seedheads

Echinacea made lots of prickly seedheads- I have left them on the plants, in hopes to get some self-sown. I've read that goldfinches and other birds like to eat the seed, but I haven't seen any birds come to mine.

Still eating herbs and the broccoli is greener (less caterpillars) but the real bright spot in my garden now is the marigold. I collected old flower heads from my favorite velvety red ones

They look kind of- unpleasant- with rumpled, wilted old petals

But tug those out and there's the nice seed

The dried ones have the best seed formed; I discarded all the heads plucked that were still green. And now I'm just deadheading and composting the remainder. I got such a pile of seed I don't need any more!

Celosia seed from the orange/pink flower (I forgot to include in an earlier post)- some chaff mixed in.

Seed I won't use: one pod of okra. Not surprised: the plants got so denuded by insects in the back bed, I pretty much forgot they were there.

Not quite seed yet: my clematis flower turned into a head of silky tassels.

And this last was a surprise: my husband's aunt sent me some flower seed.

She told me they were hollyhocks, but it doesn't match images I find

There's another kind in the mix, too- I recognize these- columbine.

And one or two very flat, round seed pods- perhaps this is the hollyhock.

I will just have to grow some in spring and find out!

Also in the little hand-tied packet was a hitchhiker: an earwig inside one of the seed cases. Dead, but it startled me when that fell out!

plants I will not eat this year

Rhubarb- it's got another year or two to go before I can harvest...

Okra- we don't like it. It's just for looks. Already budding.

Cantaloupe died. Bug-eaten or something. This was the last one and it's gone completely now. A few volunteers in the main garden beds that look like cantaloupe or cucumber I left alone to grow, just in case they are cantaloupe...

final planting out

One of them, at least. I still have tithonia and a few late seedlings to go. Here's the bigger sun-lovers that went into my back planting bed:

cantaloupe

butternut squash

watermelon

zucchini. I only have two of these, so don't know if they will manage to fertilize each other... Also planted out the okra-

and cucumbers into the garden space. It's a long shot, putting these in the back area. It hasn't had as much bug control or compost feedings, and I don't check on it as often being further from the house and full mostly of plants I expect to take care of themselves.

Everything was doing fine until yesterday I noticed my cantaloupe plants are getting eaten. Not sure if it was slugs and then pill bugs moved in, but pill bugs were all over them munching.

planted out

into the yard yesterday, but did not have time to take pictures (overcast and wind, trying to beat the rain and be done before dark) coleus- the pinks and lime/orange ones, I saved my favorites 'kiwi fern' to keep in pots on the deck. The marigolds- some set into the garden, two in the front by the porch, two more around base of a tree where I'm trying to grow something instead of grass. All the nasturtiums alongside the fence near the back bed. Basil and bunching green onions went into the garden. Carrots are coming up! Beets and new planting of swiss chard, too.

Very soon have to do the veggies that will go into yard spots (first time I'm trying that, really) but I need to turn the compost pile and harvest from the worm bin first. The okra are ready to go out- this largest one in coldframe is starting to bud already.

We have been eating dill, parsley and summer savory regularly in various dishes. Also the lettuces- even though they are small- trying to get the most out of them before the real heat sets in. Still want to try seeding some lettuce in the sideyard where the big hosta row is- if I can get around to that.

more young plants

Potted up my new peppers- aurora and wisconsin lake. One of the year-old ones that's been in the house looks diseased, so I might not save as many overwinter again.

Okra got potted up out of the seedling tray recently, too. These are still coming in at night with the basil, from the cooler temperatures.

Next have to move up the celosia seedlings. They're gaining size rapidly!

vegetables in the yard

Rhubarb is doing pretty well, considering how I dug it up and moved it.

From my kitchen window I can see the bright color of its red stems. I still have to wait a year or two to eat any...

Thinking of putting more culinary plants out here in the backyard bed- since I've used up the space in my raised garden beds and this area gets lots of sun now.... already thinking of putting in the okra to fill some space where I'm going to dig out the hostas. Would like to grow cucumbers, zucchini, butternut squash, cantaloupe and maybe icebox watermelon- have to see how much more compost I can get out of the pile and worm bin to make it.

growing!

All the seedlings are coming along. I now leave them outside in the coldhouse all night- except for the okra, basil and celosia- those come in if it's going to be below 55°. Tomatoes, coleus and sweet potatoes go out on the deck during the day for max sun, still tucking them in at night. Today some thunderstorms with heavy rain- enough to wash soil out of tiny pots- so I have lids shut on the milk-carton trays and all the plants under plastic. Coldhouse is holding up very well to the weather. I do think it is sturdier this year.

more seedlings

Yesterday some nasturtiums came up, and celosia. Today more trays have sprouted: basil, okra, bunching onions, almost all the tomatoes, more marigolds.

I am always surprised how tiny celosia seedlings are. And I forgot that this year I was going to start them a month later, oops. Maybe I will cut their heads off when they are a foot high, so they don't get so tall and floppy...

Basil

The older marigolds, that sprouted a few days ago, have nice little leaves unfolded.

I need to get my coldframe finished, so these can start taking the sun in shelter outside! Already it is difficult to find the sunny window space.

started seed

Finally got this done! I think it's the most trays I've ever started at once- had to double-stack them on top of the fridge. Will need to check daily to mist and remove lids, move into sunny windows as soon as seedlings start coming up. This is what I got going today:

Five kinds of tomatoes: brandywine, beefsteak, cherry, black cherry, cherokee purple. Last two are new- my husband surprised me with some seed for my birthday this year! I have three nice pepper plants ready to start getting used to outside weather again- ancho, bell and serrano. Starting seed for a 'wisconsin lake' a blocky sweet red pepper, and 'aurora' which is a small, upright hot pepper that starts out purple and transitions to red.

Also started trays of marigolds, nasturtiums, leeks, celosia, basil, summer savory, green onions, cilantro, dill and okra. I'm growing okra as an ornamental plant, not really planning on eating it. Probably will cut off the fruits and just compost them- none of us really like it. Or let them go to seed and roast them for hot drink again. But I think the foliage is pretty, and the flowers...

okra stew

I finally tried to make something with my frozen, home-grown Okra. This was a few weeks ago. I thought I would make more dishes and have a post featuring several, but the first was not much success and hasn't encouraged me to try more.

The recipe I tried was for a shrimp-okra stew. The first step involved cooking the okra in a pot with some oil, when it got all glutinous and stringy. Did not look appealing. Addition of tomatoes, other vegetables and shrimp failed to make it more appealing. I think it might have been palatable with more spices, but as is

the older kid refused to touch it, the younger ate a lot the first day but refused it the second, and by the third time I pulled out leftovers (very little having been consumed the first two nights) I could only pick out the shrimp, sautee them afresh in butter, and discard the main bulk of the stew.

We don't like okra, sad to say. The taste, or the texture. I might try it once again simply breaded and fried this time, but don't have much hope for it.

okra "coffee"

A little experiment, for my own amusement and curiosity. I roasted the Okra seed. It's very easy. You just heat up a skillet

and roll the seeds around until they start popping. Smells like slightly burnt popcorn!

At that point I turned off the flame, covered the pan to keep them from jumping out, and kept shaking it a bit more to finish roasting them evenly to a nice, dark brown.

After cooling you can grind and brew the roasted seeds same way you prepare coffee.

I wasn't expecting much because everywhere I read about this online people said it was no substitute. So I was surprised to find the taste rather satisfactory. Of course, there's no caffeine. It's not quite as bitter or rich in flavor as coffee, and doesn't have the "green" taste roasted dandelion roots give. I much prefer this to the dandelion drink. I don't think I'd ever grow Okra specifically for this purpose, though.

seeds, seeds

All the seeds I gathered have been drying but yesterday I sorted and separated them from their cases and chaff to put in storage. Figure they're dry enough now.

The Crepe Myrtle ones are kind of interesting to look at.

At first I pried apart the seed pods

but then found if already ripe and opened, it was far easier to just tap them on the table until the seeds fell out.

These dark papery ones are Hosta

I have an abundance of Echinacea seed!

And removed all the wild Rose seed

from the hips. These aren't all quite dry yet so sitting out in a little dish a bit longer.

Made some little packets with quickly scribbled drawings, to keep them in.

I've also got a little jar of Okra seed now; finally split apart the last of those dried pods. Not sure yet if I'm going to try roasting them, but in the meantime I think they're rather attractive to look at.