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.