Gardening work on hold - snow everywhere

[gtaus]

Either way, it's a win for me: No grubs = good for the garden. Grubs = free food for the chickens. Same with the beetles.

Yes, working with nature is just a better way to live. I plant crops every year and, depending on the weather, some do well while others don't. Next summer might be just the opposite.

Last summer I made a really nice stuffed baked Zucchini for the first time for Dear Wife. I was really proud of my effort because I don't do much of the cooking at home. The Zucchini looked absolutely great. Problem was the cheese I used was bad/old and it tasted awful. But the chickens loved it. So I salvaged a partial win out of that fiasco. That was a lot of time and effort for some chicken feed, but at least it did not go into the garbage can.

 

[Sally PB]

At 59, I can still get down on my hands and knees. Yup, getting up is a lot harder. I figure if I don't keep doing it though, it'll become impossible. I have been using the weed bucket to help myself get up recently. Arthritis is making it harder to overcome inertia and gravity, especially at the same time.

 

[gtaus]

Arthritis is making it harder to overcome inertia and gravity, especially at the same time.

Sorry to hear about that. I'm fortunate in that I am not fighting arthritis. I've had family members hit hard by it and know that it can be very painful.

One of my tow behind dump carts had a flat tire. So I bought a repair kit to patch the hole. Unfortunately, it's too cold in the garage to set the patch. Instructions say it has to be above 60F to set properly. I have an unheated, attached garage and it's only 49F in there today. Don't want to bring in that stuff into the house and make a mess, but might have to anyway to get the job done.

Rained and snowed here again today, more of the same in the forecast. Snow not lasting long, but it's wet and cold outside. Gardening still on hold....

 

[kcan2]

Here in MI, also experiencing the cold snap, but no snow! Maybe the cold will deter the alleged 17-yr cicadias, or do you typically see those in MN?

 

[gtaus]

Maybe the cold will deter the alleged 17-yr cicadias, or do you typically see those in MN?

I guess we have some species of cicadas here in Minnesota, but I don't think I would recognize them from all the other bugs we get in the summer.

But, speaking of cold, more snow forecast for my area this weekend. Maybe that will be the third snow on the robin's back and we can get on to having spring thereafter. Hope so.

 

[MissE]

We just had a dusting of it on the ground, trees, and fences yesterday morning, but mid morning brought huge fluffy flakes. Luckily it didn't stick. Then, late in the afternoon, some strange orange thing appeared in the sky. It didn't stay long.

 

[Ernest40]

I don't have enough time to do my lawn because of work, so I decided to put an artificial lawn, and in the holes cut in it, I planted flowers. I read everything about a variety of such lawns on the website https://mygardenzone.com/best-artificial-grass/. You know, it turned out very beautiful and weeds do not sprout through this lawn. I know that this is a decision for the lazy, but for me this is the only way out.

 

[gtaus]

I don't have enough time to do my lawn because of work, so I decided to put an artificial lawn, and in the holes cut in it, I planted flowers. I read everything about a variety of such lawns on the website https://mygardenzone.com/best-artificial-grass/. You know, it turned out very beautiful and weeds do not sprout through this lawn. I know that this is a decision for the lazy, but for me this is the only way out.

I just watched a YouTube video last night where some guy put in artificial turf on his lawn so he would not have to worry about watering the grass during drought conditions in his area. It looked really good. Well, too good, and somebody filed a complaint about his artificial grass lawn. So the town told him to remove it all and replace it with real grass, during a drought, when you cannot water the lawn!? Evidently, some neighbor was upset this guy had such a nice looking artificial lawn when his real lawn was all dead and dying patchy grass.

 

[Acre4Me]

So the town told him to remove it all and replace it with real grass, during a drought, when you cannot water the lawn!?

Town lacks water AND common sense...

Wonder why they were against the artificial turf? I’m not familiar with the cons of artificial turf.

 

[gtaus]

Town lacks water AND common sense...

Wonder why they were against the artificial turf? I’m not familiar with the cons of artificial turf.

According to some info I read, artificial turf can increase the radiant heat as much as 6X compared to real grass. This leads to a heat island effect in areas where artificial turf is used. How much artificial turf actually increases the heat was not discussed, so when you read things like 6X, you have to ask yourself how much the temp is affected. Also, it ignores the benefits of artificial turf such as never needing to be watered, which I think should be a major consideration if the town is on water restrictions.