If it all turns out as good as this one, I'll be one happy garlic gardener.
The geese love watermelon rinds and came running when I threw these most recent ones into the poultry pasture a few minutes ago. The chickens also like the rinds but don't stand much of a chance with the non-sharing geese.
The gravely-rubble you see in the picture is the first load of fill we've had brought in to build up and level out the area where we'll be building the new winter waterfowl house.
The miserably hot, humid weather continues. Yesterday was dreadful. Our dear daughter put in a "work day" with her dad doing roof work. (You've heard of making hay when the sun shines? I guess you could say do roof work when the sun shines also.) I couldn't very well sit in the shade sipping lemonade while they were doing that so I put in a full day in the garden. I really wanted to get a couple experimental fall beds planted because rain was forecasted for all day today.
We did wake to very dark skies which opened up into a brief thunderstorm giving us 3/10th of an inch of rain early this morn. We need more but now at 10 a.m. it's just overcast and very, very humid.
Our first harvest of blueberries also was made yesterday in anticipation of a wet day today. Eight pounds, six ounces was the total, or 6 quarts plus 1-1/2 cups. It's a start and we're looking forward to a good, good blueberry season as the bushes are just loaded with as-of-yet unripe berries.
It's too wet to do much outside today so you know that means I get to catch up on all those inside tasks that mostly fall by the wayside this time of year. Heck, I may even get out the vacuum and actually remove a few layers of dust, dirt and debris. (Gosh, seems like I just did that a month or so ago . . . )
20 comments:
Giggling at your last sentence. :-)
Experimental fall beds? I'm curious! Can't wait to hear about them.
I wish we'd get some moisture---but hey, you can keep the humidity. What a summer.
Love those poultry pics. I think a new law should be---they MUST be included in your posts!
Always a guaranteed smile!
:)
Glad your garlic did well, mine not so much. I haven't had time to hit the farmer's markets yet either.
That garlic looks nice and plump. Our chickens used to enjoy the watermelon rinds, too. I imagine your geese must love them. -Jenn
Hi Mama Pea. I love reading your blog between trips and am catching up again. Your blueberries look great; what varieties have you planted and which work best for you? I might try blueberries someday, after I can settle down a bit!-M
I'm about to pull my garlic and I'm not all that hopeful. We did not get any measureable rain until last weekend. How those geese have grown! It's been so humid here, it's like dog-paddling through the air. Blech.
I plan on planting some garlic bulbs in the fall. I think your garlic looks wonderful! We use so much of it, I should have planted some this spring, but not all is lost, we should have some next year! Congrats on the blueberry harvest, that's one thing I'll wait to plant for my new home. It's sweltering here too, all I can manage is a cool drink on the porch swing with my new book called 'Harpo Speaks', it's a great auto-biography about Harpo Marx and his brothers. I'm so much in relax mode that when I read your sentence : "I couldn't very well sit in the shade sipping lemonade while they were doing that..." I thought I'd finish it with "so I made a pitcher of Sangria instead"...lol...but you have more work ethic than I do!!!
Michelle - Glad I gave you a chuckle!
The house did look pretty good yesterday after I finished cleaning. Now this late afternoon after we've been traipsing in and out from the garden all day . . . not so much!
Laurie - I'll do a little post about my "experimenting" this year with fall planted beds. (They've never worked before . . . but I'm a slow learner.) ;o)
Sue - I took some "poultry pics" this afternoon and will try to get them up asap. Just for you. And a couple others who seem to like seeing them.
Kristina - At least that one bulb did well! I'm hoping for a good crop. Our bulbs last year were on the smallish side, but were just fine to use.
Jenn - I try to throw the rinds in different directions so the geese don't get to hog them all!
M - We have quite the variety of different bushes out there. Some are bearing wonderfully, some we should have torn out years ago. I can't put my fingers on the chart with the names of all of them at the moment, but they were all recommended for our specific area. I am definitely NOT a wild berry picker so getting and keeping domestic berries in our garden is worth any hassle for me.
Susan - Yep, same humidity here, too. Today's temp was only in the high 80s but the humidity was so high it 'bout did me in! I thought we were supposed to have cool, crisp air here in Minnie-soda!? Can't complain about the heat for the garden though. Things are busting out all over!
Rain - Our season is so short we have to plant our garlic in the fall for the next year.
A good sangria is a great hot weather drink in my book. Better even than lemonade. (Hee-hee.)
I think my "work ethic" might have pushed me too far today. I don't feel so pretty good now at 5 p.m. after coming in for the day!
My house is in need of tidying up as well... no floors washed for ages, and just a quick flick through with the broom when I remember to do it. Meanwhile the vacuum cleaner remains on holiday!
Would love to grow blueberries here, and will have a go at some point in the future....as for your garlic! It's looking good!
Vera - Our housekeeping certainly does suffer this time of year, doesn't it? We all need clones to be inside while we're outside!
Your 'miserable hot humid weather' statement caught my eye as we're having the most miserable summer yet. Setting heat temp records coupled with no rain has put us back in drought conditions and has been horrible on my garden. I finally waved the white flag and completely gave up, other than a few okra and tomato bushes. And this is the year I thought I was on top of things and had planted our summer garden with perfect 'timing'! Interesting though, that not only you guys in northern Minnesota but also some of your commenters, is experiencing the same weather conditions. Guess this summer's been hard on a lot of us in the U.S.
Lisa - And here I was envisioning you far enough "up" the mountain to be a little cooler and getting enough rain. I certainly do agree that this summer's weather has been hard on much of the U.S. Lots and lots of record breaking temperatures and the awful humidity! Although we started out the summer with plenty of rain, it's become very scarce now and we're having to water to keep the harvests coming in. So sorry that you had to call it quits on the majority of your garden. All that initial work . . . and hardly any harvest to show for it. :o(
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