Tuesday, September 30, 2008
A Few Late Bloomers
Labels:
"gloriosa daisies",
"Malva sylvestris",
"stella d'oro",
poppy
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ed was So Right!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On a Gray Day , You Can See...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Starting Over
Friday, September 26, 2008
Composted Broccoli
I clearly misjudged this plant. Now at the end of the season, in spite of the treatment it received, this plant has produced broccoli. You can't keep a good plant down! I will cut it and use it in a stir fry with pride.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Plant Identification the Hard Way
How is it after all these years I have never noticed the gorgeous fall color of the stems of this plant? What is this plant anyway? It's tall, taller than me in fact. It's definitely a weed. This time of year it has dark purple berries. As a boy my dad used the berries to make ink in the attic and left a very permanent stain on the ceiling below.The berries and roots are poisonous. In the spring, mom used to boil the green shoots in three changes of water and then cook them. (None for me thanks!!!) Up until the year 2000, a company named Allen's used to can the stuff.
So how about it, can you identify this plant without seeing the flowers, the berries or the leaves?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tight Squeeze
Roses are Red, Violets are Invasive
However, right now I'm suffering with way too much of a good thing! Take a close look in the upper right of the picture. Violets produce seeds in the fall!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Impossible Deadline
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Chrysanthemum Weather
Yesterday was a delightful day in the garden. Ed dug the last of the potatoes and some carrots. I worked at cleaning up some gone- to- seed plants and weeds. We both pondered where we will plant the bulbs we ordered early in the season. One package has already arrived. Another will be here any day now. Optimism has its rewards! As is usually the case we have ordered more that we have space ready to plant.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Out and In Plants
Every weather forecast has the word frost in it now. My bay trees are safely secured in their sunny spot in the front hallway. The rest of the chosen tender perennials are being carried out during the day and brought in at night. All too soon I'll have to get the table set up in front of my south facing window because like the bays, these plants will be staying inside. Rosemary, lemon verbena, rose geranium, peppermint geranium, marjoram, parsley, society garlic, sweet bay and lemon grass will be moving indoors. For now they are part of my exercise program. Carry the pots out to get some sun when it's warm and carry them back in to avoid Jack Frost at night.
Strawberries in September
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Snakes and Stonewalls
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
My Pet Peppermint Geranium
(Picture a German Shepard not a St. Bernard.) It's time to move that job up on the list.
I'm pretty attached to this particular plant. I bought it on a trip to Caprilands back in 1993 when I was totally enthralled with herbs. I am pleased to see that Adelma Simmon's place is being restored. She signed the book I bought"all Garden Joys and Herbal Magic" as I'm sure she did everyone's. Yes! This plant is special!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Broccoli Revival
One thing I noticed about this year's broccoli was the absence of cabbage worms. Any organic gardener is familiar with those little green worms that turn beige when they are steamed. The other thing I noticed was that the great majority of weeds around the broccoli were catnip. Coincidence...I wonder? There was no shortage of the white butterflies here this year. Next year we plan to plant the broccoli where the catnip is growing.
The first flock of geese flew over heading south this morning. The yellow shafted flickers are back in the yard. Best of all the Northern Harrier landed and perched right on the ridge of the house roof.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hot Stuff
I'm certainly not complaining about the rain. The new lettuce and spinach love this rain, and the perennials need it too. The bugs are another matter. I don't enjoy being part of the food chain anyway, but this time of year it's downright irritating. Insect demise is definitely one of the things that softens the blow when the frost comes. The basil will be gone , but so will those rotten black bugs and mosquitoes!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Sunflowers Are For the Birds
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Delicious, Fragrant, Lemon Verbena
Friday, September 12, 2008
Buckwheat Bedcovers
The positive effects of the buckwheat are a mystery to me. These beds will be practically weed free next year. How does this happen? Then there is the green manure issue. Since the plant grew from this soil, how can its decomposition result in a net nutrient gain? All that I added was the seed.
Then there are the bees. These flowers are clearly out of season. They are covered with bees of several kinds. I have to work among the bees to pull the plants. No stings yet! The bees just continue to work the flowers that I place on the ground. This is something like teaching eighth graders. A calm confident manner alarms no one. I do my work. They do their work. I swat at nothing buzzing around my head. I don't bother the bees either.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fall Flowers and Patchy Frost
The rest of the week's temperatures look better but the warning has been sounded. Procrastination has to stop. The time is now to get in the rest of the harvest taken care of. This year's garden is winding down . It's an ending for sure, but it's also the beginning of the glorious fall season .
Down the Garden Path
The board separating the path and the garden bed will soon be removed. The bed and the path must stay unmixed. The stones next to the board are hand placed following the rules of stone wall building. They have a slight tip toward the path. Each stone rests on two stones beneath it. If this is done carefully the stones will not mix with the soil.
The source of this stone is the new planting bed under development. Here the glacier left more stone than dirt. A shovel and sifting screen are the tools of choice. This land was farmed for more than one hundred years. Many of the large stones I find have deep scratches across their surface from repeated plow strikes. The smaller stones have been broken with flat surfaces remaining. The six inch deep stone paths are filled with mixed waste then covered with selected flat stones. This creates a surface that is pleasing to both the eye and the foot. The only cost is my labor. The time invested quiets the mind and builds defined forearms.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Outstanding
Monday, September 8, 2008
Pull It, Pull It NOW !
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Borer Wars:A Losing Battle
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A Sultry Wind from the South
The truth is things here are beginning to dry up. Some of the plants are beginning to look terminal. Rain will be welcome. Nice gentle rain is best, but we have to take what comes. Gardeners complain but they know that's how it is.
Friday, September 5, 2008
What is that Plant?
Having never seen this plant here before, I can't help wondering how it got to my compost. Perhaps a bird dropped it. Who knows? This is a plant listed in the wildflower book with the words" troublesome weed" in the description. It's cute, but it apparently has a dark side. Perhaps the compost is the right place for it.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Peter Piper Picked a Peck...
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Well-behaved Curly Chives
Which Way Is Up?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Psychedelic Potatoes
These Purple Viking potatoes are almost too pretty to eat. The beautiful pink and purple skins are thin when newly dug, and while washing them I rubbed through to their white flesh inside. There is just enough time for a photo op and then these potatoes are headed for the pot. With their pink and purple skins they will make a delicious and colorful addition to dinner. You can't use potatoes for a centerpiece anyway, they need to be stored in the dark!
Monday, September 1, 2008
It's a Watermelon !
I wanted seeds and I got them. By my count I have over 300 watermelon seeds. They are spread out and drying on paper towels. I guess I won't be planting all of those, but the watermelons will definitely be back next year!
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