Some of a Man's Best Friends

Each morning I look for treats. A rich, soaking rain helped bring up some lettuce the night before last.

These little beets are several days old.

Consider the innocence of raindrops on eggplants.

New Zealand spinach volunteers every spring, then produces for three seasons. I think it may be calling us home.

Merry Christmas in September. Plant the red balls for spring asparagus, three years hence.

Here's a sweetheart.

We usually have to wait all summer for these to thicken.

"Don't forget your best friend," says Virginia.

Flower Power

This year's gardenscape includes a variety of flowers.  Here's an edible one that often appeared on dishes at The Blue Heron, our local favorite vegetarian restaurant, now defunct.

Nasturtium

Here's another edible flower, known for its seeds.

Sunflowers (edible) and Larkspur (toxic)

Take a look at this week's version of next week's sunflower.

Of course, veggies have flowers, too.  I couldn't bring myself to eat the artichoke, so here's what happened.

And here's a bloomin' onion.

Carrots anyone?  Actually, at this stage, the root's nasty woody.

If we're lucky, the cilantro will re-seed itself and we'll be able to toss it in our August salads.

This acorn squash has grown like crazy in the past 10 days.

"How's the bread doing?" says Virginia.

Sometimes it's hard to keep her on topic.  No flowers, but the wheat is almost ready to harvest.  Our 2-month old chicks discovered this garden bed today, so we're going to have to get busy soon.

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Morning Stroll

This morning's garden tour discovered Doyle's Thornless Blackberry almost-blossoms,

wild raspberries invading the blackberry patch,

soon, peas,

broccoli brains,

pea brains,

a flying saucer landed,

oh, and speaking of brains, some sage flowers,

a potato flowering,

cilantro,

arugula,

"and don't forget Chy's bouquet," says Virginia.  Chy was in a dressy mood this morning.

Day Before Snowfall

It's too early for Blackberry Winter, or Dogwood Winter for that matter.  We're expecting snow tomorrow.  Brrr!  Lest we forget, our camera accompanied me around the gardens today.

I think this next guy has the right idea, exactly what I'd try to do if I were stuck on the lawn, considering how temperatures have dropped.

Now for my tasty friends.  (Are the above tasty?  You tell me.)  This next fellow will be ready to pick very soon.

"Stand up straight, onions," says Virginia.

"You, too, peas."

Certain little children I used to know called the immature flowers of these plants, "brocky trees."  This is Radini Broccoli, I'd guess so named because the leaves look a bit like radishes.

Here's some random Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach.

Take a look at wisps of Scarlet Nantes carrots up close. 

Cilantro, lots of it, has volunteered to spice up our salads.  I didn't need to save the coriander.  Want some?

Parsnips look much like cilantro, don't they?

"Eat me, eat me," begged the arugula all winter.  Now some of it is going to seed (flowers first).

"But we have been eating you," we say, "along with this stuff."

Some day we'll use Japanese Quintz fruit for something, although the flowers probably make the plant worthwhile.

 "Don't freeze on us peaches, pretty please!"

"You either, pears!"

"Or you, plums!"

I have to show you this apricot tree -- one tree, two sets of flowers.  Last year it bore fuzzy and smooth fruit, which some pest stole from us.  Which is fuzzy -- red or white?  Which is smooth -- white or red?

All right. Last picture for the day.  This one demonstrates what can happen when I plant a tree far away from my other fruit trees.  I forgot to prune the Hardy Trifoliate Orange.  We may discover whether it's hardy enough.