Garden Experiments & Braiding Onions

Hello, friends.  Some new things were tried in the garden this week.  I'd read that you can use citrus peels as traps for pill bugs in the garden, then just pull them up and dispose of them.  They even showed a photo of them swarming on an orange peel.  That "hint" was a total bust.  I then made up a yeast and sugar mixture to feed the cucumbers.  It's too early to tell if it makes a difference, but I'll report back.  While in town to deliver soap, I stopped at the Habitat thrift store, and picked up two stainless steel pots with lids  for $5 ea., and 4 bamboo dessert/snack plates .25 ea.  These items were all picked up for the skoolie.  I also picked up a lovely botanical tray for $1, and glass jar with metal lid for $3.   I harvested cucumbers, basil, tomatoes, oregano, and figs.  A neighbor gifted J two large bags of corn, and a large bag of cucumbers and yellow squash that they grew.  The corn was frozen on the cob, and some of the cucumbers were shared with my sister, and J's son.

When I went to the farmer's market this past week, I asked about a rosella hibiscus, and one of the vendors told me she'd bring me one this week.  It's a bit of a stretch for me to go this time of year, with having to clean up, put makeup on, and drive an hour round trip.  When I went back this week, specifically for that, the vendor had forgotten.  She felt so bad about it, she insisted I choose a plant to take with me, and I chose a thyme.  She also told me where she worked, where she was planning on picking the plant up from, which happened to be basically across the street from where I had to deliver soap the next day, so it was a happy ending.  It's late in the year to be planting it, but this year, I'm going to try a container, and bringing it indoors for the winter.  I also picked up yellow squash seeds, as we'd used the last of them on previous planting attempts, a butterfly weed, Baby Joe pye weed, and zinnias, which I had no luck starting this year.  The squash seeds were planted, along with the rosella and a lemongrass I picked up at the farmer's market, again in a container, and the zinnias in a bed at my shop.

I fed all the tomatoes, squash, and kajari melons with nettle and comfrey tea.  Lots of japanese beetles were hand picked, and fed to the chickens.  A worm found in a tomato was given to the chicks, and one made a feast of it.  Blueberries were picked for the last time early in the week, and the remainder left for the birds.  The dahlia tubers found at Dollar Tree in the spring were not identified as to color.  While I'm happy to have my first dahlias growing well, they both turned out to be white, which was disappointing.  Now I know they seem happy here, I'll try more colorful ones in the future.  I went through Swagbucks for some business purchases, for 2% cash back.  On a cloudy, coolish day (83F), I finally planted calendula, dill and black eyed susan vine I grew from seed, and the thyme I was gifted.  J's son came to do some work here, putting cardboard and straw mulch around our newest berry patch, and creating a small bed next to the pond, for moisture loving plants, which J and I planted.  He also weed whacked around the pond.  We're happy to have had help with these jobs.

I suppose we harvested our onions later than usual, as there were little to no stems to use to braid them.  They're not pretty this year, but the braids are hanging in the basement, with the rest in a hanging basket and box.  Four of the yellow squash plants were poking up Sunday.  The cabbage seeds I planted eight days ago were old, and none of them are up yet.  Saturday morning, I heard a distant sound as soon as I woke up.  My first thought was a cow, as there are quite a few in this area, though it didn't sound usual.  I kept hearing it, once I was in the garden, and at some point, I thought I discerned a voice a few times, and began thinking it was someone in distress, calling for help.  After going back and forth with what I thought it was, I couldn't stop thinking about it being someone who needed help, and called 911.  It was at least 30 mins. before they arrived, and it was obvious they didn't take it seriously.  There are so many farmers in the area, I worried someone might have gotten in trouble with a piece of equipment.  There has been at least one in the neighborhood who met his end that way.  After hearing it for another hour, I got in my car, and tried to pinpoint it.  My last stop was at a neighbor's field a half mile away, where they were working, and I found out they had sold calves the day before, and the mamas were bellowing, which satisfied me enough that it was what I was hearing.  It was stressful for a bit, but it's good to have a happy ending.  Here's to a calm and peaceful week.