Weekly Garden Thread - March 11-17, 2023 [Gardening After 60 Edition]

March 11, 2023 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[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.

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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!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

HA! Exactly!

[Bon of Babble]

We are getting wonderful wonderful rain - after years of drought.

I now buy soil in the smaller bags - I know it's more expensive that way but I can no longer handle the larger bags and I have three large yards.

I have a lot of rocks on my property - so I gathered them up and made this heart for the median in front of the house:

I'm also still in the process of switching (almost) everything over to more drought friendly plantings. I've learned to really love succulents.

This is a yoga dog and succulent bowl:

This is a double amaryllis that I received for Christmas:

The wildflowers are starting to bloom in the hills behind my home. We should have a beautiful spring with all the rain:

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks, Pete!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Mine, too! She grew up a farm girl, but by the time I came along she only had a good-sized garden in a small city lot in Milwaukee, WI. She took care of me when I was a kid and my folks worked, so I learned a LOT from her through the years.

We’d go to the Municipal Market, which was a HUGE farmer’s market at the time, and bring home a LIVE butchering hen for Sunday Dinner.

As I said, I learned a LOT from her, but I still hate plucking chickens, LOL! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Looks like an excellent system! We have a Honda 4x with a trailer and that helps me out a lot in the Spring when I'm tooling around the house yard, picking up branches and winter debris.

We have a 1954 Allis-Chalmers tractor that still works; Beau uses it for smoothing the gravel drive and other minor things and one drought-filled summer I learned to drive it and we hauled 800 gallons of water to 400 trees we had planted that spring. We were able to save about 200 of them.

Beau's CAT skid steer is pretty much permanently welded to his butt all year 'round. I probably should learn to drive that thing, though this equipment is more my style. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You can’t beat a field of California Poppies! So pretty! :)

[FamiliarFace]

Great photos, thanks! I especially love the yoga dog succulent container garden.

[FamiliarFace]

My grandma was an immigrant. When my mom was little, the family raised chickens and sold eggs, but had their own plots that they worked. Grandpa was a sign painter and boxing teacher.

I wish I was able to spend more time with my Grandma. She was 80 when she passed and I was only 9. It was very hard for me to accept that I never got to say goodbye to her. She had a stroke.

I was too little to help her pluck the chickens, but I watched her do it a couple of times. She made great raisin bread, and I always thought that she made it just for me. I know she didn’t really, it was for everyone, but she made me feel special like that.

[Ellendra]

Check https://www.cultivariable.com/catalog/everything-else/ for edible Dahlias to add to the mix.

(The tubers are the edible part.)

[TheConservativeParty]

Oh noes, I hope we don’t get more snow tonight. 🙄

[Qiviut]

Well that’s interesting - thanks!

[Ellendra]

As I said, I learned a LOT from her, but I still hate plucking chickens, LOL! :)

I plucked one chicken. Never again!

Skinning them is so much easier. And no one in my family eats the skins anyway.

[TheConservativeParty]

I got my first ever large-flowered dahlias last year, from www.dalhias.com (Swan Island Dahlias ), and have more on pre-order for this spring. I saved my tubers from last season, and hope they will be OK until I pot them up in the greenhouse in April. Like to get an early start before planting outside at the end of May.

It was amazing watching them grow and bloom last year.

You will enjoy them.

🙂

[TheConservativeParty]

I had great luck with Bishop’s Children dahias from seed (Park Seed) last year. I have a few seeds left for this year. Amazing how big they get from that little seed. Great foliage too.

[TheConservativeParty]

Great pictures, as always! Thanks for posting.
🙂

[Chicory]

Everyone seems to be coming along with their gardens!

I have a question. Last year I bought hollyhock plants and some critter ate the leaves, which meant the poor plants didn’t do well.

I planted some seeds in the hope that they would think a year had gone by by this summer and they would flower.

But I am afraid of the critter getting to them again.

Last year I put some mint sprigs around the seedlings and the critter did not eat them. Now I have some fresh mint sprigs from the store and a jar of dried mint—will that be enough?

Is there any other way of keeping them from being eaten, short of a physical barrier? (I can’t put in a barrier where they will be.)

Thanks so much!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Started my tomatoes, today!

Cherry Types, 1 each: Black Cherry, Red Racer, Sun Sugar & Valentine

Roma Types, two of each: Roma VF, Fresh Salsa, Plum Regal, Italian Roma

Slicers for fresh eating and canning: Celebrity Plus, Bush Blue Ribbon, Bella Rosa, Carrie (my Sister), Chef's Choice Black, Chef's Choice Orange, Grandma's Pick

I'm trying to keep my total down to 30 tomato plants this season, but knowing me, something will batch my eye when I'm out and about, so that's subject to change. ;) Peppers are still germinating; I started them a week ago.

Even with our cooler temps again, I managed to get lettuces to germinate in the unheated greenhouse. They are under double cover. Still waiting on the spinach out there, but if they both take off, I will be ahead of last season, which is the plan, Stan!

Six inches of snow fell this past Friday, another 4" coming tonight. *SIGH*

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You’ve mentioned that before. If we ever get meat birds again, I’ll take you up on a lesson.

I should have pictures of the ‘coop progress’ after this next snow passes. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I may have to place a quick order for The Bishop’s Children. They really are special.

So many seeds, so little time! :) Well, I have the TIME, it’s just that everything happens AT ONCE around here!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Any of the store-bought repellents like ‘Critter Ridder’ work really well. You do have to be vigilant about re-spraying after it rains, or you’ve watered. Also, don’t get any on yourself or you’ll be repelling everyone around you, too! Don’t spray on a windy day!

You can also make your own mix. It’s just water, dish soap, garlic, hot peppers & raw egg. Recipes vary:

https://www.backyardfocus.com/homemade-rabbit-repellent/

Also, Hollyhocks are biennial, so they only bloom every OTHER year. People generally plant them two years running so by that third year you’ll have reliable blooms from then on. They can also readily self-seed, so be aware of that, too.