Posted on 05/29/2021 6:52:22 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
That’s one thoroughly played out pup. She needs a patient cat to pester.
Such a deal! Our local feed store used to have dried pigs ears for dogs.
Shasta and our big Tomcat, Boyd, are getting along famously. Eva Kitty doesn’t trust anyone - not even ME sometimes. ;)
Garden Report:
ALL of the tomatoes are in with the exception of six more that I’m planting when my additional square cages arrive. I LOVE those square cages - they’re sturdy and can be folded down for storage in the Milk House...which no longer stores milk. ;)
The tomato varieties ‘left behind’ are the ‘fancy, gourmet’ varieties that are just for fresh eating, not for drying or making Salsa or V-8 Juice, Tomato Soup and Bloody Mary Mix. ;) I should have the additional cages by the weekend.
In the, ‘Not All Love Notes are Written’ Department, Beau brought me 5 fresh bales of straw. I’ve used 2 so far, mulching my garden beds - heavily. I’m a total Ruth Stout advocate - look her up!
Tonight Beau tilled four rows for me in the BIG garden so I can get the Sweet Corn planted, tomorrow. (Ambrosia and Kandy Korn.) I planted Gladiolus corms today - mixed colors - about 75 of them. They are Beau’s favorite flower. Watered them in and also mulched with said straw.
Taters are up in the four rows that I planted a few weeks ago. ‘Leftovers’ from what we stored all winter, Red Norland, Kennebeck and German Butterball. Looking good, but we need some rain; I have no way to get water to them, but they’re pretty resilient.
Tomorrow is also ‘Bean-0-Rama.’ Getting the pole and bush beans in the ground. Pole: ‘Seychelles’ and ‘Scarlet Runner Bean’ for the Hummingbirds on a separate structure. Bush beans: ‘Corumba’ ‘Red Swan’ ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Dragon Tongue.’ The pole beans will produce more than enough ‘green’ beans for us; I like to mix it up with the bush beans.
This food production is a LOT of work! (But SO worth it in the end!)
I have been reading the posts here and see that other gardeners are also having problems with seedlings vanishing. Thought I was the only one. This past weekend I decided to give it one last try so resowed parsley, basil, patio tomatoes, Forget-Me-Nots. I’m not certain who the culprit is as there are no paw prints and no bugs hanging around. Maybe it is that horrible hammerhead worm which I spotted. If nothing seems to have sprouted in a couple of weeks I’ll plant some artificial flowers instead! lol
Bluebirds laid a 5th egg and should be a couple of weeks before they hatch. Wrens being kept at bay. 
We are looking at temperatures of 85-90 starting Sat for about 5 days. However, that’s really likely just to be the highs for a few hours starting about noon. The overnight lows are going to be in the mid 60’s.
My broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts are growing beautifully. The broccoli has small heads about the size of a golf ball.
I know they prefer cool weather. Is there anything I can do or need to do to protect them during a hot, dry spell?
“Is there anything I can do or need to do to protect them during a hot, dry spell?”
I’m going through the same thing! I planted broccoli & cauliflower later than normal due to extra COLD weather, and now we’re getting the big heat and no rain!
I’m just going to keep mine well watered; they are mulched with straw. If they look like they’re suffering, I’m figure out some sort of shade cloth to put over them.
We’re behind on rain, but it’s making life easier for the guys bailing alfalfa hay in this heat, today! I have been watering my entire garden every other day. Tomorrow I am adding the raspberries and grapes to the watering schedule.
We have a second garden this year, and Beau is fashioning a LONG hose for me so I can get water to my suffering taters, and I just got the corn in today, and I still have to do all of the melons and winter squash I started. I don’t want to put in much more without a reliable water source.
If all else fails, I know where the grocery store is! ;)
I had a friend who had some bluebird houses and was bemoaning the loss of the hatchlings to blow flies.
We got to talking about diatomaceous earth for insect control, so she sprinkled some on the nests and on the new hatchlings and said it made a huge difference in their survival rate.
I want to have mr. mm build some bluebird houses for us for next summer.
It can be a winter project.
We had a long dry spell but it broke and right now it is POURING rain.
I was thinking that shade with scraps of fabric or cardboard would help.
I have them mulched with straw already, but more could not hurt.
After this good soaking rain tonight, I guess doing the mulching is going to be first thing in the morning, before those $(#*(‘)$(#; black flies come out.
I gave my tomatoes a milk drink yesterday morning.
Does anything else like milk water drinks?
I always fill a ‘finished’ milk jug with water and feed that to my houseplants. I have Geranium and Cactus blooms all winter long.
Tomatoes, Zucchini, Eggplant, Peppers and any flowers you’ve planted (especially those in hanging baskets or pots) would all benefit from a milk drink. :)
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing! My Iris are early - I only have the one, ‘Cat’s Eye.’ A ‘freebie’ I got from Jung’s when I placed an order. Mom has a lot of Iris, so I suppose I should dedicate a spot for them because she’s going to want to pass some of them on to me, I’m sure. ;)
I’ve seen exactly ONE Bluebird this season and it was SO worth it!
I’ll ask Beau to check his houses for eggs. I’ll be he has some in there too! ;)
That’s a good project. They eat a lot of our garden bugs. We don’t have a fly problem, just a house wren problem.
for broccoli and heat I just water in the evening every day unless it rains
Lady Bender is saving and soaking Banana skins for her tomatoes in the big tubs in the green house. Something new she heard...
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