What did you do in the garden today?

[chickmom3941]

I'm happy to send seeds to anyone who sends me a private message with a name and address. I'm an avid seed collector and love to share. I can make a list of what I have and you can tell me what you want.


That is fine. I always have enough to share. Getting seeds anytime they are ready ...even in winter is a treat. Some plants may be annuals in some zones and much longer lived in others. My little tropical garden on the deck has plants started from seeds I brought back to Oklahoma from south Florida when I visited my dad the last time. For me, trying to get unusual seeds to sprout is a challenge. My Bird of Paradise was started in a terrarium 10 years ago and finally bloomed last winter...for the first time.

In the garden today, we picked the Jalapenos...20 plants that were simply loaded. Tomorrow after taking a neighbor's cow to the vet, I will turn them into jalapeno relish and bread and butter jalapenos.View attachment 1088016

I cut up the cucumbers that were gathered the past few days and am brining country pack dill slices and spears and more senfgurken pickles. I always put the recipe card on top of the bowl while they brine.
We got a surprise shower blow up this afternoon...maybe a 1/10 inch of rain....but a gallon of thunder, lightening and downburst winds! Both dogs headed for cover. One under the desk and one in my lap...the 84 pound baby!

It's so kind of you to offer seeds - thank you! I always love trying new seeds. It took 10 years for the Bird of Paradise to bloom? That must have been exciting when it finally did! Your jalapenos look fantastic. Sounds like you have a busy day today canning your peppers, cucumbers & taking the neighbor's cow to the vet. Good luck!

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Pulled out spent bean plants and gave some to the biddies. They have to stay inside today. It rained and blew last night and expect more rain today. Spent a lot of time dumping the water out of the tarp covering the coop in progress. Glad I painted most of it yesterday! Looks ok. Got lucky.

Today I'm doing laundry, indoor chores. Changing bedsheets, baths cleaned, one section of baseboards and floors. Have to do floors in sections because it hurts too much to do them all in a day!

Bathing dogs today too, this evening. Don't tell them though! They know even if we spell B-A-T-H. I go get their towels and they know. I get their soap, yup, they know. I have to get sneaky and get it all ready while they are outside. Smarter than my kids, those dogs.

 

[pennyJo1960]

the fun one here is Moose he is our black labrador and true lab about 80 lbs of Mom NO BATH takes us three to get him in the tub

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Ha, we just bathed one dog last night.... My dogs are trained to mostly be chill with whatever we do to them. They don't like the bath but they put up with it nicely.
We've had a rat problem this year and with the rats came fleas. The dogs have been helping hunt the rats as the rats have been dodging our traps! The dogs had just gotten their flea meds the day before I started noticing the fleas. Now they're so numerous we're looking at fogging the house next week. Which is honestly fine, we have a pretty bad cellar spider problem too so two birds with one stone as it were.
Oddly, the husky has the fleas but not many. It's the shorter haired dog that was COVERED in them. So we washed her last night. Many fleas died. Just waiting for the Frontline to take care of the rest and to fog the house. She's feeling much better for having been bathed too.

Today I got into the garden for the first time in a while (been VERY busy). There's too many weeds again but I did pull the last of the radishes, harvested some onions and beans, and started training some of my mystery cucurbits/melons/whatever. We finally have some female flowers on some of the squashes. Looking forward to veggies!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Maybe shouldn't do this but they make a flea walk around the house spray much more effective than a bomb make sure the can say IGR works better than a bomb, bombs do not go under sofas of beds.. lower cupboards I empty put contents on the counter cover with towel spray cabinet bottoms once dry put whatever back.. keep animals out till spray is dry lots easier than bombs just my not so humble opinion

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@penny1960 I was just going to post that! Yes, it works better than foggers for me too.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Most often we do not have extended cold in the winters deep freeze so they do not
die off I HATE FLEAS Years ago flew to NY taking 6 dogs to become a master groomer I battled fleas for a living getting me through vet school and becoming a successful professional handler at dog shows my real passion

 

[Taote]

Pulled out spent bean plants and gave some to the biddies. They have to stay inside today. It rained and blew last night and expect more rain today. Spent a lot of time dumping the water out of the tarp covering the coop in progress. Glad I painted most of it yesterday! Looks ok. Got lucky.

Today I'm doing laundry, indoor chores. Changing bedsheets, baths cleaned, one section of baseboards and floors. Have to do floors in sections because it hurts too much to do them all in a day!

Bathing dogs today too, this evening. Don't tell them though! They know even if we spell B-A-T-H. I go get their towels and they know. I get their soap, yup, they know. I have to get sneaky and get it all ready while they are outside. Smarter than my kids, those dogs.

Good thing you got that painting done : ). You have a lot planned for today!

 

[chickmom3941]

Pulled out spent bean plants and gave some to the biddies. They have to stay inside today. It rained and blew last night and expect more rain today. Spent a lot of time dumping the water out of the tarp covering the coop in progress. Glad I painted most of it yesterday! Looks ok. Got lucky.

Today I'm doing laundry, indoor chores. Changing bedsheets, baths cleaned, one section of baseboards and floors. Have to do floors in sections because it hurts too much to do them all in a day!

Bathing dogs today too, this evening. Don't tell them though! They know even if we spell B-A-T-H. I go get their towels and they know. I get their soap, yup, they know. I have to get sneaky and get it all ready while they are outside. Smarter than my kids, those dogs.

Ha! Yes, dogs are so smart. Our dog often insists on following me into the bathroom and lays on the rug while I do my "duties", but any time we start preparing to give him a bath (even if we try to do or say nothing that would tip him off), he seems to know, and immediately heads the other way! lol.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Ok. For seed plant swap I have a list of stuff I have or can grab out of the garden/yard. Let me know if you want something. I only have a little of most of it, but expect more of some of it later in the season. I'm hoping my plumeria will make seeds sometime soon. It's been blooming it's head off all year! But no seed pods yet.

Seed inventory July 2017
Sweet peppers, Rainbow mini (yellow, orange, red) & cal wonder bell (green to red)
Catnip
Sweet basil, standard
Carrots, short n sweet
Chives
Rosemary
Okra, Clemson spineless
Arugula, wild Italian
Larkspur, mixed regular (heirloom from Maw-Maw)
Cantaloupe, hales best & ? From Jim
Cucumbers, straight 8
Bush bean, blue lake
Onion, wallawalla
Oregano, regular
Tomato, Rutgers
Nasturtium, mixed
Alyssum, mixed & purple
Thyme, common
Marigolds, extra dwarf double yellow, dwarf orange, small/dwarf mixed
Ginger root tubers
Caladium, green&pink w/silvery splotches, med size, tubers
Hog peanuts, nuts

Plants/cuttings/starts
Portulaca, moss rose, mixed
Purslane, mixed
Aloe vera
Oxalis, purpley pink
Verbena, dk purple
Lantana, pink/salmon/coral, yellow/orange/tangerine
Coleus, burgundy & lime
Rose of Sharon bush, yet unknown color
Purple spear rush, water/bog plant, rhizomes
Texas purple sage bush
Liriope, ornamental grass with lavendar bloom spears
Vinca, ground cover, purple
Texas wild grapes, white and purple, Muscadine and Mustang?
Trumpet vine, common orange
Bearded iris, lt purple, rhizomes