The Garden Thread - May, 2025

May 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.

[metmom]

I save buttons, too, but have a strategic supply of thread.

[Bob434]

we can attest to it’s effectiveness- there is a video on the site showing how to plant the plants in them- we love plucking a few tomatoes whenever we go out the garage lol

[Bob434]

my mom grows blackberries, red raspberries, black raspberries, blueberries- currents, goose berries, and another, can’t remember now- we have loads of berries every harvest- but it’s worth the effort- My favorite are the black raspberries and gooseberries-

We used tio have elderberries which i really miss- love elderberry jelly- but a few farms around us make it and sell from time to time-

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Nice to hear from you. How’s the First Week at the New Job going?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Turn Your Porch into a Grocery Store!
(Simple Container Gardening)

Great tutorial here for Gardeners that aren’t blessed with LAND. Totally trips my trigger to make WHATEVER available sunny space you have into something PRODUCTIVE. :)

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

30 minutes well spent. :)

[Pollard]

Turning out to possibly be the best place I ever worked and/or best job I ever had. Wish my start date was 7-8 years ago.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Mom W.H.: This is true given what the thorns can do! (Medical slide)

Rose-thorns-can-be-dangerous

"DEAR DR. GOTT: Last spring, I contracted rose-thorn disease. Very painful and extreme swelling occurred in just one finger. I was in the hospital for days under sedation and on antifungal meds. I’m still having stiffness and swelling in that finger now and then. When will this go away? I must say, everything is not coming up roses here.

DEAR READER: Rose-thorn (or rose gardener’s) disease has the technical name of sporothrix schenckii. It is a fungus that resides on hay, sphagnum mosses and the tips of rose thorns. It can cause infection, redness, swelling and open ulcers at the puncture site. The fungus can spread to the lymphatic system and move on to the joints and bones, where it ends up attacking the central nervous system and lungs when the thorn or thorns are deeply embedded.

Diagnosis can be complicated because the condition is relatively uncommon. When an ulcer does present, it is often mistaken by a physician as a staph or strep infection and gets treated accordingly. It is only when the antibiotics prescribed fail to eradicate the ulcer that physicians look outside the box...." (More at link! Medical slide over.)

Reality is not always as nice as Alexander Pope's "To die of Rose in Aromatic pain?" (An Essay on Man" Epistle I, line 200)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Pollard; I am glad to hear your job is going well! (And closer than your old job!)

[FamiliarFace]

That was interesting. I can’t wait to see how her chosen plants come out.

[FamiliarFace]

Finding a workplace with a great culture is one of the keys to happiness and success. My hubby was laid off years ago, from a place where his boss was an absolute a-hole. One of the reasons they got rid of my husband was because the boss was doing some things he shouldn’t have been doing, and hubby knew where all the bones were buried.

Turned out that was God watching out for us. He loves the place he works now. As you said, it would’ve been nice to have the right place years before. But who knows? Sometimes we learn to appreciate things because we have suffered through another situation.

I’m so glad to hear things are going well for you. That’s pretty darn cool. Great job! :)

[MomwithHope]

Wow that is good info. We have 4 rosebushes all more than 70 years old. One is older than that. Called Amelia damaske. It is by far the thorniest rose ever. But the perfume is divine.

[Pollard]

Today will be two full weeks and first payday. Day before yesterday, boss shook his head, smiling and said; “You’re pickin’ this shit up quick.”

Mechanical aptitude and something I have over most out here, computer skills, both help a lot. I guess thinking does too and might be a rare thing these days.

Found out who the actual guru is yesterday and he’ll be filling in for the weekday shift manager next week while he’s on vacation. My future manager when I go to weekends tells me I need to learn this machine good because he hasn’t been trained enough on it. I’ll be picking the brain of the actual guru from here out as much I can without being a nuisance.

Payday is every two weeks but due to start date, I’ll get one week’s pay today and already did the math. After bills, I’m broke. In two weeks when I get a full two week’s pay, things will be better. Two weeks after that, fully caught up. Then it’s service and repairs on everything with an engine. Then tunnel time once again.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“...and already did the math. After bills, I’m broke.”

LOL! Sounds like me when I get my SS deposit from, ‘Uncle Sugar.’

You were without a payday for quite some time; I’ll bet it feels good. I hope this job sticks for ya! Sounds good so far. They are lucky to have you. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

They seemed like a nice couple. I like people that have no problem sharing their experiences, good and bad, with others. People that keep valuable/useful info to themselves are NOT my kind of people!

I know I've been talking about our front porch repairs for YEARS now, but it looks like it just MIGHT be happening before Beau leaves for fishing/bear hunting in Canada in June. Fingers Crossed! I am planting my usual porch planters, but keeping them OFF the porch for his 'inspiration!' ;)

And, look who showed up at the feeders this morning! Just the one. Mr. Indigo Bunting! He looked shockingly BEAUTIFUL with the bright yellow Goldfinches and the red Cardinals. Got the whole, 'Color Wheel' going on out there, today!

Another cloudy day, but less rain. My rain barrel is fuller than full after our inch or so, yesterday. Going to pot up Zinna starts today and move them to the greenhouse to grow out. Beau set three traps out there for mice, so we'll see if we caught anyone overnight. It might be a good day to prune back my roses, too. Got heavy-duty gloves for THAT job.

[FamiliarFace]

Funny that you posted about the Indigo Bunting. I saw the Mrs. at the feeder yesterday! The Red-headed Woodpecker came to the feeder yesterday, too. I call him Rudy, since that can be either a boy or a girl’s name. I hope the Orioles hang out for a bit longer.

[Bon of Babble]

All good! Thanks for asking.

My nephew got the results of his latest scan on Monday (he has cancer that has spread into his liver, mesentery, groin and neck areas). The scan showed everything is stable after the last treatments and the cancer hasn’t grown, so we take that as positive. Not sure if he can have further treatment, the last round was so harsh and he was begging to stop. We are trying to remain optimistic but know the reality of the situation, unfortunately. I told my family to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

My niece has lots of support, including from us.

[FamiliarFace]

That’s so rough. My cousin had stomach cancer, and he went through at least two rounds of treatments. I think it was during the third set, that he said no more, let me go. He was pretty young, I think early 40’s.

I’ll keep praying for your family. It’s a tough road.

[FamiliarFace]

I was just outside and heard a call I haven’t heard in a while. I reached for my Merlin Bird ID to get a sound ID, and there’s a Scarlet Tanager out in the woods somewhere. I haven’t seen him or her yet, but hopefully do soon!

[Dacula]

HELP!

I have a hodgepodge of garden space at my home. I plant wherever I can and usually get good results. Is there a program that can help me design my growing areas and make note of what I am growing and when I started my plants?

[Albion Wilde]

And nothing smells as nice as line-dried sheets and pillowcases from a sunny day when the wind isn’t blowing schmutz around!