And one I'm waiting to find a copy of at a good price. I have enjoyed all of Amy Stewart's books!
Posted on 07/01/2026 5:19:22 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I think ‘Lieutenant’ Broccoli is related to Albert Broccoli who produced all the good old James Bond movies; you just can’t kill him, LOL!
I buy bagged Broccoli Slaw once in a while as a change up from Cole Slaw or to add to my ‘Anything Goes’ Salad Mix that I make up every week. When I buy fresh Broccoli crowns I take the shortest stems - I don’t wanna pay for that extra weight. BUT - when I pull my Broccoli later, I’ll be using up their stems, for sure.
My porch plants liked the broccoli blanching water - we’ll see if they’re still alive come morning, LOL! (I let it cool thoroughly!)
I’m about ready to give up on peppers other than the (Bonnie Brand) Jalapenos that LOVE growing in my 5 gallon containers. They are already LOADED with peppers and more blooms to come. I’m going to let these go to RED for the Red Pepper Jelly I want to make. Even with all the amendments through the years, I think the soil is still too ‘clay’ for them to really thrive. I’ve had a FEW good pepper years over time, but they’re not the least bit consistent for me.
I agree with Mrs. Pete on the Okra. Other than it being a VERY beautiful plant, I have no need for the stuff. My BIL LOVES it, but I think HIS Wife said NO too, as he didn’t ask me to start a massive amount of plants for him this year. ;)
And one I'm waiting to find a copy of at a good price. I have enjoyed all of Amy Stewart's books!
From: https://arkansaslocalfoodnetwork.org/2019/02/21/okra-interesting-facts-about-the-plant/
"Seeds. The dried seeds may be roasted and ground for use as a coffee substitute. In fact, when coffee imports were impeded by the American Civil War (1861), the Austin State Gazette reported that “one hectare of okra plants is able to produce sufficient seeds to replace those of fifty coffee plants, with a product that is identical to the coffee imported from Rio”.
I do not believe them about it tasting the same, however, you know for a fact that any dwindling coffee supplies will be reserved for the Elites in their Starbucks in Madistan! So at least it provides an alternative plan!
The Books...Thanks! Mrs. Pete is the book reader and I have shared those titles with her. Daughter knew Amy Stewart, something about mixing drinks. A search provides some articles about making Okra water which some people might want to try. (I have no information on this.)
I stopped by the Walmart Garden Center clearance rack this evening. I had 2 plants with yellow flowers in the cart ($3 each), but before I walked off with them, I figured I’d better look & see what they were ..... mini sunflowers. I put them back because the deer would eat them for sure & I have no way to protect them.
Next stop: the herbs. To my surprise, there were 3-4 tarragon plants & I have been looking to add tarragon to my herb garden. The price was $5.98 but I decided to buy one anyway. When it rang up, the price was $4.68, so that was what I paid for the Bonnie jalapeños. The herb garden is ‘wild & woolly’ right now & most of the plants need a good trim.
My niece stopped by yesterday. She has a little flower business and sells at Farmers Markets. The deer got into her flowers the other night & pretty much ate everything. They also jumped the fence into her vegetable garden & destroyed a lot of what was growing. Her pepper plants in particular are decimated (I know that feeling!). Her husband has a long legged beagle he hunts deer with every fall - she may need to go out on a chain in one of the gardens at night to keep the deer away.
We have a big doe hanging around our yard. She was bedded down near the barn the other morning & I scared her up moving the car. I would suspect she’s the hosta eater. So far, either mom or I have remembered to cover the pots at night - if we forget, we won’t have hostas in the morning!
Amy Stewart also wrote ‘The Drunken Botanist’ which is the history of and recipes for alcohol/cocktails made from plants. (Agave, Juniper Berries, etc.)
https://www.amystewart.com/books/drunkenbotanist/
“This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology–with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners–will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.”
I also loved her book ‘Flower Confidential’ and ‘From The Ground Up’ about her very first garden.
https://www.amystewart.com/books/flower-confidential/
https://www.amystewart.com/books/from-the-ground-up/
Oh, they’re ALL good! Happy Reading! :)
Too bad about the deer ruining your Niece's flowers! How frustrating for her - and probably quite costly. :(
You know, these critters have THE ENTIRE EARTH to roam - why are they so h#llbent on destroying our gardens? Grrrr!
The same way with bugs. You've got the EARTH AND THE SKY - why do you need to be IN MY HOUSE?!? I'm takin' to YOU, Assassin Bugs! And Flying Ants! And everyday Houseflies! And Wasps!
I finally pulled that pepper that Mr. Raccoon pulls up EVERY night! I saved the peppers that I could. I suspect he'll move on to another 'something' to uproot tonight. JERK!
Don't make me go all, 'Granny With A Shotgun' on ya, LOL!
I have 4 Lieutenant plants all have beautiful heads, close to picking the first one. I still have a few packages of frozen Lieutenant from last year. Foodsaver vacuum sealed. Tastes incredible still.
It’s the Best. Broccoli. Ever. EVER! :)
And when I blanched it, it was BRIGHT green. I admit I snitched a few pieces while I was packaging it. :)
I think in my quest for a simpler garden, I’m going to go with TWO beds of Broccoli next season. 24 heads should easily see us through. And Beau LOVES to vacuum seal stuff, LOL!
I can’t hardly wait for my Green Beans to get going. They’re blooming now and climbing to the sky, so there’s hope for them, too.
Life. Is. Good. :)
Did Amy add wild lettuce to any of her concoctions for a little added effect?
(Might actually be a bit risky!)
We have wild lettuce coming up in 4 different spots. Never had it grow at our place B4. Source unknown.
Flash flood warnings are “all over” in far S. IL tonight (again). None in W. KY so far. My ditches were still recovering from last night...
I'm not sure what to do with the Callas, at this point in time...
6-packs of veggies were 75 cents, so I got 5: eggplants, tomato plants, and... "red candy" onions (about 15 in that "6-pack"). All are for experiments: While digging some more drainage beside our big oak tree in front, yesterday, I ended up with some pretty decent topsoil that shouldn't be too laden with juglone. But, I'll give it a try and see what happens. If the experiment fails, I've not lost a lot.
Menards also had their 5 gallon buckets on sale. Add holes and I have big cheap pots - yay!
The best deal @ Wal Mart was motion sensing LED light bulbs (medium base) in slightly damaged boxes: These things are great, and better yet are rated for fully enclosed fixtures. Few LED bulbs are - hopefully these will be true to their ratings!
Note that those last use, essentially "radar" to sense motion. This has both advantages and disadvantages. Per my inquiry to Brave (browser):
Radar/Microwave Sensors: These active sensors emit radio waves that can penetrate glass, plastic, and thin walls. This allows them to detect movement through enclosed or frosted light fixtures and is the primary advantage of this technology for indoor or sealed outdoor use.
Radar (microwave) motion sensor bulbs operate by emitting continuous radio waves, typically at 4.0 GHz, and measuring the Doppler shift in the reflected signal. Because these electromagnetic waves have long wavelengths relative to atomic structures in non-metallic solids, they pass effortlessly through glass, plastic, wood, and drywall.
This physics allows the bulb to be hidden inside enclosed, frosted, or decorative fixtures while still detecting movement in the room or even in adjacent spaces. Unlike optical or thermal systems, the sensor does not need a direct line of sight; it effectively "sees" by analyzing changes in the echo time of its own transmitted signals.
Vs.
PIR (Passive Infrared) Sensors: These standard sensors detect body heat and cannot see through glass. If a PIR bulb is placed inside a glass-enclosed fixture, it will likely fail to detect motion occurring outside that glass barrier.
Interference Warning: Because radar sensors are highly sensitive, they may be disrupted by nearby Wi-Fi routers or electrical boxes, and can trigger falsely from moving objects like tree branches or curtains.
I also suspected the active sensors draw a bit more power when "off". Brave's reply:
Yes, radar (microwave) motion sensor bulbs draw more power than PIR sensor bulbs when "off". This is because microwave sensors are active devices that continuously emit electromagnetic waves to detect motion, whereas PIR sensors are passive and only consume power to monitor changes in infrared radiation.
Power Consumption Comparison
Features - PIR Sensor Bulbs
Operating Principle: Passive (detects heat changes)
Standby Power ("Off" State): Very Low (< 0.5W to 0.8W)
Energy Efficiency: High (ideal for battery/low-power)
Detection Method: Detects body heat movement
Continuous Draw?: Cycles or low-power monitoring
Features - Radar (Microwave) Sensor Bulbs
Operating Principle: Active (emits & receives microwave pulses)
Standby Power ("Off" State): Higher (1.0W to 1.5W+)
Energy Efficiency: Moderate (requires constant power source)
Detection Method: Detects reflection of microwave signals
Continuous Draw?: Yes, continuous signal emission
Why Radar Bulbs Consume More Power in Standby
Active Signal Emission Radar sensors must constantly transmit microwave pulses and analyze the reflected signals (Doppler shift) to detect movement, even when no motion is present. This continuous operation requires a steady power supply, typically consuming between 1.0W and 1.5W just to keep the sensor active. In contrast, PIR sensors do not emit energy; they simply wait for a change in the ambient infrared heat levels, allowing them to operate at significantly lower power levels, often below 0.5W.
Impact on Energy Bills While the difference per bulb seems small (approximately 0.5W to 0.7W extra for radar), it accumulates over time. A radar bulb left in the "off" state 24/7 consumes roughly 4.4 kWh to 6.6 kWh of electricity annually just for standby operation, whereas a PIR bulb might consume less than 2.2 kWh. For installations with many bulbs, this difference can become noticeable on energy bills.
Technological Trade-offs The higher power draw of radar bulbs buys superior performance: they can detect micro-movements (like breathing or typing) and can sense motion through non-metallic materials like glass, wood, and thin walls. PIR sensors require a direct line of sight and may turn off lights if a person remains perfectly still. Newer mmWave radar technology is becoming more energy-efficient (some modules < 0.5W), but traditional microwave sensor bulbs still generally consume more than their PIR counterparts.
So... I assume these bulbs are "traditional" microwave sensor bulbs, and I estimate the sensing function will cost me ~$1 per year - quite a bit less than if the bulb stayed on during all dark hours, and obviously much much less than a break-in would, if such is prevented. :-)
“We have wild lettuce coming up in 4 different spots. Never had it grow at our place B4. Source unknown.”
Possible nearby garden, birds dropping seeds.
Years ago I bought a roll of 1” mesh fencing. Made a bunch of tall tubes out of it. Yes that Lieutenant can get tall. The tubes protect it well. Leaves grow more upright protecting the head and it keeps out any deer. I have one of my plants really tall so I just put a square of mesh on top.
I have always found a way to use the stems, mostly shredded for slaw.
Geezo-meezo. Wet, wet, wet. But it appears we got less rain last night than a lot of places in the area, I wasn’t awakened by as many alerts, and my digging yesterday drained water off the driveway and west yard a lot better than the previous day. The garage is drying out instead of re-flooding, too. :-)
Lt. Broccoli???
Well now, probably the best known:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQxheUjP4nI&list=RDHQxheUjP4nI&start_radio=1
I have my reservations about AI music vids, but, this one IS kinda cute.
I should try this one (the variety!). I really like broccoli as an occasional alternative veggie*, I’ve just failed miserably trying to grow it.
*I do have to say the corn on the cob Wally World here has @ present for 25 cents an ear is unusually / exceptionally good. :-)
I use 24” or 36” tall 1” chicken wire fencing and cages or stakes a lot to keep our chickens away from plants they will eat, ie., most anything in the garden areas. If it’s something they really like or something I really don’t want anything to get in to, I go to 60”. So far, none have ever flown over the 60” fencing to get into the fenced off garden, tho’ they sometimes will fly higher to get out of a penned in area.
(Wifey says our chickens are too fat. I disagree. They are still much leaner than store bought birds, and some even do get up pretty high in trees on occasion. They are just too lazy, evidently, to fly 6’ high to get into the garden if other food sources are around.)
(Keeping my fingers crossed on that.)
Rural King has some nice chick varieties on sale - which is double regular price of a few years ago. :-(
Somebody might be growing it to get a little stoned... ?
Here's another book well worth the read:
'The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life--and Saved an American Farm'
Sarah Frey (born July 24, 1976) is an American farmer and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and owner of Frey Farms, which she founded at age sixteen.
Yes, hot peppers do pretty well for me in containers with loose soil, but our clay and juglone really hammer them in “yard” soil here. Bell peppers seem to need new (and loose) “garden soil” such as the Expert Gardener soil of the last couple years, from our Wal Mart.
Question: I can’t see any evidence these Calla Lilies I bought from Menards have flowered. Is it possible (reasonable) to still get them to flower this year? How?
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