With the move I didn't have much for a garden year either since everything was container grown. Got a few tomatoes and am getting some peppers. My pumpkin has done well but fighting powdery mildew now and got a strange red fungus on one pumpkin I assume was moisture related but not blossom end rot. Garlic should be arriving soon and will have to figure out where I want to put it. Was thinking about putting where the pumpkins are after harvest. The garden spot is smothered but I haven't started to amend any of it yet. Have to get a fence around it before I do too much or the critters will have a field day. Though throwing some minerals on it and letting the deer do the tilling doesn't sound half bad. Would really like some wild turkeys to come through or to borrow someone's chickens for a week.

Our farmers flooded out. Most have gotten their claim checks and are just waiting for next year. Had a heck of a year for hay though. Bad year for crop growers. Good year for animal producers. At least the animal producers that pasture their animals.

We have had an unusually cold April here this year. Started out nice a warm with expectation of much warmer than usual. Did not pan out. According to a local weather forecaster, we've had only one April in recent years where the average high is so low (49° I think?) and after that we have to go back to 1970's! I'm trying something new this year - bought myself a Treadlite broad fork so I can loosen the soil and hopefully plant even when things are too wet for traditional tilling. We had about 5" of snow earlier this week. Didn't last long but just another delay. I was hoping to start hardening my onions the day we got the snow. Then, Monday, which would have been ok to start, weather wise, was my grocery pick up slot. Which killed that day. Now the yesterday and today are high winds and highs in the 30's. Sigh. Maybe I'll try a protected place for an hour or so. We shall see.

And - my 3 black cherry floribunda roses arrived yesterday. As did some seeds I ordered from Baker's Creek (I forgot to order parsnips and radishes from my big Fedco order and they have suspended ordering temporarily since the whole country has decided to try gardening this year.

Anyhow - here is what I've got so far this year. All indoor:

My plant stand, now full except for one tray waiting to be planted:



As you can see, the onions needed a haircut - provided way more trimmings than I anticipated:



Which made for some tasty treats - not the least of which was a yummy baked potato:



These are my Rocket Red Snapdragons. Huge number of seeds from Harris Seeds. Plan was to use some this year and some next year. Damn Seeds were TINY. And full of static electricity causing them to clump. Sigh. They all got seeded in only a few cells so now I have to prick them out into their own little pots.



And finally - my next to last amaryllis to bloom. Grand Diva Burgundy. Huge blooms, deep, dark almost black, red.



And the last - just beginning its bloom, a double orange. Forgot the name, purchased several years ago. I thought the bulbs were declining and didn't expect any bloom. So pleasantly surprised to see the buds. Though, one bud seems to be aborting.



That's it for today - just trying to stay warm. Oh - and make hubby a pan of Moussaka!

My orange amaryllis that was my grandmas bloomed for me a couple months ago. they are such pretty flowers. Love that red.



We had a cold snap but have been decently lucky. My onions, bok choy, leeks, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce are out. I've thrown some carrot seed down but don't have good germination with them usually. We will see if the new garden has any better chance. The cold snap did set some of my broccoli back. A few leaves laid down. I did move my schwarzenbeeren out to the garden. Don't know if now is the time but they've been doing well so far. Everything is out of the basement and in the greenhouse which has its own challenge since it get so hot some days. I have nasturtiums trying to bloom early. Garlic is looking fantastic.

There is something fun about being an onion barber. lol.

Jenn - that amaryllis is beautiful! I prefer the singles to the doubles, something so stately and architectural in the simplicity of the single flower shape.

We have snow today Nothing sticking but it's cold, only 32°. Last I checked, my garlic was about 5 inches tall, haven't been out there in about a week. My broccoli, leeks, bok choy, cabbage and onions are still potted. And the damn onions look ready for a third haircut. Good thing I bought another sack of baking potatoes

I have a single but I'm not sure what color it is. Think it's white and pink. It's never bloomed. Something has it cranky for some reason. Thinking I'm going to repot it this season and start its dark time earlier this time around. I've not had any of the amaryllis very long. Gotta get them on a cycle.

Unless something goes wrong, I may have more potatoes than I know what to do with at the end of the season. I way over grew starts for my space. Going to pawn some starts off on my mom.

The first Brandywine of the season. And no critter beat me to it!!! A full pound. Not quite as deeplu colored as I would like but it is colored all the way through the shoulders and feels ripe to touch. And it's cracking. We got a good rain a few days ago, remnants of Isaias. My squashes are just starting. Better late then never. I'm picking them slight smaller than usual to encourage them to fruit more.

And come hell or high water, there's gonna be chain saw work around the perimeter, two hickories and a wild cherry putting out way more shade than last year. Not a happy camper. Can't take it down now, though, hives at risk of begin toppled and I'm not moving hives at the height of summer. That a good way to get mightily stung. And lose bees.

Oh. And that is a cucumber. Diva or Socrates, I forget which. The smooth skinned, burpless kind.i can't wait for them to get full size. Like them at 6 inches.

nice tomato, Finn is taking care of my spaghetti squash no cucumbers to be had, just flowers. getting a few zuks here and there and the cherry tomatoes are turning red now!

Im debating experimenting with prickly pears. Actually i discovered quite a bit of useable weeds like Wheatgrass and barley and sorghum and tarragon and also several hundred prickly pear cacti in an area of the yard i generally only go in to check the propane level and then only in the 4 months they dont just do monthy routes.

I also found arnica, i dont think its edible but it can be extracted into everclear and used topically. And then there are the berries that i cant id but the birds like them.

My strawberries are going nuts and my raspberry is trying to escape the pot. My blueberry is still in its not growing but not dying phase. And the dwarf BlackBerry needs to be planted once i get around to building the planter.

I had a chipmunk issue for like a week but they killed the last one a few days ago. We had some Prarie dogs move in also for a few days before they all got killed also.

My tomatoes are starting to turn red, my broccoli is starting to show broccoli heads.

But has any one tried grapes?? I’m thinking of getting a few grape vines as I’ve got a spot on my garden that gets a good 12/13 hours of sun light and nothing really likes it there but I’ve been reading grapes need a lot of sun light? Just wondering on any ones experiences, and how do you care for them during winter and frost?? With the UK winter x

I had grapes a very long time ago. I think when ae were in italy we just cut them back for winter. I smuggled some cuttings when we moved back to the us but they didn't do great in south florida. Maybe a german eiswein reisling variety. Also most of Welch's grapes are grown in new york and it gets cold and snowy in winter and hot and humid and miserable during the summer. Its also how my stepdad describes london. He hates the uk weather, but hes the one that decided to work for an english company.

I might give them a go, I’ve got the perfect spot. Where they easy to look after when you had them?

I have a prickly pear growing in a flowerbed out front I brought from our last house. It puts on beautiful yellow flowers then fruits a nice purple fruit. Easy keepers.

Bugs like grapes but they are pretty simple to keep as long as you choose a variety that works in your area. Don't over water and they can be heavy so make sure you stake them well. I have mine on a cattle panel. You prune them heavy in winter. It'll take around 3 years to see fruit. Don't be afraid to cut on them. They like it and it keeps them productive.

I have lots of tomatoes, lots of cucumbers, a couple pumpkins worth keeping, peppers coming out of my eyes, and corn trying to make. Beets, broccoli, lettuce, and bok are seeded. Pulled all the onions over the weekend and they have started the curing process.

I think its 3 different types of prickly pear. Between those and the hedgehog cacti, something that looks like peyote but with very large well spaced spines and a purple barrel type at some times of the year the yard is yellow. We are between blooms right now. Same with the wild roses.

Is it just here or do certain colors of flowers bloom at the same time regardless of type. What i mean is like right now i have about 10 different types of purple wildflowers and purple flowers on the bushes blooming now but in 2 weeks they will be dead and it will be cacti and arnica and yellow flowers and yellow blooming sagebrush. Nature is interesting, ive been trying out plant identification apps

I imagine to an extent the genetics that are required to produce certain colors may require similar light times in order to bloom thus pushing out a flush of similar colors all at similar times on different plants. Though not completely true since yellow daffodils bloom in spring and yellow goldenrod blooms in fall. It's all tied to day length. I don't think any studies have really figured it out truly. My purple cone flowers bloom at the same time my purple iron weed blooms. The little white daisies I can never remember the names of tend to bloom at the same time the white queen ann's lace does. It is mostly seen in natives. Non-natives don't adhere to it so much which makes sense.

I cant bring myself to tear up the weeds unless i can have another dedicated weed area. We have over 20 hummingbirds that come in here and hang out the end of spring until they migrate south again. One ruby throated female keeps trying to come inside and follows me around chatting at me outside and i dont want to make her mad. The hummingbirds love basil and cacti flowers and also what i think are bear berries.

I try to go native only outside with a few exceptions, my non native stuff tends to live inside the house.

The box was delivered yesterday (yeah, Sunday, how'bout that!!!). PS: this came from peaceful valley, grow organic.com recommended by @twisterII

For $80 I was expecting something more impressive!



But then I opened the box...



Sigh. Makes the stuff I harvested and saved for planting look moot.

I got my order from them a couple weeks ago. I've got them stashed in my office. Still a bit early to plant them here. We had our first attempt at a frost Sunday night but it didn't bother the garden. It's still going strong. Have to wait until the peppers are done since they are growing where I want to put the garlic in.

What kinds of garlic did you get?

@twisterII. Purple glazer, Siberian, spanish Roja and Inchelium red. I believe my homegrown is German White. I'm trying soft neck for the first time, supposed to last longer into spring than the hard necks.

For anyone wanting to plant a lot of garlic, the purple glazer and Spanish Roja had 9-11 cloves each bulb. By connected, the Siberian had 6-7 cloves each. Most of my homegrown had only 3-4 cloves each. But, the c
cloves were very large.

I have not had a killing frost yet but should be coming soon. The mennonites around her tend to plant garlic the first week of October, Cornell recommends end of October . I'm thinking the week after we get a killing frost.

Not sure where I'm going to plant it, originally I was thinking around the perimeter to discourage garden munchers from going inside. But at this point, fairly certain I will be purchasing an electric netting designed specifically for rabbits, woodchucks and raccoons. I'm tired of all my work being for naught'cause of critters.

Speaking of which, something tipped over one of my hives yesterday no damage to equipment and looks like bee population was undisturbed (yeah, 5 stings putting THAT back together!!!).  Just hoping it wasn't human vandalism but I can't imagine that. No kids in the area, hives cannot be seen from the road and be you have to go by the house to get to them. But... No claw marks either and I think it was too heavy for skunk or raccoon predation. It was the only hive not inside electric fence (that changed last night. Ran 3 very temporary hot wires from existing friends to enclose this hive. It was the surprise swarm from the garden last June/July. I didn't want it in the garden and there wasn't room in the existing secondary bee yard so I just put it beside it. Now there is a triangle of fence extending it from there. Very rudimentary and jury rigged until I can get something more elegant there. Butt whaddya want...I put it up in the dark with some very angry, defensive bees not too far away .

I would consider putting out a trail camera somewhere nearby just in case. This has been an interesting year of bad decisions by less than ethical people. And strange things just happen. A beekeeper I know local had three hives stolen. Several folks with orchards had them raided in the night, definitely not by furry animals. People are being stupid about anything food and homestead related still. Not sure how much of it is still covid fear fueled vs. bad people looking to sell and make a killing on people who are still panic buying for winter.

I added Inchelium red and Purple Glaser this year. I have some kind of smaller artichoke garlic and my big german porcelain that I saved some back from this last season. End of October is when I would usually plant. I didn't get them in until first of November last year though and they did fine.

I was just doing a cursory search of trail cameras. I really hate to think it's people but with no clear animal marks it's curious.

Whatever it was, I'm sure was meet with a huge onslaught of very angry bees. My gives had dozens and dozens of stingers left. Sigh. Which means lots of ladies have their lives to defend the hive.

I gotta agree with the trail cams. The country has gone to hell in a handbasket. Cattle theft is way up in our area, and people with biden signs have had alot of property damage done and had fences cut or gates mysteriously opening. The local bison ranch has had their fence cut 4 times since September. Seriously i dont get people. And lately its not kids doing it.

My basil is bolting now for the 6th time. I planted them oct 1 2019 so im more just surprised they havent died yet.

Hot sauce will be made!



In other news, it was too warm for much of October to plant garlic. Now. Go figure. Rain. Rain. Rain. And then it is going to plummet to 23° overnight before the first dry day.

Sigh. Looks like I will be covering the garlic planting area with a whole bunch of straw and topping it with a tarp. Sunday is supposed to be dry and 50°.

Double sigh: I'm gonna get wet. Really really wet

And, happy thoughts...I still haven't picked my jalepenos, the pot is now inside in my sunroom. I'm letting them turn red, they are so pretty. They are going to go into hot pepper jelly. A real treat on a cracker with cream cheese

So. @twisterII

What the odds this thing works as easy as pictured!

https://youtu.be/nErtrGhDbfk


Also... How is Keno?

A lot depends on how deep your posts are. Hers are not very deep in the video. My 7ft corners are 2ft down and those kind of pullers won't pull them unless you have really wiggled the heck out of them first and wallowed out around them. This is mostly due to the fact that for that kind of puller to maintain grip it needs to lean back so the catch won't slip off the post teeth so it pulls up at an angle rather than straight up like you can better get with a bumper jack. So, shallow posts it works, deep posts it won't be that easy.

Keno is still going. He forgot himself the other night and took off after some deer while my husband was out with him. He didn't get very far before he realized that was a terrible idea and then had to hobble back up the hill.

Good to hear about Keno!

My posts are not deep at all, just enough to bury the the flags plate on the bottom. These are used for tennis stupidest for beans, peas, tomatoes... And next year gonna add squash, cucumbers. I had a squad sneak up the tomato weave and it did great!

And I tried the thing this afternoon. I'm thrilled, easy peasy. Removed a post in about 2 minutes, counting the time I lines up the tool and attached it. So thank you! If you don't remember, you told me about these a while back. Now I can move things around in the garden year to year with relative ease. This old body of mine is getting crankier and crankier so any mechanical advantage I can find is a huge help.