Welcome to our gardening thread here lot's of great folks
What did you do in the garden today?
- Thread starter Dara77
- Start date
Welcome to our gardening thread here lot's of great folks
rocking chickens
Songster
- Dec 2, 2018
- 140
- 628
- 152
Thanks
@alfie have you considered a straw bale garden? We started one for the first time this year. We looped a soaker hose on top and used garden stakes that were u-shaped to hold it in place. After it was conditioned with water, old chicken manure, and fertilizer, we top dressed it with potting soil and planted in it. Less bending over, almost no weeding, and fewer pests since it is off the ground. We can turn it into compost next year and re-use the posts to put new bales between. Our climate isn't conducive to using them for a second year, but you probably could in England.
My husband was very skeptical, but he says he is convinced now. I was lazy about planting the whole way down. Just added cucumbers, yellow squash, eggplant, and some herbs. Watered some with sweat and then turned on the soaker hose. I have a timer for it, but haven't hooked it up yet.
Looks like it grows mushrooms too!
I’ve always heard positive things about straw bale gardening.
Yes. The mushrooms are an indication that good things are happening inside! I don't dare try them though. My degree is in Zoology, not Mycology. I do want to try sterilizing a bale with boiling water and innoculating with purchased mushroom spores some time. I love mushrooms!
thanks for your comments everyone i do carry a phone but i live in a terrace house and security gate and front door locked ,no neighbours were in ,i,m really going to have rethink things it,s not the first time i,ve had an accident . a rockery is a lge pile of stones and rocks covered in soil ,not completely and low growing plants .at least it,s used up most of the rubble i had lying around ! my pots are all finished so i was clearing the soil out and found a few strays ,i like it when that happens.sounds like my neighbours are having yet another party hope they play some decent music this time last time it was terrible .my plants arrived ,late, the box was squashed flat ,it had gone to wrong address and one plant was missing , waste of time trying to contact anyone ,i just won,t use this firm again
The green ones do it to me all the time, I love the gold ones, nice flavor and nearly no hiding them. Thank heavens the chickens like the overgrown ones.Part of today’s harvest. I can’t believe that giant zucchini was able to hide from me!!
I'm surprised how long my snap peas keep producing, I was sure they'd be done by now but I'll have to pick more in a day or so.
I've only seen one tomato hornworm in my whole life so I'm kind of looking forward to my first one.
Please not on my peppers though, they are already on the ropes.Recipe please? I've heard of them but never had one and it sounds delicious.
Caprese salad is soooo good in hot weather. It always makes me feel cooler.
@Wee Farmer Sarah, I got the goods for both the watermelon salad and ham & cheese sandwiches yesterday. I plan to make the salad later today and I'll let you know how it turns out. DP generally isn't big on watermelon but even she is interested.
Watering is done, the critters are seen to and I gave zucchini and beets to the tow truck driver that stopped to ask for directions. That'll teach him.
Rice is in the cooker with some bouillon and Chinese sausage (smells heavenly), kale is chopped up and ready for braising. I'm sitting here enjoying my tea and this board (SO happy I discovered it a full year before we moved). Overcast in the high 60s, tempted to go fishing but probably not till 5 or so.
HUMMINGBIRD CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Cake:
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cup vegetable oil
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 Cups mashed banana
1 Cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
7 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350*. Line 2 (9") round cake pans with parchment. Spray with baking spray with flour or grease & dust with flour
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda and salt. Add eggs and oil, whisking until combined. Add pineapple with juice, banana and pecans; stirring until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans.
This was posted on our home bakers thread it is very good but kinda keeps you on your toes for bit but worth it ...
Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks
For frosting: in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium-high speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with more pecans if desired.--I toasted the pecans before using in the cake batter
--I made my cake 3 layers instead of 2 so less batter was poured into the pans...that meant the baking time was shorter (took about 30 minutes).--If your bananas aren't ripe, toss them in the oven while it's warming up for about 10 minutes...ta da, instant mushy ripe bananas--The frosting recipe makes a LOT, I had about 1 cup left over. So either put more between layers or reduce the frosting ingredients
Cake:
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cup vegetable oil
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 Cups mashed banana
1 Cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
7 Cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350*. Line 2 (9") round cake pans with parchment. Spray with baking spray with flour or grease & dust with flour
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking soda and salt. Add eggs and oil, whisking until combined. Add pineapple with juice, banana and pecans; stirring until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans.
This was posted on our home bakers thread it is very good but kinda keeps you on your toes for bit but worth it ...
Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks
For frosting: in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium-high speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with more pecans if desired.--I toasted the pecans before using in the cake batter
--I made my cake 3 layers instead of 2 so less batter was poured into the pans...that meant the baking time was shorter (took about 30 minutes).--If your bananas aren't ripe, toss them in the oven while it's warming up for about 10 minutes...ta da, instant mushy ripe bananas--The frosting recipe makes a LOT, I had about 1 cup left over. So either put more between layers or reduce the frosting ingredients
Everyone's garden looks so wonderful! Seems everything is beginning to hit its stride. Seeing thriving gardens makes me so happy!
@alfie10, Oh, I am sorry to hear about that fall! But it is good to hear you hauled yourself up to recover. Seriously...dogs...lend a paw, won't you? @Sueby is right, some days you just get what you can done and leave the rest to God to handle. I'm another big fan of thick straw mulch with nylon soaker beneath. Knowing of my innate clutziness/health issues, Hubby insists I carry my phone with me at all times just in case I do fall.
@karenerwin @Sueby Thank you! Actually, I have two really good tick & bug repellent sprays my doctor recommended to me, but suspect it was accidentally washed/rubbed off while I was running about, and also because someone *ahem* forgot to reapply. So it is on me. Well, it wasn't, and that's why I got bitten up! Ha! I use one called Guardian, and another called Ticks-n-All, which is safe to use around pets.
My reaction to the bites has always been a little worse than other people's, but over the past ten years it has gotten MUCH worse—we're talking welts and 1/3"+ blisters. Hubby actually looked it up last week because I was so badly affected I could barely walk! Turns out it is a severe allergic reaction to the injection the buggers make when they first bite. I am *just* clearing up now, and the first bites came over a week ago. Good times!
Beautiful photos, too, @karenerwin!
@NewBoots This is a violently unpopular suggestion, for some reason, but it is absolutely best to always store home-canned goods without the rings on. Should the jar unseal for any reason (none of them good!), if the ring is still on, it can actually help the lid re-seal, and you never know there is a problem until it is potentially too late. So please, please keep them off the jars in the pantry! Just remember to have a little stack of them nearby for when you give a jarred goodie away.
The garlic and shallots look beauuuuutiful! *swoon* And yes, you can make kale pesto just as @penny1960 said. I would perhaps use a little more parm or another stronger-tasting cheese that works for pesto to help balance out the bitterness, and maybe a fruitier-tasting EVOO. Plus pesto freezes beautifully. I can look at my ten canning books to see if there's a recipe, but don't recall ever seeing a canning recipe...what about chopping it up and freezing it?
Sounds as if your garden is doing beautifully, @Wee Farmer Sarah! Well done!
@TropicalBabies, why do you prefer old towels for chicks?
That is too hot for me, @igorsMistress. Goodness. You literally CAN fry an egg on the sidewalk, can't you?
Glad you finally have the hay in, @WthrLady. That is seriously tough work. Sorry to hear about the wind damage—goodness. My great-grandmother began life on a farm in Iowa. She had some marvellous stories, but quite a few of them left me feeling very grateful to be growing up in Michigan instead. But every place has its own issues, something I'm sure we can all appreciate.
Happy Saturday, gardeners! To be honest I still can't do a whole lot out there because of those bites, but I've been able to hobble around the beds, bug repellent in hand. Happily, Hubby helped by watering the containers for me, plus we've had to nice rainstorms—probably 2+" of rain this week. I did scratch a few more seeds into the garden because it is some sort of compulsion. I CAN'T HELP IT!!!
Oh—Hubby actually bought some zuc seeds at our local nursery for me because I've been having such a time this year. Opened the package...only two seeds inside! Eeek! The nursery was happy to file a credit away for us for our next visit, though. Yes, I planted them. Of course! He also found some pepper plants, since the raccoons tore those up for me.
A friend from church dropped by midweek with two big bags of rabbit manure (her son raises them for 4H). I know it can go straight onto the beds but since I cannot put proper gardening shoes on (normally I throw on sandals when it is this hot and humid—mid 90s all week, 84% humidity—but slinging any kind of manure requires real shoes, in my book) we just added it to the compost pile. In which a gigantic squash decided to grow! We'll try not to disturb it. If that is the only way I can get zucchini this year I'll take it!
She also gave me one of her volunteer acorn squash, but it was sulking because of the heat. I've been giving it good drinks and will plant it Monday, when I should be feeling more mobile at last and it'll be cooler.
We have been nibbling on green beans. There are more and more baby tomatoes coming in! My borage began to bloom, too, and there is an almost veritable sea of nigella in the flowerbeds.
So, unfortunately I have not been able to accomplish much, but I do have a few photos.
"Paul Robeson"—one looks a little cat-faced, but I think it'll be okay. Can always harvest and fry it now, I guess.
Nigella!
A beautiful poppy...and friend.
Stay cool and happy gardening, all! Keep those fingernails filthy. ;P
Seeing thriving gardens makes me so happy!@alfie10, Oh, I am sorry to hear about that fall! But it is good to hear you hauled yourself up to recover. Seriously...dogs...lend a paw, won't you? @Sueby is right, some days you just get what you can done and leave the rest to God to handle. I'm another big fan of thick straw mulch with nylon soaker beneath. Knowing of my innate clutziness/health issues, Hubby insists I carry my phone with me at all times just in case I do fall.
@karenerwin @Sueby Thank you! Actually, I have two really good tick & bug repellent sprays my doctor recommended to me, but suspect it was accidentally washed/rubbed off while I was running about, and also because someone *ahem* forgot to reapply. So it is on me. Well, it wasn't, and that's why I got bitten up! Ha! I use one called Guardian, and another called Ticks-n-All, which is safe to use around pets.
My reaction to the bites has always been a little worse than other people's, but over the past ten years it has gotten MUCH worse—we're talking welts and 1/3"+ blisters. Hubby actually looked it up last week because I was so badly affected I could barely walk! Turns out it is a severe allergic reaction to the injection the buggers make when they first bite. I am *just* clearing up now, and the first bites came over a week ago. Good times!
Beautiful photos, too, @karenerwin!
@NewBoots This is a violently unpopular suggestion, for some reason, but it is absolutely best to always store home-canned goods without the rings on. Should the jar unseal for any reason (none of them good!), if the ring is still on, it can actually help the lid re-seal, and you never know there is a problem until it is potentially too late. So please, please keep them off the jars in the pantry! Just remember to have a little stack of them nearby for when you give a jarred goodie away.
The garlic and shallots look beauuuuutiful! *swoon* And yes, you can make kale pesto just as @penny1960 said. I would perhaps use a little more parm or another stronger-tasting cheese that works for pesto to help balance out the bitterness, and maybe a fruitier-tasting EVOO. Plus pesto freezes beautifully. I can look at my ten canning books to see if there's a recipe, but don't recall ever seeing a canning recipe...what about chopping it up and freezing it?
Sounds as if your garden is doing beautifully, @Wee Farmer Sarah! Well done!
@TropicalBabies, why do you prefer old towels for chicks?
That is too hot for me, @igorsMistress. Goodness. You literally CAN fry an egg on the sidewalk, can't you?
Glad you finally have the hay in, @WthrLady. That is seriously tough work. Sorry to hear about the wind damage—goodness. My great-grandmother began life on a farm in Iowa. She had some marvellous stories, but quite a few of them left me feeling very grateful to be growing up in Michigan instead. But every place has its own issues, something I'm sure we can all appreciate.
Happy Saturday, gardeners! To be honest I still can't do a whole lot out there because of those bites, but I've been able to hobble around the beds, bug repellent in hand.
Happily, Hubby helped by watering the containers for me, plus we've had to nice rainstorms—probably 2+" of rain this week. I did scratch a few more seeds into the garden because it is some sort of compulsion. I CAN'T HELP IT!!! Oh—Hubby actually bought some zuc seeds at our local nursery for me because I've been having such a time this year. Opened the package...only two seeds inside! Eeek! The nursery was happy to file a credit away for us for our next visit, though. Yes, I planted them. Of course! He also found some pepper plants, since the raccoons tore those up for me.
A friend from church dropped by midweek with two big bags of rabbit manure (her son raises them for 4H). I know it can go straight onto the beds but since I cannot put proper gardening shoes on (normally I throw on sandals when it is this hot and humid—mid 90s all week, 84% humidity—but slinging any kind of manure requires real shoes, in my book) we just added it to the compost pile. In which a gigantic squash decided to grow! We'll try not to disturb it. If that is the only way I can get zucchini this year I'll take it!
She also gave me one of her volunteer acorn squash, but it was sulking because of the heat. I've been giving it good drinks and will plant it Monday, when I should be feeling more mobile at last and it'll be cooler.
We have been nibbling on green beans.
There are more and more baby tomatoes coming in! My borage began to bloom, too, and there is an almost veritable sea of nigella in the flowerbeds. So, unfortunately I have not been able to accomplish much, but I do have a few photos.
"Paul Robeson"—one looks a little cat-faced, but I think it'll be okay. Can always harvest and fry it now, I guess.
Nigella!
A beautiful poppy...and friend.
Stay cool and happy gardening, all! Keep those fingernails filthy. ;P
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