The Garden Thread - July, 2025

July, 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.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the reminder! I’ll have to post pictures here of what I’m entering - and maybe get off my butt and have them PRINTED, and start my ‘Hudson Bay Baby Blanket’ that I also want to enter!

September comes way too soon for me some years. ;)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Exercise...Its OK, skip the running! Get a rebound trampoline and a good sports bra bounce around for 5 min several times a day.

Ask the internet to confirm, but I think that 5 min on a trampoline re-bounder watching the morning news would give you the equivalent of 30 min of running with less damage to joints and keeps the blood, lymph, and digestive systems moving! (NASA determined this I think?)

[Augie]

I’ve suffered from severe allergies my entire life. Tried every solution the western allopathic medical system has to offer with little relief and no long-term improvement.

Then I learned about S.A.A.T. - Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment. I had the first treatment in May of 2024. 15 months later I no longer need antihistamine drugs to make it through the day. The Alpha-Gal reaction is gone - completely - I can eat as much mammal protein as I want without getting sick. The hay fever is gone - no more constant sneezing/snotty nose/clogged sinuses/ear infections/watery eyes.

Highly recommended.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

dragonflies are the mature flying insect.
They are a larva form of a helgrimite.
I believe they also called Dobsinfly.

Inforation and photo: Wikipedia :

“Dobsonfly Subfamily of insects
Dobsonflies are a subfamily of insects, Corydalinae, part of the Megalopteran family Corydalidae.
The larvae are aquatic, living in streams, and the adults are often found along streams as well.
The nine genera of dobsonflies are distributed in the Americas, Asia, and South Africa.” Wikipedia.

helgrimites make excellent bait for bass.

tik

[FamiliarFace]

I’m glad you’ve found relief!! My first really bad allergy attack had me coughing so much that I broke a rib. The culprit was cottonwood trees in my backyard that were in full bloom. The allergy shots saved me.

When I had those allergy tests, the list of things I was allergic to was stunningly long. I never knew why I was sick at Christmas every year as a kid. It was the mold on the Christmas tree. Ragweed was huge in the late summer.

Eventually I moved to the Midwest where I lived in a zone full of things to become sensitive to. That’s why the shots took so long to complete. I will say, they have been very effective. Rarely do I need OTC antihistamines, but when I do, they work for me.

I’ve never heard of SAAT and will look into that. Thank you!

[FamiliarFace]

Now THAT would be framable! Too cute!

[FamiliarFace]

Well, the rebound trampoline worked for Evelyn in Fried Green Tomatoes!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I walk once or twice a day for a mile or so. A trampoline would be a hazard to me at this point! I fell off my bike 2x last year. Feet on the ground for me, thanks! ;)

[metmom]

I’ll be checking that out as well.

Thanks.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

WOW! What a little goldmine this website is!

65 Garden-Fresh Recipes To Use up the Harvest

Recipes listed by Vegetable using very basic every-day pantry ingredients. A very handy resource.

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/52-recipes-for-using-and-preserving-your-garden-produce/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

P.S. I’m on my Mandatory Union Lunch Break! I just have the garden area to mow, yet.

Beau is all loaded up and ready to head home, hauling his broken truck behind him; should be here by 6pm-ish.

Zucchini Boats for Supper, a side of Green Beans and Texas Toast.

[metmom]

Interesting.

I’m thrilled we have them though. They’re so fascinating to watch.

[MomwithHope]

Thats a nice looking resource I book marked it. First thing listed zucchini fritters. I took out the last package of frozen shredded zucchini to make some today. My first 3 zukes are not bog enough in the garden yet.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I have two yellow zukes on the counter and I’m going out to check the first green one that looked like it should be pick-able, today.

The Zukes I got for free yesterday are ‘stuffed’ and ready to go into the oven for supper, later. :)

[Qiviut]

Heat index has come down to 96° at 5:30. I’ve been out all afternoon working on siting the metal raised beds & finally couldn’t take it any more, came in at 4:30 to put dinner together. I’ll probably go back out after dinner. The ‘shipwreck casserole’ should be ready around 7:30. Meanwhile, I’m about half way through my 2nd quart of LMNT electrolytes.

Before I got too grubby this morning, I had to buy some weed barrier/landscape fabric. Previously, I got a roll at Walmart, but they were out. Since Tractor Supply is on the same side of the highway, I checked there. They had a 4x100 & a 4x200 foot roll - both were $49.95. The 100 ft. roll was ‘professional’ grade, 30 years while the 200 ft. roll was 25 years. It didn’t much matter because I had no intention of spending $50 on landscape fabric!

I crossed the road to the Farm Bureau. They had a 4x100 ft. roll, standard, 15 years, on sale for $24.95 (reduced from $34.95). My lucky day!

I have 1 bundle of shingles left & that should be enough for this project. If I can get the landscape fabric & shingles down tonight, I can finish up the landscape timbers tomorrow. Then it’s DIRT time - woo hoo!

[Pollard]

None of the convenient stores in the nearest towns have decent air, even the one that charges $2.00. No faster than one of those things you plug into your lighter socket to fill a tire.

[Paul R.]

Juglone from walnut trees has significant insect repellent and in some cases toxic properties, but, it’s also hard on many garden plants. :-(

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

The July garden.

Foreground; Baker Creek's Sweet potatos Korean Gold and CaroGold. (The Carogold Tastes great. The Korean is good, but a lot drier than most US sweet potatoes.) Decided to go with sweet potatoes this Summer. They can handle the heat. (Tip. The vines run, but try to keep them from rooting everywhere they touch the ground. You want the energy to go into the potato, not all the vines and leaves. I will try to train them on raised trellises.) At the back. A wilty volunteer pumpkin...seeds were from Rouge Vif D'Etampes. Will see if they grow true to variety or have cross bred with something else. Fig trees in pots along the fence. I need to start putting organza bags over the figs.

Tomatoes suspended with paracord and clips (1 clip per plant....no stakes and and no more tearing rags for fasteners!) I only grew two indeterminate varieties this year, Black Krim and Sweet One hundred. Green tomatoes at the front. Its a bother reaching above your head to maintain and harvest, so I only have one 7 ft suspension trellis (at the back, or north side of the plantings.) Everything else is semi determinate that grows five to seven feet. I suspend the paracord from a 3/4" electrical conduit pipe tied to 2 metal fence posts with a tent peg next to the tomato plant. Its usable year to year.

More of the semi determinate types. Fore ground is Thorburns Terra Cotta. Good taste, beautiful orange green color but the flower ends are subject to a lot of folding and creasing. Not really possible to distinguish the different plants, but in the next row is Annanas Noire, a French variety which I think is about the best tasting tomato I have ever had. Old German; The white wire basket is protecting a 2 Lb tomato that was picked and is in the kitchen. The remaining row has Pineapple and Aunt Ruby's German Green. Both good tasting slicing tomatoes.

Just another view showing the arrangement of the suspenion trellis. Basil and Marigold has been interplanted between the Tomato plants. Everything is watered using soaker hoses.

Good night! Maybe some simple ideas people can use in their gardens!

[Liz]

Prawn Bisque
Simply exquisite, so worth the effort. Restaurant quality;
deliciously rich w/ chef technique that require not much effort.

Ing for six servings: 1 1/2 lb large king prawns in shells, defrosted if frozen 2 Tb ol/oil 7 oz dry white wine 3 shallots, finely sliced 1 lge carrot, peeled and finely chopped 2 Tb tomato purée l batch chicken stock 3 oz dry sherry (e.g. Fino) or brandy 3 oz dble cream Lemon juice, to taste To serve bit unsalted butter 1 1/2 tsp paprika 1 Tb fine-chp chives garnish

Directions Step 1 Set 12 prawns aside. Peel and devein the rest, reserving heads and shells. Put peeled prawns into a bowl, cover/ chill. Step 2 Heat tbsp oil over high heat. Add reserved prawn heads and shells and fry, stirring, until deep coral and starting to brown. Add wine, scraping caramelised bits from pan. Bubble 2 min, then empty into a large, deep pan. Add chx stock, btb, cover and bubble gently 25 min. Sieve and set aside.

Step 3 Heat tbsp oil on low-med. Add shallots and carrot; cook tender/golden, about 10-12 min. Stir in tomato purée; cook/stir a min. Stir in whole shelled prawns. Turn heat to high, pour in sherry and cook/stir 2 min. Add half the strained stock, stir well and cook for 2 min, or until prawns are cooked through and opaque. Blender very smooth. Sieve into clean pan, working mixture well. Whisk in rest stock. Do ahead to here.

To serve, reheat bisque piping hot, then stir in double cream. s/p, squeeze of lemon juice. Divide into 6 shallow bowls, garnish w/ prawns, drizzle of butter, sprinkle of chives. Serve.

DO-AHEAD---Prepare up to step 3 day ahead; cool, cover and chill. Complete recipe to serve.

GARNISH Butterfly 12 peeled and deveined prawns, leaving tails attached. Lay prawn flat. W/ sharp knife cut along curved back almost all the way thru. Flatten out slightly; repeat with rest. Cover and chill. Fry done in melted butter when ready to garnish.

[FamiliarFace]

Tree update. The 3 rotted and decayed trees (pignut hickory, tulip poplar, and a hackberry) have come down!! We have been working with our tree guy since April when we had a tornado blow through our area. These trees were 100 ft or taller, all very mature.

The hickory was the worst. When it rained, we could see water run through it, from the raccoon nest hole, to 15 feet above ground. When each piece came down, we checked for how rotted each piece was. Over 30 feet of it was totally rotten, and you could see through it from one end to the other. Empty, like a tunnel, but inside the tree. No wonder I worried about it falling on our neighbor’s house.

Both of the other trees were rotted, but not as bad as the hickory.

Three humongous big rigs became broken during this project. We had several of hours of work done in May with a crane that extended 127’ into the sky. The tulip poplar was on a slope about 15’ below the ground level. On that truck, one of the cables broke. So it went into the repair shop for 3 months.

The next breakdown happened on Thursday last week, with our tree guy partnering with his daughter’s friend. I thought that broke a hydraulic line, but I was wrong. It broke the extended crane part too. That rig will be out until October.

Then yesterday morning, the crew arrived with a bucket truck to tackle the last parts of the 3 trees. After pulling up to start the work, the controller part was jammed. So they had to go back to the shop and change that out. Amazingly, they got it fixed in 4 hours. Work resumed at 1. It was very hot and sunny. I offered to make fresh fruit smoothies for the crew around 4, and they were so grateful. Then around 5, a sudden rainstorm blew in. It make everything a mucky muddy mess. Around 6, it slowed down enough to resume the work. The men knew they were nearing the end of the job, so they stuck with it. Around 7 or so, we saw the men cleaning up. Hurray!

Thank goodness we got these three trees down, and no one but the rigs were injured in the process. I feel like a huge relief has been lifted.

The grass will need to be reseeded. We plan to do that in the fall. Now that the trees are down, the sun exposure to so many plants below them will change. I need to put my light meters back out to get a sense of how much sun those spots will get.

Now that the trees are removed, I’m going to have to come up with new ideas about how to redo the spaces in those areas. One was a meditation garden, and it was very shady and pleasant. I’ll have to figure that space out first, I think. It’s the most visible spot from the street.