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The Garden Thread - August, 2025
August 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

Posted on 08/01/2025 6:03:57 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: food; garden; gardening; hobbies
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Mom & I were talking about peaches today - it’s one on my favorite fruits, if not the favorite. Seeing your mention of peaches reminded me to check the orchard we like & they should have peaches now: Sweet-N-Up & Summerfest varities. Time for a road trip!

Farmers Market was great - lots of local produce. The stand with the best looking tomatoes (other items looked great, too) had a line of probably 10 people waiting to check out. When we got there, we saw people with flowers I knew were from my niece’s booth. While we were there, she sold out. It’s a really nice market & there were lots of people attending. I wish it were closer than an hour away.

Put up my first batch of jalapeños for pepper jelly this afternoon: cleaned, chopped into chunks & in a quart canning jar with 2 cups of vinegar, kept in the fridge. Some more peppers are beginning to show color changes so maybe batch #2 won’t be far off.


301 posted on 08/09/2025 4:09:55 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: metmom

Got a smoker?


302 posted on 08/09/2025 4:16:31 PM PDT by Pollard (Sick of the weather? Wait a minute.)
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To: Pollard; metmom

“People have dried and cured things in their attics forever.”

Westphalian Ham hung to cure (cold smoked) in every German fireplace chimney all Fall and Winter when my Great Grandpa was a kid. :)


303 posted on 08/09/2025 4:39:07 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

If you had deer like we have, you’d probably have fences! I do recall your side walled garden space. And your raised beds of abundance sound lovely!


304 posted on 08/09/2025 4:46:11 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (If [mortals] are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it? —Benjamin Franklin)
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To: FamiliarFace

A friend of our is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for raccoons. I don’t know if he’s still doing it, but at one time, he got all the baby orphan raccoons for a certain region. He came to our lake place for the weekend & had the cutest, tiniest baby raccoon in a small cat carrier. She had to be fed every couple of hours so we saw a lot of her - just adorable.

He named her Sally & she was probably his favorite rescue. Once the babies were big enough, he had a large outdoor pen at the edge of the woods where they would live. They all got rabies shots. When it was time to release, he would leave the pen door open. The raccoons would come & go, staying away longer & longer until they just didn’t come back.

A year or more, after Sally was released, he noticed activity at the raccoon pen (empty at the time) & went to check it out. There was an adult raccoon ... with a kit. The raccoon was very friendly, seemed familiar ... could it be? It was! Sally! After that visit, he never saw her again, but he said he felt like she came to show off her baby & let him know she was doing just fine ❤️


305 posted on 08/09/2025 4:49:47 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Qiviut

I’m glad you had a good time at the market!

Before I was able to have a house with even a basic food garden, I used to head for the Farmers Market on the Madison Square every Saturday.

Middle Kid (about 8 at the time) and I were both Early Risers and we would buy all kinds of great veggies - and flowers, too! He LOVED Green Beans, so we usually went home with a few pounds of those. Middle Kid was GREAT at pulling the wagon, and never complained about how heavy it got as we made our way around the ENTIRE Capitol Square; he didn’t want to miss a thing!

Our favorite were the Orange and Chocolate Scones from ‘The Flour Box’ Bakery. (How Cute is that name?!?!) We only bought enough for just us. ;)

He was VERY possessive of anything we brought home and chided all the ‘sleepyheads’ in the household that were too LAZY to get up and come with us on Saturday mornings. ;)


306 posted on 08/09/2025 4:50:41 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Salt, sugar, spices, cheesecloth or similar, bag of netting or talented work with string to make a sling and hang it. Not too much sugar because the salt is what prevents spoilage and does the curing.

I have just the right grade here to easily make a cold smoker. Someday maybe.


307 posted on 08/09/2025 4:51:05 PM PDT by Pollard (Sick of the weather? Wait a minute.)
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To: Pollard

No. My son does but visiting him is out for a couple weeks at least. Mr. mm has shingles.

Only had a dozen or so of very small ones so I’ll be fine doing it slices up on a cookie sheet on parchment paper.


308 posted on 08/09/2025 5:01:13 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: Albion Wilde

I seem to have more problems with Chipmunks and PUPPIES in my greenhouse than I do in the outside garden beds. ;)


309 posted on 08/09/2025 5:02:44 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

The only thing I bought was a Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) from a friend of my niece who has native plants at her booth. This one gets 3-5 feet tall, has small purple spikes & the deer don’t eat it. It’s self-seeding. It likes sun or part-sun so my spot for it is good for sun, but may not be moist/wet enough, - we’ll see.


310 posted on 08/09/2025 5:10:34 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Qiviut

I love donut peaches, also called saturn peaches. There are white ones and yellow ones. The white ones are so sweet!


311 posted on 08/09/2025 5:18:35 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Qiviut

That story about Sally is so very sweet! 🥰

This latest round of juveniles that sneak up into our deck are probably great great grandchildren of the ones from 2019. Maybe even another generation removed.

We are still in the dreaming/designing phase of that meditation garden. It will probably be a year before we see things come to fruition. Too many other things need our attention.

Up next is the driveway repair. There is a company that will fill under our current concrete with something, I’m not sure what, but level it and fill in all the cracks. I worry that someone may accidentally stub their foot on one section in particular, and land hard. That happened to our next door neighbor a few years ago (on her own driveway). This is yet another project that we have put off for years, but it really needs to be done.

Today we spent hours outside moving things off of the driveway that were on the part they’ll need to repair, at the very edge. Also many plants have grown over onto the driveway. So it all had to be cleaned up. We got almost all of it finished, with the exception of one huge potted plant. That can wait to be moved until the day before they come. I think Wednesday but my brain is jello right now.

I think we are officially at the “money pit” stage of maintaining this house. If it’s not a project outside, there’s always more inside. Ahhh, the joys of home ownership!


312 posted on 08/09/2025 5:30:14 PM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
PUPPIES in my greenhouse

The title of your memoirs!

313 posted on 08/09/2025 5:33:25 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (If [mortals] are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it? —Benjamin Franklin)
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To: FRiends

10 Copycat Recipes People Love Even More Than the Real Thing - Better Homes and Gardens

https://www.bhg.com/most-saved-copycat-recipes-11770015

Malibu Chicken

Olive Garden Salad

Chipotle Chicken

Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Kale Crunch Salad

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Turkey Chili

Sugar Cookies (Magnolia Bakery)

KFC Coleslaw


314 posted on 08/09/2025 5:38:06 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Qiviut
I always mean to plant the annual (by me) Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) because it's so pretty and looks great with anything 'Prairie.'


315 posted on 08/09/2025 5:44:51 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Pretty! I love purple.


316 posted on 08/09/2025 5:59:21 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Albion Wilde
"The title of your memoirs!"

Sioux (black pup) and Arikara. (Ah-RICK-a-Rah; Native American Tribe famous for the edible seed-producing Sunflower they cultivated.) Both are Plott Hounds. They took apart an entire bale of straw and made the greenhouse their own that Spring. (I raked up the straw and used it for mulch, later in the Fall.)

Sweet Sioux. She and Arikara are currently up north training younger dogs to hunt black bear. They are four years old, now. Both have been great assets to our 'Pack.'


317 posted on 08/09/2025 6:05:56 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Oh, Golly! I’m with you on the peaches! I wonder how the orchards in Southern Illinois are doing, given all S.I.’s rains until a couple weeks ago. They have some magnificently great peaches and apples in those hills, in even “ok” years.

We have a couple young plum trees that spung up from stones from two old plum trees that died a few years ago, and one of them this year produced a few nice fruits for the 1st time. BUT, I had to pick them a bit early, or, same problem, they started rotting on the tree. Even sitting in the kitchen, then it’s maybe one day between “not ripe yet” and going bad... Still, caught on the right day — Yum!!

As for the Cherry Falls tomato plant, that’s what I was wondering — maybe they are sort of a one and done variety. (Or in our case, it produced for a month, and then said - “Crap, it’s early August in Zone 7A, and we are supposed to be an “early” variety. I’m outta here...”)

Well, hopefully the fruits still on the plant ripen ok. There are 20 or so very green fruits still on that plant... Others of these Cherry Falls plants made it to the garden later, as I was holding off putting them in the ground because of our ridiculously soggy soils. Hopefully they’ll still do ok. I find I like these: They are sort of an oversize cherry tomato with medium thickness skin and great taste.

I’m a little spoiled, I guess, because often I’m able to keep at least some fruits coming from our tomato plants, esp. some of the cherry and grape tomato varieties, until our 1st hard frost (if I cover the plants.) (Usually mid October at worst.) This was my 1st try with Cherry Falls, however.

As an aside, I have a VERY vigorous volunteer tomato plant coming up in the “chicken guano & used bedding pile”. It even flowering now. Since we feed our chickens tomato scraps, it could be from almost anything (variety). Maybe it will be a Golden Jubilee. Hahaha.

The “Golden Jubilee” plants I bought from Menards are producing fruits almost indistinguishable from the Cherry Falls - not at all like last years Golden Jubilees in size, color, or paucity of seeds. I’m really beginning to think “Bonnies” screwed up somehow. But, it’s ok, sort of: they still taste good! Maybe these “Golden Jubilees” will keep producing a bit longer. :-)

Anyway, thanks for the quick reply! I won’t waste any of my copper based fungicide on this plant, now...


318 posted on 08/09/2025 6:22:09 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: MomwithHope; Liz; Diana in Wisconsin

I have never heard of donut peaches - learn something new every day! While looking them up, I saw this recipe that looks great, if you don’t have an issue with some alcohol, bourbon in this case.

Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake
https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/peach-bourbon-upside-down-bundt-cake-recipe


319 posted on 08/09/2025 6:25:44 PM PDT by Qiviut (Imagine waking up in the morning & only having the things you thanked God for yesterday. (S. Peters))
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To: Qiviut; Diana in Wisconsin

I love peaches, too, and right now, but probably not much longer, our orchard market offers South Carolina Freestone peaches. Those are my favorite and I bought 7-8 and I’d like to make peach cobbler tomorrow. Anything that’s leftover will be frozen for use in smoothies or compote.

I’ve never had a white peach, but they had some there. Those just arrived so I will try one to see how it compares. I grew up on Georgia Freestones so that’s why I always look forward to that variety.

We love jalapeño pepper jelly here but I don’t make it myself. The orchard market has a nice one that I just purchase. Got to support the little guys!


320 posted on 08/09/2025 7:12:10 PM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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