What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good afternoon gardeners. I’m plugging away at the garden clean up one bed at a time. I had to step back from that a little bit to Chloe proof the picket fence. She discovered she can slip through the slats. I swear she doesn’t have any bones in her. Lol! I’m taking a little break while sitting with the chickens. I need to shovel a bucket full of the old compost to start tossing into thd cleaned up beds. It’s supposed to rain a little overnight so I want to get some compost tossed into the bed DD planted her garlic yesterday. Still warm temps and no frost for the next 6 days. Fingers crossed the hens get their feathers in soon. Have a nice day.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Up since 7 here raining then we had appointment at 9 for booster of covid new.
all doing fine. Made a cheesecake, Halloween lot's of local kids come out.

 

[NewBoots]

The marmalade is bubbling on the stove, does it take forever for anyone else's jams to hit 220? The pumpkins are carved and on the porch, the bowl of candy is one the counter. We are ready for the holiday season to begin.

 

[WthrLady]

Also up before the sun. Was supposed to go into the city and get another allergy jab, but alas, my serum wasn't ready yet. I decided to spend the whole day painting the back lower deck and trim. That way it will have three, almost 4 full days of above freezing and into the upper 70s to cure before the rain and cooler temperatures come.
We'll only get 3 trick or treaters out here. It's kids from the next ranch. Their mom and dad will drive them over to get treats before they drive them down into the city to a mega neighborhood so they can walk house to house.
Each kid will get a box of mini moonpies from me

 

[WthrLady]

The marmalade is bubbling on the stove, does it take forever for anyone else's jams to hit 220? The pumpkins are carved and on the porch, the bowl of candy is one the counter. We are ready for the holiday season to begin.

YES ! I made peel jelly this year and it took forever to reach 220. I started out slowly, and then cranked up the heat. I think it still took just over an hour.

 

[WthrLady]

Good afternoon gardeners. I’m plugging away at the garden clean up one bed at a time. I had to step back from that a little bit to Chloe proof the picket fence. She discovered she can slip through the slats. I swear she doesn’t have any bones in her. Lol! I’m taking a little break while sitting with the chickens. I need to shovel a bucket full of the old compost to start tossing into thd cleaned up beds. It’s supposed to rain a little overnight so I want to get some compost tossed into the bed DD planted her garlic yesterday. Still warm temps and no frost for the next 6 days. Fingers crossed the hens get their feathers in soon. Have a nice day.

I took the mower to the iris bed.
I gave the rubbish man a dozen lemon cookies and he took my plastic trellis, loaded with dead wisteria He's a nice guy.
I left the russian sage standing until every flower was gone this year. Usually I take them down in September, when they are less woody and sharp. But the lack of food for the bees and the lack of moisture for them and the heat, I was concerned for them, so I left them up. Lots of cuts and bruises, but worth it.
I do have 8 giant mums out on the porch and they are covered in the neighbors honey bees.

 

[Ascholten]

@Ascholten - you mentioned having a blood orange the other day. I've been toying with the idea of getting one. I'm assuming you grow yours outdoors since you are in Florida. I'd have to put mine in a container since we can reach single digits in the winter. Do they need more than one for cross pollination? At what age did yours start fruiting? Are they as finicky as lemon trees?

They are self pollinating, I have just the one and it does fine. Age about 3 to 5 years it should start making nice fruit. Finiky as lemon, I am going to have to say no it's been pretty robust. got tore up a few times by caterpillars and some other nasties but kept trucking along. They can take some frost, this one took the bad frost last year of 18 degrees,but single digit, yah that might do it in so yes wheel it in for that. The only real problem is if it gets a LOT of water, like heavy rains for a day or so water, some of the oranges may split on the branches, but other than that it's pretty easy that I have seen so far.

Aaron

 

[Elyrian1]

I took the mower to the iris bed.
I gave the rubbish man a dozen lemon cookies and he took my plastic trellis, loaded with dead wisteria He's a nice guy.
I left the russian sage standing until every flower was gone this year. Usually I take them down in September, when they are less woody and sharp. But the lack of food for the bees and the lack of moisture for them and the heat, I was concerned for them, so I left them up. Lots of cuts and bruises, but worth it.
I do have 8 giant mums out on the porch and they are covered in the neighbors honey bees.

I have some russian sage, how far back do you think I should trim it to overwinter?

 

[Sally PB]

We'll only get 3 trick or treaters out here.

I have a tally of how many trick-or-treaters we've had here in the 29 years we've been out here.

ZERO. Nope, not a single one.

 

[Eagle343]

A day late, but finished cleaning out the garden, split the last of the wood for the winter, cooked and canned the apple butter, processed down my pie pumpkins. and took my son out trick or treating. A long day..