zygo pink

Posting this after the fact- my thanksgiving cactus bloom of the year! (Yes it was in November). It's still quite small, but has doubled in size. Maybe next year it will be big enough to need a new, larger pot.

winter greens

It has been very cold nights, some down into the low twenties, but often warm again during the day. The leeks I left in the garden didn't last, but the few green onions left are still okay, and I can still pick to eat sorrel, winter savory, sculpit, and purple dead nettle in certain sheltered spots. What I tried to grow in my little greenhouse- only part worked out. Nearly all the pots sprouted- but the lettuces are doing very poorly and leggy. Lack of light, or the soil was too poor, or it's just been too cold for them to thrive. Tatsoi I only got one good plant, but that one's doing fine. Haven't eaten it yet because I wish there was more. Chervil all growing but are slow to put out their first true leaves. Dill is okay and I've used some of it. Tokyo bekana is doing well!

A bit spindly, but grew much better than anything else. I actually picked some to eat just yesterday, glad for a bit of fresh greens. 

Maybe if I do this again next year, skip the idea of lettuces (unless I start them sooner) and just do the cabbage and spinach relatives.

poor paradise

 My paradise fish not bright anymore. It happened so gradually I barely noticed- but then one day saw the long streamers on his unpaired fins are gone, and his color dulled. He's still just as eager to eat but often slow about it- still too busy looking up at my hand, the minnows grab food from under his nose, ha. On a very few occasions I have seem him flash against the edge of a leaf, but then when I watch close for a long period of time, I don't see him repeat it. I hate to think he's coming down with the same virus or whatever illness that my two previous paradise fishes had. Even though it was eight months without one of them in the tank, and the minnows all seem fine. Does my tank harbor a pathogen so long, or do I just keep getting paradise fishes that are generally unwell (poor breeding?) or is something about my manner of keeping them not good enough. I don't know.

blanketed

This past week I did the final work putting the garden to bed for winter. Turned the compost pile- there was less than before, only the bottom fourth or barely third was finished material, but it was very finely done, with a clear demarcation. I put six wheelbarrow loads on eight garden beds, the rue and perennial herbs just got leaf litter mulch. On top of the compost layer went four wheelbarrow loads of finished leaf mould from last year's pile. Started a new one. While it feels quieting to see all the beds flat and dark with their winter mulch, it also feels restful and I sure was satisfied, happy even, to find the rich darkness at the bottom of the piles. It still feels something miraculous and wealthy, to dig up all this goodness from heaps of waste and blanket it over to feed next year's plants. Only green in the garden now are a few leeks, sorrel, winter savory and lavender in the perennnial bed, rue and some volunteer borage on the back wall that brave the cold a little longer. 

All the vermicompost went on the front lawn, when I emptied out the blue bin a few weeks ago (don't think I mentioned it here). The worms were looking a bit poorly but now with fresh bedding and regular feedings again (I had ignored them lately) they're looking better.

The green tomatoes I picked and put on kitchen windowsill didn't ripen, they just got moldy and tossed. Should have tried making fried green tomatoes! Half the cowpea pods I picked just withered icky-looking too, but the rest I am waiting for them to dry and see if the seed inside is any good. Next time must watch the weather reports more closely, and pull them all before the first night the drops below freezing. We've had a few now.

end of season

The garden is winding down, and so is my interest in keeping this journal going, for some reason. I had a final harvest of cowpeas, now there's half a small jar of the reddish dried beans in pantry, waiting for me to try them in soup. We had a few days of hard frost this past week, which killed off my coleus (one sheltered in back corner of the garden lasted a few days past the others), 

then the cardinal climber vine, then finally the black-and-blue salvia. I've mulched most of the perennials cut back, with leaves but need to shelter some hostas and others with wood chips maybe.

Gathered up the last bit of chard, collard greens, one volunteer fall tatsoi and some purple dead nettle, it was just enough for a plate of scrambled egg breakfast. There's still a pot of kale on the deck. I've brought indoors all my geraniums, two potted figs, the cuban oregano, chives, thyme, stevia and bay leaf to overwinter. My coleus cuttings all rooted and are potted up now, brightening the windowsills. Four of the five cuttings I took of that unnamed purple glossy-leaved plant rooted and got potted too. 

Persian shield cuttings haven't grown roots but I refresh their water jar weekly and hope.

Bright pink thanksgiving cactus is blooming right on time, better than ever. One stem of my crown of thorns plant died but the others are growing new leaves. I finally have a row of five different-colored violets all blooming together, so pretty in the bedroom when the light shines through them. The madagascar palm is doing poorly so I'm collecting and saving rainwater for it (the spider plants and asparagus plant will get it too) as I think it's something in the tap water making brown tips happen. Lipstick plant is flowering upstairs and has a new shoot, too.

I mail-ordered garlic bulbs and got them in the ground just in time, I think. Two kinds- hardneck 'Siberian' and softneck 'Silver Rose Silverskin'. I planted the hardneck on the side of the ninth garden bed closest to the stairs, and the softnecks closer to the inside. With space on either end and down the middle, where leeks will go in spring. 

Instead of making hoops and plastic rowcover, I reskinned my greenhouse with actual plastic panels (noted in a previous post). Last year in some pots I just had in there for storage overwinter, weeds and grass sprouted and lived just fine through the winter months. So this time I put all the soil for storage in bags, and planted pots in the greenhouse with seed. Tokyo bekana, tatsoi, chervil, dill and a variety of lettuces. 

Four shelves- not the top one because I can't reach up there to water as these pots have more depth than the usual seedling trays, so the plants will have room to mature. Not sure how well it will work. Most of the seeds sprouted but the young plants are kinda leggy and leaning around seeking light. I guess the pots above shade the ones below too much. Maybe would be better to just use two shelves, with an empty one in between, so they don't block the light from each other. 

I cleaned up more thoroughly this time, rinsing out and stacking to put away in my storage room all the empty pots, tools and things. Very upset that I found a lizard met its end in a stack of pots. Not that he fell in and couldn't get out- which has happened before so I usually put them upside-down if left around now. No, he tried to shove his head through a drainage hole and got stuck. Seeking escape or going after a bug I don't know. Wedged so tightly I couldn't pull the pots apart. I felt terrible. I wish I had been around when it happened, if I'd heard him scrabbling might have found, and cut the plastic to free him. Too late now. I have left the pot in a corner on a patch of bare soil, expecting the decomposers will do their job. Sad as it makes me. 

Stil have pictures to add to a few older posts that are missing some, or to post retroactively fill in for the fall months were I wrote little maybe.

Need to do a final mowing of the lawn (which got fed vermicompost from my bin a few weeks ago), while it has light leaf cover. Then raking of the back yard, turning the compost pile, spread compost on the garden beds, with a layer of last year's leaf mulch over that. And the garden goes to sleep until spring.

fall coleus

I wasn't feeling too fond of the lime-and-green coleus earlier this year- I planted it in an out-of-the-way strip alongside the driveway. Turns out the level of shade was just right there, it flourished and now has turned red-and-yellow.

The blanket flower in same spot isn't doing so great. Not enough sun?

Took cuttings yesterday, of all the coleus, the persian shield, and the glossy-leaved purple flowering one I lost the name of.

I remember last year being very pleased with the 'exhibition limelight'- it made huge leaves alongside the deck stairs. This year it has remained puny. I wonder if removal of a tree changed the light intensity here. Or I didn't water it enough.

new betta

After such a long time. The lady I gave my last few guppies to three months ago, brought him to me. She rescues bettas, but this one wasn't a rescue- a friend of hers had and decided didn't want him, so then he came to me. Hopefully without any major health issues.

I just can't believe how very blue he is! With scattering of paler blue and darker scales.

He's settled in very well already, exploring everything. Really personable- will emerge from wherever he's resting in the plants when I walk near the tank. Eagerly eats what I've offered so far.

He seems to like this corner where the rotalas grow to the surface- either because he can hide in the plants, or because it's the warmest spot, maybe both reasons.

The tank looks so vibrant with his bold color in there! Short end:

No matter where he is, instantly visible

even hiding in the rotala corner:

As yet unnamed. Maybe my kids will help me think of one.

angel tank cleanup

I've noticed the hornwort continues to struggle- not that it's my favorite plant, but I do miss the plumes filling up that side wall. I suspect it's because the pothos roots are growing and growing- taking up yet more nutrients. I missed the midweek water change both last week and this- yikes- and only did 36% wc on the usual day, but shouldn't have worried much, the nitrates were below ten (tested before the wc) in each instance. I like the pothos roots. Instead of cutting them back, or removing some of the vine, I decided to remove a few of the other plants. 

I pulled out the three medium-sized driftwood chunks (about as big as my two fists together). One had java fern on it, the others anubias- which did kinda poorly at the higher level to the light anyway- the ones on the tank floor fare better. Kept them in a bucket with tank water (refreshed daily) for a week, both so I could be sure I didn't miss having them in the tank before sold, also so I could pick off snails (most people don't want to get snails). I found I didn't miss them at all. A bit more open space for the angels to swim now. 

Tried to get a few fulltank shots after that, but my camera didn't cooperate well. This picture is too green/blue 

and this one too yellow! (photoshop has issues on my computer lately so I can't adjust) 

These closeups of the areas are better: far left, 

middle (where I still hope the crypt boliviana and aponogeton capuronii will eventually grow to fill in)

and right

I have other plans in the making- for subtle changes. To make a new planter basket for my vals americana, a slightly deeper one. And maybe a slightly shorter one for the crypt boliviana and aponogeton- so they are more or less all the same height.

hummingbird

I see it regularly now- a ruby throat female (or immature male?) If I catch the right moment, can watch it move from flower to flower among the cardinal climber vine. It also feeds on the nasturtiums. I actually got a few photos the other day- though they are not crisp focus because at a distance and through the window.

Here cropped, with the hummingbird at center:

So small!

clear panels

I re-skinned my tiny greenhouse. I was too late in rewrapping it in plastic sheeting- the temperature extremes had degraded it and was starting to shred. Realized my folly in using this for so many years- when it gets to the point of shredding, I can't gather all the tiny bits, and am probably adding microplastics to my own yard. Don't want that. 

This time, I took the trouble of finding some plastic panels- thin plexiglass or acrylic. Some I got that were scrap people gave away, some from taking apart picture frames I got at the thrift store for cheap. (Ugly pictures, or they had no picture at all). Pieces were all good size but none large enough to cover an entire side, so I layered them with an inch or two overlapping, bottom to top, to shed the rain.

Greenhouse looks much better now. Some of the plastic panels I'd put on the front this past December had discolored- I replaced those, too. None had broken or come loose, just yellowed some. So I think skinning it in panels will last longer each time than the plastic sheeting- in fact the roll of it I have in storage is aged enough I'm just going to toss what's left. 

I was really hoping to find an old storm door with a plexiglass pane to use- as it might cover one whole side of my greenhouse in a single piece. I've seen them before up for giveaway, but none now when I actually needed it. No matter, getting a handful of empty frames to remove the glazing, was still cheaper than buying new acrylic sheets at the hardware store. (I've looked before.)

green beauty

 Found another relative short, but fat zucchini under the broad leaves. Cooked it as a side dish last night. My youngest groaned: "Mo-om, I thought you said we with done with all the zucchini!" She thinks I serve this way too often, even though it's less than once a week. "I did! but the garden gave me another one! So we're eating it." Ha.

I really like the dark green and speckled skins of the variety this year.

brown mantis

I finally saw a mantis this year. 

A medium-sized brown one. On the window glass.

I coaxed him onto a leaf and relocated to the table where he climbed up the edge of a flower pot, 

to take a few better pictures.

caterpillars

Saw some bare stems in my carrot patch. Thought a rabbit had got into the garden, but the damage was too slight. Looked close and found a bunch of swallowtail caterpillars.

Funny that even so small, they put their 'horns' out to threaten when I gently pick them up.

I moved them the rue plant. 

They seem happy enough there.

One by itself on the lovage. 

I let it be- there's enough lovage to go around!

I did find one monarch caterpillar on the first sideyard, where the milkweed plants look scraggly this year.

late summer flowers

 Found one last gladiola blooming on the second sideyard, and brought it inside. Lovely pink salmon.

Tithonia thicket is doing great. Sometimes when I go out to deadhead them, I crouch down in the middle so the plants tower over me, just looking at a wall of green leaves, flowers, insects droning, and piece of blue sky. Even though there's the road and another house just a few yards away, it feels for a moment like a secret place. Like the feeling I'd get the other year when pole beans grew up to the garage wall making a green narrow space behind, to stand back there felt secret and peaceful.

A few very new-looking monarchs have appeared. There's one in the middle here on a tithonia but I couldn't get close with the camera, it kept flitting up. The few stalks of milkweed here are bare now, but looks like at least one caterpillar made it to pupate!

Now the borage is all pulled out and celosia "combflower" is thick around the mailbox. I didn't plant them this year, they just came up on their own from dropped seed. There was one plant with yellow that I cut the flower heads off (I prefer the red, pink and cream ones). In gaps I've put cuttings of cuban oregano. I do like to think it keeps the dogs away- the scent is very strong, almost unpleasant even to me. Sometimes I sit at my desk upstairs and glance every time someone walks by with a dog. Nine times out of ten now, they don't pause, and if they do, it's brief.

Beautyberry is starting to show off- its glowing purple fruit like jewelry on the stems.

other cicada

There are other cicadas this year, not just the swarm of seventeen-year ones that have mostly dissipated now. I hear others buzzing in a higher pitch, and they're much fewer in number. Must be one of the single, two- or three- year cycling species. Finally got a photo of one,

it's the dull green type with camouflage pattern.