Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, July 22

Happy July, everybody! Above and below, some roses from Switzerland. What's growing where you are?

Our forecast today is 108 degrees, but it should cool off at night, more than in the desert. How are you folks doing there? A niece and her family are currently moving cross-country and should arrive there soon. Bad timing for a move, I think. I guess it's pretty hot in much of the country right now.

And a Rose of Sharon, I think.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

We had to pick all the crabapples because the birds were getting into them, so we made a batch of jelly. Got 6 little jars from the 3 cups of juice and a pretty amber color. Sweet and tart, tried the one in the fridge already -- they all jelled and popped their lids but we couldn't resist trying one ...

Nan in AZ

Mmmmm

Hi KT,

This is Della, with our potatoes that are curing on the screen porch. Works for either the garden or pet thread.

Miley, okravangelist

Della looks like a good helper! Bet she keeps the rodents away! And the potatoes look great!

Time lapse, garden beds

Hi, KT!

I emailed the Horde a couple of months ago about my newly acquired garden beds because I am a total newbie about gardening. I refugeed South from NYC to East Tennessee a couple of years ago (Southerner come home) and bought my house in March out in the country. I thought you would get a kick out of how I actually bought more plants than I can deal with! I really feel like if I parted the leaves of these giant squash plants I would find Steve Martin in there somewhere...

First pic is June 10th.

Regards, lurker Beverly

Well, I don't see Steve Martin, and I don't see those Marigolds under the squash leaves anymore, either. Fast growth!

Ah, Nature

Do you need one of these, or no?

This is a strangler fig tree, Inside this tree is a hollow space where a different tree stood

The strangler fig's seeds have made their way into the canopy of a host tree and germinated. As the fig's roots grow, they cascade down the trunk,
Once they are in the ground it… pic.twitter.com/UsdUCXJGV9

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 20, 2023

Garden Visitors

From Eromero, back in May:

Broad daylight, eating jelly from oriole feeder.

First is a Soldier butterfly, it mimics the Monarch quite closely. (taking advantage of the fact that the monarch is poisonous to birds). There are 3 species that mimic the Monarch; the Viceroy, the Queen, and the Soldier, with the Soldier rarely seen outside of Texas. The lack of many white dots at the leading edge of the wing mark this one as a Soldier butterfly. thanks!

Second is the Sound of Summer for all us in the south, the cicada. Those things are all over right now, and the REEEEEE from the treetops is constant in the evenings.

Tom Servo

Soldier butterflies are rare. Sometimes called "Tropical Queens".

Gardens of The Horde

My Missouri Potted Plumeria

From Shadowbass:

I thought you might like to see my 6' tall plumeria. It's my version of the tropics in the Ozarks. It smells like ambrosia and gardenias.

I have many tropical fragrant plants, Brunsfelsia, citrus, jasmine, orchids, tropical and desert cactus, etc, if you can grow it in a pot, I've probably tried it. I live in a modest townhouse in a small town and I don't really have a backyard for a garden, but I do have a deck, so I make the best of it. By the way I check Ace of Spades daily.

Just remarkable! Plumeria is hard enough to grow in California!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

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Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, July 15

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

posted by K.T. at 01:20 PM

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