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I used to have visions of English gardens when I read Rosamunde Pilcher novels. Always wanted one. There a beautiful English style garden at the Rockefeller estate on Mt. Desert and at Bird’s Acre in Ellsworth.
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Uggh
The heat has now turned everything brown overnight

I mentioned to the neighbor tonight that we'd need to do something - plants on his driveway are breaking the cement block wall on the property line

He didn't seem to think it was a problem
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Garden, hugs! If you want wellies, you get wellies - don't let my rudeness put you off :) I expect Gertrude Jekyll had dozens of pairs.

MsMadge are these plants your neighbour is fond of, or rogue self-seeders that have invaded the blocks? And who is responsible for the upkeep of that boundary wall, you or him?
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Radar shows rain over Michigan, I hope it makes it across the lake and doesn't miss me again 🤞
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Watered garden. Still not really green. Kids picked three bushels of green beans yesterday. I’ve been stringing, packing in jars. PJ will have to load canners. Not allowed to lift. I did piles of tomatoes yesterday. Boiling water, ice water bath, peeled and ran thru food mill and put in freezer cartons. Ordinarily would can, but this is good enough for soups, sauces and chili. This year I’m operating on “good enough”. That’s about all I can manage. I should have more green beans and tomatoes over the next three weeks. Fresh corn next week. Would love to be cooking more, but that’s just not possible. Thank heavens the chef at my stepson’s bar will cook family friendly food for us.
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Becky I am afraid to can things.. Mom and Grandma used to. I am a freezer.. works for me!! We have been getting tons of Banana peppers.. have some stuffed with cheeses to bake tonight. and we just got our first 2 beautiful tomatoes.. on for tomorrow with ham salad!!
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My mom never canned anything that didn't have a little acid in it - fruits, pickles, jams and tomatoes with an added spoon of lemon juice... when we went for drives she never failed to point out the house where a family had died of botulism. When I was young people rented a box at the food locker in town, a great big walk in freezer (I was always terrified of getting locked inside lol), and then in the 70's we got a big deep freezer that was still running when we moved!
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No rain. Not. one. drop.

My container tomatoes, peppers and cucumber are HUGE - the best I've ever managed to grow in containers. They each need a pail of water every day but so far nothing is producing but the cuke. Wrong fertilizer? Too hot? 😕
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Pam, I use a pressure canner. Everything seals really well. I’ve canned for years - anything and everything. But I freeze a good bit too, especially corn. I don’t can corn at all. Although I’ve made pickled corn a couple of times.
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Becky those scare me too!! I remember Gma telling me they explode!! I remember asking MIL for her double boiler when she was giving stuff away, and I still look at it with suspicion!
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Becky, I'm with you. Can and freeze. I think knowledge of botulism has decreased cases since we now know what the cause is. On the other hand Pam, I have met canners that I smile and accept their love offering, only to destroy the contents when I get home, so I understand where you come from as well.

Here's to happy gardeners and homegrown food!

I read all these posts and get a little longing, it's over 100 most days here now, so my garden is in the compost pile, freezer or cupboards. September is my next planting month, still hard to wrap my head around it 🥥🙃
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Pam, a pressure cooker can explode if it's opened during the cooking process, while still under pressure. My mother used one regularly, without any problem, but she was cautious.

The wife of a friend with whom my father grew up experienced an explosion and tomatoes catapulted up to the ceiling when she opened a cooker while it was still under pressure. The accident required ER treatment. These folks were farmers, so I was surprised that she wasn't aware of the restrictions for using a pressure cooker.
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I have two pressure canners. Never had a problem. I don’t touch them until the pressure is off completely. As an additional safeguard, I put in the sink and run cold water over the top to cool off even more. I do the same thing with my other two pressure cookers that I use for regular cooking. I love them! Fast and easy with tender meat. Crocks pots and pressure cookers are my two big time savers.
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I sent PJ and a couple of helpers to pick blackberries. Bushes are full. It’s been a good berry season. Should have wild blueberries next week.
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Speaking of crock-pots, has anyone found one that isn't made in China? Cooking has become impossible b/c of the heat, so I'm thinking a crock-pot might be a summer alternative.

If only houses were built with summer kitchens....

Becky, what variety of blueberries are you growing? I recall that we used to pick one variety for baking and another for eating. Bluecrop is the only one I remember now. But those were grown at commercial blueberry farms; I want something for my own garden.
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Crock-pot as in integrated slow cooker? I think even CrockPot™ are made in China nowadays, aren't they?

I did have one by Pifco, with a CorningWare interior; but that was in the 80s and I've no idea where it was made.
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Summer kitchens... isn't that called a BBQ?
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Here you go :)

http://usamadeproducts.biz/appliances-kitchen-appliances-slow-cookers.html
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I think small fruits are probably the most financially satisfying crops to grow in the home garden, veg in season can be picked up cheaply but strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc are always expensive, even at pick your own places. Too bad I'd have to fence my whole yard to accomplish it.
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I followed that link out of curiosity... the price explains why everyone would rather buy made in China.
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You can get a blueberry bush to settle happily in a big planter, CW - it's recommended a lot here because they like a nice damp acid soil and not many bits of the UK have that. tum ti tum.... trying to remember which variety I had in my last house - not that we ever got many berries, not with the chickens and the squirrels arguing over them, but it was quite productive. It'll come to me.
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Big planters in the UK don't have to deal with Canadian winters CM, even here in the extreme south you can expect some very cold temps that in my experience make keeping things in planters over winter iffy.
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Well, I just lost a responsive post on crock-pots/cookers and BBQs. Must be the heat frying my brain again. I'll try later.
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We got a lovely 2 cm of rain yesterday - not enough but very welcome - and the high today is predicted to be a pleasant 24 ° C. Yay!
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75 degrees Fahrenheit. Here? 90's.

Lots of meadowlarks this.year. Do not remember having them last year.
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Mid 90’s here with humidity so high it seems you can see the air, you definitely wear it. Ugh! No gardening happening, just hoping what’s planted hangs on
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Finally got some rain and it has cooled off a little. Garden looks better. Watermelons are looking good.
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Horrified to learn that 'Gardener's Delight' tomatoes have had their RHS Award of Garden Merit rescinded. The judging panel notes sternly: "popular, with late, heavy crops; good flavour but trial plants were variable and fruit too large."

I've been picking them for my supper for a couple of weeks now from my three potted plants. I feel like the RHS is criticising my children.
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People here seek bragging rights on when they pick their earliest tomatoes, it's Aug 1 and my plants are loaded with little green tomatoes. I swear there was fruit on the stems a month ago, why won't they ripen??
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Tomatoes won't ripen unless you talk to them nicely, Cwillie.
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