March 1st, getting close to gardening time here in central KS!
I’m trying Lupine and Hollyhocks in my garden this year.
Bkmk
Looking forward to the rain.
I always thought my winter garden looks better than my summer garden (too much hot wind):
My helpers loved the spring weather!
Thanks for making thread!
I made a plan in January for starting seeds indoors, but got sick a few times since so I am behind on that, but as weather is somewhat moderating, I am renewed to get back on track with indoor and outdoor plans.
Don’t usually start outdoor planting until mid or late March.
planning more ways of veggie gardening (vertical etc) in my small spaces, hope to grow excess to preserve, and to maintain fruit plants, perennial herbs ornamentals.
Got my cabbage seeds started and about a quarter of the bell pepper seeds started. All indoors so far. Let’s gooooooo!
We’ve have a bunch more snow in the last week. We must have about 1 1/2 - 2 feet on the ground right now.
However, the temperatures have been getting into the 40’s some days and my seedings are enjoying their time outside on days like that.
I like flowers, hate soil. Soil is always clayey, hard, rocky. What to do?
Thank you!
Just planted my peas and potatoes last week (Alabama). Hoping to see some shoots real soon!
Healthy body and spirit information. Thanks to all gardeners. BUMP.
March is coming in like a Lion! Temps are good - upper 50’s to 60’s. It’s the wind again .... gusts 20 - 30 mph, 40 in the mtns. Fire risk is elevated. This is the time of year we had wildfires last year & the conditions were about the same.
Daffodils are above ground, but no buds yet. A couple of the maples are showing some ‘red’ growth - beginnings of leaves. Grass not greening yet which is OK because I don’t want it growing up in tree debris - backyard is cleaned up, but the much larger front yard is loaded with downed branches.
I cut down 3 fairly small apple trees Wednesday. One was dead & the other 2 were struggling (no blooms, no apples). They were a pain to mow around & IMO, an eyesore. Next, there is the large, dead chestnut. I have room to fell it, just need a chainsaw.
This month I need to get the new raised beds filled. I dread it - going to be a lot of back breaking work. I am trying to focus ahead when it’s all done & we have gorgeous flowers & herbs to enjoy. 💐🌻
Hi Diane and Freeper brothers & sisters! Any sage advice about how and when to plant pumpkin seeds in the Colorado mountains above 7,400 feet altitude? Is it even possible? Thanks!
March snuck up on me once again. Should have started a few trays of hardy greens already. Gonna do it tomorrow. I rested today from a bunch of physical work I did for the past three days. Nice to be able to get out there and work though with this warm up we had.
Job hunt update; The primo place to work around here and also the closest to me, that I dropped off an application to Monday, gave me a call back yesterday. Got an appointment Tues to take their 100 question mechanical aptitude/knowledge test, plus their two 100 question psych tests. BTDT but if over 1 year since taking them, you have to do them again.
Mexican Coconut Candy
Just two ingredients, couldn’t be quicker. Makes 30.
Ing 14 oz pkg Sweetened Shredded Coconut, 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
Stir coconut, cond/milk til well-combined. Fill sprayed mini muffin cups to the top, flush w/ pan edge, pressing to tamp down. Bake 350 deg 12-15 min; edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan.
Vary Dip in chocolate ganache----et voila----a Mounds bar.
Warm and dry here in Central Missouri over the past week. Frost is out and the ground is starting to settle up.
Very productive weekend here. Plumber guy made it out on Friday. 5.5hrs and $700 later I’ve got a new freeze-proof hydrant out in the yard. There’s quite a sore on the ground that will need to be tilled up, smoothed out, and reseeded. I’ll make a pass over it with the roto-tiller after work today. If it’s dry enough to work it won’t take long to finish. If it’s not dry enough it will wait for another day.
Spent a few hours with the chainsaw on Saturday cutting up deadfall, one japanese silk tree from the house yard, two callery pears from the hayfield fenceline, and several standing dead trees from around the perimeter. Hauled the scraps from that work off to the sippy hole.
After that I got the little Kubota tractor out and used it to clean up the winter’s deposit of horse poo from the run-in shed and dumped it on the compost heap.
After the last snowstorm some half-wit ran a county plow truck down our road at a high rate of speed and tossed umpteen tons of newly-laid gravel into the road ditch in front of my property. I got Nanner out and pulled as much gravel as I was able out of the ditch and back onto the road but it’s still a stupid mess.
While I had the tractor out I added some gravel to a couple soft spots in cart path that Mrs. Augie has built around the property.
It felt good to get outdoors and accomplish something worthwhile after sitting on my biscuits all winter long. All of the PT that I did over the past 14 months paid off - I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a dump truck. In fact, I’m not sore at all, which is pretty amazing to me.
https://x.com/freethepeople/status/1894796629502287889
Mar 5, 2025 at 7:00PM ET, @RepThomasMassie will join @mkibbe & @tkibbe to discuss how things have changed since the filming of Off the Grid. Post questions below for a Q&A after the film
Hi, All!
I bought a 5 lb. package of pinto beans at Wally World about a month ago, and a few days ago I finally tried using some, starting off with the usual overnight pre-soak, then cooking them. They never got soft, even with 2 hours cooking time. I don’t mean “mushy”, I mean soft such as you’d get out of a normal can of beans — they only got half way “there”.
I tried the “quick boil” method too. (Boil them 4 minutes and then let set over 5 hours. Same result.
What the heck?? Could they have been too old / expired? I never checked the expiration date, and had transferred them into a solid container when I brought them home.
I’m in zone 5b and want to focus on peppers this year. I’ve not had much luck growing from seed. Any tips? I have a heating mat this year which I’ll try.
I’ve grown chickpeas in the past and will try again this year. They taste very different from canned when green and fresh from the pod and boiled like edamame.
Maple Glazed Salmon with Fresh Chives
Cooked to perfection, simple, nutritious, ready in 30 min.
Ing 5 oz portions salmon patted dry Glaze ¼ c maple syrup 3 tbl Soy sauce 1 tbl Dijon 2 minced gar/cl 1 tsp grated gingerroot 2 tbl minced Chives
Start Whisk maple syrup, soy sauce, Dijon, and ginger. Place Salmon on parchmented baking sheet; top with 1/3 maple glaze, reserving rest. Bake 375 deg 15-20 min, adding 1/3 more glaze after 10 min. When fully cooked, remove to server, top with rest glaze, and chives before serving.
CHEF TRICK: Done when flat end of wooden skewer goes thru thickest part with no resistance.