Okay, it's the gamble you take living in the hills. It was 39 here this morning. And it is August 19! What gives? We covered the gourds and tomatoes (gee, only had a few that were ripe) and basils. Let's hope all the plants can take a little joke.
August???? Cold this morning!
Cold? You can't be serious... it is 82 and 94% humidity. Plants are melting here. Is a gardener ever happy? lol
Yesterday and this morning was the first time in weeks I didn't work up a sweat just watering in the morning........ but 39 I am not ready for THAT cool . It was 62 this morning, just right for no AC and open windows.
It turned into a lovely day, about 70 and low humidity. Just right. Not supposed to get that cold again tonight. For August, that really is a fluke. Podster, I hope the hurricane stays far away from you and yours. Gus, I agree with your 62. Nice sleeping weather.
Needing the rain here but wouldn't wish for a hurricane either. Thank you Herbalbetty ~ it is supposed to head south. We still have the taste of Rita in our mouths.
I am jealous for your weather right now but will think of you in January/February... : ))
Podster, my DH was in the Air Force for 20 years. During that time, we got to experience blizzards in NY state, a hurricane (or the Great Wind as they called it) in England, an earthquake while living in the high desert plus that heat(127 flipping degrees??? Please!) and several tornadoes while living in Nebraska. Yup, we've had weather. But, all in all, give me the rural NY mountains even with snow and cold in winter. But, I could come visit in February, right?? :-)
: )) I am a transplanted snowbird myself...
Cold? Good Golly. It was supposed to get up to 95 here today which might be record heat! We had our August weather in July and now we are having June weather in August.
Monday and yesterday it didn't get into the 60s for a high here. Not to worry, by this weekend temps will be back up into the mid 80s. Just puts me into "what do I need to harvest mode" rather quickly.
Cruel reminder of the mind-bending heat here... can't sit nekkid on the shaded back porch drinking iced tea without breaking into a sweat. grrr...
herbalbetty, I may be telling you something you already know, but don't harvest those gourds. Let them ripen until they are completely dry if you can. They can take frost, from what I understand, and if you harvest them early they'll rot. I may have mentioned Ginger Summitt's Gourds in Your Garden -- she has a bit about how to harvest early if you need to. I leave mine on the vine until they rattle, but of course it's summer here for a long, long time...
Thanks Bridid, this is the first time I'm growing these gourds, so info is great! BTW, I was told that naked means having your clothes off; nekkid means having your clothes off and "sumthin" is about to happen. True?
Yikes! I just left Cooperstown for Tucson on Monday. I knew the weather was taking a turn there but didn't realize how big a turn it would be. It's extremely hot and humid here and my basil has turned into a monster in the herb garden, completely killing two rosemaries and one thyme plant by completely shading them. I have yet to find one more rosemary and one lavender. I'm begging fellow Tucson DGers to come and harvest. I have more pesto than a person could possibly use in a lifetime from my early summer harvest and just can't conceive of making more!
From one extreme to the other, I guess!
Momherb, that 39 was just a little skip in the weather. Back up to the 80s today and higher humidity. If you have enough pesto, try basil vinegar. It's really good and preserves the fresh basil flavor pretty well. Not only can you use basil vinegar as a marinade, you can use it as a tenderizer. Put a roast (pork, beef, whatever) in the crock pot and add a cup of flavored vinegar and a cup of water. The vinegar tenderizes and flavors the meat. Yum. I like this especially with chive blossom vinegar or thyme vinegar.
YUM! Sounds delicioso! My basils, pineapple sage, and lemon balm are monsters (happily) and I may make some vinegars. White vinegar, or apple cider?
I usually use either a red or white wine vinegar. Red wine vinegar is easily found in gallon size in some grocery stores. White wine vinegar is more challenging to find. I think white vinegar is too acidic for delicate herbal flavors. I do use cider vinegar with cilantro, chili peppers, and garlic though. It's so delicious!
I wasn't sure which kind to use for some tarragon vinegar, so I made some of each. Don't know which is better because I think they need to sit awhile.
White vinegar is just a melange of chemicals. Apple cider vinegar is good. As are red wine, white wine, rice wine, champagne, etc. Herbal vinegars can be used as early as 6 weeks after they are made, but are better allowed to mellow for a length of time, like 6 months minimum or best after a year. And many herbs release their minerals into vinegar. Sure is a good tasting way to get your nutrients.
I think I used white wine and red wine. Regular white vinegar is good to clean with. I like to think it has fewer chemicals than the blue stuff.
I clean almost exclusively with white vinegar -- a cup in a gallon of water, with a squirt of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and my house smells wonderful. Totally disinfected, too!
I'll get a wine vinegar for the herbs. Thanks for the input.
Herbalbetty, ou mentioned once living in high desert...would that have been Fallon, AFB, by any chance? Just wondered, I have some friends out that way, gardening there is incredibly challenging, unless you're using raised beds. 103 on Wed., here. NY is sounding wonderful right about now. Never could understand why I ended up up where I am, I grew up with, (and miss!) having 4 seasons.
Herbal Betty, there is a wonderful and comprehensive book, titled "Gourds" by Bonnie Gibson, that covers different types of gourds, and step by step how-to's on cleaning, processing and crafting them. You could probably look it up at www.abebooks.com , if you're interested. I grew some corsican bowl gourds (found the seed at www.horizonherbs.com) last year, and saved seed from them. Those vines were incredibly vigorous, and actually grew up and covered a cherry tree, the gourds hung there like wierd alien fruits...
Unfortunately, the landscapers where I now live, yanked my lovely gourd vines out, this year, I'll be getting more seed for these and growing a vine or two in a tub, up a trellis, next year, where I have luffas growing this year...I guess if the luffas thrive in the tub, the gourds should be ok, too. Whatever luffa fruits we don't eat will be allowed to mature, and end up as cross sectioned slices in gardener's soaps, this fall. I don't know if I'd class luffas as gourds, but I think luffas are in the same plant family, and they're interesting, too.
What type of gourds are you growing?
Cyra, we were at Edwards AFB in the Mojave. Challenge. Yeah. Especially since the previous 4 years were spent in England! Talk about a climate change. I just considered I was recharging my solar batteries. The day we arrived in the Mojave it was 127. I felt like I was standing in front of a giant hair dryer. Today it is a gorgeous 75 with 53% humidity. Ahhh.... (but, I'll call you when it is February and the wind chill makes it -30)
Thanks for the name of the book. I'll definitely look it up. Would love some seeds from the bowl gourd. Thanks and let me know what I can send you. I'm just growing dipper gourds this year. First time trying gourds! I can see where it might get habit forming though. Bowl gourds would be interesting to embellish (like I do my crazy quilts). I could see beads and fibers and stuff.