Friday, August 5, 2022

Garden Friday

 
 
Welcome to Garden Friday,
where we share what's growing in our Piedmont Zone 7b garden.

 
We picked and sampled our first cantaloupe this week.
What a thrill to bring this from seed to table.
The taste was mildly sweet,
but I'm still calling this a victory.
There are many more melons on the vines.


 The Blue Hubbard squash has set fruit
and I am hoping that we get to harvest it 
in the coming months.
This is a new-to-me crop,
and considering that none of my Candy Roasters germinated,
being able to eat something squash related will be a treat.

 
We do have a couple of peppers ripening
and when they turn orange, red or yellow they will be picked.
Peppers are so much sweeter when they are anything but green.

 
The volunteer squash (I think these are birdhouse gourds)
under the tree canopy continues to do well
with very little attention from me.
Can't wait to see what they turn out to be!

 
One of our watermelons is looking mighty fine
and getting me excited that we may actually be successful with this one!
(The mesh bags are tied onto the cattle panel trellis
to keep the fruit from dropping to the ground.)

 
The pollinator garden is exploding with blooms
and the bees and butterflies are eatin' it up!
The tithonia has filled in well
and it is still one of my favorite blossoms.

 
Something, it appears, has been lying down in one of our clusters of rudebekia,
but I can't think of what it might be.
Our irises also have this compressed state,
but in that location, it would be easy for something like a rabbit
or something similar to reach.
Hmmm, the mystery goes on.

 
This week, we were able to pick up a load of organic straw
for next year's garden.
We grow not only in raised beds and containers,
but in straw as well.
Construction will begin this fall on frames
in which to place the bales,
as this season, they collapsed fairly quickly.
Hopefully, the frames will extend their longevity.

 
One of the bales was shared with the chooks.
They enjoy scratching through it
to see if there are any seeds or bugs to savor.
It gives them something interesting to do,
which prevents boredom, 
which can lead to fussing and fighting.
Every few days, I rake it back up into a pile,
and it's like a new toy to them.
Life is better with chickens.

 
An orbital spider was spied on the canna stalks.
These good guys (and gals) help control the insect population,
and their webs are absolutely fascinating.
 
 
There is no shortage of bees in our garden beds.  
Behold...
 




Even the compost pile is gettin' prettied up,
with the addition of morning glory flowers.
Everything wants to bloom
during these dog days of summer.

How are things going in your summer garden?



8 comments:

  1. "Life is better with chickens," AMEN sister! I'd have to add that happy chickens = happy garden.

    It's so nice to see all those busy pollinators at work. A joyful sight. Your garden looks really good. I found a couple of those mesh bags the other day and should do that with my winter squash. I was late planting watermelons, but now the vines are going crazy and covered with blooms. Hopefully, we'll get some before the season ends!

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    1. Oh, I hope you get all the watermelon you and your hens can eat! Such a treat!
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. I like your "chicken enrichment". I'm sure they do too. That's such a pretty pollinator bed, which seems to be doing a great job in keeping them around. Many wishes for plenty of watermelons and hubbard squash.

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    1. Yes, the blooms do a great job of attracting the pollinators. They are loving our oregano right now!
      Enjoy your weekend, Laurie!

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  3. Life is better with chickens indeed. Congrats on all of the melons! I'm happy for you. And congrats on all of the bees. We've had quite a few but not enough - a bit of trouble with pollination this year. I planted some echinacea, bee balm, and rudbeckia in the garden to try and draw more in.

    We LOVE blue hubbard squash. Did you grow the regular or the mini? I may try both next year. Your sunflower is beautiful as is the rest of your property!

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!

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  4. Thank you for visiting, Staci! As far as I know, this is the standard Blue Hubbard, so we'll see what happens. I would think those flowers would bring in the pollinators. They do here! Another good one is Joe Pye weed.
    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Your pollinator garden is looking great, and I love all your bee pictures! I bet your cantaloupe was delicious and so much better than what you can buy at the grocery store. I've got to try growing sunflowers next year. Yours are amazing!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. Yes, you have to grow sunflowers! Free food for the birds and it just isn't summer without sunflowers. I use a variety, but adore the Mammoth Striped. Good to see you here.

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