What have you done today in the Garden?

Today is the day that the Allotmentiers can bring their pulled weeds and other assorted plant debris up to the central compost area. This happens the first and third saturday of each month.

We have had two-and-a-half weeks of infernal heat and no rain…but today it rained during the hour that the composting area was open. Unbelievable. Ach wel, the volunteer would be present, so we would would go. We had a ton of refuse, so off we went this morning.

First a sausage and egg McMuffin for fortification, then across the road to the allotment complex. We had a plan B, if the volunteer did not show up; but as we drove by, we saw him standing atop the compost pile, cheerfully awaiting the ducks that would be out on such a day with their loads of weeds.

We had lots serious weeds; however, one of the big jobs was the removal of the dead Limnanthus serving as a pollinator bottom cover under the blueberry bushes. Recall how it looked?


Well, this is how it looks now:


It all fitted into this giant construction sand sack:


We have spent the last week or so turning it in the sun so that it would dry out and become liftable.

Yesterday we transferred the package into four large plastic trugs for an easier transport. Along with them, a couple more bushel baskets of ground elder, bindweed and mare’s tail added to the pull cart—we were off.

It was so good to get rid of that debris, that we forgot about the gentle rain.

 

Just a bit of wisteria pruning.... Well... a lot really.
I needed to get up on my ladder to do the top of this one that's on the pergola attached to the garage.





Then the one over the French windows.





I needed the ladder and my telescopic pruners. I can reach almost to the end from here.







This one on the fence was easier.





Took a lot off





It's an almost weekly job from now and into the Autumn.

It's the only way to control them, as they can grow up to around a foot in a week.

 

Great job, Riley. It is a massive job to be sure. I will need to begin on mine soon as well.

 

Replaced the last section of plastic fence around garden with steel wire fencing with rabbit guard.

 

Great work, mate. I hope that it will do the trick for you.

 

Nothing today went to see my friend Marion.

 

That was quite the job Sjoerd - happy to hear about the shower. Does your allotment share the compost that everyone contributes to?

 

Today was beginning to remove the leaves and sort which plants will recover from the hail last week, and which will not. All in all - I think most will recover. I'm not sure some of the corn, celery and squash - but time will tell. Our hail is like our slugs - not giant and catostrophically destructive like the prairies and people prone to tornados...just smaller and massive amounts. Everyone once in a blue moon we will get larger hail but for us that is the size of a quarter.







The spinach and lettuce are put to compost after this, some lettuce will recover from the ground. The beans took a beating most will make it. The swiss chard and kale are set back but will come back.

The damaged leaves can be removed now that new growth is coming.



I'm not sure about the corn...if I should cut off the damage or not. I'd be open to suggestions, for sure.



The celery may come back from the centre. The leeks and onions are bashed about but I think they will be okay as long as bacteria doesn't find them.



Surpisingly, other than a few heads of instant coleslaw - the brassica did okay at this stage of their growth.

 

Absolutely..wearing two pair of gloves to plant. And three more to go.

 

Mel— yes, everyone can take the compost when it is time to empty the pile area. The piles are almost as tall as I am.

Your beds look smashing…literally. That hale damage is not nothing. I expect most of your plants to recover though. That last picture looks perfect. Chapeau.

 

Melody shame about the hail, i don't think that the corn will make it, not sure if it will sprout from the sides.

Some roses don't have thorns, that's why i asked.

 

Thank you Sjoerd and Logan.

The potatoes began to flower today which is exciting.



The memory garden had it's final weeding today. The single blooms peonies were beginning to open when the hail came, so their blooms are a little unhappy. The double peionies are beginning to open which is a welcome sight. I'm going to pick some buds for my friend that is coming to visit. Her grandma used to keep them in the fridge most of the summer, to enjoy later. I'm hoping it works for her. I tried last year and didn't have any luck.

I have family coming to visit my Dad's part of the garden this week. My late best friend's brother is coming to visit her part of the garden in two weeks. There should be a selection of flowers in bloom when they do, which makes me happy. I've worked at each memory garden having favourite flowers as well as a cycle of blooms from spring to frost in August/early Sept. The Phlox and Northern Hydrangias are the last to bloom and often snowed on before their flowers fade - so they are the troopers.

 

The greenhouse is coming along despite the strange weather. The cukes are finally beginning to climb, and there is a hint of red in the dwarf Red Robin tomatoes.


The Aruba peppers are looking interesting. I've never grown them before but I'm hoping for a stuffing pepper like and Anahiem.



The Big Chili Hybrids are growing rapidly. I am hoping they are not too hot ( unlike Hubby) and they will be hopefully made into Rellenos.



The Sweet Banana peppers and La Bomba Jalepeno ( for poppers) are really liking the planters that Hubby made for me.



And the Beefsteak are showing some love, all be it Green Love.

 

Lookin good…harvest will be scrumptious.

 

The rain finally stopped allowing to to get out and inspect the damage from the storms we had this weekend.
Looks like it didn't do too much damage besides blowing some of my younger corn over. Hopefully, it'll stand back up. If you notice, to the right of my young corn is a big field that's 7 feet tall and tassel ing. It didn't even blow a single stalk of it.
I sure hope the weather improves here next week.