I think I go one step forward and two backward.
1. Anti-squirrel pellets: If it rains, one has to put them down again - well, it's been raining almost every day, so they aren't down. However, I can't put them down until I get the white wire 14” tall fence down across front of dirt garden because Prissy, the Yorkie (any pet), can't be where the pellets are.
2. Bought the wire fence ($9 for 20 feet): Tried to stick the fence in the ground between rain showers, thunderstorms. I even have metal clips about 3-4 inches long to put in the ground to help keep the fence thin wire in the ground. Nothing would hold in the ground due to it was so wet, almost like mush. So, the wire fence is out there but not up. I have 50-40% chance of rain for the next few days and I just heard thunder. All that is put on hold until I get several dry days. Oh, there was thunder so loud, Prissy jumped.
I bought that fence this past Monday or Tuesday. Got that at Lowes and Walmart is there, too, so went in there. I was about to buy some frozen food and leave when I looked outside. The rain was so strong/thick, I couldn't see a car parked out there. I waited for a time until I could see the cars, then got frozen food and checked out. It was still sprinkling and I got the stuff in the car and was so wet I got cold when I started the car and air conditioning came on.
By the time I backed out the car, it was pouring again. I only live about two miles from there and I waited at home until the rain let up before I got out.
Tomatoes: I have these tiny tomato plants in the large tomato container with Miracle Grow Mix, but I don't know if I can grow a tomato plant to adulthood. I bought tomato plants already to plant earlier and those are through. I saw plants at Lowes, tomatoes ready to plant, basil plants, lots of other plants, and didn't buy them because I must grow them on my own from seed. So far, I'm SOL. Crap.
I have three little Sunflower plants also in grow bags that I grew from seed, but can I grow an adult plant? I know they should be planted in spring, but I wanted to see how they did planting now since we have a long grow season.
I did some research on Sunflowers and you can't mix up the different types. If you have black oil seed ones, they have to stay away from the striped eating seed ones. They will cross “breed” (it's that sex thing again) and the next year the seeds will be different than the ones you first planted. I couldn't find out for sure if the perennial ones that grow the editable tubers would cross “breed”, but I wouldn't take the chance to put them near the other hybrids. And, remember, those tuber ones will overtake the garden so they must be by themselves separate from the main garden.
WAYS TO GET SUNFLOWER SEEDS OUT OF HULL:
1. I put a cup of seeds in a gallon bag and spread them out so none were on top of others. I used the heavy marble rolling pin and it was a bust - it didn't work to crack the seeds. Now, these seeds were roasted and salted in the shell, so Johnny, would that roasting have made the hulls hard to get off? I'm thinking it might. The raw bird seed ones were on the other side of Walmart and I didn't go there.
2. There is another method to get the hulls off and that is to put the seeds in a baking pan, then put another baking pan on top, and walk on it. I haven't done that but the hulls are so stuck on these seeds I can't see it working.
I feel I am stuck in place with not much working in my favor - major depression, but while at Walmart I got a frozen daiquiri in a bag to freeze and try so maybe that will help my severe depression. :o) Which leads me to:
NOW, FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBJECT: FASHION IN THE GARDEN
I am most troubled about this. :o) What do you wear to work in your garden? I know Johnny prefers to be nude to do anything, but he must have something on to work in his garden - what is it? What do you all wear? What shoes do you wear? Do your plants respond to your fashion choices?
I recently bought a new fashion item to wear in the garden when it gets cooler. In honor of Zimmerman, I bought a navy blue HOODIE. Never had one in my life but they are cheap to put on to work in a cool/cold garden. I have a pair of heavy duty plastic garden shoes to slip on when I go out there. I wear jeans or light weight sweat pants every day in or out of the house. I have several shirts that are one size too big for me and I wear those everyday in the house/garden. If I have to go somewhere in town, I put on a shirt that fits.
What is your garden attire? :o)
In early spring when I'm opening it up from winter, long sleeve shirt, durable work pants, and work boots. Along with a big floppy hat.
Rest of the time, it's always a big floppy hat (skin cancer sucks) and as little else as I can get away with. ;)
/johnny
What do you mean by through? Keep them watered and they'll start producing again once the temps get back down in the fall.
Well, if the seeds cross, then you have just created your own hybrid, and some of the seeds will breed true. I will probably just plant a doubler batch and rotate every year.
For example, I’ll grow the type good for oil one year and hope to get enough to last 2 years. The next year I’ll grow the ones that are good for seeds, and so forth.
Attire?? Whatever old rag happens to be handy.LOL Usually old light weight t shirts and shorts or light weight long pants, sometimes even old PJ sets that look like regular pants.
Shoes that I wear during the summer are OKABASHI. Sandal style and clogs. These are the greatest. They are an American company, and cost me less than 15 dollars a pair, and are practically indestructible.
I bought my first pair at the Dollar Store for 4 dollars on sale, and they lastest 10 years. The name was worn off, but I finally deciphered a few letters after looking in all the stores for something similar, and was able to find them on the internet.
When you are finished with them you can send them back and they will recycle them. I wear the sandals if I am going to be watering, cause water won’t hurt them and they dry really quickly.
I wear the clogs, if I am going to be using garden tools. I wear tennis shoes if I am going to be walking the perimeter. All these shoes have one thing in common, they are slip ons. No need to tie, buckle or velcro.LOL
Oh yeh, If the sun is shining bright like at noon, I wear a big floppy straw hat and plenty of sun screen. It only takes about 20 minutes in that sort of sun for me to burn and swell up like a sausage.
I have avoided that kind of sunshine since I was about 19. I sat outside for 3 hrs under the shade tree of a riverbank with spf 8 sunscreen, long sleeves, long pants, and a hat.
I contiued to get red during the night, and my feet, legs, arms and face were all swollen the next day, and I was sick for several days. That was it. I go out in the very early morning and the very late afternoon for about 15 minutes at a time.
If I go out at noon, it’s a quick 5 minutes, and then I beat it back to the house.
What is your garden attire?If grass needs to be dug up, I wear my 5-year-old-very-worn New Balance shoes. Otherwise, I wear Crocband Flips, which probably isn't too wise if I drop something upon my toe! I like the bigger t-shirt thing too, and I just wear some beat-up shorts or pants. Nothing fancy that's for sure.
Old shoes, and anything with holes in it; an old cap, worn right way around. Now & then somewhere between that & Johnny’s favorite.
If I have a lot of dirt work to do with the tiller, substitute work boots for the shoes, to keep dirt out; no cuffs.
If I need to chase out stray cows, then I usually am lucky to just have shoes on. No need to be fussy, as no roads or neighbors. Not even Jehovah’s Witnesses come knocking, after their first trip down our driveway.
I wear long-sleeved shirts, a big-brimmed or bucket hat, long pants tucked into boots, and a man’s short-sleeved casual shirt over all. Finish ensemble w/generous spray of Off! or Repel. Gloves, kneeling pad, weeding tool and sharp knife, as well as container to collect harvest. Next thing on shopping list is knee-high snake boots, but a few other things take priority.
My main considerations for garden attire are snagability and protection from sun/heat. Woven fabrics snag less than knitted fabrics. And a loose-fitting, lightly-colored, long sleeved shirt will keep the sun off your skin while letting breezes through. I even have a straw cowboy hat to keep the sun off my face and neck.
If it’s cold out I just dress warmly, but with snagability in mind.
But then, if I’m going to be in the garden long enough to dress special for it, chances are it means I’m going to the garden on my land, where nobody’s going to see me. For the back garden, I usually don’t even change out of my office clothes unless I’m wearing something particularly delicate.