What did you do in the garden today?

[karenerwin]

Hubby got four sections of garden bed built, I helped fill, and we got blackberries, raspberries, and a blueberry bush all planted up and watered in.

Do you only have 1 blueberry bush? When I was planting mine I was told you needed 2 for pollination. I think it was supposed to be 2 different varieties but I’m not positive about that.
Anyway, check into it to make sure you have what you need. Maybe they have a variety that doesn’t need a 2nd for pollination.

 

[NewBoots]

Yeah, you need a second variety that has the same blooming period.

I thought I was in good shape with the tomatoes, it's colder and rainy so I've lost a lot of fruit from plants that couldn't deal with the weather, but at least half of my varieties are fine and I've been bringing in tomatoes for canning or ripening inside as I need them. But we might actually start having freezing weather. This is crazy early for that.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning all. Happy Farmers Day! No sign of freezing temps here. The forecast for the next few days is afternoon highs around 75F and the night time lows only in the upper 50's. I still have some peppers developing along with chard, lima beans, carrots and maybe rutabagas. I agree his has been a weird growing season @Sueby. Not everything I planted did well, but I do have a good supply of canned goods in the basement storage pantry so I can't complain. Also, the freezer is full of green beans and homegrown peaches. I did finish off the last of the fresh green beans with last night's dinner. But as for fresh produce I still have chard and lima beans to consume. The zinnias and daisies in the cutting garden are still blooming away too. I actually got a couple of edible figs this year. There are still a few ripening on the bush now. I don't take my fig tree into the garage until the leaves have fallen and we get our first frost. I noticed this morning that the maple trees in the neighborhood are getting their colors now. It's about time for Autumn. Have you ever wrapped your green tomatoes in newspaper and put them in a dark spot in the pantry or a cool closet @NewBoots? When I lived in warmer areas just a few hundred miles south of here I would harvest my green tomatoes and let them ripen that way. I often had fresh, homegrown tomatoes to slice up and serve with Thanksgiving dinner. Just a thought.

 

[WthrLady]

Northern lights kept me entertained here until 2am.
Today is mowing, and tossing manure day.

Storms and howling winds tonight (80 today) and then down to the 60s and 70s where we belong.

 

[Sueby]

I typed up a whole post with quotes & all & it disappeared.

Anyway, I had just 1 blueberry bush for a while & I got berries, some/most are self pollinating but you will get bigger, better berries if you have a different variety around. Just like @karenerwin & @NewBoots said!

@Wee Farmer Sarah I'm glad you got figs this year! & that's what I do with the green brandywines, I pull them right before we're supposed to get a frost & let them sit inside wrapped in newspaper & I always have fresh tomatoes till Thanksgiving.

I need to pull the bush beans because that's where the garlic will go & it's almost that time. Tons of hot peppers to pick, but I'm over the peppers at this point. I have enough in the freezer for soups & stews & the hot sauce has already been canned.

I am loving my dried pepper seeds, they are quite tasty & I've been using them in everything. I'll definitely do that again next year.

@WthrLady the northern lights are on my list of things to do in life, I have yet to see them.

 

[Acre4Me]

Garden/ Fall update:


So, we have some wood... Thankfully a friend loaned us his splitter, a 30 ton pneumatic.

BIG garden spider - anyone know what kind? @WthrLady ? We have several of these in one area of the garden.

Hmmm... a confused melon plant - producing a flower in Oct. This plant has been in the ground since MAY! A flower now and again, but never any fruit. And as you can see it never grew much. But, it still looks healthy. I'll try this one again next year, just out of curiosity.

Luffa are pretty happy - but, wont fully develop, of course, since temps will fall soon.

Eggplant - flowers

And, a Fruit!

Just part of yesterday's harvest! Also picked several pounds of green beans and more carrots and some tomatoes (cherry size).

 

[WIchickMama]

cutting back strawberries and picking the last of the habaneros today. Oat fodder is growing so well right now as a cover crop.

 

[WthrLady]

Garden/ Fall update:


So, we have some wood... Thankfully a friend loaned us his splitter, a 30 ton pneumatic.
View attachment 2863337


BIG garden spider - anyone know what kind? @WthrLady ? We have several of these in one area of the garden.
View attachment 2863338

Hmmm... a confused melon plant - producing a flower in Oct. This plant has been in the ground since MAY! A flower now and again, but never any fruit. And as you can see it never grew much. But, it still looks healthy. I'll try this one again next year, just out of curiosity.
View attachment 2863339

Luffa are pretty happy - but, wont fully develop, of course, since temps will fall soon.
View attachment 2863340


Eggplant - flowers
View attachment 2863341

And, a Fruit!
View attachment 2863342

Just part of yesterday's harvest! Also picked several pounds of green beans and more carrots and some tomatoes (cherry size).
View attachment 2863343

Golden Orb Weaver

 

[Acre4Me]

Rabbit update:

Aged the rabbits in the fridge for a few days. Then researched some recipes. Decided that there were a few approaches and that the loins were considered very special. So, with that info, I cut up the rabbits into 3 basic sections:

1. Rib cage/front legs - a lot of bones, and less meat.
2. back bone/loins - lots of meat and FWIW if you buy fresh rabbit online, 3 loins sell for $45 and upwards!
3. Back legs

So, I vacuum sealed the loins (still with the backbone), and put into freezer. I did the same with the back legs.

Then I made "Maltese Rabbit stew" with the upper portions, using carrots and potatoes from the garden. The stew was very tasty. I wasn't thinking and made a pot of rice.. and while the sauce tasted very good with the rice, I don't usually ever prepare starch with starch (potatoes and rice) bc it always seems too heavy. Many say rabbit tastes like chicken...I don't agree that they are alike, but not terribly different either. Of course, this sauce was flavorful, so could have masked the rabbit flavor a bit.

Now, I'll need some good recipes for the loins and the back legs. It seems that a mustard sauce prep is always good with rabbit. I found a recipe for the loins in puff pastry with some veg, and it sounds like it could be good too. But, if anyone has recommendations, feel free to pass them on.


Here's a pic of the Maltese Rabbit stew

 

[Sally PB]

We built deck and hubby made me a cute end table out of drop.

That is a fantastic, solid, sturdy table. I bet you'll have a lot of uses for it.

Potato soup last night was a hit. I put the recipe in my file.

Chilly today, and next week, seasonal temps will be the norm. Reality is setting in: summer is over.