8.21.2015

the shift




while it's true that some days do still feel downright summery, the balance between the waning summer days and the coming fall days seems to be starting to tip in autumn's favor.  refreshingly cool evenings and mornings, reduced midday humidity, apples dripping off of trees here and there (though not at our house- the squirrels got ALL of ours!).....


in the garden, the shift is more than obvious.  the garlic, (NINE pounds of it!) is all cured and ready for storage (some we will keep as is, some will be vinegar cured or dried, and some we will use as seed garlic in October), the butternuts and winter luxury pumpkins are all picked and cured, and just a few "big Max" pumpkins remain in the beds.  the butternuts and pumpkins did alright this year, but several of the plants produced just one fruit each, and I'd like to think 2 or 3 is a reasonable expectation.  still, these will last us quite a while.




we've planted fall peas and greens, cabbages and turnips, beets and carrots....


the row of jalapeños and serranos patiently await pickling and hot-saucing...

looking thorough some thai basil and globe amaranth to the bean teepee, still producing


there is a new round of baby cucumbers coming in, along with some okra and tomatillos...




the echinacea that volunteered in the middle of the garden is thriving and spreading vigorously.  it seems to want to sow itself all over my yard and I'm okay with that.  the black-eyed susan follows it, not wishing to be left behind.

the little bugger below caused a stir the other day when papa brushed up against him while pruning a grapevine.  luckily, he didn't actually get stung.  turns out this fella, the saddleback caterpillar, is one of the most venomous caterpillars in North America, and it's stings can lead to a whole host of ugly complications.  according to one website, "The venom itself can cause a systemic condition called erucism or acute urticaria, for which severe symptoms may include migraines, gastrointestinal symptoms, asthma complications, anaphylactic shock, rupturing of erythrocytes, and hemorrhaging".

well then.  at least we now know to give them plenty of space should we see another one.



our little pond is looking good, and it turns out that while we were away one of the fish had a baby.  there is now a 2 inch long grey goldfish swimming alongside the others.  the resident frog hasn't been spotted in a while, but I'm hoping he/she will be back.




22 comments:

  1. love this little virtual tour, and happy to have had my own, in person, yesterday. happy weekend! it's all beautiful.

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    1. thanks, Lisa~ and it was great to finally see you again yesterday and catch up a bit! here's to keeping it a regular, standing date. xo

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  2. Everything looks just wonderful! Winter luxury pumpkin? I have never heard of it and I must make it my own. Who wouldn't want a pumpkin called by that name? Glad you are well. :)

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    1. Winter Luxury is a variety of small pie pumpkin that is supposedly comparable to New England Pie and maybe a bit sweeter. they are yummy :)

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  3. Beautiful tour, a harvest to be proud of. Quality looking garlic.

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  4. What a harvest you have. That is so awesome. Your garlic looks perfect. I never thought about growing hot peppers before. I'd like some jalapenos. And you're so much more knowledgeable than I. I'm glad you mentioned that "shift". We've been having it here - cool mornings and late afternoons with mid temps during most of the day.

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    1. hot pepper plants produce SO MUCH!
      loving the seasonal shift, for sure~

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  5. Oh I LOVE that pond! It's so pretty, Amanda. xxx

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    1. thanks, Cory. it is small and sweet and the plantings are spreading out so it's starting to look a bit wild and crazy, which I love. we do need to get in there and clean out all the muck from the bottom before it gets cold this year, but we've got a little time.

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  6. what a lovely garden you have! after reading i now have to find out how to cure garlic. hmm..
    blessings
    ~*~

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    1. thank you! really it's just the step of allowing it to fully dry in a well ventilated area, out of direct sunlight, after you harvest it. doing so will prolong how long you can store it.
      cheers!

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  7. crazy how that tiny little caterpillar can cause so many problems! wow! love your volunteer coneflower and black eyed susans :) i have been trying to grow them here with not a lot of success. i have been feeling "the shift" lately too. it's kind of crazy... one moment the wind picks up and it feels like fall is here... then suddenly the sun burns through the clouds and summer is back with a fury. i am so ready for fall now. i am craving rain. :)

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    1. I, too, am ready for fall. funny how at the start of a season I go ahead and start worrying over how it won't last long enough and such.... but then by the time a new one is knocking at the door I am more than ready to embrace it. such is life, I guess. a good lesson in many ways.

      the coneflower that I purposely planted isn't doing all that great... yet the ones that have seeded themselves and I've largely ignored are thriving! much like the tomatoes I planted in the ground next door instead of throwing on the compost heap (they were leggy, root bound starts I had no room for in our garden) that are now doing so much better than the ones I've got in our garden! hmmm...

      hope your rain comes soon!
      xo

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  8. I love butternut squash :) The shift is more than welcome over here!

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    1. it feels good to be coming around to a new season~ midway through a season I start fretting about not wanting it to end (maybe I'm thinking there are still 'so many things' I want to do before saying hello to a new season?) but by the time it's almost here I'm thrilled to welcome the new one. I don't get quite as excited to say goodbye to fall and welcome winter, but the older I get, the more I am able to embrace it.

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  9. As always, absolutely gorgeous and abundant! You are a crazy good gardener, my friend. I wish I lived closer to you to absorb all of your wisdom and know how. XOXO.

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    1. aw thanks, Nichole! there are definitely big garden struggles and often at least one all out fail each year... but overall we feel like we're finding our groove.

      I could definitely say the same for you, in regards to so many things~
      xo

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  10. So much goodness. I love that the echinacea has traveled. Hoping the one plant that sprouted this year will do the same to my yard.

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    1. I hope it does, too! it's pretty tenacious around here... or at least I have some that really likes to go where it wants to!

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~