What are you working on?? Part 2

I really like that last fountain, JoAnn....I can just see the water trailing into the spaces.

Makes more sound than flowing over something flat.

Yes....love the sound of moving water...birds do, too....

hi patti - that looks like a viridis if i were to make a guess which i just did :) especially since it has been arond since 1990 there were not too many others except bloodgood and crimson queen available readily.

pixie62560, Thanks, the space is a small corner,4'x8' or so. It is open to all to see as they walk by. I will have lots of shelve storage as well as a work table of my own to leave out my work and tools without having to constantly try to finish up a project each time I go to the studio. Now I have only a box about the size of a wine crate for my tools and another place about the same size for my clay. I will no doubt post pictures of it and my attempts, but they won't be like Ge1836's as I am a fledgling potter.

Wha, that is my thought too, but I don't know zippo really. It has grown nicely with little care. It will need a pruning in March. Is that the best time? When we planted it, I assumed it would die. After seeing yours and Victors on DG, I decided to add a couple more. HA! Now I have many, but only half of what you have. They are addictive. Thanks, maybe.

Today I got the GH finished. The last of the plants are in and the work area is relatively clean. I still have to go around the garden and dig up annuals to incorporate into some of the bigger pots for winter color. Impatience, zinnias, snaps,nicotiana and any annuals that I find still blooming will be dug and potted.

I started some cuttings today too. Mostly coleus. I began digging up the callas and calidiums to cure before storing. I will finish that tomorrow. Then I need to dig the cannas, but that can wait until they turn black from a light frost. They grew great this year, but they had few blooms. I think I planted them too late. I have to do some research. I bought most of them a few years ago in a coop and they have grown and stored so well that I now have many more. I really like the foliage, but they don't fit well in my beds. I think I need to move them to another spot that gets more sun, so I may dig a narrow space along the front of the veggie bed for them next year, which will look way better than where they are growing now. Then I can plant other thing in that bed, yippee. Most likely ferns, hosta and other shade loving plants that I already have.

DH worked on cutting back a few beds and is still outside shredding leafs for the compost pile. He top dressed some beds with compost today too. I think, if the weather cooperates next week, we will be done with the fall clean up. I just wrote another article for the local paper about fall chores, so I best practice what I preach. Bone tired now, so I am done for the day. Patti

what is up with the maybe?! :)

Wha, I had to add a large new bed a couple years back to accommodate many of those new Japanese Maples that you inspired me to buy. Then I added another last spring and now another this fall. You have created a monster fan of them and I have not enough energy, money or time for this new nonsense. But I do love them. Patti

Patti, JM's are NOT nonsense, and I'm so glad Wha corrupted you :-)
JoAnn, love that Garden Water Spot, very cool.

Yesterday I took up the fountain for the winter, and it is a lot of work, and I really wonder if I need to? What if I put a log in it (to absorb the pressure as the water freezes, and left the water in to counter the pressure on the sides from the ground heaving, and just left the base in place? I'd take up the cover (which is not as strong and might break from the snow weight, and leave the basin part to sit. Sure would be easier, cause in the spring it is as much work as the fall, digging the hole back out where it has collapsed and getting everything to fit again. HAs anyone tried leaving a fountain base in place in a zone 4-5 climate?

Wow, sounds like a lot of work. If I make a fountain I will bury the pump in a very deep hole like I did for the endless stream I built a few years back . When it is super cold we turn off the pump and the water drains into the storage basin below the frost line. I dug a 4'x 5' hole. When it is above freezing we turn the stream back on. Pretty simple, but we are zone 6/7. I don't know anything about your problem in your zone. Patti

thank you for the back up granite!! nonsense - granite have you seen the lists of purchases patti gets - always very interesting plant/bush selections - and i always copy and paste and then research - they DWARF (did i hear abigail rose?) the jm's patti has :)

Your right, Bill...Patti has some very interesting plants, & I've bought some that she posted....guess we just corrupt each other!

I know I come here to have my plant addiction enabled.

LOL

Total addict. I just ordered a mess of seeds...and I am horrible at growing things from seed. Some interesting stuff from a DG person. JonnaSudenius http://www.seedsite.eu/ Who said anything about enabling? Out to dig up calla and caladium bulbs. Patti

1 Achillea ptarmica Nana compacta
1 Aruncus aethusifolius
1 Crambe maritima
1 Delphinium Black and White and White
1 Delphinium grandiflorum
1 Dianthus deltoides Leuchtfunk
1 Dianthus knappii
1 Dianthus turkestanicus
1 Digitalis laevigata
1 Digitalis parviflora (3)
1 Echinacea paradoxa (5)
1 Echinops sphaerocephalus (15)
1 Edraianthus gramminifolius
1 Gentiana makinoi (20)
1 Geranium renardii
1 Geranium shikokianum (3)
1 Heuchera cylindrica Greenfinch
1 Lonicera henryi Copper beauty
1 Oenothera versicolor Sunset boulevard (10)
1 Papaver miyabeanum
1 Penstemon hirsitus pygmaeus (20)
1 Phyteuma scheuzeri
1 Scorzonera suberosa cariensis
1 Saxifraga umbrosa (2)
1 Stachys macrantha (20)
1 Teucrium scorodonia (20)
1 Veronica austriaca teucrium (20)

Jonna is a treiffic person.
That's quite a list Patti

Now lets see if I can actually grow some of them instead of killing them as I usually do. Bad. Patti

patti for foxglove i have had better luck winter sowing - have not tried any of the rest of your list and what a list it is:)

and i just found the coop..................

Wha, I flunked at winter sowing too. I am going to get serious this winter about my seeds. I think I said that last year too.

Beat the rain by minutes. I finished digging all the calla and caladiums as well as some annuals that I planted in the GH. The porch is finally clean and the GH done. We have 8 big clay pots left to empty of dirt and store for the winter, but that can wait until the dirt drys out over the week end. I hauled them into a dry corner. Except for 2 which are too big to move without a dolly. I even dug up a couple of artichokes that of course aren't big enough to produce anything yet. Pretty plant. Always hopeful. I need to plant garlic, but forgot.

We picked the last of the basil and snagged a few peppers. We still have eggplant growing and fennel bulbs, carrots and Brussel sprouts as well as kale. I am about to make a smoked ham hock and black bean soup and another with portobello mushrooms and who knows what else, perhaps spinach, just cause I have some. I will puree and freeze some for me to eat and leave the rest whole for DH. Patti

found only 11 seed packs i would try - will try and knock that list smaller as i have a bunch from the ru to grow too - and i said i was not going to have 20 plastic milk jugs out there again:)

sounds like your making a lot of progress there - jealous this working is a pain:)

Nice seeds....saw some I really liked, but I'm like Patti....unless I can direct sow, they die...

I went to the apple farm yesterday and got a half bushel of Honey Crisp apples. Made a big batch of applesauce today. To me, store applesauce is not worth even looking at--it has to be homemade or I won't eat it.

Brought some more potted plants into the sunroom for the winter--it is about full up now.

I picked up fresh macouns and golden delicious today - my two faves!

granitegneiss, I Totally agree about home made applesauce being the best. We will get more apples on Sun when we go to Vt. and make a bigger batch, but not as big as yours, to put up as we have gone through the first one that DH made a few weeks ago.

Victor, Our local farm stand (Dutton's in Newfane) lost all their Macouns due to a freaky frost last spring, but they have so many others that are wonderful. I love Honey Crisp. They are almost too juicy. I tried one called Paula Red which I liked.

My soups got made. I did a puree of Potato &Portobello Mushroom Soup with roasted garlic that I added for tonight some crispy bacon, pea pods and some left over roasted pork loin topped with a dollop of home made hot pepper sauce. I had some left over frozen fried green tomatoes that I put in the oven at 400 degrees for 7 min a side and they tasted as good as they did when I made them a month ago. Worth remembering, as FGT are a favorite food, but a pain to make. I had some of the buttermilk dressing left to dip them into. Heaven.

I then made the smoke ham hock and black bean soup as well as a spicy creamed corn and cheddar cheese soup using some of the same stock I made out of the smoked ham hocks. I cheated and used canned corn. Hiss. I put up some of the stock to use later to make a winter squash and apple soup. I forgot to buy squash and I didn't grow any this year, dumb. I picked through the last of the basil and pureed it with just oil. I will add the nuts, garlic and cheese as we use it as I don't think it freezes as well as when it is just plain. I think the garlic gets stronger tasting while in the freezer, but is that possible?

To bed, didn't realize it was so late. Patti

The plastic jugs cant be disguised around here so I took a pass on Winter sowing. I direct sow anything that will germinate using that method.

I am going to direct sow thost poppy seeds you kindly sent me, so maybe I will try a few other others at the same time. I just have to remember not to weed them out come spring if they pop up. Patti

patti when is that invite coming? i am hungry!

I agree, sounds yummy!!

I love soup...those sounded wonderful! Has anyone tried the new apple Zestar? There was an article in our paper, but I haven't found any yet. I, too, love homemade applesauce & will make some for tomorrow night.....gosh, that means I'll have to trek up to my fav orchard today!

I just bought a Zestar apple tree this spring from Starks.

First I heard of it.

The reason we picked it is because:
A. it's early
B. it's crunchy with a sweet-tart taste...not a soft one.
C. Storage ~ 2 months in the frig and the taste and crispness will still be there.
D. Very cold hardy

never made applesauce, someone gave us a bunch of apples, don't even know if they are good yet, but might do that

Thanks, Pixie....I'll be on the lookout for it. Debi, older apples make great sauce.

I don't know if these are old, haven't opened the bag yet, just don't know how sweet they are, I've had some real sour apples before.

Very sweet apples don't make good sauce...& if they're very sour, add some honey.

thanks Robin!

Welcome, Debi!

I had my first ever Zestar this fall and both my DH and I agreed that it was a good new one. I didn't know all about its worthy attributes. Thanks, but I am sticking with growing only a couple of crabs and will buy our apples when we are in Vt or at any nice farmstand. We have so many cedars that growing apples just invites Cedar Apple Rust.

I love soups too, but because I am going to have to be on a liquid diet soon, I am stock piling home made ones like a squirrel storing nuts in the fall. I will not eat canned soup if I can avoid it. I am also trying to get all the chores done before Nov that I normally do at a sane pace as that month is going to be lost to any outside work.

I am in Boston so I went to Symphony this afternoon which was delightful. DH is in the Head of the Charles in the morning, but I am going to the pottery studio as it will be chilly. I would rather play in the clay than stand along the river and freeze while I wait for him to zoom by with 8 women. He went out for a practice run today, and despite the cold weather and the mob scene with all the boats doing the same, he was trilled to be out there. After symphony I went to the studio for a few hours and glazed some pieces.

The Moon was stunning tonight. Off to bed but trying to stay up for the last out of the Yankee/tTx game, but fading fast. I am listening to the Texas radio announcers for a change. (KRLD) They are beyond excited. Plus their local advertisement are a hoot. Patti

Debbi ! I dont bother to peal the apples. I just core them and add enough water so I can see it.The more water you add the thinner the sauce will be.
I use a hand blender to sauce the apples and skins. Leave it as chunkie as you want. Cinnamon helps if the sauce is too bland.