Gardening, Home and Nature Thread, Aug. 15

Hi KT, I took this at the farm stand in Sonoma this morning - the photo is not retouched or edited.
San Franpsycho

It's the season - even in Sonoma. What a great photo!

Mr Jimm has put in a daylily bed with a nice assortment of daylilies. Maybe we will se some more in the future, with some cultural information!

Some lovely specimens there. Including some fancies. But I like the plain yellow, too.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

Eris Enthroned:

Here is a picture of some of my crop this year: Lemon Boy, Costoluto Genovese, Indigo Rose, and Rebel Starfighter Prime.

What a fantastic assortment! What's your favorite?

And:

Torture Garden
Here's a photo of my first T-Rex Yellow hot pepper, 1,500,000 Scoville Units.
Dear God.
Just the tip: no worse than a habanero. Go in deeper: dragon napalm.
I need to sneak this into somebody's Bloody Mary.

Too hot for me.

Nature

My condo is a second floor unit opening out to my personal terrace and then a larger common terrace. There are water gardens which mean mostly low growing succulents and some pretty container arrangements and some small trees in large containers. Yesterday I found this guy on one of plants. Where could he have come from? He is a handsome specimen so I took his picture.
Sharon(willow's apprentice)

I'm glad you didn't have a horde of them. One was enough. Though he is handsome.

The other day we were talking about giant spiders. I spotted this one down by the creek.
- fd

"Spotted". Glad you didn't run into it.

If he:
- brings you flowers
- listens attentively to everything you say and every sounds your body makes
- keeps a warm home fully of plants
- watches you carefully when you're nearby
- lives in a cave
- squeaks are you

That's not a man, that's an alpine pika pic.twitter.com/nX4uKBDWNs
— Shoshana Weissmann, Sloth Committee Chair 🦥 (@senatorshoshana) August 9, 2026

The monarch migration is about to begin.

Along the way, they depend on native flowering plants to rest and refuel. Planting native wildflowers and milkweed in your yard or in your community is one simple way to help these remarkable travelers complete their journey. pic.twitter.com/yyEFnmPgCJ
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) August 11, 2026

Gardens of The Horde

The hibiscus next to the monarda started blooming the 2nd weekend of July, and so did the orange Helenium (sneezeweed) in front of it. There is also an Arctic Blaze purple salvia (front center) that I planted this year. I hope it will have enough flowers next summer to interest the hummingbird.
badgerwx

Nice planting for attracting pollinators and hummingbirds!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening 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, Home and Nature Thread, Aug. 8

I closed the comments on that 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 01:31 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 yay! Tomatoes!

It is not time for tomatoes yet. I have picked some but I don't expect the full rush to start until just before we have our first furious downpour and they all split

Posted by: Kindltot at August 15, 2026 01:33 PM (rbvCR)

2 I could have been a contender!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at August 15, 2026 01:36 PM (NnhvP)

3 The weekend is here

Posted by: Skip at August 15, 2026 01:36 PM (2eMPB)

4 Great content KT, congrats to the gardeners!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at August 15, 2026 01:36 PM (NnhvP)

5 Those tomatoes shook me up! Hope I have the formatting fixed now.

Posted by: KT at August 15, 2026 01:41 PM (1RGZ5)

6 Really should get tractor out and chop.op pile of leaves from last year in a pile under a tree

Posted by: Skip at August 15, 2026 01:43 PM (2eMPB)

7 Those tomatoes shook me up! Hope I have the formatting fixed now.
Posted by: KT

It looks great to me, were you drooling?

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at August 15, 2026 01:46 PM (NnhvP)

8 I've been growing some super-hot peppers this year. Carolna Reapers, Dragon's Breath, Scorpions and Ghost. Also some regular Habaneros and Jalapeno's for a lighter touch, lol. I planted them in May, and they're just now ripening up. Can't wait to burn my face off!

Posted by: Mr. Wawa at August 15, 2026 01:49 PM (ZlKnD)

9 Haven't seen a Monarch in months but all the milkweed is ready & I have a 100 tags waiting for them.

Posted by: Bob at August 15, 2026 02:00 PM (hWhmF)

10 About to harvest my first tomato. Probably tomorrow.
One.
that's it.
One damn tomato.

Posted by: Diogenes at August 15, 2026 02:05 PM (2WIwB)

11 The grocery store ones don't look like that.

Posted by: Boss Moss at August 15, 2026 02:08 PM (+iWzK)

12 FenSpouse is more of a gardener than I am, but I enjoy looking at the flowers. Right now we have rubekia in our front yard and evening primrose which is more of a weed ( we didn't plant it but looks lovely in the early morning)

We go by a local senior center on our morning walk and and they have lovely flowers and beautiful tomatoes right now. This was one of the flowers - dahlia maya (sp?)

https://tinyurl.com/mtzfdh3r

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 15, 2026 02:09 PM (rHgXV)

13 I didn't for first time in a long time put hot peppers in. They really wouldn't start coming in until later Summrr throughearly fall

Posted by: Skip at August 15, 2026 02:13 PM (2eMPB)

14 Those tomatoes look luscious!

Nice also, that they're not all dented by some %$(*#@'s fingernail like at the local grocery. If I ever catch that idiot...... grrrrr.

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:14 PM (rdVOm)

15 POP UPS SUCK DICK

Posted by: Commissar of plenty and festive little hats at August 15, 2026 02:14 PM (zg+Cs)

16 My gardens are all done save a little basil. That has gone to seed so I guess it is done as well. Trying to decide what to plant for late summer/fall.

It is brutally hot down here. I've been mowing the lawn all day and I'm about pooped out.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 15, 2026 02:19 PM (4NO2D)

17 Partly cloudy here, teasing with possibility of rain. Hope it's more than *windshield spatter* quantity! And hope that lightning doesn't just cause more local fires, we gots enough of those already.

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:22 PM (rdVOm)

18 My monarda clump still has some blooms, even though it's mid-August. The hummingbirds are visiting my monardas and salvias every day to fuel up for their migration.

I have a milkweed patch for the monarch butterflies and have seen a few on the flowers. But now that my milkweed is done blooming, I'm hoping to see a few monarch caterpillars - but none so far. Maybe my milkweed patch isn't big enough yet to trigger egg-laying.
badgerwx

Posted by: badgerwx (long time lurker) at August 15, 2026 02:24 PM (VnNy+)

19 Not mention I am three months into rehab for my knee replacement. My mobility is excellent, I am walking 2 miles a day, up and down small hills so GAINZ, but it still hurts 24/7. I hope they didn't eff up a nerve cluster or something.

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 15, 2026 02:24 PM (4NO2D)

20 Daughter's pumpkin plants got killed by one of 3 oak trees that were blown down in my backyard Wednesday night. Also took out part of my deck and some patio furniture. Yard's gonna have to be reseeded or sodded after the clean up.

One of two 60 yr old pin oak trees in front yard lost 2 large limbs and blocked the street. Arborist says rest of tree will have to be taken out. Front of house will look weird with only one now.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 15, 2026 02:27 PM (Hbeqj)

21 toby928(c)--

My next door neighbor had knee replacement last summer. Said it didn't feel "normal" and pain-free again until this Spring, even though his mobility was good.

Keep up the good work!

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:28 PM (rdVOm)

22 A big mantis decided to fall into one of my rain buckets the other day.

Happily for it, there was only a bit of dead leaves from my houseplants in there, which is how I figured out that it was int he bucket, because there was a lot of rustling as the mantis moved around!

I put it out on my seedling trees. It spent tens of minutes wandering around the entry and watching me as I sat there and had a cigar.

Posted by: FeatherBlade at August 15, 2026 02:34 PM (C0Nlv)

23 Wow, olddog, I'm sorry that happened to you! What a mess.

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:35 PM (rdVOm)

24 My favorite tomatoes this year have been Lemon Boy, for their pretty color and citrusy taste, and Rebel Starfighter Prime for their deep red flesh and smoky flavor.

Just picked a handful of those deadly T-Rex Yellows. 🦖 Into the freezer they go. What was I thinking?!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at August 15, 2026 02:35 PM (CE2fs)

25 Grew jalapenos for the first time this year. Great crop, but yikes these are a little more spicier than the kind you get from a store. But they still get consumed. 😁

Shockingly the cucumbers which we usually get a ton of hardly grew for some reason.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at August 15, 2026 02:39 PM (n5tGW)

26 Those tomatoes are what's for lunch.

The generic, mealy, tasteless, mass-marketed ones are a sad simulation of the real thing.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 15, 2026 02:45 PM (JvZF+)

27 Just got back in from mowing. Thankfully the butterfly bushes picked up from the July drought, and seem to be doing their job. Several butterflies and other insects stopping in for some nectar. Sadly we aren't in one of the big Monarch migration paths out here.

-SLV

Posted by: Shy Lurking Voter at August 15, 2026 02:50 PM (7kJyR)

28 olddog that sounds crazy bad

Posted by: San Franpsycho at August 15, 2026 02:51 PM (JvZF+)

29 Gilroy is the "Garlic Capital", or was anyway. I never see it in the grocery stores any longer. Just the Chinesium scheisse. Where is it going? Better price overseas maybe?

Posted by: Common Tater at August 15, 2026 02:53 PM (LXQ3Y)

30 I got a hat with two rechargeable fans on it and I can testify that it really works well for riding around on the mower or tractor. Most of the pictures for them show the fans in front but I found it works better for me with the fans on the back blowing forward past my neck. Worth every penny of the $18 I paid for it. Keeps the gnats off too.

They have little solar panels on the fans but they don't do much. It would be better to get rid of the fans and have a bigger battery.

Yes, it looks goofy. No, I don't care.

Posted by: fd at August 15, 2026 02:53 PM (MWfyi)

31 I have walked into those giant spider webs. I learned to keep a short sword on me.

Posted by: fd at August 15, 2026 02:54 PM (MWfyi)

32 20 Daughter's pumpkin plants got killed by one of 3 oak trees that were blown down in my backyard Wednesday night. Also took out part of my deck and some patio furniture.
Posted by: olddog in mo at August 15, 2026 02:27 PM

And I thought kite eating trees were bad.

Posted by: Charlie Brown at August 15, 2026 02:55 PM (2Ez/1)

33 Gilroy is the "Garlic Capital", or was anyway. I never see it in the grocery stores any longer. Just the Chinesium scheisse. Where is it going? Better price overseas maybe?
Posted by: Common Tater

I buy "Christopher Ranch" garlic products, in jars. Sez on the label it's from Gilroy, CA.

Fresh at the grocery is no longer an option. Plus, jarred garlic lasts longer.

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:56 PM (rdVOm)

34 25 Grew jalapenos for the first time this year. Great crop, but yikes these are a little more spicier than the kind you get from a store. But they still get consumed. 😁
----

I've been growing Jalepenos for a few years now. It takes a little while to get started, but now they're in full bloom. The plants are very productive. and you're right, they're a bit spicier than the store version.

Posted by: Mr. Wawa at August 15, 2026 02:57 PM (ZlKnD)

35 bbl

Have a great day, horde!

Posted by: JQ at August 15, 2026 02:58 PM (rdVOm)

36 Garlic is pretty easy to grow, actually. Not an option for me right now. Plant in the fall.

"Fresh at the grocery is no longer an option"

What does that mean, exactly? They can somehow ship the crap grown stuff from the other side of the planet, but somehow California is too far away? Doesn't make any sense.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 15, 2026 03:02 PM (LXQ3Y)

37 Yes, it's a mess but at least none the trees hit the house. Neighbor had one go through upstairs master bedroom. Extensive roof and brick damage. All in all I feel blessed it wasn't worse.

I'm looking real hard at 2 good trees that are within striking distance of the house. They may not be there next year.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 15, 2026 03:02 PM (Hbeqj)

38 Our tomatoes are really coming on. Even with 90+ degree days. We have to pick at first blush, and make "sill" tomatoes because of birds, terrapins, and bugs, but who cares? Wife can't stand for long, so I've been doing most the prep work for canning. She still doesn't trust me to do the actual canning... smart woman.
We put up around 9 pints of spaghetti sauce, and 10 of salsa last few days.
Many more to come.
What to do with all the darned cucumbers? Already got two years worth of pickles.(?)
Peppers- all but one of our 5 Magyar peppers wilted. Gonna have to try a new variety next year (sweet paprika). Jalapenos are doing great. Bells are okay. Poblanos are always slow to ripen, but we'll have plenty for ancho.
Yellow squash are a magnet for cuke beetles.

Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 03:03 PM (q6tQZ)

39 Our kitchen counter looks like that picture of the tomatoes. I've made sauce. I've given them to my neighbor, who has made sauce. I've frozen them. I've given them away. My wife has given them away. We are not planting tomatoes next year.

Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder at August 15, 2026 03:05 PM (QaH55)

40 I forgot. Harvested 3 supers of honey last weekend. Tastes exactly like last year's. I hope those lazy-ass bees get some buckwheat honey in.

Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 03:05 PM (q6tQZ)

41 Ex Rex Reeder

Have you tried fresh salsa? Little peppers, little onions, and loads of maters!

Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 03:06 PM (q6tQZ)

42 Debating whether I want to clean out the tree debris in the pool or wait pool guy shows up Monday.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 15, 2026 03:06 PM (Hbeqj)

43 Debating whether I want to clean out the tree debris in the pool or wait pool guy shows up Monday.
Posted by: olddog in mo

Is your Indian name Swims With Sticks?

Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 03:08 PM (q6tQZ)

44 Have you tried fresh salsa? Little peppers, little onions, and loads of maters!
Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 03:06 PM (q6tQZ)

Yes. Yes I have. My late mother was a great canner. Sadly, her son di not acquire the skill.

Posted by: Ex Rex Reeder at August 15, 2026 03:10 PM (QaH55)

45 The Boy Scouts had this fundraiser thing waaaay back in the day, they would go around door to door selling Apples from Washington state. Not just any old Apples, these HUGE things, the tastiest crispiest things you ever ate. They were expensive, but really good. Never saw them before or since really.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 15, 2026 03:11 PM (LXQ3Y)

46 FIRST!!!!!

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 15, 2026 03:13 PM (2YhKe)

47 Had some time, so I dropped in. Checked the prayer list.

F*ck cancer........

Posted by: Sponge - F*ck Cancer at August 15, 2026 03:13 PM (2YhKe)

48 Are all those monarchs in some sort of cedar?

Posted by: From about That Time at August 15, 2026 03:14 PM (sl73Y)

49 The Harvest Moon is on September 26. Time to queue the Neil Young song. We have had a very nice harvest of Roma tomatoes from our patio plants. The blueberry plants are brand new, so not much fruit to speak of, but their growth seems to have really taken off in the past few weeks. They are in containers as well, so we will lug those into the garage probably around Thanksgiving. I still need to finish surface cleaning the brick and blue stone patio. I am going to try the stone dust on the bricks this year, I think. The "super" sand has been a big disappointment.

Posted by: Oglebay at August 15, 2026 03:24 PM (2ap+5)

50 That's a great tune! Not technically difficult, but as anyone who has tried to nail somebody else's tune down knows, it's kinda tricky to make it sound right. "Simple" does not mean "Easy". Drop D tuning.

Posted by: Common Tater at August 15, 2026 03:31 PM (f+DSe)

51 A lot of Monarch flutter bys migrate to a specific place in Mexico iirc. In the pic, might be a Juniper?

Posted by: Common Tater at August 15, 2026 03:33 PM (f+DSe)

52 MkY at August 15, 2026 03:03 PM

You've been busy! Do you have a variety of cucumbers that you don't have to peel? Try them with onions in a little cider vinegar diluted with water. On bread and butter, with tomato.

You can leave either the bread or the tomato off, depending if you want a sandwich or salad.

Posted by: KT at August 15, 2026 03:37 PM (1RGZ5)

53 MkY at August 15, 2026 03:03 PM

Also, I find Anchos easier to grow than bell peppers.

Posted by: KT at August 15, 2026 03:38 PM (1RGZ5)

54 Good afternoon all
Love the magenta daylily.
I've been growing Jalapenos for a number of years but only to make them pickled. The spicy sweet taste is fantastic. Super easy. Four ingredients and about 20 minutes to make. Put in a mason jar in the fridge. No additional processing required.
I am finally seeing some tiny tomatoes turning red on that freak plant.
Poblanos lagging a bit but that's okay. Gives me time to figure out what to,put them in.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 15, 2026 04:12 PM (kJmSS)

55 Toby, if you're still around, I had hip replacement which is a little less intense than knee what the surgeon said it would be 6 months for it to be good, 12 months for perfect. I am right at 12 months and except for an occasional muscle ache when I over do things, he was right.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 15, 2026 04:20 PM (kJmSS)

56 You've been busy! Do you have a variety of cucumbers that you don't have to peel?

Oh, we keep the veggie concoction going all summer... change the marinate about once a month.
Still, a person can only eat so many.
We "semi-peel" ours, if that makes sense.

Posted by: MkY at August 15, 2026 04:45 PM (q6tQZ)

57 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 15, 2026 04:20 PM

So I am halfway to good. Thanks for the Hope!!

Posted by: toby928(c) at August 15, 2026 05:19 PM (4NO2D)

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