Readers, Welcome to my blog (formerly Birds, Blooms, Books, etc). I'm entering a new decade taking on the challenge of moving from Maryland after living there 46 years and learning about my new home here in New England in the Live Free or Die state - New Hampshire. Join me as a write this new chapter of my life.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Thank You, Annie's Granny!

In May of this year the garden blog community lost a wonderful vegetable gardener to cancer.  Many of you knew her as Annie's Granny.  A last tribute resides here but her many blog posts still exist in the blogosphere for others to read and learn to love gardening.

Many of us dedicated our gardens this year to Granny and posted a wonderful picture created by one of her blogging friends (sorry I don't remember who that was.)

I never imagined that in dedicating my garden to her that I would reap such bounty this year.  But it has been the biggest harvest I have had especially for peppers.

I spent the morning in the garden.  It was a very cool one for late August and by the time I got in there the sun had moved behind the tall tulip poplar trees to the south and the garden was shaded.  Sun will return later today.


I removed the spent tomatoes in the largest bed and have planted more snow peas.
 The first planting of snow peas is showing up nicely.


I picked oodles of peppers and there are many more there.


And they are still flowering.


I picked all the red Jimmy Nardello with more to ripen.






There are more cucumbers to form.


Some nice zucchini.  I picked the largest one.


This year I never saw a tomato hornworm.  Don't know if it was the marigolds or what.


The beans are flowering and as I worked in the garden I was visited multiple times by hummingbirds.  As I watched they found the bean flowers and took the nectar.


My butternut squash is the largest I've seen.





The Juliette tomatoes continue to produce.


New lettuce is up.


As I worked there were other birds to visit.  The bluebird house is just over the fence and it looked like the female was still feeding nestlings though I didn't hear anything when she took an insect into the box.


The goldfinches too love my bird feeder and they have been harvesting the seeds on the black-eyed susans. (see post below).





One last look at the garden before I head inside.  The sun is providing dappled light now as we head to mid-day.


I can't see the vegetable garden from my study window any longer at this time of year because the miscanthus has grown so large.



Inside I take stock of my harvest.  Basket one before emptying.


Basket two before emptying.


Under the Juliette tomatoes are the peppers.


Green beans were under there too.


Here are all the Juliette.


From basket one comes this zucchini.


These tomatoes that need to ripen were there.


Jimmy Nardello peppers.


Left in the basket, one cucumber and peppers that masquerade as jalapeƱo but are not hot.


And finally this harvest of Cubanelle peppers.


Thank you Granny!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Maryland State Flower

You got to love the Black-eyed Susan, Maryland's state flower.


Unlike other favorite flowers of mine this one lasts, and lasts, and lasts and keeps color in my gardens through out the month of August and beyond.  Thank goodness because not much else is flowering.

Over the years I have moved it to new places and it has moved itself.

Here is a tour of all the Black-eyed Susan spots of color in my gardens.

Perennial Garden







One small patch in the Glen Garden


Pond Garden




Mom's Garden




And when the blossoms fade and the seeds are ripe another spot of yellow stops by to feast.



Thank you Black-eyed Susans and thank you goldfinch!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Postscript to Monday's Harvest

Here is the basket that should have been picked on Sunday or Monday morning.


Lots of green beans.


Loads of tomatoes.


Last but not least, two kinds of peppers and a cucumber.