That gorgeous weather has made it near impossible for me to sit at my desk and write my blog when it is just plain delightful being out there messing in the dirt or walking.
The last few weeks have been spent removing practically all signs of summer crops to make room for the fall/winter season. Wheel barrows of tomato vines, cucumbers, flowers, weeds, have been added to the compost pile.
I had started most of my lettuce, endive and kale inside, under light but had to wait for the right moment to transplant in the dirt. Too early and the last few hot days will kill the young plants, too dry and you can't keep up watering. I needed some rain, some cooler temps and a couple of gray days to give them time to transition from the protected inside to "real life" in the outside. I was lucky and got all three! The next couple of days will get hotter than I'd like but I do believe most transplants now have deep enough roots to take it in stride.
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| Future head lettuce. Looking nice and healthy! |
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| Hoping to get another bush bean crop before our first frost due in about 4 to 5 weeks. |
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| The banana pepper plants have been much happier since the weather has cooled. |
The bananas have now turned from a cute flower to a gangly looking bunch. The red one looks like it won't produce any real fruit. And, last week, I had the surprise of another flower on another red banana plant.
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| Those red bananas don't look like they'll do anything. (See growth on the preceding ones for comparison!) |
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| Newest banana addition. |
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| Nice contre-jour of a rose flirting with a sunlit banana leaf. No telling what goes on in that jungle! |
Talking about surprises, last week, as I was cleaning some weeds, I picked up my gaze just at the right place to see a very large Asian pear on a tree that quit producing five weeks ago. Second surprise: it had the perfect taste!
When we had our last rain, this fellow showed up at our door, clearly expecting to be let in. Since I already have my princess, I did not kiss it. Left it for someone else!
