Weekly Garden Thread October 22-28, 2022 (The Wonderful World of Gourds Edition)

October 22, 2022 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[metmom]

Thanks. That definitely looks interesting.

[moovova]

We have a pack of 8-10 that roam the neighborhood. Beautiful, sweet looking creatures, not timid at all. And I hate them. They cruise around freely, treating every yard as their own personal smorgasbord. The only comfort I get is knowing that, in a SHTF situation...they’re dinner.

[GaltAdonis]

The only reason that my herd is not dinner is that a couple of the neighbors
might complain about the gunfire - which here would be sort-of illegal.

[MomwithHope]

Thank you for the pictures. Your sweet dog and cat don’t know how famous they are.

[Qiviut]

Gorgeous October weather …. my favorite month. Very cool temps (30's at night, but not quite down to freezing), 50's during the day. Intense blue sky and the trees are peak or close to it - really beautiful.

Compost pile is DONE & ready for this year's leaves. All the beds, with the exception of beds with flowers, have been amended with compost & I turned it into the dirt, too. The flowers are zinnias & tithonia – we've had heavy frosts this week, but not a freeze so the flowers are still viable & there are small butterflies visiting (and some bees) so I am leaving them up until they are freeze-killed. I also took down the hummer feeders …. doubtful any stragglers will come through this late, but if they do, they can feed on the tithonia.

Next project is upgrading the fencing from plastic mesh/plastic zip ties to galvanized wire/stainless steel zip ties. The fencing panels will be a little heavier, but still very portable & I won't have to spend half a day (at least) in the fall & then again in the spring replacing brittle/broken zip ties. I buy cheap bags of zip ties (the UV resistant ones don't last long enough past the 'regular' ones to justify the increased price IMO) – if I'd known about the stainless, I probably could have paid for them twice over & then some over what I've spent on plastic zip ties over the years since I first made the fencing.

Some pictures;

“Black gold …. …. the old Beverly Hillbillies theme song was rattling around in my head the whole time I was digging, just couldn't get away from it … specifically the line 'black gold, Texas tea'.

We have gorgeous maples … 8 total. The 3 that would be across the driveway from the garden are the most gorgeous in the fall – the other 5 less so & they have smaller leaves that make the best compost. The bigger leaves need to be chopped up with the mower or they stay whole & leathery, even after a year in a cold pile.

Plenty of leaves to be picked up & the trees still have about ¾ yet to drop.

PS: always 'something' ... yesterday, after a trip to the hardware store, I unloaded the PU, put up the tailgate, and promptly walked into the hitch sticking out with the knee that had surgery in March. The pain almost put me on the ground & I was close to throwing up. I did not hit the kneecap straight on, which was a good thing. I have a bruise & the swelling from yesterday has mostly diminished - knee is no more uncomfortable today than usual so I don't think I re-broke anything. As for the trailer hitch ... it's the kind that slips in/out of a square receiver & then a pin holds it. That hitch has been on the truck SO long, that it took some 'love' taps with a sledge hammer to loosen it up & I managed to work it off. No more banging up my knee(s), shins or anything else on that hitch.

[goodnesswins]

Thank you both

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Qiviut; Great Fall pictures of your yard and neighborhood! Makes me remember childhood, a good thing! Thanks!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Metmom; Butternut is a great squash! Easy to store and use, great taste! When I was about 10, my father bought several bushels from a local farm for $5/ bushel and we had it all winter! (Wonder if they would substitute for pumpkin in Liz's Pumpkin Gratin recipe from last weeks thread?)

**Tip for people just starting to use or grow them! Before you Peel your Butternut squash, cut the stem end, cut off round slices 1/2 to 3/4 " thick...Now you can peel easily around the outside and cube for steaming or boiling! To store, put cellophane over the cut end and set it cellophane side down on the counter. (Stores that way for several days!)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

In the 80s here today and tomorrow! Couldn't sleep, so went outside at 5:00 to view the Orionid meteor shower. I did not need a coat! One meteor, binocular view showed 5 or 6 satellites that transited in front of Orion, 4 or 5 planes in about 25 minuet. It may have peaked but should still be going on for a while.

EarthSky everything-you-need-to-know-orionid-meteor-shower

and:

Spaceweather.com Orionid Meteors

ORIONID METEOR UPDATE: This year's Orionid meteor shower may have been stronger than expected. Early reports to the International Meteor Organization suggest the shower peaked during the early hours of Oct. 22nd with rates as high as 45 meteors per hour, more than double the norm. Earth may have passed through an overdense filament of debris from parent Comet Halley.

Sliding back to earth, going out to do yard work while it is summerlike.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Great pictures! The trees are so pretty! So glad you didn’t do any more damage to your knee. You went through hell with that.

I’ve walked into mine on the new truck a few times already; it’s going to take some getting used to. ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the reminder. We should be clear tonight. :)

[metmom]

I was out last night and it was a bomb.

Clear as a bell, but hardly anything worth watching.

[Qiviut]

While I was covering my jalapenos for the night (36 is the forecast low), I saw 2 blooms on one of the plants! Probably nothing around to pollinate them, but despite it being as low as 33 this past week, having the plant bloom was a nice surprise. I’ve been covering with tarps over a frame I devised - top & all 4 sides, so they’ve been relatively “toasty”.

Sunday night temps should be back in the 40’s, then climbing into the 50’s next week while daytime will be 70’s. The weather is a real roller coaster.

[Qiviut]

Pickled Green Tomatoes
https://www.thespruceeats.com/sweet-and-tangy-green-tomato-pickles-3059160

From link:

“Pickled end-of-summer green tomatoes are a treat to have around, as they make wonderful additions to salads and are truly delightful as tangy condiments for burgers, hot dogs, and other meaty meals. If you have a bounty of unripened tomatoes, pickling them with our recipe makes them a great pantry ingredient that you can enjoy for months to come.

Made with green tomato slices, onions, and a spiced vinegar and sugar mixture, these tomatoes are tangy and tart, but have a lot of texture, thanks to the firmness of the green tomatoes. Thus, they’re ideal to add to potato and pasta salads, as they add crunch and flavor. Use them in wraps, sandwiches, or cheese and charcuterie spreads. Experiment with the spices and make your own brine; dill, pepper flakes, cumin, allspice, and fresh ginger are excellent additions.”

[Qiviut]

My SIL & I gave up on growing squash - yellow and zucchini. Typically we planted in the spring & the squash bugs were SO horrible and abundant, that even daily trying to keep them off the plants, the darn bugs would win. We surrendered ... just quit growing them.

So this year, she planted her squash in August (mid or late I think). NO squash bugs! She’s had a nice crop of yellow squash, but only one zucchini for some reason.

We love yellow squash fried up with onions or squash casserole & I like zucchini for “zoodles” and lasagna noodles. I also make the occasional zucchini bread for the folks. Next year, I think I’ll try a late squash crop and see what happens.

[Qiviut]

Serial posting this evening ... sorry, but one more!

John Forti’s Heirloom Salad
https://www.pbs.org/food/kitchen-vignettes/john-fortis-heirloom-salad/

This salad is almost too pretty to eat ... he forages in his garden & actually eats a lot of flower parts.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Meteors...I saw one, but it was around 5:20. I was lucky to see that!.

(The end of night, “The Edge of Night’’. An old soap opera.)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Clear tonight and hopefully not too cold!

The hard part is dragging your butt out at 4:00 to sit on a recliner in the dark! (I'll try to remember to take a radio if I do this tomrrow!)

The Big Dipper...The drinking gourd!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m all for those strategies when your growing season allows it.

I’d rather plant ‘around the bugs’ than use a bunch of Scorched Earth chemicals that kill them all - Good Bugs, included! And there are a LOT of Good Bugs out there!

I cut my raspberry canes down to the nub each spring so I have only ONE late-season crop. That way the Japanese Beetles and the ‘Picnic Bugs’ which are a little black beetle that chews on the raspberry fruit, are both GONE when it’s time to harvest.

[goodnesswins]

Thanks...got me looking at more recipes at spruceeats...may try the chow chow