Weekly Garden thread - December 18-24, 2021 [Let Heaven and Nature Sing Edition]

December 18, 2021 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[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 a 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!

[Liz]

Classic Spanish omelet is good at room temp or even cold from the fridge. Nice meatless go-to.

Tortilla Espanola / Spanish Omelet

Ingredients: ½ cup olive oil 4 medium-sized potatoes 7 eggs Salt to taste

Directions: Peel the potatoes, wash them and slice them in half. My special trick is the mandolin – use it to slice the potatoes. The mandolin will allow all the potatoes to fry evenly and you’ll save so much time! Heat the oil in a nonstick large sized pan. Once the pan is heated, begin to fry the potatoes. I use the pan cover to cook them faster and I break them in little pieces as they cook. This will allow the potatoes to mix nicer with the egg later. Fry until the potatoes are a bit golden.

Drain the oil from the pan. Leave the potatoes in the pan for at least 5-7 minutes, to rest. Beat eggs with salt to taste. Pour the potatoes into the egg mixture, and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, so the potatoes soak up all of the egg.

Preheat a pan with a tsp. of olive oil. Pour the potatoes and egg mixture into the pan, using a spatula to make sure the borders do not stick to the pan. When you see the borders a bit cooked, nice yellow/ golden color, it’s time to flip.

To flip the omelet, I typically grab a plate a bit larger than the pan, turn off the stove, put the plate over the pan and grab the pan by the handle with cooking gloves. Put the other hand on the place and turn it.

Cook the other side for just a couple of minutes....should not be over cooked. To remove from the pan, place a clean plate on top of the tortilla and flip again onto the plate

Serve w/ a green salad.

[Wiz-Nerd]

God, in Your infinite grace and mercy, be with greeneyes during this time. Guide the hands and hearts of those that are providing care. May they do your work. Be with all that love greeneyes and give them peace and strength.

In Christ’s name we pray, AMEN.

[metmom]

Amen!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Liz, very nice! I always have an inclination to garnish with sour cream and some lemon. It work well here!

[Liz]

Yes.......sour cream........perfect.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana, All; Additional FReeper prayers for Greeneyes at the end of another thread she sometimes posts to.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4017404/posts?q=1&;page=1951

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Oops, should read “It WOULD work well here!”

[Osage Orange]

Sister Greeneyes...get better!!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I think next year I will get an Advent calander. I always liked opening the little doors!

Since I do not have a Kresh scene I think I will post this garden of lights!

"He was the true light which lighteth every man who comes into the world"

Solstice tomorrow and the days will get longer!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Love that Advent Calendar idea!

“Solstice tomorrow and the days will get longer!”

Yay! I normally have the toughest time from end of Daylight Savings until December 21st, but this year, the weather has been so mild and relatively SUNNY and I’ve still had ‘garden stuff’ to do, so I haven’t been ‘in the dumps’ which is really wonderful!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Sunny morning followup: Almanac/Astronomy/Geophysical day items;

“Today is the Last 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century!” (From an Imagur post.

Astronomical: 12/21/2021 today is the winter Solstice. The Sun officially enters Capricorn on December 21, 2021 at 10:58 am ET, or at 7:58 PST! (Days get longer from hear on!

Reported on https://spaceweather.com/ “GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: A CME is heading for Earth. The storm cloud left the sun on Dec. 20th (1136 UT), propelled by an M1.9-class solar flare in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2908. NOAA forecasters expect a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field on Dec. 23rd, possibly sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Christmas Lights, anyone? “

Comet Leonard began brightened last night and became visible to the naked eye. (Leonard = Lion Heart....interesting!) “Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1)is bright again. On Dec. 20th, astronomers witnessed an outburst from the comet’s core. In a matter of hours, it multiplied in brightness almost 10-fold. “Tonight it was clearly visible as a ‘star’ to the left of Venus,” reports Jan Hattenbach, who sends this picture from La Palma in the Canary Islands:”

Maybe aurora. Not a massive solar storm probably no radio disruptions. (Stand in your garden and watch the aurora??)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Anybody have any thoughts on Wisconsin 55 tomato?? Does it can well? Thanks!

Seed catalogues! Looked at Johnny’s Select Seeds this morning.

I wanted to try doing sprouts and possibly micro greens this year and they have 5-6 pages of micro greens/shoots/sprouts. They have both blends and single varieties. (Pages 46-51 if you have the catalogue.) Most extensive so far and reasonable prices! Easy way to “grow your greens” if there is some sort of unexpected disruption in the food supply chain! Or you just want to do it at lest cost than the store bought greens.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wisconsin 55 and Celebrity are two tomatoes ‘straight outta Wisconsin’ at the University, Madistan. We’ve grown both for restaurants and sale at Farmers Markets, so I can’t praise them enough.

Very dependable, nice size, no cracking, good flavor - pretty much all you want from a red slicer.

I buy my sprouting mix from Botanical Interests. I like the Sandwich Mix:

https://www.botanicalinterests.com/category/Sprouts

For micro-greens, I just use up leftovers of lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, arugula, plant them tightly in a flat, in my grow light rack, and cut them as I need them. They re-grow a few times for me over the course of winter if they have good dirt and light fertilization every week or so.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I was given a job offer for the civilian job in the town I am moving to in Texas.....with their police department.

Now I have to sell house and move for the 2st time in 25 years.....ugh.

Will be worth it even with the 110k pay cut.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

If you have a better quality of life and are not getting shot at it might be..... How many stories are there of Police officers being shot a week short of retirement?

Hopefully it is cheaper to live there! (Which side of TX will you be located on/near? The Gulf coast side, the Ft Smith side? Panhandle or OK Border or maybe up in Alpine at 5000 ft??)

Good luck!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Fantastic news! Lots of work ahead, though - but you can do it! Life will be SO much sweeter!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Hill country North of San Antonio and 1.5 hrs West of Austin.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

If You See These Walnut-Sized Growths On Your Christmas Tree, Do Not Bring It Indoors

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4023505/posts

Gardening Cross-Ping!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You'd hardly know it was Winter around here! Man, are we going to PAY for this later in the season. :( No White Christmas for us, but that works for me! :)