What's Happening in YOUR neighborhood today pt 4

Maybe give them back to the colarabi? tee hee ^_^ What is colarabi?

Drinking coffee and just spit it up..lol..
Not sure what colarabi is either? Please enlighten..

Still overcast, felt as though a storm was in the brewing but still no rain, can only hope that we've had some at home so I won't have to water this evening...another 1/2 hr. and we're off..nice to only work 4 hrs. tomorrow but having to drive 3 (to and from) towork 4 seems off, but if I mention this to boss (BIL) he might tell me to stay the entire day..lol

sorry Betty couldn't resist. The next 4 days of rain is just rolling in now sigh. I wonder if I'm ever going to be able to plant out the dahlias?

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that will grow almost anywhere. It has been selected for its swollen, nearly spherical, Sputnik-like shape. The name comes from the German Kohl ("cabbage") plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) ("turnip"), because the swollen stem resembles the latter. Kohlrabi has been created by artificial selection for lateral meristem growth; its origin in nature is the same as that of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, and brussels sprouts: They are all bred from, and are the same species as, the wild cabbage plant (Brassica oleracea).

The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet. Except for the Gigante cultivar, spring-grown kohlrabi much over 5 cm in size tend to be woody, as do fall-grown kohlrabi much over perhaps 10 cm in size; the Gigante cultivar can achieve great size while remaining of good eating quality.

Kohlrabi can be eaten raw as well as cooked.

There are several varieties commonly available, including White Vienna, Purple Vienna, Grand Duke, Gigante (also known as "Superschmeltz"), Purple Danube, and White Danube. Coloration of the purple types is superficial: the edible parts are all pale yellow

wow, very interesting..must sign off, leaving for the north country..

Thanks fancyvan.

Thanks fancyvan for such an in depth description. I went to a local organic farm this morning and bought them fresh and it seems like such a waste to throw out the tops as their so fresh and crispy...perhaps Ill just saute them with some butter and garlic...Ill let you know how they turn out...the bulbs are so crispy and sweet...very tasty...I just cut them up and eat them raw in salads etc and for snacks

Hey I just copy and paste!

Wow - 55 years of sobriety is pretty impressive Linda! I'll bet he's pretty low key about it too. Most of those with that kind of a track record seem to be like the war heroes who never talk about it. They just go quietly along helping anyone else they can and lending them the benefit of their experience.

I'm glad your sister is okay and has started her treatment. That must be such a relief for her - and for you too.

It finally rained here today. I was beginning to think I'd have to go out and water my new transplants before they all wilted. Of course that put paid to my landscaping for the day too. Oh well. I guess it won't get up and run off on me - it will still be there when I can get back to it :-)

Jo - thanks for the offer of the datura (IF it doesn't get flooded lol)
See??? this is why I just renewed my Dave's subscription! there are so many knowledgeable & sweet peeps here!!!

Hey JargonJune - thanks for the thought. I know some of them were immature seed pods, but I also got several that split, and the seeds had dried nicely.
Ah well, I'll try another time :-)
As to the 4" pots for only 6.99 - wish I could find those here, in Calgary!

Kohlrabi is ALWAYS in DH veg garden .. he eats it raw like an apple (uses salt on it) have cooked it, like you would a turnip .. it's good .. have never mashed it though nor have I ever cooked the tops .. usually the deer get'em first :-(

Company arrives by air tomorrow .. right through and INTO a bunch of thunder storms :-(
What can ya do cept be thankful you don't have to shovel rain .. and .. since we have a well .. OH WELL !!!

My perennials are lonely for their annual friends to be put back .. but I am waiting til next week .. I have lost annuals I have planted as late as June 15th !!! Breaks yer heart if not your wallet !!

VCARS Annual Gen Mtg was this evening .. it was wonderful .. specially cuz I won a fleece jacket with our logo on it !!
We have certainly have had an impact on the Community in the short 5 years we have been providing the service.

You guys have me in constant wonderment re 'Datura' .. I have always heard it called Angel's Trumpet .. and remember an RCMP officer speaking to us about it and Salvia as the 'new wave easily accessible drugs' out there ..

I'm goin horizontal .. seems we have a dog and a cat who keep very EARLY morning hours !!!

~M~

Linda, hope your sister will pull through this okay and I bet you cant wait to get going on the new gardens etc. The brugs you gave me are still quite small and I guess its because of the wacky weather weve experienced this year..never seen it quite like this before. I did saute those tops and they are much like spinach and were very good actually. I love that veg and eat it like an apple as well, or in salads etc. Im off for a run again as Im going to be entering a 10K soon, and need to log at least 10 miles p/d.

BADDA bing BADDA BOOM !! We have a thunderstorm happening .. actually since 4am. Am so hoping my company from down east has a safe flight here !!

Linda, it goes without saying, that I wish your sister, and you, all the very best. She'll have some rough spots .. but the goal is her focus ..

I'm offa here to make some Date Squares !!

Ciao

~M~

Datura - I always thought they were called Devil's Trumpets and Brugmansia are known as Angel's Trumpets. I have at least one or two Daturas every year that I grow from seed. Usually I have trouble getting the 'Golden Queen' to germinate, but this year it was 'Purple Queen' I had a hard time with. I finally got a couple to grow though. This year I have some Brugmansia sanguinea that I grew from seed as well.

A HOT, HAZY and HUMID day here today. Temps are supposed to top 30 degrees with a humidex of 40. There is also a chance of a thunderstorm tonight and more rain tomorrow. Must be our sneak peak at summer :-)

I remember those hot and humid days of summer, yuck! It's raining steadily here with a high about 13. Ahhh, Summer in Victoria ;-)

Daturas are really beautiful, and toxic. ggd has had some great times growing them. Maybe she'll pop in and post a couple of photos.

My sister had a rotten day, unexplained emesis, (sounds so much better than puking!) and then after a week of antibiotix, appetite stimulants, and daily sub Q fluid injections by me.... Last evening I was with my sister as she made the decision to put Sophie to rest. She was 16, and probably had leukemia or a brain tumor.

On the upside, we got our keys to our new place, it;ll be a good move.

Sydney480, maybe you got the brug cuttings from Glenda, hope they pick up, they are heavey feeders.

Thanks to all of you who give both my sister Karen and I support, spoken and unspoken. This is a great group.

Linda

Oh how awful for Karen to have to make such a decision when she's already going through so much! Things do always seem to happen in waves like that, don't they?

The temperature here right now is 31 degrees, but it sure feels more like 40 with the humidity. Didn't accomplish anything outside today. I think I'll try to get up really early tomorrow morning and get out there as soon as it's daylight. Maybe I can get a good days work in before the heat becomes too much.

Dreaming of those summers in Victoria that I still remember as being almost perfect...

SHEESH!! Linda so sorry to hear about Sophie .. perhaps your sister felt it better she let her go .. big decision fer sure.
Re the 'UPCHUCKS' .. there are many new drugs out there .. we seem to have good results with Maxeran (Reglan ) or Phenergan .. course they have their side effects as well .. it's a slippery slope for sure ..
Subcutaneous infusions are tricky .. I wish you all the very best.

Well .. we got THUMPED here today in TBay !! 88cm of rain .. Trans Canada Hwy closed around Kakabeka Falls (which must be a torrent right now) .. we have another Lake Stephenson out back .. DH is worried some of his seeds may have been washed away .. will have to wait til the garden dries up a bit ..
The folks from down east arrived .. thankfully during a LULL in the rain thunder and lightning .. !!

Off to play hostess :-) don't mind at all though ..

Keep well everyone .. gonna be a nice weekend here 22 - 23 C :-)

~M~

Here's a pic of the datura they call Angel Trumpet. I've seen them sold as seeds at the local garden center (I just wasn't going to wait 21 days for germination...........)

Cool and cloudy thie morning . I made my annual trek to Lee Valley Tools and then headed off to the garden centre to get replacements for 2 more plants that didnt make it - Spiderworts ( Tradescantia) .
Could see black sky behind me all the way home but in fact it didnt rain over my house until mid afternoon and then - oh my gosh - it was hail! Fortunately - in my area anyway - it was very small, soft hail and did not last long.
Finished planting the veggies and a few of the pots still scattered around in the flower beds ( sometimes I forget they are there!)
Tomorrow afternoon a small group of us gathering at Jo/souths house to make succulent balls. Should be interesting.

Yet bet!! Fun in the rain!!! Might have to put a tent up.

Here's a picture of one that I started. Going to add more Hens & Chicks

From a distance

This morning I was enjoying a coffee, sitting on the swing & a robin was on top the ball, pecking away, checking it out. The children"s book "Are You My Mother?" came to mind.

Forgot the pic

carolvan please say there was no h*a*i*l damage at your place?

no there was not!

WHEW!

OHMIGOSH !! We may not have had hail here in TBay, but, according to the paper the damage done by the flooding of the small (most times dry) creeks has been horrendous. Walking out the end of the driveway across the road to get the paper .. I stopped to watched the ditch water .. it's a torrent and am going to have DH give the culvert a quick going over before he leaves for his course this morning. Ma Nature sure flexed some of her muscles !!!

WOW .. Jo .. that Succulent ball is sumpthin else :-) This year is the first year for 'Hens and Chicks' for me .. they seem to be doing well .. am figgrin it takes a bit of time for them to spread.
Is it difficult to do the Ball? I can see why you'd say that about the Robin :-) Toooo funny ..

Gotta walk the property after a bit .. my company tried to last night but it was so wet .. I see some tree limbs are down .. DH has sort of avoided his garden .. outta sight, outta mind .. I glanced at it this morning .. all his plants are OK .. it's the seeds he's most concerned about .. I think he's happy he used the seed ribbons again this year ..

A 'nice day' is forecast for today .. I'll take it :-)

Enjoy


~M~

Miserable steady rain this morning. No dog walking this morning!
Guess we will have to make our succulent balls in Jo's garage. Too bad! I still have to get outside and dig up the plants for my ball.
I'll try to remember to bring my camera and take pics.

Nice succulent ball!! gonna have to show it to my neighbour - she has loads of them growing, and they're topping each other out! lol almost a ball on the ground.

She gave me a whole bunch to put in my garden, and they're so great. Don't have enough for a ball, tho. It would strip out my garden.

Marilyn - yes, they do take time to spread. One of the slowest spreading plants I know. this is one case where cramming is a gooooooooood thing. Say, anyone read the Voting Booth? (cramming vs spacing properly lol - some of the answers are a hoot!) I planted some in '06, and they JUST starting to look bigger, and some have tiny chicks. the larger ones are ones I got from my neighbour.......

Susan,

You are welcome to join the workshop. 1 PM. There are a lot of extra Hen's & Chicks.

~M~ I was wondering how you're doing. Here on the news it said there was much flooding and you have a state of emergency. I Hope you have as little damage as possible. Seems like a half decent day here today.

Linda

Hey everyone ...

Well .. to say the least we had 'one hecuva storm on Friday' .. started about 4am .. thunder and lightning and THEN .. torrential downpours .. the area we live in is somewhat 'higher ground' but west of us is 'valley country' .. they got ZAPPED in a BIG way !!! Can imagine many gardens were washed away .. basements flooded .. trees down .. not to mention the Trans Canada has a HUGE trench across it that will take time to fix ...

Today we have wind .. we tried to have dinner outside .. but the serviettes kept blowing away and the patio umbrella was bending .. didn't want to do a Mary Poppins impression .. so .. we ate inside :-)

Turkey dinner tomorrow .. come on over :-)

Planted the Hosta today, and the Day Lillies as well as my Favourite .. MYSTERY PERENNIALS .. :-)
Dang me .. I SPACED out my Hens Chicks !! My bud has more for me .. so will keep the 'cramming' in mind.

Goin bunkies !!

~M~

88 cm - is my math right that is like 30 inches which is more than our entire annual rainfall in one swoop - are you builiding an ark!!!

An Ark was almost an option for some folks on Friday. At one point I looked out my windows and the rain was falling so hard, it was like looking through a shower curtain .. and it stayed like that for close to half an hour, the ground couldn't take it all in .. so the water found its own ways to fit in ..needless to say there will be MANY stories of the 'Storm of '08' .. reading this mornings paper I see the Trans Canada is still closed .. now THAT is a MAJOR detour .. I am self calculating here .. I do believe the detour (say for rigs etc that were travelling west to Winnipeg etc) is in excess of 70KM, and, it's NOT an easy detour .. we're talking country roads here.

The rain has awakened the MOSQUITOES !! I went out with my coffee a minute ago .. pulled a chair out and was swarmed .. so .. will sit quietly in the kitchen. Saw a bunny rabbit hoppin towards the Hosta that was planted yesterday .. sorry to say he is now a 'RUNNIN BUNNY'... going to have to watch that garden carefully.

Hope everyone is enjoying the heat of the east and the cool of the west .. we folks in the North are 'tepid' .. but smacking Mosquitoes will keep us warm !!

Ciao

~M~

OMG 'M' that a lot of rain...wouldn't you know it, just as your company arrive and you get this storm...hopefully you won't have lost much..

Linda sorry to hear your sister is having difficulties healthwise and then to have to put down her beloved 'furry' companion...how very sad!

Jo, not finding 'chicken & hens' or many succulents here at garden centers, did that living birdhouse and need to plant the roof but so far I haven't moved mush on it..do you think that if I find succulents and take the roof in for the winter they'd survive?

Extremely hot and humid here as well, Friday when I left the city the temp. gauge said 95 and then add in the humidity factor..Sat. was much the same, worked outside early morning (and I mean early..lol) then drove into town mid aft.- now wouldn't you know a whole trunk load of plants were found in my trunk, so home they came..lordy I should have a bigger 'allowance' have to con myself into it..then at 6 went to dinner/dance for friends 40th wedding Anniversary..thank goodness for A/C

Have already been out in the gardens, not much weeding to do, yard is pretty as a picture, got all my work done on Friday so the day is mine..

I'll spend it between outside and doing projects inside..think I'll make a few 'bandana coolents' as I picked up material yesterday to make at least 10..only takes an hour or so, but then I'll have one to cool down, don't know what happened to my last ones, if it's hot and humid, they'll do the trick to keep me cool outside..

So am waving at others that I missed
Hope it's a 'gardening' day for you without the humidity..
Enjoy your 'Sunday'..

Won't be able to post here regularly for quite awhile but.....

Linda I'm very sorry to read that all isn't well in your family (I haven't found the details however).

Hope you Easterners have your Arks built........we westerner's will need something to swim to when we get blown there.

Tornado watch for Carlyle - Oxbow - Carnduff - Bienfait - Stoughton

Tornado watch for City of Regina

Tornado watch for Estevan-Weyburn-Radville-Milestone

Tornado watch for Fort Qu'Appelle-Indian Head-Lumsden-Pilot Butte

Tornado watch for Moosomin-Grenfell-Kipling-Wawota

Tornado watch for Yorkton-Melville-Esterhazy

Alberta we needed rain desperately (40 percent less moisture here for this time of year) so we are extremely grateful for what has fallen so far but the unstable system you could've sent elsewhere!!! :S

Hope all you Albertan's survived the hail (I really, really, really don't want a repeat of that either here). My plants are all out and if I get wiped out again this year I truly am quiting!

Well, temps in Arizona are about 104 but it IS a dry heat. Sort of feels like a sauna.

We head home to ottawa tomorrow. Hope my garden has survived what ever weather has occurred.

Ann

WOW .. Mother Nature is sure weilding a heavy hand these day !!!
Hope that Sask does NOT have ANY tornados, just the moisture that the farmers need (and gardeners of course)

An 'Arf & Arf' day here .. some sun .. some cloud .. supposedly rain overnight and into tomorrow .. :-(

Turkey dinner went well .. now everyone is sleepy and bantering about the L-Tryptophan theory (eating turkey makes you sleepy) I thnk it's a myth myself .. will look it up one of these days ..

I should be outside .. but I have this great DIS interest in having the blood sucked outta me !!! Mosquitoes ..

Have a report to get ready .. should work on it for a bit ..

Have a great evening ..

~M~

We have a hope of getting the crops to grow now...they are about 3 to 4 weeks behind however (more rain is needed and a late frost would be very appreciated).

Tornado touched down in Weyburn....thankfully they are low level ones right now.

Pam please take all our rain!