Gardening

[cineater]

Depends on the seed.  Hostas are normally tropical so I'm thinking they can be started right away but I'll look it up.  Pole beans are good to go.

Of course people showed up, fortunately I was engaged in my stuff and they were off doing their stuff.  Looked up in time to see a coyote trucking across the back.  Straighten out the rest of the chicken wire and got that stored for the winter.  Cleaned up the storage area for the tomato cages.  Really worked putting the open sides on the ground on the first level and the open side facing up on the second level.  No more trying to unhook the baskets from each other.  No clue how to keep the chicken wire from being a mess.  This year I've asked them to pitch any rusted wire and to roll up what they have around the beds and leave it on a support pole.  No more piles of chicken wire.

She wants to work on the side project a 3.  But now instead of cleaning out the beds she wants to go get the mulch.  That's pushing daylight.  I'm bring my headlamp, lol.  I want this project done.

[cineater]

I'm reading The Hidden Life of Trees.  Not sure I'm buying into it because it's just to sad what we do to trees.  All they can do is stand there and take it.  He makes them out to be a community, helping each other and having family and friends.  Maybe it's just the way he puts it in human terms but I just want to go out and hug my trees.

She got here at 4, lol.  We just did the mulch because now not only are they putting in a gas line; they are also putting in a water line.  I think we're just going to bury the plants in leaf mulch to get them through the winter.

Edited October 23, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Oh right, the seeds origin climate... makes sense. I have so much to learn.

You are becoming a literal "tree hugger" and Im for it! Sounds like a really neat read.

Sounds like you managed to get a lot done at the garden. Chicken wire drives me nuts - its impossible! Ahhh, your side project!!! The pollinators will thank you for the natives once it all finally done.

I sure am eating a lot of lentils  Theyre more diverse than Id anticipated, thankfully. Stews, curries, sauces, fritter/patty, chilli, cold salad, etc. I think I will try making lentil stuffed ravioli.

 

[cineater]

They sent me home with tomatinas to try.  I'm to cook them at 450 for 25 minutes with a little bit of oil sprinkled on them.  It's suppose to caramelize the sugars .  I'll let you know.  Some sharpe leaf sliced across my palm.  Little cuts like that hurt the worst.

Seeds are pretty easy these days.  Just google how to germinate them and it's all at your fingertips.  You'll have no trouble learning all this stuff because to us it's cool.  Easy to learn when you want to know about stuff.  It's that other stuff you don't want to know about that's hard.

Kevin took home our sign.  Totally forgot he's been responsible for putting that up the last two years.  I assume he's attaching the poles and will be back with it.  I made it pretty clear it needs to go up soon.  Countdown is on.

[soon]

I thought Tomatina is that big tomato fight in Spain? Its a food, too? And its leaves cut you? However you got cut, that sucks! They are the worst.

Where would I be as a gardener with out the internet? But also Master Gardeners 

Okay, it seems like Kevin should have a Saturday Morning cartoon strip 

[cineater]

lol, tomatillo.  Yeah I'm tired.

Leslie and I planned more on the container garden.  We already have 3 plants I'm wintering over.  She has access to the burlap bags from a coffee company.  Fuck growing in those, I want one.  We're going to grow potatoes and carrots in those.  That should look pretty cool.  We're getting the drip irrigation system together.  I'm still going to have to go up there everyday to turn it on.  We aren't allowed to leave the water on so a timer is out.

I might have got to Kevin.  He doesn't want anything built in the prairie but when I told him the woman who installed it thinks it should go he perked up.  He still thinks because we have indoor classrooms, we can teach in there.  We can but it's not the same as being outside and who wants to be indoors when you can be outside?  Just the people who don't garden!

[cineater]

Don't make those tomatillo treats. 

[soon]

Yeah, I gotta say, that tomatillo recipe doesnt sound good to me either. Ive grown them but forgot all about the sharp leaves! I made salsa verde with mine. Its delicious! Only thing is the tiny seeds sometimes bother my teeth, but other times its fine. Its tomatillos, cumin, cilantro, onion and other yummy stuff. All boiled in water and then purred into a sauce. Great on beef and all things mexican-ameircan.

Haha, you just want curl up in a burlap sack after trying the side project. Thats too cool about growing them in the sacks - thats what they are also sold in sometimes, right? 

Drip irrigation will be a game changer. 

Now I really wanna make some salsa verde! Hope you have some tomatillos left - you gotta try some salsa verde!

[cineater]

I cheated and bought a bottle of salsa verde for my chili for tonight.  I did make the chocolate chip cookies so that's something.

One problem with growing in a burlap bag is you have to use potting soil.  Regular soil will leak out brown, dirt water and make a mess all over your patio.  You have air pruning going on so the roots don't grow out of the sides of the bag but will grow through the bottom if it touches the soil.  We have some plastic feed bags, same as your big cat food bags, we are going to grow in too.  You have to cut a few drainage holes in those.  

 

[soon]

Slash verde, chilli and baked chocolate chip cookies all sounds delicious! I just took some roast beef out of the freezer that Id marinated in my garden herbs and it smells great.

Oh that is a bit more of a to do with the double bagging. 

Are the mice all gone? Similar to your herb bag, when my neighbour smokes inside and stinks up my place I diffuse some essential oils and it deals with it swiftly. No more coughing or choking. (Rosemary, clove, peppermint, eucalyptus)

[cineater]

No mice.  Lily is bored. 

See if your library has the DVD: What Plants Talk About.  Pretty interesting stuff.

[cineater]

We're putting the plastic back on the little hoop house today.  Everybody is feeling were running out of time before winter hits.  Tomorrow is rain all day so we need the covered area to pot up the perennials.  Hopefully I don't come home with more plants!

[soon]

I hope the hoop house repairs go smoothly. You know full well that you’re coming home with plants!  just throw em in your side projects beds 

it is a perfect autumn day here. I just met with someone I hope will be a business mentor. Although I’m pretty sure that I could be their gardening mentor. Hopefully complimentary.

[cineater]

Up in record time and I only came home with garlic bulbs that I passed onto to the kid.

Guess who has access to 4 telephone poles and is sick of looking at them?  KEVIN!  Was telling him we just wanted to put up a platform that looked like a raft.  He wasn't going for it until I said but, we would need some telephone poles.  I could see the wheels turning.   Those are really heavy and hard to cut.  Not sure if we can use them or haul them.  I'm thinking if I tell the guys we are building a raft, they will all show up to help.

Hard frost on Thursday evening.

Edited October 25, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

That great about the hoop house! And look at your restraint 

You should get kevin to watch some youtube about how they built the pyramids so he can experiment with methods of transporting heavy objects. That should really get the wheels turning 

This coming Thursday? 

[cineater]

Halloween is going to be a cold one.  I was going to stay home today but one of our accent plants you can't get seed for so I ran up to take cuttings.  We are wet and cool.  My fingers and toes are numb.   Hitting the shower and then I have to get on the growing/plant room.  Came home with two more little lights so I can grow better on the table.  Have two and a half flats that need the lights now and the lantana and rosemary coming next weekend.

[soon]

I wouldnt mind getting a few more grow lights myself. Id love to hear the rosemary journey - you are growing from seed? I know that most people just do cuttings and even that is said to be a bit more tricky? What d you already have in the 2.5 flats?

Your weather is catching up to ours. But you couldnt help but go to the garden! 

I decided my project will be to learn if the chemicals in portopotties can break down wholly lambs ear. And if so, I will do a plant sale of wholly lambs ear at the little garden next year, along with a work shop on using its leaves as TP and kleenex. 

[cineater]

I hope that porta potties project isn't an observation thing. 

The Rosemary is from seed.  I'm searching the net for a chart that shows from germination to bloom time.  All the charts are seed to germination.  I have some of the red lights for blooming stimulation.  Whatever we have blooming at the plant sale goes out the door first.  My task is to get the Lantana to bloom but I have to know when it comes out of the juvenile stage to start the red lights.  I guess I'm learning about lights this year.

I have a flat of coleus and the yellow Alternanthera (joseph coat).  I'm going to split the 3rd flat between the two but I'm a little concerned that the coleus will get too big under the lights.  Coleus may become my kale. 

I think we have all the plants picked out for the vegetable container garden.  It's going to be bigger than we thought.  My concern is watermelon.  I'm looking for that little variety that produces the size of a cantaloupe.  

All library classes are confirmed!  It's a go.

Edited October 27, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Hahahaha - no it wont be an observation thing . Hopefully a few phone calls and online research! Wholly Lambs Ear is also called 'natures toilet paper.' 

Cool! This is exciting! Ive never known anyone to grow rosemary from seed! I also didnt know that having rosemary bloom is desirable. Ive never seen its flowers. Please keep me up to date??!!

Coleus is definelty your kale 

Ive never grown watermelon. I think its possible here though. 

Thats awesome about the library classes 

[cineater]

I don't think Rosemary blooms.  It will be under the blue light for growth.  I probably won't be the one growing it.  I'll probably focus on the lantana.

My small vacation stopped in town.  Said she was retiring Nov 1.  Took me about a half an hour to realize that is this Friday.   I'm still thinking it is the end of summer.  Driving over there I stop by a large stand of coleus.  If I hadn't been driving, I would have jumped out and cut some.  I don't have those colors.

You want Blacktail Mountain watermelon.  It's good for colder climates.  It's only 8 to 12 pounds so half of a normal watermelon.  I think I'm going with Sugar Baby, a little smaller and can take more heat.

Edited October 27, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

Thanks for the tip about the watermelon. Do they need a structure to grow on or is the ground okay?

Nov 1 is sneaking up on us - I feel the same way.  Youre just driving around town clipping other peoples coleus now?? 

More lentils for me today! I really gotta get around to making the black bean tempeh.

Edited October 28, 2019 by soon

[cineater]

The watermelon will grow on the ground.  Mine will go in a big cage so it doesn't vine all over the place. I'll have to use a sling to support them and make sure the melon grows on the outside of the cage so I can get to it.

Sent you pictures of the green path install.  Took a wheelbarrow full of the sedum.  I just laid it down on the dying grass and then covered it in leaf mulch.  Since we're getting the killing frost Thursday I thought the leaf mulch might help protect the stem and give it more time to root.  I walked the line and stomped it all in.  We get rain the next few days so I'll be walking it several more times to be sure the stem is in contact with the soil.  Fingers crossed that works.

Forgot, my friend who is retiring at the end of the week is going to take the master gardener classes.  She needs to learn about cactus where she lives.  Her entire yard is rock.  I don't think I really want to go see that.  I couldn't live where you didn't have all of the seasons at least in some form.

Edited October 28, 2019 by cineater

[soon]

A cage - I think I can picture that and Im not picturing a tomato cage, more like a dog cage?

The path is coming together so nicely! I hope the roots take in time. Will be so nice to stroll down that winding path. Looks great

Cactuses? Thats like what hipsters grow in their windowsills  Although, she can grow some peyote just like you did salvia 

I can agree on 4 seasons being a beautiful thing until, say, February. Then winter has more than overstayed its welcome. 

[cineater]

It is our tomato cage.  We don't use those tornado shaped ones you buy at the store.  Can't remember the name of the stuff but it's like cattle fencing shaped into a circle, 5 ft high.

I think she has the cactus that can crush a house when they fall.  She is at the base of some mountains by a college town.  Maybe I'll go visit someday.  It's a retirement, golf community.  She doesn't golf, lol.  Even I wouldn't trust me with a golf club in my hand. 

I brought in most of my containers from outside and the firepit.  I'm going to try to winter over the lavender.  It's sitting on the floor by my lights.

[soon]

5 ft high tomato cages?!?! Dang. Ive seen some varietals that would need that but have never grown them myself.

Maybe a golf club in your hand during budget meetings could be useful?  I didnt know cactuses cold get so huge.

I will be impressed and/or jealous if the lavender makes it back to the garden next year. Ive tried and tried!

Looks like we might get first snow right when you get your killing frost.