Brilliant day yesterday so I got out the mower and gave the front yards a close cut. Looks great. It was also a chance to mow over some of the leaves. Maybe half of the tree has shedded its foliage. Tomato plants and dahlias still don’t show signs of frost damage. Crazy season.
But the big joy has been the gem corn. The ears didn’t fill out completely. The colours are amazing. I’m going to try popping some once they have dried out. Definitely musing about planting some next year.
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.
Picked it yesterday. Something got to the other two fruit that were ripening. Here I have to pick them before they fully ripen or something else takes a bite out of them.
First attempt at succession planting. Pulled the garlic and it was a major success this year. Nice even damp spring and I kept on top of them for water and fertilizer. Planted Scots kale and Taiwan cabbage today. Fingers crossed.
First tomato
Turns out Dawn is a Don
Garlic is looking amazing this year. Lots of hen manure and pretty regular moisture
Cucumbers are coming along slowly
The culinary herbs on the balcony
And it re-livens me.
Overall a very mild winter. Four snow storms and we were away for two of them. Actually it was a real Maritime winter, grey, rain and mild.
Started first seeds on March 19. Cabbage, basil, sesame, peppers and tomatoes of course (Premio, yellow pear, and big beef). As they say, “see above”. And started cucumber (marketmore), kale, calendula, cannabis, black-eyed Susan’s – for Ken and other pollinators.
Of course I’ve been puttering in the yard. Finally planted the raspberries I bought last year, or the year before. The larger variety had developed significant roots, so a bit of damage in the transplanting process. I can see it’s aggressive in my garden soil. Stay tuned.
So lots of bits. Prepping to move the columnar apples so the first hole meant moved a peony, digging up some ferns, digging out and disposing of day lilies, pruning dead wood on the lilac, elderberry, kiwis. I can’t believe how wonderful it makes me feel. Happy spring.
A long slow fall. A few days of heavy fog, out of the ordinary for us. Last cut of the dahlias. Pulled the last tomatoes. Can’t believe the colours this year. The Cornus Venus is simply resplendent. Dug in the last of the two cedars from last years winter planters. See, getting things done.
A great day of rain today. A proper soaking before the leaves start to fall.
Started removing excess fruit. So beautiful
Summer colour
Mind you, we only got half our average rainfall in June. But other than a couple of hot spells, weather wise, it’s been excellent.
Started first veg seeds today! Three tomatoes, big beef, golden cherry and premio. One green pepper, new ace. And the experiment for this year, dahlias from seeds; fresco and showpiece.
FarmerTO 