The garden is weeded, well watered with an additional 3.5" of rain this week alone - with more on the way. My work here is done, so I am heading for someplace warm, DRY and sandy. (I wish!)
Posted on 06/01/2025 5:48:14 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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.........looks mighty good.......
‘The Victory Garden’ Cookbook is a classic; I’ve had a copy in the past. Marion sure could cook for a crew, LOL! Every recipe I saw her make on TV (’The Victory Garden’ program was never missed!) could feed a dozen grown men!
As for, ‘casseroles,’ there are very few that Beau likes. I grew up on them, and so did he, so he associates them with ‘poverty’ so kind of shuns them. Buddy? We BOTH grew up poorer than poor, but we never missed a meal!
However, if you find any ‘keeper’ recipes, please post them! I will be cooking for myself/various guests for most of the summer. Leroy (Camp Cook) feeds him up at Bear Camp. ;)
He DOES like ‘Tater Tot Casserole’ and the ‘Fake Chicken Pot Pie’ I make in a pan with biscuits on top, versus a full top crust.
P.S. One of my, ‘Summer Projects for Afternoons When it’s Too Hot to Play Outside’ is to go through the stack of FORTY (!) cookbooks I have on hand and thin the herd!
The garden is weeded, well watered with an additional 3.5" of rain this week alone - with more on the way. My work here is done, so I am heading for someplace warm, DRY and sandy. (I wish!)
Ridgeway Township - Local woman Diana in Wisconsin told her husband she’d compromise on her proposal to get a coop full of chickens by letting him do all the work if he let her get the backyard poultry.
“Tell you what,” Diana told her husband, Beau. “If you let me get that chicken coop I’ve been wanting, I’ll let you help out with the cleaning, the feeding, the rodent abatement. It’s a great deal for you!”
How absolutely spot on! But in MY defense, he took over the chores for the most part because HE’S IN LOVE with those chickens!
And his brother is even WORSE! We were over there the other day for a visit and his coop has been expanded - and expanded and expanded - and he’s up to about 50 chickens! It’s like a Petting Zoo set up. It’s really nice - those chickens have ALL the bells and whistles. He also has the Lavender Orpington, which I have been lusting after for FOREVER! I see some ‘chicken swapping’ going on in the future!
Everything is doing good thanks, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, cukes, shishitos, lettuces, garlic, radishes. Enough to take care of. And a good friend of the family found a groundhog in a trap he set. The garden is saving me.
I’m out of town on vacation so my poor garden is on its own for a week and a half.
But every year God protects it and it does just fine.
At least we’re not in for an extended hot, cold, wet or dry spell. Trusting Him to care for it, as usual, while we’re gone.
Looked them up, very pretty birds.
I'm having a super slow start to gardening this year due to multiple health issues but I'm hanging in there and looking forward to a late summer crop.
YAY...I woke up thinking this was Sunday and wondering how I missed the Garden thread! It is beautiful morning here...I have a 12 ft tall sunflower in bloom (volunteer), baby cukes on the vines and tomatoes as big as my fists. Turning really hot tomorrow...but it is SUMMER!
This isn't my lawn, but I sympathize with the meme's caption:
My townhome neighbors and I have been struggling with Japanese stiltgrass all over our backyards.
We all back up to a large forest. This highly invasive Asian weed has been taking over forest floors all over our area of Maryland. It is not eaten by deer, who eat almost everything else we plant, so it is particularly invasive.
It can grow to three feet tall and because of its broad leaves, it quickly takes over lawns, hogging the sunlight and throwing shade on the grass. It sends out trailing roots underground, and also can be blown or tracked onto lawns. It produces prolific seeds in August that may stay in the ground year after year, even after you have mowed, sprayed or plucked the plants on the surface.
It is thought to have arrived in packing material from Asian imports, such as from China. The only solution we have found so far is to spray with the expensive but effective weedicide Acclaim X, which spares the lawn. But we have also had to spray large patches with Roundup and reseed.
I have reseeded many large areas over and over. Ideally the spraying should be done in pre-emergently by late February or the stiltgrass starts to take over just when it's too rainy to spray effectively during the rest of spring—and just try to hit the right temperature day in February when the lawn isn't frozen. Total pain in the butt. Just when one or two neighbors get it under control, another one will not be able to get out there in February, or can't afford the spray and all the rest of the equipment, and wham! It's back again.
Best advice is from your state extension service. We also tried the weedicide Tenacity, which is also costly but is used by golf courses, so it is effective in general, but doesn't knock out the stiltgrass. Acclaim X is the only one we've found whose label actually claims it is effective against Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum).
How can you even live with yourself without Lavender eggs for breakfast? Huh?
We had a T-storm night before last & got enough rain to mess up our driveway where they took out the old asphalt Wednesday & the downpour washed gravel. The paving contractor was not happy - he lives about 20 minutes away & didn’t get a drop of rain! He put in some gravel & did some ‘smoothing’ so mom & I can come & go over the weekend.
We’ve had rain almost every night this past week so I don’t need to water the gardens. Today, I will weed & mulch the dahlias & ‘pinch’ the tops as soon as they are in the shade. I have some Calendula seedlings languishing in peat pots. I think I am going to put them out where the dahlia tubers failed to grow. They are small & frail so will cover them with my trash can/row cover protection for a while. I think when they get some decent dirt, they’ll start taking off.
I have already straightened up the shop garage this morning so we can get mom’s car in there & out of the sun. I had it tucked in behind the truck in the barn the last couple of days, but that was temporary. I need the room to get what is in the barn into the lean-to. I am hoping to finish the carpentry part of the project today. Of the 18 boards I brought from the old house, I’ll only have one left.
Also, I washed down the tarp where I had the topsoil piled until I could get it in the raised beds. I need to find a new source for soil to fill my metal beds. Lots of work yet to get the metal beds properly sited & kill the grass, get down cardboard and or weed barrier, etc. The beds need to be about a foot off the barn so I need to figure out how to keep stuff from growing in that spot. Shingles would work, but I am running low & don’t have enough for all the spots where I need them. BTW, my brother got a new roof last year & kept extra shingles to put between his raised beds. He got the idea from me & of course, I got it from you! :-)
This afternoon, before I get too pooped out, I will be making 2 dozen deviled eggs for the big celebration at church tomorrow. I’ll have to get up early enough to give the baked beans 3 hours in the oven. Our Pastor is being officially installed, the Pastor’s husband is a musician & ‘special’ music is planned for half an hour before the service. He found a used organ in fabulous condition (used in a wedding chapel) to replace the 50 year old organ that worked on punch cards, he plays the harp at a professional level & he has a Celtic band ... I can’t wait to see what he has planned. Mom & I will also officially be recognized as members of the church, too - my dad would be so surprised (& happy). Lots to be thankful for & we are so blessed (especially after last weekend) :-)
C’mon! It’s not Wisconsin Sweet Corn if it doesn’t have a corn worm or two in it! ;)
I’ll pass this on to Beau. He’s in charge of Sweet Corn - for what that’s worth. ;)
For my garden space Watermelons and Sweet Corn are a no-go, though he TRIES every year to grow them both in his gardens.
His problem is that he LEAVES in July and isn’t back other than for a weekend here and there until November. That MIGHT be his problem. I think he thinks he’s Amish; Sew it and forget it, LOL!
‘Spend With Pennies’ is a great site - tons of good money-saving tips there and her recipes are always winners. :)
This is good information. I’ll be on the lookout. Thanks for the tips!
Baby ‘anything’ is always a fun thing to see.
The Grossbeaks are bringing their young to the feeders now; two males so far and one female. I’m sure there are tons more around. We have cats, but they rarely catch birds - mice are more their speed. ;)
We normally have seen a few fawns by now, but so far nothing - our deer population is way down between predators and CWD. :( LOTS of turkey, though. Yummy! :)
All of my layers are brown - for now! I’ve had the ‘Easter Eggers’ in the past when I used to sell eggs as a sideline. Very unique back then and popular.
I was able to mow on Friday - so I won! But, parts were a little slick with all of our rain, so it took me an extra 30 minutes. Safety first!
There’s one spot where it’s very easy to slide UNDER the back deck - I’m gotten stuck there before but the neighbor pulled me out. ;)
Second picking of the Cherries. Beau did the High, I did the Low. :) Some disease issues due to all our rain (I don’t spray our fruit trees) but enough cherries for 5 more pies, so a, Six Pie Pick’ is a pretty good season. The tree is only 5 years old.
I cleaned up a dirty mess left in the wake of the last storm - one of my big, l-o-n-g- planters tipped over, even though I thought I had it anchored down well. So, so much for that. I’m moving it out of sight and it will get planted with ‘Fall Stuff’ when the time comes.
Need to water the indoor plants and then we’re leaving for a memorial gathering for one of Beau’s long-time hunting buddies. I’ll just say it: Once you’re in your mid-60’s it kinda sucks; friends and family start dying off at an alarming rate. :(
Turns out this Neanderthal isn’t such a loser after all, as far as tomatoes are concerned. Threw a few Early Girl seeds on the ground in the spring, just to see what would happen. The other varieties of tomatoes, which are in large containers. came right up and have started making tomatoes. But Early Girl? Nah. “Late Girl” was more like it.
However, today I saw what looked like a TREE. Early Girl sure is making up for lost time. Lots of blossoms but no fruits yet. Confident that will come, though. 😀
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