Welcome back to Garden Friday,
where we share what's going on in our Zone 7b Piedmont garden.
Having been laid up with a back injury for the last two weeks,
there isn't much to report.
There is, however, always something to see out there.
The Monarchs have eaten almost all of the milkweed,
but there are still a few stragglers left behind
for the remaining crops.
The caterpillar that was suspended on the "Wordless Wednesday" post this week,
got busy creating its chrysalis and hangs there still.
Another hangs underneath the porch table,
while several others have chosen the metal chairs to use as their resting spot.
Still others hide underneath plant leaves,
like this one on the front porch steps.
Care must be taken when watering pots
or moving just about anything!
I'm not sure what these critters are,
but they were found on the milkweed plant as well.
They are definitely NOT monarchs.
The gargantuan woodchip pile,
for which I've been pining,
will have to wait at least a few more days
until I feel fully recovered.
This mound will be distributed between the chook run
and the garden itself.
Without much mobility,
one of the things I was able to do
was to collect and scatter seeds.
This buckwheat has been a great addition to the garden,
and I want to have more of it next season.
The colors of autumn are finding their way to us
and slowly, but surely, the temperatures are cooling.
Although the first day of autumn was in the 90's,
today begins a new wave of cooler, crisper days.
Seed heads are left in tact so that the birds
will have nourishment through the colder months.
Along with seed and suet feeders,
we enjoy taking care of our feathered friends.
After hearing about this product from a few gardeners,
it seemed like an experiment was in order.
(The name is Soil Cube.)
This potting mix is from a local company,
and I've used it in the past with mixed results.
I will be growing the same crops in each mix,
with as many of the same variables as possible,
and we'll see which performs better.
In this picture, the Soil3 is on the left
and the Wallace Farms is on the right.
The first thing I noticed when filling the cells,
is that the Soil3 is much smoother,
with less bark bits in it.
The same varieties of kale, leek, lettuce and snap peas
were each planted in these trays.
They will be watered at the same time
and kept in the same spot with the same amount of sunlight.
Hopefully, by next week, we'll have something to compare.
(The wire on the top is to deter squirrels from digging in the soil.)
The garden is winding down,
but not going completely to bed.
We will be sowing a handful of crops
that can do well over the colder months.
There are also cover crops to sow in a few of the raised beds.
This year, I'm trying a few new things,
so it should be fun to watch them fill in the beds.
The girls will no doubt enjoy the cooler days.
How's autumn shaping up where you are?
