Posted on 02/01/2013 12:27:13 PM PST 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!
We have a great sunny day today, and a warm 25 degrees. Last night we were at 9 degrees. I actually ordered a few plants this week during a 50% off sale. Most notable was some additional blueberry bushes, goji berry, and strawberries.
This will be the 3rd year for our little orchard of about 10 fruit trees, so we are hoping to get a few fruits this year.
I have a serving of spinach and lettuce and a couple of red bell peppers left and maybe 1 or 2 carrots. So my indoor and winter garden is just about finished.
The bell peppers and lemon tree are blooming and have some produce growing though, so I'll eventually get some additional produce from them maybe by spring.
Hope all is well with you. Have a great weekend, and God Bless.
Pinging the Garden Thread List.
Here in Tidewater Virginia, my poor forsythia and jasmine have no idea what to do. The weather has been so abnormal this winter, they don’t know whether to bloom or not.
I’m in the same boat as you, stuartcr. Here in Md.. my Camellia is well... confused. It has tons of buds. Fortunately, they haven’t started to open. With the weather being warm for a few days and then freezing... I don’t think the plant knows what to do. The last warm snap brought my tulips above ground by about four inches.
Still snow on the ground in N Idaho, although the temps are supposed to be in the high 30’s for the next few days - freezing at night.
Snow slowly disappearing.
Planning our garden layout, but know that we are a few months away yet. Mrs. Illiac will be starting in her greenhouse, which was a Christmas present and is looking forward to some great gardening this year.
Yeah, gardening seasons aren’t the same as they were 30yrs ago.
Yeah, gardening seasons aren’t the same as they were 30yrs ago.
I put some onions, carrots and lettuce in the fridge before the garden got tilled. There was some black gold from leaves on the backside of the house so that's getting added to the garden so hubby can till it again. Nice sunny 70s temps to be out in the garden in Texas.
The bell pepper seeds I'd given up on in their little starter containers popped up this week. The grocery store jalapenos didn't and neither did my banana pepper seeds. Had about 80% of the tomato seeds sprout and they're into their second set of leaves. I replanted those seeds along with squashes, cukes, etc. I thought I had cauliflower and broccoli seeds but can't find them so will pick some up next time I'm in town.
I decided not to plant green beans this year to work on getting various squashes out early ahead of the bugs. If the bugs win again, then there's always time for beans.
The glads are already about a foot tall so I need to get into that bed to reset the edging and dig out some of the soil because it washes out onto the walk. I also need to get an herb garden started there.
Blah, just found out the people next door are moving in permanently in a few months so need to be more careful with my garden garb.
I remember as a little girl, running outside to put a blanket around blossoming tulips when it started to snow. Silly me... didn’t realize at the time that they were from a cold region. I guess I took a risk planting a very Southern plant in a not so Southern region. ... sigh
Up the road a ways from Tidewater, the crocuses started blooming at our place.
My garden keeps getting more snow piled on it. Every bit of snow cuts down our chances of having another drought next summer, so, hurray for snow!!!
Never got any response from the person who has the corn seeds I wanted, she still hasn’t updated her listing since last year. So, I went with plan B and ordered some Mandan Red from Seeds of Change. It’s supposed to be a good parching and flour corn.
Things are kind of depressing on the job front, but given the way things are going, it might be better if I spend the summer working the land instead. I’ve got a creepy feeling about things this year.
One of my squash from last season started getting soft, so I chopped it up and started candying it. I love growing squash, but quite frankly it is not my favorite flavor, so I’m hoping if I candy it I’ll actually eat it more. The candied cranberries I made last christmas were really good, and I don’t like cranberries, so I figured it’s worth a try.
I didn’t get the freeze-dryer. In the last 10 hours of the auction, the bidding suddenly took off and went way beyond my price range! But, I’ll keep an eye out for the next one. That website sells all kinds of weird stuff from the university system. Today they listed a CT scanner, I’ve seen DNA sequencers, electron microscopes, Xray machines, etc. It’s a science geek’s dream, if only I had the money.
Nothing to do here. Totally covered with snow and 0 degrees with a windchill of -14 degrees.
I am discussing a knee replacement with a surgeon. If I go forward with it, it will probably mean another lost gardening year since it is my “digging” leg. But, I’ll love reading what the rest of you do.
Too bad about the freeze dryer. We were looking forward to your experiments with it.
I’m not really a squash person either, although this is the year I’m really pushing them in the garden. I’ve called the squash bugs out for a final duel. But, here’s a lovely squash soup that’s beyond yummy:
Squash Soup - Saute one or two stalks of chopped celery and half an onion chopped. Then puree them. Bake a couple delicata squash and a couple sweet dumpling squash (probably any lighter flavored variety of winter squash will do). When soft, seed them and scoop out the flesh and add to the blender mixture. Also add, up to a cup of cream, a spoon of chicken boullion (I use the Knorr powder), garlic salt to taste, cayenne to taste, and water if it’s too thick but not much because you want it really thick. Puree all ingredients.
On a side gardening note, I have determined that Snapdragons must be one of the toughest flowers known to man. I was surprised as even after a few hard frosts the snapdragon ‘bush - about 1x1x1’ that grows in our front flower bed stayed green. I was absolutely amazed that after being buried in snow for almost 3 weeks, after it melted those little guys look beat up but some of them are still green and starting to grow.
If you want to buy that Earthbox special, you can get it for $32.95 + shipping if you use the code VGHC13 at checkout. This makes the chocolate free, since $32.95 is the regular price of the kit. (The price for the Valentine’s Day special without the code is $40.00 + shipping.)
Have to order by Feb. 7 for delivery by Valentine’s Day.
I also ordered Hatch chili seed today. Minimum order was 1 oz, but it's from a commercial seed grower in NM, so I wanted that cultivar. But one oz of seed is something like 1000+ seeds. I don't have room for that many plants. ;)
/johnny
Please add me to the ping list. Thanks.
Thanks for the link...interesting! How does it self-water?
Thanks for the update on the freeze dryer. :-( Sorry you weren’t able to get it.
Re the corn seeds. Some kind soul on a previous thread gave us a link to the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
I ordered their catalog. It’s gorgeous! Reportedly they are very careful about selling only seeds that are not GMO. Their corn seeds sell in the $2.75 - $4.00 per packet range. They say that there are about 75-125 seeds per packet.
Oh. Just re-read your comments and you have already ordered your corn seeds. Let us know how they turn out!
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