What did you do in the garden today?

[Sueby]

A nice day ahead! It rained last night, but should be good today. More rain coming, and cold temps this week.

sadly, our Dorking cockerel died yesterday. We don’t know what happened, and I posted pics etc in the emergencies forum but got no replies. Anyway, he died and now we put some harassed hens in his pen so they can hopefully heal and grow some feathers back. Might need to pen up the other male to lessen the mating and anyfights between the two males currently in the run. Lots of females and space, but 2 males will still preferentially mate the most docile hens.

I’ll be starting some seeds today, planting others. I have so many seeds, and it’s hard to select a few varieties out of many. We picked 3 watermelons to try, and 3-4 musk melons. We had good success with the muskmelons. I’m not hopeful for the watermelons, but the gardener in me needs to try!

because we had great success with pole beans, we are going to make more permanent take-apart-for-winter-storage frames That can be placed over the raised beds (will sit on the ground and be anchored). The pole beans produced well, and it was easy to wait until they were dry to pick, and they didn't mold bc they were nowhere near the ground. Contrast to bush beans, which we will also grow, where the pods were sitting on dirt at times, so the dry beans were sometimrs moldy. I’ll have to try to put up some supportsfor the bean plants to stay upright better when storms blow through.

I would love to see pics of what you come up with for your frames!! This is my first (real) year planting beans because I finally have some space & I'm struggling with poles & trellises & whatever I dream up, LOL. I'd love it if anyone else wanted to share pics of what they do with their pole beans too!!

I planted some native milkweed (actually butterfly weed) seeds that have been stratifying in the fridge for the last month. I sure do hope they germinate, I'm excited for them! I wish the swallowtail caterpillars would eat that instead of my dill, but I don't think that's how it works, lol.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I would love to see pics of what you come up with for your frames!! This is my first (real) year planting beans because I finally have some space & I'm struggling with poles & trellises & whatever I dream up, LOL. I'd love it if anyone else wanted to share pics of what they do with their pole beans too!!

I planted some native milkweed (actually butterfly weed) seeds that have been stratifying in the fridge for the last month. I sure do hope they germinate, I'm excited for them! I wish the swallowtail caterpillars would eat that instead of my dill, but I don't think that's how it works, lol.

You know I was just thinking for beans this winter I would take the angle grinder to some 1x4 welded wire fencing for them to climb. 4x4 cattle panels would probably also be great for your application.

And you are correct. The butterflies will not eat milkweeds if their host plants are dill. Hey but you might help a Monarch get home so "chin Up"!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Gardeners wet day here rained allot yesterday they say showers will be here today
probably not doing allot out there as a result .. Did get the peppers in pots three days ago ..

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. I cut back the artichokes today. I used a very sharp paring knife to cut off the leaves and a machete to whack off the stalks. I used some of the leaves to mulch the mesquite tree, the rest went into the compost with the stalks.

I need to pinch back the basil and mulch the jalapeno plant. Lots of fruit on the squash plants and the glads are getting big. I'm hoping more sun after trimming the artichokes will encourage the rest to sprout. I have a couple of huge weeds in the corner behind the rosemary but I had to quit because ants were under the artichoke leaves and I made them mad. I'll go out later and get them when it's hot out. I pulled the cilantro, it was starting to bolt.

 

[Sueby]

I have never seen an artichoke plant!! @igorsMistress what is that plant with all the pods or whatever those are on it? It's cool looking, whatever it is! I'm guessing either it won't grow here or I don't like the taste of it (if it's edible), lol.

You know I was just thinking for beans this winter I would take the angle grinder to some 1x4 welded wire fencing for them to climb. 4x4 cattle panels would probably also be great for your application.

And you are correct. The butterflies will not eat milkweeds if their host plants are dill. Hey but you might help a Monarch get home so "chin Up"!

That's funny, that's what I have for a couple of beds, leftover 1x4 welded wire zip tied to a tpost! I won't go to the store so I figured I'd work with what I had but wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not.

I haven't had dill, despite planting tons of it, in years. I end up buying fresh from the grocery store. This year I think I'll plant a pot just for the caterpillars & move them off of 'my' dill & see how that goes.

 

[nao57]

So we are going to have cool fronts coming through Wednessday and Saturday this week, can anybody tell from this 7 day forecast? I know they are showing an 83 degree day on this graphic. I'm Texan enough to recognize magical thinking when I see it.

Also down here on the coast we need a few more words for "Breezy" how many do eskimoes have for snow? Last count I know 10 diffrent descriptions for a Grey sky in Germany.

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Well since you asked...

I'd get off the mainstream corporate news. Its all garbage and fixed.

Instead find someone with real knowledge that doesn't just use 'virtue signalling' and fake news. Then you won't have to worry about how wrong they are.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I never have not seen it either the artichoke plant come to think of it
Ma made one but boiled to death was awful even Dad gagged with it
so would need a better way to prepare it .. Does it grow mostly in Mexico
and Arizona

 

[Sueby]

@penny1960 I love artichokes! I cut the top off to cut off all the sharp pokies, then I steam them. Peel each petal off & dunk it in butter & scrape the meaty part with my teeth. Then when down to the choke cut that out & put it in the rest of the butter. Now I want an artichoke. Yum. But they are a lot of work to eat!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Interesting but do you grow it out there ?

 

[NewBoots]

Artichoke plants are like giant thistles. Very handsome and I love the artichokes themselves. I'm told they grow like crazy here but I was too late ordering plants so I'll have to get seeds for next year.

Weather is beautiful today, just about to go out and get some lettuce for a big salad lunch. Going to have to start pelting the neighbors with them. Going to be a good day for gardening here, more transplanting and fertilizing to get done.