A Walk on a Foggy Morning

The fog enshrouded my morning walk. It's a beautiful time of year. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  Above is a the road that leads to my house. Below are oak leaves.

Above is a maple leaf. Below are the zinnias that survived the frost with a little alyssum (left)  and raspberry leaves (right). 

And below is a glimpse at my lettuce before the bitter cold arrives.

Salad in the Autumn

We've been lucky weather-wise, so I can still get some good veggies from the garden. This is my taco salad before I added ground turkey cooked with fresh garlic. I know I'm not the only one who does this, but I find myself harvesting, cleaning, chopping, and storing the different veggies so they're ready when I need them. I also made a pasta salad with the last of the green beans along with pesto chicken. And I forgot to take a photo. The photo below shows two gifts--the cucumber from a friend and the salsa from a neighbor. I'll miss my garden as we head into cooler temperatures, though I'll do my best to keep the lettuce growing as long as possible!

Melon in Minnesota

Yes, this is a cantaloupe grown in Minnesota. Yes, it's small compared to the ones in the grocery stores. For size, that's a quarter next to the melon. This variety is "Minnesota Midget" from Pinetree Garden Seeds. It's just as delicious as a full-sized variety but matures more quickly, sixty days according to the seed packet. They mature more slowly in my flirts-with-shade garden, but they're worth the wait! 

Harvest Season and Joe Pye

The Joe Pye Weed loves all the rain we've had this year and looks tall and lush (below). The bees love it (above).

After my mild neglect and the critters' voracious appetites, my vegetable harvest will be smaller than usual this year. That's okay. I know now that next year I've got to protect every stage--from seed to fruit. I did before, of course, but I'd get lazy and skip a day. Or three. With such an influx of wildlife, I know I have to be vigilant next spring. At least nothing seems to eat Joe Pye Weed plants. (Did I just jinx them?)

The Power of Coleus

As a gardener living with shade, I love coleus. The plants might not flower, but the foliage adds color, whether it's bold or subtle. This one is tall, like a column, but it branches out, looking full and healthy. It looks great on my front porch with the hibiscus, red banana, and lavender. I'd recommend this variety, but I lost the tag. (I searched and searched! I bet a squirrel stole it...) The name "fire" or "orange" may have been in it. While the stems are violet, the leaves are a bold bronze with a tinge of green. This may be my new favorite coleus.

July Garden Update

July is a great time for Minnesota gardens. My garden has mostly recovered from rodents, due to a double layer of netting around my garden beds. We've been eating green beans, but I won't have many for freezing this year. Next year I will set up the netting immediately so I can get a full crop. The photo above is one of many transplanted Milkweed plants, moved last year from the road where I almost lost them due to spraying.

Here is a hibiscus (bought on clearance!).

Above is a daylily--they're looking fabulous this year, maybe from the recent rains. Below are containers on the back deck and a row of hostas in the yard.

While the rain was needed, it took its toll on my delphiniums, which got heavy and snapped in the wind (only the ones that were extra tall this year and I didn't have a stake that matched their heights). So I took this delicate teacup/May Day gift basket and floated some of the individual blooms in them. Quite lovely!

Happy Fourth of July

This bursting Cleome blossom reminds me a little of fireworks. And for some red, I've added a photo of  Nicotiana below. Happy Fourth!