Smiling Sunflower Just in Time

With the cabin I've been renting in foreclosure the things I thought I could enjoy until the fall will be going on without me due to the move...kind of sad to think about!  This little sunflower opened up just in time for me to enjoy.

A Weekend Away ~ Resting up for Sunflower Beheading

I haven't been on too many excursions since moving to the Northwoods.  Last weekend found me traveling to The Cities for an overnight trip complete with an outing to a bookstore I've really been wanting to visit, a neat crafty shop with unique fabric selections, a Japanese hibachi grill {I'd never been to one before}, and a cozy place to overnight complete with a fireplace {and my own loft bedroom and bath that had me feeling very spoiled}.  Just picking up some reads from a favorite author and that fireplace had me breathing a collective sigh.  Honestly, things have been very busy lately starting up a wonderful new job and getting settled in a new home, plus making use of all that garden goodness.  Having a small vacation seemed just what was in order.

Upon returning it was crunch time to clear out the community garden before it was tilled for next season.  I've absolutely loved this garden space this year.  It exceeded all of my expectations in leaps and bounds--I'm already eagerly planning for Spring 2014.  The sunflowers standing sentinel around the plot were the last major project besides general raking and cleaning and some kale harvesting.  These things were like trees and took quite a lot of muscle to move.  I forgot to count how many grew around the garden this year, but when they were pulled and stacked they spanned the whole garden {easily +70}.

The largest heads were saved for saving, toasting, roasting, and feeding birds this winter.  They came from my tarahumaras--my absolute favorite sunflower variety.  I forgot to bring a container to put them in after the beheading took place so they ended up filling the whole floorboard of the back of my vehicle.  I'm absolutely elated I do not have allergies, because the whole inside is now peppered with sunflower pollen.

Fall is quickly fading up here.  It has reached this intriguing stanza where some die hard leaves attempt to hang on to their trees despite the wind, rain, {and snow!}, but the forests don't look so dark and mysterious anymore.  With the cold I'm still thinking gardening though.  I will be attempting some cold frame style veggies at the house and trying some potted herbs inside.  Before I know it it will be time to start those tomatoes, etc...!  I'm already excited for those seed catalogs to start rolling in.

And yes, snow sometimes decides to fall and coat the green grass in quick visits that still don't last very long.  Monday Jewel experience her first snow fall--which appeared to be a very confusing experience for her.  I must say I'm excited for it all.  Summer was like a wonderland, but fall's coming has been like the return of a long lost friend I had forgotten how much I missed.

There is absolutely so much to look forward to in the days, weeks, months, and even years to come that it's so important to take a breath once in a while, slow down, and remember this.  Oh, how wonderful to be up here in Zone 3.  The inaugural year has been deemed a success.

Sunflowers All Around

Home Right Now

First Sunflowers

The red evening sun sunflower variety is the winner when it comes to which variety would open first.  The community garden is bordered by several beautiful varieties--I will have to count, but it's a lot and I've been very eager for them to show their faces.  This evening sun is one of my favorite varieties and from Baker Creek.  There will be several other colors of this type opening soon I'm sure.  The last one pictured is one of the yellow red blends.

Progress...little by little

At the beginning of February at basketball practice {most of you already know I coached a middle school team again this year} I went to catch/stop a misfired ball that was headed towards a player's head and received a direct hit to tip of a finger.  Taking it as just a jam I didn't think too much of it until it started to hurt even more a few weeks after the injury.  It got so that I could not think of using that hand {of course it was my right hand} without a lot of pain--the kind that makes it very hard to think straight.  I tried to let my students write for me as much as possible on the boards, and of course use the left hand as much as possible.  It all sounds very ridiculous now.  Life has been busy lately and the hand injury was the least of my concerns.  I knew the injury was in need of some TLC,  but didn't take the time for it.  If anything, this week off has been about remembering that I shouldn't wait until things can't wait anymore.  Turns out it was a broken knuckle that is totally broken and not healing correctly.  Now it's splinted and propped and iced...something how such a minor thing can hurt so much!

At first I was thinking that this issue would slow down getting the garden back together--something on the top of the agenda during this week off of work.  All that rye {the grass/out of control cover crop growing wild in the garden since early January} would take some work to remove.  It was probably a blessing in disguise!  I don't take the heat well and with the temperatures up in the high 80's and 90's for the first time this year I probably would have done myself in working non-stop weeding and planting.  Instead I've been tackling small portions at a time {mostly one handed}.  Things have been very manageable this way, and if things aren't as neat and tidy as they should be or if I have to take more time later on to get those weeds I've missed so be it.

What you see up above is a finally planted sweet potato bed {sunflower sprouts at the end being guarded from veracious birds} and a sun eagerly waiting being covered again by another round of climbing vines--in this case patty pan summer squash.  Progress.

What you see below is someone who has an excuse to sit back and take it easy inside reading seed catalogs and taking in stuff like this {I swear this was not the inspiration for the video lesson projects--we started those earlier this month}, plus this and this, finish reading this, and go out to a movie, chill during a birthday celebration, and refill those bird feeders.  Progress of a different kind!

Sand Hill catalog here...they offer quite a variety of Orpingtons

and then the niece has been plenty of help relaxing...

Sagging Sunflower

I'm experiencing something of a sunflower drought here.  Last spring they abounded and every seed I planted sprouted, but so far since July they've flopped.  I have two, including this lonely guy who's about 3 1/2 foot and can't stop looking down at the watermelon vines sprawling at its feet.  All I can figure is that the heat was too hot or the mouse too hungry...a few other gardeners I know had success planting in the summer and others didn't, so like I've learned--desert gardening can be inconsistent and fickle.  I'll be planting some more this week in hopes I can finally get a field of them again.  But despite, I like this fellow.

The New Season

The garden was somewhat fallow in July, but not so anymore.  The evenings are again full of planting and watering via sunset and stars.  With all the religious watering and heat {+110*} things have sprouted record time and are looking hearty and healthy.  Quite happy with the corn and okra patches, and oh the melons starting to spread out.  And then its greens time again...in about two weeks I'll be able to take the salad bowl out back and fill it to my liking.


corn...{country gentleman}



mild greens sprouting



spicy greens sprouting



moon and star watermelon vines...baby melons starting to set



North Georgia Candy Roaster squash sprout looking happy



love those okra flowers...been picking that okra too



part of the okra patch



the 2nd round of okra starting to sprout



currently only have one sunflower in the garden, but tons more planted



yard long Thai purple beens starting to come up



wax beans {something's been eating the leaves off of the non-pole beans...hopefully I can
get some this time around

Organic Vitamin D

changing of the guard...new planting season coming around so all sorts of new things going
in, such as the next batch of sunflowers...trying out another variety-Henry Wilde-on top of
evening suns and tarahumara...never can have too many sunflowers!  These are being dried for
seed saving before the birds have their way with them.

Just came inside after spending hours out in the garden.  It's the changing of the seasons right now out there as I roll things into summer mode.  That meant harvesting the rest of the beets, cabbage, and carrots hanging on from the cooler weather season today.  The summer squash should last a while longer...I'm curious to see how much longer as the weather warms up.  My desert planting guide has informed me that summer squash varieties can't take the heat, but winter can. 

I absolutely love it...being out in the sunshine from early in the morning until about 12:30 when the heat gets strongest {today it will get up to at least 109*}.  I can feel my spirits lifting and my mind growing clearer as the sun soaks in.  I've needed this after all the months spending my days inside.  Next week when the work hours continue I will miss this and will truthfully be counting down the hours until freedom each day, but am determined that as soon as I get home, around 3:30 or so, to be outside tending to the greenery and making sure everything has what it needs to survive the sun, temperatures, and dryness that is here to stay until at least the first part of October.

Some garden essentials now include that wonderful Frog Tog coolly cloth that starts out frozen and quickly thaws providing a sort of natural air conditioning unit when worn around the neck, a full bottle of ice water with the opportunity for several refills, that wide brimmed hat, light weight athletic shorts and an old t-shirt, and those water sandals.  I now have an updated MP3 player that travels with me as well, one that can be listened to while it sits far away from watering duties--currently listening to a Joanna Brady mystery, Devil's Claw...a book I started a bit ago but never finished.  I do believe all this gardening will allow me to go through quite the audio library this summer and allow me to listen to some of those albums I've been wanting to give a listen to.

Very pleased with this garden.  The big goal now is to try some hot weather hardy greens out that can last me through the summer...if I an get them to grow I won't have to buy anything but mushrooms and peppers produce wise this summer {peppers don't do well in the summer heat here...go figure}.  I picked out a lettuce and spinach variety, but am not sure if it truly can do well in my style of heat.  We'll see...its worth a try and another excuse to be outside at that.

*I should note that these sunflowers are not just for beauty and are totally worth the space given them.  Remember at my previous Arizona local I had a HUGE problem attracting pollinators...even resorted to attempts at self pollination.  These sunflowers are a wonderful bee draw.  I lost count at 153 one evening as I was relaxing in the back yard with the grill watching just one flower.  On the way to the sunflower the bees made a habit of stopping at the okra and then the squash, and then the sweet peas...but I sincerely believe they came for the sunflowers.  Got to love them.

Garden: Yellow

sweet potato squash flower...I have tons of male flowers all over the place...

...then I found her!

And she's being pollinated

crookneck summer squash...I love the kind with the bumps

my Boothby's Blond cucumbers are starting to pop up...excited about these, beautiful!

absolutely love the combination of sunflowers I have in the garden right now.  Today I'm going to start clipping and seed saving this batch...this one is a Tarahumara

Evening-Sun All Day Long

I've never planted the evening-sun sunflowers before and was at first confused at all the blooms...were my flowers deformed??  Then the flowers started opening and I saw that's the way things were supposed to be.  These flowers come in a bright lemon color and multiple shades of red and orange and yellow.  They're lighting up the whole garden for sure!



Over the Weekend

It's been busy, busy around here.  This is a little of what I've been up to over the weekend.  I must admit the garden and everything else took a back burner to Sophia!

enjoying my new sunflowers

picking squash

wishing the onions were ready

enjoying more sunflowers

encouraging my tomatoes and keeping my fingers crossed they don't burn up in the heat

watching Jewel get jealous....

...while Sophia visited for the weekend