What did you do in the garden today?

[fuzzi]

The beautiful parent of those nasty horn worms eating at my tomatoes. It is what it is and I'm on a mission to lesson the Hummingbird Moths tonight again.
View attachment 3536946

I love clearwing moths.

The tobacco and tomato hornworm moths aren't as pretty.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manduca_quinquemaculata

 

[fuzzi]

No gardening here this year, as we're packing up to move soon. However, I noticed our seedling pecan tree in the front yard has flowers this year! First time! So happy. We're trading houses with our son and his family (he needs a bigger house, we need a smaller one with no stairs, so win-win), so I'll still get to see the first nuts

View attachment 3536919

This is a wonderful idea!

 

[Sueby]

@Sueby, I hope your DH is okay.

He's perfectly fine, that's what they do for fun, lol. I think he's literally 20 minutes from you, one of these days I'm going to go & visit you! Your garden is looking fabulous. It's so great to expand.

I LOVE all the pics, everyones stuff is looking so good! I hate to not be growing much, & even worse I hate to see the strawberries rotting. I'm so over this, can't wait for next year. In a mood today...

 

[Smokerbill]

I put together a compost pile today. I hauled 8 wheelbarrow loads of manure soaked woodchips from my chicken run down to the woods. Lasagna-layered them with used fir shavings from the brooder and coop, and grass clippings I've been saving from the yard.

I ended up with a pyramidal pile a good 4 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter. My garden hose was long enough to reach, so I soaked it down with water for 20 minutes or so.

I think I got the right mix of carbon and nitrogen, so it should start cooking pretty soon. I'll monitor it with my long-probe thermometer.

 

[Sueby]

In grand anticipation of incoming rain, I weeded, mulched and dry fed the garden.
The mulch, which has been waiting for me in the garden for a month and never rained on was wet, full of mold and ants. I have spent the remainder of the morning, despite a shower, remembering how to breathe like a normal person.
Seriously, what is the deal mulch people. I'm in exceptional drought and the bags are so wet inside they grow THAT?!
Oh well.
I also lowered my sewing table 4 inches this morning.
Taking a power saw to an antique library table was a tough decision, but it is my sewing table, and it really needed lowering, it was causing leg and shoulder problems.
Anywho....here's the garden as of the finish of work this morning. I do need to get out there and get some mini pots going for the strawberry runners rooting. These are flamingo strawberries, and very hard to find.View attachment 3536559

Looking good! I love the 'school house'. Didn't you plant a butterfly garden? Is that it on the right side?

My new neighbors had a tag sale today, picked up a little cabinet. Cheap laminate, but I think I can probably paint it & use it for canning stuff. It's in good shape & sturdy & they delivered for $10.

 

[Sally PB]

use it for canning stuff.

Nice!

This last year, we finally built a pantry out in the mudroom, and it's great! However, it's on an outside wall, and in the winter, the mudroom gets very little heat. So I don't store anything that can't freeze out there.

We have talked even longer about building a pantry in the basement under the stairs for the canned goods, both store bought and home canned (mostly tomatoes). Really hoping we do that; I need a place for all the empty canning jars as we use up the tomatoes. It gets cold in the basement, but I've never had anything freeze there.

Also, then jars would be visible. DH will say, "I didn't know we had applesauce!" because the jars are in opaque totes or cardboard boxes.

I'd also like a place to store my canning equipment. I only use for a few weeks during the year. It would be nice to have secure, clean storage for the canner and pressure canner.

 

[fuzzi]

Nice!

This last year, we finally built a pantry out in the mudroom, and it's great! However, it's on an outside wall, and in the winter, the mudroom gets very little heat. So I don't store anything that can't freeze out there.

We have talked even longer about building a pantry in the basement under the stairs for the canned goods, both store bought and home canned (mostly tomatoes). Really hoping we do that; I need a place for all the empty canning jars as we use up the tomatoes. It gets cold in the basement, but I've never had anything freeze there.

Also, then jars would be visible. DH will say, "I didn't know we had applesauce!" because the jars are in opaque totes or cardboard boxes.

I'd also like a place to store my canning equipment. I only use for a few weeks during the year. It would be nice to have secure, clean storage for the canner and pressure canner.

I'd like to have pantry shelves with LABELS so I could see what I had.

 

[fuzzi]

Summer has arrived. Oh well.

This morning I was out in the vegetable gardens before it got hot.

View attachment 3536666
Today's haul of wax and green beans

What I did with today's haul, later on...

 

[WthrLady]

@Sueby yes, the schoolhouse is half herb and perennial and half pollinator. Left is all wildflowers. Right with the birdbath is labeled herb and perennial. Thank you.

 

[Swiss]

Just one?!?!

I knew from being on here that potatoes get missed quite easily, so I dug that area up quite well. My puppy also "helped" quite enthusiastically. I also messed with that area this spring a little, so, I'm surprised this one is coming up!

Grape. FYI wild grapes have male and female plants. Some have perfect flowers and self pollinate. Domestic grapes have been selected for self pollination. There is a least one wine grape that is female and needs a pollinator.

Good to know! I looked at it closer today, and agree that it's grape. Last night, I started the big job of getting it under control, as it has climbed to the top of the trees quite vigorously.