l get the convenience thing Danny, after searching for soy infant formula in Chelsea 40 years ago. Maybe Chelsea has changed since then, but I doubt it. I had a good friend there and if her brother had married his high school girlfriend the entire town would have been related. Are you from there? I was so thrilled when I moved to Owasso. Doctor and dentist, half a mile away. Grocery and Walmart, half a mile. There wasn't much in town in those days that was very far away. Now we have flipping TRAFFIC. I won't even go to walmart.

We've never had a problem with yard police here, but we avoided HOAs when we bought. (It will be 29 years the 18th).

Did I mention the tree people never called us back? Ron went to Worley's greenhouse and they will put in a Redbud and Dogwood for less than the other place. Then I will work on shade tolerant native plants for underneath.

There are at least 10,000 tomato varieties world wide and more bred every day.

Have you tasted the dark tomatoes Danny, that don't taste like store bought? Dawn used to say she grew the red only give away. I won't eat store bought tomatoes any more. We buy cherry tomatoes in winter for salads, because they're the least offensive. I used to like to get BLTs when we ate out, but I can't do cardboard tomatoes any more. Like the cardboard eggs you get in restaurants.

It seems my daughter is getting married April 3rd. Don't schedule SF for then. They're getting a shelter at Lake Oolagah for it.

Maybe we should have an eastern contingency SF. This is a really pretty place at Oolagah. But there are lots more lakes in eastern Oklahoma than around OKC. There's also Osage hills state park, which is closer to Danny.

Nancy, is it necessary to retype your notes? Do you want to be able to search? If not you could take pictures of the pages and put in onenote. (I assume it will download pictures). If you go to all this work you need a backup somewhere you can access if the computer dies (knocking wood). This is the only thing about paper. It works when the power is out.

My plan, someday when it's warmish out is to winter sow the natives that have been kept in a jar in the fridge since last year. I'll put them in solo cups in a clear tub. Sasquatch would love to grab milk jugs to chew on and shake, so tubs are my only recourse. Does anyone know if it's safe to store those leftover seeds out of the fridge once I've planted some? I don't even know if they'll be viable. Maybe I should do some indoors, or do a germination test. I feel like I'm already behind.

It's Monday. Have a good week.

I'm the one who lost her post this time. In my excitement to jump up and get mail and Fed Ex packages, must have inadvertently closed my post. RATS. Have to share one of my Fed Ex arrivals. I saw it and HAD to get it. Can ya blame me? Be back soon.

Amy--the OneNote's on the Cloud, so I'm not worried about losing it. I can't photograph most of the notes. Each page is like a day's entries. Sometimes there are doodles, addresses, Bible study notes, grow lists, books and authors, technical specs on various devices. . . in other words the pages are an accurate reflection of how my mind works--that is to say, all OVER the place. Sometimes there's just like one or two things I need to save. I'm really quite enjoying re-reading all this stuff. I know! I need a new keyboard where the little ridges on the j and f are a little more pronounced, or at least not worn off like they are on this one.

But if all these notes are going to do any good whatsoever, I need them organized and searchable.

I've got bunches and bunches of seeds in the fridge and/or freezer. I used them last year, then just stuck em back in. And speaking of, good idea. I should do the same.

Asparagus is NOT weird. It is the Lamborghini of vegetables. In fact, I just decided I need to order some more crowns. I wouldn't mind a bit when it spreads. It would be more than fine if it took up an entire bed. Then I could cut it and sell it--for a lotta money. Okra? Not so much. In fact, I don't think I'll grow okra here. We had so much at Lincoln last year, no one was harvesting it! So every time GDW and I got there, we'd pick a bunch of okra that were too big. I'm going to have to discuss with John, see if we want to cut back on what we grew last year.

How I am going to have to own up to the fact that I don't LOVE tomatoes. I love the dark and/or sweeter heirlooms--but only want one once or twice a week. And the cherries (the Egg Yolks for now). And so I've realized I'll be growing many fewer of them. I can plant and trial new ones at Lincoln. Same with peppers--one or two sweet peppers. Actually, since Jen's going to send various ornamentals, I won't even need to grow any hot ones--they ornamentals are almost all hot--like really hot.

But Amy, I have taken the same stance regarding tomatoes--I will not buy a store tomato, except for cherry tomatoes in the winter for salads.

The other veggie I want to grow a lot of are green beans--specifically Contender. I do not like store-bought canned OR frozen green beans. But when I fixed the green beans from our garden last year, I loved them. I'm giving up on potatoes here this year, and was going to forget onions. Can't do it. I best get them ordered.

By the way, for all you asparagus farmers, do you have a favorite variety? Also, have any of you ordered from Growers Solutions? I'd not come across them before. Soon as I post this, I am going back to investigate more about them. Later!

I grew Jersey Knight from seed. They are SUPPOSED to be like 95% male, which keeps you from getting volunteers all over. But I have to say my seeds must have been mostly female, because they nearly all get berries. This is not a big deal, but the berries end up a long way from the asparagus bed. Supposedly males are more productive. I seem to remember that 1 year old crowns adapt better than older crowns, but I'm sure you're in a hurry to eat it. Jersey Knight tastes good and is resistant to a lot of diseases .

That is good to know about asparagus. I started some clearance crowns last year and they were doing great and then the grasshoppers took them out in the late fall.

They should be fine, they'd be dying back naturally by then or soon after anyway (asparagus), and if there's a perennial vegetable that's a survivor, it's asparagus.

That's the word I got, Danny! In fact, most of them assured me it was a true THUG and so I should think very carefully about getting it. Years ago on the ranch, Powder River flowed through the property. . . the southern bank, which was lower and sometimes flooded, was rather sandy, but rich from the river nutrients. And for those couple hundred feet, long and wide, we had wild asparagus growing in abundance. It was marvelous! And so plentiful that we'd invite friends from town out to pick it. Thanks, Amy--Jersey Knight it is.

We'll have breakfast for dinner this evening. Yum. I spent the afternoon cleaning out a couple kitchen cabinets--but first had to go clean the garage to make room for items we don't need in the kitchen. Some went straight to the donate-to-goodwill place (the trunk of my car); some to the shelves in the garage for occasional use. Since our counter space is somewhat limited, I had to make room in the cabinets for the food processor. I'm tickled that overdue job is done.

It was also pretty nice out today, so I had the garage door open while I was cleaning.

Oh, time for a minor cooking adventure. I saw this recipe on FB for what amounts to a chicken cobbler, but titled Oven Chicken and Dumplings. Basically pan with some butter in bottom, shredded chicken on top, pour a 2 cup mixture of biscquik over it, then pour a slurry of 2 cups of chicken broth and cream of chicken over the bisquik layer and bake for 45-50 minutes till brown.

I do like Chicken and Dumplings and was curious..so I'm trying it (butter melting now and chicken cooling so I can shred it).
I decided the mix was gonna be too dry after I got it in the oven (too much chicken (three breasts) I think), so I poured half a can of canned milk over it....the richer the better (except for health reasons of course):) The worst thing is a casserole that's too dry. Of course the next worst is one that's too soupy (lol).

My mother was not a great cook (though there was always a vegetable and usually desert, even if it was jello. But she made great chicken and dumplings. Mine are better, because I cook bones in the crock pot 2 days for the broth. Add precooked chicken. (I roast chicken leg quarters then debone and uses bones, skin and juice from roasting to make broth.) And the dumplings are "drop" biscuits from my 1972 cook book. That is essentially the Bisquick biscuits mother used on hers. I'm having trouble with a - soup and b - putting Bisquick under the liquid. I suppose it floats to the top.

mmmmm bisquits. I can turn down bread, but not biscuits.

Yeah hot biscuits are quite good...so many ways to eat them too. My favorite bread probably. Yes, that's not my normal method to make chicken and dumplings...but thought I'd try. Mine is much like yours, Amy...but if this is good, it's pretty easy.

We intentionally bought a house without an HOA. Cliff doesn't have the right attitude for some petty dictator telling him what to do on his property, and I'm almost as bad. But someone has it out for us and reported us to the city. Once for the 'excessive vegetation' and twice for the dogs.

I planted carrots last spring and found that letting them grow all summer & harvesting in January made them taste better, so I intentionally left a bunch this year. When I saw they were getting huge I decided to see just how big carrots can get. Today I pulled them up. A bunch were split so I don't think they'll be any good, but I figure it's worth trying. Worst case, they're woody and bitter. Best case, I'll be eating carrots till 2022.

The old recipe is the best....oh well, it was worth a try. It's missing the thick soupiness of the chicken and dumpling traditional recipe. That's some carrot, I hope it's delicious :)

That's a big carrot, Jen! I accidentally left carrots that were planted in the spring. I found them while cleaning out after the first freeze. They were giant, but SOOOOO good. I hope yours are too.

I'm sorry about your neighbors. I wish you could be my neighbor.

I'm on year 5 (?) of asparagus and have enjoyed it. It hasn't gotten out-of-hand. I don't remember the varieties. There were two different ones--one in each bed. I just bought them at Lowes (or someplace like that). Is there a Queen something variety?

Congratulations, Amy. How are the plans coming along?

Y'all, I don't love tomatoes either...BUT, do so much enjoy a slice of fresh tomato on an egg with Ezekiel bread. And an occasional tomato sandwich. I never buy them from the store except--like y'all--cherry tomatoes once in awhile for a salad or recipe. And I like things like salsa, tomato sauce, and such.

Amy, call the cops, it looks like a leg, maybe Jimmy Hoffa's.

funny, about the leg comment. In a back yard in Ponca City is a leg... buried around 1943 or so. My father in law lost his right leg in an accident... and it got buried. :)

I planted asparagus last summer. Queen something variety... got 4 crowns. Only way we really get our own, is to plant it, and hold off harvesting for a year or two. Thus, I got it started. :)

Moni

Well, Danny, I'm kind of sorry your dumpling experiment didn't work out. Mom used to make what we called hamburger pie. I loved it, kids loved it, husband hated it. I would update the ingredients, but it was ground beef, v8 and veg-all with the Bisquick drop biscuits on top. Baked in the oven like your dumplings. Wish Ron liked it, I would like some. We've been talking about soup today. I have a miso garlic soup I want to try and the white bean and kale and sausage one.

Well today was sow: japanese primrose (from fridge), garden phlox hybrids, and an english strain (giant pink flowered) of our native nodding wild onion (I seem to have problems with it persisting...probably too much moisture). I'm gonna let the precipitation settle my soil tomorrow, then the primrose goes to the cool laundry room to sprout and start growing. The others will probably stay out to get their chilling (if needed) and sprout in spring.

COOL! Garage cleaned up--kitchen cleaned up--more counter space now. Spice cabinet organized, old spices tossed.

AND we went to town today to do a grocery pick-up, stop by the liquor store, get gas, drop off a couple of bills for GDW, and mail that #$R%^& Kitchen Aid sifter attachment I mistakenly ordered. Got er all done. EXCEPT forgot the #$R%^& Kitchen Aid sifter attachment! AGGGHH! It's not like I don't want a $105.00 refund. So now I get to go to town again tomorrow morning.

Seeds are about halfway sorted and organized. I have a lot more seeds than I thought I did. Story of our gardening life, right?

My mother was not a great cook, either. But she was one heck of a great baker. Fresh bread and cinnamon rolls every Saturday. Great pies, cookies, and cakes. She could ruin ANY steak or roast. Could NOT make decent gravy or fried chicken. Had no imagination for veggies or casseroles. But boy could she bake!

I adore cooking. Baking? Nope. Cept for my cookie-baking binges to send to family. In fact, that's why I got the mixer. I told GDW I was NOT making one more batch of cookies without first buying a stand mixer. Well, I got it; now gotta make a January whole big bunch of cookies--yay!

We also love biscuits, and I have my recipe honed perfectly for the two of us. I like biscuits and gravy just fine. But can never get past biscuits with butter and honey/jam. Also love strawberry shortcake using biscuits, and I often make chicken pot pie with biscuits on top. So I'll make biscuits with sausage gravy for a meal. I can only do a half a biscuit with the gravy, cuz I have to have a whole one with butter and jam.

I was out earlier dumping my compost coffee can scraps, and see the cilantro's doing great. Which is great.

And that's about all from here today. Cheers!

Guess what we had for supper--biscuits, of course. Only this time, Chicken a la King. I had one a la King, and 1 biscuit with strawberry jam. I told GDW that was thanks to Amy and Danny--and it was. Tasty stuff.

So excited

Your cabbage appears to be the stage I would expect in like early May? Cold frame?

AWESOME Kim, just awesome. What ya gonna do with it? How will you fix it?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Moni

Danny I planted plants in September.

Moni I will be fermenting most of these

But are they in the open garden? Fermented cabbage, yes, I like that...I like almost anything fermented (vegetable wise, forget fermented grains :) ). I have bought and/or made fermented cabbages, carrots, and probably a couple of other things that I can't remember.

Yes under row cover since I planted them

Rather impressive in early January, when do you forecast harvest?

A few weeks. It’s heading up nicely no w

Kim, your cabbage looks great! I'm jelly.

Flower people. Oklahoma zinnia mix? Is it truly less affected by powdery mildew?

Can't say...zinnias aren't really my thing (most annuals aren't..I don't like doing things every year), but my understand is that the zinnia haageana (the mexican zinnia) which is smaller flowered, is less troubled by mildew, in fact googling I found a site saying 'not troubled by powdery mildew'.
Here's a link to one strain, https://onegreenworld.com/product/mexican-zinnia-zinnia-haageana/

Finally going through my seeds today. It is a dark dreary day here but without windows who would know. I just put on the sun shine and got busy. It’s overwhelming right now.

i have so many pkgs. my inventory is outdated so I am trying to update that so I know what to order.

Sand Hill Preservation Center

will take orders the 11 th. I need to get mine in the mail.

I also want to be ready for the swap.

I just realized the zinnias we planted at Lincoln last year didn't get mildew! Wow. Well how about that. I'm a little jealous now. Seeds from Victory came today. Lettuces, collards, Thai basil, and the Illinois bundleflowers. Thai basil's a rock star!

The weather yesterday and today--kind of miserable. Gray, cold, and rainy. Yuck.

Larry's having troubles--his doctor is sending him to a heart specialist in Tulsa. I know he'd appreciate prayers.

I polished off my first notebook so think I will reward myself by looking at seeds tonight. Prairie Moon catalog came, so I should really take a look at it, too. I might briefly look at Swallowtail. . . lol Later all!

It's my opinion that adequate watering (esp early in the year) helps prevent mildew from breaking out (on many plants..on some it seems it's just a given). Just like us, stressors weaken and allow disease to flourish.

Not much to report. Garden is about to be prepped and I’m gearing up to start seeds. That spreadsheet is a thing of beauty! Mine are just in alphabetical order in a box. All empty packets are removed at once and I make a stack of the ones that I intend to order again or save. That’s about it for organization. 😬

My whole family in California is down with COVID and lots of friends here are in quarantine with moderate illnesses. My brother in law had it turn to pneumonia, Lord have mercy. We’re all fine so far and keeping ourselves to ourselves. Hope everyone here is doing well and feeling well!

Does anyone know how long it takes for a post to show up here? I tried to post something, but I got a 404 when I tried to link to it in FB and it doesn't show up on the main Oklahoma Gardening page. I don't know if it's slow or the gremlins got it.

Not much going on. Good to see you Marliegh.

I did go out Tues and drop seeds for what I had in the fridge. I need to go water them well, because we didn't get much rain. They're in solo cups in a clear tub with a solid lid. I have to make changes. The first tub I picked up broke in half (sun rotted, probably 2 years old). This one the lid broke off, so the pieces are not secure. One cup didn't fit. Maybe I'll deal with that today.

If things were working properly, instantly. I figure it got lost, in a backup/restore operation or failed to post at all.
We've certainly seen instability the last few years.

It''s finally there.

Amy, I think your post went to the government, they may sit on it till after plant time.

I had to get out and do something, when it got up to 38* I went over to the wildlife garden. Things don't look good over there. I think everything will just sit till warmer weather, if it can sit in mud. I am believing that clover may be my best bet for cold weather food for the critters. The critters liked the Austrian, but have already eaten them. I expect to have greens and turnips for a good while.

I don't really have any pretty outdoor flowers (though I'm close on a hellebore and cyclamen), but I did want to throw two pics up. One my sabal minor (palm) and the other one of the snapdragons I started in the bedroom window a year ago last August. It's a hybrid group of snaps which should be short lived perennials, they flowered last year, but should be great guns (if nothing really frigid happens) this spring.

The palm is about 3 foot high and 4-5 across, the snapdragon is close to a foot high. If it doesn't get frozen back, I wonder how early flowering will start?

HI Marleigh. Good to see you.

Sorry your California family is sick.

Not much new here regarding gardening. My first seed packet came in--West Indian Gherkin. Now that I know what to expect, I'm hoping to do better with them. I would like to pickle some. We have enough pickled peppers for two years, so we might not need to do many of those. Okra too. Lots of pickled okra. Need pickled cukes and gherkins. I'm pretty sure they got too much shade where I had them last year.

My lights were supposed to be delivered earlier this week, but now they're scheduled for Sunday.

I spent 9 hours working on seeds yesterday and mostly my spreadsheet inventory. I kept one years ago until I didn’t have a computer. The paper doesn’t work as well for me since I didn’t update it.

notat I he

figured out google sheets

okay well I can’t fix that at all

I figured out google sheets

I do not type fast but so far I have 300 lines in.

I only have 2 pages to go

I have a lot of seeds apparently

yet still I need more. But not as many as I thought.

got a load of cardboard from natural grocers. I hope to get more tomorrow. Plus I am getting scraps for my compost. Lots of good stuff for my neighbors chickens too.

I hope to get lights up for seed starting.

we'll work on that.

HU

Pop called yesterday & said he got the vaccine (he's up in Grove). So it sounds like they're moving along with it.

HJ, I ordered some lights too, and they've been delayed to today. I think I'm going to set up the shelves and get everything ready. I need to rig up some way to keep it heated since it's going to be in the garage. I've got a few things chilling in the fridge, so they need to get planted soon.

I just went into my seed starting room, looked around and walked back out closing the door behind me. How can anyone let a place like that get into such a mess?? I have sweet potatoes from summer before last. The still look okay, but why eat them when I have last years crop sitting there also? I may have to grab a couple and cook them just to see what a very old sweet potato taste like. I also have winter squash and pumpkins in there also.

I have a good supply of jars over at the old house, I wish I were able to can food. But I may never get able to can again, but that is okay, that is the hardest part of gardening anyway.

The sun is out, but still pretty cool, 37*. I plan on picking some mustard when it gets a little warmer out.

It felt so good to get out a little yesterday. I drove around in the wildlife garden, went down and tried to put a cow back into the pasture. I am not able to chase the cows on foot, but the rtv can run about as fast as a cow can. All though I dont chase them, but I do try to work them down to an area where I can open a gate and run them in. The cows belong to the guy that has the place rented, but I enjoy getting out and checking on them. I think that there are too many cows in the pasture, but that is how a lot of people operate. If I were raising cattle I would starve to death because I would over feed them, I would have other people's cows trying to break into my pasture.

It is still 37*, but I think I will go pick some greens, it wont take long to pick enough for two people to eat. We had a wonderful lunch yesterday, salmon patties, potato salad and raw vegetables, I hope we have leftovers from that today.

Larry, I still have about 10 of the Seminole pumpkins leftover from Garden 2019. I need to cook and puree them for the freezer. Take a day (or night) and do that.

Not much in gardening news (still). My lights came a day early, so I got them set up. I would like to get another set and put two on each shelf. These should do for this year, though. I have a lot of garden related things to purchase, so need to watch the budget.

I have cattle panels to purchase for a trellis and for the future greenhouse. I want to rebuild a couple of the raised beds, so lumber and the corner stones for those. PLUS the soil.

I hope I can get everything done that I want to get done this year. I also have landscaping/ornamental things I want to do. AND would like to add another attached/covered pen to the other side of the coop. So many projects.

I am pleased with the grow lights, though. Makes me want to start some seed. Maybe I could start broccoli and brussel sprouts?

Not much more to talk about. Hope everyone is doing okay. It's a crazy time. Lots of shady stuff going on out in the world. I'm happy to have good things to focus on too.

2019 pumpkins? I bought one about Thanksgiving from grocery store and it was rotten about two weeks ago (before I decided to actually use it. yes, I should have used it between Thanksgiving and Christmas). Yours must be good keepers.

Yep. I‘ve talked about my amazement with these Seminole pumpkins several times. I harvested 60+ in October 2019.

I have used several of them over the past month or two. I’m down to about 10 now. They are very good too. Even tastier than butternut (In my opinion).

I have tried growing Seminole from SESE seed for the past two years. I get huge plants and no fruits; by contrast, I wound up with more than a dozen winter squash from my Tromboncino plants grown the same way, in the same garden. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m going to grow Winter Luxury and Tromboncino this year, then I think I may try the South Anna butternut—it’s a mostly stable Seminole x Waltham cross that’s supposed to be the best of both.

Jen—We’re getting close to brassica-starting time. Mine will be happening soon! I was just browsing around for fertilizer and seed starting mix to pick up. I use this seed calculator with excellent results: https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/seed-planting-schedule-calculator.html

Marleigh, try sticking a few Seminole pumpkin seeds in some unimproved soil. Sounds like it doesn't like your garden, too rich for it maybe? I wish I could say I had H/J's luck with it. The first year I grew it (in unimproved ground) it grew well, but it was the worst squash pest year I've ever seen. The SVBs were tunneling into leaf nodes since they couldn't get into stems and squash bugs were a plague. I don't remember getting edible squash. After that I planted too late in the season.

Marleigh, I have grown Seminole twice. The first time I made a new bed in the lawn and amended heavily amnded it. I installed two arched cattle panels for them to grow on. I had 6 or 7 plants around the arches, and the plants were babied and grew and produced very well.

This past summer I planted Seminole in my wildlife garden, where I have no water ( I hauled water over there with a tractor ). I started out with approx 10 plants, but thanks to critters and insects I only had one plant to live long enough to produce, but that one plant produced between 25 and 30 pumpkins, many were small because it was a new bed and had little care and water. I even lost one plant to SVB. The real winner was the Old Timey Cornfield pumpkins that George sent. I had about 6 plants survive the insects and critters. These 6 plants produces between 30 and 40 pumpkins. The trouble with the OTCP was that they are too large for our needs. The Seminole of butternut is small enough to use for just one meal. The OTCP had a lot left over which had to be frozen, which is more trouble for us.

I use very little fertilizer, but do try to amend the soil. I plan to try again this year, and hope to have a water tank, or some source of water in the wildlife garden, plus a better way to protect the plants.

My experience with Seminole:

I had the one GREAT year. It was difficult to even see if they had squash bugs because the vines literally overtook the garden.

However, it was my 3rd attempt. The first year, I didn't get many at all. In fact, maybe just one fruit. The second year, I did get a few, but not many. And also had horrible squash pest problems. Then...I didn't grow any squash for a couple of years. When I tried the Seminole the third time (2019), great success.

I put a few seeds around our burn pile last summer and they didn't do well...but also didn't get watered often. And last year (2020)was a horrible squash pest year.

So...my plan is to give my garden a break from squash for a couple of years and then try again. Maybe that's what works in my garden regarding squash.