Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like it was a good time Jim.

 

[Callender Girl]

I feel like I spend all winter waiting for the weather to get nice enough to work outside. It's only early June, and I am already tired of working outside. Between the heat, the bugs and the sheer amount of work that needs to be done, I'm ALMOST missing winter. Just whining a bit because I NEVER really miss bitter cold, biting winds and freezing my behind off when I'm doing chores.

On the plus side, my second short row of green beans is coming up, there are tiny green tomatoes on the Supersweet 100's, and after an extreme pruning, the blackberries are full of foliage and lovely with plenty of little pink blossoms. Unfortunately, the mulberries are just starting to ripen, and my propane tank already has a purple berry stain down one side. Grrrr.

Anyone know what would eat horseradish leaves? I've never had this happen before, but something is destroying my horseradish, which I always believed was indestructible.

If I can take the heat in the kitchen, I want to try a new recipe for "mixed berry pie crumble bars." We'll see. It's predicted to hit 88 today.

Yesterday, I tossed frozen veggies out to the poultry, who thoroughly enjoyed their cooling treats.

Best wishes to all for coping with the heat!

 

[jvls1942]

mixed berry pie crumble sounds yummy.
I am going to pull some rhubarb for a pie.
thinking that I might can some for pies for winter.
got my new glasses adjusted yesterday. still need
some tweaking..
with all this smoke haze in the sky, I can't tell if it
is just smoke or if it wants to rain. Mark Holly says no rain.
So make hay.
too soon to tell, but it looks like we will be getting
mulberries for the first time on our young tree.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feel like I spend all winter waiting for the weather to get nice enough to work outside. It's only early June, and I am already tired of working outside. Between the heat, the bugs and the sheer amount of work that needs to be done, I'm ALMOST missing winter. Just whining a bit because I NEVER really miss bitter cold, biting winds and freezing my behind off when I'm doing chores.

I always miss winter, so I definitely understand. I'm always hot, so cooler temperatures is what I prefer. Hate the bugs. Hate sweating. From here to fall I mostly wait to see if what I planted turned out or not.

 

[Sequel]

I have never seen a mulberry! I’ve heard you should grow them to act as a trap crop to protect your cherries. How did I get to be 66 years old and never saw a mulberry?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have never seen a mulberry! I’ve heard you should grow them to act as a trap crop to protect your cherries. How did I get to be 66 years old and never saw a mulberry?

I have no idea what they are either.

 

[jvls1942]

mulberries are like black berries on a tree. no pickers to
stick you..
all my friends who have them, do not like them.
because the birds eat them and poop purple on all
surrounding surfaces..

 

[Sequel]

mulberries are like black berries on a tree. no pickers to
stick you..
all my friends who have them, do not like them.
because the birds eat them and poop purple on all
surrounding surfaces..

The birds do that here with our giant Himalaya blackberries! Definitely no fun! Are they good to eat?

 

[Callender Girl]

"Good" is a relative term. Are they edible? Yes, I know someone who thinks they are delicious. I do not.

Because there are so many mulberry trees on my property (and they spring up EVERYWHERE), I spent one summer trying to find a recipe -- any recipe -- that would make me think I liked mulberries. I failed. No sauce, jam or dessert bar made them palatable to me.

The ONE benefit I can think of is that chickens like mulberries -- which stain your fingers with their juice that can't be washed out of clothing that it touches. Every berry I feed a hen is one less berry for a wild bird to convert into purple poop.

BTW, killing a mulberry tree here is nearly impossible. For example, one appeared dead in a fence row, and we took it down the main trunk with a chainsaw. It seems like a small trunk that we left was still alive. My goats stripped ALL the bark off that trunk. It is currently leafed out again. It. Will. Never. Die.

 

[jvls1942]

I am not sure if I ever ate a mulberry.
When I worked on a golf course in Illinois, there were
a few trees that I assumed were mulberries.
I ate some and I liked them.
I have the lawn mower all put together.
Will it run ? Oh no no no no.. Why should it
go smoothly ? there are issues with the micro
switches. No electricity getting to the clutch..
Electricity is not one of my strong suits.
The kids are here with Leon. they will be leaving
on Sunday.. We are enjoying spoiling him..