What did you do in the garden today?

[NewBoots]

I gave my chickens some of the pea greens yesterday. Not that crazy about them. Spoiled!

I've never tried them with the chickens but the rabbits think they're mana from heaven. I even give them the parts that are brown or otherwise less than green and pretty and they don't care at all, they eat 'em all up. And thanks for the tip about Seresto

No rain and none for the foreseeable future, so I did the watering and shared out more bolted lettuce among the chickens and rabbits. I may just keep planting lettuce with the understanding that it won't give us salads but the critters will be grateful.

This is my first time raised cabbage and it occurs to me that I don't know when to harvest it. I have a lot of nice heads of various sizes, do I just harvest them when I need cabbage or is there a too late moment? Does cabbage bolt? It must sooner or later to produce seeds. Is there a sign that time is running out so I know to get off the dime? Thanks all.

Looks like I need to get another pallet to add to the planting deck. It isn't my fault, Farrs has had 10 gal nursery pots for $6.29 for a two months so I just have to buy a couple more whenever we stop in there. 5 gal ones for $4.59 too.

Found a recipe for pesto using pecans instead of pine nuts so I'll be harvesting the basil and making pesto. And grating Parmesan cheese. Hmm, as soon as I get the food processor out of the box in the garage. We've been here just about a year and we never really needed it till now. Oh and I have enough okra to make one jar of pickles! I'm thinking I'll use the extra pickling stuff for snap peas. Must resist urge to add hot pepper flakes to all of them.

 

[Sueby]

Afternoon gardeners! It's so darn hot & only getting hotter. I so hate summer. Too hot for anything to go on in the garden, I'm locked in the ac till the snow starts.

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I’m sitting in the shade in my backyard with a little bit of a breeze. Hanging with my girls. It’s not too bad. Hey @NewBoots, if your dog sits in your lap and sleeps in your bed, the seresto collar works to keep those bugs off you as well. It’s too soon for snow @Sueby.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well need to go take photos quick new phone updated now it close to dead but have problem my tomato looks wonderful. My poor tomatilla just the big one looks near death .. ???????

 

[WthrLady]

It currently feels like 112....the humidity is tropical and 79 degrees...and we're in the upper 90s. UNHOLY!

I need to water and feed the tomatoes tonight, but it will wait until dark. No two ways around it.

 

[jerryse]

This is my first time raised cabbage and it occurs to me that I don't know when to harvest it. I have a lot of nice heads of various sizes, do I just harvest them when I need cabbage or is there a too late moment? Does cabbage bolt? It must sooner or later to produce seeds. Is there a sign that time is running out so I know to get off the dime? Thanks all.


If the heads split you waited too long . Just use as needed . Cabbage seed is produced after winter = biennial for seed . Will not usually survive a zone 5 winter .

 

[NewBoots]

If the heads split you waited too long . Just use as needed . Cabbage seed is produced after winter = biennial for seed . Will not usually survive a zone 5 winter .

That is awesome! No wonder cabbage has always been a staple. We're zone 9a so it sounds like I have plenty of time to harvest them. Thanks so much!

I was just out digging a hole for one of my artichokes and I hit a bag rock. This isn't unusual, our "soil" is made up of rocks with sand mixed in but usually they're only 4" or smaller. No, the rock in the hole I was digging was the size of a small football and oh so heavy. I had to enlarge the hole quite a bit to get it out but I did. This artichoke now has a ton of room for me to add compost and mulch so next year, the artichokes should be huge!

 

[NightingaleJen]

Hello all!

@igorsMistress, sorry your mint is done for the year! That is one of my favourite herbs. Plus—well, here, anyhow—it's nearly impossible to kill!

Found a recipe for pesto using pecans instead of pine nuts so I'll be harvesting the basil and making pesto. ...Oh and I have enough okra to make one jar of pickles!

FWIW, you can make pesto out of nearly any combo of green herb, nut, and hard cheese. I've made cilantro pesto in the past and it's fabulous (pumpkin seeds work well there, but so do pecans—pine nuts ARE obscenely expensive, and having recently developed an allergy to walnuts...pecans forever!). I understand pine nuts, basil, and parm are traditional—well, in pesto's case, the recipe is more of a guideline... Oh, pistachios work well, too, in place of pignola. Go crazy! And smear that delicious pesto on everything!

(Warning, crazy person who will in fact cook something after a delicious dinner just because Jacques Pepin made it and it looked so fantastic here)

Sorry summer is so hard on you, @Sueby & @WthrLady. That's why I try to be indoors by ten...AM. Evening is not too bad, either, most nights. *checks temperature* *it's 87F* *hmmm*

Busy day here. Sowed a lot of things for late summer/early fall harvest—peas, chard, kale (jumping the gun on some things, but...), these wild-looking green radishes, more basil and dill, beets...I don't remember what else, because a few things I hadn't intended to plant snuck into my hand.

Mulched some containers since it is indeed hot.

Here's the new nasturtium variety—it is called Cherry Rose Jewel, and the seeds were purchased from Botanical Interests.

It does fade a bit in the sun, but with that cherry tomato gone, she's getting hit full blast morning and late afternoon. Still pretty.

Remember my sunflower? The short one I was so excited about? Somehow, last night it was knocked over! I found the bloom just lying on the grass (still attracting bees, though). Figured we might as well enjoy it indoors before it gets composted, so I put it into a little bowl of water. Lucy, our tortie, could not resist investigating.

That's all. The chicks ship Monday...how am I supposed to pay attention in church tomorrow?!

Happy gardening, everyone!

 

[igorsMistress]

Hello all!

@igorsMistress, sorry your mint is done for the year! That is one of my favourite herbs. Plus—well, here, anyhow—it's nearly impossible to kill!



FWIW, you can make pesto out of nearly any combo of green herb, nut, and hard cheese. I've made cilantro pesto in the past and it's fabulous (pumpkin seeds work well there, but so do pecans—pine nuts ARE obscenely expensive, and having recently developed an allergy to walnuts...pecans forever!). I understand pine nuts, basil, and parm are traditional—well, in pesto's case, the recipe is more of a guideline... Oh, pistachios work well, too, in place of pignola. Go crazy! And smear that delicious pesto on everything!

(Warning, crazy person who will in fact cook something after a delicious dinner just because Jacques Pepin made it and it looked so fantastic here)

Sorry summer is so hard on you, @Sueby & @WthrLady. That's why I try to be indoors by ten...AM. Evening is not too bad, either, most nights. *checks temperature* *it's 87F* *hmmm*

Busy day here. Sowed a lot of things for late summer/early fall harvest—peas, chard, kale (jumping the gun on some things, but...), these wild-looking green radishes, more basil and dill, beets...I don't remember what else, because a few things I hadn't intended to plant snuck into my hand.

Mulched some containers since it is indeed hot.

Here's the new nasturtium variety—it is called Cherry Rose Jewel, and the seeds were purchased from Botanical Interests.

View attachment 2251231
It does fade a bit in the sun, but with that cherry tomato gone, she's getting hit full blast morning and late afternoon. Still pretty.

Remember my sunflower? The short one I was so excited about? Somehow, last night it was knocked over! I found the bloom just lying on the grass (still attracting bees, though). Figured we might as well enjoy it indoors before it gets composted, so I put it into a little bowl of water. Lucy, our tortie, could not resist investigating.

View attachment 2251236

That's all. The chicks ship Monday...how am I supposed to pay attention in church tomorrow?!

Happy gardening, everyone!

I may or may not have forgotten to water it.

 

[NewBoots]

No witnesses, no crime