This is called, 'Heirloom' which is a, 'Brandywine' cross.
Lightening Bug resting in my French Marigolds.
Scarlet Runner Bean. Makes a Romano-type flat pod.
Kale and Gladiolus, which won't flower until August.
Posted on 07/14/2017 3:25:21 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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - 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.
I will need to post and run and come back later, but didn't want to be too late getting this thread going. We have had a really bad spell of no rain and lots of heat last several weeks. The swimming pool is empty and not much left of the rain barrels.
The air conditioner gives us 10 gallons per day. Everything is burning up. We won't use the well water, so it's a grateful person here to tell you that we have some rain the afternoon! Praise be to God!
I had some really nice potatoes going and the squirrels dug up and ate them including the leaves - thirsty would be my guess.
Hope you are all doing well. Have a great weekend. Prayers up for all. God Bless.
Pinging the list.
I pray you will get more rain soon!
Keeping Squirrels Out of the Garden
https://bonnieplants.com/library/keeping-squirrels-out-of-the-garden/
The garden season in North Texas was fantastic this year. We’ve been canning tomato products like crazy. Garlic crop was great as well as cukes, onions and melons. Probably due to mild winter and spring and surplus rain.
I added bees to my ponderosa this year. It is my first venture into this fascinating labor of love.
My hive has grown to nearly 10,000 bees from the original 3,000 I got in April. I am positive I would have many more but varroa mites decided to up residence.
Do any other FReepers keep bees?
I wish I could send some of our rain storms to you! And I do hope we get a few days break.
It took out my pretty peach tree. :( I was unable to thin enough from the higher branches, sooo - it got saturated and now that the peaches were a bit bigger - the trunk of the tree split at the crotch.
I will see what happens, but we are planting a new one this fall.
Our squash plants are MASSIVE now.
*GARDEN BUMP*
...for Saturday Morning Coffee and updated garden pictures. (And maybe a few, ‘new kitty’ pictures thrown in there for fun!)
Things are moving along! We’ve had 5” of rain in the past week, but no flooding for us. The 2-mile driveway sorely needs blacktop (lots of ruts due to the rain; we’ve leveled it once already) but we’re on the waiting list for some in a number of weeks. Others have had it MUCH worse than us due to the wet year we’re having.
Finally got our first tomato. No more set yet, as temps have spiked; triple digits, or near, for the last 2-3 weeks; way less than normal rainfall, and 10-15 above normal temps in both June & so far in July.
The heat is killing my Russet Burbanks, though the German Butterballs are tolerating it. Even some of the carrots are bolting to seed stalks’ needless to say the peas are done in. Garlic gave up nearly a month early, but at least yielded mostly usable sized bulbs
So far, the Brussels sprouts are growing decently.
Northern Colorado report...best looking garden I've had in a few years. Everything is thriving though a few weeks late, (May snowstorms). So says everybody I've talked to that have managed to duck the almost daily hailstorms.
8 inch Anaheims getting picked now, Bells and Bananas in a few days. Cucumbers, tomatoes in 2-3 weeks, corn in a month. Melons...before winter I'm hoping, since they are the reason I even bother gardening.
Got a volunteer Big Max pumpkin threatening to take over the whole place. Best sharpen my ax I reckon.
My strategy of over planting to have some left after chipmunk attacks seems to be working about right. I will even have to thin some.
Thanks for the ping! I can not believe how fast old age has over taken me this year. I am very proud of our corn patch this year as it appears to be a month ahead of time...
I haven’t started yet, but been planning to start. Did you just ‘do it’, or did you get familiarized first by helping out with another beekeeper?
Something took out my yellow squash. Again. At least I actually got a decent amount out of them this year, but no other plant in my garden has this much pest trouble.
Got my hands full with tomatoes, though, and my beloved Cherokee Purples are starting to ripen. I’m starting to get dry beans in and am looking forward to experimenting with those. :)
For me, personally, I got in touch with Co-Operative Extension who linked me up with the local Beekeepers association, one who took me under his wing several decades ago.
Best to begin your research early so that you can build your hive bodies over winter, and to know what sizes you need to build, and what problems you may regionally encounter.
Also, it gives you enough time to learn the language, the tools and equipment, and to learn from others experiences. Beekeeping is known as apiculture
Generally, springtime is the time to buy bees in bulk, or 'nukes' (small packaged worker bees and a queen) which can be sent via postal service.
I have built two hives, and "hive sat" another 5 hives owned by others since at that time I lived in the "boonies" on a five acre farmette.
There are different kinds of hive bodies (mine were Langstroth, 12 frames- then reduced to 10 frames during a honey-flow), and many different cultures of bees,
each culture of which have different personalities and productivity (mine: '3 banded Italian').
Other bee varieties for honey production include 'black bees', Carolinian, Caucasian, etc.; some bees are bred strictly for crop pollination, honey production is incidental.
The personality of the hive (productivity, aggressiveness) is determined by the personality of the variety/culture, and especially the personality of the hive 'Queen'.
It really is fascinating .
This is called, 'Heirloom' which is a, 'Brandywine' cross.
Lightening Bug resting in my French Marigolds.
Scarlet Runner Bean. Makes a Romano-type flat pod.
Kale and Gladiolus, which won't flower until August.
Picked my first ripe tomato today. There are more and more tomato flowers turning into tiny green ones so there will be more to come. One rose bush was severely pruned and about a week later there is vigorous new growth. Flowers blooming very well. This area has had a lot of rain in the last 24 hours and I wish I could share some with you. Keeping you in my prayers.
Show off...
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