Saturday, June 28, 2014

Garden news, plus a nice walk

Judith and Meredith outside of Woods Coffee
We expected rain this morning, and it was overcast and doing just that when I left the house early to join the Fairhaven walkers at Woods Coffee. But you can see it turned out to be a really nice day, with lots of blue skies with no more rain. We enjoyed coffee after a four-and-a-half mile walk with lots of uphill, and then I headed over to the Farmers' Market to gather some greens to complement what I am harvesting from my garden. I saw this beautiful sunflower at the market, with the sun shining through:
Smiling in the sunshine
Hmmm, I thought to myself. Nate has planted lots of sunflowers in his garden plot, and I haven't seen any blooms there yet, so I went out to investigate the garden before sitting down to write this post.
Nate's sunflowers growing next to the fence
There aren't even any beginning blooms, so I suspect that the one in the picture was grown in a greenhouse, don't you think? While I was out there, I noticed that the borage flowers in my garden were full of bees, both honeybees and bumblebees. They love those flowers so much that I'll wait awhile before I pull some of them out. Just look:
Borage flowers with bee friends
In the middle of this picture of the borage, you can see a black thing, a bumblebee, with the pollen baskets on its hind legs full to the brim. I figured he would be leaving for home soon, but I tried to get a closeup (all the pictures are taken with my cellphone camera), and this is what I got. If you enlarge it, you can see his left leg basket is so full of pollen it looks like it might overflow.
Look at all that pollen!
I wandered around the rest of the garden, looking at all the vegetables and flowers coming up, which also caused me to notice that I need to get out there and weed. Those blasted buttercups are invading, along with some other unwanted guests. Time to get out and spend some time out there, like maybe this afternoon. The clouds have returned and it should be fairly comfy outside.
Mystery squash
That volunteer squash coming up in the community section has produced blooms, and here's the beginning of what might be a spaghetti squash, or... any ideas? The plant is growing like crazy and has several other blossoms beginning. I've already gathered a few zucchini from the community garden, knowing that they are much tastier when a reasonable size. I remember how quickly they grow. You gotta keep on top of 'em.
Nate's raspberries
I see that Nate's raspberry crop is beginning to ripen, too. One of them accidentally fell into my hand and I was forced to eat it. What an explosion of flavor! Can there be anything more scrumptious than purloined fruit? It was all I could do to restrain myself. Some of them are in danger of falling right off the vine, into waiting hands. I'd better inform Nate.
:-)

26 comments:

  1. Loving your garden. And remembering the magic of pilfered fruit. As a child we were experts. For which I am now sorry. Some neighbours got very little of their own fruit.

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  2. Your garden seems to be coming along wonderfully. I wish we had a community garden. Actually we have 2, but they are connected to the neighboring churches. Don't know if you have to belong to the church to join... always planned to ask, but never got around to it.

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  3. :) I smile at the thought of this danger alert.
    It's strawberry season for us, and I'm just headed out to do today's picking.
    We're at the waiting & growing phase in our veggie gardens.. a ways off from any harvests. I suppose I should call it the waiting / growing and WEEDING phase!

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  4. you made me grin at the raspberry pilfering! :D

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  5. Thanks for letting us walk around your garden with you.
    I do have one sunflower that is beginning to bloom. And you are right about that flavor burst from a ripe raspberry!

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  6. mmm those raspberries look pretty good...i love sunflowers...so bright and vibrant...do they bloom late, wonder why his has not come up....

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  7. Just keep your hand under the raspberries. You will be doing the raspberries a favor by not letting them fall on the ground. Don't tell Nate!

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  8. Sunflowers are among my favorite plants! Most likely that one was started early at the least. Those raspberries look wonderful, ours are just coming on now..we have a few regular bushes and many wild ones. Nice of you help out the bees:)

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  9. I love seeing the photos of your garden. It will be fun to see what kind of squash you have growing there.

    Lucky you for having coffee at such a b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l spot. Wow. The company looks like it was nice too.

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  10. My, everything looks grand !
    Our sunflowers are in full bloom, 'spect it's the difference in our Southern heat, those Sunflowers look huge, can't wait for them to bloom...
    Raspberry pilfering, who'd have thought it :)
    ~Jo

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  11. I envy you your garden. But then, the garden is always greener . . .

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  12. Ha, ha, those raspberries just happened to jump off the vine into your hand! :) I just made two batches of raspberry jam today - so yummy!

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  13. That raspberry has my mouth watering. I can never resist plucking them, raspberries have the best flavour of all the soft fruits (in my opinion). Reading your blog is making me think I must get out into the garden and get on with some weeding.

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  14. ha,ha I can taste that rasberry melting in my mouth, blowing me away with superb taste. The garden looks lovely, but you've got to stay ahead of the weeding, cause you know how fast they grow. Nice sunflower, mine are up about 15 inches, as summer comes later here, however; my little garden is coming along nicely. We were hit again yesterday and looks like today as well with temps in the 90's, rare for us, so we went fishing yesterday and hope to put photo up on blog. What a beauty of a day out on the water and DJan, I for the first time EVER, forgot my camera......and iPhone. I have a vivid memory of all we saw, including wildlife, but I could only capture it in my mind. My friend Richard had a cellphone so he managed a photo of the fish? Anyway, have a wonderful day..... n I'm heading out now..... lol to you and big fella :)

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  15. I would have guessed spaghetti squash on the mystery one also! Time will tell us soon enough.

    Your garden shots today are magical...and the anticipation that comes with the reaping of the harvest is always exciting...each season!!!!

    I love raspberries!!!!

    And by the way, your blog is ALWAYS fast loading!!! Almost an instant...like switching on the TV...everything is loaded. No problems. Thanks, tho, for your concern.

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  16. Ha ha, I can't help but laugh about the raspberry. I'm sure he won't mind! I don't have any sunflowers this year, but now I wish I did because yours looks so pretty in the picture.
    The borage is outstandingly beautiful. I know the bees agree with me.

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  17. I agree with Red. You are doing Nate a favor for once they hit the ground, they just rot and get bug filled.
    Watch those squash for squash bugs. They can take over.

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  18. I love this post, DJan! You are so descriptive and funny!

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  19. Hah, I can understand how a ripe berry would slip right off the vine into someone's hand.

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  20. Poor lonesome raspberry - someone had to eat it!

    We have so much lettuce and spinach that we're taking a bunch to the food bank tomorrow. The blueberries are ripening and boy, are they good!

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  21. Oh, my... such beautiful pictures of your garden and nature. Thanks for sharing!
    Linda

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  22. I remember we had a volunteer pumpkin come up in our raspberries by the garage. We trailed it around our neighbors garage into the alley. A dead space. Eventually, Our neighbor got curious about what was inside the vines and said the huge pumpkin inside scared her! I don't know why. But it's funny!

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  23. I would be tempted to have a few more "oops" moments before informing Nate. ;) I love your photo of the bee laden borage. Just lovely. We have a farmers' market up here about 10ish minutes away. I think of you when I go there.. which is most Saturdays.

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  24. Your photos of the borage flowers looks really ethereal. I don't know another word to describe it. The fuzz on the plant makes it look like it's glowing.

    I sure do miss raspberries straight from the bush. Sigh.

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  25. Love the shot of the sunflower! Your garden is looking great! Everything must taste so much better from your own soil and hands. :)

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  26. The bees are really enjoying the borage flowers. That one bumblebee is so loaded with pollen it's amazing he can still fly.

    The raspberries look delicious. I have seen a few berries on my bushes but not many yet. The one raspberry I tried was so juicy and sweet, can't wait for the full crop. No idea on your mystery squash.

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