All About Pocket Knives

Thanks for those beautiful pictures Lyle. I enjoy seeing other's plants, some of them won’t grow here in Texas. I also like seeing what kind of tomatoes do well elsewhere. We have Cherokee Purple and Mortgage Lifter available here as transplants but I haven’t tried either of them. We have a long growing season (typically mid-March through mid November), and mid-July until late August (when nighttime low temperatures are 80+ degrees) the heat causes many varieties to stop setting fruit. There are a few heirloom varieties and some that have been developed to do well in the heat here. Tycoon, Better Boy, Porter’s Pride are some that I have had success with. The fruit on those tend to be on the smaller side, about tennis ball size, relative to many varieties that do well in cooler climates. I usually plant at least one or two other varieties as experiments, so I may try those others.

Peppers, melons, cucumbers and squashes do pretty well as do green beans and field peas (many folks up north don’t know how flavorful peas are - they think of them as cattle feed.) So those are what I usually grow here in my garden. Sweet corn does well here too but somehow the raccoons seem to get it before I do, so I stopped planting it. Here’s a few pictures of peppers and tomatoes in our garden, from this afternoon.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2026 2:34 am Here’s a few pictures of peppers and tomatoes in our garden, from this afternoon.

Nice garden pics. I only grow a few tomatoes. Trying a new one (to me) this year, Big Beef is what it is called. I also have a couple of Celebrity plants and the big German Pink tomatoes. Squirrels can wreak havoc on tomato crop around our house, particularly during a dry summer.
I too gave up on corn. I like to grow jalapenos, Anaheim peppers, green and red bell peppers and a sweet Italian pepper. That's about it, some years I plant Honeydew melons.

Here is a pic of some road ditch Spiderwort I saw this morning.

bighomer wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2026 10:08 pm 1000011181.jpg

Great shots of a nice homestead, BH. I really like the pics of the Iris flowers and wood fence.

Beautiful flowers Homer.

Did you make your tomato cages from concrete reinforcing wire Ken?
All my plants are heirlooms from last year and before seeds. I put the seeds inside a plastic bag on a wet paper towel to germinate atop the refrigerator. The cabinet overhead keeps it kinda dark and it stays warm there.

Here's a couple bags of seeds starting to germinate . If you look closely, you can see little white tail coming from the seed.
They are blanket, flowers, and bell peppers just beginning to germinate

wlf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2026 5:58 pm Beautiful flowers Homer.

Did you make your tomato cages from concrete reinforcing wire Ken?

Yes. 6x6 inch mesh concrete reinforcing wire. Most of my cages are 40-50 years old - re-used every year. Good investment!

Ken

Thanks for the kind words fellers.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2026 7:46 pm

wlf wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2026 5:58 pm Beautiful flowers Homer.

Did you make your tomato cages from concrete reinforcing wire Ken?

Yes. 6x6 inch mesh concrete reinforcing wire. Most of my cages are 40-50 years old - re-used every year. Good investment!

Ken

Me too.

Lyle, looking good! Looks like we both have about the same number of tomato plants. I have room for more plants but with what we have already planted we grow all we can eat and give to friends too.

Day lilies and other stuff are now in full bloom here.

Ken

Spring and rejuvenation in Wisconsin. Phlox perennials, crab apples and pear trees all in bloom. And took a shot of one of 100 year old maple trees. Always makes a guy thankful and appreciating after a long winter…

Nice! What’s the average date of the last spring frost there?

Ken

Hey Ken. Usually safe after the last day of April but we’ve had a couple frosty nights this past week so it varies. Have a good one. And love those oak leaf hydrangeas you have.
Scott

Great stuff, Ken, you always have such a variety in your pics and much of it "foreign" to me. I always enjoy looking at your posts.

Scott, you have an absolutely beautiful place, well done. I love the looks of a well tended yard in the upper midwest.

Thanks Ike that means a lot. I enjoy it so that makes it a little easier.

Earlier this morning, these blooms caught my attention: I'm learning to appreciate such as this a lot more than I once did.
Treefarmer

Great to see what God grows and creates beauty in varies places on His earth! Philip, I recognize the hydrangea and trumpet vine but not the others. They look like hummingbird magnets! Very interesting.

Scott, I enjoy being outdoors also. After 45 years of working mostly in factories and offices the contrast is enjoyable. Took some more pictures while out and about working on the ranch yesterday. (I planted the tiger lilies years ago, the rest are natives, growing where mother nature planted them).

Ken

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 3:00 pm Earlier this morning, these blooms caught my attention:1000004200.jpg1000004199.jpg1000004198.jpg1000004197.jpg
I'm learning to appreciate such as this a lot more than I once did.
Treefarmer

They caught mine too Philip.

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 3:31 pm Great to see what God grows and creates beauty in varies places on His earth! Philip, I recognize the hydrangea and trumpet vine but not the others. They look like hummingbird magnets! Very interesting.

Scott, I enjoy being outdoors also. After 45 years of working mostly in factories and offices the contrast is enjoyable. Took some more pictures while out and about working on the ranch yesterday. (I planted the tiger lilies years ago, the rest are natives, growing where mother nature planted them).

Ken

especially the Tiger lilies.

Those are really nice pics, gentleman. Philip, nice to get a glimpse of your surroundings, that flower in the 1st pic is sure interesting.
Ken, I was kicked back on my patio last evening and was looking at my tiger lilies. I "guessed" that they were about 3 weeks from blooming. I may be way off but I'll post pics when the time comes and we can see how far behind they are here as compared to Texas.

Boss picked her first mater this morning.

bighomer wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 2:35 pm Boss picked her first mater this morning.

Wow! Nice tomato. We’ve got a lot of green ‘uns but I’m guessing still 3-4 weeks before any are vine ripe. Usually get some ripe ones around late May or the first of June.

Ike, our tiger lilies here will probably be about finished by the time yours start blooming.

Ken

A few recent pictures.

Ken

. Most of ya will think this is garlic, but I see knives,1200 of these at 1.50 each in bags of 100 gets me thru the day at the pleasantville knife show. Wish they'd be ready before little valley show. Might be my last my ear, 79 years are catching up.

Nice garlic crop!

Ken

robpa wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2026 10:33 pm . Most of ya will think this is garlic, but I see knives,1200 of these at 1.50 each in bags of 100 gets me thru the day at the pleasantville knife show. Wish they'd be ready before little valley show. Might be my last my ear, 79 years are catching up.

Clean and tidy, nice pic!