Gardening Thread- Show me your gardens!

I think my neighbor pick their early, just to get it out of my yard. It was there first time growing watermelon. They didn't think it will grow on a vine throughout the whole yard.

 

With watermelon my experience has been they only taste good when they are ripe fully dried tendril.

Yes! We are planting sugar babies for December harvest today. Nothing like a Christmas watermelon.

 

we might try some next year/season

 

The neighbor did mentioned it didn't taste right. They should of waited. They figure since it was in my yard, that they should get it out. They watched me when I cut the grass and move the vine around. They figure it was a inconvenience.

 

It was my neighbor first time growing watermelon. They replied, It will be the last time.

Back to buying store bought, watermelons.

 

Sorry, we have been swamped. Finishing up the pears and dealing with some health issues.

Left to right, teaspoon for scale:
Salsa screen for chunky salsa, middle for tomato juice with some pulp, but no skin or seeds, or pear jam with some skins, right screen for pear and apple sauces, seed removal from blackberries for the blackberry jelly.

 

10" Chef's knife, keep the blade wet with cold water (I stick it under cold running water 4 or 5 times for half an onion, if it is a strong one), keep the cutting board wet.

Peel and half the onion, cut across and the across again. If it needs to be diced smaller, do prior, then rock chop back and forth with the knife, with the palm of your weak hand on the back of the blade. chop in one direction, wet the blade, line up onion in the long pile, chop across the line.

Rinse the board in cold water after the 1st half of the onion is cut. Cold water absorbs the irritants.

Edit, did not see the hint about the root, that was ingenious! will try the next time.

 

Not really. Work for a short time, then blades start binding. My late wife had one from Pampered Cheff, IIRC. I threw it away, after she passed.

 

I remember seeing those in Oregon a lot.

 

What will you be brewing?

 

Dunno yet. Will freeze these. Too much going on right now. I have seriously not brewed for 25 years!! I have all my glass and stainless gear, moved it all 3 times now.

I bought the sprouted rhizomes at a plant sale for $1 in April. What the hell. I forgot they are like weeds!!

 

they grow like 20' of vine

 

Anyone grown lufa sponge?

 

Yes. Very long growing season IIRC, especially if you're going for the dried sponge. We had 4 plants last year and the year before. Not really worth the effort to keep them pest free where we live in my opinion. Luffa.

 

That would be awesome. i always thought that natural sponges were marine animals?

 

Anybody tried growing tea? We drink a lot of tea and coffee. Too cold in GA for coffee, have been toying with the tea idea for several years.

 

My granny (mom side) did all the time and she would dry and use them. Being granny from that era, for at least 10 years, that was our Christmas present

The "sponges" actually do work, a little rough. From 5 to 15 yo, yeah not something I liked though!

 

Should be easy, i dont know much about tea leaves? Should be like any leafy spice i would think