What did you do in the garden today?

[SarahLadd]

We can't grow rhubarb here in the Deep South. Too hot...

However when I went back up north last week, lots of family who were making rhubarb pies, etc... One made a comment that stores were selling rhubarb for 4 stalks @ $10!

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That's insane....

My first house in South Dakota had one single rhubarb that would grow as tall as me every summer. I could make at least 4 pies or tarts from the one plant, if I could keep ahead of picking it so it concentrated on growing instead of going to flower(which ends its good qualities for the rest of the summer). I miss it so much. One of the first things I did when I purchased this house in Minneapolis was drop a rhubarb from Bachmanns in the ground against the house, the same direction to the sun as the old one was, and... it just does not do well. The first 5 years I did not harvest anything from it. The last 3 years I have gotten enough for one rhubarb shortbread custard, tart, sauce or pie. While in Sioux Falls, I worked hard on a rhubarb sauce recipe for pork...... what a recipe.

 

[Smokerbill]

I set the rest of my brassicas out in the garden... 15 bok choi, 10 collard greens and 6 cauliflower plants. Once the soil dries a little I'll cover them all with floating row cover to keep out the nasties.

 

[WthrLady]

Cut grass into dusk & I had to grab a coat & gloves. 49 degrees near end of May...really?

Anyway...thought I'd share a bit of garden humor. Can you just imagine enjoying your peaceful morning coffee, gazing out at the garden, and something is looking back at ya?

These may be cute & make ya smile.
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But these are downright creepy!

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You know they're all AI photos, and hoax sellers, right? (yes, there are monkey face orchids, but those aren't them.)

 

[fuzzi]

This evening after work I froze the peas I'd picked yesterday. I got 5 bags, each containing about one cup, or two servings. That's perfect for the dh and myself.

 

[BReeder!]

Peas are growing. Should be picking them any day now. Picked one today just for the heck of it. Small sweet peas inside. DD sized the opportunity to eat her first fresh pea of the year. She doesn't touch them cooked, but loves popping pods in the garden and devouring fresh peas.

Cut the grass. Put spent bedding in the compost bin and new bedding in the coop. Hoed weeds between a few beds. Watered the thirsty watermelons. Frustratingly stared at 50 strawberry crowns that never grew.

I'm a fan of pollinators, but had to hang a carpenter bee trap because they're boring holes into the trusses of the shed/coop even though they're painted.

That's about it today...

 

[Swiss]

Love the Morels! We also found some enormous ones this year....

As for the insects, the caterpillar is an Eastern tent caterpillar. I hate those darn things and kill every one I find. They are voracious feeders and reproduce by the thousands. Chickens and birds won't eat them.

The other is a March Fly. They are very good for breaking down compost and decomposing organic matter...

Thank you for the help identifying them!! The first caterpillar I found was when the chicks were in their outdoor pen, and they all freaked out about it. I scooped it out before they could get too curious. Then, 2 more appeared around the house.
And those flies are freaking everywhere this year! And they look ridiculous when flying!

We got BATTERED by a storm tonight.
No confirmed tornado.

Our power went out while we were watching a movie. We came upstairs to see what was going on. It was greenish yellow outside, and a low yellow cloud at the front of the storm was racing in. I said, we need to bring the tomato and pepper plants in the garage NOW! And we raced to get the tables of plants in. The wind started as we were moving the first table, trees started cracking, and we got soaked before we got the second table in the garage. All of the trees were sideways, essentially. Constant thunder and lightning and wind and heavy rain. I came in to close the front door (which I had opened to check the weather) and my phone started yelling at me that there was a tornado warning. Based on that and the tornado-y conditions, we went into the basement for a few minutes. Then, came back up to continue watching after radar said the worst had passed.

We got 1" of rain in the rain gauge, and in such a short amount of time!

My garden was about half flooded, which has never even been a risk before! Water was pouring down a mole tunnel in one of the beds.
Literally water circling down a drain. Thankfully, there isn't really anything planted, and most of what is planted was not under water.

Our woods are unrecognizable and impassable with downed trees!

No power means that the chicks get to spend their first night without the brooder plate. I checked on them a few minutes ago, and they are not snuggled close together. So, I might set an alarm to check on them again, but really, what could I even do for them without power? They are 5 weeks old, and don't need the plate during the day, so I think they will be fine.

I checked on the coop, and it is drenched inside... which has my brain running itself a little ragged. It's been fine in all the other storms since the walls and roof went up. It isn't quite finished, yet, and obviously tornado-y conditions aren't normal. So, I'm trying to settle my brain down. What do you all think, should I be concerned?

 

[WthrLady]

Peas are growing. Should be picking them any day now. Picked one today just for the heck of it. Small sweet peas inside. DD sized the opportunity to eat her first fresh pea of the year. She doesn't touch them cooked, but loves popping pods in the garden and devouring fresh peas.

Cut the grass. Put spent bedding in the compost bin and new bedding in the coop. Hoed weeds between a few beds. Watered the thirsty watermelons. Frustratingly stared at 50 strawberry crowns that never grew.

I'm a fan of pollinators, but had to hang a carpenter bee trap because they're boring holes into the trusses of the shed/coop even though they're painted.

That's about it today...

They work even better if you can get a dead one and bait the trap with it.

 

[WthrLady]

Thank you for the help identifying them!! The first caterpillar I found was when the chicks were in their outdoor pen, and they all freaked out about it. I scooped it out before they could get too curious. Then, 2 more appeared around the house.
And those flies are freaking everywhere this year! And they look ridiculous when flying!

We got BATTERED by a storm tonight.
No confirmed tornado.

Our power went out while we were watching a movie. We came upstairs to see what was going on. It was greenish yellow outside, and a low yellow cloud at the front of the storm was racing in. I said, we need to bring the tomato and pepper plants in the garage NOW! And we raced to get the tables of plants in. The wind started as we were moving the first table, trees started cracking, and we got soaked before we got the second table in the garage. All of the trees were sideways, essentially. Constant thunder and lightning and wind and heavy rain. I came in to close the front door (which I had opened to check the weather) and my phone started yelling at me that there was a tornado warning. Based on that and the tornado-y conditions, we went into the basement for a few minutes. Then, came back up to continue watching after radar said the worst had passed.

We got 1" of rain in the rain gauge, and in such a short amount of time!

My garden was about half flooded, which has never even been a risk before! Water was pouring down a mole tunnel in one of the beds.
Literally water circling down a drain. Thankfully, there isn't really anything planted, and most of what is planted was not under water.

Our woods are unrecognizable and impassable with downed trees!

No power means that the chicks get to spend their first night without the brooder plate. I checked on them a few minutes ago, and they are not snuggled close together. So, I might set an alarm to check on them again, but really, what could I even do for them without power? They are 5 weeks old, and don't need the plate during the day, so I think they will be fine.

I checked on the coop, and it is drenched inside... which has my brain running itself a little ragged. It's been fine in all the other storms since the walls and roof went up. It isn't quite finished, yet, and obviously tornado-y conditions aren't normal. So, I'm trying to settle my brain down. What do you all think, should I be concerned?

Should be fine. Got any of thse air activated hand warmers from winter left? Can put some in a old shirt for them to snuggle. Or a ot water bottle or ziploc w wam water and old shirt. I mean, if your worried.
Wouldn't worry about coop. Check in morning and keep building. Sorry about tree loss.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I keep a full box of hand warmers for those fun times also
selling peeps.

 

[Acre4Me]

Do you have room for vining squash? Tromboncino is a vining C. Moschetta group used as summer squash. You could also try a Parthenocarpic variety that can set seedless fruit. Caged with screen wire to keep bugs out. That is if squash Boers are your problem.

Agree! We grew Trombocino one year- VERY prolific. Worth the space and they grew very fast -can pick them the day they flower for a reasonable size squash, but essentially no seeds yet.