The Garden Thread - June, 2024

June 1, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a 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.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. 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 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! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[FamiliarFace]

I make dilled potatoes in butter and some salt and pepper. Boil the taters till soft, drain, add butter, dill, some salt and pepper to taste. It’s fabulous.

I’m sure your dilled potato salad would be almost just like this, but cooler.

[FamiliarFace]

My friend in Minnesota just told me that she has a flooded basement from so much rain, and it’s still raining. 😩

[MomwithHope]

That sounds good too. Fresh dill is the best. Dried, meh....

[TheConservativeParty]

That salmon with dill sounds great. Next time I make salmon I will use some fresh dill from the garden.

If your tarragon plant is big enough to divide, that might work but might kill the plant. I’d make cuttings and root them in nice potting soil. That would be safe for the plant.

[FamiliarFace]

I took some cuttings the other day to see if I can propagate the tarragon for her. Maybe I can send my sister these if they seem healthy. It may need to wait until I fly down there again, and can bring in my carry on.

[Pollard]

Got some mowing done. Radiator leakstop worked like a charm. Now I can drain the water and refill with 50/50 antifreeze. Cheaper to make that yourself btw. 1 gal of full strength antifreeze plus 1 gal of distilled water = 50/50.

Got the little HF manual tire changer pulled out. I’ll change/mount two tomorrow and two next weekend.

Picked a pack of peppers. Over a dozen Shisito, plus half a dozen Sunsugar cherry maters. In the morning, I’ll snag some lettuce/mustard/kale/tatsoi/bok choy for a kickass salad tomorrow.

With the mid 90s becoming the norm again this year, I’ll get what I get for salad stuff.

[FamiliarFace]

*** Picked a pack of peppers. ***

You mean you pick a peck of peppers, right? Were they pickled? And is your name Peter Piper or Pollard? 😉

Sorry, it just tickled my funnybone.

[FamiliarFace]

We have a few ways we do salmon, but when we use dill, that’s our recipe. Very easy and oh so good. The fresh dill makes all the difference. You could probably pan sear it, but we love it on the smoker.

[Paul R.]

I’d say the inside diameter needs to be 1/8” to 1/4” depending on the diameter of the “string”. 1/4” would be very heavy, so 1/8” for lighter string and 3/16” for heavier string would probably “do it”. I was looking at some brass tubing that has a wall thickness of approx. 0.020”.

(That tubing was actually metric: 4.5mm O.D. / 3.5mm I.D., and also 5.5mm O.D. / 4.5mm I.D.)

Thanks!

[Paul R.]

Thanks - I’ll take a look!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

‘Smarty Plants’ LOL! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Be careful about sending plants thru the mail because there are all kinds of restrictions between the states and it might end up in the dumpster.

That said...I have done it myself and I usually use a padded envelope and make sure the plant is in a closed ziplock bag with a moist paper towel, and that I ‘pad’ it with a cute dish towel or a crocheted dish cloth. And I don’t discuss what I’m mailing with the clerk at the PO Desk. ;)

You could safely send a small division that way. French Tarragon doesn’t produce seeds...so whoever found the very first plant propagated it from divisions and has been doing so ever since. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We got another 2.5” of rain today, per my rain gauge. Amazingly, it did NOT rain on our Family Reunion, but after that was over, Beau wanted to see a cousin that was in town but couldn’t make it to the reunion and while we were at the B&B where she was staying, the tornado sirens went off and the sky opened up and it was pretty awful. We were minutes away from heading to the basement. The cousin lives in Nebraska, so she was relatively unfazed, LOL!

On the way home the sky was pitch black and super scary looking. We parked the truck and RAN for the house - the rain was torrential and the wind was close to 20 MPH! We were soaked running up the steps to the house, but we survived. ;) And then it all cleared up and we had a gorgeous sunset. :)

This Spring is really one for the books. So. Much. Rain! Send it to Africa, God! We don’t need it ALL to fall here! ;)

[FamiliarFace]

I realized after you posted about your family reunion that my next door neighbor headed to Wisconsin on Friday for a family reunion on her husband’s side. You didn’t have anyone there from central Indiana, did you? Wouldn’t that be a hoot to find out that you actually know someone who knows someone that you post with on FR? It would make it a small world, indeed!

[FamiliarFace]

These days the post office makes you sign something that says you’re not fudging with the clerk if you say you’re not sending something perishable or flammable or any of the other things that cost extra. I’m not a good liar, so I don’t think I could go that route. Maybe UPS? At any rate, I’ll take things slow.

I have sent plants once before to my daughter, years ago. I once sent her a do it yourself fairy garden kit, complete with small plants that she couldn’t kill, fairies, and a camping/hiking themed miniatures for it, the container, and some soil. It was a Christmas we couldn’t be together, and she FaceTimed me when she opened it. It was quite a fun surprise for her. Just the right size for an apartment.

These days they would probably arrest me for doing something like that.

[MomwithHope]

OK those specs help.

[MomwithHope]

I was watching the radar yesterday and thought about your party. Your weather usually makes it over the lake and dumps on west Michigan.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Wouldn’t that be a hoot to find out that you actually know someone who knows someone that you post with on FR? It would make it a small world, indeed!”

Jeff won for coming the furthest - he lives in Japan! Married Yoko (not THAT Yoko - he’s not nuts!) 20+ years ago when he was in the Navy. She has a good job at the US Embassy in Japan, so she wasn’t able to come, too.

Next was a cousin from Nebraska - the one I referred to when the tornado sirens were going off and she acted like that was normal, LOL!

And then Beau’s Sister and one of her daughters from GA, but they’re here a number of times a year, so they didn’t win anything. ;)

I know a number of Wisconsin FReepers in Real Life. They are genuinely nice and are NORMAL people just living their lives. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We also had a number of tornadoes with this storm and a Lutheran Church in Argyle is absolutely GONE! :(

Apple Grove Lutheran Church in Argyle destroyed in severe storms

https://www.wkow.com/news/apple-grove-lutheran-church-in-argyle-destroyed-in-severe-storms/article_bd374f0a-3103-11ef-b815-c3c6fef95f97.html

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We really lucked out! It is a BEAUTIFUL State Park and we had the shelter at the beach, so the kids were thrilled. Beau got to use his Park Sticker which he gets with his Conservation hunting License (ironic!) so we got in for free - always a bonus.

We had a breeze all day - sometimes QUITE a breeze, but that kept the temp down, less humidity and no flies at the picnic. Win/Win! :)

Another interesting tidbit: Beau's Grandparents (on his Mom's side) once owned some of the property that Governor Dodge State Park swallowed up. We drove around and saw the old Barn that they've left standing that was where his Grandparents first farmed after they married.

Here's where we were, yesterday:

The old barn:

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/govdodge