January 2021 Week 4

3 years ago

I'm up early thanks to puppies that won't stay quiet, so I thought I'd beat Danny to posting this week's thread. I spent a few minutes looking through past threads for this week, and the only gardening task Dawn mentioned every year was was to not get in a rush to plant. I already skipped that, so hopefully I can keep everything alive long enough.
What's up with everyone else?

Featured Answer

jlhart76
Original Author

3 years ago

A couple of my micro tomatoes popped up.

Comments (67)

HU-422368488
3 years ago
https://www.rhshumway.com/category/s?keyword=horse+radish

HU
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Thanks Rick. I thought maybe a grocery store had some. Having said that, thank YOU for enabling me! LOL I ordered the horseradish root; then thought, "Heck, might as well order some ginger, too. And more cabbage seeds." I'd never ordered from them, so signed up and will go look at their site. They look like a good one. Thanks again. And I had just scheduled a large $ amount to be transferred into savings. I truly hope I am done buying stuff. I best not go back to Shumway and look until the end of the week.
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Jennifer, The first time I saw a BP truck at our Wal-mart, which was just last week, it was only delivering wooden shipping crates of BP onions, but then it was back this week delivering a few cool-season herbs and veggies. I'm thinking of those poor little plants right now because our OK Mesonet station is showing a current temperature of 20 degrees and that's pretty much borderline too cold for some of the plants I saw yesterday, especially given how small they are and the fact they are in small containers and not in the ground where soil temperatures could help insulate them from some of the effects of the cold. I hope the garden center employees covered up those plants last night or moved them indoors. While the very early transplant arrivals often do not freeze or have damage at 20 degrees, sometimes they do....and sometimes the damage is invisible and can result in later problems like early bolting or buttonheading of brassicas....and no one links that bolting or buttonheading in March or April to the fact that the plants were exposed to excessively cold temperatures while on the garden center shelves in late January or early February. I'm sorry your mom has the flu and wish her a speedy recovery. I hope whatever you're fighting is not the flu and that you can successfully repel those germs. I carry hand sanitizer in my purse, not that I am obsessive about it, but I hate touching anything in a grocery store at this time of the year for fear that flu and cold germs are lingering everywhere. I wash my hands constantly, and I do not understand how/why people would use a public restroom facility and not wash their hands. I just don't get it. Rebecca, Well, spinach is really cold hardy. Perhaps dew and/or frost have left enough moisture behind to induce germination. We're in severe drought, are awfully dry and have tons of tiny little green things sprouting everywhere now. In fact, the OK Mesonet's Relative Greenness for our county went from 11% last week to 21% this week, which surprised me, but then when I looked at the ground closely, I could see all the tiny green sprouts popping up in fields, and clearly the program (satellite? radar?) that calculates Relative Greenness for each county is 'seeing' that greenup as well. Are any of y'all allergic to cedar (which actually is juniper, but I cannot win that battle on getting people to correctly label it)? Because it is pollinating down here already and everyone who is allergic to it is having allergy symptoms already, including Tim and I. Just yesterday I was looking at cedars in our neighborhood and commenting to Tim how heavily they're covered in pollen, and Fran and I noticed the same thing while out at wildfires in northern Love County a few days ago. A lot of folks who recovered from the flu now thing they are having a relapse or have caught a cold or whatever, and I just wonder if what's actually happening is they are allergic to the cedar pollen. Nancy, We all are so proud of Amber. She's just an awesome person and her students are so lucky to have a teacher who loves them and works so hard to teach them. Everything she does is always for them and about them, so when she was named Teacher of the Year, she was totally surprised because she doesn't think about stuff like that---her focus is completely on her kids. The riding mower is dead.....or dying. It is around 16 or 17 years old and gets used a lot since we mow about 2 acres regularly. I think it really needed to be retired 3-5 years ago, but Tim is a cheapskate who doesn't want to spend the money to buy another one, so he keeps fixing it and keeps it limping along and just barely working. I just kinda wish he'd go ahead and buy a new one and have something reliable. Weekends are too short as it is and he doesn't get much mowing done if half the weekend is spent chasing down parts and fixing the mower. Jen, I bet it was a nice day to go to the dog park. Our dogs spent a lot more time outdoors today in their dog yard than they usually do in the winter, and they were so thrilled that it was mild, sunny and warm. They were exhausted by the end of the day which I always think is a good thing as it does cut down on how energetic they are in the evening. I think Tigger is the perfect name for a dog! I assume the planters you're planting are your winter sowing? Have fun finishing it up. Nancy, That bermuda grass is such a nuisance, and it creeps into the east end of my garden every year in late summer once it is too snaky for me to hand-weed it out. Johnson grass does the same, and it essentially is bermuda grass on steriods. Since I don't use chemical herbicides and since the presence of the rattlesnakes and copperheads makes weeding too risky after a certain point, that sort of invasion just cannot be avoided. It drives me mad. Even if I could hand-remove it, I'm willing to bet that at some point the summer weather would get too hot and I'd decide I wasn't going to spend all that time out in the heat removing it. I'll be removing all of it this week (I hope) that I can as long as the wind stays down and I am able to spend more time at home in the garden instead of being away at fires. I think on Mon and Tues, the wind will be low enough that I'll be home in the garden. I'm not so sure about Wed and Thurs because the stronger winds are expected to return then. I have been watching for snakes this week on the warmer days because last January they came out here in southern OK on the warm winter days. A little girl in the Austin, TX area was bitten by a rattlesnake at Longhorn Caverns State Park a few days ago on a warm, sunny day when the family was excited to get outdoors and have fun after being cooped up by cold weather, and that certainly caught my attention. Undoubtedly it generally is warmer in Austin than it is up here at this time of the year, but not necessarily that much warmer, so I took her mom's warning about snakes being out to be a serious one. I think your soil will be fine whether the stuff is broken down enough or not. We have gazillions of things that sprout and grow just fine in some pretty awful dense, red clay.....although I'd never expect my precious garden plants to survive and perform well in that stuff. It is merely that as the soil gets better via amending, the plant performance improves year after year. I've always been in it for the long haul---not expecting to totally turn around the soil in 3, 5 or even 10 years, but just dedicated to continually improving it slowly over time. There's places in my garden that probably never get as much compost as I'd like, but the plants grow well there anyway. I do look at the improved soil now and have trouble remembering how truly awful it was in the beginning---but all I have to do is dig down maybe a foot to get beneath the area of improved soil and there's my reminder of the awful red clay we started out with. We only eat out about once a week, something made easier by the fact that it is pretty much too long of a drive to go anywhere that we'd really like to eat, and eating out usually is restricted to the weekend anyway since Tim's long commute makes his day incredibly long as it is. By the time he walks in the door at night, he's been gone 13 or 14 hours and going out to eat is not on his list of things he wants to do....and I don't blame him. I am hoping for a better week this week than last week when we had fires virtually every day. Having said that, we're off to a bad start, with the fire pagers going off for a vehicle in the roadway on fire about a mile from our house around 4 a.m. this morning. I am sure there's tons and tons I do not understand about motor vehicles, but I just do not understand how you're driving up the road at 4 a.m. and all of a sudden your car or truck bursts into flames. That must be a terrifying moment when you realize you're in a vehicle that is on fire. So, now that I am up and wide awake, there's no way I can fall back asleep. Tim, by contrast, can crawl back into bed after something like that and be asleep and snoring in 5 minutes. I wish I could fall back asleep like that, but it just doesn't happen---once I'm awake, I'm awake to stay. This is useful in summer because I just go outdoors at the break of day to get into the garden early and beat the heat, but not so useful in winter when it is cold outdoors. Dawn
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January 2021 Week 2
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Comments (56)
Nancy, our washer might be the same model as yours. It was the cheapest Whirlpool they had. It was $499. It is even less fancy than the one we purchased 10 years ago....and that one wasn't top-of-the line or anything like that. With this one, it is hard to get used to no time count-down. I don't know how many minutes are left and that isn't a huge deal, but something I had gotten used to. And you just put your soap in the tub of the washer. Our last one had a dispenser (similar to the bleach dispenser). I don't mind putting it in the basin, but I wish it would let me fill it up with water before adding the clothing. But, so far so good with it. I will admit the champagne set is very pretty. It's very mild colored and lovely. But, when I do upgrade (hopefully not for a long time), I'll just get white. Even our "stainless steel" kitchen appliances that are supposed to be smudge proof, still get smudged. We did our grocery shopping this morning. Geez! All of you who are doing grocery "pick up", well, they're not picking up the items from storage...they're going through the stores with these big cart things with large tubs on them. There's multiple ones always in the way...blocking the aisles and shelves. They are doing a good job picking out your items. They carefully inspect each item before putting it in your tub. Those of us standing around waiting just have to be very patient. LOL I might have to start shopping at Crest, though. haha. We start at Natural Grocer, go to Sprouts and then finish at Walmart. We might start finishing at Crest. Nancy, I would be happy to take a few guajillo seeds. You know what's funny, until I made the posole I had never heard of that pepper. It's an interesting dish for sure. Instead of tomatoes, you make a pepper sauce/paste (for those of you who are unfamiliar with the dish). Very interesting about the pee/poop thing. The boys like to pee outside, so I guess I'll just direct them to the garden. And, Amy, that's good to know about medications. I'm dumping the chicken droppings behind the shop, but will probably stop in February so it can break down a bit before I put the roselle and melons there. If I ever get a grandchild, I'll have an excuse to get bunnies to be "their" pets...and that will be great for fertilizing. Maybe a pony too! (I'm joking...no one lecture me, please haha) Danny, how exciting! Pretty! Jen, I still have seed cups and trays if you're interested. Our plan is to clean and organize the shop on Monday, so I can get them to you once I find them all. I'm not sure how I ended up with so many. Maybe HU brought plants over in them. Amy, you have a lot of experience with lettuce and greens. Have you found that red lettuces do better in cold weather? It seems so...at least in my hinged hoop right now. This is the first year I've been able to overwinter lettuce and the reds are looking the best. The reds and the blushing ones.
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February 2021 Week 4
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It's a blah day. . . Not cold, not hot, but not pleasant, either. Maybe I'll give it a couple hours and then go plant onions and asparagus. I have to whittle the tomato list down a bit. Onions are in, but I'm waiting a couple days for the asparagus. Do you all add fertilizer when planting the asparagus crowns? What kind? I'll have to order some, I guess. I have high hopes for the onions this year! The grow cart is beginning to fill up. I have sweet potatoes in potting soil so can make my own slips. Far too many peppers, but there are so many interesting ones, I want to sample some. I am especially interested in tasting: Hungarian Paprika Spice; Hungarian Round Pimento; Jimmy Nardello's Italian Pepper; Thunder Mountain Longhorn, Ros de Mallorca, Sugar Rush Peach, and the ornamentals Count Dracula and 5-color Chinese. Then a few hot ones (Thai, and a couple REALLY hot ones.) Because I'll be planting so many peppers, I'm going to really cut back on the tomatoes. But this year, I'm finally organized enough that as soon as I plant a crop of anything, the seeds go into a plastic zip-lock and into the freezer so they can last a long time. . . that means a lot of unused tomato seeds go into the freezer. I finally have my rolled oats and honey, Melissa, so can get going on a big batch of granola. Haha, Danny. I've been working on this most of the day. I'm having a hard time staying on task--with ANYTHING today. Dinner's started--Cajun penne pasta with chicken. I love salads at restaurants. Not crazy about them at home. But I found these spectacular dressings, and now all of a sudden, I like tossed salads at home. That makes GDW happy, as he loves salad. These are so delicious, I'm going to share them with you all. I knew I had to try them when she said she really didn't like salads that much. I've tried the lemon one and now the blue cheese one. But fully intend to give them all a try. https://wholefully.com/healthy-salad-dressing-recipes/ Have a super good week, everyone. Hope you're okay, Amy. Thinking of you.
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May 2021, Week 4
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Comments (42)
Kim, I think I have an unhealthy thing about thinness and all . But only regarding myself. It's not an obsession any longer and I rarely notice other people's sizes. In fact, I couldn't begin to describe most of my friends' sizes--I just don't notice. (I'm only hard on myself.) But, for whatever reason Kelly stood out to me today. Maybe it was her cute jeans and top. I don't know. Yes! I love those black hollyhocks! For some reason I thought they didn't do well in my area. Maybe I should try them. Oh, and keep meaning to tell you that the little fig you brought to me is doing so well! I will be praying for you, Kim. I know how badly you want your own land. All of the SF plants are doing well except your milkweed, Jen. The mint is minty and growing. Do you remember the variety? The name is faded already. The only things I do not have in a pot or the ground yet is the soapwort, the feverfew and the cutleaf coneflower. Trying to determine the best places for those.
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AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
We got our horse radish at sprouts. I should be taking that. I've been sick. Went to minor emergency yesterday. No pneumonia. Negative Covid test. So doc called me in a z pack. Next Ron will be sick. Sigh.

I ordered immune supplements on Amazon. My brothers reminded me of zinc which you couldn't get when the virus broke out. Also elderberry.

I just noticed I had 55 notifications on this forum. Got excited, but I guess I hadn't cleared them in a while. LOL.

Nancy is Autumn delight a "compact" plant? I have considered planting in a feed tub or container and setting up insect netting over it. Then I would have to pollinate the flowers. (George has a tutorial somewhere on that.) I've thought about it for years, and it never happened. Put it in a container on that gravel area between the house and garage. Cover with chicken wire to keep deer out (is that strong enough?) And then tent with netting. Or Garry can build you a screen box.

Not sure Whole Foods is as trendy since Amazon bought it. We used to make a circle. Sprouts (before they built one in Owasso) , Whole Foods, Mecca coffee, across the street from W.F., and Natural grocers. Mecca is one of those places to wander around and drool. Neat gadgets bulk olive oil, bulk coffee and tea. Teapots. Gifts.

I THOUGHT I posted yesterday. Either it went to purgatory or I never hit submit. That's about the time Ron told me we were going to minor emergency. Anyway, Godzilla is the wisteria, Nancy, Syd Vicious was the blackberry. The thorned blackberry. My thornless are in 5 gallon buckets and don't look great.

We got rain last night. I think I've lost the witch hazel again, I think it dried out. Think Bustoni's has them?

So much for my rambling.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
I am so sorry you've been so sick, Amy! Yes, you guys better get some fire cider and Four Thieves vinegar. We are taking zinc. Larry, Madge and you need to make the fire cider, too! All of us do!

Did you get a Bustoni catalog? At any rate, doesn't look like they do from their website.

Good idea on the Autumn Delight. And it looks to be fairly compact, yes--well, compared to Meot Jaeng and Seminole! 18-24" tall, semi-bush, and plants spaced 24-36" apart. AND, coincidentally, I was just looking up hoops and floating covers since I decided to try to grow cabbage again. I'm sure I could rig something up. Yep, I think a floating row cover. And I think I'll plant it in that raised flower bed next to the car/boat port. Okay. I'll keep you posted.

Oh yes--how could I have forgotten. Syd Vicious.

I sure do miss not eating out once every week or two. I made Cajun penne pasta a couple nights ago, and it was as good as or better than Chili's. But it's not the same. I know! I need a glass of wine with it--THAT'S what was missing. We're having the same thing tonight--leftover night.

And hopefully, our friend will be coming out tomorrow to help with gardening stuff.
jlhart76
Original Author
3 years ago
Nancy, micro tomatoes are plants that don't get much larger than a foot or so, so they can grow in something as small as a gallon pot. Moost are cherries, but some are around the size of those things Walmart calls tomatoes this time of year. So in theory you could grow them over winter on your kitchen table.

Aldi has ginger but no horseradish, so I left that out. I need to inventory my "pharmacy" as Cliff calls it, I'm pretty sure I'm out of most cold meds. I only got a mild sinus infection last year so I didn't use much, which means I didn't buy anything to replace it either.
OklaMoni
3 years ago
Ok, really, fire cider... how come I never heard of it before?

At this time I take glucosamine and controitin sulfate, glucosamine and controitin msm, and tumeric because of my osteo arthritis... calcium, vitamin D3, super B-complex, vitamin E, those are my supplements then I added Sambucus Immune Black Elderberry because of covid...

I get two allergy shots every two weeks... take fexofenadine for that as well, and I take simvastatin because of high cholesterol.

About 2 years ago I started making kombucha and drink a BIG glass every day.... and now, I wonder...

FIRE CIDER... should I add that...????

Yikes... it will get tough to travel if we ever get to again.

Moni
hazelinok
3 years ago
Moni, do you have a SCOBY that I can have or buy? I have a feeling mine has grown mold. I haven't examined it fully yet...but I've had it stored in a not ideal situation.

Horseradish root is hard to find at the stores usually. Seems like you can find it sometimes in the fall. I have two pots of horseradish, but didn't dig any this year because I have an extra bottle of fire cider in the refrigerator.

Amy, sorry you're sick. Hope you feel better soon!

I don't love Whole Foods. I like NG better. But, there's not a WF in Norman or Moore or South OKC....so it's something different. And it's IN Trendyville (Classen Curve) along with Trader Joes.

Melissa, squash pests are the worst!

Does anyone else wanna live on the island on the Allstate commercial? Even the music in that commercial feels....familiar or something.

I didn't get a Garden Monday post up today. I don't have any new pics. :(

I did make shrimp and sausage gumbo for the first time tonight. I was able to use onions, peppers, garlic, a can of diced tomatoes and okra from our garden. I took a bite and it was so good! Making the roux was a pain. SO worth it, though.

Then, I had the grand idea that the living room needs to be changed up, so we moved the furniture and I've gotta figure out that rest. Why do I do this? I just felt so deeply that it needs to be changed up. And now it is. And I have a mess. The cats like the excitement of it all.

Okay...I need to shut the coop door. Night, everyone.
HU-422368488
3 years ago
Bump;

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2046937/oklahoma-garden-planting-guide

HU ( Rick)
OklaMoni
3 years ago
Jennifer, I hollered at you on facebook.

:)

Moni
HU-422368488
3 years ago
Here's another "Dawn bump" about planting potatoes:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2104363/potato-varieties-for-oklahoma

HU
Marleigh 7a/Okmulgee Co.
3 years ago
Nancy-—I have some Cherokee Purple seeds if you would like some. The seed shortage/backlog is nuts, but I got most of what I wanted from Farmacie Isolde in NY. She’s still able to ship in about 3 days, and I got my order promptly with no USPS hang ups. Most of her really cool rare stuff is sold out, but she has a lot of favorites still in last I looked.

https://www.farmacieisolde.com

Jen—You can grow your own SCOBY easily if you can pick up a jar of plain kombucha somewhere. I have used plain GT’s with great results.

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-scoby-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-202596
Melissa
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Nancy, here is my recipe for granola. I really like it and it's so easy and versatile. You can add nuts or dried fruit if you wanted.

3 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup brown sugar (sometimes I use coconut sugar)

1/2 tsp salt (I don't always include this because I often forget lol)

1/4 tsp cinnamon (I add other spices occasionally: pumpkin spice, apple spice or nutmeg).

1/3 c coconut oil or olive oil (I double my recipe and often use both)

1/3 c honey (I have started using date syrup and it's marvelous)

4 tsp vanilla (I might just squirt the bottle because we LOVE vanilla)

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine oats, sugar, salt, and spices; set aside.

Heat oil and honey on the stove until just warmed and oil is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Stir both mixtures together, mixing well. Spread on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Let cool then break apart as desired. Store in airtight container.

I know the Cherokee Nation has been doing the seed program for at least 5 years now. You don't get a ton of seeds. Probably about the same amount you'd get if you just purchased a packet of seeds. But I am excited at whatever I get. I hope to get Wild Blue Indigo, Trail of Tears Beads, Wild Senna, Sunchokes, Button Bush, and American Basket Flower. Hopefully I'll get some before they run out. I have my reminder set for the morning of Feb 1st so I can get my request in quickly.

hazelinok, it's HJ, right? Or Jenn? Jennifer? I can't remember, sorry. My sister used to laugh at me because I had a bucket that I would use when searching for squash bugs. If I saw any I put my bucket under where they were very carefully then swatted them in it. Then I took my pruners and cut them in half. Those suckers still moved around after I decapitated them lol. I called that bucket my bug cemetery. I even took a video of one of the squash bugs still on a leaf trying to crawl away after I cut it in half and joked that it as a zombie squash bug. Oh my, as if!!

It got colder this morning and I am just not feeling it. I'm so cold natured anyway and this really makes me want to cuddle underneath my electric blanket. Maybe I'll do that and sort through my seeds while I'm warm lol. Sounds good.

Thinking I want sweet potato chili today or some kind of soup. Maybe taco soup. I'm definitely a soup kind of gal and I usually freeze individual portions for myself later. It makes it much easier since I'm the only one who eats soup year round.

I'm so glad you all are posting some of Dawn's threads. I'm started saving some of the ones that I reference a lot so they are easier to find.

Amy, hope you feel better soon!!!
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Thanks, Marleigh, but I had ordered some (from Victory Seeds)--forgot I had. I expect they'll show up this week. But thank you for the link. I just checked it out. She has a lot of seeds!

I suppose you'll be awfully busy when growing season begins. Are your kids attending school in person or virtually? And how is the little one doing. I tried to remember. . . I am thinking he is a boy? 50/50 chance. I guess. I was thinking his/her birthday was in September, but . . .

I finally got my order in to SESE the other day. The RH Shumway ordering went smoothly. HU.

How many of you have had allergies come and go? When I was young, I had horrible hayfever, and I was miserable when haying season came. But the hayfever just vanished when I was in my early 30s and never came back. Until maybe now. I'm definitely allergic to something! It hits every once in a while--two days in the past week. Rather weird. I don't like it.

I can't imagine how this living room could be arranged, HJ. It's problematic at best. Part of that is the scarcity of electrical outlets. Idiot who built this place. So everything stays put. We sure do need some new living room furniture, though. And new carpeting for the room. I hate spending $$ on stuff like that.

Okay. . . have to get ready for instructing friends on what his work will consist of this afternoon.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Melissa, the granola sounds yummy. I am so on that! Garry buys granola bars--he'll be tickled for us to make it instead. Thanks!

In looking at past Dawn threads it occurred to me that you have been in this group for a long time, too, Melissa. When did you begin, do you remember? Same for Larry.

The squash bug bucket story. I use that method (only 1 gallon pitcher with soapy water) for knocking off Japanese beetles and milkweed beetles.

Well, you are right! It IS cold. Too cold to be out there working. I was so excited our friend had school stuff come up so we changed work to Friday. It might not be warm then but it'll be warmer than today. Yay!
jlhart76
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Melissa, HJ is Jen, but to make it confusing so am I. The curse of having one of the most popular names in the 70s.

Nancy I've had allergies most of my life. They get worse for a while, then something causes me to flare up & then I react to everything for a while, then they taper back down.

I use a cup or bucket full of soapy water for drowning bugs too. I'm finally over most of my squeamishness about clipping them in half, but haven't quite reached the barehanded squish yet. Even stepping on them I'm going "eeeeewwwww!" as I do it.
dbarron
3 years ago
Today and tomorrow too, are days to stay inside. I'm struggling with finding a place for my father who will be discharged Thursday. I am hoping assisted living will do for him, but unsure. The preferred nursing home (in his town) is full. I don't feel I'm getting the support needed from the case-worker with regards to shortening time. I really really need some numbers from the VA about what they'll pay for.
hazelinok
3 years ago
Hey Marleigh. I found an old bottle of homemade kombucha in the shop back in the fall and brought it indoors to grow a SCOBY. It slowly grew a small one and I made the sugar tea and added the SCOBY. BUT, I stored the jar in a cabinet in the utility room and that is probably not a great place. It looks suspect. And, I could spend the weeks growing another SCOBY, but I am so ready to get on with the kombucha making. I buy 4 or 5 bottles every week and the stuff isn't cheap. I had taken a long break of making it for some reason and want to start again. Thanks for the link, though. I'm going to look at it.

Melissa, I've been known to carry a bucket of soapy water while searching for squash bugs. Not a fun job, but necessary. Jen, I don't cut things in half. It bothers me. I will squish them...usually with my foot, though.

It is very cold today. And I've been up and working. Usually that warms me up but I just had to bump the heat up.

Nancy, back in the day, outlets were scarce, I think. The first house we ever bought was build mid 70's and there was only 2 outlets per/ bedroom. Our second house was built in the late 90's and full of outlets. When we remodeld half of our house, we even added the outlets that can take a power cord, so you don't have to have the white, square power thing, which people always steal anyways. Usually family. ugh!

Our issue is for some reason, the electrician put an outlet right in the middle of the wall. It was fine when we had our large TV cabinet thing on the wall, but now the couch is on that wall...and there's a dumb outlet above it. Mack's cousin does macramé, so I might hire her to make a large piece for the wall behind the couch. She made the macramé on M&M's wedding arch and it was lovely. I watched her do it. Now, if I can afford one of her pieces, I don't know. But, a large piece would look nice on that wall and would hang down over the outlet, which we don't need to use because there's other outlets on that wall....down where they're supposed to be. haha. I suspect Tom asked them to add one there in case he ever wanted to hang a TV on the wall...which I would never approve of. lol. BUT, if I go before he does...then he can do what he wants, right? Although, he's enjoying the TV on this other wall better because he thinks the sound is better. That, I've found, is very important to men...or most men. I don't care. I don't want all the speakers and equipment sitting around.

Break over. Have a nice day, Everyone.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
I don't get a bustoni catalog, that would be dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous, Marleigh gets to join the enabler's club for posting a company I never heard of with "really cool rare stuff" (you know I'm a sucker for that!) Yes I went, yes I said "take my money".

Ron found instant Risotto at Aldi's. No not as good as the restaurant, but better than plain old blah rice.

We have only eaten out for birthday parties. DIL and son. Grandson's birthday is coming up, if he lives that long. He's been in big trouble because of school.

Moni, you must have been traveling when the internet was all about fire cider. Or maybe you don't look at herbal meds like I do.

Melissa, you take me back. I remember decreeing that Jennifer would be H/J for me. And jlhart would be Jen. It was several years ago when we were first getting to know each other.

Danny, I am so sorry you have to deal with the VA! However, maybe they'll cover it.

My lemon trees have had dried out leaves. They drop their leaves when stressed. I assumed it was the stress of coming indoors. Ron watered for me Sunday. More than I usually water because I'm afraid they'll leak. Well low and behold t

hose leaves are back to normal. Mea culpa.

HU I bumped those Dawn threads so they would show on the OK gardening list of discussions.
Marleigh 7a/Okmulgee Co.
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Jen—I always have the same problem with kombucha. I am very diligent for a while, then something comes up and before you know it, invaders take over. Besides, nothing I make is ever as good as the guava-flavored one from the store!

Nancy—She does! I love interesting and unusual edible plants, and especially herbs and medicinals. She has all those, and she’s a dye-maker, so she has many interesting things. I found her because of pretzel beans, which I don’t think is unusual. 😆

My little guy is good! He’s five months but the size of a nine-month-old. We homeschool, but my boys love helping in the garden so they’ll have plenty to do when things warm up. I’m planning to enlarge the garden if all goes to plan, so the big guys will have their own space to garden, too.

Amy—*muahahahaha* I have not yet even begun to enable.

https://www.jlhudsonseeds.net

https://store.experimentalfarmnetwork.org

I’ll just leave that here. 😁
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
HJ, when I was in my 20s, macrame was a real craze. I began making macrame plant hangers, wall-hangings. I loved doing it, and the hangings were in great demand by friends and friends of friends.

You must be very disciplined, Marleigh, to homeschool. If I had a young one down here in today's world, I believe I would, too. Thanks for the added links. lol So pretzel beans not unusual! LOL

Danny, I've been thinking of you. Fingers crossed VA will help with necessary living quarters. What a tough situation for you! This is not good. I hate getting substandard workers who just really don't care all that much.

HJ, the idiot who built our house wasn't back in the day. He was a bachelor who liked to party. The house is 11-12 yrs old. He didn't think windows or outlets were necessary. And wanted super high bathroom counters and kitchen bar. When I moved down here and Garry built my "quilting/art room (half of the double car garage, 20x22 feet), He put 3 electrical outlets in the wall dividing this room from the other half of the garage--and it already had two other outlets on the outside wall. So I am very wealthy with outlets in THIS room. Woo-hoo.

Melissa, have you tried growing button bush before? I need to get one or two for Lincoln maybe this year.

Chili dogs for dinner this evening.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Here's a dandy Tom Clothier table! Again, became aware of him through Dawn.

https://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html
dbarron
3 years ago
Amy, you have lemons? I have always failed with them before, but I bought one again a few years ago and I'm still struggling to achieve good growth, but it's STILL alive at least.

Yesterday, I potentially lined up an assisted living facility (still have to work with hospitals), and am now trying to find a moving service (requested quote this morning), because I don't have the muscles or the facilities (truck) to move a selection of furniture to the assisted living facility.

It also occurred to me that I should go shopping today and get him some PJs and robe, and underwear (none of which he has previously wanted to wear...but things have to change).

Then, I need to shutdown his house and utilities, clean out fridge, etc. I'm a bit overwhelmed and know that with him being an hour and a half drive from me, I can't be driving over every day, so I need to get things planned out and make best use of trips.

I also am going to try to have properties transferred into my name, which may be interesting with his wife, though they have never lived together and he paid for remodeling her house and paid off her house mortgage, and bought her like 3 cars. I'm sure she'll want his too. Wish me luck.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
Danny, look into estate sale people who will arrange, price, and clean up the house. I was not pleased about the prices put on my mother's jewelry, but otherwise they did ok.

Ha, ha Nancy, I was a macremer Back in the day, too, lol.

Marleigh, the pretzel beans were a 404 for me, so I assume they were out. I was sucked in by the tea selection. Already ordered from EFN and JLHudson is one I have at least heard of and may need to explore.

A dusting of snow this morning. And cold.
luvncannin
3 years ago
I am a sucker for teas Amy. I have enough for this year but..I ordered from true leaf and they had a medicinal pkg that had several tea varieties I didn’t have. It was only 14 for 8 packs I think. I had 10 off q and free shipping. I had to do it.
luvncannin
3 years ago
https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/seed-assortment-medicinal-tea-herb?variant=17996800884851
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
Danny, I have a lemon and a lime, I guess. I thought the lime tree had morphed into a lemon because last year all fruits turned yellow. However, Ron says the one from this year smelled and tasted like lime. I was sick couldn't really smell. We've had them for 3 or 4 years. Bought at Atwoods. Usually when I bring them indoors all the leaves fall off. Same for when I put them outside. This year I put them on the north side of the house which only get morning sun. They didn't drop their leaves. Now one is nearly nude, but the other perked up after Ron watered. They're in 5 gal buckets and usually manage 4 or 5 fruits between them. Pretty expensive citrus when you factor in all the water and fertilizer.

These were seeds for tea plants, Kim, though I don't know if I'll actually USE them. I want to own the seeds and hopefully grow the plants LOL. We used to drink herbal a lot. Now I hesitate to drink too much before bed (when we used to drink it) because, you know, old blatter.
luvncannin
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Amy I drink so much herbal tea. I buy organic from natural grocers but I would much rather grow my own. I didn’t get to harvest and roselle to dry so I bought 4 bags at NG. It’s my favorite hot and cold.

peppermint is my next favorite.

this year I will plant

lemon balm

lemon basil

lemon grass

chamomile

fennel

milk thistle

sweet basil

tulsi

stevia

roselle

peppermint

valerian

and that it for my tea garden.

i have more but I don’t want to overdo it ;)
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
We should start an herb thread.

Good luck, Danny!
dbarron
3 years ago
I would support a herb thread...I like using them (even if it's too soggy for me to grow most of them).
Marleigh 7a/Okmulgee Co.
3 years ago
After much hunting around, I dug up the last two cases of pint jars available at our end of Tulsa. Lehman’s says no more jars will be out until March, so if anyone needs jars go look now! They’re selling out everywhere, and lids are a lost cause for now, though lids with bands seem to be okay. I can’t even imagine what the demand will be like this summer. Seed Savers Exchange is currently running 30 DAYS behind on orders. 😱
Larry Peugh
3 years ago
I had a Dr. appointment Tue., after the appointment looked at Atwoods for seeds, and seed potatoes, they are often the first in this area to have seed potatoes. Although they did have seed racks out, no seed potatoes. Lowes and Home Depot had seed racks, but not the Co-op. I am afraid most of the garden seeds will go to the online seed stores where they can sell them at a much higher price. The higher price wont bother me on many things, because I have a good supply now, but the wildlife fall garden may run short, but if my health does not improve the fall garden may be the least of my problems.

I Had to get out to the wildlife garden this morning just to get some cool air, everything looked okay in the cold mud, not much will change for several weeks.

Madge bought some standard lids for fruit jars about 2 months ago. I told her that she should have stocked up, but she said that she wanted to leave some for somebody else, all we do is hot-bath anyway, and not a lot of that.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Wow. I'm glad I decided not to do any canning this year. AND, though my order from Seed Savers hasn't arrived yet, I got it in on Jan. 19--so hopefully I'll get it before Mar. 1, which was my target date for planting tomatoes/peppers.

Larry, I'm sorry you're having these darned health issues.

We're headed to Lowe's this afternoon; GDW has a few things to get, and I need to pick up potting soil. And I've got nothing to say. :)
hazelinok
3 years ago
Hey.

Just checking in. I saw all the cool thread y'all have started and hope to have a chance to check them out soon.

Work is so busy right now. And I'm a little tired.

Nancy, for some reason I thought Garry had lived in your house for a long time. Yeah...that's a pain about the lack of outlets.

Oh! And I got the guajillo seed! :D

I remember my Mom and aunt doing a bit of macrame....It seems like I was very interested in it. But, it was a long time ago and I was pretty young and don't remember clearly. I do remember a really groovy macrame hanging table thing at my grandma's house. I wish I had it.

My Garden Monday post from a year ago (yesterday's memory) was small lettuce seedlings. I guess I started them quite early last year.

I have 36 pellets of broccoli started and would have started lettuce last night, but Walmart was out of peat pellets. Stuff is really flying off the shelves around here. I am so glad I bought that table top light when I did.

Marleigh, I saw just the lids around Christmas and should have grabbed them up....but was so distracted by holiday things. Someone else grabbed them up and now there aren't any.

So, I opened a jar of peas and a jar of greens for dinner. Super good and easy. I was going to make meatballs but got in so late. Glad the boys were agreeable with eating other stuff.

Tom's co-worker's chicken was put to good use. We ate it as roast chicken first. Tom used it to make chicken salad next. Then, I made chicken and rice soup on Tuesday. The carcass was used to make 2 quarts of broth. The bones were soft enough that I mashed them up and fed them to the chickens.

That was $5 well spent.

Our pig is going to be processed at the end of February. Guess we'll be buying another freezer soon.

I know I missed lots of good and important stuff up there. Hoping to fully catch up soon.
jlhart76
Original Author
3 years ago
I remember mom having a macrame owl hanging on the wall as a kid. Then in the 80s macrame went small scale and everyone was making those friendship bracelets. So in the early 00s when I taught crafts class at camp, I always had a friendship bracelet class. I've thought of getting back into doing some, I've seen some pretty fancy plant hangers that I wouldn't mind having.
dbarron
3 years ago
My mother went through a couple of macrame phases. I actually have kinda bad memories of it, because my mother was OCD (in at least some ways). I quote her 'It's just all I want to do.' She would do almost nothing else for months, till she was totally burned out and then she hates it (various things). It might be more traumatic than remembering fondly.
I got Dad into assisted living yesterday (or I think I did), but it was a full-day of running around his town, seemingly visiting every location thrice (because I didn't have something or needed something more or something). I finally came home after his departure from the hospital was at least two hours late, and I had been waiting (outside...COVID) for a couple of hours...was cold and tired, and I thought I'd done everything necessary (signed all papers, paid, did most of the house shutdown (didn't get fridge cleaned out...going back Monday I guess)). I assume since no one called me, he made it to the assisted living facility, however late. Since I had no place to stay yesterday, other than come home, coming home just sounded better than continuing to sit on an exterior patio.

I am frankly looking forward to just staying home a few days after being
at the hospital every day, then the assisted living bum rush, etc.

Gardening wise, I ordered some orchids on Christmas Eve (Merry Christmas to me?), however, due to cold weather in transit they weren't shipped till the 23rd of January. Then post office apparently lost the package and it was missing till yesterday, now it is apparently delivering tomorrow and I don't know if they'll be alive or rotting mush previously frozen (depends on where they were stuck...inside/out I guess).I did notice crocus growth had accelerated yesterday with warmer and sunnier temps. It's coming...it's coming...I swear :)
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
Oh, Danny, I feel for you and your struggles for your dad. My sister thinks my dad needs assisted living. After some discussion, I told her to arrange home health to come in and give her a break while we figure things out.

Laughing at macrame owls. My mother had an owl towel rack. It may still be on the wall at the retirement center. Lol! It was from the 70's. I remember she got it when they moved while I was in college. Literally moved and didn't tell me.

Ron's not feeling well today. So we're both sick.

It's Friday. Have a good weekend!
Lynn Dollar
3 years ago
I have to buy seed starting mix this year. I've been using Jiffy. Anything better out there ?
luvncannin
3 years ago
Not that I know of. It always seems to do me good. I tried expensive putting soil once and it did not work well at all
dbarron
3 years ago
The orchid babies arrived and after a 6 days transit time, they remained unfrozen (the heroic heatpak was still generating faint but obvious warmth when I unpacked everything). They're tiny and only one (that doesn't know how to stop blooming....really) has a spike, but if I can do the right things and don't fall into a spirit of apathy several of them might flower in 2022, and the rest in 2023. Attaching pic of the one that will flower in a few weeks (from internet)

Oh and they included a freebie 'companion' plant. A puya (relative of pineapple), which I can possibly keep mostly outside (just moving in for short periods of cold), it's hardy from 15-20F. Oh what the hay, I'll include a photo of it too..it's weird and when it flowers will be a kinda big plant (3-4 foot tall)

I also got (from a friend) a 3 lb box of shelled hazelnuts (she grows them in Oregon). I look forward to using them (I found they're superb in brownies, they roast for nice flavor while the brownie cooks). Try it, you'll like it!
Larry Peugh
3 years ago
I now use Pro mix for everything. I have used seed starting mix before, but never seem to have it when I want it. I just had my helper transplant two Crepe myrtles in the wildlife garden, we use most of 2.8 cu ft bag of Pro mix on that project. I also had him bust up a round bale of hay to use for mulch, and install the small disc on the small tractor. We also installed the pasture cultivator on the larger tractor. I am trying to get ready to bust up some soil for spring. I had also planned on my helper helping plant my cold frame, but I just ran out of steam. I really enjoy the help, but when I have to go with him, I just cant keep up.

We had to bury our little fur baby Wed., he had been our baby for 14 years. Madge and I really miss him. We had started a flower bed two years ago to have a place to bury him. We are now looking for plants to put over the grave. We have 3 crepe myrtles and some pretty Iris to form a circle around the grave, we plan on having the funeral home make us a marker to place at his head.

Our fur baby has had a lot of health issues and he has lasted a lot longer than we had expected. He was born in Sept. 19 2006, Madge and I had to get married in Oct. of 06. We were a white couple raising a black baby. The baby attracted a lot of attention, but nobody payed any attention to the two fogies carrying him around. Yorkies attract a lot of attention.
jlhart76
Original Author
3 years ago
Aw, Larry, I'm so sorry. I lost my old man a couple years back. He kept me company for 17 years & I still miss him. It's funny how tightly they worm their way into your heart.
AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
3 years ago
I'm so sorry Larry.

my order from Farmacie Isolde (Marleigh linked above) has shipped. If you're having trouble getting seeds, look there.
dbarron
3 years ago
That's rough Larry, we get so attached, then they're gone. I cried over the last two for months (each). But I still have 2 and am entertaining ideas to add another when these pass. I would be so lonely without them.
luvncannin
3 years ago
Larry I am sad for You and Madge. Those fur babies are so special.
OklaMoni
3 years ago
Danny I am soooo jealous! I LOVE hazelnuts. I guess, they are so expensive here (compared to Germany) because they don't grow everywhere?

But I do like Pecans.. I just don't love them. ;)

Larry sorry about your furbaby.

Moni, who did NOTHING in the yard/garden today either... went hiking in the Wichita Wildlife Refuge instead. :)
Larry Peugh
3 years ago
Thank you all for your concerns. Our little Hercules was a special part of our family. I am so proud that we got to spend 14 years with him. I am also so proud that Madge's grand daughter made the calendar for us with his pictures on it. She is the one that gave the pup to us. We were to keep him long enough for him to get all his shots, and then go to Hawaii and live with them. He got so attached to Madge that the grand daughter gave Hercules to Madge, even though Herc, as we called him, was grand daughters Christmas present from her husband. But Herc had a good life with us, and he was loved dearly.
Nancy RW (zone 7)
3 years ago
Yes, along with all the others, Larry, we're so sorry about little Hercules. Our pets leave such a hole in our hearts when they die. On the other hand, I've been worrying about our own pets--especially the cats, since they are afraid of anyone except us. What if they outlive us, what will happen!?

Nice pictures, Moni and Danny. The puya looks amazing. If I thought I could successfully keep it inside during the winter, I'd love to have one. But that probably wouldn't work.

Moni, that was a great picture, but looks like tricky hiking country.

We've had almost an inch of rain today, on and off since 6 am. It's dreary and gray outside. Not at all pleasant. Not even Titan or the cats wanted to go out. Weather says it's 54, but it's sure a cold 54.

I can't even pretend to be excited about gardening. Brr. Amy, I wish I'd held off on the last couple/three seed orders. But I didn't. . . . I'm glad I ordered most of them much earlier--in Dec. and early in Jan. So who knows when they'll get here. SURELY before March 1. Right now I have several orders that haven't shown up--from SESE, Victory, Seed Savers. Select Seed. . . .

I hope you'll feel better soon, and Ron, too.
Rebecca (7a)
3 years ago
Larry, it’s never easy to say goodbye to furbabies. I’m sorry.

I watched an episode of Oklahoma Gardening last Saturday, about making bamboo cages and trellises, then got in on a lightning deal on Amazon for the bamboo poles. They were delivered this week in a box the size of my front door. Planning on trying them out for cucumbers and determinant tomatoes. Might use landscape pins to tack the box down in the garden to walk on, until it breaks down.

Nancy, we got a lot of rain too. Also a tree limb down in back, right where I would have had tomatoes if this was 4 months in the future. Wow. Tomatoes go in in less than 4 months.

I got 2 pounds of Red Norland seed potatoes today. Stringers didn’t have anything they don’t always have. So, I’m on the hunt for other varieties locally. Just have to have RN because they’re mom’s favorite.

Stringers has a good stock of Botanical Interests seeds, but are having trouble getting their Baker Creek orders. BI are good, I especially like their flowers, and Audrey prefers their oatgrass seeds to other kinds.
Larry Peugh
3 years ago
Madge and I went out to eat today. On the way home I stopped at Tractor Supply, they had seed potatoes for $1.50 a pound, which was more than I wanted to pay. I will wait and hope to get a better deal. I have not grown and in a few years, I don't really have to have them. I 6 to 8 pounds of potatoes in with my seed starting junk I can use if I have to.

We had rain also. I hope to re-till the onion area as soon as it drys out. I would like to go get a load of compost also.
hazelinok
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
trying to catch up.

Amy, how do you fertilize your citrus? I have a citrus (can't remember if it's lime or lemon) that a sweet friend gave to me over a year ago. I repotted it and put it outside last spring and brought it indoors. It looks traumatized, but is still alive.

I'm skipping through all the herb and tea information. I love tea. I love herbs, but I simply don't have time to think about it too much right now.

I found a macrame owl in an antique shop about 4 years ago. It's hanging in my hall right now. I'll take a pic and come back and edit this post with it.

Amy, I hope you and Ron are feeling better!

Lynn, I use jiffy seed starter when I don't use the peat pellets.

Danny, beautiful pics!

Larry, I'm so sorry about your little baby. You must miss him so much.

Hazelnuts....I like them too. I have to laugh when I hear them mentioned, though. In an episode of Portlandia, the chickens are fed a "diet of sheep's milk, soy, and hazelnuts". Local hazelnuts. It's funny that your hazelnuts are from Oregon, Danny. Portlandia...Oregon.

It's my favorite right after the AC Repair Man and the No Grocery Bag ones. Makes me LOL.

Rebecca, I saw that episode too! I would like to try to make those tomato cages as well!

The broccoli I started a few days ago is popping up. I stared 36 pellets of cabbage tonight.

Work has been nuts. Nothing like reinventing your job. I'm super tired. Thanks, Covid19.

Oh, HU/Rick continues to make great progress on the greenhouse.

I still want to catch up on the other new threads, but probably won't tonight.