What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

these make yummy onion pancakes!

Do you have a recipe? Those sound good! I'm going to have all kinds of onions, I think.

A deer (I think) got the two butternut squashes that I saw growing on the vine. I'm not seeing many female flowers, either. B-nut was my one, never-fail crop, until last year when I got z-e-r-o.

I got the second tier of sting/flags up around the garden that has the new fence. I'm going to do a third one, but I used up all my chicken feed bags. I'll ask my neighbor if I can have her empty bags.

One of DH's bosses said he might get more of the 10' U-channel posts, and would we want them....? Oh yeah!

 

[Beccatrix]

Started pruning tomatoes, since I've been unable to the past 4 weeks. One bed is back to manageable with good airflow! Jostled the corn a bit for more pollination. Put in some clearance sweet potato slips!

 

[TJAnonymous]

Took a stroll through the garden tonight. First time I've been down there since Friday morning. I picked several pounds of ripe tomatoes! Finally! I filled a large colander plus 2 quart-sized containers. Hoping I have enough for sauce soon...

I also picked 3 zucchini, 4 cukes, a handful of green beans, a couple pepperoncinos, and maybe a dozen and a half butterfly pea flowers. Not bad....

Killed at least 4 or 5 mating pairs of squash bugs and put a ton of Borax out. My hoop house is getting overrun with ants and spiders... Just my luck, it's supposed to rain tonight just a wee sprinkle. Probably enough to wash away the borax but not enough to actually water anything (knowing my luck...).

I had to have DH put a young pullet down tonight. I've had her in the infirmary cage in my sunroom for nearly a month. She started with a limp which worsened. Initially I thought one of the roosters hurt her trying to breed her. Then I thought maybe she had a slipped tendon. Tonight I looked her over really well. She has lost a ton of weight. Her comb looks very pale and unhealthy. And she can no longer walk. I'm guessing maybe Mareks? Not a good prognosis for sure. No one else in the flock is sick or showing any symptoms...even the 20+ new chicks my chickens have hatched over the spring and summer are all healthy. Of course, it could be something other than Mareks like some other virus, bacteria, or even a vitamin deficiency. Not sure but since she was going downhill, we simply did the humane thing and ended her suffering. Bummer...

 

[SheaLoner]

@southwestclucker have you had your well water tested? There may be excess salts or something in there that your plants dont like.
Living in the complete opposite climate from yours, My first thoughts would be to dig your beds into pits in the ground? Would provide some shade during am/pm hours, may help maintain mousture. But that is just my 2cents.

 

[pinewoodacres]

Picked a tiny watermelon after noticing the vine was totally withered. We really have to start on time next year! We direct sowed 3ish weeks after last frost date.

 

[Swiss]

My sore throat was definitely caused by all that pollen. I didn't work in the garden yesterday (except to harvest some lettuce for burgers) or today, and I was able to get some sleep last night and felt my throat getting better all day.

I went out and picked 8.15 ounces of wild raspberries. Many, MANY more berries are working their way to ripeness, so most of these went in the freezer to wait for a large enough quantity to do something with (what didn't make it into the freezer, made it into my tummy):

My "helper":

 

[ChicksnMore]

@Sally PB

Onion pancakes
1 cup flour
1 tblsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 c water
1 egg
Green onions, chives, garlic chives or scallions
*You can also add shrimp to this and it's delicious, but just onions is what I usually do

Mix everything but the onions and shrimp ( if your using) in a big bowl. Chop the onions into 2 to 3 inch lengths and if your adding shrimp, chop the shrimp into roughly 1/2 to 1 inch chunks. Fold the onions and shrimp into the batter. You should have enough onions that the bowl looks like it's almost all onions...there should just be enough batter to hold the onions together.

Heat your frying pan, add a little oil and spread it around well. When the pans hot, add a ladle full of the onion batter and smooth it around with the back of the ladle. Flip it when the tops set and partially cooked. Press the pancake briefly with a spatula once flipped. Let it cook for another minute or two and it's done. Add a little more oil to the pan between pancakes. Just a little though...it doesn't take much oil at all.

Serve as is or with your choice of dipping sauce. Marinara, soy sauce, ranch dressing...whatever sounds good to you at the moment.

My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid. I just love em

 

[ChicksnMore]

My sore throat was definitely caused by all that pollen. I didn't work in the garden yesterday (except to harvest some lettuce for burgers) or today, and I was able to get some sleep last night and felt my throat getting better all day.

I went out and picked 8.15 ounces of wild raspberries. Many, MANY more berries are working their way to ripeness, so most of these went in the freezer to wait for a large enough quantity to do something with (what didn't make it into the freezer, made it into my tummy):
View attachment 3189603

My "helper":
View attachment 3190287

Yourbhelper looks like a dog I had years and years ago named Silly Puppy

 

[TJAnonymous]

Yourbhelper looks like a dog I had years and years ago named Silly Puppy

Is your name Mindy??? One hundred brownie points if you understand this reference....

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

For years now we haven't had chiggers and barely any mosquitos.
The secret: ducks.
One year a couple years ago I didn't have ducks free ranging in my yard, and I was getting eaten up by chiggers and mosquitos. Yes, the ducks made all the difference.
I am partial to the "little piggies" as I call them.