What Did You Do In The Garden?

[digitS']

Where was it that I was reading about "cloud seeding" by private contractors? We could use some of that mega-seeding, @Zeedman .

After Dad decided that he might get away with a return to agriculture, we moved to a dairy right across the road from an airport. The primary purpose of the move was to acquire milk cows and make a second move with "cows in tow." That was a good move but, it turned out, the property was too small for the operation Dad had in mind. At least, it got us away from that airport !

And then, 20 years later - I moved "way out in the country" and it turned out that the takeoff route for the little regional airport a mile away was straight over my home. About 100' higher in elevation, the planes were just above the treetops! We used to make note of Naked Gardening Day on TEG. Hiding in the corn patch and having installed an outdoor bathtub, really wasn't all that comfortable for me !

That airport was converted to an amusement park not long after I moved away. It's a major local tourist draw but they had a fire just outside the location, last week. Caused an evacuation.

DD's new home is in somewhat the same flight pattern to a more important airport. These days, there is steady traffic of planes carrying fire retardant and water flying over her house.

There was "rain" yesterday but an afternoon nap would have been cause to miss it. The nearest weather station recorded .01". These events are almost some kind of cruel jokes but, I suspect, that the complete opposite events are occurring elsewhere. Balance. We need to maintain our own mental balance in all of this. Nothing can be more important .

Steve
temperatures forecast to be above 100°, Friday and Saturday.

 

[flowerbug]

you can rail against the weather gods all you want, but in the end you get what you get. i'm very efficent with my emotional energy. i just try to figure out what is most important for me to do next and let the past be the past. yes, i do observe and learn from it, but i don't let it hold me back or weigh me down. i think i'm more like a plant than an animal.

 

[Zeedman]

i think i'm more like a plant than an animal.

So what you are saying is, you like standing in the rain with muddy feet?

 

[flowerbug]

So what you are saying is, you like standing in the rain with muddy feet?

if there is a puddle around i'm probably eyeing it... so i guess the answer is yes...

when i first read about the Ents i was feeling like someone finally understood how i felt. then the story developed more and there were the Entwives, but i can say i loved both.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I had to put up a little fence for a barrier to keep the cucumbers from climbing the bean fence. I tied some of them to the fence and others going the other way went through the squash and headed for the alley, I just turned them where they are going the other direction. Lots of flowers but I see only one little cucumber right now.

 

[digitS']

I suspect that you gave those cucumbers lots of rabbit compost, @Gardening with Rabbits . Patience.

I harvested a bucket of cucumbers, today. No brag, just fact ... The first substantial harvest this season. Of course, I'm late on the scene .

Late also for some of the zucchini that have grown as bug as a wiffleball bat! That's okay.

I may have to change my thinking on the Velour beans but the jury is still out. The plants are small but they are suddenly covered with beans. It's like the extreme heat delayed development from the early flowering so they are all coming on at once. Tiny things but I picked quite a few. Then, covered them in the bucket with a whole bunch of Jade bush beans. Those plantings are on the same amount of ground. We will see.

This is looking like about the best pepper and eggplant year that I have ever had. The Anaheim are really kicking them out! Eggplant is still getting wound up but the plants come to mid-thigh. Already, a few Asian types have come home.

Where are the tomatoes? The only fruit is here at home. They just aren't flowering out in the big veggie garden ...

Picked 10 ears of Sugar Buns sweetcorn.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

beautiful day outside today. i weeded the strawberry patch (been meaning to get in there for the past month) and then worked on the back NE corner where the green carpetweed is always trying to take over along with the purslane (there's milkweed and horsetail also in there). i got most of everything before it reached flowering or dropping seed stage so that's a big help for the future, but it is so picky work to do around bean plants. up and down the rows in between plants goes fairly quick with the stirrup hoe. around the plants close work, not so quick. as i've pretty much needed to get this close weeding done since those beans started sprouting... so to make progress yesterday and today on this garden at last was nice.

i reached my close weeding limit and decided to lift the onion bulbs from seeds that i planted last year. i have a lot more than i ever expected. the seeds were old. people said old onion seeds aren't that good... okeeyyy... i have a chance at a walking onion of a red type that also gets some seeds on top along with the tiny bulbs. we'll see how it works out for increasing next season. none of these seedlings were mulched or babied other than being weeded and watered a bit during the dry spells of this spring and early summer. also growing in our mostly clay soil so they're survivors. i'll keep working on these... i always can use another project. i didn't get them all done but there's always tomorrow to finish up.

 

[Zeedman]

i have a chance at a walking onion of a red type that also gets some seeds on top along with the tiny bulbs. we'll see how it works out for increasing next season. none of these seedlings were mulched or babied other than being weeded and watered a bit during the dry spells of this spring and early summer. also growing in our mostly clay soil so they're survivors. i'll keep working on these... i always can use another project. i didn't get them all done but there's always tomorrow to finish up.

Perennial Alliums are one of my long-running pet projects as well (as you know ) so I'll be following the results of your walking onion seedlings closely.

 

[flowerbug]

Perennial Alliums are one of my long-running pet projects as well (as you know ) so I'll be following the results of your walking onion seedlings closely.

it is interesting that out of all those seeds (several thousand) that three managed to get big enough to flower and also that of the three that one happened to be what it was. not that i was expecting it. just doing what i normally do with projects like these, try to plant a lot and then observe and select.

i need to give all the gardens some water today so that's what i'll be doing most of the morning.

the squash plants do have at least one baby blue hubbard in them. don't see any other squash than those and the green seeded basketballs.

 

[Zeedman]

Yesterday DW & I went to the rural garden. We finished harvesting this cutting of the water spinach (kang kong), picked some tromboncino & cukes, and did a little weeding. Last year, the water spinach (planted at home) was severely infested with flea beetles, and was a total loss. Much better this year. As would be expected, "water spinach" didn't mind all the rainfall:

Water spinach. We'll save a little for ourselves, but will be giving much of this to our kids & some family friends. Sometimes we add the greens to mung bean soup, but mostly we eat it boiled & seasoned with soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder.

I've been feeling under the weather, so didn't do much today other than beetle patrol. The JB's are really starting to swarm; besides the runner beans, they have taken a liking to one of the tall soybeans. I killed about 20 there this morning, and an equal number just before sunset. That is in spite of the 3 beetle traps I have out catching hundreds.