The Garden Thread - July, 2025

July, 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[daniel1212]

I read Potassium is most needful. 10 oz. Potassium Bicarbonate for $9, but I just emptied some Potassium supplements I had, mixed with gallon of H20, shake and give a little to each of about 45 toms, by the grace of God.

[Paul R.]

Happy Birthday!!

[Pollard]

Will be spic and span by the Tues Today - had an hour of fun in the sun and it's nice and clean now. I might get more water this evening to fill the new second tunnel tank.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I can see why Chicory Coffee is equal to True Love. I mean, everyday ‘generic’ coffee is LOVE at first sip to me every morning, LOL!

[Qiviut]

Watering the flowers tonight & found ‘something’ had gotten into my washtub planters & dug a hole in the back, behind the flowers, in both tubs. The flowers appear to be ok.

Beautiful evening. Slight breeze & pleasant, the kind of night that would be perfect for sitting on a blanket at a small outdoor concert & listening to good music.

I put a lawn chair on my shop back ‘patio’ & watched the cloud edges turn pink over the mountain ridge which was blue with haze. Birds were singing, dogs barking way off in the distance, summer insect noises, fireflies appearing as night was gently falling.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Organize all of those words; you’ve got yourself a Poem right there! :)

I felt the same way this evening as I was sitting on my front porch after the supper dishes were done and the coffee pot was all set for the AM.

Wispy pink and blue clouds - like memories of Cotton Candy at the Fair. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thank you, Paul!

Sixty-Five down and hopefully another 30 to go! Women in my family tend to make it to age 100...mostly because we’re stubborn. ;)

Come on, Genetics! Mama needs a new pair of orthopedic shoes, LOL! :)

[Liz]

ZUCCHINI CAKES / Makes 30 cakes.
Makes a lot, so good you need a lot.

ING 4 lg. eggs 1 tsp lemon juice 1/4 c mayo 1/3 c Parm 1/2 c flour 1 sm fine-diced onion
4 c shredded zucchini S/p 1-3 tbsp. each butter and salad oil Sour cream and chives for topping

Method: beat eggs well, then beat in l/juice, mayo, Parm, flour, onion. Stir in zucchini well. S/p to taste. Heat tbl each butter/oil over med-high. Drop in heaping tbl zucchini; spread into 3" cakes. Cook golden 3-4 min total. Offer sour cream/chives and chives. Can add minced jalapenos for heat.

[Paul R.]

You are welcome!

Dang, I thought my family had pretty good genetics (Mom lasted until 90, Dad, 87) but not that good!

At age 70 (almost) I’m slowing down a lot - no likee...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That’s the stuff! :)

[Qiviut]

103° heat index today. I got the truck gassed up & backed the trailer into the barn so I can work in the shade. I am screwing an old tarp down, using big washers, to cover cracks between boards where I would lose dirt/mulch. I’ve been laying a large tarp in the trailer hauling mulch, big enough to come up the metal mesh/grate sides. Now that I have added plywood sides, all I have to worry about is the floor. With 1-2 loads of dirt & 2-3 loads of mulch yet to haul, pinning down a floor tarp will be worth the work.

T-storms in the forecast - I need to dredge up some energy & haul dirt today. I’m nervous about hauling heavy over the 2 mountains .... need to suck it up buttercup & just do it!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, did you? ;)

[Qiviut]

Yes, I did! As I made the turn to start back over the mountain from the garden center, a T-storm I had been watching decided to cross the mountains in the same place, so I was in rain the whole way back, heavy at times. Still pouring as I backed the trailer into the barn. Fortunately, I tarped the dirt load, otherwise I would have had a giant mud puddle in the trailer.

Now, I need to shovel it all into the beds ... with heat indexes over 100 through next Tuesday, I’ll have to shovel just after sunrise & just before dark - the beds are in a full sun area. I suspect I will need a 2nd load.

[MomwithHope]

.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Good save and great thinking with the tarps!

You win the, ‘Buttercup Who Sucked It Up’ Award for the day. :)

[Pollard]

Pretty much through mid Sept. Chance of rain too this year.

I'm getting out there more and more. Getting over the OMG it's too hot thing.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You’re finally acclimated! :)

Even, ‘up here’ morning is the time for ACTION while the big Maple tree gives me shade in the garden until 10am or so.

No time to water other than spot watering tomorrow AM: I have to meet, ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’ at 11:45 in the next town over for Birthday Celebrations, but I’ll be out there with garden hose in hand, in the cool of the evening.

We’re usually DONE WITH THIS STUPIDITY by August up here, but this year? I ain’t betting on anything, weather-or-temperature-wise. ;)

[Qiviut]

LOL!

[FamiliarFace]

My mom lasted until she was 87. She had dementia. She passed in 2017. Here we are 8 years later.

My MIL is now 97, so a couple of years older than my Mama. She is in reasonably good health for her age. A few memory issues that get larger with every birthday she has. She’s fairly blind at this point, and mostly deaf too, unless she puts her hearing aids in. She’s stubborn to the nth degree, and drinks lots of milk. Also a little vodka every evening. Just one drink watered down. It’s her habit. Although she has stumbled and fallen many times, she has never broken a bone. I attribute that to her milk consumption.

My mom’s demise was quicker, though not quick.

I’m pretty sure that if I live into my 90’s, many decades from now, that I might be ready to go. Truthfully, I pray every night that I’m ready to go whenever I’m called.

[FamiliarFace]

You might LOL at the designation, but I agree with Diana! I’ve often felt that there are many FReepers here who don’t give themselves enough credit for their accomplishments. You’re amongst the top of them/us!