Our gardens are my friends. Being away from that good friend for a week, had me wondering how they had fared while we were gone.
At 7 a.m., rain was threatening to fall. Time to take a quick walk around with the camera and see how everyone survived.
Greenhouse plants need more care than ones in the gardens this year. They could easily have been fried if things got hot and sunny. We were worried that the neighbour's cat might come inside and dig up some plants while using the toilet facilities. Not sure that this Dutch door would stop Marshall or racoons looking for a melon, but it was the best we could come up with.
Everything's looking fine.
From what I've read, a strip of flowers that attract pollinators to the garden is beneficial to everyone growing there. I may need to re-think which mix I buy next year. These ones are hogging all the space. Somewhere under the right side of these are 4 eggplants which probably gave up. Ted will be happy about that.
The second planting of beans is bearing nicely now. There are fewer insects who want to eat their leaves at this time of year.
I think these are our 3rd and 4th plantings of mesclun mix. You'll see the final one later on in this tour.
One of our gardening buddies was able to pick&pack some red peppers on Wednesday. They exploded in size when we were away.
When it stops raining, picking these gems will be first on my list of things to do.
Don't you love how some raindrops are even larger than the elderberries? I need to keep my eye on them. Picking them at peak ripeness and before the birds find them is a bit of a challenge.
The cucumber supports that Ted made this spring are working well. We're getting nice straight cukes.
This year, we received some starter plants from a dear friend who is a master gardener. One is Orange U Sweet peppers. Yay! They look good and are almost ready to taste.
We usually research which seeds we buy, but for plants like cherry tomatoes we just buy one from a local plant nursery. I am not happy with this year's choice. They prefer to ramble on the ground. No climbing for them.
Our late hostas are at their peak.....
.... and zinnias are happier than they've been all summer.
Verbena Bonariensis. I am so happy with how many grew this year.
The perennial garden looks like a tangled mess. Perfect.
I have a new friend in the garden: New York Ironweed. Charlotte and I planted the seeds two falls ago. They remained outside all winter being stratified. They were planted last year and finally this year they are blooming. They will be getting a stake with their name on it so I don't accidentally rip them out. It takes a while to recognize your friends.
Coneflowers from Kawartha Family Farm are happier than they've been all summer. It think it takes a year or two for them to establish themselves.
We are down to 3 Vif d'Etampes pumpkings. It's almost time to raise one up on a tomato cage so it will be the centrepiece of our fall gardens. A symbol of thanksgiving.
By the time I made it to the front garden, it had started to pitter again. Raindrops don't discriminate: they fall of the ripe and the unripe.
And they fall on a clothesline full of sheets and heavy clothes. Hmmm.... I should have remembered the forecast when I hung them out yesterday afternoon. 🥴
And, there it comes again - our sponsor: rain. I am so thankful that it was a seasonal sponsor. A one-day sponsorship would have been horrible.
Remember that I was going to show you the 5th planting of our mesclun mix? They were moved to the gentlest place, a north facing, shaded bench for our holiday week. Our 3 gardening buddies took turns and watered them every other day and they survived!!!
Soon, this year's garden friends will be a memory. But, we will have good reminders of them.
Tasty reminders.
I've been listening to "Fishin With You" by Carsie Blanton on repeat while writing this post.
There are some parallels with the words of this song and the words of this post. I think.
Hey John Prine thanks for the tunes
They were sweet as peaches, crazy as loons
You were tellin us how to be good to each other
A smartass smiling Aimless Lover
But it's rough down here since we got the news
Might take a miracle to Kill These Blues
Everybody been cryin like a little girl
In the whole wide Big Ol' Goofy World
But tonight heaven is a happier place
They were all sick of singing Amazing Grace
Now it's Fish and Whistle, Lean On Me
Everybody singing in harmony
Tonight in heaven it must be nice
They're all eating peaches in Paradise
All of them angels lined up in a queue
Jus to go fishin with you
Hey John Prine just one more thing
You're the one who made us all wanna sing
You made it look easy and sound so fun
We'll sing a little sweeter now that you're all done
Please tell Petty we been Breakin Down since
And Merle and Bowie and Leonard and Prince
You got a pretty good band up there I guess
We all wish you all the best
But tonight heaven is a happier place
They were all sick of singing Amazing Grace
Now it's Fish and Whistle, Lean On Me
Everybody singing in harmony
Tonight in heaven it must be nice
They're all eating peaches in Paradise
All of them angels lined up in a queue
Jus to go fishin with you
Jus to go fishin with you
Jus to go fishin with Jesus, and Petty, and you
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