What have you done today in the Garden?

Those "decorative circles," have been a pain over the years. They were my attempt at reproducing a chrysanthemum effect.

The ones in the photo I cut out from thick roofing ply in 1987. They're as good today as they were when I made them.

Sadly, elsewhere they haven't been so. Plywood over the years has progressively been made from very inferior timber.

The problem is that when you cut plywood with a jigsaw, you can disturb the laminations (not enough glue between them) and then however well you paint it, water can get in and they start to de-laminate.

I made the matching ones on this balustrade of thinner plywood, over the years I had to re-make them twice, as they'd started to delaminate and rot.



I had similar ones on this pergola, they too started to rot.

So in the end I used hardwood, for both pergolas.



Hardwood of the dimensions I needed was impossible to find so I changed the design and re-made them again earlier in the year.

 

Always pretty to see @Doghouse Riley!

I cannot believe I blew as many leaves as I just did! It seems too early for fall! I guess its the heat, because daylight is shrinking by at least 2 hours if not more by now. I am cleaning out the garden (edit! 10 gallons- 5 winter squash, 4 peppers, 1 scraggly celebrity) save a few peppers and some indeterminant tomatoes. I hope to set up my seed starting rack with basil and other herbs to keep them going through winter. That may mean I will need another seed setup come 1rst quarter but that is ok right?

 

I am a big fan of your hardwood chrysanthemum decorations. They go with the asian nature of your garden decor. They are just a joy to look at.

My pergola is so massively grown with Wisteria that I can not see much of the wood at all. Looking at your professional work is quite impressive. Chapeau.

 

You cannot kill it with round-up. Wisteria is a force of nature.

 

Yes, that is OK. When you are done with it, you can send it here.

 

We should propose using wisteria for strengthening buildings against all sorts of disasters. I think the last one I grew would have withstood a volcanic eruption.

 

Those are really lovely. Nice job @Doghouse Riley!

 

Today I did more work removing an 8 foot x 16 foot bed at the front of the house.
it contained some nice grasses, a columnar apple tree. Scarlet Sentinel. Nice late season apple, but it grew gigantic and wasn't bearing any fruit I could reach and this year only had five apples anyway. And boulders.

For fire risk mitigation, those tall grasses had to go. The boulders make it difficult to keep the grass mowed short, so they will be moved. The apple tree is already gone. It's not my idea of a "natural prairie" look, but I have to be realistic. This was also one of my gardening downsizing projects, eliminating an area that needed maintenance but didn't give much reward.

I've started filling in around the new front walk. I cant seem to upload images today, maybe I'll show it later. (added later. lots more work needed filling in and tidying up). Also removing the grasses. I already removed the milkweeds.



I picked a pound and a half of green beans. These plants had escaped the marauding ducks. Im hoping for more from the raised bed in the main vegetable garden.

 

Another great posting, Daniel.
The sidewalk came out nicely. Very smart-looking. Thanks for showing that.

Those beans in the metal colander — that thing looks just like ours. I had better go check to make sure that you didn’t cat-burgle it from me last night.

Nice looking beans, BTW.

You are right about the strength of wisteria— it is reenforcing a pergola and curved screen in our garden. It is a wild thing, but when guided, can be useful.

 

Don't worry Sjoerd. I returned your colander. Now I need another nap for the jet lag.

 

Daniel your new path looks great.

Went to 3 local garden centres for some daffodil bulbs and large yellow crocuses. Got the daffodils but not the crocus, the one centre did have some but too small, so ordered some online.

 

Everything looks so wonderful. Love that new walkway Daniel.

The last few days has been a few early unexpected trips to town in the early AM. I did manage to get the greenhouse cleaned out, and the squash inside to cure. Just in time - I missed a big frost that night.



The leeks are inside now, and we are enjoying a leek and bacon casserole for dinner tonight ( what's not to love!)

The onions are strung and hanging on the porch. I love looking at them hahahaha

Gravel has been coming in for the driveway. A section has spent the summer under water since the spring and busy beavers. I'm pushing hard for clear culverts before winter , but we shall see. Bureaucracy does not move very quickly. A neighbour is helping with spreading and packing the gravel which I'm grateful for. Five dump truck loads so far, and more to come once the bed is packed. It should be all packed enough that I can plough in the winter without ploughing gravel.

 

Wow @Melody Mc. , you are the Queen of Squash!

I love squashes. Mine didn't do well this year. Try again next year.

Today I completed the decommissioning of the prairie border, that I started earlier. When rainy season comes, I'll smooth the ground better and plant grass and clover seeds.

I laid some more weed prevention mats between vegetable raised beds.

These are among the last of the heirloom tomatoes, and a few other things.



Next week I want to decommission another garden area. It's been used for lots of vegetables and flowers over the years. This year it was just Canada Thistles. I've been hoping someone from Canada would take them back, but so far, no. It needs cutting, a bit of soil smoothing, and grass seed & clover when rainy season begins.

Here is a barrel of bush bean plants. They are almost ready to pick. I'm hoping for a pound of green beans.



I placed an early order for some of my favorite veggie seeds.



and

 

Daniel. Ha ha— Cheers for sneaking it back in. I was beginning to worry that you had nicked it for keeps. Yeah, that jet lag’s a killuh innit, mate.

That harvest pic is one for a calendar. Any food that looks THAT good is bound to create deep gastro-intestinal pleasure. Chapeau.

I enjoyed seeing the seed packets. I do not recognise any of the tom sorts, so I shall require your eval next year.

BTW— that is a most unusual table surface. What material is that?

Now Mel, I can’t add anything to the “Queen of Squash” remark that Daniel made. Of course we know that you are a queen of more things. I read with glee how you enjoy looking at your strung onions. I know that feeling. Also the bacon addition to the leek casserole is nothing less than inspired. Gad, I am drooling already.

 

It's the kitchen island. Some sort of granite. I imagine there were many eons of geologic processes going on that made that. I rather like it!