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]

In the ground now is corn, collards, turnips, radishes, 4 kinds of water melon, banana melons, cantaloupe, black beans, garlic, green onions, leeks, maters, peppers, peanuts, a slew of new Glads,
lilies galore, and sunflowers everywhere (7 or 8 different kinds).

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Impressive.

[FrozenAssets]

We have a foot of snow on the ground thanks to our latest stupid weather joke. Well it is April first! I did get the stove in the greenhouse going today. I moved the old Vermont Castings stove from the house up there as I am replacing it with a new Jotul. Chores chores chores!

[Paul R.]

Cool! Happy April, everyone!

(I didn’t want to jinx it by posting on April 1. ;-) . . )

No hummingbirds here yet. That’s a slight surprise, as our buckeye trees are almost all blooming now, and that’s usually the “signal to look out for the hummingbirds. But... they may sense this 4 days of rough weather we have coming in later today. NWS is saying we have a high risk of long track EF3+ tornados late this afternoon through this evening, plus large hail (better get a few plants in), heavy rain, and high straight line winds over large areas. (Heck, the gusts B4 the storms even get here are projected around 55 mph.) Then we get 3 more days of slightly lower severe risk and even heavier rains, especially Friday and Saturday, when NWS expects at least some “catastrophic flooding”.

I have our ditches clear for now, but one follows a tree line and then a woodlot: There’s about 1000 ft. of “trouble” waiting to happen there, esp. as our neighbor never clears their 300(?) ft. along that woodlot. At least the county came by and pushed the big tree that had recently fallen into the ditch along the neighbor’s section up into the woods.

[Liz]

Zucchini Drop Biscuits (garden fresh, Parmesan Herb)
Vibrantly flavored, ready in 40 min. Must drain and wring out shredded zucchini well.

Ing 1 1/4 c shredded zucchini 1 tsp salt, divided 2 1/2 c flour (spooned/leveled), more if needed 2 tsp b/powder 1/2 tsp b/soda 3/4 tsp gar/pwder (or 2 minced gar/cl) 1/4 tsp black pepper 3/4 c Parm 1/2 c unsalted butter, cold/cubed 2 Tbl chp fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp dried) 1 Tbl chp fresh parsley (or tsp dried) 1 cup cold buttermilk, plus extra for top optional topping: flaky sea salt

Line colander w/ paper towels. Add combined shredded zucchini, 1/2 tsp salt. Top w/ paper towel; press to absorb some liquid; set 10 min. Lift up w/ bottom towel, wring/squeeze out liquid into sink. Take a break, then squeeze again. You’ll have about 1/2 cup shredded zucchini. A little more or less is fine.

Make biscuits: Place flour, 1/2 tsp salt, b/powder, b/soda, gar/powder, pepper, parm in processor; pulse to combine. Add cubed butter; pulse several times to coarse crumbs. Do not over-mix. pour into large bowl. Fold in basil, parsley, zucchini. Make a well in center. Pour in 1 cup buttermilk. Fold together w/ spatula into shaggy-looking ball. Avoid overworking. Add a sprinkle of flour if dough seems too wet.

Divide into 12 portions, about 4 Tbl each. Shape into balls and arrange 6 biscuits on 2 parchmented b/sheets. Brush tops w/ buttermilk; can sprinkle lightly w/ flaky sea salt. Bake 425 deg 19–21 min, tops are golden; instant-read therm in center registers 195–200°F (90–93°C). Remove and enjoy warm. Store airtight at room temp or refrigerate 5 days.

[Bon of Babble]

Yes! My new tax accountant is from Washington state (age around 75) - she said they were directly downwind from the Mt. St. Helens eruption in ‘80 and were covered in feet of ashes which they had to clear constantly.

[Paul R.]

Yikes, we've been upped to a Level 5 risk of severe weather, later today.

"Our" 3 barred owls were out hooting and hollering a little after dawn, this morning, about 30 ft. from the house. That quieted down the chickens for a few minutes. :-)

[numberonepal]

You are fortunate to live in your zone.

I am because of the tropical things I can grow. But, and this is a big but, there is another major contributor to growing besides sun, soil, and temperature. That contributor is SALT. Salty air eliminates a lot of stuff I can grow when all other factors are good. For instance any nightshades are tough (except Everglades tomatoes which are viny). It took me a while and a lot of trial and error to figure out that viny plants grow and produce best. One day I'll build me a trellis that can support loofa. Plants in the mallow family like okra and roselle (aka Cranberry Hibiscus) also do well. And I don't know why, but peanuts just love the sandy soil and salty air.

[numberonepal]

Lemon sunflowers are my favorite. I have not tried any of the puffy ones like Teddy Bears.

[numberonepal]

Impressive.

Thank you, but it takes me a full hour to water everything. Spring here has very little rainfall even though it's humid as heck. Careful what you ask for, right?

[Qiviut]

Fire Cider & soup day!

My batch of fire cider was going to be 4 weeks on the 4th, but I strained it today & had my first taste- yup, works for me! I ran out of the ‘15 minute’ fire cider about a week ago & was missing my daily dose. I had the time to fool with it this morning. I had to buy half gallon jars because the ingredients take up so much room, but the final yield after straining is slightly over a quart.

The church is having Lenten dinners every Wednesday night. Tonight is soup & sandwiches. I signed up to make a chicken corn chowder & I am taking split pea with ham, too. I did all the cooking Monday & just need to warm it up. For sure the split pea is better in the days after making it & I believe the same will prove true with the other soup.

It’s a gray & very chilly day at 54°, feels like 51°. Wind & showers are due to arrive in the afternoon. Tomorrow will be near 80 with 40% rain. The grass has finally decided it’s ‘spring’ for sure & I will have to mow the rest of the lawn this week. Some of the daffodils are past peak, but we still have a pretty good patch growing near an old stump. No buds on the peonies yet - they have shot up about a foot since I gave them some fertilizer about a week ago.

The birds are happy because the bugs are out so they are dining well. I have seen a couple of flies, so I made a DIY fly trap - if it works, it will save about $20/month buying commercial traps. The commercial traps attract flies by smelling like rotten poultry. I have some chicken carcasses in the freezer that are old - will use them for a bait source .... should work!

We have 2 ancient redbuds that are mostly rotten & need to come down, but by golly, they have bloomed this spring! I am giving them their last hurrah - won’t cut them down until the spring blooms are gone.

[MomwithHope]

Another keeper. I baked two loaves of zucchini bread yesterday and I still have one package of shredded zucchini in the freezer. My zucchini bread recipe is pretty standard but also calls for sweetened coconut and walnuts and cinnamon. It will be nice to try something different with the last package.

[MomwithHope]

I went to college in Carbondale Il. Very nice countryside down there and into Kentucky. We did have some huge storms.

[MomwithHope]

I’ve heard they can grow bananas in the panhandle too. I would be growing a lot of papayas.

[MomwithHope]

The teddy bears are nice for cut flowers.

[Liz]

You’ll love the biscuits——a little different....but delicious.

Your zucchini bread sounds like a classic.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I make those during ‘High Zucchini Season.’ I’ve got a Bear Stew in the crock pot, and some drop biscuits will go well with that.

Digging for some frozen zuke to thaw/drain and add to biscuits with supper. Thanks! :)

I still have my cold, but am managing one meal a day - I’m making simple things that Beau can re-heat. I’m still not back to Warp Speed, yet. ;)

[Liz]

Hang in there....the darn flu hangs on forever.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You guys are really getting hit this week! We’re just getting rain, thank goodness. No need to shovel that!

I love the sound of, ‘chicken chatter.’ :)

[numberonepal]

I’ve heard they can grow bananas in the panhandle too. I would be growing a lot of papayas.

I'm on the central coast. I just noticed a banana peeking out in my banana bed. I thought the salt water had killed them dead, but maybe not. It did kill my papayas, but I have seeds saved. There's about 30 Solo cups on my seeding racks with baby papayas in them as we speak.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Paul, the map covers 6 states. Any particular quadrent / State?