Saturday Gardening Thread, International Edition [KT]

Greetings to our gardeners, putterers and those who admire their handiwork! Today we are focusing on submissions from out of the country.

Toucan Sam sent in the beautiful photo above and writes:

Meanwhile in Costa Rica, we are transitioning from wet season to dry season here - beginning early December we will probably will on have few rain showers until probably May.

Here are a few pics of my gardens and some of my friends that stop by to visit. I really enjoy your posts as I've become more interested in plants and animals since I've moved down here.
Pura Vida

Want to take stab at identifying any of the flora or fauna here? Ever had one of these show up in your yard?

Wow! Thanks, Toucan Sam!

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, I regret to inform you that our Swiss canine garden correspondent, Rocky, has crossed the rainbow bridge. Here he is on a trip to the Swiss-Italian lake country:

And here he is enjoying his garden at home last spring.

His human family couldn't stand the void, and their new dog, Goia, will be introduced soon. She will be bigger than Rocky when she grows up. Meanwhile, the Swiss cows have come down from summer pasture.

Okay, these are Swiss sheep in summer pasture.

These are not.

Edible Gardening

Are you using any of your garden produce in a lovely international recipe?

I am getting ready to plant arugula for the first time, and corn salad.

Music

Here's some nice, natural, straightforward music from Canada.

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:35 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 First?

Posted by: Skip at November 16, 2019 01:40 PM (4dS9T)

2 Top pi is of a frangiapani but the easier name for it escapes me

And there is a bird of paradise...nice

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 01:40 PM (eaw6P)

3 Plumeria. Was my favorite tree in the yard as a kid.

Posted by: Pualani at November 16, 2019 01:40 PM (Z6Baa)

4 Good afternoon Greenthumbs. Lost my plants in the mini greenhouse this week from frost.

Posted by: Skip at November 16, 2019 01:41 PM (4dS9T)

5 Garden Thread!!

I love Costa Rica.

Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 01:43 PM (nOpGg)

6 hiya

Posted by: JT at November 16, 2019 01:43 PM (arJlL)

7 Basil is crisp, brought other tenders in including the lafgir lime. Outside various greens,alliums and cruciferous types are loving it

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 01:45 PM (eaw6P)

8 RIP Rocky.

This past summer, THREE of my neighbors had to put their dogs down.

They were all GREAT dogs.

Posted by: JT at November 16, 2019 01:45 PM (arJlL)

9 Kaffir...

Posted by: LR at November 16, 2019 01:46 PM (eaw6P)

10 Sorry to hear about Rocky.

Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 01:47 PM (nOpGg)

11 Top pic: frangipani (also called plumeria or pikake, i think...)
2nd: Toucan
3rd: heliconia don't know variety
4th: ? (wow, very colorful. would love to know)
5th: looks orchid-y. Ladyslipper?
6th: ? (some epiphyte or other-- another orchid, i think)
7th: looks kinda bird-of-paradise, but likely another heliconia
8th: inedible fungus
9th: bird (lol, i dunno!)

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 01:48 PM (gP/Z3)

12 Condolences on the loss of dear doggeh Rocky!

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 01:49 PM (gP/Z3)

13 8th could be magical...

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 01:50 PM (eaw6P)

14 Aw, sorry about the greenhouse loss, Skip.

At least you tried! Next time will be better, yes?

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 01:51 PM (gP/Z3)

15 JQ,
Pikake is much smaller than plumeria and very fragrant. Both make nice leis.

Posted by: Pualani at November 16, 2019 01:55 PM (Z6Baa)

16 Well clank, Skip.

Hope the mini-greenhouse works out better in the spring.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 01:57 PM (BVQ+1)

17 Thanks, Pualani!

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 01:57 PM (gP/Z3)

18 Hello, gardeners! I am so sorry for the loss of Rocky. I always looked forward to his posts. He looked like a well loved friend. Costa Rica looks warm and lovely on this cold, not quite winter, day. Wonder what my squirrels would think of having a toucan in the back yard.
Thanks KT, as always, for providing this thread. I look forward to it every week!

Posted by: Mrs. Leggy at November 16, 2019 01:58 PM (Vf4Y7)

19 Spectacular and varied photos. They are a pleasure to to look at. That redish mushroom reminds me of a Beatrix Potter botanical watercolor, which is high praise. The lady was an accomplished nature artist.

Posted by: JTB at November 16, 2019 01:59 PM (bmdz3)

20 I'm enjoying a crisp day at el farmo. Chilly and verrrry breezy here today. Temps are in the low 40s but it's seems much cooler than that!

Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 02:01 PM (nOpGg)

21 Sorry to hear about Rocky. Our pets are never with us long enough.

Posted by: JTB at November 16, 2019 02:02 PM (bmdz3)

22 Fine. Leave me all alone in the politics thread. Jerks.

Posted by: Insomniac at November 16, 2019 02:03 PM (NWiLs)

23 I covered my small rosemary bush this week before the snow. Some years it makes it, some years no. Zone 6a.

If I can protect it from the winter's wind, it has a chance.

Posted by: Tonypete at November 16, 2019 02:03 PM (Y4EXg)

24 Somewhat garden related. With the colder temps this weekend, I'll be doing some cooking: soup, stewed apples, roasted onions, navy beans, etc. This is where the herbs we grew this summer and dried come into their own. They are so much better than the stuff from the grocery store.

Posted by: JTB at November 16, 2019 02:11 PM (bmdz3)

25 Two things.

Thing one - I take it that's a plumeria [white, the fragrant kind] in the lead pic? They used to be rare/exotic in soCal not that long ago - now you see them often, and they can be yuuuge. In fact will be cutting my biggest one back soon to contain it.

Thing two. Planted a 6-pack of mixed lettuce varieties last week. Will be adding romaine [red and green] and mizuna this week, if possible. This has worked out very well for the past few years - fresh greens picked-to-order just before use, and often a whole head of something gifted to a neighbor [excess supply], from late December til April.

Any tips/tricks greens growers want to share? This is in a ground-level plot of topsoil that gets more home-made compost 1 or 2 times a year. Have never used fertilizer or any kind of herbi- or pesticide [no need] ..... so, "organic"!!!!

Posted by: rhomboid at November 16, 2019 02:11 PM (QDnY+)

26 Tonypete at November 16, 2019 02:03 PM

How do you cover it?

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 02:12 PM (BVQ+1)

27 You are doin it right Rhomboid.

If your winters are mild enough the winter garden is the most prolific and satisfying

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 02:16 PM (eaw6P)

28 Top pic: frangipani (also called plumeria or pikake, i think...)

2nd: Toucan

3rd: heliconia don't know variety

4th: ? (wow, very colorful. would love to know)

5th: looks orchid-y. Ladyslipper?

6th: ? (some epiphyte or other-- another orchid, i think)

7th: looks kinda bird-of-paradise, but likely another heliconia

8th: inedible fungus

9th: bird (lol, i dunno!)

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 01:48 PM (gP/Z3)
I've always called 1 Plumeria, had on survive in the greenhouse until a horrible freeze in CA, can't kill them in the islands.
The pink one is a pretty common bromeliad. I had one just like that for years (same freeze). 4 is looks to be a species or near species cattleya, then a brassica orchid (sometimes called spider orchid) then the orange is another heliconia. birb, dog, dog...

Posted by: clutch cargo at November 16, 2019 02:17 PM (Z1ykJ)

29 I've kept last year's poinsettia alive through hot summer & even managed to bring it inside before it got kilt by early frost.

I'm not expecting it to rebloom.

And I'm not trying to 'force' it-- it's quite lovely just the way it is-- with plenty of deep green leaves. I pruned it back hard when leaves began to drop Jan/Feb... so it branched out nicely!

I might put it in a pretty basket and add some silk flowers this holiday season, just for fun.

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 02:17 PM (gP/Z3)

30 Those poor cows. Such humiliation simply for the right to fart and be eaten.

Posted by: The Invisible Hand at November 16, 2019 02:20 PM (YpRda)

31 I have a brass duet in my house, a tuba and a trombone...gets loud during practice time.

Only one of my plumeria bloomed this year. They are now all safely inside for the winter. They look like sticks since they promptly lose all foliage when brought inside.

Posted by: lin-duh at November 16, 2019 02:22 PM (UUBmN)

32 Methinks those cows are valued more for their milk...

Cheese

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 02:24 PM (eaw6P)

33 Some things should stay up in mountains, not parade around the women folk and wee born.

Posted by: sun at November 16, 2019 02:28 PM (UWVZN)

34 Hey gardeners.

Haven't been around here in a while due to time zone and all that, but I still read the posts and comments when I do get up.

Thanks to KT and contributors for the effort each week.

Posted by: Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest at November 16, 2019 02:31 PM (LWu6U)

35 26 Tonypete at November 16, 2019 02:03 PM

How do you cover it?
Posted by: KTbarthedoor

---

I turned over a monster ceramic pot over it after I buried the plant with mulched leaves.

I really don't know what I am doing but that has worked for me in the past. Some years.

Posted by: Tonypete at November 16, 2019 02:33 PM (Y4EXg)

36 Afternoon Horde.

I missed this thread, so 2 week catchup.

'Tis the season for getting Mrs IMGs succulents and other snow-averse plants moved inside. Spent half a day on prepping the ad hoc greenhouse in the basement, then moved plants inside. That was a couple weekends ago. Got them inside in the nick of time. Added more lighting while I was at it.

Posted by: Iron Mike Golf at November 16, 2019 02:40 PM (di1hb)

37 I recognize the plumeria and bird of paradise, but that's about it. Beautiful pictures!

Posted by: bluebell at November 16, 2019 02:41 PM (FlHAd)

38 I'm not so sure that pink mushroomy-looking thing is actually a mushroom. Scattered beneath it are what look like spent blooms, and if they came from the "shroom," it ain't a shroom. I wish I knew more about tropical flora, because that one is a head scratcher.

Posted by: Equirhodont at November 16, 2019 02:46 PM (+2GwM)

39 37 I recognize the plumeria and bird of paradise, but that's about it. Beautiful pictures!
Posted by: bluebell at November 16, 2019 02:41 PM (FlHAd)
------
Warm enough?

Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 02:46 PM (nOpGg)

40 Tonypete at November 16, 2019 02:33 PM

Probably good to avoid over-watering while it's covered, too.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 02:49 PM (BVQ+1)

41 Any hints for keeping the squirrels from eating my newly planted crocus and daffodil bulbs?

Posted by: Nurse ratched at November 16, 2019 02:53 PM (PkVlr)

42 Really wanted to burn the brush pile today but it's gonna be a windy weekend.

Posted by: jsg at November 16, 2019 02:55 PM (o7TQR)

43 Nurse

a .22 and patience

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 02:56 PM (eaw6P)

44 .410 is a great squirrel gun.

Posted by: jsg at November 16, 2019 02:58 PM (o7TQR)

45 Top pic is plumeria, quite ubiquitous in Hawai'i.

Posted by: SMH at November 16, 2019 03:00 PM (RU4sa)

46 Warm enough?
Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 02:46 PM (nOpGg)
-----------

Doing much better since we shivved the thermostat and opened the windows.

Posted by: bluebell at November 16, 2019 03:02 PM (FlHAd)

47 i think it depends on where you live as to your choice of eradication

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 03:06 PM (eaw6P)

48 Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest at November 16, 2019 02:31 PM

Great to see you checking in, at an odd hour for you!

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 03:07 PM (BVQ+1)

49 Nurse ratched at November 16, 2019 02:53 PM

Squirrels should not bother your daffodils. They are poisonous.

As for the crocuses, you can try wire mesh, like hardware cloth, over them. Crocus tomasianus is supposed to be much less enticining to squirrels than other crocuses. It is one species of snow crocus.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 03:10 PM (BVQ+1)

50 Enticining is a new word I just invented.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 03:12 PM (BVQ+1)

51 So I was feeling pretty smug with my THREE persimmon showing themselves on the tree now that the leaves are falling.

Then I walked past a neighbor that had some kind of tree with hardly any branches or leaves, just tons of fruit. I couldn't tell what they were, they kind of looked like citrus - maybe larger than lemons and with a big navel at the end - but there were no leaves so I couldn't tell. It was trimmed the way the Japanese do with thick trunk and short branches, and had dozens of fruit.

They must think I am a gardening idiot (I am) with my trees and leaves and stuff, and no fruit.

Of course, I have another neighbor who grows grapes and mine are way better than his but he doesn't spray so I have to deal with his pests on my vine each year. He also prunes them the way they do and grapes need big leafs after each fruit for energy.

My cherry (you all remember my cherries..) are losing leaves and I have to prune soon. I have luck waiting until cold windy day when dormant. If I prune in summer They get diseased tips from the wound. I read a lot of different advice on pruning cherry and have tried them all, but this seems to work best here.

I have my bee house and pollen brush all ready for spring. Last year I got hundreds of flowers and only 10 cherry.

Posted by: Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest at November 16, 2019 03:14 PM (LWu6U)

52 Early report from Idaho's Treasure Valley (I might do another later):
Lots more raking - 7 bags of sycamore leaves on the curb Monday night, but there are tons still to go. An inversion is keeping us from burning them all.
Raked and shredded a huge pile of silver maple leaves - it has now re-covered the ground beneath it, though not to the same density - yet.
Rose barrier strip has now been caulked and bolted shut at both ends. Next spring, we paint straight glyphosate on any sprouts outside the barrier.
This morning, we cut off most of the Siberian iris leaves - trash is full but there are 4 more clusters to go. Not yet decided whether to cut off all the Calamagrostis 'Overdam' (med.-tall bunchgrass) leaves and plumes.

WikiHow has a guide on how to re-flower poinsettia. (Our schedule is so crazy - and the plant I have is so large, I gave up on trying to jam a box over it every night.)

Posted by: Pat* at November 16, 2019 03:16 PM (2pX/F)

53 KTbarthedoor

Sunday, 5:17 AM in Japan.

Posted by: Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest at November 16, 2019 03:17 PM (LWu6U)

54 Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest at November 16, 2019 03:14 PM

Good luck with your cherries next year.

I'll have to think about what your neighbor's fruit tree might be. Let us know how the persimmons taste.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 16, 2019 03:19 PM (BVQ+1)

55 squirrel...deer and other critters...when they are hungry enough they will try anything

Posted by: LoneRanger at November 16, 2019 03:20 PM (eaw6P)

56 I tried planting my bulbs with cayenne pepper. Squirrel bastards seemed to like it.

Posted by: Nurse ratched at November 16, 2019 03:23 PM (PkVlr)

57 Mentioned on an earlier thread I have a bunch of deer wandering around the farm this weekend.

Posted by: Weasel at November 16, 2019 03:25 PM (nOpGg)

58 56 ... "I tried planting my bulbs with cayenne pepper. Squirrel bastards seemed to like it."

Nurse, At least you know I won't eat the bulbs. I can't tolerate cayenne pepper. One less concern for you. :-)

Posted by: JTB at November 16, 2019 03:38 PM (bmdz3)

59 Nurse ratched, I've noticed that squirrels don't bother the daffodil bulbs but love just about any others, particularly tulips.

So, I put down chicken wire after planting and pinned it down with bent pieces of wire coat hangers. Make only 2 "garden staples" per hanger; you want them to go deep into soil so the little b@st@rds can't dig 'em up. (I used a boltcutter, btw, to cut many and quickly.)

Cover the ugly wire with a nice mulch. Your pretties will grow right through it, no problem.

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 03:42 PM (gP/Z3)

60 Nurse Ratched, your posting about the bushy-tailed tree rats reminded me of a story that a yoga teacher told me. He was sitting on the porch of his home one summer afternoon, when a tree rat hopped into his garden, dug up a bulb, took one bite, dropped it, then gave the storyteller that "You gonna do something about it, huh?" look. Then it dug up another bulb, took a bite, dropped it, and gave him the look again. Then it started to dig up a third bulb, when ... WHAM! a red-tail pounced, gave it the coup-de-grace in the back of the neck with its beak, and flew off with the carcass. The teacher and I high-fived each other. Man, that story made my day.

Posted by: Brown Line at November 16, 2019 03:49 PM (S6ArX)

61 Harvested some fall onions and carrots (after three snows and several killing frosts). About to instapot both, wish me luck.

Posted by: stonecutter at November 16, 2019 03:49 PM (Bfr22)

62 Brown line

That's awesome.

The red tailed hawks around here are fat and lazy.

Chicken wire sounds like a do able option

I kinda just want to shoot the little bastards though.

Posted by: Nurse ratched at November 16, 2019 04:06 PM (PkVlr)

63 The Swiss pastoral scenes are just breathtaking.

Posted by: kallisto at November 16, 2019 04:08 PM (wZxsP)

64 Good luck, stonecutter!

Posted by: kallisto at November 16, 2019 04:10 PM (wZxsP)

65 Tonypete, the oldtimers cover their rosemary plants with heavy clear plastic, same as they do with figs. My aunt had one going that reached 4' high by 5' wide. She got sick though and it's not doing so good. I have to get over there to clip some sprigs, since I found out it is a strong antioxidant.

Posted by: kallisto at November 16, 2019 04:19 PM (wZxsP)

66 The first orchid looks like Arundina:

http://www.aos.org/orchids/orchids-a-to-z/letter-a/arundina.aspx

The other one might be an Epidendrum:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidendrum

Posted by: Don at November 16, 2019 04:29 PM (sUjv9)

67 No gardening to report, other than hitting the driving range for the first time in almost 20 years. Dug up some impressive divots, I did.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing
at November 16, 2019 04:46 PM (WEBkv)

68 The birds are:
Keel Billed Toucan - I have a family of god that lives around my home
Lessons Motmot

No Birds of Paradise - those are all different heliconias

That is a tiny mushroom - maybe 1 1/2 inch - took it in a rain forest at about 6000 ft on the side of a volcano
The orchid on the tree is a wild orchid- not sure of the name
The purple orchid is what they call a Ground Orckir - the flower is on a long stall coming out of the ground they can be 6 or 7 ft tall or more

Posted by: Toucan Ssm at November 16, 2019 05:48 PM (B/g5Z)

69 Thinking about planting a persimmon where my failed grapefruit tree x 2 was. So... fuyu or hachiya? I lean to fuyu since they don't have that long time to get ripe and aren't as soft. Is one better than the other in So Cal?

Posted by: keena at November 16, 2019 05:53 PM (47Cxi)

70 Any hints for keeping the squirrels from eating my newly planted crocus and daffodil bulbs?
Posted by: Nurse ratched at November 16, 2019 02:53 PM

Same with woodpeckers, 12 ga

Posted by: Skip at November 16, 2019 06:06 PM (ZCEU2)

71 My leaves are probably 3/4s down, not 1/2 of what's on the ground is in the bin.

Posted by: Skip at November 16, 2019 06:07 PM (ZCEU2)

72 Lol, Skip! Same here w/the leaves!

If it's nice out tomorrow, will make the rounds again with tractor & sweeper. Too much to rake by hand!!

Posted by: JQ at November 16, 2019 06:41 PM (gP/Z3)

73 Skip,
We have an apple tree out front that probably still has 90% of its leaves, crazy at this time of the year. My contribution to gardening right now is chopping up the cut off bits of Brussel sprouts the wife cooked to Perfection tonight. Broil with olive oil salt pepper garlic maple syrup and bacon. They taste like candy.

Posted by: Farmer at November 16, 2019 08:50 PM (tnD/f)

Posted by: Kindltot at November 16, 2019 11:52 PM (1glZx)

75 It is a purple honey creeper.

Because I have bing-fu

Posted by: Kindltot at November 16, 2019 11:52 PM (1glZx)

76 but not very good at all. Motmot.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 16, 2019 11:55 PM (1glZx)

77 Toucan Ssm at November 16, 2019 05:48 PM

Thanks for the photos and the details.

Fascinating. The tiny mushroom on the side of the volcano is different from any mushroom I have ever seen.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at November 17, 2019 12:42 AM (BVQ+1)

78 Very late driveby. Costa Rica is on my bucket list - although I don't have a bucket list.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at November 17, 2019 09:35 AM (/+bwe)

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