2025 Garden Thread
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That's a good call! I don't like disrupting nature, but when nature disrupts me in my garden, I tend to change my tune quickly. Helpful to know how others deal with it.
That's a bummer. They can get very aggressive when defending their nest. I have encountered them more than once and tend to avoid that area. Maybe pick late at night, quickly.
Whitenuckler
Minister of Fire
I have lots of stinging insects coming to drink at my bird bath. We have not had rain in a long time. I can refill it with them around, but I'm afraid they will sting me by accident. re Gyro - that got my attention, as one of my favorite treats is a donair (halifax style)
Yeah and browsing the internet and hearing the horror stories doesn't help! LOL Not a bad plan, I'd like to get them somewhere else but I don't want to risk the pets or us getting stung.
You'll be seeing a post from me in the cooking thread soon then! Garden cucumber, some plain greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, dill on a toasted pita with some lamb and/or beef and it is heaven!
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
@djlew, I don't know if such a service exists in your area, but years ago we were able to hire someone to relocate a yellow jacket nest for us. It was under the entrance to our back yard shed where kids constantly took bikes and scooters in and out, and we didn't want to risk the stings. We'd already had a number of them. We found a service that relocated the nest to the outskirts of a nursery or farm or some such place that wanted them.
I've had some pretty painful experiences with all sorts of wasps. Earlier this summer I found by getting stung several times that I had paper wasps inside one of the bamboo poles edging the garden. I am not allergic to stings but am what doctors call "sensitive," and so I can have a whole variety of reactions in addition to the pain and swelling, and they can worsen the more I get stung. I did spray that nest in the pole. Thankfully it wasn't in the ground.
We currently have located three yellow jacket nests in the fields around here. They're currently marked, and kids have been warned to stay away from them. I'm not wanting early cold weather for the sake of the garden, but I am looking forward to cold weather taking care of those nests.
My cucumbers are on the way out. I may have used the last of the first planting, though I have a couple that may find the strength to develop before the vines completely die. I have a second planting that I started rather late, so they haven't blossomed yet. I am hoping for more cucumbers later in the season, though. Homegrown cucumbers are so tasty.
Earlier this week, I harvested some eggplant and made a lighter eggplant parmesan. It was a good way to use up more tomatoes, too.
![[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/339/339859-ee1d9c092224f0cee0fc5e331782aa67.jpg?hash=EwWLhc_bac "[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread")
I've been finding more worm damage on some of my fruits, so I picked a bunch of blushing fruits today to help preserve them. I'm particularly excited by the Beaver Dam peppers that I plan to let ripen to red, dehydrate, and grind into paprika.
![[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/339/339860-652e63bbe9ae13c86b5728c038adc2a6.jpg?hash=7_IKyi5ysZ "[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread")
I've stopped harvesting the red noodle beans as we have enough green beans to eat. I'm letting these mature and will eat some of the dry beans. They're in the same family as black-eyed peas, so I want to see how they compare.
![[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/339/339861-230c7fdd3f80f21dbf419e0351c3069b.jpg?hash=zSfG9LEBC3 "[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread")
The busy plants are called "Roselle," and they're a type of Hibiscus that's used for making tea. I grew them in Texas but haven't up here yet. I think they're daylight sensitive in terms of when they flower. I planted them late, but I'm not sure they'd bloom before September anyway. I am looking forward to seeing if they do bloom up here as they're really pretty, and I enjoy my hibiscus tea.
![[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/339/339862-a1fa1cdaf1298fd5a39972bde3d88d9c.jpg?hash=meLhULi2AQ "[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread")
My sweet potatoes have been growing all over the place. I had to lift all the vines out of the path the other week, and they're now growing up through the cattle panel I put on them to contain them. That's working pretty well for this side. On the other side where the official trellis is, the path is gone, and they're starting to invade an okra bed on the other side of the path. I was quite delighted this afternoon when my son looked at the impassable walkways and said, "We need to make more of that spicy Hungarian mushroom soup and use the sweet potato leaves. That would help solve the problem and be tasty."
![[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/339/339863-d6d3031555b7c19f7c05c96c18881ff6.jpg?hash=24xPAIj95h "[Hearth.com] 2025 Garden Thread")
I've had some pretty painful experiences with all sorts of wasps. Earlier this summer I found by getting stung several times that I had paper wasps inside one of the bamboo poles edging the garden. I am not allergic to stings but am what doctors call "sensitive," and so I can have a whole variety of reactions in addition to the pain and swelling, and they can worsen the more I get stung. I did spray that nest in the pole. Thankfully it wasn't in the ground.
We currently have located three yellow jacket nests in the fields around here. They're currently marked, and kids have been warned to stay away from them. I'm not wanting early cold weather for the sake of the garden, but I am looking forward to cold weather taking care of those nests.
My cucumbers are on the way out. I may have used the last of the first planting, though I have a couple that may find the strength to develop before the vines completely die. I have a second planting that I started rather late, so they haven't blossomed yet. I am hoping for more cucumbers later in the season, though. Homegrown cucumbers are so tasty.
Earlier this week, I harvested some eggplant and made a lighter eggplant parmesan. It was a good way to use up more tomatoes, too.
I've been finding more worm damage on some of my fruits, so I picked a bunch of blushing fruits today to help preserve them. I'm particularly excited by the Beaver Dam peppers that I plan to let ripen to red, dehydrate, and grind into paprika.
I've stopped harvesting the red noodle beans as we have enough green beans to eat. I'm letting these mature and will eat some of the dry beans. They're in the same family as black-eyed peas, so I want to see how they compare.
The busy plants are called "Roselle," and they're a type of Hibiscus that's used for making tea. I grew them in Texas but haven't up here yet. I think they're daylight sensitive in terms of when they flower. I planted them late, but I'm not sure they'd bloom before September anyway. I am looking forward to seeing if they do bloom up here as they're really pretty, and I enjoy my hibiscus tea.
My sweet potatoes have been growing all over the place. I had to lift all the vines out of the path the other week, and they're now growing up through the cattle panel I put on them to contain them. That's working pretty well for this side. On the other side where the official trellis is, the path is gone, and they're starting to invade an okra bed on the other side of the path. I was quite delighted this afternoon when my son looked at the impassable walkways and said, "We need to make more of that spicy Hungarian mushroom soup and use the sweet potato leaves. That would help solve the problem and be tasty."
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If you can let the beaver dams get fully red, they sweeten up nicely. We use them for making sriracha sauce along with fresnos.
Your son has some good taste!
Your son has some good taste!
Wife picked 3 cucumbers yesterday. I am amazed at the production. Huge difference when actually feeding the plants some good fertilizer on a schedule. We are officially at the point of not being able to eat all we are producing in time! I have a nice cucumber and watermelon bowl to go along with breakfast this morning. Also giving away some to friends and family.
Something I wasn't expecting - actually got some really good raspberries from the bush I posted a pic of earlier in the thread. I wasn't expecting fruit this year. I'm sure the bush was older than a brand new stick but definitely young. I did thin some out, and they are small, but dang are they tasty. It's a Heritage variety. Hoping future crop will yield those huge berries folks expect from Heritage.
Some weird timing of this, and hopefully I got the plants in time to get them in the ground and settled before frost, but I have a Pink Lemonade Blueberry and American Cranberry coming today from Stark Bros. I'm still deciding whether the move would be to get them in the ground and baby them until frost since it's hot still, or keep them potted and overwinter them to plant early spring '26. Zone depending, but any insight on summer fruit planting in 7a is appreciated!
Something I wasn't expecting - actually got some really good raspberries from the bush I posted a pic of earlier in the thread. I wasn't expecting fruit this year. I'm sure the bush was older than a brand new stick but definitely young. I did thin some out, and they are small, but dang are they tasty. It's a Heritage variety. Hoping future crop will yield those huge berries folks expect from Heritage.
Some weird timing of this, and hopefully I got the plants in time to get them in the ground and settled before frost, but I have a Pink Lemonade Blueberry and American Cranberry coming today from Stark Bros. I'm still deciding whether the move would be to get them in the ground and baby them until frost since it's hot still, or keep them potted and overwinter them to plant early spring '26. Zone depending, but any insight on summer fruit planting in 7a is appreciated!
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