Procrastinating?
The big flocks of monarch left a month or so ago, but every couple days I see a straggler. I suppose they’re late bloomers, one of nature’s ways to ensure survival. Some hatch early, some late, many in between. I was surprised when I saw a monarch early last week. I was even more surprised to see one both Saturday and Sunday.
Luckily, I plant late bloomers and leave bolting brassicas in the garden just for the pollinators. I have a very large patch of broccolini that is blooming profusely. It’s constantly covered in bees and the occasional late monarch. Sadly, the tithonia that the monarch are most fond of, got killed by the frost last week. Perhaps I should consider a plant or two of it in a sheltered location for these procrastinating monarchs.
Are you still seeing butterflies and bees in the garden? What do you have blooming for them? Any great late season or cold tolerant plants for pollinators?
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Raining Cats, Dogs, Chickens, and more…
This past weekend, we prepared for rain, lots of rain! The forecast kept changing, it started off as an inch and a half, then it started climbing, and kept climbing. Last time I checked, we were closing in on 5″ of rain in 48 hours. This amount of rain is actually pretty normal for us in the fall. A few years ago we actually got over 12 inches of rain in one week.
It started raining around noon yesterday, and sprinkled off and on throughout the day/night. We awoke at 4:30 or so this morning to a great deluge outside and the power going out.
It’s been raining cats & dogs & pretty much every other animal all morning and is going to continue throughout the day & night. We really need the rain, so I’m actually happy. All the birds were given extra food yesterday so I wouldn’t have to go out in the rain to do it. It’s been really dry here in Maine this summer, this rain is much needed for refilling creeks and lakes. It’s also much needed to give me time to work indoors on office work and housework.
Do you live in a rainy area?
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Friday Favorite: Getting Things DONE!!!
This time of year I’m always on a mission to button up all the things I wanted to accomplish in the garden for the year. Sometimes, things have a way of getting put on the back burner during the summer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, there are days when going for a kayak or relaxing with lemonade is more important than getting another garden chores finished. This time of year, when time looms heavy on the horizon, it’s much easier to get things finished.
Yesterday, I was able to finish planting and mulching the ‘Green Mountain’ hedge. The goal for this hedge is to be a wind break for the main garden. I will let it grow about 3 feet tall. Along the other sides of the garden, I’m planning a blackhaw viburnum hedge, which will be grown to about 8 feet. Hopefully, these two hedges will help with the wind and snow drifting in the main garden. It’s nice to have this project finished, now I’m debating whether or not I should go ahead and order my bare root viburnums and add them to my list of fall garden chores…
What are you accomplishing in the garden this week?
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A Frosty Morn
On Tuesday morning, we work up to our first frost of the season. It was 29 degrees in our garden, frost blanketed parts of the gardens and the lawn. All the tender vegetables and plants were hit, which is always a good thing in my mind.
At times, I have a difficult time clearing out plants that are still growing, blooming, and producing. Frost makes it easy to start clearing the garden, building compost piles, and getting on with putting the garden to bed for the winter.
Yesterday afternoon, I spent an hour or so clearing dahlias, tomatoes, peppers, nasturtiums, and all the other tender plants from the main garden. Today I’ll plant a cover crop in their stead, which should give it a bit of time to get established to cover the soil this winter. Luckily, there are still lost of crops in the garden that actually appreciate the cold weather. There is still broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, lettuce, spinach, and endive. We should be eating fresh vegetables from the garden for another month or two at least.
Frost used to be a bittersweet time in my mind, meaning the end of the gardening year, though now I’m learning to appreciate the part if plays in the cycle of the garden. I’m ready to hibernate for the winter, to a winter of sewing, crochet, and reading.
What’s happening in your garden weatherwise this week?
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2018 Calendar
Last year I didn’t do a calendar, which was very sad. There simply wasn’t enough time or energy with everything going on and all the traveling. This year however, the Chiot’s Run Calendar will be back. My plan is to have it finished and ready next week. In fact, I’ve already been going through photos and choosing a few of my favorites.
The funny thing is, as I was thinking about this calendar I didn’t think I’d have enough images to fill an entire year (good images that is). A best of calendar from the last 8 years was on my mind, but then I started going through photos and I think there will be more than enough from this year and last. The hard part is actually narrowing them down to the top 12-20.
Do you buy a paper calendar each year?
