Posted on 10/29/2022 6:11:28 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Thanks, I’ll check to see what I have left. I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
Aiiiiee!
https://www.susanspungen.com/recipes/2020/6/3/kale-aux-lardons-with-soft-steamed-eggs
And you may learn to enjoy kale!
List 24 Best Pumpkins for Pie!
Pictures of many at link.
Author states! "In this article, we'll cover:"
1. Dickinson Pumpkin
2. Fairytale Pumpkins (Musquée De Provence/Calabaza de Castilla)
3. Long Pie Pumpkins (Nantucket Pumpkins)
4. Jarrahdale Pumpkin
5. Red Kuri Squash
6. Seminole Pumpkin
7. Zucchino Rampicante Squash
8. Kabocha Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha Squash)
9. Buttercup Squash
10. Butternut Squash
11. Black Futsu Pumpkin
12. Galeux d’Eysines Pumpkin (Peanut Pumpkin)
13. Winter Luxury Pumpkin
14. Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
15. Hubbard Squash
16. Marina Di Chioggia Pumpkin
17. Jaune Gros De Paris Pumpkin (Yellow Of Paris Pumpkin)
18. Blue Doll Pumpkin
19. Queensland Blue Pumpkin
20. Tokyo Blue Squash (Tokyo Pumpkin)
21. Flat White Boer Pumpkin
22. Cinderella Pumpkin (Rouge Vif d’Etampes)
23. Amish Pie Squash
24. Porcelain Doll Pumpkin
After a couple of years of trying to keep 'critters' & crows out of my garden, I was gifted with a very large roll of black plastic mesh in 2016. Using 10' length ¾ inch PVC 'Charlotte' pipe, I made frames and attached the mesh using zip ties. The panels were 3.5' tall & 5' wide. My beds at the time were 4' x 8' so the panels worked well. I later added 2 more beds & these were 4' x 10'. To accommodate the extra length & give a bit more room, I made some half panels & have used them as 'gates' between the 5' panels on the longer beds.
Having the lightweight panels I could easily set up & take down (either tied together with rope or as of late, loosely zip tied) was a real luxury after temporary fencing. After 6 years, the mesh is starting to degrade & I had to patch a couple of places where it was breaking down. Also, the zip ties get brittle from cold/heat – they last maybe a year, some a year and a half. I am constantly replacing zip ties on panels every spring & fall, taking at least half a day each time. Despite being a great system, something more durable would save a lot of work on zip ties and “sturdy up” the panels (I did not glue the corners). I always wanted to replace the mesh with wire & I recently found stainless steel 'zip ties' so it seemed a perfect time to make the change.
It's been a learning experience and after re-doing the first panel & figuring things out as I go along, I've got a 'system' pretty much in place. The hardest part has been the metal zip ties. They are not 'sharp' until you cut off the excess and that end is like a razor blade. The safety solution that I've settled on is to wrap the tie with weather resistant duct tape. Also, I no longer cut the tie – I just wrap it back over the locking head (which keeps it good and tight) and then wrap with tape. The tape will eventually need to be replaced, but the ties won't break like plastic, so the panel structure should not be compromised.
So here are some pics …..
Mesh vs the galvanized wire/stainless zips.
Since the wire comes in 3' & 4' lengths & my panels are 3.5', I used 4' wire. I'm not cutting off the excess – keeps a nice smooth edge top & bottom & adds some extra height. If it gets too annoying (which I doubt), I can always cut it off.
If you ‘right click’ on pic & select ‘open image in new tab’, you get an enlarged version of the picture on the postimage site.
I grew far too many cherry tomatoes, my san marzano were a bit disappointing, and my beefsteak knockoffs, I think they were labeled "beefmaster" were just not tasty....I also grew some yellow tomatoes that were good....
Mmmmmmmm.......delectable looking recipes.
Kale tastes best cooked down and tender....as in the Tuscano Soup made famous by Olive Garden.
A friend stopped by to visit yesterday afternoon & we spent the time out in the garden where I was working on fence panels. We originally planned to have lunch, but that didn’t work out. We sat around the fire pit, but no fire - fairly breezy & I didn’t want to risk smoke/flying embers.
It’s been a weird 2 years ... we used to have dinner once a month, maybe every other month when we were busy. When WuFlu hit, we didn’t see each other at all. So I have been holding last year’s birthday present (November) & Christmas present and she’s done the same. Yesterday, we finally exchanged gifts!
She gave me a bunch of things (I did the same) ... as subjects come up in (phone) conversations, we make notes of each other’s interests & tend to gift along those lines. So I had mentioned wanting to have an herb garden again (had one some years ago) & being interested in medicinal herbs. My favorite present was the book ‘Alchemy of Herbs’ by Rosalee de la Foret. Rosalee also has a podcast on herbs that my friend listens to “Herbs with Rosalee” (I subscribed last night for future listening). Other herb-related gifts (all local companies): Elderberry Loose Leaf Tea & a small 4 oz. bottle of ‘Fire Cider’ Additionally, there was a 200 ml bottle of Harissa infused olive oil & a bottle of white wine (Pinot Grigio) from a local winery. Also, there were gardening gloves: a 3-pack of nitrile gloves (top is fabric) & a 2-pack of Comfort Hyde goatskin leather gloves - leather on bottom, fabric on top. I feel like I hit the lotto!
We were talking about her grandkids & my great nieces & nephews .... showed her the books I’ve gotten them for Christmas: ‘Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots’ and ‘Sunflower House’. She loved them & will be ordering for her grandkids. One thing I gave her for Christmas was a book of Williamsburg decorations, both outside & inside - the pictures are fantastic, there are a few instructions for making some of the decorations & it also includes a few Colonial Williamsburg type recipes for the holidays. She went to Williamsburg last year when the Colonial village was decorated, but the interiors were closed, so she’d not seen how they decorate inside. She’s going to take copies of some of the decorations to make with her grandkids when they all meet up for Christmas at their great-grandparents house.
It was a fun time seeing each other again .... now it’s back to fencing & today should be leaf pick up/into the compost bin day. Rain Monday/Tuesday so the leaves need to come up today ... they’re pretty thick. We’ll have to pick up at least one more time - two of the trees are still pretty leafy while most are just about bare. It looks like another gorgeous Fall day here - yesterday was fabulous.
Nice Civ
A few of my faves that I have grown in the past:
Jarrahdale (gorgeous blue/gray color!)
Rouge Vif d’Etampes (fun to say, pretty and meaty)
Winter Luxury (excellent keeper; meaty)
Amish Pie (perfect pie pumpkin in every way)
Looks fantastic! You have been busy! :)
You got some great stuff! I really missed my BFFs during the lock downs. We did a lot of Friday night Happy Hour Zoom meetings, but it’s just not the same. We’re making up for lost time these days - we’ve had something scheduled every month for the past three.
I’m glad those books are a hit! :)
Speaking of Christmas Decor, we are planning a trip to Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien when they’re all done up for Christmas. Can’t wait!
Large open yards! Reminds me of where I grew up!
Removable fencing is a great idea! (Does that have small mesh or chicken wire along the bottom to block small rabbits?)
You might be able to find some white tape for your frame online! (If it matters)
Inflation 1983: $25,000.00 2022: $45,563.00 ($4000 in 1983 = $7300 in 2022)
Not a small amount in the 80s'! Almost enough for a small car (Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt!) Or grocery money for an entire year!
**Does not apply to you or gardeners on the rest of the thread because farmers always submit an honest and accurate Sch F! A "self evident ""Tax Tip" from Old Democrat Friends at City of Chicago Department of Sanitation. Off the books cash is best saved as cash and used for things like groceries and gas and restaurant meals and NOT large easily tracked items like Flashy Cars and Vacation property in Michigan. (Finally, do not buy a Rolex that you stupidly wear when the DA deposes you or when testifying on the witness stand!)
It’s kind of the opposite, actually. There was a hybrid pumpkin with okay-tasting flesh and hull-less seeds, which had been my favorite since I was 12. Unfortunately, it kept getting discontinued, and then a couple years later an identical hybrid would show up with an almost-but-not-quite identical name. Then that one would be discontinued, and so on, and so on.
One of Jackie Clay’s articles mentioned how she had de-hybridized a tomato variety she liked, so I decided to try that with my favorite pumpkin. About 3 years later I read carol Deppe’s book “How to Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties”, which gave me a better idea what I was doing and how to do it. That helped a lot! Along the way, I’ve learned how wide the range of flavors in a pumpkin can get, and saved from the ones that tasted the best.
The result, I hope, is a pumpkin that is sweeter than the original hybrid, with hull-less seeds that have a good nutty flavor, and at least some bug resistance. It would be nice if they also stored well, but I’ll gladly trade that for flavor if I can’t get both.
If I can grow 100 plants without seeing any off-types, I’ll declare my variety finished. At that point I’ll start offering them through seed companies. My main contacts are Baker Creek and the Experimental Farm Network, so odds are that’s where you’ll see my seeds.
I haven’t settled on a name yet, but I’ll post it here when I decide on one.
Excellent photos! And let’s face it, bacon and eggs can improve the taste of anything!
I was just joking about the kale, btw. Not that I go out of my way for it...
:^)
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