Butterfly
Photos by my wonderful wife, the Butterfly Whisperer
Posted on 06/20/2014 12:30:26 PM PDT by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.
No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.
We have a feral cat this spring - well, I think she is a run-a-way. She had four kittens in the woodpile, and just moved them over under my “Cottage” (fancy shed/grown-up fort)where they pop out for sun and play several times a day.
I had wondered why we had ZERO bunnies, few squirrels and a lot less songbirds. Now I know. No chippys either, and the garden has not been attacked once!
And for the first year - the peaches are still growing on the tree. They haven’t been swiped, and the tree is loaded. I still expect to wake up some morning soon and find 90% of them gone, but that would still leave me a bunch.
Butterfly
Photos by my wonderful wife, the Butterfly Whisperer
LOL! Who knows what Darlin does when I’m away???? :-D
The difference between Chilitepin (on the left, and chili pequin (on the right).
Not much difference between the two. It seems like they are commonly mis-identified, even on seed packages.
I found some good info in this page:
It's a Dry Heat: Get to Know Chiltepin and Pequin Hot Peppers
They look happy! Mine continues to grow and looks good - hope it blooms soon.
I was out taking pics of the garden yesterday and saw that a second Trombetta ‘baby squash’ had bloomed. The blossom was no longer fully open, but it was open enough for a bumble bee who was crawling in and out. I tried to get a picture, but by the time I got the camera out of my pocket and turned on, the bumble bee flew off. Perhaps there was some pollination going on!
Nope. Not my mystery plant. It has what looks like miniature banana peppers.
That’s some major weed control you have going there. The “professional” grade fabric I got at Home Depot that was put down in April is already shreading and has weeds growing up through it.
Ah, good to know. Mine is closer to the chili pequin. Those look HOT.
I bet there was..How exciting for you. My one and only bee seems to have disappeared. I think I might get one of those mason bee houses I've seen in catalogs to try to lure some wayward bees to my yard.
To everyone: We had a good visit with Johnny. Bob was impressed that Johnny is a highly intelligent scoundrel much like himself. The two guys had a fun time.
We continued to my house where all plants but one were excellent. The largest T squash died but the rest are fine. I had ripe tomatoes on all the plants, most just fine under the netting I put over them before I left (I was gone for three weeks). I have hot and sweet peppers growing fine, some need to be picked. The Orange Tree has a number of oranges growing. I don't see any corn on the container corn plants. I'll take the large containers with me and decide which other plants to take.
We sort of, kind of, appear to be engaged, maybe that marriage thingy. Sometimes, the right two people find each other. I will be living in Highland Village, TX, about 20 miles north of Dallas. I do enjoy the weather, not sultry hot like Conroe, just hot without the humidity of Conroe.
And congrats, if nuptials are the case.
I knew when I didn't have to kill him right away that he was right for you. ;)
/johnny
/johnny
They are hot, and that's the only thing they have going for them (and fast growth and maturity, and breeding true...). They taste horrible.
I don't like them. You might. It's a personal thing.
/johnny
You can make a mason bee house by drilling holes in a block of wood. Do a google search to get the exact size and depth of the hole.
I admire your courage and optimism.
I'll give 80:20 that nuptials happen. 60:40 in a church with a full blessing and everything.
/johnny
Maybe it's a dog person, instead of being a cat person thing...
/johnny
Sorry about the washer. A storm that came through about 3 weeks ago hit the transformer by the house. The surge took out our washer, dryer, microwave, and two bathroom fans, and wind took off a few pieces of the house. $2500 in losses and wouldn’t you know insurance deductible was $5000. Ouch.
My tomatoes are getting the fungus on lower branches. I think it is a Fusarium fungus and the only way I know to stop it from killing the plants is fungicide.
The fabric is Preen. It’s 100% polypropylene, doe not fade or rot that we can tell. We have some that’s been used for 4 yrs. that still appears new. Polypropylene is one of the toughest plastics out there. It is used in automotive use everywhere on cars especially under the hood and underneath the car, just not in a woven fiber format. I’m interested to see how long it will last. The really nice plus about it is it is cheap, 4ft x 225ft for $30. I think it was a 300ft roll for $30 when we bought ours in ‘10.
My wife also uses it in her flower beds, She runs the drip lines, then covers with Preen, cuts slits in it to plant her plants in then covers it with cypress mulch. We never have to deal with weeds, in the veg patch or flower beds. My wife works too many hours to have to weed a garden or flower beds.
We tried the high priced stuff from the big box store and that stuff was too pricey and not durable at all.
So much for my info-mercial on Preen, I’m ready for some breakfast. Happy gardening.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.