Gardening

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes, I think it is a carpenter bee. The wings looked more fly-like, so I wasn't sure.
Sorry about the rabbits. We have had deer stand outside our fenced garden, looking longingly at the apples. And we hardly ever get to harvest the wild plums because the raccoons eat them when they are still unripe.
We got 6 new chicks a couple of weeks ago. They were in the house for a while, but we moved them to a tank in the barn recently. More room to grow and they can come and go under the warm light more easily. They will stay there until big enough to go outside to the pen. We like barred rocks; we've had the best luck with them.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I replaced what I was able get due to the rabbits having a field day (many things were now out of stock) . I have netted the garden beds and so far so good

My citrus trees are looking good and bearing plenty of fruit.

Have you been able to plant anything Marsha ? or is it still too cold ?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yesterday I set out two yellow squash. Just bought plants instead of starting from seed. Planted some of the yard long beans I like. My sister gave me two tomatoes, so I set those out. One apple tree did not set blooms at all; we had a cold snap right when the flowers were forming. The other apple already had fruit set and they are fine. I will do a few more things later, when temp is more reliable.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

This is a good year for iris. They are so tall they are taking over the path. And so fragrant!

 

[KLJcowgirl]

This is a good year for iris. They are so tall they are taking over the path. And so fragrant!View attachment 41205

that is the most beautiful forest of Iris! Another one of my very favorites!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We put the chicks in their outdoor run yesterday. I think the nights are finally warm enough. Last night they did not know to go into their new shelter. They kept peeping frantically, wondering why we didn't come and get them and put them in their trough in the barn. We had to herd them into the new shelter and close the door on them. HOpefully tonight they will know what to do.

Night before last I heard a lot of scraping on the house outside. I went out to see and it was a young raccoon that had climbed UP the side of the house and had his hand in the swallow nest under the eaves. We had a snake shimmy up there but I had no idea raccoons could do that. I threw a cushion at him and yelled but it didn't faze him.

 

[Cayuse]

Beautiful iris Marsha. Mine won't be blooming for another month.

 

[Cayuse]

Have you all heard about the Murder Hornets?
What next?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Cleaned out my strawberry tire this morning, since they are finished for now. Planted black eyed peas and my brown cotton. Yard longs are almost ready to string for climbing. Picked a lot of kale; guess I will steam it this evening. Saw two little tomatoes! Hurrah! I can never grown those. Little squash also; hope they don't fall off. Quite a few apples and cherries. Larkspur are still beautiful. We have had some high winds this month; broke off several red yucca flowers, which hummingbirds love. Catching turtles in the turtle trap in the pond; 45 so far. We take them about 5 miles away to a creek. Hope they don't have a homing instinct. They are all red eared sliders. No rattlesnakes sighted so far this year, which is really odd. Chicks getting big and doing well. Busy time!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Sounds like things are starting to warm up for some gardening weather Marsha !!

Sending good tomato wishes your way This year for me was really good, so hoping it is for you too !

45 Turtles is alot, I take it they like breeding in your pond !

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Sounds like things are starting to warm up for some gardening weather Marsha !!

Sending good tomato wishes your way This year for me was really good, so hoping it is for you too !

45 Turtles is alot, I take it they like breeding in your pond !

They come up around the house and corral to lay their eggs. Found two tiny, just-hatched ones on the porch last week. A skunk had dug up one nest; we found the empty eggs. This pond went totally dry a few years ago when we had the record drought. I don't know where they all come from. We also find them wandering around in the yard. My neighbor shoots them, but we are getting too tender hearted in our later years. Plus, it is dangerous to shoot turtles in the pond because the bullets can ricochet. They are so hard on the fish and frogs, just snapping bites out of a fish swimming by, not bothering to eat the whole fish. It's a jungle out there.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I found one in my front paddock up by the road a couple of years ago, I put him in the lake ( maybe I shouldnt have ). Maybe thats also why im not seeing many fish jumping about !

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I harvested a lot of kale today. Got it all destemmed and washed. I was washing it the second time, ready to steam it, and luckily saw this before it went into the pot. Guess it is a cabbage worm cocoon? The chickens enjoyed it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Checked in the garden today and there is an artichoke forming! It's as though some exotic creature came to visit. We'll see if it continues to form. The plant is gigantic; really takes up too much room in my tire but I'm curious about it.

 

[Cayuse]

Did you plant the artichoke or was it what my mom calls plants that just pop up unasked for, a "volunteer"?
We planted some summer squash, tomato plants (which never do good, the get icky on the bottom) some peppers and cucumbers.
Our iris are blossoming now and the Japanese iris will be in another month. The Lily of the Valley are just going by, I love their scent but they make me sneeze!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Did you plant the artichoke or was it what my mom calls plants that just pop up unasked for, a "volunteer"?
We planted some summer squash, tomato plants (which never do good, the get icky on the bottom) some peppers and cucumbers.
Our iris are blossoming now and the Japanese iris will be in another month. The Lily of the Valley are just going by, I love their scent but they make me sneeze!

I planted the artichoke last year as a novelty. It died down in winter and I thought "oh well". Then it showed up again this spring. I find out it doesn't bear till the next year. So, even though it's taking up a lot of space in my tire bed, I'm leaving it to see what happens. Artichokes are not common in gardens here; I never personally knew anyone who grew them. Just planted my brown cotton a few days ago and it's popping up. It gets cross pollinated with local white cotton, unfortunately, so it isn't as brown as it should be any more. Cotton prices soared the last couple of years so farmers around me were planting lots of it. I think prices are down again, so maybe there won't be as much around me this year.
Having lily of the valley blooming would be so exotic! Too hot and dry for them in my area.

 

[Cayuse]

I did not know artichoke took a year to establish before producing, they are not common here, either.
I fibbed about my Japanese iris, I was in the garden today and they are almost ready to blossom! They did not grow very tall this year so I missed seeing them.
I look forward to the lily of the valley every year. It grows right outside my front barn door so the barn smells lovely for about 10 days. They do like it partially shaded and moist.
What do you do with your cotton?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I grew the brown cotton for autumn decorating. I thought of trying to spin it, but when I spoke to some experienced spinners, they said cotton was not for beginners, as it has a shorter staple. Brown cotton even has a shorter staple than white. So now I collect the fluff off the seeds and save it for stuffing my crafts. Brown cotton is actually nicer than white, but it is not economical to produce.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

That crazy artichoke is morning entertainment. It is like an insect zoo. I'm sure some of the insects on it are bad, but there are lace wings and lady bugs. Yesterday there were dozens of lady bug larvae. The wasps love it. If I shake the plant a whole cloud of flying critters come out. Little mantises are hatched. I'm thinking since it is such a magnet, maybe the bad bugs will stay away from my yard long beans and yellow squash.

 

[Willow Flats]

That crazy artichoke is morning entertainment. It is like an insect zoo. I'm sure some of the insects on it are bad, but there are lace wings and lady bugs. Yesterday there were dozens of lady bug larvae. The wasps love it. If I shake the plant a whole cloud of flying critters come out. Little mantises are hatched. I'm thinking since it is such a magnet, maybe the bad bugs will stay away from my yard long beans and yellow squash.

My artichokes have been like condominiums for earwigs! They like to nestle in the little pockets the leaves make. This year I finally researched how to get rid of them. Before that no mater how many outer leaves I'd pull off and flush the artichokes with water before cooking you'd sometimes find one while eating. Yuck!