Posted on 04/15/2011 5:07:49 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
Good morning gardeners. Today is NOT tax day! Y’all who file last minute can put it off until Monday the 18th. Why? In 2011, Washington, D.C., will celebrate Emancipation Day on April 15, a day earlier than normal, since April 16 falls on a Saturday. Emancipation Day marks the anniversary of the day that President Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act. The Act, which was "for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia," freed 3,100 slaves in the District, making DC residents the "first freed" by the federal government.
Ok back to gardening. Looks like I will be getting rain today. There is a line of strong thunderstorms to the northwest and west of me. I had planed to rent a tiller today and till the garden plot. I will have to wait until the soil dries out now. Drats, another delay in planting! Some of my tomato and squash plants are begging me to get them in the soil. Received some nice seeds in the mail yesterday from Freeper Black Agnes. Thanks again. I should have the opportunity to get them into some soil and flats today!
If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.
Today is our offical last frost date, and I’m not ready to plant outside yet. Grrr. Something is conspiring against me. I’m expanding the garden, and every time I have time available to work out there, it rains. Between that, and having child watching duty, I’m far behind when I wanted things done.
I got my drip irrigation kit yesterday, and as soon as I get the garden ready, and the raised beds ready, and a new large rainwater tank, I can get that installed. I need a 7 day rain-free weekend!!
So that I don’t bump last week’s thread while this one is newly active, I’m carrying over the discussion about the kids in Wisconsin growing cotton. I’m having a hard time believing that they are producing much fiber, although I have known of a lady in Chicago that grows a cotton plant in a container on her balcony every year to remind her of growing up in this area. Given that it is in a container, she can bring it in during cool snaps in the weather though.
I am sure JustaDumbBlonde has more suggestions.
CB shorts in a little bolt gun would be perfect. Sounds about like like a screen door slamming, helps to not annoy/alarm the neighbors.
>>Besides gumbo, what’s it good for?
Wash, pat dry, coat with a thin layer of olive oil. Hit it with a bunch of kosher salt. Roast it on the grille, shaking from time to time to turn, until it starts turning brown / black in places. Makes a tasty side.
I use a big mesh basket "pan" for this, similar to this one:
A couple of years ago I got a ton of hosta bulbs at Costco. 5-7 different varieties, IIRC. I probably have about 40 in one shady area of my back yard, between some larger ornamental shrubs. They’re doing well.
They can serve as a "backdrop" for your other plants, and if you plant them on the south side of the others, they will shade the other plants in a very welcome way (maybe save the rest of your garden from sunstroke) when the weather turns into a furnace.
As for sliminess, I haven't had a problem, but that may be because I put in a Tbs vinegar when cooking the okra and the “slime” disappears. Any acidic ingredient in the recipe will counteract sliminess (e.g. tomatoes.) One of the simplest and tastiest ways to prepare okra fresh from the garden is to boil whole pods until tender in enough water to cover + a Tbs of lemon juice (the anti-slime acid ingredient, again.) Drain and serve hot with a sprinkling of black pepper and small pats of butter.
One reason to grow one's own is that the pods don't keep well; after three days in the refrigerator they begin to toughen. Tough pods require more cooking, resulting in the development of the slimy texture. But when harvested at its peak -- 3 to 4 inches long -- and prepared soon after, okra can delight even the most skeptical. IMHO.
Or try the ultimate in great Southern side dishes -- okra rolled in cornmeal and fried like green tomatoes. Fresh-fresh-as in garden-fresh, tendr small pods also can be eaten raw, like carrots or celery, or added to a salad.
Okra contains a goodly amount of Vitamin A and potassium and is low in calories.
Recipe for Louisiana Gumbo : http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/yeager58.html
Thanks for that tip about the vinegar and okra. I did not know that.
We like okra and tomatos. Okra sliced about 1/2 in. with diced tomatoes in a spiced tomato sauce. For a quick and easy version; sliced okra, a can of diced tomatos, and a can of spaghetti sauce. Simmer together for a while to blend flavors and serve over a bed of steaming rice. Have cornbread available, also.
We always fry okra along with our green tomatos and also have fried eggplant at the same time.
Aspartame - The World’s Best Ant Poison
Check this out
http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20060612.htm
Along with peppers and tomatoes from the garden, there are some awesome salads in our future.
Poems like that are part of why I love FR.
For a more humane solution then "plinking them you might first try a motion activated sprinker. If that doesn't work, they get nasty.
Linky http://www.wildbirdmart.com/scare.html
My bamboo is starting to come up, I’m giddy. This is my bamboo’s 3rd year. Last year, I had some get around 9 feet tall.
re wild onions
My cousin introduced me to wild onions in the pastures ‘up home” which in this case is north central Nebraska when we were kids. I remember she made a distinction between the wild onion and another plant that closely resembled a wild onion but was poisonous. I could not really make the distinction then and sure would not be able to now. We ate the wild onions though.
I can certainly relate to your irritation. In the last 24 hours we have had rain, sleet, which is distinguished from freezing rain, snow, tornado warnings, embedded thunderstorms, with one moving through at the moment. And winds.
Of course I 80 was closed for awhile at North Platte west which is about 100 miles west of me.
On the other hand it is supposed to be up to 58 here tomorrow in south central Nebraska.
My tulips that were ready to open definately said whoa- not today. I am hearing thunder at the moment. It is a distance away and the clouds right now are not nearly as heavy as they were.
Spring will win out. Eventually.
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