What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

I use something similar to this.

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

I will try again. On cisterns they had a diverter on the downspout. The first rainwater went on the ground then diverted to the cistern. Yes someone had to go out in the rain. Some had a block wall in the cistern to filter the water. Water was taken from the filtered half. We had a well and a cistern. Cistern water was used for laundry and baths. We bathed in a number 3 washtub. I was 5 years old in 1957 when water, sewer and gas came through our neighborhood. So gone was the outhouse, coal furnace, well and cistern.

Love this! Thank you for sharing it.

This house was built in 1948, I believe, and had no bathroom. I guess here in the South that was still common then. I don't know what year they turned the back porch into a bathroom and laundry room, but the floor is still sloped for rain runoff.

The teen girls that grew up here in the 1950s tell me of how they showered in the pump house. Cold water and you can see the cement basin out there. But they don't remember anything of how it was set up.

Thank you!

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

I use something similar to this.

I'll have to get myself one of those as soon as I have friable soil.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Busy day again today. Already on my second load of laundry. The lima beans are in the ground. This morning I finally see a couple of green beans poking through the soil. I set up the hoop frames over the garlic, bok choy and squash bed so I can cover with bug netting. Then I carried the okra, eggplant and bell pepper starts to the upper garden. That's my planting goal for the day. I ordered lavender and chive plants. I'm adding live plants of lavender to a section of the slope then starting a small herb garden on the other side of the slope that gets partial shade. I'm planting my dill and cilantro there along with chives. I may plant my extra oregano with the lavender. Just need to keep pushing on to get everything planted. I still have 3 packets of perennial flowers to sow and a few more shrubs and trees. EVO - I do use it for frying / sauteing occasionally. However, I add a little canola oil to keep the smoke point a little higher. OK, gotta go and get back to work.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Any advice on how to deter caterpillars. I haven’t had much luck with getting them to stay away.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Well, it's looking like my mom won't make it. The doctor said this morning that if she miraculously survives then she will likely be in a nursing home for the rest of her life.

So I'm beginning the painful process of figuring out what to do with all her stuff. Went into her she-shed and hit the gardening jackpot. My mom was an avid Master Gardener. Her shed is huge (15 ft x 15 ft easily) and stacked with gardening stuff. It will take me days to go through it all. There's literally hundreds of pots in all shapes and sizes. Boxes of coco coir. Bags for soil, seed starter, hoses. You name it. Hundreds of seed packets. No idea how old they are or if they are viable. Summer heat in there may have damaged their viability.



Love those canning lid plant tags!

 

[gtaus]

It's definitely against my nature, too! Makes me mad that a handle would be more expensive than a whole new shovel.
I know there's currently talk of "right to fix" laws being discussed in political circles - different things involved, like people who create and sell spare parts, and people who have a repair business, shouldn't be penalized for patent infringement. Nor should people who post "how to fix" videos on "the UTube" or people who just want to fix their own stuff when the warranty's expired. I hope it passes - there's way too much waste built into consumer products.

Along those lines, and still within the gardening topic, I recently bought a Harbor Freight Bauer Clamping Workstation to assist me with my pallet wood raised bed builds. It worked great and I loved it - until it broke!

When it broke, it only had maybe 10 hours of work time on it. Very disappointing. I contacted Harbor Freight tech support to see if I could get a replacement part for the one that failed, but they don't have any parts for it in their warehouse. My only option is to exchange it for another one or get my money back. Considering there is only a 90 warranty period with no support afterwards, my best option appears to be to return it for a full refund.

It's such a shame because one replaceable part failed and now everything is going to be junked. They don't carry any of the parts. Also, it is deceptive that the owner's manual lists each and every part on that workstation and one would assume you could fix or replace this unit with new parts. It's just not true. You cannot get any replacement parts at all despite them being clearly shown in the manual.

It is such a waste to see one failed part - that could easily be replaced - results in the entire unit being sent to the landfill because the company will not stock repair parts for the stuff they sell. We really live in a disposable society, I guess.

I really did like the concept and functionality of this clamping workstation. So, I'm looking at paying about $80 more at Home Depot for an original Rockwell Jawhorse, that does the same thing, but comes with a 5-year warranty. After getting burned on the Harbor Freight deal, I'm looking at warranty periods on these items because I suspect they all get made in China and probably will fail the same way.

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

Got to my ferments again. It had been four days. Not good.

I finished broadforking a bed for the peppers.
I watered it extensively last night.

I was able to keep the tiller running for a few passes before it quit.
So the soil was not the crumbliest, but I planted the poor peppers anyway.
They are not in good shape.

It had taken me so long to get them in the ground that the original tags I made for them had faded. I think I have red bell, yellow bell, CA Wonder bell, jalapeno, and either Anaheim or banana. I hope it's Anaheim.

I also added in a few more Fordhook Giant Swiss chard in the peppers, as I've been keeping up with what is growing already.

I have also discovered the wood that never burns. So everybody can build your houses out of grape vines, wisteria, and honey locust. You'll all be fine and insurance rates will go down.

I planted the peas and beans to shade the honeyberries. They insist on growing vertically.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

Well, it's looking like my mom won't make it. The doctor said this morning that if she miraculously survives then she will likely be in a nursing home for the rest of her life.

So I'm beginning the painful process of figuring out what to do with all her stuff. Went into her she-shed and hit the gardening jackpot. My mom was an avid Master Gardener. Her shed is huge (15 ft x 15 ft easily) and stacked with gardening stuff. It will take me days to go through it all. There's literally hundreds of pots in all shapes and sizes. Boxes of coco coir. Bags for soil, seed starter, hoses. You name it. Hundreds of seed packets. No idea how old they are or if they are viable. Summer heat in there may have damaged their viability.

View attachment 3515803
View attachment 3515809
Love those canning lid plant tags!

So sorry to hear about your mom. Wish you and your family the best.

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

Any advice on how to deter caterpillars. I haven’t had much luck with getting them to stay away.

You'll have to deter the moths/butterflies. What kind are you dealing with?