The Garden Thread - September, 2025

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

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a 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 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/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time.

[FamiliarFace]

Well, anytime you catch something fresh from a river or ocean, it will always be better than any other way. You just can’t go wrong.

I think it was a turning point for me personally. I remember fish sticks on Fridays, not just during Lent. I probably had not had fresh fish before that trip very often. Changed my perception of fish for the rest of my life.

I’m pretty picky about my fish now. Whenever I go to the Gulf, I try to eat fish every meal I’m allowed. That trip will happen in mid October this year, weather permitting.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beautiful Chestnut Burr! Down the road from my other farm, there was a very old, mature Chestnut Tree and that thing was SPECTACULAR when in bloom. I looked forward to it every Spring. (I had to take that road to go into town.)

Almost as pretty as my Catalpa Trees. OK. Prettier. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“I would like put herbs next to the (new) patio so I can pick them without going into the garden.”

Still waiting on final Front Porch Repairs that MIGHT happen still this Fall as Bear Season was early this year. I always kept pots and planters of herbs on the porch, right off the Kitchen, for that very same reason.

This year I have three potted Rosemary and Parsley in the garden. It’s worth the walk to get to them, but the CONVENIENCE of fresh herbs RIGHT outside the kitchen door is addictive! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

No, after I had her in tears, Mom assured her that there were NO ‘Porkies’ in the meatballs. She ate her dinner and all those after...no matter WHAT I told her her food was made from. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The BEST meal I ever made was a stuffed Brown Trout on the grill. The ex (who was a Chef - his ONLY endearing quality!) went on some excursion on Lake Michigan and came back with one.

I had an OLD cookbook that told me what to do and family members STILL talk about that Stuffed Brown Trout on the grill.

I remember lemon slices, green onions, chunks of bread, etc.

[FamiliarFace]

My herbs are just 6’ from my front door. It is addictive! Added bonus, when people walk up to the house, they get a good view (and whiff) of said herbs. Very pretty out there.

[FamiliarFace]

I have never had Brown Trout, but I have no doubt that was amazing!

[Liz]

A nice realtime story———triggered by “porcupine meatballs” no less.......chuckle.

[Qiviut]

As kids, dad used to take us trout fishing in a National Forest. The mountain streams were stocked with trout & fishing ‘season’ for those waters came in at 12:00 noon. We had to get up very early, make the 2 hour trip then wind our way up gravel roads until we found a spot dad liked. We were staked out on various pools along the stream, rods & bait in hand, to wait for noon. Other fishermen, looking for their own pool, would see we had dibs on our pools & move on. We could see trout in the pools & the wait until we could actually start fishing seemed interminable. These fish were not easy to catch - sometimes we caught our creel limit (6 fish) & sometimes we caught one or two (each). It was usually pretty cold, too - early April & if we were lucky, it wasn’t raining.

So the best trout I ever ate was one of these trout. It was a rainy, cold fishing day. We caught enough fish that we were anxious to leave, being cold & wet. While we were warming up with hot showers & dry clothes, dad got the trout cleaned & on the grill, wrapped in foil, with butter. Mom made mashed potatoes & slaw. Best.trout.ever! Fresh caught within hours & grill/butter, plus the experience of catching them all made for some very tasty eating. The majority of the trout were Rainbow with an occasional Brown trout in the mix.

[Liz]

No, after I had her in tears, Mom assured her that there were NO ‘Porkies’ in the
meatballs. She ate her dinner...no matter WHAT I told her her food was made from. ;)

---

Brave little girl. I could never eat them after what you told her, meanie.

[Qiviut]

I had my little sister convinced those were made with REAL porcupine meat, LOL!

****************

Dad got an elk one year & brought the meat home .... LOTS of meat, similar amount to what you’d get processing a small steer.

It’s not beef, which we kids preferred. Looking back on the meat & quantity, I would currently love to have an elk in the freezer!

Anyway, we got tired of elk & mom resorted to telling us we were having ‘beef’ for dinner, but we knew better. One of her favorite dinners to make with ground elk was meatballs. We were having dinner guests one evening & meatballs were on the menu. I can remember one of the guests commenting on the meatballs & we kids gleefully & to mom’s horror, told them it was “elk balls” .... you can guess what they thought that meant. LOL! I still recall the look of panic on one guest’s face until mom could explain the truth of what they were eating, although technically, we kids were correct!

[Liz]

ORANGE COFFEE CAKE

Ing 2 1/4 c flour 3 1/2 tsp b/powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 c sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/3 c butter, melted 1 cup fresh oj. Topping: 1 tbl orange zest, 1/2 c raw quick-cook oats, 1/2 c sugar, 1 tbl cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 2 tbl softened butter.

Method Sift flour, b/powder, salt, sugar. Add combined eggs, melted butter, oj, beat smooth. Pour into well greased pan. Combine topping ing, spices; sprinkle over softened butter; work together then top batter. Can also be baked in cast iron skillet 350 deg 50-60 min. Garnish w/ orange slices, serve.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s a large version of Rainbow Trout. Gets rather large in a lake versus a stream or pond. I thought bones might be a problem, but they weren’t. There was a LOT of meat on that fish. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You didn’t have to help clean the fish? LUCKY! We never escaped that chore with Grandpa. ‘You catch ‘em, you clean em!’

Of course, he’d soon take over because we weren’t ‘doing it right!’ LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Is it just me, or does morning coffee taste even BETTER when it starts to get cold outside? 44 degrees this morning! Refreshing! Bracing! Warmer weather (70's) starting on Tuesday. Yesterday's high was only 57!

Plans for the day are to tackle the greenhouse and/or mow - not sure which will win until it warms up some and the light frost is off the kitchen storm door. Mom's 88th Birthday is this month, so I am ordering flowers. I love that her birthday is in the Fall because the Fall arrangements are so pretty and are the style and colors we both like.

Have a Good and Productive Day, FRiends!

[Paul R.]

Nice map! (Your 1st link - I’ve bookmarked it.)

A lot of those locations are stocked / put and take trout ponds and small lakes. Still ok if the hatchery is using good water.

So. IL & Western KY have several put and take locations, and SI also has Devil’s Kitchen Lake, a very nice clear lake where the trout don’t reproduce, but they do survive year-round. They are pretty darn hard to catch, though.

[left that other site]

Good Morning!

You're RIGHT About Coffee!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[Paul R.]

Wow, I've never even seen (in person) a tomato that large, much less eaten one.

Flavor was mild but it's low-acid being a yellow.

I don't know exactly how acidic Lemon Boys are, but ours taste pretty "zingy". They are much smaller, of course.

[Paul R.]

It’s gonna be “new cell phone day” for us. Mine has a badly worn / unreliable charge port, wifey’s a cracked screen, and our daughter’s has apparently died / just won’t boot now, tho’ it takes a charge.

By mid-week we go back to summer for a good while, though dew points stay below 65° F, so, it shouldn’t be TOO uncomfortable, and hopefully I can open up the windows at night to cool the house down / not use the AC ($$$$$$$). Hopefully also all these garden plants that are suddenly doing so well will be ok. No rain, so, the well pump will continue getting a workout.

[MomwithHope]

We got lake trout and salmon on a few fishing charters from Grand Haven over the years. Both delicious but nothing beats salmon.