Gardening

[Jenny]

We have a pretty big garden . Actually it’s really big . It’s way too big for 2 people to do all the stuff that needs doing . As we have now been here for 6 straight weeks in lockdown , the gardens are looking better than ever .
So I thought I would show off . You have nothing to compare so they may look rubbish but believe me there is a helluva lot of work gone I to this
It’s only the front gardens ( the back is no where near showing off !)

Looks like a beautiful,place to be "stuck".

 

[WaterGirl]

@Salomon very nice! so wondering if there is a horse available to ride around the property- would be so sweet with all the beautifully mowed grass and pathways....

 

[Salomon]

@Salomon very nice! so wondering if there is a horse available to ride around the property- would be so sweet with all the beautifully mowed grass and pathways....

There are horses next door . He is a trainer for « trotting» ( horses trot around the track with a light cart attached . Jockey sits on the cart with legs akimbo. If they go into a canter or worse they are disqualified ) it’s a funny sport to watch .
We have acres of prune orchards and the trotters trot up and down ...sometimes chased by a wayward sheepdog .

 

[liquidfeet]

For New England gardeners, check out this forum for NE gardeners on Houzz. It seems to be active.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/new-england-gardening

 

[Christy]

There are horses next door . He is a trainer for « trotting» ( horses trot around the track with a light cart attached . Jockey sits on the cart with legs akimbo. If they go into a canter or worse they are disqualified ) it’s a funny sport to watch .
We have acres of prune orchards and the trotters trot up and down ...sometimes chased by a wayward sheepdog .

In the US that is called harness racing, though it isn't a popular sport anymore and I'm not sure how much of it still goes on. I didn't realize they had it in Europe. I remember learning that it was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in the US amongst religious people who didn't believe in horse racing; trotting apparently didn't count as racing since the horse wasn't going as fast as it could go.

 

[marzNC]

In the US that is called harness racing, though it isn't a popular sport anymore and I'm not sure how much of it still goes on. I didn't realize they had it in Europe. I remember learning that it was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in the US amongst religious people who didn't believe in horse racing; trotting apparently didn't count as racing since the horse wasn't going as fast as it could go.

Harness racing is alive and well in the midwest. At least in Indiana for sure. Went to a local race for pacers in northern Indiana a few years ago. All locals, including many Amish families.

 

[Jenny]

I first learned about harness racing from The Black Stallion's Sulky Colt. I loved those books.

 

[Christy]

I first learned about harness racing from The Black Stallion's Sulky Colt. I loved those books.

Oh I forgot about that one! I was thinking of Marguerite Henry's Born to Trot.

 

[Salomon]

Well I never knew you had it in the states . And I didn’t know you called it harness racing either . But having looked it up , it is the English translation .
We call it Le Trot . It can be either harness or mounted ( the majority of mounted are in the North and max weight is 55 kg . Counts me out :-)) . Over 60 % of French horse races are Le Trot . 11,000 races a year ( not now, obviously ) and we have horse breed designed just for this discipline , le Trotteur Français .
Et voilà . Amazing what you learn on a gardening thread !

 

[Jenny]

Oh I forgot about that one! I was thinking of Marguerite Henry's Born to Trot.

Not sure I ever read that one. Maybe I'll see if I can find it and see if anything rings a bell. Hard to believe I missed a horse book back in that stage!

 

[vickie]

Deleted

 

[MissySki]

So I know I haven’t posted a picture of my hosta damage, I haven’t really been outside since it keeps raining. I will get one soon since it’s still very obvious. However, I wanted to update on my deer situation. I haven’t been able to keep up with spraying due to the rain, so I got these havahart pods instead. Chris’ dad swears by them, and so far so good! It’s a plastic pod on a metal stake and the only ingredient is dried blood. Sounds nasty, but apparently keeps deer and rabbit away. The deer have been in my yard, but on camera you can see them go near where the hostas are and then abruptly turn and run away. They work in the rain and supposedly last the whole season. We’ll see, fingers crossed. I want to add some to the tree line too as they are now nibbling on my bushes. I’m not sure if they’ll work as well there since they are supposed to be at the level of what you don’t want eaten, but might as well try!

 

[Jenny]

So I know I haven’t posted a picture of my hosta damage, I haven’t really been outside since it keeps raining. I will get one soon since it’s still very obvious. However, I wanted to update on my deer situation. I haven’t been able to keep up with spraying due to the rain, so I got these havahart pods instead. Chris’ dad swears by them, and so far so good! It’s a plastic pod on a metal stake and the only ingredient is dried blood. Sounds nasty, but apparently keeps deer and rabbit away. The deer have been in my yard, but on camera you can see them go near where the hostas are and then abruptly turn and run away. They work in the rain and supposedly last the whole season. We’ll see, fingers crossed. I want to add some to the tree line too as they are now nibbling on my bushes. I’m not sure if they’ll work as well there since they are supposed to be at the level of what you don’t want eaten, but might as well try!

I love that you can see them run away! This reminds me, too, that I need to get out back and sprinkle the Liquid Fence granules around everywhere. I have some blood meal that I bought once, too, hoping maybe that would work, since it doesn’t stink like the other does. I'm going to look for these, too, once we’re allowed out to play.

 

[liquidfeet]

So I know I haven’t posted a picture of my hosta damage, I haven’t really been outside since it keeps raining. I will get one soon since it’s still very obvious. However, I wanted to update on my deer situation. I haven’t been able to keep up with spraying due to the rain, so I got these havahart pods instead. Chris’ dad swears by them, and so far so good! It’s a plastic pod on a metal stake and the only ingredient is dried blood. Sounds nasty, but apparently keeps deer and rabbit away. The deer have been in my yard, but on camera you can see them go near where the hostas are and then abruptly turn and run away. They work in the rain and supposedly last the whole season. We’ll see, fingers crossed. I want to add some to the tree line too as they are now nibbling on my bushes. I’m not sure if they’ll work as well there since they are supposed to be at the level of what you don’t want eaten, but might as well try!

@MissySki can you provide a link to this product? Oh, I just found it, I think. It's this, right?

I have hostas and need to protect them. Nibbles have happened on two plants so far. I guess one deer walked through, and was not that hungry. I dread the night a group of hungry deer come. There's plenty to eat in my garden now.

 

[Christy]

Woohoo, radishes and lettuce are ready! Here is my spring veggie and herb bed. You can kind of see I've got extra containers of peas just beyond it. Kale is in a grow bag just out of frame, and more radishes, carrots and spinach are in a box in my front yard. My small city yard is shaded by enough trees and structures that I have to be very strategic about where to put veggies so they'll get enough sun. You can see I really cram things in there. Since the soil is a good raised bed mix and it's deep, it seems to work out, though I'm sure everyone might like a little more breathing room.

 

[VickiK]

Are those called 'breakfast radishes', more elongated than round? They look great!

 

[Christy]

Are those called 'breakfast radishes', more elongated than round? They look great!

Yes. I know them as French breakfast radishes. Not sure if there are different varieties with slightly different names.

 

[Christy]

It's lilac time! Lilacs are extremely common in yards here. The whole neighborhood smells good.

 

[Jenny]

Lilac time here isn’t for a little while . . .

 

[marzNC]

The late season azaleas are blooming in my front yard this week. They are called Conversation Piece. Can get different color flowers on the same bush. The flowers are big, almost four inches!