Gardens vegetable, flower or other?

[LocktownDog]

lol lol lol lol That would likely take care of quite a bit but I doubt my neighbors here would be too appreciative. lol
You could BBQ the squirrels.

Having eaten grilled squirrel (gee, thanks dad!), I can honestly say you're better off throwing them to the dogs. lol

We don't get squirrels around the high desert, but have certainly seen a lot more lizards and field mice in my garden. We had a very wet winter (7 months too). And now we're also starting to see snakes everywhere. Rattlers have been all over the roads, although I haven't found any in with the roses and veggies yet.

 

[jamespowers]

Having eaten grilled squirrel (gee, thanks dad!), I can honestly say you're better off throwing them to the dogs. lol

We don't get squirrels around the high desert, but have certainly seen a lot more lizards and field mice in my garden. We had a very wet winter (7 months too). And now we're also starting to see snakes everywhere. Rattlers have been all over the roads, although I haven't found any in with the roses and veggies yet.

BBQed squirrel for the dog. Makes sense. The dog always has wanted to catch one.
I'll take squirrels over snakes though.

 

[Mav]

You could BBQ the squirrels.

Or grill them.lol

 

[jamespowers]

Or grill them.lol

That would be uniquely American.

 

[Mav]

That would be uniquely American.

Please- everyone knows that nothing is uniquely American. Ya zenophobe.
Except Barbies- the unrealistically proportioned plastic doll, not the slang term used in some places for grilling.

 

[Viola]

Please- everyone knows that nothing is uniquely American. Ya zenophobe.
Except Barbies. The unrealistically proportioned plastic doll, not the slang term for grilling.

Please, the proudly German Bild Lilli doll is not amused!

 

[rumblefish]

Been blanching and freezing the escarole, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli rabe, and turnips. Collards and Kohlrabi will be ready this weekend. What a fantastic year for the greens so far.:eusa_clap

 

[KittyT]

I was told they might be Golden Tops (which aren't poisonous, but I'd really rather not eat psychotropic mushrooms).

You can always send them to me! lol

My mom used to pick morels when I was a kid. The university she worked at got them growing like weeds, and she always tried to get to them before the caretakers mowed them all up. She'd bring home plastic grocery bags full of them!

Is there any sort of agricultural or other agency in your area that might be able to identify them for you? I wouldn't try eating them until you get an expert opinion.

 

[rumblefish]

Do any Loungers pick wild mushrooms?
Every year we get lovely looking mushies growing in our yard. I've never tried them as I really don't know enough about mushrooms & knowing my luck they are deadly poisonous.
They might be pine mushrooms (which are perfectly ok to eat) but I was told they might be Golden Tops (which aren't poisonous, but I'd really rather not eat psychotropic mushrooms).

Can anyone help?

I take Hen-of-the-Woods (Maitake) only. They can't be confused for any poisonous types. In the Northeast they are found at the base of mostly oak trees, right around the beginning of hunting season. I understand Boletus mushrooms (Cepes or Porcini) are easy to recognize because there are no gills under the cap just a lot of holes- I've never taken any. And every once in a while, a Morel pokes up in my back yard, but I just leave it.
I wouldn't know what is safe in Australia[huh] . Something there that looks like Hen-of-the-woods may cause you to spontaneously explode.

 

[jamespowers]

Been blanching and freezing the escarole, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli rabe, and turnips. Collards and Kohlrabi will be ready this weekend. What a fantastic year for the greens so far.:eusa_clap

The cooler weather has indeed made growing greens fairly easy as they like cooler weather.
I'll send a bunch of grapefruit over in exchange for some spinach.

 

[rumblefish]

The cooler weather has indeed made growing greens fairly easy as they like cooler weather.
I'll send a bunch of grapefruit over in exchange for some spinach.

Deal! Might as well send them all,,, seeing as you don't like them.

 

[jamespowers]

Deal! Might as well send them all,,, seeing as you don't like them.

Send the truck. I'll have them load it up.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Courgettes coming along great guns. I see the beginnings of flower pods. They're cunningly surrounded by a wall of French dwarf marigolds - slugs and snails are keeping their distance, and I get boutonniere flowers!

First sowing of spring onions have sprung, and some potatoes starting to poke their leaves above the soil (I planted late - i.e. we had some in the cupboard that sprouted, so I shoved 3 in the ground last week). Spinach and rocket - also late sowing last week - starting to show signs of growth.

All in all the garden seems to be doing well for something that was infested with ivy (intentionally, don't ask!) until we took possession of the property 2 months ago. Why would anyone voluntarily cover their growing space in ivy?? This stuff was planted about 15 years ago, and the dude provided the damned stuff with trellises to "help it grow". :rage: I dug it all out, and got about 3 feet down with my fork for the root networks, but I still need to get in every evening and uproot the new Triffids. It's going to be a constant battle, I know.

bk

 

[jamespowers]

Courgettes coming along great guns. I see the beginnings of flower pods. They're cunningly surrounded by a wall of French dwarf marigolds - slugs and snails are keeping their distance, and I get boutonniere flowers!

First sowing of spring onions have sprung, and some potatoes starting to poke their leaves above the soil (I planted late - i.e. we had some in the cupboard that sprouted, so I shoved 3 in the ground last week). Spinach and rocket - also late sowing last week - starting to show signs of growth.

All in all the garden seems to be doing well for something that was infested with ivy (intentionally, don't ask!) until we took possession of the property 2 months ago. Why would anyone voluntarily cover their growing space in ivy?? This stuff was planted about 15 years ago, and the dude provided the damned stuff with trellises to "help it grow". :rage: I dug it all out, and got about 3 feet down with my fork for the root networks, but I still need to get in every evening and uproot the new Triffids. It's going to be a constant battle, I know.

bk

That's what they invented Round up for. Seriously, you will never kill the roots unless you use some kind of weed killer on it. Having battled ivy from my idiot neighbor's side, it is the only thing that killed it and kept it killed. For a while it will be a war of attrition though. Eventually you will win.
I am drawing a blank on courgettes. Are they zucchini?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes, zucchini … in English/French.

bk

 

[rumblefish]

Courgettes coming along great guns.
bk

Mine too. I'll probably have 4 or 5 to pick this weekend. Then the watch for the squash vine borer begins. I've been using bacillus thuringiensis with the hopes I won't need to open up the vines to kill the little @$%#s.

Are borers an issue in England?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Not sure. We'll see! We generally get more problems with slugs than anything else.

bk

 

[Puzzicato]

The slugs are doing there worst to my pumpkins and squash! I need to get out with the baits again. Tomatoes are all in flower, spuds are growing happily and the asparagus is flourishing.

 

[LocktownDog]

Now that the weather has warmed up a bit, I'm finally seeing some progress on my veggies. Although its the grape that's really caught my eye. Climbing right up the trellis and already has bunches of baby grapes.

 

[Kishtu]

Strawberries, broad beans, rhubarb, peas and tomatoes sky-high chez Kishtu.

Everything, including my beloved herbs, got set back a couple of months ago by the bizarre snow that we had that we never, ever get in Cornwall but got six inches deep earlier this year.
But lovage and lemon balm are tougher than they look