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Offline barleychown

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Today in the garden I...
« on: Jul 17, 2007, 09:53:41 AM »
I always wonder if I putter in the garden more than the average person. :Gardeninhail:

Today in the garden I...gathered seeds, pulled a few weeds, straightened the mulch where the chickens have scratched, and beat back the pumpkin vine that wants to swallow everything in it's path.

What have you done today in the garden?
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

Offline Patty S

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #1 on: Jul 17, 2007, 10:52:50 AM »
Sarah, if you putter in the garden more than the average person, we both must be above average! :grinnnn: It's the greatest "vent" in the world, & even though it's hard on the fingernails, it's worth it, in my book! 

I haven't been outside at all yet, cuz when I woke up it was 61° & God was watering all the gardens! I worked in the yard last night until I ran out of light... ran around with the hoe & murdered weeds that were starting to peek out & dug up a few plants for you! See you tomorrow!

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #2 on: Jul 17, 2007, 08:27:54 PM »
...picked some ripe tomatoes and some okra. I was going to can early today, but thought the ones that I am planning on canning could use another day on the counter.

I, also, picked up some marigold seeds for Sarah and some seeds of that coreopsis plant Patty wants. Poor thing got pulled out of the ground while I was trying to get seeds from the wrong side of the fence, so now it is in a pot. :o I hope it lives so I can get some more seeds!
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline barleychown

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #3 on: Jul 18, 2007, 12:06:02 PM »
I once again beat back my pumpkin vines. I also pulled a few weeds, admired a few flowers, found that the butterfly bushes I bought and planted as WHITE are in fact PINK. :tapfoot1: Guess I'll be moving them this fall.

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #4 on: Jul 19, 2007, 06:44:58 AM »
Actually did this yesterday, but forgot to post it...::)

We picked the veggie garden yesterday evening and found a tomato worm. A fat little rascal he was, too! :o He should have been. He had stripped the leaves off of several branches of the plant he was on. Jim squished him into neveragainland... >:D

I sympathized with my hubby over the loss of his pea crop. The blasted deer went in night before last and ate every last one! >:( Jim was a little upset, to say the least...:tickedoff:

I met my neighbor at the fence to give her some more fresh produce. She gave me a long branch off of her red crape myrtle so that I could make cuttings off of it. Ended up with about six. :grinnnn: I don't know how well they will do because I couldn't find my rooting hormone powder, but stuck 'em in the soil, anyway. Hope they take so that I can give a couple to Aunt Bonnie. Her last cutting of that myrtle bit the dust... :(

I checked on the coreopsis plant that I accidentally pulled up while trying to harvest seeds, too. It looks like it is surviving in the pot I put it in... :D

"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline barleychown

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #5 on: Jul 20, 2007, 03:03:33 PM »
Today I gathered some more seeds, pulled more weeds, and picked more zucchini. Once again I had to redirect the pumpkin vines...I think they are cooking up a plot to swallow the hen house. :yikes:
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #6 on: Jul 20, 2007, 03:07:26 PM »
Today I picked more maters so that I could get them in a jar.

I went out to take pics of my mystery plant and to compare it to the okra plants.

Sweated out ten gallons walking back and forth to the garden... :laugh1:
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Patty S

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #7 on: Jul 20, 2007, 03:28:49 PM »
I went to a friend's memorial service this morning & forgot all about the lady who was going to come & get the little plum tree that I'd listed on Freecycle last evening... she was here waiting, when I got back home.

We dug it out... came out really clean & I dont think we did any root damage (even tho this is the totally wrong time of year to move plants...especially trees), then after she left, I moved all my Bergenia & Kalanchoe into that spot.  I haven't even had a chance to go to the back yard yet to check on things & look in on the veggie garden, but am headed in that direction to hang clothes as soon as my load is done washing.

I've been redirecting my cukes & melons every day too, Sarah. The ones by the fence under the strawberry planters keep wanting to climb up under them. Last year I didnt pay attention to that, & wound up with a tangled mess of vines running in & out & over & under those planters, & I keep telling them they're not getting away with that this year. They must be teenagers, cuz they're ignoring me! It's amazing how fast they grow, cuz they wind those little grabbers around 1 or 2 of the sections on their way up the chain link, every day!

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #8 on: Jul 22, 2007, 09:34:27 AM »
I haven't been here for over a week so I haven't done anything.  I'm almost afraid to go out and look.  But I will later today.  I'm sure there are somethings that are salvageable.  And then I'll see what I can put out to replace what is a total loss.  Wish me luck. 

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #9 on: Jul 22, 2007, 03:59:59 PM »
Wishing you luck, Duh! I hope that some of the rain that we had made it your way to water your gardens while you were gone! :grinnnn:

Today I had two strapping young men (my son and his friend) to dig holes for my tropical hibiscus trees so we could plant them. One on either side of the gazebo entrance. I sure hope they will survive our mild winters out there. I really didn't want to keep them in pots.

I, also, counted watermelons. We have 16 that I saw, but know there are probably more hiding under the leaves.

I found a couple of pretty weeds that I will be posting pictures of to see if I can find out what they are.

Will add more tonight, after we get back out in the gardens when it cools off...
« Last Edit: Jul 22, 2007, 04:02:14 PM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #10 on: Jul 22, 2007, 09:10:06 PM »
We picked more maters tonight. :Groaner: Good news is that these are going to Aunt Bonnie. She can can them! :Glee: She is grand sitting next week, for a week, but she said she will have time to get them in the jars. She loves fresh maters almost as much as I do... ;)
« Last Edit: Jul 22, 2007, 09:11:44 PM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #11 on: Jul 23, 2007, 06:28:09 AM »
Well I'm watering so far I've gotten one bucket down to the garden and I have about 3 to go.  So it's going to take awhile today.  I did manage to harvest an entire bucket of sage which was great.

So far the tomatoes are a goner and so are the celosia.  The columbine I totally crisped the mature leaves but some small leaves seem to be comming up so it may not be a total loss.  

Offline Patty S

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #12 on: Jul 23, 2007, 03:03:16 PM »
It was overcast & 67° when I went out this morning, so I decided to work in an area that would be getting baked by the sun after the clouds burned off.  I burned a strip of dead weeds & grass across the road, then planted some Yucca rhizomes there.  The neighbor has planted several small spruce trees over there many times, but they always die off... (probably cuz it's at the top of a rocky slope, so water runs off without soaking in.) We think the Yucca plants might just be the answer to the problem of what will grow there (besides weeds), & we're hoping to see little plants come up from those rhizomes next year, or late this year.

Keith tore the deck apart over the weekend & I want to clean up the area before he starts rebuilding, so I started by moving the few plants I've had growing in front of the deck. I don't care how "careful" he tries to be, All it'll take is one mis-step to bring an end to a flower! (He shouldn't be expected to be responsible for "garden things" when he's got a 12' board in his hands, anyway! I've known that "rule" since I was a little kid, helping my Dad add on to the small house he built when he first married my Mom... I guess before they realized that a bunch of kids would come along!)

I was going to start raking through the area where the deck used to be (to get rid of all the dead leaves & spiders, & stuff that has fallen under there over the years) & then torch the ground real good to kill off any weed seeds & spider eggs, but the sun is starting to come out & it's time to start the dishwasher & take my nap. That stuff isn't going anywhere!

I hope y'all are having a good Monday!  :wink5:
« Last Edit: Jul 23, 2007, 03:06:45 PM by Patty S »

Offline patches

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #13 on: Jul 23, 2007, 04:20:34 PM »
I spent a good part of the day installing some lights in my one side bed and the new shade bed at the back of the house.  :wink5: I can't wait to see how they look at night.  I sure wish I had an electric plug in the back because it would make things a lot easier.  :( I also dead-headed some of my perennials and put more mulch on one of my perennial beds.  I hope I will be able to do another one tomorrow.  :)
« Last Edit: Jul 23, 2007, 04:22:33 PM by patches »
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #14 on: Jul 24, 2007, 06:31:12 AM »
I'm halfway through my watering.  And that's probably all I will manage today.  Yesterdays shopping took it out of me.  But I found a good pair of shoes that should last me about 5 years or so, so it was worth it. 

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #15 on: Jul 24, 2007, 08:39:01 PM »
...we picked two half-bushel baskets of tomatoes. I will be canning again this week...:Groaner:

I, also, watered my newly planted hibiscus to make sure they live... ;)
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline patches

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #16 on: Jul 25, 2007, 01:08:01 AM »
Today was one of my short days so I really couldn't tackle anything that was too time consuming.  I was able to do some work on my new shade garden that I started at the back of my house.  ;) I used to fill it with pink Impatiens, but since the annuals are getting more expensive every year, >:(   I decided I needed to do something different there this year.  :idea:  I'm putting in Heucheras, hostas, ferns, Astilbes, Crimson Fan, and Sweet Woodruff.  I finished planting it today  :ThumbUp: and will try to get it mulched tomorrow.  I also dead-headed some of my perennials, cleaned the bird baths, and filled the feeders.   :)     
« Last Edit: Jul 25, 2007, 01:13:16 AM by patches »
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Offline barleychown

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #17 on: Jul 25, 2007, 09:44:47 AM »
Wow! You sure packed a lot into a short day.  :ThumbUp:

Yesterday I went MAJOR plant shopping with a friend. We managed to hit 8 nurseries and the rose garden before we came home. :Glee:

I found some pretty great plants on clearance racks at each place, so I didn't spend a ton, but got several plants that I had been keeping my eye on. Now today I will need to plant or pot up all of them...but how can you pass up cool plants! :SlapSelf:
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground

Offline patches

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #18 on: Jul 26, 2007, 03:32:11 PM »
Quote
Wow! You sure packed a lot into a short day.   

Sarah, I already had the bed over 1/2 planted, ;) so I didn't plant all those things in one day.   :yikes:

Today, I picked all my almost ripe tomatoes that had chucks chewed out :Vent: by, "who knows what" :dunno: and tossed them all in my compost bin.  :tickedoff: :SmileyFit: No salsa tonight!!!   :crying:

It's NOT been a good day!  :( On a brighter note, it does seem to be clouding up so we may get some much needed rain.    ;)
« Last Edit: Jul 27, 2007, 02:41:28 AM by patches »
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Offline Dianna

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #19 on: Jul 26, 2007, 06:26:38 PM »
Today we picked more mators (another half bushel) and found some more squash. :ThumbUp: My neighbor met me at the fence and took a bag full home with her! :grinnnn:

I watered the outdoor plants again.

I potted up two plants that were getting rootbound in the house.
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Patty S

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #20 on: Jul 27, 2007, 01:47:58 AM »
Giving away bags of tomatoes is a pretty sneaky way of getting out of canning, Dianna! :Whis:

It's a shame that something is chewing the chucks out of your tomatoes, Patti. :Crybaby2: I know that it's sure discouraging when all it takes is something like an itty bitty bug to ruin all your hard work. I wonder if you have one of the tomato wreckers that they've been talking about over in Pests and Problems. You might want to take a look. I probably shouldn't say this out loud (the bugs might be listening), but I haven't had anything eating any of my crops, & feel pretty lucky.
(*The Safer Soap took care of the White Fly, & I haven't seen them come back again!)

Today I made markers for all my flowers, cuz I have so many this year that I'm getting their names all mixed up! :Wacko:

I've been working on cleaning up the area where Keith tore the deck off, & came up with the notion that I didn't need a deck, cuz a ground-level patio would work just as well for the BBQ & the hot tub & a few plants. When Peggy & Clyde came over yesterday to borrow a plumbing snake, I asked them to help me move the picnic table & my big Strawberry tower to the "patio", cuz I wanted to get an idea of what it would look like with things on it, in case I could talk Keith into going that route instead of rebuilding the deck. So, today I moved things around & arranged everything.
     
Well, it didn't look as good as I thought it would, & there wouldn't be any room for the hot tub. (The deck plans include extending the deck so we can put the picnic table on it, instead of having it in the back yard.) More importantly though, I realized that my strawberry towers would be sitting there, probably looking like big welcome signs to the deer! :eek: I surrounded both towers with fencing, but it looks pretty tacky, so I guess I have to stick with "plan A" & go with the deck.

It was nice to get the towers out of the back yard though, cuz they'd been sitting on the lawn since mid-May, & several of the runner babies set up housekeeping! :tapfoot1: (That was the exact spot where the berry patch was when we moved in here, & I worked pretty darned hard to get them all up & start a lawn in its place! Having strawberries there is one of the last things I want!) So I pulled them out & put them in the starter trays under the tower's plant stands with their brothers, then mowed the lawn. It was nice to get the back yard cleaned up & groomed the way it's supposed to be! :ThumbUp:

My Iris seed pods are dried now & starting to crack open, so tomorrow morning I plan to head out there while it's still cool, & pull up all the stalks. (If anyone wants Tall Bearded Iris seeds this year, I'll have lots of em... PM me.) :wink5:
 
« Last Edit: Jul 27, 2007, 01:56:23 AM by Patty S »

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #21 on: Jul 27, 2007, 07:09:20 AM »
Wow everyone has been sooooooo busy.  I got a little done that was on my wish list.  First I watered that's always necessary.  And then I split two pieces off of the Egyptian Walking Onion and then I pulled a bucket full of weeds.  The ones that were trying to crowd out my peppermint.  I still have bunches and bunches of weeks to pull in the burm but the retaining wall beds are all weeded so I don't feel toooooooo bad about the ones I still have. 

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #22 on: Jul 29, 2007, 06:03:39 AM »
This morning I got everything watered including the compost pile.  I'm not sure it was necessary since it is grey and overcast.  But a good rain now wouldn't hurt at all.

I pulled some grass that had come up in the shade bed and pulled some weeds that were in the anenome bed.  There are still a bunch in the berm that needs to be taken care of but it's muggy out there this morning so I'll see how the day progresses.

I'm taking one of the recovered oyster plants to church today to see if I can give it away.  Hopefully someone will want it.

I'm also taking a bottle of balsamic vinegar to church for Teresa.  I love the stuff and I hope she will too.

The mum cuttings seem to be doing really well.  They should be able to go to church in a few weeks which is just about perfect timing for the fall bloom.  I'm really happy with that.

Someone stepped on my zinnia volunteer.  It was the best of all my zinnias and someone just had to distroy it. 

The peppermint is doing great the other two in the back are not doing well at all.  Hopefully they will come back in the fall when it cools down. 

The one and only pepper I have gotten this year is starting to turn colors.  I hope it matures because it is the only one I can get seeds from. 

Offline patches

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #23 on: Jul 30, 2007, 02:32:03 AM »
Well, it was hot and muggy  :hot: so I had to go outside in several short spurts.  Early this morning I checked to see what the squirrels had dug up last night.  Today it was one of the Hostas in my new bed,  :Vent: and they dug out one of my potted plants, so I got them back in the ground before church.  This afternoon I picked up a lot of sticks that came down when we had the storms the other night.  >:( By early evening, the temperatures dropped a little bit and that allowed me deadhead somemore of my perennials.  Actually, it was not much of a productive day,   :smileyNo: but everything little thing I get done one day is one less thing that has to be done later, so it adds up.  :Whis:
« Last Edit: Jul 30, 2007, 02:33:37 AM by patches »
"Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Offline duh

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Re: Today in the garden I...
« Reply #24 on: Jul 30, 2007, 05:54:34 AM »
So very very true.  We got one of those storms late last night so today I hope to be able to do things since I don't have to carry water.  I'm so looking forward to it.

I got out there and got the east side of the berm weeded.  I'm so proud of myself.  And it's about 99% humidity out there.  I'm pouring sweat and it's not even hot.  As soon as I recoup I'm going to go out again.  I'm thinking I'll make a stab at the compost pile but maybe more weeding the compost pile will be wet and heavy right now.
« Last Edit: Jul 30, 2007, 06:37:54 AM by duh »

 

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