It's wet, it's cold, it's dark.  But I don't mind, I relish autumn. Apples, wool, and woodsmoke; soup, fresh hop beers, rich red wines, and baking just to warm up the kitchen.  I love the change of seasons, well at least this first part.

And although I ran out of steam at the end of the summer this year, due to various distractions and general disappointment with the  summer growing season, I still like to get out in the garden even if it's just for lots of cleanup.  I've been harvesting fallen leaves from some of my neighbors to fill my compost bins and spread over bare dirt spots as a mulch.

I never got around to planting all the fall/winter crops I intended to plant.  I did manage to plant some Lacinato kale and some peas.  So I haven't been doing much in the garden, but that doesn't mean that the garden has continued to work without me.  There are still edibles being produced and each time I venture out I am suprised and amazed and a little ashamed.

The kale is producing enough to make big batches of kale chips, and the peas a few handfuls each week.  Kale chips are terrific and let you eat dark, leafy greens while pretending you are eating potato chips.  And the Jerusalem artichokes I planted a few years ago, intended to be an automatic food crop, have become just that.   Even though I have been lazy about regularly harvesting them, they go on happily multiplying undeground.

Ha! In Which I Take It All Back

All that whining and bellyaching paid off. In above average temperatures, that is. We've just had several weeks of 90 degree days. Who knew? Well, certainly not me. I have been recently heard predicting this to be a year with no days above 90 degrees. Again, hah! I guess anybody that wrong about the weather is instantly qualified to be a local TV news meteorologist.

I couldn't be happier about being so wrong. What a treat the last few weeks have been, even though all this sudden heat stunned some of the plants and necessitated much more watering. Many of the tomatoes that I feared were destined to become fried green tomatoes have become the buxom, ripe and ribald beauties that are the dreams of gardeners during the winter months.


















Here are a couple of the top performers this season. Caspian Pink, which I had never grown before and Pork Chop, which I had never heard of and bought on the charm of it's name alone. Both of these plants yielded lots and lots of big, juicy tomatoes.

And the Sungolds, of which I have 2 plants, have been in overdrive, producing buckets and buckets of the bite size orange candy.

So following a late summer that really wasn't much of a summer we end up with a beautiful Indian summer. I LOVE this time of year in the Pacific Northwest.

Particularly Uninspired

That's right, I haven't been posting much this "summer". It's August and we have yet to reach 90 degrees on any day of the year. And there are hints that fall is not far away. The days are beginning to get shorter and there is a cool in the air that I associate with autumn.

And no 90s in the near term forecast.

I know I should be able to find inspiration in a flower or a bud or some other botanical miracle, but I just don't have it this year. It's not a complete washout, there are fruits and vegetables in the garden, tons of beans, squash, but the really warm weather loving plants are just not getting what they need. Oh well.

















I have been enjoying these 2 Nicotiana plants that I got at the 3rd Annual Plant Exchange. They are beautiful and the blooms just keep on coming. And while most of the plants may be yearning for more intense heat I have 2 new favorites that seem to be thriving in these lackluster conditions.

Purple Orach and Soleil bush beans. The Orach is related to spinach and tastes very much like it. It produces big triangular leaves that have a gorgeous shimmery velvety underside. They are big enough to make lettuce rolls with whatever you fancy inside. And of course they are great for dressing up a salad. And it just looks so striking int the garden. Big hit, I will definitely be growing this again.

And the yellow Soleil bush beans are compact, but prolific. They have produced tons of slender, tender, straight beans. This another discovery I will look forward to growing again next year.

How Industrial Farming 'Destroyed' the Tasty Tomato

Here's a revealing and discouraging story from NPR about the tomato growing industry in Florida.
Tomato
Just more compelling evidence for growing your own if you can.

Fruits and Flowers

Temperatures remain cooler than normal, but happy things are beginning to happen in the garden. Here is the first strawberry of the season. I probably should have waited one more day for optimal ripeness, but I didn't. It was delicious.

And apples have set on 2 out of the 3 trees. These are Empire.

Below is the view under the gorgeous canopy of my neighbor's kiwi plants. The flowers have a rich, heady fragrance and open facing downwards. Theses are ancient plants, one male and one female who reach across a trellis to embrace and share pollen, with the help of industrious bees.

The loads of flowers look promising, but we had the same abundance of blooms last year and all that promise produced not even one kiwi fruit. We think that cold caused the blossoms to drop before they had a chance to be transformed into fruit. So we will enjoy the flowers now and watch carefully to see if we will get fruit this year.

And I couldn't resist including a portrait of one of my beloved peonies. Not edible, not practical, but richly nourishing to the soul.

In other news we have begun a small remodel on the farmhouse. And by farmhouse I mean our vinyl clad double wide, with a big ole garage right up front. The first phase is complete. The old fireplace, which sat astride a corner of the room and was framed in a hulking, dark brown surround extending to the ceiling, has been replaced. In it's place now sits a sleek, compact, beautiful, super-efficient Danish wood stove. It almost makes me wish for cool enough weather to light a fire. Almost. So here is a peek at the before and after. Yes, it really is the same room.

We reclaimed about 16 square feet, and lots of wall space. The room feels much more spacious. The fireplace didn't give out much heat, it went up the chimney. I have been assured by all associated with the purchase and installation of this new stove that it will "heat us out of the house in the winter". I can't wait.

Charming and Impressive

Okay, so it's not strictly gardening related, but definitely sustainable living related. My town has a series of rides called Sunday Parkways. The events are inspired by the Ciclovia events in Bogota, Colombia.

The rides are on city streets temporarily closed to cars. They are several miles long, connecting parks. These events are free. People are invited to come, ride, walk, skate.

The parks are full of activities and food vendors. And it's always a good time.

On the first ride of the year I spotted this ambitious mom and her impressive cargo. Two kids in the box of the bakfiets, one behind her on the rack and one more being towed and adding pedal power on the Follow Me. Wow!

Really? Still?

It's the end of May and the temperature may reach 54 degrees today amid showers. And tomorrow maybe as high as 51 with more showers and possibly some hail. Luckily most of the plants don't seem to mind. Here are a couple of super achievers doing their thing.

Lovely Wisteria on my next door neighbors house.









Hops on my porch, rapidly creating a shady haven from the sweltering days that still seem so far off.






Even the tomatoes and peppers, who most crave the heat and sunlight, don't seem to be suffering much. They aren't making a lot of progress, but they look pretty good. Some of them even have tiny blossoms. And the currants have already set their fruit.

The cedar shavings around the plants are my favorite mulching material. It keeps the soil from caking rock hard, helps retain moisture, which isn't currently a problem, but hopefully will be sometime soon. And the cedar smells nice. It is usually sold as animal bedding and is really inexpensive. I got 11 cubic feet for less than $10, and that covers almost all of my planted areas. And it breaks down adding organic matter to the soil.