And good luck for the crazy year ahead.
First seed order has arrived from Richters. If it works out the veg bed will be a riot of annual colours. A brave attempt to be joyful given I need to take a year or two off of garlic , cucumbers, potatoes and maybe even tomatoes to hopefully eliminate some nasty creatures and mildew that has become problems.
And it snowed last night. A really pretty snow. I couldn’t shovel because of my shoulder. Boo hoo.
Only 68 days until spring!
If I had any idea the vegetable garden was going to perform so poorly this year, I would not have bothered at all.
The weather was particularly bad. It started off with a really hot May and June. July was the wettest historically. August was incredibly hot and humid. September was no rain at all except for one major flooding rain storm. Powdery mildew covered almost everything. The spring peas absolutely fried on the vine. I only got about a dozen cucumbers before the mildew got into those and to add insult to injury I only got about 20 tomatoes.
Thinking of letting it go fallow next year. Not quite sure what kind of cover crop to put in, might end up just doing the whole plot in annual flowers and take joy in that.
Everything that needed to go in the ground is now in the ground!
I can’t believe, and I do it every year; shop, sprout and order then take most of the summer to get it all sorted. Delighted it is all in the ground. Actually I haven’t finished there are still the willow cuttings and the yucca seedlings in pots. Giving myself a pat on the back anyhow.
Proud accomplishments this year are the Paw Paws, the dahlias and bell peppers on the top deck.
Really thrilled by the number of fungi!
Multi year growth of fungus on willow August 4
Another summer of crazy weather. The heat came on in late May and it’s rained or been high humidity ever since. I’m delighted to see the mushrooms popping out of the hardwood I had delivered two years ago.
First try at late Summer planting today. Sowed beans, peas and kale in the garlic patch is empty almost. some old seed that I had. Veg seeds are gone from the big box retailers.
Still planting and potting. Enjoyed the winter sown spinach so had new space in the raised box bed on the terrace. So I planted things we eat.
Potted on the rose and the lavender transplants today. An odd combination I think, but they had to get out of their nursery pots. Still have tomatoes to pot and now that the sumac’s are bursting out, have to give them some attention. And of course, more plants to divide.
Typical early June weather. Decent rain. Heat dome on the way.
The Sage is in bloom and bees love it
Tomatoes are all looking sturdy and have needed minor pruning, mostly to get the lower leaves off the ground and remove some side shoots. First blooms and fruit.
Cucumbers are hit and miss, something is eating the beans as they come up and the peas are all pathetic. I think I’ve got too much straw mulch down and have suffocated the soil.? It’s time to empty the composter and move it. So much fun!
Under the hazel nut two groups of mushrooms so beautiful.
Upper 20sC with fairly consistent light rains. Two nights have dropped to 10C, but no signs of damage. Herbs got potted up today and the rooftop peppers are in.
Wow a lot done today. Inside plants out and tucked under the balcony.
Sumacs, Paw Paws, ivory sedge and big bluestem from Ontario Native Plants are repotted for the season.
One of those days you could watch the leaves open. Everything that could grew an inch. The great leaf unfurling. Had a total moment when a robin took a bath in the urn. I just sat there and watched in amazement.
Uncovered the pots on the roof deck. Something has or tried to nest under one corner of the deck. That will rot.
The columnar apples are doing there thing, actually only two and maybe the crab. The rest aren’t going to blossom this year.
Gorgeous day. Intermittent clouds 20c. Got out the sunscreen.
After a thorough going over with a toothbrush, dipped in alcohol, I hope to have reduced the scale infestation on my baby.
It’s just 10c today so she’ll have to come back in tonight.
Cut the daffodils that fell over. A few were the victim of a fallen cedar. Picked up five emerald cedars from Home Depot last week. Five footers for $30. Have to get them dug in before heading to Venice.
Another gorgeous day. Sunny, 15c, and a forecast for rain tomorrow and damp for the rest of the week, so?
Moved ferns, bleeding hearts, sowed peas yesterday, dug up the rhubarb – the centre of the root was dead – turned the compost, took shrub cherry cuttings and feel great.
FarmerTO 