Ace of Spades HQ

March 22, 2014

Saturday Gardening Thread: Weird Edition [WeirdY-Not and WeirdDave]
— Open Blogger

Greetings, gardening morons and moronettes, and welcome to your Saturday Yard and Garden thread! TodayÂ’s thread theme is Â“weirdÂ” and is brought to you by the master of weird, wild stuff:

OK, YOUTUBE IS NOT COOPERATING, SO INSTEAD FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE BEST JOHNNY CARSON MOMENTS. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

From your host, WeirdDave:

Dear Y-not,

I must confess to being flummoxed at your decision regarding the garden thread this week. You said that the theme today would be Â“weirdÂ”. Â“WeirdÂ”. What a strange word. I was stumped. IÂ’m not familiar with the word, nobody has ever used it around me in any context. Â“HandsomeÂ”? Yes, IÂ’ve heard that. Â“BrilliantÂ”? Almost daily. Â“Hung like a buffaloÂ”? More times than I can count. But not Â“weirdÂ”. I confess that I went to the dictionary for help.

1. involving or suggesting the supernatural; unearthly or uncanny: a weird sound; weird lights.

Huh. ThatÂ’s not a help. I canÂ’t see any connection to gardening. I mean, I mentioned a few weeks back how the radioactive bodies I used to fertilize my garden animated my corn plants and sent them shambling through the woods, but is that weird? I donÂ’t think so, it seems to me that thatÂ’s to be expected. Sounds? Each fall after the harvest when the neighborhood gets together for the traditional Â“Who can fit the most cucumbers in their bum?Â” celebration lots of strange sounds get made, but thatÂ’s not weird, thatÂ’s tradition. Lights? I got nothing.

2. fantastic; bizarre: a weird getup.

Weird has to do with clothes? Hmmm. I dunno. When IÂ’m gardening, I dress just like everybody else: Helicopter beanie, X-ray glasses, football shoulder pads, a halter top, nipple clamps, elbow length satin gloves (white), beer can pull tab rings, a purple merkin, Speedo trunks, chaps (and yes they are assless. All chaps are assless by definition. Non- assless chaps are called Â“pantsÂ”), garter belt, stockings, swim fins and spurs. All very conservative, nothing Â“bizarreÂ” at all. I donÂ’t think that helps in any way.

3. Archaic. concerned with or controlling fate or destiny.

Destiny. Now destiny I know something about. Every night before I lie down to sleep, I strip naked and paint orange and green stripes across my body. Hooking my legs behind my head, I prostrate myself before the shrine to Yotta, the triune God of diapers, wormholes and head lice. I gently knock my head against an iron pipe and repeat the ancient mantra Â“Owah Ta-gu SiamÂ”. Faster and faster, in an orgy of devotion I rock, chant and knock, rock, chant and knock. After about 15 minutes a beautiful peace comes over me and, as the blood runs gently, peacefully out of my ears Yotta reaffirms for me my destiny. I WILL one day rule with fire and terror over the terrified pigs that live in the wallow down the street. It is my destiny, my fate. I then lapse into a sleep warmed with beautiful dreams of squeals and bacon. Oh I know all about Destiny. IÂ’m not sure what that has to do with gardening though.

Really Y-not. I thought and thought about it. All yesterday and today. I thought while I was spackling my dog. I thought as I lovingly swabbed the navels of the seniors at the local rest home with earwax and 30 weight oil. I thought while cooking dinner as the grasshoppers popped and sizzled in the deep fryer. I thought as I gave honor to Yotta, all hail his benevolent rage. I tried and tried to come up with something Â“weirdÂ”, but I just couldnÂ’t do it. Nothing about me or connected to me intersects with the word Â“weirdÂ” in any way, shape or form. IÂ’m sorry IÂ’ve let you down, IÂ’ll try to do better next week,

Your obt servant,

Weirddave (Hey look, I just noticed. My name is Weirdda Ve, but if you rearrange the way the letters group, Â“weirdÂ” is in there. I never noticed that before! Freaky.)

And now from your co-hostess, Y-not:

As I was looking for thread-fodder this past week, I kept stumbling across Â“weirdÂ” things. And, as not much new has happened in the vast, quarter-acre gardens of Casa Y-not this past week (except a bit of pruning Â– still licking my wounds from that endeavor!) I figured Â“weirdÂ” was as good a topic as any. So without further ado, hereÂ’s a potpourri of weirdness in the world of gardening:

Via Popular Mechanics, we have the worldÂ’s strangest gardens. Some of these are truly weird. For example, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, located in Scotland, was created by architect Charles Jencks and his wife Maggie Keswick. Taking over two decades to construct, the garden features 30 acres of geometric design like something out of an Escher painting.

Either a photograph of the Garden of Cosmic Speculation or CACÂ’s backyard. You decide.

Another weird garden featured in the Popular Mechanics article is located in Fukuoka, Japan (which seems to be an interesting place in and of itself). Its design was the brainchild of architects who wanted to preserve as much green space as they could when putting up a new civic center. The building includes north facing walls of glass and a Step Garden containing more than 120 varieties of plants.

The Step Garden at Fukuoka

While weÂ’re on the subject of gardens, this story from Arizona Public Media highlights some of the weird plants that have adapted to survive in harsh desert conditions. ThereÂ’s a video available at the link and although the narration is gawdawful (and a little dull in delivery), itÂ’s still worth watching if you have an interest in unusual desert plants. By the way, the scientist featured was formerly of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is one of my favorite botanical gardens. Well worth a visit if you are in the Tucson area.

Speaking of Tucson and weird, courtesy of Cool Weirdo, hereÂ’s a bizarre phenomenon that was discovered in the Arizona desert:

Plant? Fungus? Polymer? Who knows Â– but itÂ’s weird!

Moving on to other weird plant stories, file this under amazing:

A team of British researchers drilled core samples from moss beds on Signy Island, off Antarctica, and took slices from different depths back to the lab. Then they warmed up the samples in an incubator and exposed them to light to see if they could get anything to grow. They werenÂ’t optimistic. The deepest layers from their Antarctic cores were more than 1,500 years old.
And the record for getting frozen plant material to start growing again was no more than 20 years. (Among animals itÂ’s even shorter: Brine shrimp, aka Sea Monkeys, can be rejuvenated after a couple years in dry, freezing conditions; tardigrades, bizarre little eight-legged, water-dwelling creatures, can be revived after as much as a decade.)
To the researchersÂ’ surprise even the oldest mosses in their core samples began to grow new shoots, they report today in Current Biology. Perhaps even older mosses could be coaxed into growing, they write. The oldest Antarctic moss banks are 6,000 years old.

Not exactly Â“weirdÂ” but perhaps unexpected, courtesy of NiedermeyerÂ’s Dead Horse, watch out for these seemingly innocuous plants that are killers. I had no idea that daffodils are poisonous.

This next Â“weird plantÂ” story is more sad than weird. Look at this NY Daily News list of "weird" fruits and vegetables and tell me how many of them really seem weird to you. I dunno, maybe IÂ’m weird, but many of these land in my grocery basket or on my dinner plate fairly regularly. I did think that this Romanesca cauliflower was pretty cool-looking, though:

OK, how about a weird science story? Turns out honeybees like caffeine. Who knew? Courtesy of LiveScience:

Honeybees, like tired office employees, like their caffeine, suggests a new study finding that bees are more likely to remember plants containing the java ingredient.
Caffeine occurs naturally in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers. Bees that fed on caffeinated nectar were three times more likely to remember a flower's scent than bees fed sugar alone. The findings, detailed today (March 7) in the journal Science, show how plants can manipulate animals' memories to improve their odds of pollination.

Why should you care about honeybees?

One mouthful in three of the foods you eat directly or indirectly depends on pollination by honey bees. The value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is more than $14 billion annually, according to a Cornell University study. Crops from nuts to vegetables and as diverse as alfalfa, apple, cantaloupe, cranberry, pumpkin, and sunflower all require pollinating by honey bees.

A little closer to our own backyards, how about some weird gardening tools and techniques? From WebEcoist, Â“Plant Outside the Box: 14 Strange & Unusual Gardening Products.Â” I gotta say, if you put a pointy hat on them, pretty much EVERY politician looks like (and probably smells like) the fertilizing gnomeÂ… except that the gnomes are actually useful!

Finally, here are some weird (but helpful) gardening tips.

So thatÂ’s your roundup (not Round Up) of weird gardening stories for the week. If you have an interest in weird and wonderful plants, IÂ’d recommend you check out the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens web pages. ItÂ’s my Blog of the Week.

Happy gardening!

(Make sure to check out tomorrowÂ’s Travel Thread, which will feature botanic gardens and arboretums!)

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:42 PM | Comments (180)
Post contains 1576 words, total size 12 kb.

1 No way.

Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 01:49 PM (1Y+hH)

2 son of a gun.

Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 01:49 PM (1Y+hH)

3 Dave has his own, very personal, garden, best we let him tend it.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 01:50 PM (ZshNr)

That plant pic looks like 'broccoflower'.

At least, that's what they call it at the grocery store.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 01:50 PM (De5Op)

5 OK... the video isn't working for some reason, but I don't want to keep reformatting so eff it! Sorry about that.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 01:51 PM (zDsvJ)

Last year, we had a lot of rabbits show up and start grazing in our yard.

They ate all the dandelions and other weeds, leaving the yard weed free!

I'm curious to see if the weeds come back this year, when the yard starts growing again.

The rabbits are still around, too.

I have fed them a few things through the winter...like veggie scraps, etc.

What can I say, I'm a softie.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 01:55 PM (De5Op)

7 Normally I wouldn't link to my own blog, but I had a case of weird gardening a few years ago. My aunts wrote to me that they'd bought ripe tomatoes at the grocery store, and they found that the seeds started sprouting inside the tomato! It looked downright weird: http://tinyurl.com/q5syda9

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 01:58 PM (FkH4y)

8 This will be our first summer without any outdoor cats, Maybe the rabbits will come back. They used to have a warren under my neighbor's shed, but then they didn't. Cats gotta be cats.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 01:59 PM (ZshNr)

9 Question: I want to plant flowers in a bed that is at the base of a large tree. It's pretty much 100% shade due to the tree and the morning sun not lasting very long on that side of the house. Any suggestions for annuals or perennials that would work in this situation?

Posted by: Vendette at March 22, 2014 02:01 PM (8pqpP)

10 Wow, Dr. Mabuse, that is certifiably WEIRD!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:01 PM (zDsvJ)

11 Until we moved here I never knew that Venus flytrap was only found in a small bog area in NC/SC.

Posted by: NCKate at March 22, 2014 02:02 PM (y7PFk)

12 Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 05:58 PM (FkH4y)

that is one of the weirdest things I've ever seen anywhere. which is really saying a lot.

Posted by: Peaches at March 22, 2014 02:02 PM (8lmkt)

13 I don't like the bunnies. They dig under the walls on my Morton building and make a mess inside. We have a Great Horned Owl around here, but he doesn't seem to get them all. Coyotes too. Lazy bastards.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 02:04 PM (puNd6)

14 Vendetta.... caladiums and hostas

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at March 22, 2014 02:07 PM (60Vyp)

15 Funky Cold Medina

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 02:07 PM (ZshNr)

16 We have a Great Horned Owl around here, but he doesn't seem to get them all. -- That must be cool. Sadly, I don't think I've ever seen an owl, of any type, in the wild.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:08 PM (zDsvJ)

17 On the weird tips site, they have my use of beer for slugs, pro tip: wash out an empty tuna or cat food can and countersink it in the ground as it makes it easy for the little bastards to get into.

Posted by: FCF at March 22, 2014 02:08 PM (Khja4)

18 Vendette, you might research cyclamen -- they're very pretty and I think they do well in the shade. Not sure, though, and am currently in the process of watching one die in the office, so do not take my word for this!

Posted by: Peaches at March 22, 2014 02:09 PM (8lmkt)

19 That staircase of death without handrails. No.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:09 PM (DmNpO)

20 The poison plant article either means a *different* type of chokecherry or is wrong about the fruit not being eaten. The photo didn't show the leaves clearly or ripe fruit so I can't tell which it is.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 22, 2014 02:09 PM (GDulk)

21 One evening I saw a small owl strategically perched right over our compost heap! I expect it was a good place to wait for mice to come foraging. We have rabbits too, and they're especially annoying in the spring, when they eat the new leaves on plants. I've had to fence off the entire potato garden with chicken wire to keep them away. And they do their worst damage on young rose bushes! They've killed several new ones by eating them right down to the ground.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 02:10 PM (FkH4y)

7... they'd bought ripe tomatoes at the grocery store, and they found that the seeds started sprouting inside the tomato!

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse

---------

Yes! I've had the same thing happen in recent years.

It happens in the 'greenhouse grown' type of tomatoes that we buy...some of the seeds have a little root sprouting out of them.

But I've never let them get that far...not sprouting outside the tomato.

I may let some of them 'mature' to that point now, and then try planting them.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 02:10 PM (De5Op)

23 And the list of weird fruits and veggies failed to deliver the most important piece of information: What does a yellow strawberry taste like?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:10 PM (DmNpO)

24 Smooth segue to Summer Loving from Grease. This station is fascinating.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 02:11 PM (ZshNr)

Y-not at March 22, 2014 06:08 PM (zDsvJ

Yes, They are neat. Sometimes we have 2 hanging around.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 02:12 PM (puNd6)

26 Our potatoes are growing, our potatoes are growing! The onions and garlic are coming along, the lettuce is good, cabbage is almost looking like a head of cabbage. And I've got 2 clay pots drying in the driveway. Sprayed them with sealer stuff and will paint them and plant flowers to attract bees to the veggies.

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 22, 2014 02:13 PM (SUKHu)

27 My aunt still wonders about those tomatoes - she thinks they were genetically modified in some way, but store bought tomatoes are also treated with gas to keep them from deteriorating and to look nice and red, so it could be something to do with that too.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 02:14 PM (FkH4y)

28 My yard stuff would be enhanced by a decent recording thermometer but the one I have (reads to the tenth of a degree!!!) is currently off by 14 effing degrees from an old cheap mercury thermometer and the car thermometer. It's made by Oregon Scientific. It has 4 batteries that have to be replaced every few months, a transmitter, records the low temperature each night as well the current temperature. It costs about $35. The only problem is it isn't even close to recording or displaying the actual temperature at any given time.

Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 02:14 PM (1Y+hH)

29 I've been searching high and low for an old style mercury thermometer for my house. Have one at the farm, and it's the only reading I trust.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 02:16 PM (ZshNr)

30 Our potatoes are growing, our potatoes are growing! Sheer envy here. I only *ordered* my seed potatoes yesterday! We had a blizzard this morning, and are a good 6 weeks away from even thinking about planting. Unless we get a sudden heat wave, which creates its own troubles, because the snow then just melts and runs off the frozen ground instead of slowly soaking in.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 02:16 PM (FkH4y)

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 06:04 PM (puNd6)

---------

I know what you mean...bunnies can be pests.

There are both Owls and coyotes that live in the woods that our property backs up to.

So I'm sure the bunnies come up into our yard as a refuge.

Our big doggeh used to chase them.

But he's given up ever being fast enough to get one...so now he just ignores them.

I saw an Owl swoop down and carry off a bunny one night.

It happened so fast, I wasn't sure what I'd seen.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 02:17 PM (De5Op)

32 Ok, weird. Let's see. Harvest Moon. And the best Magic the Gathering mana color? Green. Later, all. God bless. :-)

Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at March 22, 2014 02:21 PM (9W+0f)

33 Someone was asking about pruning "shrub" roses a couple of weeks ago. Well, this year I decided to prune in the Spring (last year I did it in the Fall) b/c supposedly it's a better way to identify the dead canes from the live ones. I can report that it's been a bitch and a half to do it. I see no advantage. And I don't think the plants look as good... but it's too early to tell about that. I'll finish my pruning, but plan to go back to Fall pruning next year unless these damned rose bushes I inherited suddenly perk up. I really don't like rose bushes. They're ugly plants and I hate the thorns.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:21 PM (zDsvJ)

34 Early morning yesterday, I was up before the dawn...

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 02:22 PM (ZshNr)

35 >>We had a blizzard this morning Like a Dairy Queen blizzard???? Well, when it's 105 degrees here, we'll compare notes again.

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 22, 2014 02:22 PM (SUKHu)

36 Anyone have a guess as to what those purple things are?

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:24 PM (zDsvJ)

37 I've been searching high and low for an old style mercury thermometer for my house. Have one at the farm, and it's the only reading I trust. *** the last one I found was at Dollar General.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:24 PM (DmNpO)

38 Early morning yesterday, I was up before the dawn...

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 06:22 PM (ZshNr)

Did you enjoy your stay?

Posted by: Peaches at March 22, 2014 02:25 PM (8lmkt)

39 Anyone have a guess as to what those purple things are? *** they certainly look like the "deco beads" shown in the last video at the link.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:25 PM (DmNpO)

40 Anyone have a guess as to what those purple things are?

probably another kind of mutant tomatoes. which, btw, will probably give me nightmares. {shivers}

Posted by: Peaches at March 22, 2014 02:26 PM (8lmkt)

21...And they do their worst damage on young rose bushes! They've killed several new ones by eating them right down to the ground.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse

You too?

Yeah, I've had that happen...and when I've mentioned it to friends, they say "Oh, rabbits don't eat rose bushes. It must've been something else."

They seem to love those little red new shoots.

And yeah, chicken wire is your friend.

It's unsightly and a pain in the butt...but if you want to rabbit-proof your garden, it's the way to go.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 02:26 PM (De5Op)

42 Honeybees like caffeine for the buzz.. hiyooo

Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 22, 2014 02:26 PM (V4CBV)

43 *golf clap for Dr. Varno*

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:27 PM (zDsvJ)

44 wheatie, I commend you for feeding the rabbits during the winter. I would do that, too.

Posted by: Peaches at March 22, 2014 02:28 PM (8lmkt)

45 On the weird side, bingle 'hanging heliconia' for very strange looking (but colorful!) flowers. Too bad the leaves are usually _meh_

Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 02:28 PM (82lr7)

46 Really? I'll try the dollar stores. They're everywhere.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 02:28 PM (ZshNr)

Well now I feel totally guilty that I've been hanging out here and not getting things done.

Agh...off to be productive.

Later y'all.

Posted by: wheatie at March 22, 2014 02:29 PM (De5Op)

48 Rabbit? I plan to do this to the bunny in my freezer: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-conejo-con-higos-en-rioja

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:29 PM (zDsvJ)

49 Rabbit is also good in paella.

Posted by: Dr. Varno at March 22, 2014 02:31 PM (V4CBV)

50 Daylight's a-wastin'....

Off to the garden!

Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 02:33 PM (82lr7)

51 Somebody I know was just telling me about putting Christmas lights over plants to keep them from freezing. Esp. the blanket ones that you drape over bushes. And it would help if they were plugged in. Might do that for the Sago palms next winter, since we have that kind of Christmas lights (in white, too, which would look better in February than red and green ones).

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 22, 2014 02:33 PM (SUKHu)

52 That's be cool if it worked, Mama AJ. And it would be pretty!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:36 PM (zDsvJ)

53 Mama AJ, did you try the potato sandwiches?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:36 PM (DmNpO)

54 i love keeping the windows open at night so i can hear my owl who-ing...it's pitch dark and he hunts. hopefully squirrels. whoever shared the mutant tomato, wow!...it's like it murdered it's mother host.

Posted by: concrete girl at March 22, 2014 02:36 PM (9klqA)

55 Speaking of squirrels, I ran across this squirrel-proof bird feeder this week: http://gizmodo.com/this-wooden-birdfeeder-tries-to-thwart-squirrels-with-a-1545602856

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:39 PM (zDsvJ)

56 Yes, they were yummy! Thanks for the idea.

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 22, 2014 02:39 PM (SUKHu)

57 The sandwiches were yummy, not the birdseed. Not that there was anything wrong with the birdseed...

Posted by: Mama AJ at March 22, 2014 02:40 PM (SUKHu)

58 Yes, they were yummy! Thanks for the idea. **** I'm now craving one but I'm out of potatoes. Hmmm. Do I drive to Publix to pick up a bag?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:42 PM (DmNpO)

59 I'm renovating my raised vegetable beds this year creating 'wicking beds' that water from the bottom up. Pot growers swear by them. Not to be confused with 'wiccing beds' where homunculi are propogated.

Posted by: Starboardhelm at March 22, 2014 02:43 PM (hOtJL)

60 So this morning/early afternoon Mr Y-not and I went up to Salt Lake where there is a winter Farmer's Market. We hadn't been before, but the sheep rancher from whom we buy our lamb was going to be there with half a lamb we'd ordered. Anyway, it was hipster heaven and the veggie stalls were pretty pathetic for the most part (although I'm rarely impressed by farmers market veggie stalls for some reason), but there were quite a few meat vendors. We scored some elk osso bucco and could've left with a lot more cool stuff had our cooler not already been filled with lamb. So that was kind of nice. Someone also had an attractive cedar and wire based compost bin kit for sale, but I didn't pull the trigger. Interested to hear how our moronette (forget which one) does with that small one she bought.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:43 PM (zDsvJ)

61 and when I've mentioned it to friends, they say "Oh, rabbits don't eat rose bushes. It must've been something else." Oh, it's rabbits, alright. I even witnessed one eating a rose plant from an upstairs window! You're right, it's those new red leaf shoots that they love. Once the plant is fully in leaf, I cautiously remove the chicken wire. The rabbits don't seem to care for them once they're fully grown out.

Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 02:47 PM (FkH4y)

62 NEED HELP WITH MOLES. I AM AT THIS POINT: http://tinyurl.com/ok2h6b

Posted by: RS at March 22, 2014 02:48 PM (YAGV/)

63 Here are some ideas: http://www.bhg.com/advice/gardening/animal-pests/what-can-we-do-to-get-rid-of-moles-in-our-garden/ The kitty litter thing worked for us when we had a skunk problem.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:51 PM (zDsvJ)

64 I was hoping for a gardening chick like last night's ONT.

Posted by: Burn the Witch at March 22, 2014 02:52 PM (gBnkX)

NEED HELP WITH MOLES

Doubt that you have moles, most likely Voles. What are they doing? I had a Vole problem and just put mouse traps without any bait across their little paths. Caught 20 of them suckers. Haven't had a problem since.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 02:53 PM (puNd6)

66 NEED HELP WITH MOLES. I AM AT THIS POINT: **** Wanna borrow a cat?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 02:54 PM (DmNpO)

67 Sorry, Burn the Witch. I was kind of rushing to get the damned thing up and I plain forgot. I blame Bush. And the Koch Brothers.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:55 PM (zDsvJ)

68 RS, spring loaded traps that fire spikes into the ground. Lots of them.

Posted by: BCochran1981 - Credible Hulk at March 22, 2014 02:56 PM (GEICT)

69 Cute girl in a garden (safe for work): http://data1.whicdn.com/images/12164453/large.jpg

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 02:57 PM (zDsvJ)

70 Garden girl Sorta-SFW. Sorta-NSFW http://tinyurl.com/qbtr67z

Posted by: BCochran1981 - Credible Hulk at March 22, 2014 02:59 PM (GEICT)

71 Nice hedge clippers, Bcochran. If CoolCzech were here, he'd have a joke about hedge trimming.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:01 PM (zDsvJ)

72 BCochran, that nice lady really enjoys her trimming job.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 03:03 PM (puNd6)

73 I don't know how you see it, BC, but could today have been anymore beautiful?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 03:03 PM (DmNpO)

74 73 I don't know how you see it, BC, but could today have been anymore beautiful? Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 07:03 PM (DmNpO) It was a nice day. We spent a big portion of it inside at UNF. The eldest midget had a solo routine at a dance competition.

Posted by: BCochran1981 - Credible Hulk at March 22, 2014 03:06 PM (GEICT)

75 OT: if any of you Hordelings need physics or math tutoring. /shy look but it will cost ya. about 75% less than ordinary online tutors because I'm tehshizzle.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:10 PM (x3YFz)

76 I'm not surprised that daffodils are poisonous since mine don't get eaten by anything. The tulips aren't so lucky.

Posted by: Synova at March 22, 2014 03:14 PM (7/PU+)

77 7 My aunts wrote to me that they'd bought ripe tomatoes at the grocery store, and they found that the seeds started sprouting inside the tomato! Posted by: Dr. Mabuse at March 22, 2014 05:58 PM (FkH4y) Kill it with fire!

Posted by: rickl at March 22, 2014 03:15 PM (sdi6R)

78 Rhubarb leaves are also poisonous. But, who wants to eat a Rhubarb leaf?

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 03:15 PM (puNd6)

79 It is still very cold in MA for gardening. I was hoping to go outside & clean up leaves, etc but it was only 29 degrees out when I woke up. I love the Johnny Carson videos. Thanks for links!

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 03:16 PM (gjOCp)

80 There is a gopher blaster:
http://tinyurl.com/q3qewe9

And I must say that gentleman is having more fun that most proper-thinking people would consider legal.

Posted by: kindletot at March 22, 2014 03:17 PM (LRUgq)

81 Spring is not here yet but we had a lot of snowmelt. The large adolescents taking up space ignored my pleas to pick up the dog dirt accumulation. They were warned repeatedly that it was easier to pick up when it was frozen and now have a solid layer to clean. Hah, they were warned.

Posted by: Mustbequantum at March 22, 2014 03:21 PM (MIKMs)

82 The missus wants a garden this year. That means I have to put the tiller on my antique JD 140 L/G tractor. I just hope the well can take the extra use. We used to have a big garden every year, many years ago. It just got to be too much work plus the adjacent trees got big and sucked the moisture out of the ground where the garden was.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 03:21 PM (puNd6)

83 The poisonous plants thing was a concern for us when our rough collie was a puppy/young dog, because she LOVED biting the heads off of flowers. Weeds she'd leave alone, but Heaven help any flower in our yard!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:22 PM (zDsvJ)

84 I was just reminded, and pretended I knew all along, that wife is going to be in NYC all of this upcoming week. Lots of potential for consecutive steak and sports nights for me. Maybe even ribs.

Posted by: Lincolntf at March 22, 2014 03:25 PM (ZshNr)

85 We had one of these Golden Rain Trees in the yard at the house we rented our first year in Utah. Pretty sure the kind we had was poisonous. http://www.eattheweeds.com/showers-of-golden-rain-tree-2/

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:26 PM (zDsvJ)

86 Vendette someone up thread said caladiums and hostas.. good choices and the hostas are perennials so they will come back every year. If you are thinking annuals I would go with begonias. They are hardy as hell, can withstand drought or lots of rain. I was very lucky when we moved into this house 6 years ago the previous owner planted all kinds of perennials. Columbine, which I just love, hostas, purple sage. I don't have to do much really except a little weeding. I indulge in all different kinds of annuals for my pots which put out on the deck.

Posted by: jewells45 trying to keep from going crazy at March 22, 2014 03:27 PM (/IQip)

87 Does anyone have recommendations for thorn-proof gardening gloves? I have more rose pruning to do, plus some other sticky bushes.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:27 PM (zDsvJ)

88 Pulled two dead citrus trees this week and planted a Turkish fig and a Persimmon in their places. Got a new Avocado tree too, but have to keep that in a big planter so I can bring it inside for the winter. I'm a gluttten for punishment because I bought two more small citrus plants for containers this time, a satsuma mandarin and a calamondin orange. I'm still planning on getting another Meyer lemon too. I also got a small bougainvillea to add to my collection. I ordered two 4ft x 8ft x 17in. cedar raised bed gardens, ack, I know. I figured I'll need about 3 1/2 cu.ft. of soil to fill them. Now I'm making Minecraft pickaxe and sword cookies and cupcakes for my sons birthday party tomorrow because I didn't spend all morning at a Math Pentathlon Tournament.

Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 03:31 PM (PGO8C)

89 Posted by: jewells45 trying to keep from going crazy at March 22, 2014 07:27 PM (/IQip) Thank you! (And to COJ earlier!)

Posted by: Vendette at March 22, 2014 03:33 PM (8pqpP)

90 Vendette, Hostas attract slugs and slugs are one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen. Years ago I put railroad ties in the middle of my front yard and planted roses in the middle. The RR ties attracted slugs too, there were hostas left over from when my grandmother planted them. During a particularly rainy spring or summer, one morning there were hundreds if not close to a thousand of them. I ran to garden store & bought killer. Salt works on slugs too. If you pour salt on them they disintegrate in a matter of 30 seconds.

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 03:33 PM (gjOCp)

91 Nice, lindafell! We had a couple of citrus trees when we lived in SoCal, but stayed with small ones in pots to avoid the rat problem that our neighbors with fruit trees had.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:33 PM (zDsvJ)

92 Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 07:27 PM (zDsvJ)

Amazon: West County 054BS Gauntlet Rose Glove, Slate Blue,

Seem to be pretty good for me.

Posted by: Hrothgar at March 22, 2014 03:33 PM (o3MSL)

93 That's 3 1/2 cu.YARDS. of soil not feet. That wouldn't get me far.....

Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 03:34 PM (PGO8C)

94 If I missed it, my apologies, but one of these posts could be about pest control. I have serious deer problems.

Posted by: Just Some Guy at March 22, 2014 03:34 PM (mTM2n)

95 Y-not, Rats....shudder....luckily I have a terrier😃

Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 03:35 PM (PGO8C)

96 West Country makes several gloves. I have some that are lined & supposed to be waterproof for planting when itÂ’s still cold out. Some rose companies decide the proper planting time for you. They are off by weeks for me. I have had bareroot roses by now & had to put in water in the basement for weeks. I contacted the one I am getting the most from to ask them not to send until mid-April.

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 03:37 PM (gjOCp)

97 94 If I missed it, my apologies, but one of these posts could be about pest control. I have serious deer problems. ---- Sure thing!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:39 PM (zDsvJ)

98 >>Salt works on slugs too. If you pour salt on them they disintegrate in a matter of 30 seconds. So thats why Harry Reid looks like does.

Posted by: Aviator at March 22, 2014 03:40 PM (3rrMW)

99 Thanks for the glove recommendations!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:40 PM (zDsvJ)

100 Hello Carol! Railroad ties are a nightmare. The rain breaks them down very quickly and they rot too.

Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at March 22, 2014 03:43 PM (oFCZn)

101 seeds arrived! Holy farmer. Eggplant, carrots, strawberries, beans. Fun will be had by all.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:44 PM (x3YFz)

102 " Does anyone have recommendations for thorn-proof gardening gloves?"

Welders' gloves. Works for us.

Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 03:44 PM (82lr7)

103 95 Y-not, Rats....shudder....luckily I have a terrier😃 Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 07:35 PM (PGO8C) rat fix: coke-a-cola. put it out in a bowl. They can't burp so they explody. Little messy, but tried and true.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:46 PM (x3YFz)

104 One mouthful in three of the foods you eat directly or indirectly depends on pollination by honey bees. The value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is more than $14 billion annually, according to a Cornell University study. Crops from nuts to vegetables and as diverse as alfalfa, apple, cantaloupe, cranberry, pumpkin, and sunflower all require pollinating by honey bees. Not figs. They don't require bees. They use fig wasps that lay their larvae inside the fig and then the wasps die inside the fig. Most the the larvae/maggots escape but often many do not and die inside the fig. So, when you are biting into a nice juicy figÂ…

Posted by: Blackie Lawless at March 22, 2014 03:47 PM (AymDN)

105 102 - Elbow length leather gardening gloves are available. Generally used with Rose bushes. I recommend a canvas jacket underneath. Nothing will protect you from Pyracantha, however.

Posted by: Mike Hammer at March 22, 2014 03:47 PM (aDwsi)

106 Update on the Bokashi composting: I have the bin under my sink about 1/3 full so far. No smells, no bugs..I've gotten two cups of the Bokashi tea which I've just diluted and used on my yard. I've put veggies, fruits, egg shells, paper scraps, some chicken trimmings, steak scraps, tea leaves, coffee grounds, and bread in there so far. It's been about a little over a week of full use so far for a family of 6.

Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 03:47 PM (PGO8C)

107 Hostas attract slugs .... ------------------------- I read this as "Hortas". No Kill I!

Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 03:48 PM (QBm1P)

108 102 " Does anyone have recommendations for thorn-proof gardening gloves?" Welders' gloves. Works for us. Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 07:44 PM (82lr7) back when I was a stud, I bought me Mechanix gloves for field work. $40 a pair and worth every penny. They cater to jobs where fingers come up missing so good stuff.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:48 PM (x3YFz)

109 That's 3 1/2 cu.YARDS. of soil not feet. That wouldn't get me far..... Posted by: lindafell ------------------------- CNN would go with the 3 1/2 cu. feet. Never gardened.

Posted by: Mike Hammer at March 22, 2014 03:49 PM (aDwsi)

110 >>106 Update on the Bokashi composting Ooh, thanks for that! Keep us posted.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:50 PM (zDsvJ)

111 Thanks, Mike, but we can more readily find gauntlet-style welders' gloves-- quite thorn-proof and bonus, they're *way* less expensive than "garden gloves"

I have an old denim jacket for teh pruning-detail--nice and warm, no scratches. FTW!

Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 03:52 PM (82lr7)

112 I have about 100 new daffodils popping up a full inch along our garden's back wall in a grid so straight you'd think Lee Ermey had been drilling them all winter long. That's the western half of the wall, which would have gotten the most sun if we hadn't been overcast and snowy for the past eight weeks. The eastern half got bulbs from a different bag, same brand, a slightly different variety, and they went in a week later. They're barely showing, and very gap-toothed. Some older daffs along the side fence are more than two inches high. Hoping against hope that I'll get 200+ blooms all near the same time.

Posted by: Little Miss Spellcheck at March 22, 2014 03:52 PM (a5ljo)

113 OT: Just sent my dept chair an e-mail explainin', point by point, why he's a dick. Guessing I'm out a job. Heh.. fuck. It was worth it.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:54 PM (x3YFz)

114 I'm enjoying our Spring, but I admit that I am looking forward to Summer, when I can put our little potted olive tree out on our porch. Something very cheery about that tree.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:54 PM (zDsvJ)

115 Eeek! Sorry about that, tango.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 03:55 PM (zDsvJ)

116 Oh, and just for Dave: http://www.cafepress.com/mf/23627882/weird-turn-pro_tshirt

Posted by: Duke at March 22, 2014 03:55 PM (aDwsi)

117 113 OT: Just sent my dept chair an e-mail explainin', point by point, why he's a dick. Guessing I'm out a job. Heh.. fuck. It was worth it. ------------------------------- Did you do it in PowerPoint?

Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 03:56 PM (QBm1P)

118 Did you do it in PowerPoint? Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 07:56 PM (QBm1P) /facepalm

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 03:57 PM (x3YFz)

119 Oh, and good for you. We're all living vicariously through you.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 03:57 PM (QBm1P)

120 A couple of scraggly climbing rose bushes that Mrs. Lester bought a couple of years ago have gone crazy this spring. This is their third spring. She bought them at the Antique Rose Emporium and they had some sad Hurricane Katrina story that I didn't pay that much attention to at the time. They are supposedly very hard to kill. These things have shot out in every direction and now I have to get trellises up on the fence to hold the things up before they take over the side yard. Here they are at http://tinyurl.com/noznevn

Posted by: Lester at March 22, 2014 03:58 PM (2UPXV)

121 Not figs. They don't require bees. They use fig wasps that lay their larvae inside the fig and then the wasps die inside the fig. Most the the larvae/maggots escape but often many do not and die inside the fig. So, when you are biting into a nice juicy figÂ… **** I've never liked figs and now I never will.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 03:58 PM (DmNpO)

122 Railroad ties are a nightmare. The rain breaks them down very quickly and they rot too. *** There's a reason the rails are now using concrete ties more often.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 03:59 PM (DmNpO)

123 Dried figs have their place for me. I like them on a "picky plate" with almonds, goat cheese, and maybe some sort of hard salami. But I love fresh figs. Hard to find around here.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:01 PM (zDsvJ)

124 Good luck battling your roses, Lester!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:01 PM (zDsvJ)

125 #42, heh. >>> the scientist featured was formerly of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is one of my favorite botanical gardens. Well worth a visit if you are in the Tucson area. Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is also incredibly stunning. Desert plant landscapes can be really lovely, you just have to know what you are doing. Everyone has seen a badly xeriscaped front lawn and it ruins it for the good ones. Ugh, so behind on my gardening. This weekend has been taken up with indoor spring cleaning, though it is gorgeous outside. Should have done some today. Just watch, I will plan to devote next Sat to it and it will snow, you can guarantee it.

Posted by: LizLem at March 22, 2014 04:02 PM (2pFDN)

126 Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 07:47 PM (PGO8C) You used meat scraps and it was okay? That's an impressive system then.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 22, 2014 04:02 PM (GDulk)

127 every year at this time the poker plants bloom here, mostly dormant any other time. they're what comes back time after time, like a bulb.

Posted by: concrete girl at March 22, 2014 04:04 PM (1YgVg)

128 I finally took a picture of this place in my neighborhood to share here like I was intending to do for months. You probably already know to replace the blank spot in the url with the letters i, m, g.

http://imgur.com/0N7bxtL

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at March 22, 2014 04:05 PM (/96QU)

129 Y-Not, are you getting any snow today? We have been getting light snow most of the day. I enjoy the moisture it brings.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 04:05 PM (puNd6)

130 Hey, Polli! How's it going?

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at March 22, 2014 04:07 PM (/96QU)

131
That purple AZ thing is pods, like Body Snatchers.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at March 22, 2014 04:07 PM (0Kobm)

132 119 Oh, and good for you. We're all living vicariously through you. Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 07:57 PM (QBm1P) It's cool. but actually looking your idiot boss in the eyes and saying "You're kind of an asshole" releases in you a freedom. To not get into a long explanation here, I'll try to keep it short. Having some position. Dept Chair. Program Manager. Whatever. Is just a place holder. Having been around the sun for nearly 5 decades, I'm in the camp of "I'll respect you when you earn it, and you'll respect me when I earn it." Once upon a time I was a Staff Sergeant. Got into an argument with a light bird over protocol. I was right. He lost his shit. It's about character and what makes a man.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:09 PM (x3YFz)

133 Good luck battling your roses, Lester! Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 08:01 PM

Thank you. I see some trellis in my near future. And an extension of the sprinklers. While I am covered in pine pollen. What fun.

Posted by: Lester at March 22, 2014 04:10 PM (2UPXV)

134 Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:09 PM (x3YFz) Jesus... I just reread my own post and it was a disjointed bunch of nonsense. Holy cow. Sorry guys.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:11 PM (x3YFz)

135 129 Y-Not, are you getting any snow today? We have been getting light snow most of the day. --- Not today. Earlier this week we had a few flurries. We had a rainy mist this morning (and lots of smell of ozone), but it cleared up in Orem and in SLC when we were there (at the Rio Grande Depot for the winter farmer's market). And it seems as though a lot of snow has melted off the Utah Valley side of Timp. I haven't checked our reservoir totals recently, but I sure hope they are filling.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:13 PM (zDsvJ)

136 I finally took a picture of this place in my neighborhood to share here like I was intending to do for months. You probably already know to replace the blank spot in the url with the letters i, m, g. *** HA!

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at March 22, 2014 04:14 PM (DmNpO)

137 While I am covered in pine pollen. What fun. I hear you about the pollen! I was in Vegas for several days the week before last and my ears and sinuses were nice and clear, but a couple of days back here and the damned aspen pollen is getting me. Haven't seen anything from the pine trees... yet. But we have three really large ones and they will spray their pollen at some point.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:15 PM (zDsvJ)

138 Having been around the sun for nearly 5 decades, I'm the camp of "I'll respect you when you earn it, and you'll respect me when I earn it." ----------------------- You seem to be a fellow with both breadth and depth of experience. It must be a puzzlement to fast trackers with limited exposure to people and disciplines outside their tiny realms. They sometimes don't respect what they don't understand.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at March 22, 2014 04:16 PM (QBm1P)

139 It's about character and what makes a man. Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:09 PM (x3YFz) Love it. I figured out at an early age to just work for myself. I have a hard time putting up with idiots and their idiot rules, and both are everywhere in corporate life.

Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 04:17 PM (1Y+hH)

140 OMG, Prothonotary Warbler, how funny!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:17 PM (zDsvJ)

141 back to gardening: We decided we'll get 3 chickens. We live in raptorville: hawks, eagles, owls. whole banana. they patrol the skies daily. So we'll have to snuggle the coop up to the house. Suggestions or advice is welcome.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:17 PM (x3YFz)

142 Where are you, Ronster?

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:17 PM (zDsvJ)

143 I got it just fine tango.

Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 04:18 PM (1Y+hH)

144 tango, Here are some ideas re hawk deterence: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/795227/#b

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:19 PM (zDsvJ)

145 Not too bad. Starting to run in circles doing kid activities like the stereotypical suburban mom. How about you?

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 22, 2014 04:20 PM (GDulk)

146 Dack, I had railroad ties years ago. I got rid of them after the slug invasion. I gave away all hostas too.

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 04:20 PM (gjOCp)

147 This site might be handy: http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-predators.html

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:21 PM (zDsvJ)

148 139 It's about character and what makes a man. Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:09 PM (x3YFz) Love it. I figured out at an early age to just work for myself. I have a hard time putting up with idiots and their idiot rules, and both are everywhere in corporate life. Posted by: Meremortal, something's burning... at March 22, 2014 08:17 PM (1Y+hH) I backed off the post because I was concerned I'd put people off. but you get where I'm coming from. At some point, every man just stops and says "enough." Plants his blade in the ground and doesn't care if he lives or dies. I think you and I have passed that hurdle.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:21 PM (x3YFz)

149 Tomorrow night it's supposed to be 16 degrees!

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 04:22 PM (gjOCp)

150 Where are you, Ronster?

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 08:17 PM (zDsvJ)

East of Colo. Springs.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 04:22 PM (puNd6)

151 t some point, every man just stops and says "enough." Plants his blade in the ground and doesn't care if he lives or dies. I think you and I have passed that hurdle. Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:21 PM (x3YFz) Yes, that is true. Women sometimes do it too.

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 04:24 PM (gjOCp)

152 >>East of Colo. Springs. Oh, that's right! Must be pretty there.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:24 PM (zDsvJ)

153 Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:17 PM (x3YFz)

Wire covering the area where the coop is?

That or a shotgun. Maybe an airgun in case of the law or something.

Buy a lot of chickens. And plant some cover.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That (Waiting For SMODOT) at March 22, 2014 04:25 PM (i+yr+)

154 I have a missed call but no VM. It must be my brother. I have to call him & see what is up. He should leave me a number because I am going to guess heÂ’s still in the hospital.

Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 04:26 PM (gjOCp)

155 Hey Polli!!! How's Texas treating you? Yeah, the Bokashi composting allows you to use meat, dairy, bread, even the contents of litter boxes, etc. stuff you wouldn't normally be able to compost. It is actually a fermenting process. I'm the guinea pig, so to speak. So, I'm giving weekly updates on the process so everyone can see if it's something they would want to invest in and do.

Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 04:26 PM (PGO8C)

156 152 >>East of Colo. Springs. Oh, that's right! Must be pretty there. Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 08:24 PM (zDsvJ) The view is great. The land is desert. Nothing grows here.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:28 PM (x3YFz)

157 Yes, that is true. Women sometimes do it too. Posted by: Carol at March 22, 2014 08:24 PM (gjOCp) When the women plant the blade, the party is officially over.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:30 PM (x3YFz)

158 The view is great. The land is desert. Nothing grows here. At least it isn't Yuma.

Posted by: Brother Cavil at March 22, 2014 04:32 PM (K7oc7)

159 Posted by: lindafell at March 22, 2014 08:26 PM (PGO8C) Being able to use *all* scraps would be a huge improvement in efficiency. Looking forward to hearing the updates. Texas is nice. Very glad to have missed Colorado and Missouri's winters this year. So far I've replaced a bunch of dark heavy mosquito haven bushes with yellow knock-out roses and edible flowers in our front beds. We're hoping to put in some citrus and pomegranate trees in the back before the end of the year. All growing tips are appreciated.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 22, 2014 04:33 PM (GDulk)

160 Wire covering the area where the coop is? That or a shotgun. Maybe an airgun in case of the law or something. Buy a lot of chickens. And plant some cover. Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That (Waiting For SMODOT) at March 22, 2014 08:25 PM (i+yr+) We're working out the details. New to the chicken thing so it's going to take some research. i have no opinion, I'm not qualified to comment. Need to read more.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:33 PM (x3YFz)

161 Re Chickens on the high plains East of COS. BTDT, never had a problem with raptors. Lots of problems with Coyotes and neighbors dogs. Build a 6' fence for their yard and a sturdy coop for them at night. Something that a Weasel, Skunk or Badger can't dig under. You will probably lose a few. That's the fun of it. Outwitting the local wild opposition.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 04:34 PM (puNd6)

162 When the women plant the blade, the party is officially over. Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:30 PM (x3YFz) That's my view as well. It's when the women have truly had *enough* that things change.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at March 22, 2014 04:34 PM (GDulk)

163 Oh, that's right! Must be pretty there.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 08:24 PM (zDsvJ)

Yes it is, when it rains or snows. Sadly that has not happened for quite a few years.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 04:36 PM (puNd6)

164 New open thread for mocking the French.

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:40 PM (zDsvJ)

165 Screw teh French. I would rather stay on this thread.

Posted by: Ronster at March 22, 2014 04:41 PM (puNd6)

166 I was at a house party last week. We were watching UFC #whatever on the TV. now, we had some regiment dude. In the mix. For those of you at home: regiment = 75th. Ranger. Scroll, not tab, big difference. HUGE difference. Anyway, there's the cauldron of spouses/GFs with dixie cups in hand yukking it up and Regiment said something, to this day I have no idea what he said, that pissed them off. half liquored up redneck womenz, focused solely on Regiment guy. Poor fucker. Moral of the story? Drop 1K drunk redneck wymenz into a combat zone. Collect the bodies it 24 hours.

Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 04:44 PM (x3YFz)

167 best trap I've found for slugs is a really thin sour-dough batter: water, flour, yeast mixed to the consistency of light cream. The little gastropods come as fast as they can to drown themselves.

Posted by: kindletot at March 22, 2014 04:48 PM (LRUgq)

168 Assuming WeirdDave is game (heh), we'll try to do a pest-thread next week. Any particular topics aside from the ones mentioned thus far?

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 04:51 PM (zDsvJ)

169 First its man made global warmeneing, now its man made zombie moss. Science.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at March 22, 2014 04:51 PM (c2oll)

170 Moar lichens!!!!!

Posted by: Zombie Moss at March 22, 2014 04:59 PM (zDsvJ)

171 Earwigs do that with used cooking oil/grease in an old tuna fish can. No RIP, suckers can die for all I care. Will always be more of 'em on the way.

Posted by: LizLem at March 22, 2014 05:01 PM (IyUTN)

172 Whoops, comment was for kindletot btw.

Posted by: LizLem at March 22, 2014 05:02 PM (IyUTN)

173 >>Posted by: Zombie Moss at March 22, 2014 08:59 PM Get off me, bro!

Posted by: a rolling stone at March 22, 2014 05:06 PM (zDsvJ)

174 earwigs multiply by the thousands!...they get into the electrical box at the well and then you're out of water. vaseline does the trick, create a trail on the electrical pole and they won't cross it.

Posted by: concrete girl at March 22, 2014 05:20 PM (9klqA)

175 I'm glad NDH and Y-Not found Anthony's Weiners as amusing as I did. Once the place opens up, I'll make a point of eating there and sharing my findings here. Maybe in the Food Thread or something.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler at March 22, 2014 05:33 PM (/96QU)

176 We eagerly await your review!

Posted by: Y-not at March 22, 2014 05:36 PM (zDsvJ)

177 Posted by: tangonine at March 22, 2014 08:17 PM (x3YFz) For aerial raptors, try stringing fishing line overhead in a grid pattern. The theory is that they sense the line and do not want to get tangled up in it and lose their flight escape capability so they avoid such areas!

Posted by: Hrothgar at March 22, 2014 05:49 PM (o3MSL)

178 Just finished potting-up half of the tomatoes--they're on 2nd set of true leaves.

The others will wait until next weekend as their growth is a bit behind.

Probably will pot them all up once more (next month) and set them out during the day only, until mid- or late-May.

Greenhouse? *sigh* I wish.

Posted by: JeanQ at March 22, 2014 05:54 PM (82lr7)

179 Vendetta: You could put in some pockets (or pots) of rich soil for tuberous begonias in summer, if your climate is favorable. If you want perennials, there are several species of cyclamen that do well in similar circumstances. There's also a yellow snapdragon relative that competes with tree roots, but I can't remember its exact name. I think it's from Spain.

Posted by: KT at March 23, 2014 06:00 AM (qahv/)

180 I use Deer Scram to keep deer out. You can get it at Amazon.
"Enviro Protection Ind. 1006 Deer Scram Granular Repellent" A 6 lb bucket lasts about 2 years for my 6' x 9' garden. You have to reapply after a heavy rain but after a while the deer learn to stay away. Which reminds me, it's time to start applying it before the deer rediscover my tasty (3" tall) tomato plant.

Posted by: gingeroni at March 24, 2014 10:19 AM (mbdiY)

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