What did you do in the garden today?

[NewBoots]

Southern Pepper Sauce (from addapinch website). Use on cornbread, greens, peas.

That sounds awesome for rice or greens, and right down my alley. I will make a bottle or two since I only have a few jalapenos and I need them for other recipes that I haven't gotten to yet.

Overcast today which isn't unusual in the morning but it's 12:30 now and still overcast. It teased us with a few faint misty moments but no rain. Picked more tomatoes including the black cherries, I want to have enough to put in the dehydrator with the jerky, I don't like to run it less than full. By the time the meat is marinated and ready, I should have found something else to go in too.

Two hens (at least) are still dropping soft shelled eggs on the poop board but it's happening closer to morning so maybe by the time they've figured out they need to get to a nest, the extra calcium will thicken the shells. Glyness made the weirdest sounds when working on her egg today, kind of like a growl but not. She didn't growl at me feeling around under her, maybe she was warning the other hens to back off. She sure had everyone's attention and they all sang while watching her. I think she's kind of a drama queen, everyone else that's laying in the boxes just gets in, does the deed, gets out again, and maybe sings a little. Glyness sings before getting in the box, stays in the box for an hour in deep silent meditation, then sings her head off once she has accomplished her mission. She's so sweet and affectionate

DP is going to make a huckleberry buckle for the Labor Day BBQ (outside, just 4 other people, and I'll be bringing my mask) on Monday. I'll let you guys know how it goes, going to serve it hot with vanilla ice cream. mmmmm... Oh and the grinder/mill attachment arrived so I plan to start canning on Tuesday, I'm excited but a little nervous too, it is my first time after all. Got to remember to take all the tomatoes (only about 22 pounds, but I figure it's enough for a newbie) out of the freezer.

Have fun everyone and stay dirty.

 

[Acre4Me]

I love that step 1 is grow really good peppers thank you!

You're welcome!

 

[igorsMistress]

I was discussing the new garden with hubs today and thinking about whether to divide it into raised sections or not. I'm going to use welded wire panels for the walls since they can double as trellises. I'll measure the inside dimensions tomorrow to decide on setup. I still need a dedicated area for artichokes but I'm wondering if a separate bed would be in order for them. I think I could make that work.

 

[NightingaleJen]

We were normal temps (hot humid and miserable) until last week and we had two days that were in the 70s during the day, and down to the 60s at night

Our temperatures have been the same way, at least they were 'til last week! Then it was warm even at night...and now it is cooling off again. Was brisk just now when I ran out to close the pop door. And my tomatoes have been behaving the same way too! Maybe our tomatoes are related.

Congrats on the squash, @Wee Farmer Sarah, I hope they all survive the wildlife.

Think I could use some Box Ahoy for my next USN birthday dinner, @Compost King...

Huckleberries! Have always wanted to try those! Please do share what you decide to do with them, @NewBoots! Buckle...mmmmmmmmm!!! Good fresh berries are better than good wine. Please do not tell my vintner neighbor I said that, either.

Hope you have a wonderful family visit, @drstratton!

Goodness, @littledog, I am so sorry! I think I remember that happening. How awful, I can't imagine. Our collie died in December and that alone was nearly more than I could take. Losing two...I do remember you all going through that. Since I still tear up over Ben (this morning while mopping his spot in the office, in fact), no doubt you still miss your two pals as well. :'( Pets really are such blessings.

What kind(s) of roses did you get, @igorsMistress? Probably wise to keep it inside 'til the heat breaks. Those temperatures! I hope you are able to get all of the chips in the beds before the heat becomes too much. Those terracotta waterers are a nice idea.

Ouch, @WthrLady! Though...that sounds like the kind of thing I'd do...And *please* tell us about your dog! Congratulations! And I (politely) demand pictures of the new pooch.

@penny1960, you have very kindly made that offer before! It is tempting...but of the couple acres we've tried to dig a shovel into on our property, 90+% are rocky clay! Darned Ohio! We are hoping to build some half dug-in, half-raised flowerbeds here this fall and then get roses and clematis and the other pretties going then. Sigh! Roses are the best. Also, they're great for teaching patience.

@Acre4Me That hot sauce recipe sounds fab. Wonder how it would percolate left out of the fridge? Vinegar aside it sounds a lot like a ferment. Yum. Will have to try it! Good luck with those new chicks—and that Tupelo!

Not much in the garden today, I had a lot of other things going on. Picked a few tomatoes. Last night I yanked out the green beans—planted them in July, IIRC—they just aren't doing well. Plus some sort of bug got to the big fat Dragon Tongue bean I was hoping would dry up and make good seed for next year. Darn! Found some clover in the flowerbed and gave the plant to the chicks (I use pesticide less than once in a blue moon). They happily dragged it all over the run. Planted another round of snow peas and tossed out some mesclun. Pulled a lot of seed to plant tomorrow morning when it's cooler.

Our feline overlady seems to be better already, thank God! She was actually just trying to capture a tiny moth that came in with the line-dried laundry, and spent a fair amount of time harassing her much larger sibling today, too (seriously, Lucy weighs nine pounds and Katie about thirteen—we think the latter is at least part Norwegian Forest or Maine Coon, and has paws that must be at least three inches across—but Katie just hisses and never fights back!). So she is looking better!

Tomorrow I'll plant radishes and mustard and greens and so forth in the morning and try freezing a small bag of nasturtium leaves to see what happens to those. It's only about six weeks 'til the first frost date! Hard to believe.

Those lettuce seed pods seem to be taking FOREVER to dry up and be ready for collection! Gah! There are fat green "brains" beginning to appear at the end of my nasturtium stems, though. Wahooo! We did end up with two marigold plants of the dozens of seeds I sowed, so you can bet I'm snapping up as many of the dried blossoms as possible and making sure those seeds are nice and dry and ready for 2021. I have almost a literal bucketload of nigella seed to collect, too. Think I'll give those as Christmas presents this year.

It is such fun to read about everyone's putting up! With all of our varmint troubles earlier this year I don't have quite enough, especially since I'm not allowed to go to our farmer's market (it's outdoors, but since I have a health issue that precludes my wearing a mask...I can't go ). Quite a few of your recipes & suggestions are being stashed away for next year, though! Please share photos of pretty jars on the counter. At least I do have extra to freeze away!

Keep dirtying those fingernails!

 

[WthrLady]

Personaly love the Beagle breed love their voices

Me too. The field trials area for the state is LITERALLY in my backyard on the other side of the barbed wire fence.
My great-grandmother bred, showed, and ran beagles in trials.
My mom and dad always had a beagle in the house. In fact, they took home a runt of GGMs right after they were married. Unbeknownst to them, when they would let him out in the evening he would fly over the fence, run two miles down the road to McDonalds and people there would feed the cute little thing. Then he'd go home and scratch at the door to be let in for the night.
One night, mom and dad, saw him take off over the fence. In a panic, they thought he was running away, they got in the car and took chase. OC he beat them to McDs, where they found him being fed chunks of ham burgers and french fries. They told him he had been coming nightly for over a MONTH!

Beagles don't even SEE fences, they're either up and over or under, or just climb them.

So far she's only gong to see the front yard. I forgot I mulched around the front oak tree with about 300 pounds of alpaca poo. THAT got her going. I thought her little nose and brain were going to explode.

 

[NightingaleJen]

OC he beat them to McDs, where they found him being fed chunks of ham burgers and french fries. They told him he had been coming nightly for over a MONTH!

Now that is a smart dog! Ha!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Oh my I rescued what to me was a bagle Booty was her name
13 inch Beagle so overweight she wadled .. She had only been with me like a week went to the neighbors for coffee, had only been 10 minutes there was scratch at the door .. She found me that cemented it.. She lost all that weight in less than a month

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Another wonderfully cool morning. Skipped the morning garden walk for now. I did notice on the way back from feeding the chickens and collecting the double yolker egg from Goldilocks I noticed there are several Hungarian Peppers that need to be picked. I watered the okra plants and my indoor houseplants and that's it for now. I made a batch of green tomato salsa verde yesterday and also got my peaches processed. I just need to heat them up and can them this morning. I will get the green beans processed and into the freezer before I do the peaches. It's good to know you can use frozen peppers for that pepper sauce @Acre4Me. I would love to try making that but I need to get through my little piles of produce first. Well, gotta get motivated to get moving again. Have a great day everyone.

 

[WthrLady]

 

[Swiss]

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She is beautiful! Give her some pets from me!
I house-and-dog-sat for my SIL this week. They have a beagle puppy and he is adorable! He is a trouble maker, but a lot of fun to play with/watch play, and snuggle with. Of course, I am now house-and-puppy-sitting for my brother in a few weeks! All these puppies appearing in my life are supposed to help me not want one so bad (until we have our own place and can get one), but they do just the opposite! I mean, seriously, LOOK AT THIS FACE!