The end of August! Can you believe it!? As we head into fall we are arriving at prime harvest time here in New York State. And my backyard is no exception.
This is our thornless blackberry bush. It is in full fruit-bearing-mode right now. We had our roof done last week (big post coming next week about this), and there were some canes broken. I expected that (this puppy kept growing over the top of the roof!), so:
the Sunday before work began, I went out and gathered the ripe blackberries. These were enormous! They lasted a long time too. I refrigerated them, and they were just fine and dandy when I brought them to my grandfather a few days later.
This past Sunday I decided to look closer at how much damage had been done to the plant, and picked what was ripe. While canes were broken, I was fortunate to only lose a dozen pieces of fruit. Whew!
Two weeks ago, when I last posted How Does Your Garden Grow? I showcased a mystery flower. I thought the flower was purple when it bloomed.
I thought wrong.
They are yellow. So, because I knew I bought these plants and they were not weeds, I decided to root around in the garden for the little tags describing what I planted. There is no way I would ever recall, and these tags help.
That was what I found.
Let me tell you that there is nothing in that garden that in any way, shape, manner or form resembles that picture. I have white ground cover. Big ugly green plants that look like mouse carcasses when the leaves fall off (super creepy plants – will not be sorry to see them go when we plant our herb garden), little purple flowers, and these tall yellow things. I was pretty positive these tall plants were purple to match the little purple flowers in that dirt island, but I guess not. And, while yellow, they are clearly not the yellow flowers in the ground-tag.
The mystery continues.
So, how does your garden grow? Are you planting one this year? Sticking with a CSA? A flower or herb garden perhaps? What’s happening in your green-world?
Stephanie B says
We are in the process of making out backyard a nicer place to spend time. Before it was just a big rectangle of grass with an annoying (although pretty) flowering tree and some horrible bushes my grandmother planted decades ago. We made ao small raised bed for a garden and discovered that bees made an underground nest in it. After killing them a natural way so as not to harm our yard, we discovered they migrated. It took a month to get rid of them entirely. Now we have some pepper plants, tomatoes and the cutest little pea spouts for our fall crop of peas. Hubby removed the ugly bushes and next year I plan to have 4 more raised beds for vegetables and several different flowers planted in between. Hubby doesnt know it yet, but I want him to build a fire put area too 🙂
Ann says
Stephanie, what is the “natural way to kill bees”?
LOL! Enjoy your fire pit!
Ann
Stephanie B says
Ann,
Bees do not like to have a wet nest. So if you flood it repeatedly they will mostly leave. Then pour in some vinegar and buy chrysanthemum extract which is a natural bee killer. They sell it in spray bottles at places like home depot and Lowes for about $6. It takes a little longer than poison, but its safer for kids and animals and doesn’t damage your garden soil
Ann says
Interesting Stephanie! Thanks.
Ann
Barbee says
Mystery flower might be one of the many specie of: Goldenrod
goldenrod.htm
Some can be invasive as they spread via underground runners as well as seeds.
Good Luck. 🙂
Ann says
That sure looks like it, Barbee!
Ann
KimH says
Yep.. I agree.. Its GoldenRod.. I suggested that a few weeks ago when Ann was talking about it..
I’m allergic to the little darlings and I can spot one a mile away.. Ok.. a half mile. 😉
They are pretty though.. if I werent allergic to them, I’d let them grow in my back yard wildscape.
Ann says
I think you said it was a weed, Kim, and I knew I had purchased them. Maybe I bought weeds!? 😛 Clearly from the tags, I didn’t get what I paid for.
Ann
KimH says
Goldenrod is a weed, Ann. 🙂 goldenrod
The only thing I can think of is perhaps the plant that was supposed to be in there died & whoever was selling it didnt know the difference.
Debb F says
Greetings everyone. My garden is growing but what a wacky wierd and wet summer it turned into. I think I have blight on the one tomato plant, it was doing great really great but then we go so much rain and it sorta fizzled out, withered up and is dying. Not even 5 feet away my runt of a tomato plant that wasnt doing squat is bearing good fruit. I have been eating latex free tomatoes for months ! Yum! And am about to make my first round of salsa 🙂 My peppers didnt do squat forever. And I put in 3 kinds, but now they are coming in, the hot peppers are coming and the bananna peppers are huge but the bell peppers not so much and turn red and are done growing but appear stunted. Wierd. Also my sage took off like wild, but my parsley isnt doing much. My flowers this year were so amazing but these wild chives are just growing everywhere. I wanted to plant a winter crop but as I started tilling one of my raised beds, I garden snake went down my leg, and my fat self jumped about 6 feet high and I have not been back to it. Again, I think it is all the water this year and that raised bed is near the spillway. Hubby says to not worry about the snakes but yuck, I will stick to my flowers and other gardens on higher dryer ground. There are a lot of rabbits this year but I planted a ton of marigolds and they are not stealing my food. Also seeing preying mantis in the garden and a lot of spiders in the house. I guess it is the wet season.
Ann says
Did you toss the blighted tomatoes, Debb? It is really bad on the east coast this year. Sorry it struck you.
And, OMG! I’d have jumped 10′ in the air is ANY snake went down my leg. Can’t blame you at all! you poor thing, I’d have freaked too.
Ann
Marie says
This has been the best year ever for my bell and jalapeno peppers, and the tomatoes are just as happy. We are almost 16″ above our average yearly rainfall and still have 4 months to go. I don’t know where the rabbits went but the cats and I are now watching the blue tailed lizards outside. We aren’t hitting record heat, but the humidity is awful so I haven’t been in the garden to weed and plant wheat.
Ann says
Wow! Sounds like your garden is doing great, Marie!
Ann
KimH says
The stuff in my yard is doing really well.. I had 3 ripe figs I ate a few days ago… I was so tickled.. but let me tell you.. 3 just isnt enough. 🙂 There are probably 20 more figs out there on the tree.. Dont think they’ll ripen all at the same time either.. Who knows.
My one blackberry bush was putting on like gangbusters at the beginning of July.. its long gone by now.. I’d love to get some thornless berries.. one of these days I’ll look into it. I’ve added enough “new” stuff here around the house this year.. The guys dont know what to think about me & my “stuff”. haha.
I did just transplant a whole bunch of asparagus into a bed in my front yard.. I thought the roots were dead when I bought them and didnt really have time to mess with them then so I heeled them in and let em go. They surprised me & grew. I had my son help me about a week or 10 days ago to put them in their new permanent home.. They did great.. Dont tell em you’re not supposed to do that in the fall. 😉
I also got some Ramps off a guy on ebay.. These are wild leeks and I got a pound of them which was probably about 70 roots.. I planted them all in my back yard woodland sanctuary.. Hoping & praying they take & grow me a whole bunch next spring!!
Strawberries put on all sorts of daughter plants… hopefully next year I’ll have loads of strawberries.. Crossing my fingers!
Ann says
I am sooooo jealous of your figs, Kim.
I would strongly encourage the thornless blackberry bush. And if you can let the new canes grow, you can have a second round. We bought from a farmer a few weeks back that told us he can get three round – into October – if he lets the new canes grow wild. I’m not sure I’d ever be willing to let them go that much, but maybe you have the room?
Ann
KimH says
Nope.. I dont have the room.. it’d be nice though.. We can dream! 😉