It has been so hot this week. Mostly I have stayed indoors where it is cooler. Tomorrow the heat starts to break which will mean I can get in the garden more often. Because frankly, though I love gardening, I'd rather let the weeds grow then go outside and weed them right now. I still get out for a good long walk every day. Today I even went to the park for tai chi. And I do get out early in the morning to do what ever work really needs doing in the garden. Which isn't all that much right now.
I've gotten my broccoli staked. I don't always need to stake, but once they have started to head up they get pretty top heavy. A big windstorm at the wrong time could take them down. So I'd rather stake. And still no sign of the seeds that I sowed four days ago to replace the dead plant. Hopefully they will germinate once it gets a bit cooler.
I soaked some cucumber and zucchini seed overnight and planted them this morning. I should have done this at the beginning of our heat, not toward the end. But I still think they will come up fine. And I check on my indoor lettuce seedlings every day. They are all growing well. I'll plant one batch out as soon as the cooler weather hits.
On one of my walks I picked some cattails. I've heard you can make baskets from them. Yup not too hard. Then of course it dried. It didn't actually fall apart, but the spaces between them are too large for some of my strawberries. I think I need to let some dry and then make a basket.
Did you make that basket? That's pretty awesome! I've never seen broccoli staked before. Now if only my plants grew large enough where they actually need staking.
ReplyDeleteYes. But after it dried it doesn't really work anymore. I'm drying some cattails now, so when they are done, I'll make another and hopefully that one will work.
DeleteI understand you want to work out the bugs, but I hope you will share the process. Made out of cattails? Wha?! Please post more details.
DeleteSure when it works I'll do a post on it.
DeleteThe basket is amazing! And if that was your first try at cattail weaving it's even more so.
ReplyDeleteThe colors of the basket are so pretty. Are those the natural colors or did you dye them? Either way, I love it.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how your weather goes from freezing to scorching in no time. Or perhaps that's my skewed perspective because we've been enduring a rather long bout of foggy, cold, crappy weather. I've lost track of how long we've been in the grip of the drip.
It is the natural color of the cattails before they dry. They dry brown though. So I'd have to dye them if I wanted color. I probably won't. Though if I enjoy it, I might make more and play with natural dyes. I wonder if any plants in my garden are dyes.
DeleteYou made that basket? Holy cow, that is so cool!!!
ReplyDeleteI had to Google catstails -it seems that they are what we call bulrushes. I've never come across anyone soaking courgette (zucchini) and cucumber seed before
ReplyDeleteI often do it for any of the cucurbits. It just makes them germinate faster. No real need for it, but it does tend to speed things up.
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