I really like the look of that Merlot napa! See what you did? Now I have to try it. Really though, I want to not only because it's really pretty but also because of your comment that the flee beetles don't mess with it. I wonder if the color "disguises" it. Regardless, I'm adding it to my buy list. Thanks!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all! Anyone else working in the garden today?

I wasn't really working out there - just went out and uncovered the rosemary and sage that I covered several days ago, when I heard about that extreme cold headed this way. I had trimmed close to a 5 gal bucket in combination, to make them shorter, but I still had to put a very large tarp over them. And today, when uncovered, they were not at all affected by the cold nights. Any other super cold weather this winter, I'll just flip the tarp back in place, and put the weights back in place.
Uncovered rosemary and sage, 12-25, after covering, before the 13 and 11 degree nights. Staying in the 20s as far as the forecast shows. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Almost all I have growing now is in the hydroponics (except for those herbs out there), and I have to trim back a bunch of that! I've been using some of the lettuce almost every day, for a salad, but you wouldn't know it, and I still have a bunch of those greens I got from outside, so I have to make some Kimchi, or something like that, which will use a lot up at a time (I should have enough garlic and hot peppers for that! ). And today I trimmed that epazote back severely, and took all the trimmings to the Mexican restaurant/market in town. I also have some overgrown dill in that hydro, that I will trim later, and make some of those Indian dishes, using large amounts of dill, or maybe a Laotian dish, which is another cuisine which uses large amounts of dill.

The overgrown red Epazote, ready to be trimmed. by pepperhead212, on Flickr



The trimmed back red epazote. The parsley should get some light, now, and I'll soon trim the bok choy, too. by pepperhead212, on Flickr



The epazote I'm getting ready to take up to the Mexican restaurant/market in town. by pepperhead212, on Flickr



The overgrown dill, just 2 plants. by pepperhead212, on Flickr



These garlic chives seemed to die back, when I didn't get any rain for 42 straight days (and already dry before that), so I weedwacked them flat, back in October sometime. When I finally got some rain, a little before Thanksgiving, and about a week later, they were growing back! And now, they survived those two low teen days we had out there, and are still growing.

Parsley and garlic chives, still growing after the 13 and 11 degree nights back there, and several more in the low 20s by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Nice haul!

And here's the dill that was growing up into the lights. There were only 2 plants - the dill on the left, with more and thicker stalks, was the Shevid - a.k.a. "Persian" variety, I just got this fall, from trueloveseeds.com, and definitely grew larger, and more productive than the Dukat. I'm wondering if it is related to Tetra - a variety I grew in the hydro a few years ago, that got so large I could hardly get it out! Like those flatleaf parsley, and cutting celery, which just get too big!
Overgrown dill harvested from the hydroponics. Persian variety on left, Dukat on right. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

That's a nice haul all right! Hydroponics done right is very helpful this way.

pepperhead212 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 7:11 pm The Peruvianna from Baker Creek is a fairly good, medium size, about 2' tall, but not totally true bred - slightly different flowers. All the rest of the zinnias I have are larger ones.

Deleted.

pepperhead212 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 7:11 pm The Peruvianna from Baker Creek is a fairly good, medium size, about 2' tall, but not totally true bred - slightly different flowers. All the rest of the zinnias I have are larger ones.

Just what I wanted size wise. That it is not quite a true bred variety does not matter. Right size; right colour. Thank you! I am going to the poorhouse buying seeds...