The Summer Bounty

This August has been so beautiful.  It feels more like early fall than late summer.  My tomatoes aren't to thrilled about the cool evenings and are taking their time ripening but I'm sure enjoying it. My fall garden is enjoying also.

 These are today's harvest.  I'll be very busy canning and finding a few neighbors who would enjoy fresh produce.  If you're one of those neighbors give me a call.

 These are my harvests from Friday and Saturday.  I'll have plenty to do today.  Who said you can't grow anything organically?

These are my earliest apples. They are a Gala apple.  So my biggest problem is with birds.  I have talk radio playing during the day (I'm raising conservative apples) and I hung T-shirts in my apple trees hoping to  deter the birds. Last year I tried hanging CD's in the trees.  Does anyone have any other ideas?

 Yes, more summer squash.  I'm going to make candied zucchini this week.  It tastes like gummy worms.  I'll post the recipe later this week plus some of my favorite summer squash recipes.

 A few more beets. 

 I wrote a poem for those of you who have only had store bought strawberries.

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Strawberries are red,

ALL the way through!

When did we settle for white strawberries airbrushed red on the outside?    Homegrown strawberries are so much sweeter.  I like Ozark and Tristar.  Both are ever bearing.  In late summer the berries are very large and these keep on producing through the fall.  You also get an early spring crop but they are smaller.

 Concord grapes.  The birds have helped themselves to a few a these but did leave me some.  I will be making jelly.

 The white powder on the apples is kaolin clay which is sold as Surround Crop Protectant.  I use that with Spinosad and Neem Oil to control colding moth and other pests.  I plan on posting more about the organic orchard later this fall.  It can be done.

 These are Cosmic Purple and Red Cored Chutney carrots.  Both are heirlooms.  When you peel the purple carrots they are orange. 

This is Merlin.  He enjoys gardening with me.  I love these inexpensive baskets to clean root crops.  While outside I cut the tops off leaving 2" on the carrot.  The carrot goes in this basket and the tops in a compost container.  You can then easily rinse and drain these carrots with the hose or by submerging in a bigger bucket. Your carrots will store for months in the refrigerator if you place them in a ziploc bag and periodically rinse and drain them.

Elderberries.  I'm going to try that delicious recipe I posted on my FB page. 

Growing Organic

I have two Elderberry bushes.  They are large, beautiful and extremely productive.  These birds love these over anything else and there will be plenty to share.  Elderberries are a great homestead crop because they can be used medicinally and to make juice, jelly, and syrups.  They can also be canned.  I will be doing post on elderberries soon.

 

 This is a new variety I tried.  It's Dark Red Norland.  The Red Norland were a lot more productive.