BS: Gardening, 2009

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 05 Aug 09 - 08:58 PM

Are they pickled or simply canned?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 01:56 AM

Are you going to freeze those ears of corn you shucked? Do you wrap them in plastic then freeze?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 07:53 PM

Sham-waaa-set is a canned sauce...

Corn??? Yeah, we're gonna freeze it in vaccum bags... I shucked the last, ahhhhh, 50 or so ears today so they are ready to get cooked, bagged and stuffed in the freezer...

We got alot of rain last night... 1.5 inches between last night and this mornin'... I've worked real hard this summer gettin' the drainage ditch open to the run-off pond and it has paid off... The pond level came up about 6 inches... That is alot of water... I walked down there this mornin' and the bullfrogs were a'croakin' all over the place... They is some happy frogs....

Might of fact, jus' about everything is happy... Including the P-Vine 'casue she has a reprieve from waterin' for a few days...

Sniff... I kinda got this stomach ulcer thing so I'm goin' ahev to stay away from tomatoes just when they are coming in!!! Danged... That's why I'm a bluesman...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 06 Aug 09 - 09:26 PM

Haven't posted much but man I have had a bumper crop of everything. Squash (yellow and zucchini) enough for me, neighbors and relatives, eggplants like no tomorrow, cantaloups (now finished), watermelons (just had a ripe red slice a few minutes ago) pumpkins (now harvested and the pulp frozen for autumn pies) tons of luscious tomatoes, peppers (bell and jalopeno) okra (so good rolled in cornmeal and lightly fried), cucumbers (first batch of plants have finished bearing but I planted a second batch, so I'll have some more later in the month) basil, parsley, cilantro, and assorted herbs. I've made up batches of ratatouille for the freezer, along with baba ganoush using the eggplants, and also bagged up plenty of tomatoes and frozen them for sauces. Still have to make up some pesto. This has been a great summer for the garden. After fertilizing a couple of times early in the season, I haven't had to do anything else but weed and water occasionally. I had no major insect problems. Pretty soon it'll be time to plant the lettuce and salad for the fall.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 11:29 AM

Maryrff,

Are you freezing the babaganoush? Does it come out good? I'd love to do that. Do you freeze it in ice cube trays and transfer to bags, or do a solid batch?

Have you done any canning? Have you tasted home grown tomatoes made into tomato juice? I have had tomatoes coming out of my ears, but a friend brought over his steam juicer and after tasting that I can't grow enough plants to make more juice! Juicing also leads to a lot of sauce that I can in half-pint jars. I use more tomato sauce than any other product during the year, so this is a good outcome.

Sounds like a wonderful outcome. Post more photos of the garden if you have any.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 04:34 PM

These all sounds so delicious! My ex, I should just call him by his name, Stan, instead always my ex...is bringing me some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden. We have one pot tomato which is growing well and has some greenies. They ought to be ripe in another week, I think.

Any of you know if yarrow should get dead-headed and/or cut back? Mine got really tall this year and not exactly spindly, but is falling over. I've had a hard time getting Rog to water enough, but now I think he may have overdone it, which is hard to do here. It's the only reason I know they might be leaning over so much, unless they just need to be pruned. Anyone want any seed heads?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 05:32 PM

How long do you cook them, and then you freeze cob and all?

I have some tomato 4" potted plants to put in that already have some yellow on them. I may take them back. I found some better looking ones at another place, and I'll head over there -- if they have more of the same, I'll go with those. No point introducing that yellow blight/wilt/whatever so early on. It arrives by itself soon enough.

It's another weekend. I have plenty to do out in the yard. Mow again after all of that rain, and make a pass at the back (I stopped halfway back last time I mowed, so it's REALLY tall now. Guaranteed to kill the engine a few times.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 06:09 PM

I haven't really gotten into canning, although my dad used to do it when I was a kid. I still remember his homemade tomato juice.

The Baba Ganoush freezes beautifully - I make it up with the garlic, lemon juice and tahini and freeze it in quart sized bags. Then throughout the winter I just pull it out as needed.

The ratatouille also freezes great. Last year I loved having that in the freezer and just defrosting and eating over pasta or rice.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 09:08 PM

I was all set to dead-head my yarrow, but I saw a tiny goldfinch land on one of them and start picking at the seeds, so I left it alone & let the little guy have a chance. I don't think you need to dead-head. I've seen winter garden photos where they were left on.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 09:13 PM

About freezing corn, my mother did it both ways: 1) boil the corn briefly, then cut the corn off the cob & freeze it in bags, or 2) blanch the corn on the cob very, very briefly, and freeze the whole ear, cob & all. If you leave the corn on the cob, you want to use that up quicker, because I don't think it lasted as well as the cut-off corn.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 09:50 PM

maire-aine,

In years past, I noticed goldfinches feeding on the cultivars of fern leaf yarrow (achillea filipendulina) that went to seed before I deadheaded. I never saw them on any of the cultivars of common yarrow (achillea millefolium.) I'm in a much different climate zone from you as I recall. Here in the hot, humid, and droughty southeast USA, without deadheading, the fern leaf yarrow, in particular, seems not to fare so well in subsequent years, getting really scraggly and woody much more rapidly, and needing dividing to keep it going more frequently. The common yarrow doesn't seem to care much, except that I notice that some colors of some cultivars are prone to rebloom if deadheaded (mostly the dark pinks and burgundies and the whites in "Colorado Mix," but not "Cerise Queen" or the naturalized white common yarrow, nor the"Summer Pastels" or "Apple Blossom" cultivars of of common yarrow.

What happens in your area?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 07 Aug 09 - 11:55 PM

Hi, Janie. Yes, I'm in the Great Lakes area. My yarrow is achillea millefolium Terra Cotta, and I dead-headed it last year (the first year I had it), but then I dead-headed everything. It grew tall and straight this summer, even after being transplanted in the spring. I guess it isn't too fussy about anything. I've been giving it a lot more water, because we've had a dry spell around here in July/Aug, although we had a wet May/June.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 08 Aug 09 - 05:11 PM

Here are some pics of my garden. I take photos every now and then just to document the progress. It's been a great growing season here in Central Virginia.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Aug 09 - 06:29 PM

That's a good looking garden! You're brave to leave your tomatoes on the vine till they're so red--the squirrels and birds are a problem here once they get a taste for fresh produce. I tend to pick them pink and ripen on the windowsill (I'm stingy--I want more of my produce for me!).

A friend of mine out in the Davis Mountains of Texas (elevation about 7,000') has had a good garden this year. He's growing zucchini the size of volkswagon beetles. I told him he needs to get out there a little sooner to pick them. ;-)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Bobert
Date: 08 Aug 09 - 07:41 PM

Magz,

Blanche for 4 minutes, drop into ice water for 5 minutes, cut the cernals off the cob, vaccum bag into one pound bags and put in the freezer...

This winter it will taste just like it was just picked...

Everyone else,

We started the day by going down to help Mr. Clifford in his garden.... He has some health problems and can't do much so we picked his beans.... Picked 18 pounds off his 3 half rows... Also cut a couple cabbage heads which I'm going to take to a music jam tomorrow and sell for him... They are about 8 pounds each... He gets $2.50 for them around here but I'll try to get him $4 a head...

We put in a full day here on the farm today... The P-Vine planted half a dozen potted things down in the woods garden and I mowed and mowed and mowed... But it's done for now... The 1 1/2 inches of rain really got everything growing...

We planted these tomaotes that were supposed to turn purple so we've kinda been waitin' for that to happen... The P-Vine checked 'um this morning and about 8 of 'um were ripe... Not purple but ripe... They are ugly but taste purdy good...

Question,

I want to put in a couple compost bins and I've used T-111 in the past for the bottom to keep the compost from getting sucked up by tree roots... This evening the P-Vine and I were talkin' about it and she reminded me that T-111 is pressure treated and folks say yer not supposed to use pressure treated around veggies... So I am wondering if I use it for the floor of the compost bins if the compost will be safe to use around veggies???

Any thoughts???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 08 Aug 09 - 07:45 PM

The birds have gotten a few of my tomatoes but not too many, and I haven't had any problems with squirrels. But squirrels have ravaged my brother's tomatoes and he is furious. He's tried spraying them (the tomatoes, not the squirrels) with some kind of mint, didn't work, then garlic extract, didn't work and some kind of spray that contained cayenne pepper - also didn't work. So far he hasn't found anything to keep them out effectively, except I think he shot some of the little varmints which did decrease their marauding.   

I really ought to go ahead and pick that big zucchini but I'm kind of zucchinied out!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: GUEST,Pierre Le Chapeau
Date: 08 Aug 09 - 09:52 PM

Dark green Tomatoes will ripen if you lay them in a box with a sealed lid and make sure they are not touching each other seal the lid they love the pitch darkness they will
ripendue to the gases released by the fruit in the sealed box.its trial and error but I ripen mine off in a old electric guitar case and it works wonders.check them on a weekly basis.
regards Pierre.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: katlaughing
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 12:21 AM

I think I"ll leave my yarrow. They are pretty in the winter, esp. against the snow and I have seen some little birds land on them. They are close to the door, so I don't know if they peck at them because they fly off as soon as they see me when I go to look. I may deadhead the others, white and one red.

maryrrf, that's a beautiful lot of produce/garden!

When my daughter and I put up a huge amount of corn we did as Bobert said, blanched then ice water and we shaved it all of the cobs, mostly because we didn't have much freezer space, but we didn't use vacuum bags. We just used zip-lock bags and it worked fine. It was DELICIOUS, esp. the white corn. We'd picked it all ourselves out at the Alcova Sweet Corn place which old Harry Eichorn grew. Sad to see he has passed on. That corn was the best!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 01:52 AM

A bunch of my corn was probably ready to pick today but I didn't get to it and it got dark. Picking corn by flashlight isn't in my plan. I'll get it in the morning. Corn is interesting--it sends out new shoots and ends up with small ears and late tassels. I'm watching it all, making a plan for next year. Thanks for the instructions on cooking/freezing. Do you also freeze it on the cob? I may freeze some just to give it a try, but I think we'll manage to eat most of the corn this year, since I didn't plant a lot.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Bobert
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 08:44 AM

Freezing on the cob is the same... It has to be blanched to stop the decaying process... No, we don't freeze any on the cob because it wastes space in the freezer...

We are headed up to NoVa today for a jam session with the Archie Edwards Blues Foundation folks who I used to jam with regularlly and have two big coolers full of goodies for them.. The corn and cabbage I will have to get real money for ($4 dozen for the corn and $4 a head for 7 pound cabbage) because they are Mr. Clifford's and he doesn't give anything away, other than gossip and advice (lots on both)... But we are taking three kinds of peppers, several of the purple (which they aren't) tomatoes, yellow and butternut squash, and a large bad of flat roma beans to give to my homies...

Goin' be hot today... Around 97 degrees if the weatherman has it right so the P-Vine is going to the jam with me (which begins at 4:00) and we'll just make a day of it and do some stuff beforehand, like antique/collectable shop hopping looking for a plant stand she needs for her African Violet colletion which has outgrown the crappy one we bought for $10 several years ago and is on it's last legs...

Happy gardening to all my gardenin' buds,

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 10:33 AM

Our African violet situation is the exact opposite. The plants have given up the ghost but the stand looks fine. ;-D

I sprinkled some organic granular fertilizer and dragged a hose to knock it off the leaves and water it in early this morning. Lots of new plants out there need a boost to move into autumn.

I'm going to defrost my big freezer today (again). Stupid me, one night last week I opened it and accidentally left the door ajar and it was super humid so not only did bagged stuff in the door defrost, the inside sucked in all of that humidity and the buildup is big like before. So I'll defrost and make sure THAT never happens again (it hasn't before, but it's so damned annoying I'll be extra careful from now on.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 05:11 PM

I just froze a batch of baba ganoush, some green peppers, some tomatoes, a batch of pesto, and made up a couple of quarts of fresh tomato juice. I cut the tomatoes up, skins and all and ran them through the blender. I added a few strips of green pepper and blended that up too, and squeezed in some lemon juice. Heaven!

Maggie that happened to me, but fortunately it was just before this season's produce started coming in so I needed to clean out the freezer anyway. I was babysitting a friend's puppy, and in his explorations he tried to go behind the cabinet where the electrical outlet is. Apparently he loosened the plug, and by the time I realized it everything in the freezer was melted. All that was in there was the remainder of last year's stuff, so I wasn't too upset.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 06:55 PM

Please share your pesto recipe--for some reason I've never made it in all of these years, never eaten it as a specific sauce like on pasta. I'm working on remedying that oversight, and toward that plan I planted basil this year. I'd like to make it to freeze, but need to make and use a batch to test it first. Do you use olive oil or pine nuts in yours?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 07:33 PM

Mary,

Your garden looks absolutely awesome!

In the upper 90's here today, and for the next several days. First time I have run the AC all day since I moved here July a year ago. It's a small window unit, so it is running continuously. I'll be interested to see what it does to the power bill.

I didn't have time to gather and load much of my garden related gear when I moved. The two items I miss the most are the soaker hoses, of which I had several hundred feet, and a Gardener's Supply cold frame that I couldn't find in the rush to move. I'm not going to buy more soaker hoseuntil I get garden beds laid out and know what I need. As it has gotten drier, and now in this intense heat, I'm moving the hose from plant to plant and letting it dribble for 30-60 minutes at a time. I don't have so much in the ground that this is generally a problem, except when I forget the hose is running and go to bed, only to discover it the next morning. I've had a couple of noticable spikes in my water bill from doing that.

The shredded leaves I have used for mulch have done a very good job holding in moisture, and have not decomposed as quickly as I feared they might. They are messy when the wind blows, however, and the slugs and earwigs love them.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Maryrrf
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 07:57 PM

I don't really use a recipe, I just estimate, but basically to make about a cup of pesto:

2 cups of packed basil leaves
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, according to your taste
1/4 cup of pine nuts or walnuts (I personally like walnuts)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated is best
Dash of salt and pepper
Some people add a little bit of lemon but I don't

I put the walnuts in the blender first, along with the garlic which I've already put through a garlic press. Then I add some olive oil and pulverize. Then I gradually add the basil leaves, pulverizing a little at a time, and adding more olive oil if necessary. At the end, I blend in the grated cheese. You can adjust these quantities to suit your taste (hard to go wrong). If you want to really do it the right way, it all should be pulverized with a mortar and pestle, if you have them. But it turns out great in the blender. You can add in a little parsley if you like, I think it improves the color. Last year I froze mine in the ice cube tray then transfered to a zip lock bag once the cubes were frozen. This year somebody said you can just put it in a zip lock, flatten it out and freeze, then break off what you need, so that's what I did.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Alice
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 08:08 PM

Great garden photos, Mary!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 09 Aug 09 - 08:16 PM

Thanks for the recipe!

Janie, I hope you can replace those things as you need them. I live with soaker hoses every summer--I don't waste water on turf, it dries out and looks awful when it's really hot, but I use them around the foundation and weave them through the gardens.

Maryrff, That's how I freeze cilantro, I buy a bunch, freeze it in a metal pie pan after pouring a little boiling water over the top to wilt it all into what ends up a large cilantro cube. I pull it out of the bag and break off a piece when I need it in beans or guacamole.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 01:13 AM

After trimming off the odd parts, I cooked the cobs and cut off the kernels. Got about a pint and a half, that is in the freezer. Slow start as far as a crop goes, and all things considered, corn may not be worth the effort. But I'll do some research on the problems I encountered and maybe give it another shot in the spring. There are a few more ears out there, not quite ripe.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 01:23 AM

The big freezer was a breeze to defrost this time. I did it right. Last time I used hot water, but this time I remembered to get out my hair dryer, and I got the bung out of the drain and the hose underneath was in perfect order to reach a pan to drain. (This is an old freezer, I hadn't looked under it before to see if the hose was still there).

This is the kind of job to do the night before the trash goes out. Lots of stuff I decided might have been compromised with the involuntary defrost was in the door and was kind of old anyway, so it's all down at the curb. Let's hope the guys are on time (early in the morning) or this could get pretty stinky.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maeve
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 02:48 PM

I've dug most of the first and second crop of winter potatoes; those I missed in last fall's harvest that carried over through winter's cold to grow and multiply in spring and summer. Beautiful spuds! I'll dig again a month or so for the biggest crop for sale on the stand and for winter eating, and will plant one last batch that will become next year's new potatoes and summer spuds.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 02:54 PM

Does the top die away over the winter or does potato winter well, like broccoli or onion? That sounds like a nice discovery, all of those extra spuds!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maeve
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 03:37 PM

When I pulled the potato plants and dug out the potatoes, a few of each kind were missed. So it seems that the tiny to small potatoes just sit there all winter, and begin growing shoots and roots in late spring. They bloomed about a month before the potatoes that wintered inside and were planted in May and June. It was a great discovery for us since the pantry is becoming a bit bare this year. I'm sure others have made use of lost and found tatties for years, but it was still a delight for us. Purple, crimson, red, rose, white, and yellow potatoes, some enormous; and no labor for us except to slip them out of the earth!

There are also some growers here in Maine who are planting the potato seeds; something we'll be trying this year as well. If I can get it, I'll mulch with seaweed for the nutritional value.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 05:11 PM

I have an orange lily that I think may be this . It seems to fit the description, and it was growing in an odd spot until I moved it to the middle of the garden this spring.

Anyway, it has little black "bulb-lettes" at the top of the stems, which I've been told will grow into new bulbs. Has anybody propagated lilies this way? How do I know when the bulb-lettes are ready to plant? Do they need any special care? I'm in Michigan, so the winters range from cold to bitter-cold.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maeve
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 06:14 PM

Mary-anne- check here. Planting depth would be about 1/2-1".

lily propagation with bulbils

It's easy, but takes a few years to get flowers. I usually just put an inch of compost down under the mother plants, scatter the bulbils, and add another inch of compost on top. Have fun!

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 07:10 PM

"bulbils" - what a great term. :)

I have one last tomato to put in the ground, and I mostly have to concentrate on mowing for the next week or so. Leftover growth after all of the rain.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Bobert
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 08:37 PM

Don't leave yer taters in the ground 'er they'll rot... Carrots??? Yeah... Not taters...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maeve
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 08:46 PM

Usually I would have agreed with you, Bobert. Here though, the little tubers have not only not rotted; they grow into beautiful and healthy potatoes. I've been experimenting for three years and so far it has worked well. I've never tried it in other regions.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 09:14 PM

Thanks for the planting instructions, Maeve. I will report on the results.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 10:46 PM

I'll also be eager to hear about the bulbils. I've thought about trying that with lilies, (and it's the thought that counts, right:>) but have never got around to it.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 10:51 PM

Been looking at more images of that lily that maire-aine is pretty sure is a Michigan lily.

Lovely plant.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maire-aine
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 11:50 PM

I, too, have been looking at other lily pictures. It my not be a Michigan lily after all, because the flower looks the same, but the foliage seem different. It may be some variety of turk's cap after all.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 10 Aug 09 - 11:56 PM

Regardless, a lovely, graceful lily.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 12:30 AM

In Washington State, where I grew up, we would find tiger lilies in the woods. I'd love to have something like that here, but I'm sure they'd wither and die.

Despite the high heat down here, I've managed, with my xeriscape plantings, to have quite a lush yard, and when I walk through the front I can smell the sweet scent of a lot of flowering plants. This is such a different yard than seven years ago, when it was Bermuda and a ratty hedge.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: maeve
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 03:22 PM

My Truelove just brought me an armful of exquisite glads from the southern veggie patch, in white, shell pink, and peach. So beautiful!

Thunderstorms are on the way, and the stalks are likely to break in the wind.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Bobert
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 07:57 PM

Yeah, if you leave a tater in the ground all winter it will more than likely make a new plant the following summer... We have several tater plants that came up from taters we didn't get out of the ground last summer... And they are making taters... I guess what I meant to say is that storing taters in the ground is not the best idea... Like going out in the winter and diggin' them as you need them... Maybe where you live but not here... There will be some that are okay but most will be rotting, especially those that are deeper... But, hey, maybe I'll leave a few in as an experiement...

Anyone growin' those purple tomatoes???

They are ugly but tastely... Not really purple but not red either.... Magenta???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 07:59 PM

They look the color of old wine stains on white linen to me.

Contest - come up with a color name for that!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Janie
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 08:20 PM

Any of you have any experience drying hydrangea blooms?

I'm having trouble figuring out when the blooms are ready to cut. I cut several Annabelle blooms after they turned green again, but only one of them dried green. The rest turned brown. I just went out and cut a few mopheads that have turned green and burgundy to see what happens with them.

All the websites talk about harvesting the blooms after the color has changed and the petals feel papery. I'm assuming I waited too long on the Annebelles that turned brown. Going out and rubbing a bunch of petals to figure out what is papery and what is not is trickier than one would think.

I followed the recommendations that said put the stems in a vase with a little water and leave them while the water evaporates.

All insights and suggestions hardily welcomed!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Aug 09 - 11:35 PM

I saw an article about growing hydrangeas in Martha Stewart Living a couple of years back, and I think they wrote about that. There were some lovely photos. Try searching her website.

The garden is in kind of a holding pattern. I'm picking eggplants and a few cherry tomatoes, but mostly we're shifting gears for fall right now.

I don't think I'll fool with corn again. It's labor intensive, compared to the rest, when you consider how little you get from it. When it's finished and ready to come out of that space in the garden, should I let the stalks stand there and dry, or cut them off at the ground? I know people use corn stalks for decorating. Any suggestions?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Aug 09 - 02:36 AM

It took a couple of weeks, but I put up another blog entry. We had a visitor to the yard, and I thought I'd see what happened if I wrote a testimonial.

:)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening, 2009
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 12 Aug 09 - 07:37 AM

900.

And my tree brugmansiae are doing nicely