Our garden club meeting this morning was on hydroponics. Deidre Hughes, from Hort Americas was our guest speaker, educating us on Hydroponics. I found it very interesting but don't think it's for me. It was very interesting to learn that a lot of items we buy in the stores are being grown that way. She said especially in California, as it saves on the amount of water being used.

One of the ladies brought some plants to give away. I brought home a (Dioscorea bulbifera)air potato plant. I looked it up and it appears to be a very invasive vine. How any of you grown it before? She said it grows very fast and creates a lot of shade.

Next month our topic is growing mushrooms at home. Have any of you done that?

Sharon, thanks for the info on shallots. I meant to plant some last year but never did. I do love to cook with them. I buy them all the time so next time I'll just plant a few of them.

I grow two kinds of onions (I’itoi onions & Egyptian Walking Onion) but can barely keep them alive and never have enough to harvest.

Ruth, I've never grown the air potato plant before. Please post a pic if you have the chance. Would love to see it. I want to try and grow mushrooms one day. I have not yet but enjoy eating mushrooms in dishes!

Amy, ham sandwich? I don't know much about wines. How about a sparkling wine?

Hi!

the type of sandwich is six letters

the tytype of wine has 10 letters

It would be neat to grow mushrooms.

Ruth, Is the air potato edible? There is a variety of air potato that grows here but very ivasive.

Morning everyone!!

turkey?

wine? Sangiovese

winecooler

Tomato Sandwich

Strawberry wine..................Slider sandwich

The air potato vine we got yesterday. Gail said no flowers just small not edible potatoes that are the seeds. If we keep it, I think I will leave it in a pot on concrete so it can't spread anywhere. We could put on the patio or driveway just for shade. The leaves are pretty.

Good guess Annie!

tomato sandwich & fruit

Nicole 19 points

Annie 20 points

Ruth 29 points

Sharon 10 points

Jeanne 10 points

GOT MAIL FROM SHARON........

A happy card with a very nice note......

Unusual seeds....Toothache aka Buzz Button....Loxton Lad Dwarf Tomato......Buena Mulata Hot Pepper.....Hatch Peppers

I will plant the dwarf tomato seeds today.....very excited.

Hatch Peppers.....I LOVE HATCH PEPPERS.......LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Sharon, you grow these??

Ruth, do you grow Hatch Peppers?

and Sharon included lots of coupons and MONSTER stickers....FUN!!

Thanks so much Sharon!!

Very nice seeds ladies!

Keep guessing on the wine

_________y wine

So happy you like your envie Annie! I am growing the Loxton Lad Dwarf tomato too! It just started making lots of flowers and the two plants are very healthy looking. Let us know how yours does too. My first time growing this variety. Those seeds were purchased from ebay this year and I had extras to share 🥰 The hatch seeds came from hatch peppers we had purchased.

Amy, could it be a Chardonnay wine?

Happy Wednesday!

____r____y wine

Ruth and Jeanne sent and received

Annie and Sharon sent and received

Nicole and Amy sent and received

Annie, good guess on the tomato sandwich. I love tomato sandwiches. That's what I ate for dinner last night. Hubby doesn't eat them.

Amy, were you and your mom enjoying a glass of Elderberry wine?

Sounds lovely to have a glass of wine with your mother.

Do you cook for your vegan son?

I would have a very hard time cooking for a vegan.

The Zmroczek family has several vegan's, vegetarians and a few gluten free. Trying to plan a family meal gets interesting. But it's very seldom that we can get together.

My BIL's granddaughter is vegan. She cooks when she visits him and he can't wait to throw away the leftovers when she leaves. LOL

My SIL is vegetarian but it's not too hard to cook for her since she eats eggs and cheese.

Does anybody have any quinoa recipes that you really like? I keep meaning to try a few but haven't yet.

We've had a couple more triple digit days but got unexpected thunder showers this morning so today stayed in the eighties. Yah

Ruth, ELDERBERRY WINE.....oh my, I never would have come up with that. Fantastic guess.....I think you are right on!! Amy, did you and your Mom enjoy a glass of Elderberry Wine together????? I am rather curious about this wine......

Ruth, I can not help you on the Quinoa recipes. I do not make it very often.

Happy weekend!!

Ruth, Yay!!!you got it!!! elderberry wine

Ruth, My son who is vegan is turning 25 this month. He just moved to his own place a couple months ago but he has basically been cooking for himself for probably at least five year. I would cook once in awhile but he enjoys cooking.

I dont really have any really good quinoa recipes but hopefully someone does. We have also been having really hot weather.

Nicole 19 points

Annie 20 points

Ruth 34 points

Sharon 10 points

Jeanne 10 points

Anyone have any recent craft/art pictures to post gor 5 points?

Annie, There is a vineyard here that makes the wine. It was sweet but I thought it was really good!

The only crafts I've made recently were the bookmarks and I already posted them.

How is everyone doing? We have had the most beautiful weather for August. Way cooler than usual and the humidity has not been as high as usual. Always lots of people out walking and enjoying the type of weather. My tomato plants now have blossoms and spend part of the day out on the balcony. I have peppers on my pepper plant but it was supposed to be a banana pepper and I don't think that's what it is, but it's okay. Once they get just a little larger I'll try cooking with it.

Good morning everyone 😊☕

I have never tried elderberry wine but have heard of it. Has anyone made elderberry wine yourself?

No craft or art projects here.

August is always our hottest month of the year for us. Looking forward to September weather!

I am hosting the September swap next month. Hope everyone can join us! I will be doing a Fall/Autumn simple swap. Will start the post on the last day of this month.

Jeanne, good to hear your tomato plants are coming along! I am hoping to see some small developing tomatoes on my dwarf Loxton Ladd tomato plant by next month.

Nicole 19 points

Annie 20 points

Ruth 34 points

Sharon 10 points

Jeanne 15 points

Have a great day!

I went to the farmers market this morning for shallots. Got 9 large shallots for less than two dollars. I plan on making vodka sauce with part of them and planting the others.

Not planned but I also picked up one each of Rhubarb Swiss Chard, Green Globe Artichoke and Dinosaur kale in 4 inch pots. I know one isn't enough but I have seeds for all of these, I think. I may add seeds around the plants. I used to grow Swiss Chard but didn't care for the taste. To be fair I only ever tried a leaf now and then straight from the plant. So I'm going to try it again. I chose the Rhubarb because it had the most color. I may go back for the Peppermint one since it's so pretty.

I've tried to grow artichokes/cardoon several times, and it never does good for me. No flowers, no artichokes and the plant which I like a lot never lasts thru a season.

Dinosaur kale does pretty good, but I haven't grown it in a while. I actually prefer Red Russian kale, but both is good.

Annie, I have never grown Hatch peppers. I do buy the fresh roasted Hatch peppers at the market every year.

I haven't done any kind of arts or crafts in a while now.

Ruth,

I wonder if you would like the swiss chard cooked? I love kale and it grows pretty goid here. I planted lima beans today and I hope they do well.

Nicole, some of the seeds that you sent me are popping up.

Sharon, I have never made wine but it seems like it might be fun.

For 5 points for each correct name. I planted two types.

What are the names of the lima beans?

Lima Bean varieties planted by Miss Amy today.....

1. Jackson Wonder

2. Henderson Bush

I llove, love, love Lima Beans.... I want to eat some now!!!!!! I will only eat fresh orfrozen....no canned. I have not had good luck growing them. Next time I will try some new varieties.

Keep guessing!

I love them too but when I was a kid I hated them. Funny how our tastes can change.

I know what you mean Amy. Several things I did not want to eat as a kid that I enjoy now. Cabbage was one of them!

Lima bean guesses:

Fordhook 22

King of the Garden

Lima Bean guesses......Amy is growing......

1. Florida Speckled

2. Dixie Butterpea

Keep guessing! I didn’t realize there were so many

Lima Beans guesses:

Early Thorogreen

Burpee Improved

Keep guessing: 9 letters for first bean

the second bean is three words. The first word is 7 letters second word 9 letters third word is 10 letters

Nicole, These grew from seed. I think this is around 3 -4 years old

Good morning everyone 😊 ☕

Amy, could one of them be Christmas limas?

amy, omg, that is so awesome that you grew from seed, its so beautiful your plumerias.

happy Friday Eve everyone!!

Question.....

Are any of you really good at growing lima beans?

I have some really really old seeds that have a story behind them.

This is a post from 15 years ago.

" A friend picked up some seed labled black jungle butterbeans from Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead Fl. prior to hurricane Andrew. He gave me some and I have been growing them since then. They are pole beans that are not day length sensisitive.They are very good both shelled and dry.I have been unable to find the county of origin and if anyone can help please do. I contacted the park after they reopened and they could not recall testing them. So far as I know I am the only person growing them.I am 83 years old and hope they find some new homes before I croak. I have a limited supply of seed to share if anyone is interested in trying them."

I was lucky enough to be gifted some of these seeds. I tried growing them twice. The first time I had limited success and did save a few seeds (2012). The second time I had no success. I had actually forgotten about them until Amy's lima bean question.

Maybe I'll plant a few seeds and see if they are still viable. I don't think I've ever planted lima/butter beans in the fall. Have I waited too late? Our first frost is usually around Thanksgiving.

Went back to the farmers market yesterday and got Magenta Sunset and Peppermint Swiss Chard. So if I don't eat it, at least I think it's pretty.

ALABAMA BLACKEYED BUTTERBEAN

I think Sharon has the other lima bean correct....CHRISTMAS

Sharon and Annie, you are both correct. Christmas and Alabama Blackeyed butterbean.

Jeanne, I had really good luck starting them in the spring in Georgia. I’m going to give them a try here but nothing does super good here thru summer so this time of year is suposed to be best. I am zone 10A

Nicole 19 points

Annie 25 points

Ruth 34 points

Sharon 15 points

Jeanne 15 points

Thank you for joining this month. Ruth is this months winner! Will send prize shortly

Jeanne, I love that you have the old beans passed down. I hope that they grow well for you when you do plant them.

I think Ruth is the one with some seeds that were passed down. It was maybe 8-10 years ago I got some bean and peas seeds that were unusual or maybe "heritage" types (this was from a swap), but I never planted them. Where I had to grow things, the plant would have been totally eaten even before beans started to develop. Sure would be a fun thing to do in a fenced or otherwise protected garden. Still lots of blossoms on my tomato plants but no fruit developing. We'll see what happens with them. I have seen some hummingbirds enjoying the salvia blossoms on my balcony. I was surprised to see that they even noticed them. I only have one salvia plant out there.

Congrats Ruth....game well played!!

Amy, wonderful month....thank you!! UNUSUAL is good....for sure!!

Happy weekend to all....be safe!!

Congrats Ruth on your win! 🎉

Thank you Amy for hosting this month! 🤗

Great month, Amy! Thanks for being our hostess.

We made it through the summer heat! 🥳 Yay! Monday starts the first day of September. Finally moving out of those hot summer months! The post for the September swap has been posted. I hope you can join us for some Fall fun! 🍂

Swap link:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6508270/september-fotess-pumpkin-spice-and-everything-nice#n=0

Thank you Amy for a great August unusual swap! Loved seeing all the unique seeds posted. 🥰

Yes, Thank you Amy. It was a great idea for a swap. Maybe we could have another one next year. Just in case, I'll save a few seeds from my "not as common" plants.

Jeanne, awesome that the hummingbirds are visiting. I barely had any this year until late August. Now I'm seeing quite a few around the yard. I believe it's because they are migrating already. I have 4 feeders out.

Nicole, I haven't tried your green onion pancakes recipe yet, but I bought a frozen package. I'm excited to try them.

Thank you Amy. I received a beautiful fall garden flag today. The top part has a pumpkin and Happy. I love it and it's almost time..........