2026, My year of Garden Narcissism

[ducks4you]

What Do Hybrid And Open-Pollinated Mean?

There are a lot of terms out there describing seeds, or rather, the parentage and genetic lines of seeds. Heirloom, open-pollinated, hybrid, F1, even F2, and GMO. All those terms have at least something to do with the reproduction and parental lineage of the plant variety in question...

seedsnsuch.com

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I happen to like Minutiae

 

[ducks4you]

Speaking OF...I have started the GREAT CLEANUP, specifically, the house. New shower is Great, but I won't really do anything else to the bathroom this year besides cleaning it and repainting the walls, AND a new window.
Bathroom has an inset cabinet. It's missing 2/4 glass shelves, but they looked groaty and I looked for an excuse to run them through the dishwasher. I pulled up/emptied out 12 pints and 10 quarts of "past it" produce from the basement pantry, cleaned them out, rinsed them out and filled up the rest of the dishwasher, so I could get the bathroom shelves washed, too.
When you can throw lots of money at a problem you look for entirely new. I can live with some old.
I have been hanging on the permanent shower curtain rod things that need a clothes line. There was one when we moved here. The posts rotted out and the location allowed birds to mess on your clothes, so I removed it and have no plans to put up a new one.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

I use a fold up laundry rack. No sense running the dryer in the summer and fall.

 

[Dahlia]

I use a fold up laundry rack. No sense running the dryer in the summer and fall.

I hang dry my clothes too! Makes them smell so fresh!

 

[Marie2020]

Companion planting for squashes.
1) nasturtium
2) marigolds
3) radish
4) mint
5) dill
6) Blue Hubbard Squash, plant a few weeks before zucchini
When full of bugs, chop it at the base and burn.
THAT would be fun for me.

Thank you yet again

 

[Marie2020]

The Saskatoon shrub grows in any soil

 

[baymule]

Working on my winter sowing. I have sown 11 bottles as of this morning, the smaller bottles have 2 Alaska Snow Peas in them, the larger bottle has 4. I cut the top off of it. I tested putting the top back on--won't do that again.
This plastic is too fragile and I got a dent in the bottom half putting it on the 2nd time, so I put a piece of masking tape on it to keep in the greenhouse affect. These 3 will go out next time I...go out, since they will join the others in the window well closest to the stairs.
I have been playing at winter/bottle sowing for a couple of years now. In MY climate it is best to leave the cap on. One of my jars last year totally dried out the seedlings, which were about 5 inches tall, bc I had removed the cap. MY advice is, IF you feel like removing the bottle cap(s) save in a labeled ziplock bag in your kitchen gardening area. The caps are Not universal.
View attachment 79782View attachment 79783

Cut a slit up the side of the top, overlap it on itself and I will fit inside the bottom easily.

 

[ducks4you]

Serious rain this week! I decided to keep ponies in their dry but high and needing to be stripped stalls for another day. Ran the rake along the fronts of their stalls, which are made out of round pen panels

and deposited 3 wheelbarrow's full on the south side of the cistern. I hope to start digging there tomorrow when there is a gap in the rain and dig deep then deposit soiled stall bedding there and cover with the existing soil. It is supposed to be 74 on Friday, then 60's, t storms Friday-Saturday overnight.
A few of the January planted purple tulips are popping through. Most of the tulips along the front walk have already popped up, but the others are on the north side of the garage, less light.
I opened up my composter. It's not exactly doing it's job, mostly bc the stuff dries out, but letting it get rained on should help. I have not EVER emptied it. I see soil coming. It still makes a great place to dump kitchen waste.
My 2021 Toyota Avalon needs a new battery. I am driving my 2012 Avalon. I have an appointment at the garage on March 10th, and I will call AAA to tow it there. We have been members for decades and I can count on my right hand how many times we have called them for help in the past decade.
Good news! I got a letter from SURS--retirement from DH's 10 years of part time History teaching at a local Community College. They want me to fill out a form, then will be sending me a one time check, and a little bit over 1/2 of what he was receiving every month afterwards.
I thought for Sure that I would have to spend time on the phone with them.
Yesterday I snail mailed out a request for certified Certificate of Marriage copies, from another county.
I called SS last week and they sent a request for the county to make an appointment for me--soonest is April 23rd, probably more likely end of April, now.
I have to get them originals of the death and marriage certificates, and then I can start collecting His SS which is larger than mine. In the meantime I will still be collecting my benefits.
Eldest DD has done a great job with my finances. She set up autopay on pretty much everything, and there is enough in my account to keep paying. My water bill is now 1/2 of what it was a year ago, electric is about the same.