What did you do in the garden today?

[NanaK]

I didn’t know butternut squash blooms were so big and beautiful!

Looks great! Must be happy!

I'm growing butternut squash this year for the first time. Mine is up and growing but no bloom yet.

My other squash are blooming. I love to hear the bees happily buzzing in those big blooms.

 

[chicken opey]

Looks great! Must be happy!

I'm growing butternut squash this year for the first time. Mine is up and growing but no bloom yet.

My other squash are blooming. I love to hear the bees happily buzzing in those big blooms.

So those that fry squash blossoms, is it any squash blossoms? Or do you know? That one is so big I could fit a whole bar of cream cheese, maybe more, in it

 

[Acre4Me]

Nice looking garlic!

I'll be picking scapes very soon. I saw one that was probably ready yesterday.

We’ve picked scapes 3x so far- yummy add to cooking! Also yummy pickled!

Looks great! Must be happy!

I'm growing butternut squash this year for the first time. Mine is up and growing but no bloom yet.

My other squash are blooming. I love to hear the bees happily buzzing in those big blooms.

My winter squash has sprouted. No vining or flowers yet. If you want lots of flowers bees love, I highly recommend Borage. It has amazed me how many bees are on those plants! I think you are warmer/more intense sun, so I’d recommend a spot that does not get all day sun or gets very dry -outs seem to do best in the areas with some shade during the day (so the healthiest/biggest ones get full shade bc of the barn after 2pm but full sun before that- but it’s a spot I have to water bc it’s in a bit of a rain shadow from the barn and chicken run roof.

Bees and other pollinators:
WOW! There were 3 different sized flies (assume different types), AND at least 2 kinds of bees attracted to and all over the flowering Thyme!! I was impressed. Teeny tiny flowers, but the pollinators loved it! One bee in the pic!

 

[Acre4Me]

So those that fry squash blossoms, is it any squash blossoms? Or do you know? That one is so big I could fit a whole bar of cream cheese, maybe more, in it

You use the male blossoms. Remove pollen bits. Stuff then coat and pan fry. I have done both types of coating- dry flour or breadcrumbs after an egg wash, or a batter. I preferred the batter coating. But, I’d try both to see what you prefer. My neighbors will pick and fry up then freeze for later after eating what they want that day. It’s pretty quick, just a bit messy as all coating/breading sessions are.

 

[chicken opey]

We’ve picked scapes 3x so far- yummy add to cooking! Also yummy pickled!



My winter squash has sprouted. No vining or flowers yet. If you want lots of flowers bees love, I highly recommend Borage. It has amazed me how many bees are on those plants! I think you are warmer/more intense sun, so I’d recommend a spot that does not get all day sun or gets very dry -outs seem to do best in the areas with some shade during the day (so the healthiest/biggest ones get full shade bc of the barn after 2pm but full sun before that- but it’s a spot I have to water bc it’s in a bit of a rain shadow from the barn and chicken run roof.

Bees and other pollinators:
WOW! There were 3 different sized flies (assume different types), AND at least 2 kinds of bees attracted to and all over the flowering Thyme!! I was impressed. Teeny tiny flowers, but the pollinators loved it! One bee in the pic!
View attachment 3851040

I have borage for the first time!! Excited

 

[chicken opey]

You use the male blossoms. Remove pollen bits. Stuff then coat and pan fry. I have done both types of coating- dry flour or breadcrumbs after an egg wash, or a batter. I preferred the batter coating. But, I’d try both to see what you prefer. My neighbors will pick and fry up then freeze for later after eating what they want that day. It’s pretty quick, just a bit messy as all coating/breading sessions are.

The male flowers are the ones wo squash on them

 

[Sueby]

@Wee Farmer Sarah should I plant my lavender in the ground or in a raised bed (that has no bottom). Maybe in the ground & cover with leaves for the winter (this is what I did last time)? Is yours directly in the ground?

 

[Acre4Me]

A nice wet evening and overnight- just rain, nothing like a storm. We got between a third and a half inch of rain -perfect for the garden!

We covered the areas for sweet potatoes with black plastic, and bought another green septic pipe to cut up into rings. We have had the best success with using black plastic and the rings to protect the plants when we’ve grown sweet potatoes. They love heat, so we use black plastic. We tried growing some without black plastic, but the winners were under black plastic with the best growth. We also order “early” season varieties bc we have a shorter season than the classic southern climate typical for sweet potatoes. The slips should be here this week perhaps. I ordered 8 orange varieties and 4 white varieties.

If anyone wants to try sweet potatoes for a great deal, order from Sandhill Preservation (Calamus, IA). they offer season close out deals on selection varieties. They pick the varieties (the sell over 150 varieties), but you pick the sub-selection (northern, or orange, or white, or purple…etc). It is old school style, fill out paper order, send in with a check. This is my 3rd or 4th year ordering from them. You can also order individual selections too. But with the close out deals we found a few varieties we liked. Trying a few new ones this year.

 

[NanaK]

If you want lots of flowers bees love, I highly recommend Borage.

I have not grown that before. Thanks for the tips!

I plant my lavender in the ground or in a raised bed

I can't grow lavender. I think it is so pretty.

 

[chicken opey]

You know what? I think I’m gonna buy lavender plant from store, put in nice big pot, and grow inside in my room. It never gets over 75 in there - for long