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May 22, 2021 6:44 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
RpR, I can certainly relate to "out of shape and did not work at a steady pace" ! A few days ago I tilled up an 8x11' area for onions, carrots and beets and got to the point where I was working for 10 minutes and then taking a 20-minute break... I have a Mantis tiller that I bought last fall and love, but I swear it is more of a workout than the larger one that finally bit the dust. Still feeling the effects of that episode today, in my back and shoulders Rolling my eyes. (At this rate I'm going to be growing everything in elevated planters before long!)
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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May 22, 2021 9:24 PM CST
Name: Susie
Leonard, Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Annuals Herbs Heucheras Canning and food preservation Irises Lilies
Region: Minnesota Native Plants and Wildflowers Peonies Sedums Seed Starter Vegetable Grower
I'm out of shape and pretty stiff and sore too but the most painful for me is my hands. I'm back to wearing wrist braces at night and under my gloves while I'm working in the garden. I've been trying to dig plants for my perennial plant sale and trying to get the vegetable garden in also. My two grandkids helped me dig for a couple of days and I do most of the rest myself. They'll come back and help me dig one more day and help me set up and help on the day of the sale. Last year we potted up over 500 plants, (my granddaughter counted them)and I would guess we probable have about that much this year too.
I've got about half of my tomato plants in, planted Peas, Romaine lettuce, Kale, and Broccoli and onions that I started in the house, and Corn. I hope to get the rest of the vegetable garden planted next week. I don't plant potatoes anymore so it won't be so many more vegetables, but then the flowers which is far more. Hopefully, before long, I'll have worked my way into a little better shape! Crossing Fingers! Smiling
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May 27, 2021 5:07 PM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
It is a cloudy 44 degrees with a pissing rain most of the day.
Supposed to hit low 30s tonight and tomorrow night.
Covered Sharon's tender plants with sheets and also some of my tomatoes, may go out and cover the chiles.

I was going home to day to put in some more roses and one last planting down South but with this weather I will wait till tomorrow.
Garden/s is/are actually doing very , very well .
Rain is needed so I have no complaints.
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May 27, 2021 7:50 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
RpR, you sound so optimistic! I swear that if it starts snowing I am going to completely lose my mind!! D'Oh! D'Oh!
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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May 30, 2021 11:44 AM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Went home and did some garden work:
Trimmed black off of rose bushes and found that , at this point, all still have some green so , I pulled none though I really doubt that all are going to keep on, keeping on.

Put in last two red roses and as the bed really is full, unless some finally go to the rose bed in the sky, I will not order any more for next year.
Put in a last plot of corn in the veggie garden , a yellow variety grown for tall corn competiton.
Mowed the lawn again; the fertilizing this year really has kicked in with the fairly often pissy rains but I have to get a dedicated creeping charlie killer as it is more than annoying now.

Corn in both gardens is up so this may be my first good year for corn in a half of a decade.

Onions in both gardens are growing very well, while carrots, beans, brocolli, chiles, tomatoes, cauliflower look very good even with abnormal cold. I tip my hat to you.
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Jun 2, 2021 9:26 PM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
HIgh 80s and low 90s for the next ten days.

Humidity so they say for now will not be nasty high so outside of being way above average, life goes on.
I don't like this hot crap in July, so for it to ruin June , sucks the bag, as we used to say. Grumbling
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Jun 3, 2021 7:00 AM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Yikes - we're only supposed to hit 80 one day, this Saturday... just getting up to the low 70s has felt ridiculously hot to me, after the extended period of chilly weather. Our locust tree is just now beginning to leaf out (although that isn't unusual, it's always the last thing to have leaves). And we had a really nice soaking rain last evening, everything looks very refreshed in the sunshine this morning Smiling
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 4, 2021 2:17 PM CST
Name: Susie
Leonard, Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Annuals Herbs Heucheras Canning and food preservation Irises Lilies
Region: Minnesota Native Plants and Wildflowers Peonies Sedums Seed Starter Vegetable Grower
We are 96 here today, with no rain for weeks. Our grass is already brown like it gets sometimes in late July and August. There is no way to keep all the gardens hydrated so I will have to decide what to water and what to let go. I've been hand watering my vegetables to save on water so I can water other things. We had scheduled a plant sale and advertised for today and tomorrow and had dug the plants awhile ago so had to have it but both days it's in the 90's. We had a lot of people come early and sold quite a bit but I am happy no one has come for awhile because I'm glad not to go outside. Fire danger is very high and there won't be hay for the ranchers and the grazing is drying up. I don't know what they will do if we don't get rain soon. Looking out at my plants that are all wilted down makes me very sad. Sad
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Jun 4, 2021 7:41 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
That makes me very sad for you, Susie! So hard to believe the difference in the weather you zone 3 gardeners in MN are having and what we are having here... I feel very fortunate to be near Lake Michigan, which really affects our weather and cools things a bit when it's hot inland, and warms things up when there are freezes more inland. (And yet, glad to not be right ON the lake, where the cold winds can really set things back...) I hope you get some good rainfall soon! Crossing Fingers!
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 4, 2021 8:42 PM CST
Name: Susie
Leonard, Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Annuals Herbs Heucheras Canning and food preservation Irises Lilies
Region: Minnesota Native Plants and Wildflowers Peonies Sedums Seed Starter Vegetable Grower
Thanks, Sandy. Me too.
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Jun 5, 2021 8:52 PM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Went home yesterday to tend my South garden.
I watered heavily the North garden before I left as I was out pulling weeds the day before and I was pulling htem out of dust.

Down South all looked good but the ground was dry, when I got there the house was closed up so it was still fairly cool inside but the kitchen which get more direst sun was a bit warm so I turned on the dehumidifier and several fans.

The weather service said it was 98 today but this afternoon I went out and mowed the the the lawn and put Cocoa hulls on the roses .
I can use another 7 bags but there aren't any out there any more.

For what ever reason the heat today did not bother me as much as it did yesterday but then when I was sweating too much I would go sit in the porch and listen to the ball game for a bit; now the odd part is the porch is enclosed and just as hot as outside but there is a fan in there to blow on my soaking wet shirt and cool me off.
I watered the garden and lawn heavily so it should be OK till I get back next week, water bill will not be.

Did not put air conditioning in at home as it was tolerable inside the house but slept with a fan blowing directly on me all night with out covers. I tip my hat to you.
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Jun 6, 2021 7:49 AM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Thumb of 2021-06-06/Weedwhacker/03435e
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 7, 2021 1:05 PM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Mid nineties. today and for the next three days with lows in the seventies.
Will finish mowing lawn today; I have three push mowers and all need some sort of repair but one is still limping along.

You can probably hear the corn growing in this weather as I keep it well watered.
Potatoes are finally starting to pop out of the ground and the mail order tomatoes from Tomato Baby are now growing, at least three, one , that lost its leaves is not dead but just sitting there mocking me.

Every thing looks very, very good, sadly that also means the weeds. I tip my hat to you.
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Jun 10, 2021 12:50 PM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
There was an inch of rain last night with a strong wind.

Needed the rain badly; wind was so strong it blew the water drain off of the roof valley so most of it did not hit the one-half rain barrel on the ground.

tipped over some corn stalks but they are only a foot high so they will straighten out.
I was watering the very dry hill yesterday, so hopefully the wet sponge absorbs water better than a dry sponge effect took place. I tip my hat to you.
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Jun 10, 2021 1:27 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I don't think I want an inch of rain all at one time - but a nice all-day soaker would sure be helpful, it's very dry here right now. (too bad we can't order up the weather that we want...)
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 16, 2021 6:59 AM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
49°F when I got up this morning - I guess that would have felt really warm back in February or so! Hilarious!
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

C/F temp conversion
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Jun 18, 2021 11:21 AM CST
Name: Dr. Demento Jr.
Minnesota (Zone 3b)
You lucky skunk!

I went home to weed my green carpet garden and prepare the house that looked like a frat house for the Sunday Water Carnival feed.

I only spent three some hours actually weeding and that only covered 1/4 of the garden; I spent three hours watering the garden because it needed it and it makes pulling weeds easier.
Mostly Purslane and various grasses but Morning Glory and Quick Weed are two items I really, really, really want to get rid of and there was enough that I wish I had been able to finish.
One half of the corn plots only produced one or two stalks but as the seed was old and odd ball types I did not expect more but one large plot of corn from Seed Savers was total failure.
A DAMNed turkey was decided to plop her lard butt and her covey of rug rat chicks in the area that did not come up.
Chasing this vermin out was like trying to get drunk out of bed in the morning.
As I stood four feet away, she was just busy scratching a nesting hole in the dirt.

The chicks were tiny and I could have reach down and killed most of them but for what ever reason i kicked them out of the weed bed as the hen was already six fee down the road and I could have picked up an wrung the necks of most of the chicks or even just stomped them into the ground.
This is the only time I will not execute the vermin; if she comes back with young turkeys eating size, dinner will be served.
They will not leave where they are tolerated.

I would have finished the garden but straightening out and cleaning the house was major task I dreaded doing.
I spent twelve hours on Wed. working on the house and got 90 percent of the work done (not enough time to clean the rug by hand) and only a small amount of stuff was just tossed where it would be out of site, out of mind.
What I did was only really scratching the surface of what has to be done, i.e. real work, painting, repairing a leaking and collapsing ceiling, broken window , finally ten years later prime and paint a bathroom modification etc. etc., etc. and this does not count having to partially reside and completely paint the garage. Sighing! I tip my hat to you.

It still looks like a shack but better organized shack .
Last edited by RpR Jun 18, 2021 8:00 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 18, 2021 7:04 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
RpR - it was 91° here today, if that makes you feel any better -- we are on quite the temperature rollercoaster! Even our Florida relatives (my husband's brother and his wife) who are up here for the summer were feeling the heat - they stopped over to pick up some planters and tomato and pepper plants that I had for them. Also really dry, with "extreme fire danger" warnings - so I watered in the greenhouses and then watered the rest of the garden with the oscillating sprinkler - if I crank the water all the way up I can get the entire area with just moving it one time. Hoping we will get at least a little rain sometime soon Crossing Fingers!

And our bear is still around - hubs got up around 6 a.m. and saw it lying under the bird feeder, eating seed.

You have a lot of work to do (on top of the gardening)! Blinking
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 21, 2021 4:13 PM CST
Name: Sandy B.
Ford River Twp, Michigan UP (Zone 4b)
(Zone 4b-maybe 5a)
Charter ATP Member Bee Lover Butterflies Birds I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Greenhouse Region: United States of America Region: Michigan Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Happy beginning of summer, everyone! Our high temp today was 65°F, low tonight is supposed to be 42°F - but on the upside, we did at least get some much-needed rain last night!

Just saw on the local weather that frost is likely "inland" - thankfully I am not there, Lake Michigan should keep my garden cozy enough. Smiling
“The new dawn blooms as we free it, for there is always light –
if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
~Amanda Gorman~

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Jun 21, 2021 4:32 PM CST
Name: Susie
Leonard, Minnesota (Zone 3b)
Annuals Herbs Heucheras Canning and food preservation Irises Lilies
Region: Minnesota Native Plants and Wildflowers Peonies Sedums Seed Starter Vegetable Grower
It was 39 here this morning but, hallelujah, we got an inch of rain yesterday and no frost. It was very cool today and suppose to get down to 42 tonight. My coleus are NOT happy with this much cool after being in the 90's. Hopefully they'll pull out of it. Most of the rest of the plants are very happy after the lovely drink.

Hope everyone else that needed rain got some.

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