Dian Green

So I have about 4 patches of skirret that took this year. Now I am wondering how best to deal with them.

I was going to try and dig at least one to try the roots, but was wondering if I should be spreading root pieces around this fall or is it best to wait and try and divide in the spring?

I'm in 6b do we get fully hard frosts here and I want to to what is best for them as well as trying to get them established in more spots as fast as I can.

This is my first year with perennial kales. I had about 10 grow from seeds. Now I need to know what I should do for them to get ready for the winter. All I've found online was mostly out of the UK and we get much harder winters here.

I typically would take all of the remaining leaves from my kales right before hard frost but I'm not sure if they should be left with the perennial ones.

One brief discussion I found mentioned taking cuttings for propagation  next year but didn't explain it all at. Anyone know anything about how to do that? ( I'd love to get more of them!)
Any advice welcome since I've been liking the leaf taste so far and really want them to carry on. Thanks!

This is only our second summer here so I'm not sure how bad they typically are here. In our old place, about an hour north of here, I usually only got one or 2 litters a year.
Last year, it was super cool and wet so all the tomatoes died from blight and we never had any.
So far this year I had one batch of about a dozen,  back in early July.  They were removed by hand.

A few just showed up in the past week or 2, but I have left them since they are infected with the parasitic wasps. I found one that was clean and it got taken away but these are doing their part for natural controls next year.

I've been working on remaking a headboard and it is finally finished.
I sewed the fabric section out of the leftovers from the curtains for that room, ( all fabrics pieces that were found secondhand so there wasn't enough left of any to fo the whole thing) as well as some other nice bits from my found supplies stash.
The top section was regilded in a variegated gold metal leaf and I added the putti and some other details to fill in some empty spots.
It is way over-the-top but fun and personal and cost under $10 in supplies.
I might add some drapery falls around it, but I'm not sure yet.

I've had a classic Krug desk chair for the last 17 years. I love it. Its the perfect height, works with my back and moves well.
We've replaced the casters but late last year, a pair of the bolts that attach the chair to the base failed.
It was going to need an angle grinder and welding to fix, which are bit above our skills.
It languished for a while but we had noticed a sign on a local road that gave a phone # and said they did welding repairs and custom machining.
We stopped to grab the number last week and I called. Guy said we could bring it in that day and their welder fixed it up while we waited.
Less than a 1/2 hour total time, and $25 bucks cash, and it is ready for the next 50+ years!
So happy that there still are these kinds of repair options available locally.  ( we are in a rural area and there are lots of Mennonites and homesteaders around)

I'm not actually trying to sell, just wanted lots to eat and to use the wood when we had to take down a couple of old maples.
There is lots of wood that didn't get inoculated and is showing turkey tail so I was willing to sell to a guy who asked but it looks like that won't be happening.

No fruits yet on the lions mane, but after some more reading, it looks like they generally don't fruit until the second year for this type of set up so I remain hopeful.

I also let myself use some supplies up.
I'm making a headboard for my room by redoing one we got at an auction.  ( yeah, its a bit of an addiction, but the deals are unbeatable. Pretty sure this was done by the prop people at the Stratford Festival and it was under $5)

I decided to go all in on maximalism, since its just for me ( and it was mostly there already so I figured I should just run with it) and gilded over the top details with half of the variegated metal leaf I had stashed. It was left over from my Venetian mask making days.
Also used one of a couple of vintage carved wooden putti I found a few years ago to fill in the center of the top.
It will be a bit more subdued when it has some antiqueing wash on it but it will still be really over the top!

I'm getting back into making stuff after a long break. So far, I have been trying to wrap up a few ufos that were around.( aside from a break to do a Solarpunk art contest entry)
I'd been resisting buying much but there was an interesting looking lot in a local house clearing auction, so I gambled. At $6, I think I made out like a bandit. The tub most of it came in is very nice, if plastic. I was really thrilled about the antique ceramic palette, its the one resting on the corner. I'm going to try and clean it up. There is also a really nice purse/satchel that came with it and it has a crossbody strap and will fit the bigger sketchbooks.
There is another shoebox full of lesser stuff that I know will be donated and some of this might find a needier home too.

Just to further update: even with this being a very dry year, the shiitake have been giving us small amounts on the regular and now are doing a bigger flush.
I cooked a big group last night, took a trio today and the logs have lots of buds. Also got blue oysters both from one of stacked logs and they are showing up on several of the huge sections that just got a few innoculation points.
Very excited and enjoying how delicious they all are!

A couple of pics of the headbands. A friend modelled a few for me, at the time.