What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

I don't know where it came from, but I have Mexican mint popping up everywhere this year.

Speaking of weird oddities... I have a breeding pair of hawks hanging around my place. They came here last year and nested in the giant gum trees on my property line. They are medium sized... Bigger than a Cooper Hawk but smaller than a Red Tail. I used to shoot all kinds of bottle rockets off to scare them away but they'd come right back. Surprisingly, they never once tried to attack ANY of my chickens or ducks.

About 2 weeks ago, they showed up again this year. So far...just like last year...they have made zero attempts to attack any of my birds. Even the young pullets (4 months old). What's even weirder is their coloring. They are a dark gray with a light gray head. Their tail is darker and banded with white. I started searching online today and came across some Gray Hawk pictures. Yep... They look EXACTLY like these birds.

Interestingly though... Gray Hawks are not supposed to be any further north than South Texas and NONE in Arkansas.

I tried to snap some pictures with my phone because they sit at the very tip top of the trees... Unfortunately my oak trees are so giant that the distance is too great for my piddly cell phone camera to produce a good picture, even fully zoomed in.

 

[Molpet]

Speaking of weird oddities... I have a breeding pair of hawks hanging around my place. They came here last year and nested in the giant gum trees on my property line. They are medium sized... Bigger than a Cooper Hawk but smaller than a Red Tail. I used to shoot all kinds of bottle rockets off to scare them away but they'd come right back. Surprisingly, they never once tried to attack ANY of my chickens or ducks.

About 2 weeks ago, they showed up again this year. So far...just like last year...they have made zero attempts to attack any of my birds. Even the young pullets (4 months old). What's even weirder is their coloring. They are a dark gray with a light gray head. Their tail is darker and banded with white. I started searching online today and came across some Gray Hawk pictures. Yep... They look EXACTLY like these birds.

Interestingly though... Gray Hawks are not supposed to be any further north than South Texas and NONE in Arkansas.

I tried to snap some pictures with my phone because they sit at the very tip top of the trees... Unfortunately my oak trees are so giant that the distance is too great for my piddly cell phone camera to produce a good picture, even fully zoomed in.

View attachment 4192046View attachment 4192045

If you do FB, there's a group that IDs
https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatsthisbird/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

 

[jxp]

2 more 5 gallon grow bags freed up. Not sure what I am going to put in them. I really really need to find a way to organize my seeds they are just a mess of random packets.

After a couple of years of not having a garden for various reasons, I had a similar problem last spring. LOTS of packets all jumbled together in a big ol' shoebox. I sorted them by division.

First division was type - veg, flower, herb
Second division alphabetical so I could see, for instance, how many types of lettuce or beets I've got.
Third division planting season and style (start indoor vs direct store spring, fall, winter, whenever)
Fourth division age of seeds. (oldest were from 2014) This helped me to decide which were more in need of planting right away or toss.
My goal (new year resolution) for 2025 was to plant all the seeds in my box. We're still working on it.
Good luck with your dilemma... and check your potato bin for sprouters.

 

[TJAnonymous]

If you do FB, there's a group that IDs
https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatsthisbird/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

I don't have FB, unfortunately. I did email the Arkansas Audubon Society to see if anyone local could come make an affirmative identification but no one has responded yet. They are always out watching me feed the animals every morning between 7 am and 8:30 am. They fly from treetop to treetop, just watching and making a distinctive call... But they've never once swooped at any of my birds or even at the numerous smaller birds (crows, bluejays, sparrows, etc). Anyway, I don't really see them later in the day... Just the mornings, but like....every morning during that time.

 

[Minanora]

Unfortunately for us this years harvest was less than last year, not sure why. Once we harvest we’ll separate out for the fall planting the largest bulbs(cloves) just like you. The largest cloves definitely produced better bulbs, although not always. Of course I lose tract of what size clove was planted where almost immediately so….you know…..there’s that. Our whole plan, really my plan, my retirement hobby is to see how far removed I can get from the grocery store.
I never would have thought that garlic, of all things, would be imported from China. So, why couldn’t you buy the local garlic?

It was not available! I was livid.

I was at Costco today and there was garlic from Gilroy available. Most of the time when I go to the store there is. Regardless of the store. But that one time, there wasn't and I needed it but went without. So I stopped feeding the machine. Now we feed ourselves.

Even when I grow my food, I look at the origin of various products at the store. Just to stay informed. I can spend several hours in the store.... I spent nearly 2 hours in Costco today and I wasn't inspecting random things. I did search for clearance though. Got myself a Turkish cotton bath robe. Now I can donate the polyester one I got as a gift years ago.

 

[Minanora]

2 more 5 gallon grow bags freed up. Not sure what I am going to put in them. I really really need to find a way to organize my seeds they are just a mess of random packets

Trading card binder sheets in a 3 ring binder. Attached photos from when I shared on the thread last year.

 

[Minanora]

Trading card binder sheets in a 3 ring binder. Attached photos from when I shared on the thread last year.

I would also like to note that some of those random "brands" in the photos, I do not recommend.

I do recommend Johnny's Select Seeds, MIgardener, and Bakers Creek. There are other good companies, but I can only buy so many seeds.

 

[OnlySympathy]

Trading card binder sheets in a 3 ring binder. Attached photos from when I shared on the thread last year.

Thank you! I should check to see if I can find any of my old binders when I was into trading cards. If not it is a needed expense I can’t keep being this unorganized

I would also like to note that some of those random "brands" in the photos, I do not recommend.

I do recommend Johnny's Select Seeds, MIgardener, and Bakers Creek. There are other good companies, but I can only buy so many seeds.

I haven’t ordered from any of those somehow. I have only bought from Vermont bean, botanical interests, burpees, and alliance of native seed keepers (in order from least to most amount bought because I’m feeling unusually organized today).

 

[Rick589]

I don't have FB, unfortunately. I did email the Arkansas Audubon Society to see if anyone local could come make an affirmative identification but no one has responded yet. They are always out watching me feed the animals every morning between 7 am and 8:30 am. They fly from treetop to treetop, just watching and making a distinctive call... But they've never once swooped at any of my birds or even at the numerous smaller birds (crows, bluejays, sparrows, etc). Anyway, I don't really see them later in the day... Just the mornings, but like....every morning during that time.

Merlin has it pegged as a Red-eyed Vireo

 

[OnlySympathy]

I bought a 20 pack of 10 gallon grow bags. for once it was a semi necessary purchase