coyote in our urban neighborhood midday, about a couple months ago. I figured he had found a good place to sleep for the day, but somehow some human activity had roused him and he had to relocate. He was trotting along the road near my house, and this was where it got fun. I could see him easily, and decided to stay about a block back so as not to spook him - but he quite clearly sensed I was following him and started taking quite a few evasive maneavers, while still clearly heading someplace he wanted to go. And while he was just at a trot, I noticed I had to stay at about 20 - 25 mph to keep up with him.
On one end of our neighborhood, there's a drainage creek with a deep channel that is too overgrown for any human to get into, and I realized he was headed for that when he found an unknown (to me) tear in the fence around it and zipped in and disappeared.
It was clear to me that he knew the ins and outs of my neighborhood much better than I did.

Posted by: Tom Servo at November 23, 2024 01:43 PM (wyMQY)

5 The trees and shrubs here at the pale chateau have been getting some cleanup. I got a housemate, a lineman apprentice who is doing yard work in exchange for a place to live. Super nice young man. He and his wife had fixed up a camper to stay in on the various assignments but camper water lines don't handle winter so they bought a house in ID before their daughter was born. With that start I also finally found the number to call the professional tree guy I had 5-6 years ago to come with the cherry picker.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 23, 2024 01:45 PM (CKOCg)

6 Here in SE Wisconsin, we had a mild autumn up until last Thursday, when we got five inches of wet snow. It melted away within 24 hours, but that was enough to kill the last of my vegetables - several broccoli plants and a pair of cherry tomatoes, which had been bearing heavily until then. Time now to cut them down, and cover the beds with mulch, then (to quote Rogers Hornsby) "stare out the window and wait for spring." But I've received my first gardening catalogue! So, although winter is staring us in the face, spring cannot be far behind.

Posted by: Nemo at November 23, 2024 01:46 PM (S6ArX)

7 In Van Nuys the coyotes go Haitian on cats feral and otherwise. Think they come in from the L A River wash nearby. A few years ago saw a puma/mountain lion in tree next door. IYIYI

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 01:46 PM (rll/6)

8 "I was told if you see a coyote in the day time, he could be rabid. Is that true?"

They are out and about in the daytime all the time around me. I doubt they are all rabid. On my trail cams I see them as often in day as at night.

Posted by: illiniwek at November 23, 2024 01:48 PM (Cus5s)

9 I am thankful that the lawn is covered by a thin sheet of ice. Making it pointless to try and rake the leaves that are left.

Posted by: Next2Nothing at November 23, 2024 01:50 PM (tA1/w)

10 Neighbor said the feral cats left him a rat body, no head or tail.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 01:50 PM (rll/6)

11 From Boise area: lows 27-46 F (we're having a "warm rain" week), highs 43-61. Our students say there was a brief snow flurry during the rain on Monday night during our class, but we didn't get to see it.

More leaf raking. We've disposed of 45 leaf bags so far, with more sycamore to go. Between rain bands, we've managed to shred the 4th sweet gum's leaves, and we tried to shred the 3 Tatarian Maples' leaves, but they were so wet they clogged the shredder, so we stopped. The other 3 sweet gums still need a second pass, but we're rapidly running out of storage-cage space. And the silver maple has covered the whole back yard with leaves, and we may need to sweep and burn more oak leaves, if it ever stops raining...

Under Puttering, we bottled our winter beer, and our chokecherry wine is bubbling along. We did get 2 strands of Christmas lights up around our door, but we also usually wrap our 2 front pillars, and make a wreath to hang between them, so that's still to go.

Hope everyone has much to be thankful for, this year, and every year!

Posted by: Pat* at November 23, 2024 01:50 PM (JWJk8)

12 Light rain forecast here today through Wednesday. Lows in the 40s.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 01:52 PM (rll/6)

13 Oh, right, you asked about sweet potatoes. Yes, I tried growing them in pots this year. Between 2 pots, I got barely a pound of items that you could call sweet potatoes, all small. I did get a late start on the season - and as an Idahoan, I do have to remember we have a short season as it is. My plan for next year is to grow my own slips and get an earlier start. I found a great video on growing sweet potato slips, so will use the method described.

Posted by: Pat* at November 23, 2024 01:54 PM (JWJk8)

14 7 In Van Nuys the coyotes go Haitian on cats feral and otherwise. Think they come in from the L A River wash nearby. A few years ago saw a puma/mountain lion in tree next door. IYIYI
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lyse

Also in my neighborhood, there's an old train line that isn't used at all anymore, but it's got a raised bed and cuts across all the usual barriers like fences and roads. It runs all the way out of town, and I realized that to all the wild things, it's a great big highway that the humans never bother with. Last summer someone up at dawn took a picture of a bobcat on it about 6 blocks from my house.

Posted by: Tom Servo at November 23, 2024 01:54 PM (wyMQY)

15 10 Neighbor said the feral cats left him a rat body, no head or tail.
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 01:50 PM (rll/6)

our cat left us a cardinals head on the back mat. No body, just the head. Right in the middle of the mat, where we'd be sure to see it.

Posted by: Tom Servo at November 23, 2024 01:57 PM (wyMQY)

16 Added little preschoolers at the bottom of the post, and a datura.

Posted by: KT at November 23, 2024 01:57 PM (xekrU)

17 I remember reading about then Tx guv Rick Perry shooting a coyote that was stalking his daughters puppy while they were out jogging many years ago. I thought that was fine shooting to get a coyote with a pistol.

Toby ignores the coyotes, our previous dog Ole used to go out at night to run them off until I had to stop letting him out to because Ole ran them way out of the whole neighborhood and I got to a point of "I cant lose all this sleep while you are chasing coyotes for 2-3 hours and I'm not comfortable just leaving you out overnight, homeowners might take you for a predatory feral dog as they wake up.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 23, 2024 01:58 PM (CKOCg)

18 pre-schoolers with the butterflies are super cute.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 23, 2024 02:02 PM (CKOCg)

19 17 I remember reading about then Tx guv Rick Perry shooting a coyote that was stalking his daughters puppy while they were out jogging many years ago. I thought that was fine shooting to get a coyote with a pistol."

If I remember the story right, I think Perry was carrying a snub nosed .44 - hell of a gun.

Posted by: Tom Servo at November 23, 2024 02:03 PM (wyMQY)

20 2 Coyotes should be shot on site.

They have no place in human residence areas whatsoever.

Kill them all.
Posted by: Just Sayin

You sound nice. How about raptors? They also kill things.

Coyotes are the reason Lucy is an indoor cat. She's adjusted. And I don't worry. I also enjoy hearing coyotes yipping in the green belt behind me and seeing them is an adventure.

Posted by: nurse ratched, garbage at November 23, 2024 02:07 PM (jDnkX)

21 I found some covers for my pots out front. These aren't as nicely insulated as the too small ones I found first. Still need to cover the smaller pots. Then I'll put a frost cover over the whold thing. I did put some leaves on top for insulation. Next year, I have to get an area tilled up.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at November 23, 2024 02:10 PM (gfViB)

22 Our friend and talented neighbour is building a treehouse in the yard for the kids.

Exciting.

Posted by: Stateless at November 23, 2024 02:11 PM (jvJvP)

23 19 17 I remember reading about then Tx guv Rick Perry shooting a coyote that was stalking his daughters puppy while they were out jogging many years ago. I thought that was fine shooting to get a coyote with a pistol."

If I remember the story right, I think Perry was carrying a snub nosed .44 - hell of a gun.
Posted by: Tom Servo at November 23, 2024 02:03 PM (wyMQY
Charter Arms Bulldog .44 sp.?

Posted by: Eromero at November 23, 2024 02:12 PM (jgmnb)

24 enjoy hearing coyotes yipping

Song dogs!

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 02:14 PM (rll/6)

25 Coyotes are one of the reasons my kitties are indoor cats.

Posted by: Erebus- ex-killer whale at November 23, 2024 02:15 PM (elaR+)

26 My dad would have noted the gun make on the Perry story. I just remember rolling my eyes at the screeching from the usual suspects that he was so mean shooting it. Like there is a shortage of coyotes, and one that was so brazen of people as to be ready to kill a puppy with the owner that close was not a general threat that needed killing.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 23, 2024 02:17 PM (CKOCg)

27 The quail seem to be trying to eat all the seed they can right now. I think they might be trying to get ready for winter. You know, 70F daily.

Betterhalf was outside and heard something to her side. She came inside quickly as she found a javalina grunting at her.
We looked around and there were 5 adults and 2 babies. The adults were taking turns eating the bottom out of a large barrel cactus they had knocked down.
And know we know what and why that cactus was knocked over.
We're going to grab it (carefully!) and replant it in a protected corner. We'll bury about a foot of it after a rooting hormone dusting. It'll be just under 3 ft tall after replanting.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:17 PM (JQ75b)

28 Coyotes snatched a guys parrot off it's outside perch. He bow hunted them down. In Laurel Canyon!!

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at November 23, 2024 02:19 PM (rll/6)

29 I just remember rolling my eyes at the screeching from the usual suspects that he was so mean shooting it. Like there is a shortage of coyotes, and one that was so brazen of people as to be ready to kill a puppy with the owner that close was not a general threat that needed killing.
Posted by: PaleRider

Recently the coyotes here in Apache Junction (about a mile and a half away) attempted to 'take' a small child. Child was saved but, I don't remember the details.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:22 PM (JQ75b)

30 In Laurel Canyon!!
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty

Betterhalf's grandmother lived in Laurel Canyon.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:23 PM (JQ75b)

31 You might end up with two barrel cacti AZ deplorable moron. I knocked down a stag cactus several years ago backing my trailer into it. Planted it and it rooted and the original also came back from its roots after a couple years.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 23, 2024 02:24 PM (CKOCg)

32 >>> 29 I just remember rolling my eyes at the screeching from the usual suspects that he was so mean shooting it. Like there is a shortage of coyotes, and one that was so brazen of people as to be ready to kill a puppy with the owner that close was not a general threat that needed killing.
Posted by: PaleRider

Recently the coyotes here in Apache Junction (about a mile and a half away) attempted to 'take' a small child. Child was saved but, I don't remember the details.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:22 PM (JQ75b)

Not surprised...

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at November 23, 2024 02:25 PM (KcwUg)

33 Recently the coyotes here in Apache Junction (about a mile and a half away) attempted to 'take' a small child. Child was saved but, I don't remember the details.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:22 PM (JQ75b)

I'm assuming this was a four-legged coyote, not a two-leg. I hate to ask, but I'd prefer to be sure.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf - Remember Vic and VNN! at November 23, 2024 02:32 PM (VNX3d)

34 Back when I lived north of Austin in an area not yet fully urbanized, I'd sometimes see coyotes while walking my dogs in the morning or early evening. My heeler wanted to teach them a lesson; the coyotes wisely kept their distance.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at November 23, 2024 02:34 PM (2wadn)

35 Or maybe that was just foxes.
Yeah, that was just foxes.

Goes to show what a city slicker I am.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at November 23, 2024 02:37 PM (2wadn)

36 Posted by: Hour of the Wolf

4 legged, 2 legged would be in the FAFO as Constitutional Carry in AZ.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 23, 2024 02:48 PM (y0D14)

37 Neighbor let his border collie run free , rural area.

He was missing for three days. Came home without his tail.

Coyotes.

Posted by: Derak at November 23, 2024 02:48 PM (LlW51)

38 Good afternoon Greenthumbs, just leaving work in Biden County so will be awhile until I get home
Still don't think had frost yet

Posted by: Skip at November 23, 2024 02:57 PM (r22Jx)

39 I don't think a coyote out in the daytime means it has rabies. A skunk on the other hand, I'd think it was sick.

I love the fall colors. I was thinking we don't get that show but we have grapes that turn colors, not even close to the show where there are a lot of trees but I'll take what I can get.

Posted by: CaliGirl at November 23, 2024 03:00 PM (1szDw)

40 We grow sweet potatoes from slips. Takes a while. Soak the tates, get sprouts, take sprouts and have them root... then they're ready.
We are eating some of last year's for T-day. They
keep as well as any crop.

Posted by: MkY at November 23, 2024 03:00 PM (cPGH3)

41 Had plans to do the leaves today but the wind last night took care of that for me. Not sure which neighbor's house got 'em but they aren't in my yard anymore.

Posted by: Reforger at November 23, 2024 03:02 PM (xcIvR)

42 37 Neighbor let his border collie run free , rural area.

He was missing for three days. Came home without his tail.

Coyotes.
Posted by: Derak at November 23, 2024 02:48 PM

A friend of mine, her dog had puppies and they were in her yard close to her house and she figured out the coyotes were working together to get the mother dog to leave her babies and follow one coyote so the other coyotes could get the puppies. She moved the puppies in the garage.

Posted by: CaliGirl at November 23, 2024 03:03 PM (1szDw)

43 We see coyotes often here in the city because we live close to Golden Gate Park where there are many. Too many.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at November 23, 2024 03:04 PM (RIvkX)

44 Agriculture is gardening isn't it?

Unconfirmed but then so was yesterday's heartfelt concern:

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh 2h
🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump to select America First Policy Institute President Brooke Rollins as secretary of agriculture - WSJ

This comes after a CNN report yesterday that he'd be picking former Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA).

Matthew Cason @MTCason 2h Replying to @EricLDaugh
She has a degree in agriculture and previously served as the director of the US Domestic Policy Council. I'd say she's qualified!

Posted by: andycanuck (hovnC) at November 23, 2024 03:14 PM (hovnC)

45 My adventure today is replacing an idler pulley inside our less than 4 yo POS Samsung clothes dryer through a 12 inch hole. Yay me.

Make Appliance Yoga Great Again

Posted by: Maj. Healey at November 23, 2024 03:20 PM (/U5Yz)

46 Afternoon fellow garden enthusiasts.
We had a bit of a snowstorm on Thursday but even though it came down pretty hard, nothing stuck. It did not discourage my Encore Azalea which is now covered in pink blossoms.
My Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter cactus in bloom. It really does bloom for that entire period.
Also have a crazy lily on the terrace that has sent out a new stalk with multiple buds. Waiting to see if it actually blossoms. It is not the right time.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at November 23, 2024 03:21 PM (t/2Uw)

47 Quick question: I know hydrangea change color depending upon soil. Do iris do the same? Trying to understand why iris that were yellow in VA are now purple when planted in PA

Posted by: Grateful - the range bag lady at November 23, 2024 03:24 PM (IQ6Gq)

48 I've been at Beale AFB in northern California since 1983. We're in an extremely rural environment and I see coyotes day and night. Don't sweat it.

Posted by: nraendowment at November 23, 2024 03:25 PM (xN/v2)

49 .
NOOD

Pet Thread

NOOD

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at November 23, 2024 03:33 PM (O7YUW)

50 47 Quick question: I know hydrangea change color depending upon soil. Do iris do the same? Trying to understand why iris that were yellow in VA are now purple when planted in PA

There should not be that big a color change from pH with irises. Wonder if some natives crept in?

Posted by: KT at November 23, 2024 04:14 PM (xekrU)

51 Cakeman's owl photo is superlative.

Posted by: KT at November 23, 2024 04:15 PM (xekrU)

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