The Garden Thread - April, 2025

April 1, 2025 | 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.

[Liz]

Things that are ‘waking up’ around the Manse: Rhubarb Strawberries......

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp / In case your recipe isnt handy.

Ing Lb each rhubarb in 1/2-3/4 pieces, 1/4ed strawberries, 1/3 c sugar 1 1/2 tbl
arrowroot 3/4 c flour 1/2 c old-fashioned oats 1/4 c packed br/sugar 8 tbl chilled butter

Steps Mix rhubarb/strawberries. Stir in sugar/arrowroot; set 10 min. Separately combine crumble ing; proc/pulse to a coarse meal. Add strawberries/rhubarb to lightly buttered b/dish. Top w/ crumble. Bake 350 deg 25-30 min, topping is golden, thick and bubbly at edges. Serve w/ ice cream or whip cream.

[MomwithHope]

Watched this last night. Saskatoon Serviceberry??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPFIwlUeNQU

15 forgotten medieval fruits

[Qiviut]

Fun times .... took paint spray cans & other items out of the truck bed last night so there was no chance they would freeze overnight (25° at 7:30 this am). I had the ‘lid’ cover over the PU bed locked because after we went to Lowe’s, we visited other stores.

So last night, I had to unlock the lid, then moved the stuff that could freeze to the garage & went to put the lid back down (key still in lock). The lid did not go all the way down, nor would it go back up. Key won’t turn lock. Hmmmm - what happened? Fortunately, because the lid was about half an inch from closing all the way, I can still get the tailgate up & down. I suspect later today, I will be on my back on the PU bed with a flashlight, trying to figure out why the locking mechanism is hung up. I did not need this issue.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Awww! I know how crazy both our Dads made us, but it seems they’re both still ‘with us’ a lot! ;)

Good plan on the cedar planks. I’d want the best ones for the price they’re asking these days!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You betcha! My favorite Spring Treat is Rhubarb Sauce over Breyer’s Vanilla Ice Cream - or some Culver’s Custard, if we pick some up in town. Yum! :)

Eating Seasonally ROCKS! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I saw that video, too! Serviceberry are good for what ails ya! Our variety is ‘Smokey.’ We planted three.

But, I planted them because they’re so pretty when in bloom and the Cedar Waxwings LOVE them - so they get all the berries and I get to watch those beautiful birdies while I work in the garden. ;)

https://www.thespruce.com/saskatoon-serviceberry-plant-profile-4847065

[Qiviut]

I think the 6’ planks were $3.45 each. Considering the price of wood these days, that’s hard to beat. I do add a board in the middle of the 6’ section to add strength. I also line each side with weed barrier to keep dirt from leaking out between the boards. No matter how careful you look at them, there can be some subtle warping.

I love it that the boards are cedar & last a long time without being treated/full of preservative.

PS: I did not know that matching sawhorses could make me so happy! LOL

[MomwithHope]

We have serviceberrys all around the house in the woods, maybe more than a dozen. One is near to the house. But I don’t know which kind of serviceberry it is. Berries are very small and the birds especially the cardinals really enjoy them. And you are right the blooms are great to see in the early spring.

[Paul R.]

Heh, I’m glad I’m not the only person complaining about plant prices! I’m hoping Menards runs a sale on veggies in 6-packs, but, so far, no luck, and the selection has been minimal. At least at “my” Menards store*, they ran a 2-week sale on Burpee seeds for two weeks this Spring, including this year, Scarlett Runner Beans. :-)

*A lot of the veggie starts are kept in an uncovered, open area - for the sunlight, I suppose - but that also of course makes the plants significantly more vulnerable to frost. If we get a chilly April night, then they have to move them “in”, which I saw being done last Sunday: A “non-minor” project for a couple of their employees.

[FrozenAssets]

I am starting the bulbs I wintered over in the root cellar. Some of the dahlia bulbs are so big I have to bust them up to get into 6” pots. You get more plants this way.
Soon every windowsill in the place will be full!

[FrozenAssets]

When they produce well, I find that serviceberrys AKA Saskatoons are great for jam. No pectin needed. You have to run them through a food mill to get the seeds out, and the juice, etc. tries to jell on its own right then and there.

[FrozenAssets]

Did you ever try rhubarb lemonade? It tastes like you are drinking a rhubarb pie!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You need to go back and buy ALL THE CEDAR if you got it at that price; it is crazy expensive up here!

As I was walking through the garden, there are two beds that need some re-hab, so I added that to Beau’s ‘Honey Do’ List, today.

Most of them are holding up just fine, but a few were built from REALLY OLD recycled wood that he dragged home from various construction sites when he was still working, so while FREE is good...it doesn’t always last.

Like I always tell him, ‘My LOVE for you is free; the REST of me is pretty expensive!’ LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have fallen in LOVE with Dahlia over the past few years. Not sure why I didn't grow them before - I think they always seemed too 'fussy' or 'La-Dee-Dah' for me.

Anyhow, I'm over it! This season I'm growing some from seed from Botanical Interests - 'Decorative Double Blend' which are supposedly nice cut flowers, and 'Creme De Casis' from tubers from good old Walmart.

My other newest obsession is Gladiolus. I've been growing them for a few years now; they are Beau's favorite flower. When I lived elsewhere, I would pass a farm on my way to work and they had a few ACRES of Glads growing. It was stunning! And she sold you a HUGE mess of them for like $5, so I always stopped and bought some on the way in or out from work. She also sold at the Farmer's Market on the (Madison) Square back in the day. I'm sure she's long gone, but her Glads were really something!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Re: Rhubarb Lemonade. I have not! So, I went looking:

https://therootedfarmhouse.com/homemade-rhubarb-lemonade/#recipe

Beau will be crazy for this! It’ll be right up there with the ‘Spring Tonic’ he makes from Stinging Nettle. ;)

[MomwithHope]

Our house was built in 1984 and we had it sided with red cedar siding, beveled planks. We kept it stained clear but we had some woodpeckers we just got sick of it. In 2009 we got regular siding. They took the cedar siding off and piled it up on the ground. Hubby said what are we going to do about this. I said- sell it. Listed it on craigs list and got 6 takers right away. First one out paid 500.00 and loaded it. hubby could not believe it.

[MomwithHope]

I’ll tr and get to a few to taste them I never had. All the trees but the one near the house are way too all. Wild.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Forget Precious Metals; we ALL should have invested in Cedar back in the day! ;)

[Liz]

My number one fave is still old-fashioned rhubarb pie.

Rhubarb Pie

Ing 14-16 oz thawed/frozen pie crusts, 1 lge egg 1 tsp water 1 1/2 lb chp rhubarb (6 cups/6 stalks), thawed if frozen 3/4 c sugar 1/4 c cornstarch 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional) 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbl coarse demerara sugar

Center oven rack; heat to 375 deg. Place rimmed sheetpan in oven to preheat. Unroll one pie crust and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Press into bottom/up sides, careful not to puncture dough. Fork/whisk lge egg, tsp water; brush dough w/ egg wash. Refrigerate pie dish and remaining crust while preparing filling. Place 1 1/2 lb chp rhubarb, 3/4 c sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional), 1/4 tsp salt in bowl; toss til well combined. Pour it, including any liquid, into the prepared crust.

Unroll 2nd pie dough on work surface; make 8-10 vents in dough; must vent crust, or filling won’t thicken. cover filling w/ 2nd crust; crimp edges to seal. Brush top and edges w/ egg wash. Sprinkle generously w/ coarse sugar. Bake bubbling 40-45 min. Check after 30 min -- foil top or edges if crust gets too dark. Cool on wire rack at least 4 hours before serving.

Recipe Notes Can be made 1 day in advance. Cover and store at room temp up to 3 days.

[Qiviut]

I’m just buying fence planks - not very thick & I have to use 3 to get the height I want. I could not afford true cedar ‘boards’, assuming I could even find them! Using fence planks is sort of a ‘hack’ that my youngest brother suggested to me. I’ve seen at least one youtube video on using the cedar planks as well.

I have to pick up some groceries this morning & the farm co-op is across the street. I will probably buy some herbs there, hopefully for less than almost $6.00 (Lowe’s price). Having the plants on hand will be a motivator to get my potting bench put together so I have a place for them to hang out until the raised beds are ready.