Weekly Garden Thread - April 24-30, 2021

April 24, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[LilFarmer]

Thank you for that map! Where I live in GA is a lot drier than normal now but last year it rained so much I was constantly battling with fungus

[Pollard]

Wishing you a drought-free growing season, BUT I have found that having a drier growing season is better than too much rain. ;)

Hilly Ozarks here with clay subsoil that has rocks and boulders. One wet Spring, I walked out to the garden and there was a 1 inch hole with water bubbling up out of it. I guess it was an easier path than going down or sideways.

[left that other site]

I wish I could share some of my rain with you!

[virgil]

Pretty dry and dusty over here too. I watered my shrubs the other day. The hostas are doing ok, but my purple salvia is behind.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, the dry weather IS my fault! I planted new Cherry and Apple trees, and 5 new shrubs...and I have to haul water to all of them! Figures, LOL!

This is NOTHING, though, compared to 2012. That was the worst drought we’ve had in a very long time. Little snow that winter and I don’t think it rained for a solid four months. It was awful.

That was the year Beau & I planted 400 evergreen seedlings in the, ‘Grow Big Bucks’ area of the farm for hunting. Amazingly 200 of those trees survived. We hauled 800 gallons of water to them with the tractor on 4th of July weekend in 100 degree heat.

Not. Fun. :(

[Cleebie Grums]

Thankyou for posting the photos- I guess I need more directions.

[Cleebie Grums]

“Note from me - I do not use food coloring. I make my Jalapeno pepper jelly with red, ripe peppers only - the color is sort of a light amber/gold & with the bits of red pepper bits, it’s really pretty.”

I do that as well! It makes great sweet and sour chicken. Or poured over a brick of Neufchatel and served with crackers, Yum. A point of pride to serve this to guests.

[Cleebie Grums]

Hoo boy, you got that right! By the time our steers are ready to go, they’ve been so much trouble we WANT them to go. Walking the fence, dumping the feeders, getting in the bunk and ruining hay, you name it.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We just raise one at a time, though the other afternoon Weber and Ithaca (the Mule) decided to make a break for it.

Luckily, they’re both gluttons, so the feed bucket easily lures them back to where they belong. Oh, and Weber learned ALL about the electric fence. He won’t make THAT mistake twice, though I’m sure he’ll make new ones. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yesterday's 'Living Off The Land' experiment was Nettle Tea. Yep. STINGING NETTLES. The ones that give me a blistery, itchy rash if I even DARE to walk by them? Beau picked the nettles, then gave me rubber gloves to wear. Pick the TOP leaves for the best results. Cover a pot-full of leaves and steep them in boiling water until you get the color that you like. Strain and then drink hot or cold. Refrigerate the leftovers. It tastes really nice - very similar to your basic Green Tea. A 'Spring Tonic' full of Vitamin C.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Nettles...looks like a great spring tonic!

[Diana in Wisconsin]