Posted on 01/03/2020 9:37:52 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly 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 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 Weekly 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 our New & Improved Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!
That works, too. Circle of Life! :)
The Truth About Lilac Bushes
by Tim Bean
“I had an article idea for you,” Chris Orange said. “Think about the old farmhouses you’ve seen, and how often you see lilac bushes.”
Chris Orange is the park manager of the Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park in Lake County, Indiana. As sharp as a new razor and a frequent inspiration for articles on this site, Chris is a walking file cabinet of Indiana lore. Also, he’s the brother of the co-founder.
Yes, I had seen lilac bushes frequently on the site of old farmhouses. I thought of several I had seen in a line, usually towards the back of the property. “I’ll bite. I assumed it was decorative,” I said.
Chris shook his head. “Trust me, they didn’t spend much time a hundred years ago bothering with landscaping. That’s a pretty recent thing. Lilac bushes—“
“Lilac bushes or lilac trees?”
“Bushes, usually. The trees get about twenty-five feet tall, the bushes only a dozen or so. And the bushes are more fragrant.” Chris leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands. His degree in education shined through at moments like this. “They’d often plant them for two reasons: One, to mark the grave of a miscarriage or bury placenta after a birth.”
I shivered. My wife and I had endured three miscarriages. I remembered the sympathy cards: a soft lavender. The lilac.
“What’s the other purpose?” I asked.
“Not quite as honorable,” he said and chuckled a little. “You know the smell of lilac bushes?”
I did. I am not a horticulturist and have frequently failed to repair simple patches of grass in my yard, but I do have a lilac bush at the edge of my property (which incidentally is just over a hundred years old). Few things in nature smell as good as a lilac bush in bloom, and no candle or spray can ever really duplicate the smell.
“They smell good,” I said.
“Outhouses,” he said, nodding again. “They’d plant them next to outhouses and when it came time to move the outhouse, as it did when—uh—they got too stinky. Or full. They’d move the outhouse down and plant another lilac bush over the filled hole. Decades later, same thing. Eventually, on old, old properties, you’d see a line of these lilac bushes, usually on the edge of the property. Far away from delicate eyes. And noses.”
I thought about it for a minute. “That would make a good article. But I’d need to substantiate all this.”
“You would. And can. I just ask that you mention me in the article. Make me sound smart. And see if you can squeeze in the marsh, maybe get us some likes on Facebook,” he said.
“I’d be happy to,” I said.
And I did.
Just received a catalog from Burgess Seed & Plant Co, out of Bloomington, IL.
They have a pair of Elderberry (’John’ and ‘Adams’) for $9.99, Zones 3-9.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Calling all knitters or sewers, the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue in Charlotte, North Carolina is looking to donate hundreds of homemade nests to animals injured in Australia’s bushfire.
The North Carolina rescue group said they already have hundreds of nests from their initial plea for homemade nests, but still need many more.
“We were so blessed with all of your efforts during our plea for knitted nests. Now we see that the animals in Australia are asking for your talents again. In some small way it helps us to be able to contribute so I wanted to share,” the rescue group said.
If you’re local you can drop items off at the rescue and they can add them to their packages.
If you’d like to sponsor postage for this project, please send an email to waterfowlrescue@aol.com.
More info at link:
(They stole your franchise idea!)
‘Old Coots’ Give Free Advice Every Saturday At Local Market
They say age brings wisdom, and a group of geezers in Salt Lake City have discovered that their wisdom is a hot commodity. Every weekend, these “old coots” dole out advice to the lost, lovelorn and confused.
Sitting Around and Talking
At Tony Caputo’s deli in Salt Lake City, there was always a group of people instantly recognizable at any restaurant, café or diner the world over. It’s a group of older people who offer running commentary on anyone and everything.
In this case, it was deli owner Tony Caputo who headed this group. The six men and one woman met every Saturday to drink coffee and talk about the world.
It Started as a Joke
One day, Caputo declared that they were so good at solving the world’s problems, they should start offering their advice to others. Caputo then announced he had set up a booth at a weekly farmer’s market.
Their banner read, “Old Coots Giving Advice.” A disclaimer underneath added, “It’s probably bad advice, but it’s free.”
England?
Veggie Garden Goals? Yes, somewhere in the UK, but I don’t know exactly where. Just a gorgeous picture. :)
Snowstorm set to deal much heavier blow to southern Wisconsin than originally forecast
A couple of days ago, forecasters were talking about snow showers from a storm system moving through southern Wisconsin Friday night into Saturday night. A day ago, 1 to 2 inches was being predicted for some locales.
Now forecasters are talking several inches of snow for much of southern Wisconsin, with Madison seeing 5 to 7 inches, Racine 5 to 9 inches, and Green Bay heavy snow with no predicted totals, the National Weather Service said.
The storm will deliver little to no snow north and west of a line from far southwest Wisconsin to the Green Bay area, with La Crosse expected to see less than an inch and northern Wisconsin none, the Weather Service said.
The multi-faceted, spring-like storm will be more typical of March as it will feature record-challenging warmth, flooding rainfall and severe thunderstorms on its southeastern side, and an array of wintry precipitation to the north and west, AccuWeather said.
"The setup will result in a very tight weather contrast zone, where rainy conditions, snow and/or ice can all occur," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "Temperatures over a 100-mile cross section can range from the balmy 50s and 60s to the 20s and 30s."
Enough snow to disrupt daily routines, create slippery roads, and require shovels and plows is possible from Oklahoma City to Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Davenport, Iowa; Madison and Milwaukee; Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Caribou, Maine; and Quebec City.
The greatest risk of 6 to 12 inches of snowfall and a maximum of 18 inches will be from the western and upper Great Lakes to southern Ontario, Quebec and northern Maine, AccuWeather said.
My turn in the barrel, Gang! Snowshoes and poles are ready and on the porch! Finally!
Wow those bluegills are beauties!
My Dad used to bury whole carp in his garden whenever he caught one.
Yes, it’s stunning . . . I could move right in . . .Smile!
I come from a long line of Fishermen; nothing was ever wasted.
Fondest memories are the summer weeks-on-end we would spend ‘Up North’ catching Crappie and Sunfish and Yellow Perch all day.
Fish Fry every Friday Night! Your, ‘Saturday Night Bath’ was you in the lake with all of your cousins and a bar of (floating!) Ivory Soap. ;)
I grew up in Milwaukee; my Dad’s parents retired to Washara County and if we weren’t dumped off at Aunt Alice’s Farm as Indentured Servants for the summer, we were dumped off with Grandma and Grandpa at The Lake while Mom & Dad worked all summer...and got a break from us kids, LOL!
I grew up on the south east side of Chicago, blocks away from the state line with Indiana. We never traveled but Dad always had fishing. He started taking me when I could walk good and carry poles. He went to Wolf lake mainly and it was all about perch. I lost interest eventually as it was a lot of work, he went a few times a week sometimes 4am. While he was still working at the steel mill. He would come home with plenty. He filled milk cartons with water and freeze the fish whole. We had fried perch every Friday. In the warmer weather he would consistently fill one of those small plastic wading pools with perch still alive in the backyard and sit on a picnic bench and just clean fish. We have some great memories don’t we.
We do have great memories. My own boys got in a lot of hunting and fishing and camping with me, but now as adults it’s not interesting to them anymore. :(
Their loss. ;)
I would still love to fish and watch a bobber. My favorite way. It’s been awhile.
Lovely radar we have right now. Are you getting the freezing rain? It will be hitting us after 1am. The ice forecast is the most concerning.
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