The Garden Thread - July, 2025

July, 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[metmom]

They’ve been around in the open areas of the property. We are heavily wooded, although not too close to the house. The house does get full sun all day, which can be a real plus in the winter.

I’m just concerned about them finding the garden.

[metmom]

Plus i know how much of a nuisance they can be.

Auburn NY used to have a horrendous problem with crows. My kids were at a swim meet there on year and I went out to the car to get something and it looked like a scene right straight out of *The Birds*. Very creepy.

Auburn used to have a yearly crow shoot until the animal *rights* groups whined about it.

The crows eventually moved on and I don’t recall that anyone ever figured out why or where they went.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Great day finding dirt!”

That made me chuckle. We are so amazingly BLESSED with Good Dirt it’s ridiculous! All you need is a skid steer with a scoop and a trip down to our lower pasture - which has been gathering ‘good virgin dirt’ due to erosion since Time Began. ;) (And before Modern Agricultural Practices to STOP erosion were put into place!)

Throw some ‘Ithaca Grow’ into the mix and you’re golden!

Yeah, it’s hilly. And yeah, after you’ve lived here for a while you WILL find one leg shorter than the other due to walking uphill - even when you’re walking downhill - but as far as dirt goes, it seems to be worth it. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I keep our mattresses stuffed with Wormwood and Spearmint. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I’m just concerned about them finding the garden.”

Then I would take Q’s advice. :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana in the Driftless! Cheshire the Cat posted a link to an article you might like! (Thanks Cheshire!)

Major NIH Nutrition Trials on Diet & Health Ignored Results of long-term, randomized, controlled, clinical trials on some 80,000 people never considered in formulating the US Dietary Guidelines. (I guess they did not believe the science!)

Results of long-term, randomized, controlled, clinical trials on some 80,000 people never considered in formulating the US Dietary Guidelines.

SNIP.....

Below is a list of NIH trials, stunning in their scope and ambition, that tested some version of the diet-heart hypothesis, with “disappointing” findings that have largely been ignored. The NIH conducted randomized, controlled clinical trials—the most rigorous type of study—on nearly 80,000 people, most lasting 4-7 years. And if anything, these trials conclude that key aspects of The Diet cannot be shown to prevent chronic diseases of any kind.

Specifically, a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and/or a diet low in total fat while higher in fruits, vegetables, and grains does not protect against obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or any type of cancer.

These trials, from the 1960s through the 1990s, marked a golden age of NIH nutrition research. Major NIH-Funded Trials on the Dietary Guidelines

(Not a comprehensive list) Total number of people tested: 79,840 Duration of studies: 7 out of 9 studies are >1 year; The largest studies are 4-9 years. ....Snip (gives list of the studies!)

I will keep eating the fruit thank you! I am going to celebrate now by having a pat of butter!

[Qiviut]

It’s 2:30 in the morning & I can’t sleep because I’m so excited about finding what appears to be ‘good dirt’!!

Back at the old home place, I had a dirt pile where I could get dirt for my raised beds. When dad had what became the ‘back field’ cleared for pasture, the bulldozer(s) scraped the tree debris into a brush pile - a lot of top soil got pushed into that pile as well. The top soil on that property is very dark, no clay until you get down a good foot or more. Once the tree debris got burned, the good soil was left. All of my beds were filled with that soil - most of it was dug by hand into a cart pulled by Little Buddy (the John Deere tractor style mower). A couple of times my brother helped me out with the tractor/scoop - a rare ‘treat’. I added compost every year (mostly Leaf Gro until it got too expensive) and that really helped the soil - when it was fresh from the dirt pile, it tended to compact when wet.

The plan for the metal beds against the barn ... there are 4 (I have 3, bro needs to dig up #4, too much for me) and I am going to put down shingles around the edges & between the beds (will be butted up against each other end-to-end) and then surround with landscape timbers on the 3 sides not up against the barn. When the beds got dug up, the bottoms were bent a little & the timbers will hide the bends plus give me something to weed eat/mow against. I am going to put down weed barrier first, then cardboard to smother the grass (cut really, really short) so I don’t have to spray grass killer.

The dirt I found is ‘river bottom’ so no clay & supposedly it drains well. It seems to be fairly fine, not screened, but not full of trash. It’s light/medium brown where dried & much darker when I dug through the top layer a bit. I think it’s going to be better than my dirt pile dirt at the old place! The garden center where it’s located is really nice - the lady I talked to there told me that folks from my town area come there for plants because there is “nothing” in my area. There IS a small market with quite a few flowers & local produce just down the road from the house, but nothing like a garden center. The Farm Bureau & Walmart have plants, but again, not the variety that a garden center would have.

Big downpour shortly after I got home yesterday and 60% chance of rain again today so work outside might be limited. The humidity has been horrible (and those stinkin’ gnats), unusually high for the mountains. Back in the good old days, before AC, the folks who could afford it would go to the mountains for the summer to avoid the low land heat/humidity.They would not have gotten much relief here this summer .... whew! The truck/trailer are going to get a workout (me too!) because I have to haul/shovel the raised bed dirt (probably 2 loads), mulch (at least 2 loads if I’m lucky, probably 3) and a load of gravel. I recently bought 2 dressy tops with short sleeves & I have to say, with all the shoveling and a tan (I have managed to avoid a ‘farmer’s tan’), my arms are looking pretty muscular, almost as good as the ‘barn biceps’ I had when I had 5 horses & was cleaning stalls, shoveling bedding & carrying hay bales :-)

[Liz]

Tuscan Melon Salad / bright, vibrant, unique and so flavorful.
A refreshing combo of thin-sliced in-season sweet cantaloupe, crisp green leaf lettuce, salty pecorino cheese, and crunchy pistachios. Healthy Italian summer salad is inspired by a Tuscany farm.

Start: thin-slice trimmed, seeded melon into half-moon slivers. Carefully roll up. Now whisk ol/oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, s/p. Plate lettuce; toss lightly in dressing.

Divide lettuce onto four small salad plates. Carefully arrange melon on top. Add Pecorino, pistachios; s/p top. Enjoy immediately. Buon appetito.

Variations: Make it a Melon Prosciutto Salad. Use Zesty Italian Dressing or Red Wine Vinaigrette. Add a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze on top w/ melon cubes. Use pine nuts, almonds, or pecans. Herbaceous: Add fresh mint or basil on top.

[MomwithHope]

Still have it in my library -