What have you done today in the Garden?

Today was a final weed of the onions and leeks, as well as a fertilizing. The first raspberries were picked ( so excited). Irrigation was ran for the upper garden ( includes the green beans and swiss chard...very important guests to the table). The afternoon was spent washing, topping and trimming thinned carrots.

 

So Mel, you are excited with the raspberries! Your excitement is always so infectious.
Your garden work sounds good.

 

Fortunately not a lot needed doing, as there's golf and cricket on TV. The cricket is finished for the day but there's at least an hour or so of golf to go. I'm presently watching it with the sound muted over my laptop where I've got a YouTube audio book of a film noir story running.

But earlier in the day... I took at least six inches off the "fringe" of this acer with garden shears, to give the grass below it a chance. It always struggles as it's almost permanently in shade.





This hydrangea doesn't get much sun, but always does well.





This mimosa is making a bit of a recovery, but I don't go much on it. There's a couple of branches that aren't doing anything. Mentally, I've more or less written it off, but I'll leave it for a few months then decide whether to keep it or not. It would always need its tall bamboo cane support.



>

 

Oh my....I'm sorry DHR. Having followed the story of your Mimosa, and knowing how beautifully your gardens thrive from a result of your knowledge and expert care....the picture of the Mimosa with the bamboo pole gave me a smile. Every time I look at it, there's a giggle. Please forgive me, I can't help it.

You've taken in the orphaned Mimosa...to add to your list of hedgehogs, homes for fox with kits and let's not forget the mouse. I think, my friend, it may be time to name it. Mimi? Too obvious perhaps.

 

Thanks Sjoerd. I have been taking photos, I just need a little time committed to posting. My internet and lap top are slow. The raspberries are very exciting Even just for their volume, the promise of being on yogurt in winter, and the sharing with neighbours. Everyone gets excited around here when the raspberry patch blushes.

 

Yum.

 

Nothing today it's been raining all day and only just stopped.

 

Maybe I was expecting too much, but I don't think so.
This was the one from a couple of years ago that got killed by the frost in February.

 

That is lovely! Look at all of the blossoms. Maybe Mimi will get there. Those are big shoes to fill.

 

Acacia delbata Mimosa… beautiful fragrant blooms. I lost mine to a hard freeze one year. When it blooms it’s a sight to behold .

 

Crazy for crazy raspberries Sjoerd.





A quick pick for breakfast and snacking today. Probably there will be a big pick tomorrow. About four icecream pails. That should roll every two days until they finish.

 

I picked peas this AM. A friend gave me a pack of seed for Telephone Pole peas. They apparently will keep going and going, and get about ten feet tall. I'm excited for my daughter to get to pick some peas in August. They are large and Hubby likes that they are easy to pod for his big hands. He's the official pea podder.





The Lincoln Homesteader peas are producing wonders right now ( on the inside of the fence where the deer didn't eat them)

The Golden Hubbard that I started early in a tote in the greenhouse has three large squash now. That's pretty exciting. This one has a hail scar but otherwise fared okay.



The first six large tomatoes were picked, and many more are showing up to the party. The goal will be to get them to ripen before the end of August.




All of the peppers are doing well. This Aruba branch was outside of the tomato cage, and broke from the weight. A dissapointment, but....they will get stuffed with chicken enchilada filling soon and baked. A first taste test.

 

All I'm doing at the moment is picking red and white currants and gooseberries.
Then I've got to top and tail the gooseberries, 2lb of them at a time.

 

Too wet for gardening, constant rain.
Too wet for cricket on the TV.
But the Open Golf is on, it's chucking it down, but they only stop if the greens are flooded or there's a risk of lightning.

The forecast for tomorrow is dry, so I'll be playing golf.
The garden can look after itself for a few days.

There's always humour in golf.Often from caddies.
One of the commentators mentioned an incident a while ago.
You are allowed to use an umbrella. Caddies usually hold it over their player and their ball until they are ready to hit it. But not when they do. This caddie did and so the player incurred a penalty. The other caddies started calling his one "Mary Poppins."

There is a limit to the number of clubs you can have in your bag. (14). Many bags like mine, only have only that many spaces in them, so prevent you from having too many clubs.
Many years ago Phil Woosnam's caddy forgot to remove an extra one from his bag when Woosnam told him what clubs to include. It wasn't discovered I think until they were on the second tee. Thus incurring a penalty. From then on the other caddies called him "The Count."

 

The peppers stopped blooming, so it was time to check the calendar and do the maturity math. Everyone was picked today in hope for a second ( although smaller) crop before frost. They've had a lot of challenges with extreme cold, to extreme heat. I wasn't sure how they would do.

The ones conducive to stuffing, making into enchilada boats, poppers and rellenos will be kept aside. The remaining will be run through a mandolin and pickled for on top of....everything.



These jalepenos are a nice size - they're a LaBomba





The Big Chili Hybrids are going to be nice as rellenos I hope.



The Aruba are also a new one for me, and described as a short season Anahiem type pepper. The ones that were on the younger plants grew hugs, but only three per plant. They almost look like a bell pepper. The others on the more mature plant vary, but will nice as roasted enchilada boats I think.



And lots of Banana peppers for pickling.

As well as this funny little Diva.