Solstice Celebrations!

Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Solstice Greetings! I'm happy because the days will begin to lengthen. I struggle to get out of bed in the morning when it's so dark because the sun rises later and the clouds that are bringing our second winter storm block what little light we get. I think perhaps I cursed the good weather trend when I posted about sitting outside in November. Sure, the snow is pretty, and the crews clear the snow pretty well. Thank you to those unsung heroes! Because of the dangerous wind chills, however, I won't walk outside for a few days. I'm grateful for my treadmill since I'll be eating a little too well with Christmas cookies and mashed potatoes. My instincts are to curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea. 'Tis the season for hibernation. 

Warm and Sunny in November?

A cup of tea on the deck in November? I checked the temperature--49 degrees F. Yes, I have shoveled snow several times. Below is a photo from November 16, and now the snow is mostly gone. Ah, climate change. 

(snow on purple coneflower)

Last Harvest and Hibiscus

The parsley is so lovely and hardy. I thought it was killed off in the last freeze, but with the rain and warmer temperatures, it grew some new leaves. What a delightful surprise! The hibiscus (below) is loving its indoor space. I will have to cut it back at some point, but I think I'll wait until March or so, depending on the weather forecasts. I love the healthy green leaves and vibrant flowers just as all the leaves have fallen off the trees outside.

First Snow

Ah yes, the first snowfall of the year. 

It's hard to tell the alyssum flowers from the snow. And who would have guessed there'd be snow on a rose? Maybe it's because we had a crazy warm day earlier this week--close to 80 degrees F. And today is chilly with a wind chill around 30 F with snow and sleet. 

I'd say it's looking like Christmas, but this will all melt and we'll have warmer days (I hope).

Planting Daffodils

What the heck was I thinking? I bought 50 daffodil bulbs....and I almost bought two bags. I also bought twenty muscari (grape hyacinth) and five tulips. I have not had luck with tulips surviving creatures' appetites at my old place, but I'm willing to try five before I invest more money. 

I've seen the videos of gardeners using a drill with an attachment to make holes, but our drill needs a new battery. I did this the old fashioned way with a shovel, which is a good workout. Now I'm waiting and hoping these will survive the winter. 

First Frost/Freeze

The temperature when I woke up this morning was 29 degrees F. Even though I covered as much as I could, I don't think many of the warm weather crops will survive. That's life in Minnesota. I heard there was snow further north. The photos are native geranium (above) and hydrangea (below). Hydrangea flowers are so pretty at every stage of growth, including with a frosty glaze. 

Happy First Day of Fall!

I'm a fan of mums, of course, yet these native asters look really good. They're a little floppy, so next year I'll trim them in early summer. I've been harvesting the second crop of beans. I'm not sure how if they'll continue to produce with these cool nights (in the 40s F). 

The photo below is our local park as the sun rises. The oaks have not begun to change colors yet, but now with daytime temps in the 60s (thank goodness!), we'll see some fall color soon.

September Update

I planted three cucumber plants (Muncher), and now I have too many cukes. I thought they wouldn't make it, but with the warm weather and consistent watering, I've got more than I need since I'm the only one who eats them. And with everything going on, I don't have time for pickling. I'll give some away. 

The wild asters are blooming, and they look nice but a little uneven. The plants are a bit floppy and they aren't blooming at the same time, which could help extend the bloom time. Native plants can be tricky, I'm finding. Below is sedum, the flowers are more on the pink spectrum than this photo shows. I inherited this plant from the previous owners so I don't know what variety it is, but it has thrived in this space. 

I replanted pumpkins (Wee Be Little) when I saw that the squash vine borers killed my other plants. One tiny fruit, the size of thumbnail, fell off when I investigated it, but this one fruit seems to be doing okay. Pretty cute!

And let me end this post with this beautiful rose. To be honest, I'm not showing the black spot at the base of the plant, but no matter. The blooms are just gorgeous. I've stopped trimming the spent blossoms as the season cools (nights in the upper 40s) so rosehips develop. My intention is to have winter interest, but the reality is that the squirrels will be happy to have a treat when the weather gets colder. 

End of August

It's harvest time, and I'm having trouble keeping up because the school year has begun. After days of humid weather, we have a beautifully breezy, dry day, and my energy has returned. I'm a Minnesota marshmallow, and I don't do well in high dew points. Above is the New Ace hybrid pepper. This variety is doing very well. Below are my Roma tomatoes, which are so heavy with fruit that my staking doesn't seem to be working. 

When you buy carrots in the store, they're similar in shape and size. Not so in my garden. Maybe I didn't thin them evenly or some got more water or a few germinated later than others. It doesn't matter because I eat all of them. Not shown in this post (because it's not pretty) are my green beans, which look done for the season, or my greens, which have a combination of wilting and bolting. I've replanted some, but something is going on with the lettuce. It's not sprouting even though the radishes and bok choy are. The garden is a mystery. 

Every year I wonder if I should plant zinnias again, and every year I'm glad I did. The butterflies love them. 

And below is a swallowtail chrysalis. I check it every day.

The photo below is before our recent rain, which have knocked down my hydrangea blooms. I didn't think I'd have to stake them this year because it's only their second season, but they're doing well. 

Also doing well are the strawberries. I finally got around to clipping off most of the runners, keeping some plants to expand the strawberry bed. I really enjoy this time in the garden, as the humidity subsides and I enjoy good food and beautiful flowers. And I do an excellent job of ignoring the weeds. May your garden be your delight as well!

Squash Vine Borers

This is the worst I've ever seen squash vine borers damage. I rotate crops, but this didn't stop them this year. I pulled up my zucchini (above) and pumpkin (below). I did plant a couple of pumpkins in the front yard in July. So far they look okay. 

You can see their signature damage below.

I'm going to have to --gasp!-- buy zucchini from the farmers' market. Next year I'll use floating row cover to protect the seeds, and I'll investigate the plants earlier in the season. For more information on how to prevent them, read this:  https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/squash-vine-borers The photo below is there to make me feel better. In this bed are tomatoes, peppers, alyssum, dill, and four kinds of basil. 

What to do with radishes in the heat

Radishes are a cool weather crop, as most gardeners know. I harvested them a while ago, but I left one of the biggest and healthiest to flower. The bees like the flowers, which turn into green pods. The pods (when green) can be eaten, such as in a stir fry. The photo below shows a pod, but it's past the point of eating but not at the point of collecting seeds. As the pods ripen, they get brown and dry. Inside there will be radish seeds. 

I have a problem waiting until the seeds are fully developed--they'll look dark. If you grow a hybrid or several varieties, the seeds may not develop into the exact same kind of radish. But these are some of the easiest seeds to save. The photo below shows how the seeds should look. Happy seed saving!

July Update

Welcome to July...the heat, the humidity, and the lush plant growth. I complete my garden chores and daily walk early because I don't like the heat. But the plants are doing well.

The New Ace peppers have set fruit (above). The tomatoes are flopping all over the place (my fault), but I'll tie them back (again), so the pepper can grow and ripen.

I have harvested the garlic scapes (above). Yes, you can eat them--pesto, pickled-- but I chop them, place them in a glass jar, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit for two to three days. Then I separate the water and the scapes, putting the water back in the jar and the scapes in compost. I put the jar in the fridge to use this fall as a scent deterrent so critters leave my shrubs alone. 

The beans are beginning to produce. This was my third attempt at planting. I'll plant another crop for fall after the heat wave.

Shasta daisies flank the native geraniums. I planted two Supertunias Vista Paradise on the edge, and they're struggling a bit. They were stressed clearance plants, so it may take them a while to recover.

These Easy Wave Neon Rose petunias are thriving. I wasn't sure if they'd do well because I bought them on sale. I love this color! I planted one plant per pot and lined up the three pots. 

The lavender I grew from seed is thriving in its spot. I think I may expand this next year. Below is an overview of the vegetable garden. And now I'll work on re-hydrating myself. 

Swallowtail Caterpillars

The dill in my garden self-seeded itself (with a little help from me leaving the seed heads on). Dill is a host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars. These are looking healthy, yet we have a good population of birds in the area, so I worry a little. The photo below has five small caterpillars. The photo above was taken a few days later. When I was in the garden without my phone, I watched a swallowtail lay eggs on the dill...one tiny precious dot per plant. 

Butterfly Weed Update

Happy Fourth of July! This is the third season, and the butterfly weed bloomed. I thought they were dead last year, but I watered them through last year's drought. In the background is blanket flower. The original coreopsis (tick seed) has finished blooming. I've planted some daisies and Black-eyed Susans, which I'll update as soon as they're established. I started them from seed, so it may be next year before they bloom. In the far background is the bee house, along with some fairy garden figurines, which will be featured in a future post. In other news, the pea pods are ready to eat. And delicious! I enjoy expanding flowers and shrubs in my garden, but I absolutely delight in the fresh food.

The strawberry story

Last year I ordered 20 strawberry plants and planted them underneath two trees. I tried to cover them with netting, to no avail. The rabbits ate them, the squirrels dug them, and the trees sucked the life out of them. I rescued five remaining plants and put them in pots. Then in the late summer, I planted them in my fenced garden area, mulched them for winter, and hoped for the best. It worked! The plants are growing so well that I'll remove some daisies I planted to fill in the space. The plants are sending out runners, and we have enough fruit for a tasty treat. Yay and yum!