What did you do in the garden today?

[Smokerbill]

Many plants have a tough seed coat to withstand a digestive track. Try nicking the seed coat so moisture can get it. They may be old but might surprise you. Weed seeds can stay viable for a long time.

I don't know if my fingers have the dexterity. The seeds are a little smaller than radish seeds, and very slick. I guess I could gently roll them between a couple sheets of sandpaper.

 

[CNJ]

Maybe if you put dark soy and garlic on them, they will.

I think this video is a promotional scam, its impossible for egg plant cutting to grow bananas. However, he has another video where he plants egg plant cuttings into cut carrot tops and pollinate some flowers with a white round egg plant and white egg plant grow out of the flowers. In addition, the cut carrot tops turn into whole carrots.

 

[Phaedra Geiermann]

Arranged two bouquets for our hens to eat and play with

They are lovely, very cottage style

 

[pennyJo1960]

My strawberries are happy, poor old wheel barrow.
New life to rusted out.

 

[fuzzi]

Shout out to Lee Valley and their customer service..

I am absolutely amazed at the customer service I just experienced. A couple weeks ago I ordered items from Lee Valley (https://www.leevalley.com). One of the items was a brass Y shut off valve for the outdoor faucet. I'd gotten another shut off valve from Lee Valley a few months ago and was impressed with the quality. Well, the valves on this one leak even when turned off. I emailed them this morning, and less than 30 minutes later I got a response. They're sending me another valve, and I don't have to return the defective one.

Wow. Impressive.

I highly recommend this company. I bought a hose with a lifetime guarantee, we'll see how it does.

 

[fuzzi]

I did a lot of mowing and trimming yesterday, and think I got a little overheated and dehydrated. So after running errands this morning I am taking it easier, inside.

Current view from the kitchen window. I mowed and trimmed around the ponds, and can see the stepstones now:

On the way home from my errands I stopped by the farmers' market, and purchased a zucchini plant. None of the seeds I'd planted sprouted, so one plant was exactly what was needed.

New-to-me variety:

I'll plant it at dusk tonight.

 

[Sueby]

It rained last night, well needed. So no watering today.

My cucumbers have their first true leaves. The beans are starting to climb & my lettuce is finally starting to grow. The wildflowers are growing really well, the echinaceas have flower buds & the dahlias are a couple inches tall.

DH planted some plants & watered with my Alaska Fish fertilizer & something dug up his plants. It didn't want the plants, just the fertilizer. The trail cam didn't pick it up but picked up a possum the next night so it might have been him. Can't wait to be able to get my new garden fence up this winter.

 

[Henschickspups]

Here's the proof. These seeds have been in the pickle jar for a little over 50 years. It's strange the things we hold as precious, but these little shiny blue-black seeds rank high, because I remember cleaning them with Grandpa when I was a little kid.

I doubt if any of them are viable now, but I think I'll put a few between wet paper towels in a ziplock bag and see what happens.

Anyway, here's to memories!

And no, we never had any luck with the seeds sprouting and growing back in the 70's. Maybe they need to go through a bird's gut in order to sprout.

View attachment 3527078View attachment 3527079View attachment 3527081View attachment 3527082

I was just looking up another plant when I saw that pokeberry seeds remain viable in soil for at least 50 years - so a bit of scarification, maybe some stratification, they should sprout for you!

If not, I have plenty of seedlings you are welcome to

 

[LifeSimpleAndSweet]

Sorry - excessively long post!

I haven't been in the garden much this last week, so not a lot to report.
I lost my friend this morning. She was the only resident at my place of work who was actually my friend. I will miss her greatly. But her suffering is over and I know that she is with the Lord God. I will see her again.

For months, I have been dealing with water issues. My bill has steadily increased, the water company insisting I must have a leaky toilet. I did, but not THAT leaky. It was fixed, the bill kept going up. They said, well it must be because it wasn't fixed until a week after the meter was read. On and On.

Yesterday I got a whopper. What used to be a 22.50 a month water bill, had at first gone up to 35 in Feb., 45 in Mar, 55 in April, and I was hit with 130 dollars yesterday. Said I'd used 25 thousand gallons this month. Um.... no. I should still be at 22 bucks.

They said, good luck finding that old water leak. Bye! So I contact my landlord contact, and turns out he is on his deathbed and I end up talking to his wife, who knows nothing, I'm then passed to her sister (the actual owner of the place I rent) who is beside herself with barking orders at hospital staff while I am trying to apologize for bothering them at this awful time (which I had no idea of until I called.)

Then the husband of the owner calls me and wants to know what I want to do about it... I said I have no idea what to do, except the woman at the water company suggested I talk to another family member. So... I'm grateful for Nathan, a 45-year-old member of the family who lives across the street and ended up with the task of figuring out and repairing the leak.

All of this while the meter is spinning. Nathan left me a tool to turn it off until he could get there. I'm off all night and all this morning at my jobs. I went to turn it off and the entire water meter hole was full of water and pumping more out into the creek.

Anyway, Nathan thinks he found the leak and is off getting supplies. Thinks I'll have water again this evening. And all of this while his yard maintenance customers go without. I know this is setting him back. On top of it all, he thinks he has a few big round bales of old hay I can use for mulch when he can get to it in a few days. I'm to remind him if he forgets.

These really are wonderful neighbors and landlords, but this was a perfect storm of a series of unfortunate events. Call me Lemony Snicket.

Happily, I have four days off. Here is the project I just completed for my yard swing. I'm really happy with it. It cost more than I wanted, but it will give me so much joy from use. Lowe's has been seriously short of a lot of things I need lately and they didn't have any galvanized hooks. I hope these little black cup holder hooks last long enough for me not to regret using them. It's still tacky, but I enjoy imagining my drink and book there while I swing when it's dry.

I also decided to open the gate from the chicken run for the first time and let the flock free range. I'd not been gone 90 seconds and when I walked back, a hawk was screaming, flying across the pond, and landing in the tree about 20 feet away from the chickens. I'm going, "HERE, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK!!!!!" and throwing food into the pen in a desperate attempt to get them back in before all heck breaks loose. I was successful, but seriously!!! That was the fastest arrival of a chicken hawk I'd ever seen! So much for free-ranging! I need a chicken tunnel to roll across 5 acres. Like I need something else to do.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sorry - excessively long post!

I haven't been in the garden much this last week, so not a lot to report.
I lost my friend this morning. She was the only resident at my place of work who was actually my friend. I will miss her greatly. But her suffering is over and I know that she is with the Lord God. I will see her again.

For months, I have been dealing with water issues. My bill has steadily increased, the water company insisting I must have a leaky toilet. I did, but not THAT leaky. It was fixed, the bill kept going up. They said, well it must be because it wasn't fixed until a week after the meter was read. On and On.

Yesterday I got a whopper. What used to be a 22.50 a month water bill, had at first gone up to 35 in Feb., 45 in Mar, 55 in April, and I was hit with 130 dollars yesterday. Said I'd used 25 thousand gallons this month. Um.... no. I should still be at 22 bucks.

They said, good luck finding that old water leak. Bye! So I contact my landlord contact, and turns out he is on his deathbed and I end up talking to his wife, who knows nothing, I'm then passed to her sister (the actual owner of the place I rent) who is beside herself with barking orders at hospital staff while I am trying to apologize for bothering them at this awful time (which I had no idea of until I called.)

Then the husband of the owner calls me and wants to know what I want to do about it... I said I have no idea what to do, except the woman at the water company suggested I talk to another family member. So... I'm grateful for Nathan, a 45-year-old man who lives across the street and ended up with the task of figuring out and repairing the leak.

All of this while the meter is spinning. Nathan left me a tool to turn it off until he could get there. I'm off all night and all this morning at my jobs. I went to turn it off and the entire water meter hole was full of water and pumping more out into the creek.

Anyway, Nathan thinks he found the leak and is off getting supplies. Thinks I'll have water again this evening. And all of this while his yard maintenance customers go without. I know this is setting him back. On top of it all, he thinks he has a few big round bales of old hay I can use for mulch when he can get to it in a few days. I'm to remind him if he forgets.

These really are wonderful neighbors and landlords, but this was a perfect storm of a series of unfortunate events. Call me Lemony Snicket.

Happily, I have four days off. Here is the project I just completed for my yard swing. I'm really happy with it. It cost more than I wanted, but it will give me so much joy from use.
View attachment 3527769

I also decided to open the gate from the chicken run for the first time and let the flock free range. I'd not been gone 90 seconds and when I walked back, a hawk was screaming, flying across the pond, and landing in the tree about 20 feet away from the chickens. I'm going, "HERE, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK, CHICK!!!!!" and throwing food into the pen in a desperate attempt to get them back in before all heck breaks loose. I was successful, but seriously!!! That was the fastest arrival of a chicken hawk I'd ever seen! So much for free-ranging! I need a chicken tunnel to roll across 5 acres. Like I need something else to do.

View attachment 3527768

We have a tractor you have allot on your plate. Good Luck in the garden and chickens.