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.

[MomwithHope]

My Dad, whenever he caught a catfish or carp would just bury them in the garden whole. We ate a whole lot of lake perch growing up. Fried whole. I can still see him cleaning them in the backyard on an old picnic table, all the perch still alive in a wading pool. Full.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sorry. Yes. Bullsnake.

"The Bullsnake is a large, nonvenomous, colubrid snake. It is a subspecies of the gopher snake. The bullsnake is one of the largest/longest snakes of North America and the United States, reaching lengths up to 8 ft."

"Hi! Got any Gophers around here for me to eat? I mean, when you're done SCREAMING?!?!"

Was out doing chores last Summer and a BIG ONE slithered past me and went INTO the barn! Yeah. Chores stopped until Beau told me what that MONSTER was, and that it wasn't going to kill me!

The ONLY snake I've ever touched was a Ball Python, and she was a 'pet' of a friend. Snakes and Birds as pets? Never understood it. *SHUDDER*

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Yesterday the Baltimore Orioles started showing up at the feeders. I love seeing them! The Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Gray Catbird have arrived, too! I think we’ve turned a corner on the weather.”

So happy to hear that! I’m looking forward to seeing my Spring Birds! Another week or so and they should be up here by me, too. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Come on! I told you about my Fish Tacos today - you’re ruining it for me, LOL!

[FamiliarFace]

They’ll be there before you know it! 😍

[FamiliarFace]

I apparently missed the fish tacos comment! We were thinking to have fish tacos tonight, but opted for salmon on the grill. Drenched in lemon, then smothered with herbs de Provence and fresh dill. Served with rice, and any vegetable of your choice. Tonight we’re having sautéed spinach. It’s always a winner.

But I digress. I want to hear more about fish tacos!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I PM’d MWH tonight and told her about the Fish Tacos I had at ‘Fiesta Cancun’ today and that if the guy that’s making, ‘said Fish Tacos’ IS an illegal, I’m gonna marry him so he can stay here and keep making me Fish Tacos! ;)

I have LOVED them since I was a young woman, living in San Diego, CA and I used to buy them from a Food Truck at Balboa Park on a regular basis.

For a Born and Bred Yankee, I can’t seem to get enough of food from South of the Border. And I also LOVE Grits. ;)

[FamiliarFace]

Cute fish taco story!

I’m sure you know this, but GRITS aren’t a south-of-the-border dish, unless you meant South of the Mason-Dixon Line!

My favorite way to have grits is with sharp cheddar, served alongside my fried green maters, eggs (scrambled preferably), ham or bacon, and sourdough toast. It’s a calorie killing breakfast that will leave you filled for a whole work day. (Toss in strawberries or another fruit to round it out!)

I have turned my Yankee husband into a Southern gentleman (minus the accent), in part due to my Southern cooking skills…and my eyes. He’s told me that’s the first thing he saw and fell in love with. I’ll take his word for it.

Plus, I guess I’m not a high maintenance type of gal, the kind he grew up around. Whatever makes it work! Eyes, cooking, low maintenance…whatever!

[Paul R.]

Oh, gee, deep fried catfish, if the catfish are out of good water, are EXCELLENT table fare. I marinate the cut up fish for a day in club soda. If you like a little sweeter taste, 7-Up works well. That will take out the fishy taste, and if out of good water, there will be no muddy taste either.

Common carp - yeah, I’d bury those with the catfish heads in the garden, OR, boil ‘em and give them to the chickens.

Asian Carp (Silver and Bighead) can taste great, but the small bones are a problem. (I still should try pressure cooking the bones out, sometime.)

Everything (except small bones) is a matter of taste, though, I suppose. Heck, even all my fishing experience may not mean much / fall short at a waterbody new to me. A “new place” may be great, or it may humble me!

[Paul R.]

I must not overpurchase!

Famous last words for me, yesterday! Or maybe I should just stay away from sales and clearances at Menards, Rural King, Wal Mart, and Aldi. I hit all of 'em, yesterday. I put half the "stuff" back and still bought too much! And my Amazon order arrived too!

[Qiviut]

Shop clean-up pictures (before & after)... more to go like organizing the yard tools & putting the miter saw/stand together, but I can now find what I need very quickly :-)

[MomwithHope]

Absolutely love fish tacos but they are nowhere to be found around here anymore unless you make them. A restaurant about 30 minutes away had them and they were awesome but they closed years ago.

[MomwithHope]

We did not deep fry it, cooked it wight away just hot saute in a pan with butter. After what we had seen we did not even feel like eating much of it. I was the second daughter so I was my Dad’s fishing buddy.

[MomwithHope]

Every time you post it puts me to shame. I am accomplishing very little these days. Today do a second cleanout on asparagus, fertilize clemantis (4) and iris flower garden (lots), rake off some leaves on the pet graves where I have plants coming up. More if I can handle more.

[MomwithHope]

Every time you post it puts me to shame. I am accomplishing very little these days. Today do a second cleanout on asparagus, fertilize clemantis (4) and iris flower garden (lots), rake off some leaves on the pet graves where I have plants coming up. More if I can handle more.

[FamiliarFace]

Looks great! You do such nice work!

[FamiliarFace]

Dad loved to fish. He took my brothers as often as they could take time off from work. The first few years of starting his own business, there was no time off. When the family business was first established, we didn’t take holidays off either,

Back to fishing though. One time Dad brought home a large catch of fish. I don’t even remember what kind. Anyway, Dad told mom to clean it since he caught it. She did it that one time. Never again. Mom didn’t stand up for herself often, but she did then, and I’m glad.

She told Dad to do it outside, too, not in our kitchen.

When times got better, Dad would meet the fishermen and purchase the fish. When times got even better, he’d pay extra for them to do the cleaning and filleting.

We also grew bell peppers on my uncle’s farm for extra money. I swear we had bell peppers with every meal. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but I can tell you it took me 40 years to willingly eat bell peppers again. Raw or cooked.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[metmom]

Ah, my Sat. morning fix.........

I was just going to look for it.

I’ve been busy prepping beds and started planting crops. Our forecast for the next 10 days is spectacular.

I got more of my potatoes in, got some onions started, it looks like the carrots and scallions I direct seeded are just starting to poke through, the snow peas are showing, and the romaine looks good. Garlic is up with very little attrition. A few missing bulbs but nothing major at all.

Waiting with the asparagus to make its appearance.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yeah, I meant SOUTH of the Mason-Dixon. As kids, we couldn’t get enough of Coco Wheats for breakfast - just chocolate flavored grits; what a racket! Was going to post a pix, but they no longer appeal to me. I don’t think there’s any way to make a bowl of them look pretty, LOL!

I learned to love grits (plain!) again at Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson, SC. Butter, S&P. Yum! Really fills ya back up after a 10 mile Road March before dawn.

Oh, I can still go 10 miles - I just have to START at Dawn and FINISH at Sunset! ;)