Thanks Candyce, It's so nice to see a seed-to-bloom so early in the season!
baby pictures
Cool, Celeste. Resembles a columbine at that point.
very pretty.... I will have to go take some shots of some of mine i put outside already... so far so good with the green house stands
YARD PRODUCES SEVERAL FUNGI
Often refered to as the orchard fungi. They have a specal relationship between themselves and rotting apples. Then along came fungicides that literally killed them all. I've lived here over forty years. The property was formely an orchard. We have apple trees and this is where this jewel was found.
Some claim this is the best fungi bar none. Last night we changed the menu to use them in a gravy.
When I was young mom canned these by the quarts. Everyone else did too.
Now there are almost none due to fungicides. We left two out there to produce the spore from which others may grow next year.
How interesting. Do you know the name of them?
Thanks docgipe:
That is a Morel mushroom and a delicacy because they are rare in these parts.
The second week of May is when they appear and the state of Michigan celebrates the harvest of bushels of them.The northern part of the state is the fruit belt and has been for 100 years so they are abundant in fields and woodlands. Sold to resturants for boquo bucks too. They are delicious just fried in butter.
I had no idea fungisides is what did them in. Nice to know.
Jo Ann
Well, that explians why I don't think I've ever seen them around these parts.
You'll have to look quick to see the House Wren building its nest in this clay house
OOOOPS you missed it
It's been years since I saw one. They are sometimes also called corncob fungi. They look to some folks like a corncob.
We occasionally see them in the organic section of our Giant Market. You can only imagine how horrible they are being merchandised their way. I would not take those if they gave them to me.
Me neither they are tough and rubbery.
I used to vacation in northern Mich. in August, thats where I heard of the harvest.
Was on "to - do" list but I doubt I'll get there too far to drive at$4.00 per gallon.
I missed seeing the wren but I heard one singing...Does that count?
I love to hear them in the garden.
There was a dual rental situ. between a chickadee and the wren. The wrens always win.
I had several houses at my old address. All houses were placed far enough from each other so there wouldn't be any territorial disputes, but I con only remember one year when wrens and chickadeed nested within 40 feet of one another. I used to make clay bird houses and used a quarter to determine the hole size, this keeps sparrows out.
Fun to watch them wriggle their fat bodies into the hole with no success.
Doc and ge: congrats on finding the morel. It is a delicacy, and very expensive in the gourmet shops (like those ramps I keep posting about, LOL!). Are we sure this is a morel? A friend of mine is a mycologist and conducts morel hunts in the woods. Do you mind if I email this link to him? I just wanna know what I'm looking for when I go morel hunting. He tells me they are often found in abandoned apple orchards.
I know they use morels on iron chef
daisygirrl.............A friend with noted expertise with the fungi would gladly take you out and teach you to identify them in the field.
...........................You can see them at the green grocers counter. They will be dehydrated, a dull tan appearence and still very expensive.
Wow, that's funny, Daisy. I also have a good friend who is a mycologist. He hunts for them (and Chicken of the Woods) and I was going to send the pic to him!! How funny. I think there is a look-alike that is dangerous to eat.
Victor, your friend isn't a recently retired prof at Dutchess Co Comm College is he? And the reason I wanted to send my friend the pix is because he told me there's a look-alike that is dangerous, too!
No. I was beginning to think it was the same person too! He is a former ranger for Bear Mt. Funny.
cuttings from last years plants
one wish: that's so smart. Did you keep the coleus plants going in your house during the winter?
Nice selection Allison!
Wow!
thanks... and yes kept them going all winter and took new cuttings at the end of Feb... the good thing is they don't need much light... this is the funniest one i took whole plants in from my containers and put them in this pedestal ... forgot to turn it and it's growing all on one side now.. but i put new cuttings on the back side
to tell you the truth I am surprised the alternanthera did very well inside and roots in water or soil... when i bought it last year it was real tiny and didn't do to much till the end of the season... i hated the thought of tossing it when it just started looking nice... so i stuck a few in pots and it worked out well
http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=42448&scChannel=Text%20Search
Wow..........looking at your pot full of indoor coleus I can see an inside window box or two that would enable me to hold over quite a collection. I have thirty feet of East and more Southeast floor to ceiling glass. I have a nice mix of other plants growing well there...........why not coleus too?
the big one is only one plant that is all growing to that side... but yes even if you pinched you can fit quite a few in a small space
humming bird mint
polka dots
lots of snap blooms
four o'clocks are huge already
lots of babies
What great plant babies you have, Allison. I'll bet you are one proud momma!!
Your hard work is certainly paying off.
thank you and yes i am..... those are only about 1/4 of what i still have inside.... ::::gritting teeth::::: think i have more than what i need that's for sure... good thing is my dad & honeys mom will love the left overs.... i am seriously thinking i need one of those portable greenhouses for next year... will make hardening off so much easier... there is a harbor freight store only about a half hour from here... might have to go see if they keep these in stock
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=92451
Anna, her DD Sammi, and I finally got all of our seedling flats outside this morning to begin the hardening off process. I think that they are scheduled to go into the ground next week end. I tried to tell Anna that it might still be a bit early to put them into the garden, but I am so hoping I a wrong. It's not like we couldn't cover them if we needed to cover them against a late frost. But I am still leery of the full moon phase on the 18th.
Don't talk like that.
Good thing there is rain predicted for the whole weekend up here.
LOL, Jo Ann.
I haven't looked that far ahead yet. Last weekend it was supposed to be rainy for most of the weekend ~ we didn't get a drop!
the cloudy nights are what I/m counting on
I don't believe any forecast past one day.
Unless you use coldframes or some other helping cover going in early is of little value. They just sit there an pout in the cold wet weather. If fungi problems should arise it will be running with the wet and cold weather. Nothing much happens when soil temperature is below fifty degrees. Cold frames, cold caps and walls of water all warm the soil in the planting area so do get things going a little earlier. If you don't care go ahead and gamble.....Some years you will get away with early planting.