I like the sounds,but it just my garden is NOT quiet.there is a cemetery across the lane from our house.redtail hawks live in a high tree there.tree frog & cicadas sing in the trees.
and if it gets too quiet at night,there is an old raccoon who sneaks over from the cemetery & livens things up by bangin' around the garbage cans.

nobleheart: you are so kewl!

does anyone else have a noisy garden,even when no one is in it?
I found these to give you an example:
morning shift
http://www.naturesongs.com/mourndove1.wav
day shift
http://www.naturesongs.com/bumbleb1.wav
night shift
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/Insects/Field%20Cricket/489sl.wav

oh and ,some garden toys:
http://www.gardenfrogsandfriends.com/cricket%20page.htm

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/weather.html

nobleheart: never ever post personal info on a board.

nobleheart: yes,right,I am too trusting...ty for watching over me

nobleheart: OMG that is so cute lol.

smelly socks: LOL

my ICQ#********

Just protectin ya bud.. you really shouldn't give this out on a public board.. you will have a chance of someone stalking ya..

http://www.newslettersink.com/greetingcards/postcards/007H0300-sunflower.gif

but if you try it my way,let us know if ScarletRose's idea about the arm flapping thingy works.

HARVEST
You can begin to harvest sunflower seeds as soon as the center flowers turn brown or the backs of the heads turn yellow, to prevent birds from stealing them. Cut them, leaving a piece of stem to hang them in a well ventilated place to finish drying. Cover them with netting, paper sacks with holes or cheesecloth to catch falling seeds as they dry.

They can be allowed to dry on the stalk, but you'll have to cover them this way to keep the birds from eating them all before you can harvest them for yourself!

If you've grown sunflowers for the purpose of feeding birds, you can either leave them in the ground, or harvest the heads as above, then hang them in the yard or garden when they are ready. This method has an advantage in that you can dole out the heads over the winter, instead of seeing the seed all eaten within a few weeks.
---
http://extension.missouri.edu/extensioninfonet/article.asp?id=3404

Rose: You're welcome :o)

Lamby: Awesome hun, that's just what i needed to know.. Thanks so much for that! ( will send u some giant seeds thru the winter, these things were the biggest anyone around has seen!)

Here are some instructions I found for saving sunflower seeds @ : http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening///index.html-
Flowers in the center of the flower disk will have shriveled. The flower head will have begun to droop and the green back-side of the head will have turned yellow. Finally, pull a few seeds out and split them with a knife. The kernel inside should be solid and well-formed.

To harvest, cut the flower head off leaving about one foot of the stem attached. Place the flower head in a paper bag or cheesecloth sack and hang upside down in warm, dry location. The bag will catch any seeds that may fall during drying. When the seeds have dried, they can be easily rubbed from the head."

Guess I will try google for an answer to my Q.

nobleheart: I heard jumping up and down help speeds the drying time up since you are creating more of an air current.. is this true??

nobleheart: hahahaha

Rose: re :
Anyone know how to dry out sunflowers properly?
---
you take off all your clothes,stick the wet seeds to your skin all over,then stand out in the sun in the backyard until they dry out.

Foxy Lady: re :
i tried injecting a pumpkin with milk...
---
If you inject your pumpkin,this happens:
http://www.prairiefuture.com/gallery/photos/drunk_pumpkin.JPG

Rose: yeah.. I thought it was an excellent Idea.. whoo hoo..

skipinnz: That's a kool idea. At what point do you tie the bag on? Most of the seeds are still white. Do I wait until they start to turn black or do they turn black after they come off the flower head? ( total newbie here)

Rose: I've tied a paper bag over the end and when they have finally died off you can then cut the flower head off and all seeds should have been caught in the bag.

Anyone know how to dry out sunflowers properly? I grew some really giant ones this summer and want to harvest the seeds ( the neighbours all want some for next year) Do I cut em down now that they are all drooping or do I wait unti they are all dried up? ANy ideas would be appreciated.

Foxy Lady: Poor pumpkin. I can see the scene in pumpkin heaven now....
'What happened to you?'
'Halloween. You?'
'Yep, same here. How about you?'
'Well you're not going to believe this but there was this woman with a mad gleam in her eye coming at me with a syringe full of milk....'

nobleheart: i tried injecting a pumpkin with milk,suppose to make it grow real big,it died.lol

biggest pumpkins:
http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atman/gardening/muchAdo/bigpumpkins1998.html
botanical record breakers:
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0601.htm

http://www.geocities.com/queenbeeegaragerock/queen_bee.jpg

LOL

nobleheart: That sure isn't the Queen lol.

http://www.buzzin.net/images/englishimgs/lightbee9.gif

http://www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/4512
--
PS
foxy,this bee not scary,he is silly

http://members.tripod.com/usedtobees/bee.gif

nobleheart: EEEEEEEwwwwwwwww

pretend
http://www.barnesy.org/b3ta/giant_wasp_rodeo_boardsize.jpg
http://www.eden-project.co.uk/images/bee1-s-5140023.jpg

really
http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/HomeHort/F1Column/2004Articles/Graphics%20Ento/Cic%20vs%20Cic%20Killer%20Wasp.jpg

http://www.vespa-crabro.de/manda.htm

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10330-1553309,00.html

ScarletRose: your piccie?is that because you are sweet or because you are buzzed?

nobleheart: Hey!! where'd ya get my piccie..?? LOL

nobleheart: I try to stay away from bees if i can.

Kipling: yes bumble bees like this:
http://www.science-art.com/gallery/30/30_982003175615.jpg
not like this:
http://www.dannystrixkix.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/8680l.jpeg

tinksbell: I had a run in with those, once.
Its amazing how they bore their holes in such a straight line!

Kipling: They drill holes in our wood beams too

nobleheart: Big black bees with a yellow stripe?

stuff still growing here too foxy.and I discovered bumbly bee are making holes in the wood in the back of my patio.

BerniceC: Oh wow! I love palms, they sound great! (apart from having to drag the fonds away to tidy up)

perhaps i should have said PALM FRONDS...not leaves.
same difference and still a damn nuisance
I picked up 3 yesterday and 2 of them i had to drag as they were so heavy i couldnt lift them.
they are about 12 years old all my palms so they are huge now

tinksbell: Oh we get that ice also.It'll rain and snow at the same time.Makes for rough driving called "black ice"

Foxy Lady: Yes, when I lived in upstate NY, I was above the snow belt, so we didn't get hit as bad. But one year we got the ice...

tinksbell: Oh i love the snow not the below zero or the blizzards we get.

Foxy Lady: Tamara = Palm Tree, but I prefer the snow to the heat of summers

BerniceC: I'd love to have a Palm tree,your lucky you get leaves we get snow.