Started turning the turf the other day that the garden area has become but it’s been raining a lot. Pouring rain right now. Don’t know when I’ll be able to get back at it. Only one day in the 10 day forecast with 0% chance of rain. Think I’ll do some online seed shopping this weekend. Got onion sets and some seed potatoes this week.
Greetings from southern New Hampshire, where spring is definitely “inbound”!
This week, I finally cut down that 20’+ spruce that up and died on us, last summer. I dropped it on Wednesday afternoon, finished limbing it the following morning, and the branches went to the landfill that afternoon. I cut the trunk into fire pit sized lengths. Sorry it died, but glad to see it gone.
I am cleaning out the front flower beds. I do need to run a new underground water line out to the flower bed by the road. I also need to divide iris rhizomes. I want to get the front planters ready for planting.
I am expecting a major snowstorm here any day...I removed the snow thrower from the Craftsman Tractor. I actually need to overhaul the snow thrower as the lift mechanism is seized up.
I need to also make the foundation for the 20’ by 10’ quonset frame, and get it mounted on it. We plan on converting it to a greenhouse, with a built-in rocket mass heater.
Our new ducklings have integrated and discovered that they can swim.
Good Morning!
Crocuses, Daffodils, and Tulips are sneaking up! They think it’s Spring. I hope they don’t get slammed by an April Blizzard. :-)
We awoke to hail on our new roof here in Benderville this morning. It was brief and I doubt it did any damage. We are Praying Lady Bender’s hip surgery is not canceled...
Pepper and tomato seeds are up and look kind of puny.
But they’re less than 2 weeks old...
It’s raining today. If it stops later, I am putting in some outdoor borage, spinach and viola seeds for an early planting.
It’s raining today. If it stops later, I am putting in some outdoor borage, spinach and viola seeds for an early planting.
We’ve had another wet week here in Central Missouri. The river rose from 11.5’ to 20’ in four days. It dropped back to 16’ but is headed back up from heavy rains overnight.
Nothing going on here but mud right now.
Here I’m the Seattle area we have had a VERY mild winter so far....no deep multi day freezes below 20.
My herb garden, half of it, have survived unprotected. Scallions and beets have survived unprotected.
Some greens, while having their leaves killed off....the plants have survived are coming back....unprotected.
Red radiahes.....survived unprotected but stunted growth obviously
Greenhouse with the space heater inside....tomato plants kept putting put tomatoes....they are mealy as hell but I got some more seeds from them.
Tomorrow I am resetting the greenhouse for seed starts.
I think this is the longest that the gardening thread has stayed at less than 20 posts.
I know there’s not much happening quite yet, but I think the food and supply shortages are having an effect on people. Even the ones who haven’t been hit too hard, they know someone who can’t buy meat or soup anymore.
I fully expect there to be a ton of new gardeners in every city soon. And for a little while, people will hesitate to look down on preppers for stocking up.
How long that change in attitude lasts, I don’t know. But I see people all around me getting shocked out of their complacency. Some are adapting better than others, but not one person is fooling themselves into thinking it’s “business as usual”.
I’m posting a freepers-only special:
***If you are unable to get seeds for this spring, let me know what you need***
I won’t be able to promise you specific varieties, but I should be able to get you something. Especially if it’s something in the squash or tomato category.
Food or otherwise useful plants only, I don’t have much in the way of ornamentals.
I’m a compulsive seed saver, and I’d like to put that collection to good use.
Yes! Gardening on my mind. Bought some veggie seeds today. Got gutsy. Or crazy.
I went to the store before work this morning. Brought home the milk and such because can’t stay in car all day while working. And when I came home in the dark I saw several bunny tails scattering as my car pulled in.
A hoard of bunny tails lit up from headlights in the dark. What a sight. And just Darn too.
Guess it will be me against them for my garden this year.
ALMOND PASTE CAKE
PREP Parchment 8" springform or butter/flour bundt pan.
METHOD Cream 1/4 lb sweet butter and 3/4 c sugar light and fluffy. Add
cup almond paste; beat well. Add 3 eggs singly; beat each well. Add 1/2 tsp
b/powder, pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp almond extract,tb Kirsch or Grand Marnier;
stir/combine well. Fold in 1/4 c cake flour gently; do not overmix.
Bake golden 350 deg 35-45 min (pick comes clean); do not underbake.
Cool slightly on rack, then plate.
SERVE dusted w/ conf, fresh berries, maybe a dollop of softly whipped cream.
Lots of rain here. Not much doing out doors. Hubby’s onions and arugula are coming right along.
My garlic, rye and cover crop are looking good. Impatient to get some Yukon Gold taters into the ground.
Got my 1st batch of seed start containers prepped and sitting in greenhouse on my newly arrived heat mat.
Putting seeds in tomorrow.
Wanted the fertilizer to sit in the moist soil for a day before I put the seeds in.
Bad Gardener here, thanks for the thread.
A friend is gifting me with 2 hand-crafted planter boxes which are about 12” square and I can put them on my back deck, which is populated by squirrels year round b/c of my walnut tree.
I would love anything to thrive, from herbs to flowers to ornamental kale or even cherry tomatoes.
Any thoughts on how best to enjoy these planters, in a world of squirrels?
Are there things that they will specifically avoid?