What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Sabbatical? Like Shabaton? As in a vacation after seven years?

Not vacation... I had a 5 months of not working. Spent time focused on myself and family. Lived off my savings. Now going back to work with my mind, heart, soul, and spirit refreshed.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Good Morning Gardeners woke at 8:30 been busy this morning.
Coffee has been had.

 

[Sueby]

I got so much done today. Got the compost all spread in the garden, just need to do misc plants spread around the yard. Garden is done till spring. I also got all the welded wire up over all of the hardware cloth on the coop. Just waiting for 1 to finish laying so I can get the 2 windows covered but that'll only take a few mins, it's all cut & painted. I also got some of the plastic up on the run, one more side to do but I'll wait till it gets cold. Got the winter waterers out & filled, but not plugged in yet. We had a temp of 30 when I woke up this am, but the dahlias are still hanging in there - those suckers do not want to die! Got 3 bags of leaves mulched & bagged for winter.

 

[Sally PB]

I dug a trench for the grapes in the heavy soil garden. It's about a foot deep, and down to orange-brown clay. I got a quarter shovelful out at a time, that stuff is HEAVY. I had plans of hauling up some sand and compost to fill it in... uh, not today.

 

[WthrLady]

Chores all day. Mostly hauling wisteria, cleaning the barn, hauling rubbish, rewashing the windows.
I did get the gypsum down in the garden should we manage to get the forecast rain.
Loaded the back of the truck with another load for the charity shop.
Roast is in the oven.
Been listening to shotguns and dogs all day. Glorious. Opening day of upland game bird season.

 

[Ascholten]

Well, I got it back in like July of last year, so this is the first full year Ive had it. it's growing in a 20 gallon pot so ain't doin too badly I must say.

This is my Blood Orange, it's got 10 that survived so far and looking like in a few weeks I can get them off the tree. I am so excited to see what they actually taste like since I grew them myself. FWIW this is the first EVER citrus I have ever managed to not kill somehow. Every time i plant them they die off in a few years, so I said, im gonna keep it in a pot see what it does, and sure nuff, here we are. I figure even if the root spread is smaller, as long as Im getting it the nutrients it needs it should do good right?

and this is one of my 'Herb Totes' right now the Pineapple sage is doing stupid good. It's actually abit dry I need to water them better, but I am getting ready to snatch a bunch of it,dry it and package it for use during the next year.

If you can see it in the back, that's a ginger sneaking thru, I can't remember which type ill need to go look at the sign on the tote.

Aaron

 

[pennyJo1960]

Seems we managed to carve our pumpkins today.

 

[NewBoots]

Sooooo glad that's done - took 4.5 hours so not too bad but I'm still coughing.

I love canning the spicy stuff but breathing gets a little iffy.

I picked a good amount of cilantro today for a neighbor. I have way more than I can use, as it's just self seeded and spread all over the asparagus bed.

DP hates cilantro with a fiery passion but I like the stuff and the rabbits love it, and so do the bees. It's one of the friendly invasives.

Yesterday in the garden, we now have 3 pear trees planted!

I'll have to find some space for a couple of pear trees, I've got my third batch of salted caramel pear butter in the crockpot now and I had a hard time restraining myself from eating them myself.

Let me add, starlings, all fall into the 'blackbird category' afaic. Starlings are also a very invasive species and have caused serious issues for the native birds in many parts of the US, so culling them IMO is a good thing, and it's not going to waste either. Black Birds may need a bit of marinate, crow absolutely needs to marinate a bit but starling you can get away with just cooking right off the bird. They really ARE delicious.

This is interesting, we haven't trapped any starlings but we have trapped a huge number of English sparrows (they take bird houses and force out the swallows and other natives) and give them to a hawk (sharp shin or coopers) that's learned to watch our property for free food. I'll have to find or make a trap for the starlings now.

We're watching spooky season movies today while the pear butter and marmalade cooks. I got mandarin oranges and meyer lemons for the marmalade and they smelled fantastic while I was cutting them up. Yesterday I picked the last of the green and colored tomatoes and made modified shepherds pies with the left overs from the pot roast.

 

[Ascholten]

Starlings.....

I'll have to find or make a trap for the starlings now.

Granted the breasts ARE small but, pull the feathers off, push the head back and get your fingers under the breast bone and you can whip two breast chunks out pretty fast. Yes, two starling breast plates are NOT a meal, they are an appetizer at best, BUT, throw them in a gallon freezer baggie, and the next one, and the next one. when the baggie DOES get enough meat in it, deep fry or pan fry them. They are Delicious !!

As for the rest of the body, I am sure if you plopped it down your hawk, or an owl or many other critters would not mind that you took a small bit out of it and would still love the guts and other stuff where is where THEY get their main nutrients from.

Aaron

Edit:

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS NOT A TREE HUGGER VIDEO, YOU BEEN WARNED !!!

This man has a youtube video on how to clean starlings, and many other small birds and cook them. He sums it up way better than I ever could. Seriously, the way I see things, ANY free food I can get is a good thing, and invasive pests need to GO, so if you can get a meal out of it and not just totally waste towards a compost heap etc, why not?

 

[chickengr]

There's nothing wrong with being early. It's called being punctual, and making sure YOUR obligations are met properly. Nobody appreciates the one who is always late. I think older people well, THAT just happens, our bodies decide, we want to get up at 4 am, sit around for an hour and read a book while the coffee we just brewed wakes everyone else up

Aaron

I don't agree. I wake up early but always run late, lol (unless I have an important meeting).