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Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

humblescribe
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#176

Post by humblescribe »

Grapes are about three weeks away (and if I can keep the scrub jays, mockingbirds, and tree squirrels from their nefarious ways).

Watermelons still have a little over a month.

August will be good!
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'Allsweet watermelon'
'Allsweet watermelon'
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Vinifera grape 'Princess'
Vinifera grape 'Princess'
princess.JPG (386.03 KiB) Viewed 1927 times
Vinifera grape 'Monukka'
Vinifera grape 'Monukka'
monukka.JPG (466.85 KiB) Viewed 1927 times
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Phoenix
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#177

Post by Phoenix »

:drool:
Two of my favorite summer indulgences! Oh, the first taste of a ripe watermelon is :chefskiss: :lovestruck:
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#178

Post by Azastan »

I love grapes, and we had a grape arbor, but the grapes were always a bit sour. Yours look fabulous!

Until our heatwave, we don't really get hot enough to properly ripe watermelons (and tomatoes are pretty iffy as well).
Phoenix
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#179

Post by Phoenix »

We had an arbor. I watered the grapes every day. At harvest they tasted blah, bleh, and ooooo sour. A little birdie came and whispered in my ear. Next year I watered well in the spring, tapered off gradually, and stressed them out near the end.

Mmmmm.
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#180

Post by Azastan »

Phoenix wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:41 pm We had an arbor. I watered the grapes every day. At harvest they tasted blah, bleh, and ooooo sour. A little birdie came and whispered in my ear. Next year I watered well in the spring, tapered off gradually, and stressed them out near the end.

Mmmmm.
They got watered well in the spring (it's the PNW, it's what we do here) and nature tapers off the water as the season goes along. But they can't get stressed, because it just doesn't get hot enough normally.

I took the grapes out and put in dahlias instead.
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#181

Post by Phoenix »

Brilliant!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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MN-Skeptic
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#182

Post by MN-Skeptic »

I had almost forgotten that there were grape vines growing out back when we bought our house 40 years ago. Unfortunately, the raccoons thought they were great. We took down the vines after one evening of listening to the raccoons fighting over those grapes.

May your crops be pest free!
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#183

Post by bill_g »

Strike up the band - dinner outta the garden time-o-year has arrived! No meat. Just veggies, a little cheese, and some bread.

I had such a busy week, I never got out to the garden except to throw some water on it. But, I got glimpses that there would be plenty to eat this weekend. I wasn't disappointed. About a half bushel of green beans, a dozen cucumbers, three pounds of russets, a half dozen tomatoes, and a pound of peas.

I made a simple salad with the cukes and maters. Chunked them in a bowl with chopped onion and garlic, a little olive oil, a little lemon juice, a tab of mayo, some fresh parsley and oregano, S&P. Stir and let it rest.

The smallest potatoes (thumb sized) were boiled whole on the stove while the peas were par boiled in the microwave. Scalded milk and flour made a thin gravy over the peas and taters in a bowl.

The green beans were boiled whole and served with butter and salt.

I enjoyed it with a 2019 Cab from WA.

Definitely looking forward to reruns of that this week.
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#184

Post by Azastan »

bill_g wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:09 am

Definitely looking forward to reruns of that this week.
Sounds delicious!
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#185

Post by Azastan »

Cherubino, a white collarette.
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Phoenix520
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#186

Post by Phoenix520 »

:faint:
Stunning!
Didn’t know they could have rounded leaves.
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#187

Post by Azastan »

Phoenix520 wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:11 pm :faint:
Stunning!
Didn’t know they could have rounded leaves.
Dahlias come in an amazing variety of shapes!
This is Frigoulet, a BB sized flower, Incurved Cactus shape, considered a 'Dark Blend' (personally I would have called it a bicolour, but I'm not a judge for the American Dahlia Society):
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humblescribe
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#188

Post by humblescribe »

Azastan wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 2:35 pm I love grapes, and we had a grape arbor, but the grapes were always a bit sour. Yours look fabulous!

Until our heatwave, we don't really get hot enough to properly ripe watermelons (and tomatoes are pretty iffy as well).
I've inferred that you reside in Washington State. I suggest contacting your county extension service or local master gardeners regarding suitable varieties of watermelon and tomatoes that have been bred for your climate. In California we have the UC Extension Service (part of Berkeley and Davis) to advise farmers and homeowners. I would suspect that Wazzu would have something similar in Washington. These are land grant institutions (I think from the Morrill Act in the 19th Century) so receive federal funding for such endeavors.

If the Saskatchewanians can grow watermelons, there is no reason why you Washingtonians can't!

Table grapes are lower in acid and sugar than wine grapes, and they need lots of heat when the berries begin to resorb some acid during veraison (coloring up phase.) Ironic that wine grapes contain vastly more sugar in the fruit, but do not taste as sweet as table grapes because wine grapes also have higher concentrations of tartaric and malic acids.

This pertains to European grapes. American grapes like Concord and Niagara are a totally different kettle of fish, if you will allow me to mix my metaphors.

Thank you for the kind words! :kiss:
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." O. Wilde
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Phoenix520
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#189

Post by Phoenix520 »

Humblescribe, your Monukka grapes photo is a lovely composition, in addition to being delicious looking. I love how the spring green and sunlight cascade down the jumble of leaves and grapes.

I second calling your county extension or local Master Gardener, Azastan. Both programs are full of plant lovers who live to share. I signed up for the local Master Gardeners program when we moved here, and then COVID canceled them. They’re not back yet but I’ll be there when they are . 😁
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#190

Post by Azastan »

humblescribe wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 2:57 pm
I've inferred that you reside in Washington State. I suggest contacting your county extension service or local master gardeners regarding suitable varieties of watermelon and tomatoes that have been bred for your climate.

Thank you for the kind words! :kiss:
I know about the county extension service and local master gardeners, but we are quite often relegated to just cherry tomatoes due to a combination of factors, so I just browse the gardens of my friends and am satisfied.

However, the majority of world famous dahlia tuber suppliers and breeders of dahlias are found right here in the PNW, because we have the perfect conditions for dahlias. That makes growing dahlias the fun choice!
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Mars, bringer of war. Novelty, Red.
Uninformed
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#191

Post by Uninformed »

Beautiful pictures, beautiful flowers.
If you can't lie to yourself, who can you lie to?
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Foggy
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#192

Post by Foggy »

Weird. Those exist in the same solar system as Jupiter. Didja see the NASA photo in the planets thread? :think:
Out from under. :thumbsup:
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bill_g
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#193

Post by bill_g »

I have a low opinion of master gardeners. It's similar to how I feel about amateur radio operators, and zeolots in general. They have an incomplete knowledge in the subject matter while claiming broad expertise, and consider every question a personal challenge. Their egos are so easily wounded, they shouldn't appear in public without a portable bubble.
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bill_g
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#194

Post by bill_g »

Azastan wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:51 am
bill_g wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:09 am
Definitely looking forward to reruns of that this week.
Sounds delicious!
It was. I decided to make Dirty Rice for Sunday dinner to make my life easier this week. Easy to reheat, and wonderful with cuke salad. Very Mediterranean. Fresh sliced peaches for dessert.

PS - Dahlias - It seems I can only grow them in pots. I can get a decade or more life from a potted dahlia, but barely three years in the dirt. And my luck with growing from seed has been worse than a coin toss. I did better by dividing the tubers, planting in small pots with good potting soil, feeding with compost tea, and transplanting the survivors to larger pots.
Dave from down under
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#195

Post by Dave from down under »

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2021- ... /100351706

Darriveen Station's outback garden oasis 56 years in the making

just inspiring.. :)
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AndyinPA
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#196

Post by AndyinPA »

That's lovely.
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#197

Post by Azastan »

Dad's Favorite. This is an anemone-flowered dahlia. I got it thinking it would be a couple of inches across, but it's actually quite large at 4 inches!
Dads Favorite July 22 2021.jpg
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#198

Post by Dave from down under »

:thumbsup:
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Azastan
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#199

Post by Azastan »

Unknown no 1 Aug 28 2021.jpg
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Am I the only one doing any gardening this year?

This is a Miniature Ball dahlia, 'Fifi'.
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Phoenix520
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Re: Gardening and Lawn Maintenance

#200

Post by Phoenix520 »

Fifi is a cutie!

Gardening is out for now. I’m currently supervising the murder of the ice plant on the front slopes in preparation for ripping it out and planting citrus trees and some natives. With a river rock swale.

We’re going to be in drought for some time. The last couple of years are the hottest I can remember in at least 20 years. From June thru now our daily high has rarely been under 90. Last year, seriously, we only had 5 inches of rain. Our annual average is something like 12. We’ve let the lawns die. Most of what I’ll be doing for the next two years is hardscaping, not gardening.
:brokenheart:
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