We have had a fair bit of sun and rain this year. Long hot spells finally cooled down lately and for that I am grateful! The days are getting shorter .. no longer does the sun shine till 9 pm but starts setting around 7:45 … what we’ve taken for granted as long hot summer days are slowly preparing us for fall weather. But. It is still officially summer until Autumn comes knocking at the door. So I will continue to revel at the sight of the most cheerful of all flowers … the sunny Sunflower!
For a change of pace .. here is a b/w of yet another sunchoke! I’ve read that you cannot gert rid of this plant and I believe it. Over the past few years I’ve dug up the knobby root and listed it for free with lots of happy people who love this. This plant resembles a sunflower but is much taller, with smaller flowers. Argh. Not that I dislike this plant but I would rather have more sunflowers. (and in some part of Victoria, someone is thinking the exact opposite!)
This is the largest of my squash that is actually fruiting. It is a close up photo and the squash is actually only about 3″ in diameter. Frosts are in the distant future and there is still about 7 weeks of growing. Exciting to wait and see what will happen.
And alongside this plant .. there are a few other hopefuls growing away. I added some lovely llama manure to all the plants yesterday so hopefully this will give them a boost.
And the beans grow steadily onwards. These are some Scarlett Red Runner beans … growing from the apple tree branches. The flowers are so pretty and the bees and Annas love them.
A quick glance at these two plants and it appeared as if the squash flower was devouring the bean leaf.
I’ve been trying to train this squash plant around the garden screen ..sort of a success .. it will be interesting when the squash start growing .. to see if they will hang properly from the frame. Yet more beans in the background .. growing along the stakes in the ground. More Scarlet Red Runners to the left. They are everywhere. If you want instant privacy in the yard, grow pole beans!!
I had placed a variety of (saved) squash seeds throughout the yard and they all grew .. along with any seeds that were in the compost. Even if I don’t get any squash from these plants, the flowers add so much beauty and nectar for the bees.
And yet more beans (Cherokee Trail of Tears, Spanish Musica, Blue Lake Bush beans, Annie Jackson Pole Beans) this morning I picked a basket of beans .. went inside and thought .. omg .. the freezer and fridge freezer are both full. I cannot cram another batch of apples or beans…. what can I do!
Then .. I wondered .. can green beans be juiced? Yes .. the internet resounded loudly. Not only can they be juiced .. they are full of vitamins and minerals. So good for you.
I almost broke down and cried I was so happy!! A bountiful year for beans and now I can juice them!!! So I did just that! And the nice thing was that there was very little pulp left in the juicer!
Not being someone who follows a recipe, I threw in some carrots, celery, lots of beans, a few apples .. and soon DH & I were sipping on the delicious juice! Forgot the ginger, but will add that tomorrow.
So happy! JaneE Kat wanted to go back outside a few hours later. She, being a cat, envisioned more treats and so that was her motivation to meow at me to get on outside. So I did. After giving her about 3 to 4 sets of treats, I set about picking more beans so I could juice them tomorrow.
Despite having meticulously picked through all the plants for beans this morning, I still found even more this afternoon. Oh I am so very happy that I won’t have to freeze them any more .. but will just enjoy them in a juice format! DH is very happy also as I won’t be overstocking the freezer.
Despite the perfect storm for growing food this year (hot weather, lots of rain) … I know that it is the combination of the lovely Llama manure (no medicines used!) and the EM (effective microorganism mixture that I mix up) that create such happy healthy soil for everything to grow in. Also, seaweed that I have gathered. If I run out of seaweed, I just use liquid seaweed. Same stuff without the bother. 🙂 Over 60 minerals adding richness to the soil.
There is nothing like the magic of a garden to focus in on the beauty of life.
🙂
So in the spring I went to visit the Fickle Fig farm .. an organic farm full to bursting with lots of crops, and farm animals. Here are some of the goats. As I walked across the muddy fields, a small group of them started to follow me .. not being a really incredibly brave person, I called to my friend “help .. they are all following me” .. how impressive is that. To be unnerved by these little goats. Nonetheless, he swiftly sent them off in another direction. whew!! Still they do look very handsome (from a distance and on the other side of the fence, lol)
Some Canada Geese taking a rest in a nearby field.
Then I made my way to the Wood Willow farm .. where I am the #1 customer! Here are some of the cuttings that I brought home with me and planted.
Here is a handwoven willow basket .. how beautiful ..
Some local landscapers were creating a habitat for the French Lop-ear rabbits (rescue rabbits).
I forget the type of willow used in this project, it is supposed to be a type that the rabbits do not like to nibble on. However, this little guy chose to try it anyway. He chewed away a bit and then left .. guess it works!
A round opening is made so that the rabbits can enter at will.
The project progressed ..
Carefully allowing space for the trees to flourish ..
Proper coppicing of the willow ..
The cuttings are carefully tied together.
Inside Rosemary’s kitchen .. she kindly gives me a bouquet of the heritage daffodils, they are beautifully scented. And I choose which cuttings I would like as she displays a variety for me.
And I came away with some gigantic goose eggs .. have never had these before .. they were delicious and quite rich!
And also some Swedish Blue duck eggs!
Back home and time to admire my feathered visitors .. here are the darling little Bush-tits. I know they must be nesting somewhere in the yard and the location of their nest is a mystery. That’s ok with me. they need their privacy .. don’t we all.
The Juncos are frequent visitors in the fall/winter/spring and fly elsewhere for the summer. They love flax seed so I bought a huge bag of it for them!
And where there are birds, there are hawks .. this is in one of the fruit trees in the back yard.
Dear little Nuthatches .. nesting somewhere nearby .. I’ve been lucky to see some of the babies in the spring ..this is an adult.
Female Downy Woodpecker .. this is my favourite suet holder ..and the birds sure like it.
And the arc-en-ciel was a beautiful scene to see ..
My Lovely Garden … Mon Joli Jardin 