Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice, a celebration of daylight returning in the midst of darkness. The bird on the feeder wishes you warmth and coziness today and all winter long. Happy holidays to everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yesterday was the first winter storm of the year. Rain came first, which transitioned to snow, and now everything has frozen. You can see how the hydrangeas (below) are bending under the weight of the snow and ice. However, the roads are clear in this area, so people can celebrate together. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a garden. And I'm grateful for houseplants (hibiscus, above), so I can exercise my green thumb indoors in the winter. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

End of the Season Review

The photos of this review of the growing season were taken much earlier, a reminder of those glorious, warmer fall days. I grew a fancy fern leaf parsley, and the texture and taste weren't great for cooking. Did it look good? Yes. But I found myself not using it for anything. I won't plant dahlias  again (more later on dahlias). My crops of kohlrabi, chard, and kale were flops this year. The kohlrabi grew and grew and didn't develop bulbs, despite planting three crops each a week apart. I suspect the early hot weather stunted their development. But since they failed so completely, it could have been the seed was packaged incorrectly. It did look like kale, but then they're cousins. The kale was ravaged by slugs, and I got one small crop at the end of the season. I don't know what happened to the chard. It never really took off... maybe weather, maybe slugs. 

I'm trying to see how long I can keep the basil going indoors (above). The painted lady runner beans attracted hummingbirds more than anything else I planted. The flowers are nice, the greenery is lush, and the beans are edible. I trimmed a vine for a bouquet, which worked pretty well. I saved seeds for next year. I also saved seed for the bright pink zinnias (below). I hope they're viable. It's nerve-wracking to have to wait until spring. Overall, I'm happy with the garden this year. I've learned a lot, so that's a win. We ate a lot; that's another win. And I've truly enjoyed the time I spend working outside. My favorite "meditation" (originally I mis-typed the word as "medication" and that works, too) is sitting outside, observing the plants and shrubs and trees, the bees and bugs, the birds and squirrels. It reminds me that all life on earth is connected and brings me peace. 

Today's Peapods

Today I picked five peapods. They were small and a little tough but completely amazing to be growing in November. I 've decided to cover them since the next couple days are predicted to be colder, followed by warmer temperatures. I'll see how long I can keep the peapods and the lettuce (below) going.

First Freeze

Overnight, October 7, we got our first 27 degree temp. Now it's time to clean things up! 

New Normal for October?

The weather is unusually warm. No, hot. The Twin Cities marathon was cancelled last year due to heat, and while it won't be cancelled this year, it's pretty hot. I feel bad for the runners. It has me wondering if this is the new normal. If it is, I need to re-consider how I do things, including cutting back annuals so they look less straggly this month. I haven't had the heart to cut back and clean up. And last night 3.3 million birds migrated overhead, according to BirdCast, so it's good to have those seed heads for them. The planter above has lemon grass and strawberry mint with seed heads. (Basil in there, too, but the other two plants have taken over.)

The bubblegum petunias are pretty much in seed-making mode, so there are fewer flowers. Again, I need to but them back twice in a year compared to the one time. The cosmos below are flopping over, too tall for the weight of flowers and seeds up top. 

I refreshed the mulch by cutting back weeds, laying down cardboard, and adding wood mulch. However, I didn't get enough mulch so some cardboard peaks through. I'll fix it in spring. 

The basil is going strong. The wire protects the newly planted garlic bulbs. I lost a couple the past two years with squirrels digging. This seems to help. I'm not watering them yet since it's so warm they'll start growing. Cooler weather is in the forecast starting the 6th. 

Here's a tiny pea pod and one blossom. It's pretty warm for them. We'll see what happens.

The butterflies love the zinnia flowers, and the birds are eating the seeds. Or maybe the bugs going for the flowers. Behind the zinnias, I have a large platter of shallow water that I keep topped up for the birds, which is popular. Hopefully, this weather gives migrating birds a boost. 

Happy Fall!

The week of the 15th has not been like fall, with high temps and high humidity (dew points in the upper 60s and sometimes 70). I know it's humid when our dryer has a puddle of condensation because the humid air comes in the vent and hits the cool machine. The headlines said "unseasonably warm," but I say downright uncomfortable. However, I shouldn't complain. It could be snowing.  This photo is a bouquet made from a native viburnum branch, which had been laying on the ground, damaged for an unknown reason. The red leaves and berries are beautiful. P.S. Below is my last watermelon for this season. The small melon developed later than the others but was fully ripe and delicious. The steak knife is for scale.