From before 2nd winter and brutally hot summer of 2024, saving plant to overwinter indoors?
Anatomy of my Quad
This is a Portulaca/Purslane seeding that I am going to reproduce from stem cuttings.
The base (#1), buried in the sand to keep it from tipping over, is made of 2 black containers sewn together.
On top of the base is a white container (#2) which collects excess water. It can be lifted out and the water emptied.
On top of the white container is a black container (#3) with holes punched in the bottom for drainage.
The seedling is planted in #3 in cocoa noir/potting soil/etc., partial covered with clay pellets.
A pole secures the "Tulip" (#4) which has drainage holes in the bottom. The Tulip is made from an upside-down milk carton with holes punched in the lid, one large hole for the stake to go through and smaller holes for drainage.
Hibiscus Moscheutos
This is a perfect plant for showcasing my quad growing system.
Commonly called Swamp Rose Mallow, this hardy hibiscus thrives in my high desert garden and laughs at triple digit weather.
The leaves and flowers are edible and can be used fresh or dried to make tea.
The flowers only last a day, but this young plant has opened one or two spectacular blooms every day for a week with more on the way.
Growing in Water and Cooking in Air - Part 6
The other night I set my Neovide 100 to "manual" at 132° for 10 hrs at midnight with four beautiful ranch steaks from Good Chop in it. I just sprayed the tops and bottoms with Avocado oil. Was just right at 10 am. The pan drippings went into a nice gravy.
The manual mode on this cooker is sometimes referred to as "water bath" but it can be used with or without water.
This slicer is another of my favorite cooking tools.
I will garnish this beef with fresh viola leaves and flowers before serving it.
One of the many things I love about having moved to growing zone 8 in the high desert is that I can keep edible flowering plants outdoors all year round. A post about my violas is here: Violas
Yummy Tomatoes and a Brave Dove
These tomatoes overwintered from seeds I sprouted in the Spring of 2020, and the cayenne pepper plant was $1.49 at the 99 Cents Only Store. Economical eats, but a lot of work keeping them alive in the hot desert sun.
It is said to be fortuitous when mourning doves nest near you. This one is at eye level and just inches away from my beefstake tomatoes. She takes the night shift and stays until the light of day, but then her husband comes to sit on the eggs during the hottest hours of sun. He is bigger than her, with a longer beak, and although the markings are similar hers are more gray and his are a rosy pink. He sits unblinking when I go by with my watering can, but she is more expressive. They don't seem to mind at all when I rush past them. It is almost as if they know I am a friend and am just there to bring them a bowl of fresh water and to tend the plants.
Xxx