Weekly Garden Thread - April 10-16, 2021

April 10, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[MomwithHope]

I just hit the sack bushed but I have a recipe for mayapple jelly if you can get the fruit before the raccoons do. I’ll send it tomorrow.

[MomwithHope]

We have oceans of them and the oyster mushrooms too.

[Liz]

As served at the fabulous Cactus Cafe, an enticing pink slush served in
elegant stemware. The perfect ice cold beverage after a day of gardening.

FROZEN PALOMA

METHOD BLENDER TO A SLUSH Juice from lge Ruby Red Grapefruit,
juiced lime, simple syrup to taste, 8 oz Perrier grapefruit-flavored water,
(or swap Sprite or Sprite Zero, fave sweetener), plenty of ice.
SERVE Pour into glass, add a scoop of slush, and a wedge of grapefruit.

===========================

IF YOU IMBIBE Paloma is apparently the most popular Mexican drink - not the Margarita.
A fun twist on a classic. Easy, fast, blended beverage; some add Mezcal instead of tequila.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks! Having seen them FLOWER, but never fruit, that makes sense that the woodland critters get to them, first.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Tequila makes my clothes fall off! ;)

I love the idea of grapefruit and lime, together. Yum!

[MomwithHope]

The fruit is small, green and egg shaped. Sometimes there is just a flower and no fruit. Just finishing coffee I will dig that recipe out.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Take your time. The May Apples haven’t even bloomed by me, yet, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Plant a Garden

By Edgar Guest

If your purse no longer bulges
and you’ve lost your golden treasure,
If times you think you’re lonely
and have hungry grown for pleasure,
Don’t sit by your hearth and grumble,
don’t let mind and spirit harden.
If it’s thrills of joy you wish for
get to work and plant a garden!

If it’s drama that you sigh for,
plant a garden and you’ll get it
You will know the thrill of battle
fighting foes that will beset it.
If you long for entertainment and
for pageantry most glowing,
Plant a garden and this Summer spend
your time with green things growing.

[MomwithHope]

If I don't do it today I will forget about it. So I looked in my file folder of Very Important Old Stuff, have 2 print outs from 2002!!

Also a bonus for you! I had slipped the photo I promised you of my spirea bonsai, yeah that was a year or so ago. It was in the same folder. Anyway it was a print so I scanned it, quality is not so good but you can see they make a beautiful bonsai. You really have to keep after them as far as snipping off new growth. If you get lucky (I did) you can look through 30 or so potted ones at a nursery and find one with one natural thick trunk.

Noticed we have 3 asparagus up, early! I have some cleanup to do in the bed, thankfully not much at all. Was going to do it today but it is too darn chilly.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Your Bonsai is great! One of the gals that worked for me at Jung's was really good at it; she could 'Bonsai' just about anything, but made some gorgeous ones from our 'scratch-n-dent' potted evergreens.

The jelly looks similar to crab apple jelly; super simple, really. Thanks!

We have a line of 'Anthony Waterer' Spirea on the east side of the house. They're just green with hot pink blooms in the summer, but they are GORGEOUS in the Fall:

[MomwithHope]

I remember you posting a picture of your spirea hedge. Yes they look great in the fall. That is neat about your employee making bonsai. That’s a job I could do.

[Liz]

Tequila makes my clothes fall off! .... you notified the brand?

[Cleebie Grums]

Best of luck!

[Cleebie Grums]

Congrats on your weed killing success- it’s great to find ways to get what you want without affecting the area negatively. I have used your method too. Since we keep honeybees, we don’t use any kind of chemicals on our gardens. I have also resorted to boiling water to kill weeds on our walkways. Believe me when I say, it’s instant gratification!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Ellendra: Try Sharpie Extreme, or possibly just a Lead Pencil or Grease pencil. None of them will last the year.

Some starter mixes have innoculant in them. Fox Fertilizer potting mix does. (It does have some small pine bark so may not be best for starting seeds.)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Just a reminder to be on the lookout for Giant Hogweed. Nasty stuff!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

FR thread on Hogweed:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3950828/posts?q=1&;page=1

[metmom]

We have lost so much over the last couple generations.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Liz]

Your bonsai is just beautiful———even a Japanese gardener would be envious.