What have you done today in the Garden?

@Sjoerd @Melody Mc. Boletus edulis are what I am after. I found this one. Ceps or penny buns are common names.

 

That guy looks delish.

 

Just a quick vac of the lawn of the fallen leaves, from next door's silver birches.


Our Sorbus has come into its own now, the leaves will start to die off soon and the berries ripen further.
I've "nursed" this tree over thirty years. We got it from Bents Garden Centre and it had an unbalanced shape and a pronounced bend in the trunk. I've managed to straighten it a bit over the years and the lean is no longer that noticeable. By wiring and pruning it has adopted a better shape.







It still has two supporting wires on lower branches to train them away from the pagoda's sorin and stop them breaking if the wood pigeons perch on them to get at the berries. The berries will be a pain to vac up over a few weeks once they start to fall.






I was a bit worried about my bamboo "forest" along the back fence, as it was decidedly thin earlier in the year and there were a lot of dead fronds in it. You could actually see the fence through it. But it has fully recovered. I made sure it didn't go short of water during the hot spells.



I'm pleased with the way this little acer has responded (as always) to a severe prune earlier in the year. It only forms pink leaves on this side that gets the sun.

 

Picked some more blackberries and watered the hanging baskets and pots.

 

Great harvest @Daniel W

 

I walked around the garden, looked at all the weeds, and sighed. We've been away for three weeks. I have a lot to do out there, weather permitting.

 

@Daniel W - lovely pears! I have only ever quartered mine, I like how you cubed them. I always end up having to cut them up when I open the jar. Here's hoping for another harvest for you!

@Droopy - welcome back from your time away

 

Today is a cool day, and a self declared kind of day off. I picked some corn for dinner. The first ones were a disaster, which I kind of thought. Too advanced in growth when transplanted,and they were too exposed to the elements. These ones are sheltered and have some black plastic behind them.

The smaller cobs were from the the coir and home made break apart pots, and the larger one is from seed. The seed was planted in a hole of clear plastic. The plastic was left on until the heat of summer came. Cold soil really limits the size of cobs that I can grow. the seed planting is noticably larger and plumper, as well as I have two cobs per stalk for the first time ever. No more transplants for this cold climate gardener.

Corn is a serious challenge here, and to finally be getting full length cobs ( although smaller cobs) is very rewarding.

@Sjoerd - pictures as requested ( just not of the first harvest hahaha. They only looked good on the outside).



The one on the right was grown from seed.

 

The blueberries are nearing a close. I harvested a bowl again this morning. There will be perhaps a cup left. They are a low bush northern variety of blueberry. Three different varieties. It has taken some time for me to get their PH in a happy place, and have them producing more than a handful. This is the first real harvest. I have six bushes, and they all had a good year. These little bushes and berries make me very happy

 

The tomatoes are putting a push on for ripening. It is a success to have red tomatoes to be harvested from July to August, alhtough they were a little smaller. Still a win with such cold spring and early summer weather this year. The heat lamps are still in place to help out in September if needed. We have a week of unusual heat coming again, so with the ending of water I'm hoping they ripen much quicker. Tomorrow I am hoping to finish pruning out the leaves, to also encourage ripening.



The everbearing strawberries are showing to be quite resilient. All depending on the type of September I have, will show if these little fellas mature or not. A nice gamble I will take though.



The apples did produce a handful, despite the finches and grosbeaks eating their petals in the fall. I'm monitoring them and the wild berries closely, to make sure I pick them before they become a bruins feast. So far this still a lot of wild food sources.



The Gold Nugget Buttercup squash are close to being able to be picked and cured. I'm hoping to get another week to ten days on the bush.

They were bread for cold climates, intended as a sweet potatoe substitue in the diet. This appeals to me greatly with my potato allergy and the cost of yams here. I bought three yams ( medium average size) last week and it was $16. Too much. I grew these little guys last year and they are great. Enough for one person for dinner, which works as hubby isn't a squash fan. I keep them upstairs in the unheated art room with the onions and canning. Usually by about January I bake what is left and freeze it. I'm hoping for about 40?? If I'm lucky.

 

Planted 4 young tomatoes, hoping they will bear throughout the fall. Planted onion starts. Cleaned up a few pots
around the porch and put in some bright flowers. Many of my potted plants died during our house remodeling over the
last few months.

 

Picked some more blackberries and blueberries. @Melody Mc. i grow mine in pots with ericaseous compost and a general slow release fertilizer and rain water, that seems to work for me. Just got to do some pruning out the stems that haven't flowered next spring, they're old bushes.

 

@Melody Mc. I love looking at your garden photos. You accomplish so much with a cooler shorter season. Those blueberries will serve you well!

I repotted the Brugmansia that I bought earlier this year. It was looking sad. It still looks a little less than lush, but now it's making flower buds. The only container I had was black, which heats up the soil too much. So I covered with shiny Al foil. In my experiments, a foil cover reduces soil temp by about 10 to 15F on hot sunny days.


Some Roma tomato sauce for freezer. The plants are full of green tomatoes, so more to come. I slice them, simmer in pot until volume is reduced by at least half. Then run through food processor to puree the skins.


I cut the flower head from Black Seeded Simpson lettuce. I had left one plant to bolt for seeds. I store the flower head in a paper bag to dry out until winter, then clean up the seeds.

 

@Daniel W - that was a great post full of information and epiphanies. I put remay fabric on my row of beans in black pots last year, and it still was too hot. The AL foil is a great idea! The tomatoes are a good time saving suggestion also. My daughter just spoke to me yesterday about putting more thought into starting one or two plants really early of whatever I can, even if they live in a pot on the deck, just to save my own veggie seeds. It is something I will be trying, that is for sure. I always assumed my gowing season was too short. What a great feeling to collect your own Simpson seeds.

Thank you for the kind words as well. Much appreciated and valued.

 

Asian pears my fav.. those look so good. great idea to cover pot with foil. It might keep the heat in. I usually doubl pot with bubble wrap between the pots.
If possible try placing a chair in font that will shade the pot. In most cases clematis root I have treated with shade below soil line .
In the PNW climate it’s so shot moored to other states that the brings is responding to the time allowed for blooms to set.
Looks like you really a busy bee…