I cut down

all the dead cardinal climber vines off the deck- after the first freeze they go from attractive with a bit of color change, to limp and slimy all at once. Couldn't help collecting the fallen seed off the deck, even though I don't really need to save any- there's still plenty in the original packet.

herbs and seed

I did stuff. Cut two large bunches of tarragon and dill to hang for drying. I tried to leave plenty of dill for the swallowtail caterpillars, and checked that the plants I cut didn't house any baby ones. Stripped the stems of summery savory I'd dried previously, and stored in jars. Also cut back the lavender and hung some of that to dry (I like to put sachets of it in my sock drawer). And cut those two stems of false indogo seedpods- just because I was curious on it.

The seeds. My smaller plant never surfaced this spring, so I do want to try and grow more.

Most of the work I did was with dill seed, though. I had these umbrels cut from when the older plants were so tall, hanging to dry in a paper bag. I think I left them too long- now I learned that it's easier to separate the seed cleanly if the stems are still a bit pliable. I put a small handful of seed mixed with chaff in an envelope for storage, to grow next year. Doesn't matter for that if it's super clean. 

But I wanted to use the rest of the seed for cooking. Shaking the bag got lots of seed off, not all- a ton left on the stems. As you probably know, it grows in these clusters of umbrels.

I found two ways to get the rest of the seed off, more or less. One was to break off each individual small umbrel from the larger bunch-

pinch it flat between fingers and pluck the seeds off with other hand.

This got a pretty clean bunch of seed, which I was satisfied with. There's still some bits of stem in there, that clung to the seeds.

My next method I realized by happenchance. I had more seed, broken roughly off the umbrels and rubbed between fingers to loosen chaff, in a plastic bowl. I had thought to take this outside and winnow it, but that didn't work- the seed is about the same weight as the chaff. But when I tipped the bowl, I noticed that some seeds would jump ahead of the chaff falling on the side of the curve, and the chaff would cling to the side of the bowl- due to static electricity I think-

By sifting with my finger and tipping in stages around the circumference of the bowl, and then swiping out the free seeds onto tabletop, I was able to separate them. This lot of seeds came much cleaner.

Both methods are quite tedious, and for all that work I only filled half a jar!

Well, next time I'll pay attention how dried the umbrels are, and do this sooner. The leftover bits:

garden

First the good. I harvested sweet pea seeds to save

and tatsoi (so many!)

Lavender is done flowering, so I cut it back. Chopped up all the trimmed stems, leaves and flowers, scattered on the beds of amaranth calaloo and leaf beet chard / cowpeas. I think some bugs don't like the scent! A few striped beetles immediately took flight away from the bed onto collards. I tracked with my eyes and smacked 'em.

The cowpea, bush green bean and leaf beet chard bed:

with collard greens behind:

I trimmed out over half the leaves of the sorrel- because they looked sickly- leaving more room for the sage and lemon balm now. Tarragon has grown nice! I used some in a soup but a bit too much, my kid complained the flavor was strong

Then moved on to a dismal chore: cleaning up all the wilted foliage. Carrots- all looking dead and brown-

but the smallest inner leaves are fine. And I pulled one- the root is fine. No rot. So I don't think it was the downpour.

What's left of my tomatoes, after I cut off all the brown and yellow and wilted leaves. Dreadfully familiar, this. At least now you can see how many tomatoes I have! But I don't know if they'll be okay.

I didn't find any pests on the tomato or carrot plants, but startled a few stinkbugs in the zucchini and cucumbers. After clearing out half the zucchini leaves that were rotting or blanched of color, this is what's left. It looks so leggy and open now.

But maybe enough still healthy to recover. Here's one zucchini growing!

On the opposite end of that bed, what's left of the lovage (that towered over my head just a few days ago)

I haven't been out here enough the past two weeks, to keep ahead of the bugs. There's whitefly and cabbage loopers on the collard greens. Leaf hoppers in the chard and green beans. Some kind of beetle in the amaranth, and slugs in several places. I have biodegradable, organic insecticidal soap, but can't use it in hot sunny weather or it will cause leaf burn. We have several more days of sun before it rains again. I'm considering coming out to spray the plants very early in the morning, before it's hot- and then hose them down after . . . 

come up

All my new plants are sprouting in the greenhouse!

Outside, spears of gladiolas are coming up on the sideyard. Tithonias look great, one aster died. My purple clematis is blooming again, lavender is flowering, cardinal climbers are starting to go up the trellis. More sweet peas are in flower, lots of white nicotiana, and a hummingbird visited yesterday. I only caught a glimpse of it, though. At first I thought it was a cicada!

I pulled the older tokyo bekana and cut off all the dried seedpods. Just as many more were still too green. Even all these weren't good- on opening, more than half were mildewed. 

Still got plenty of seed, though!

tomatoes and what

Scratching my head over this plant again.

It's the one I've previously thought was a weed, or a wild type of reverted coleus? but it's growing in a row right where I swear I planted the strawberry spinach. One of these was out of the row, and I moved it into place. Did five just happen to grow in the same space? or what. When I look at pics of strawberry spinach leaves, they're much toothier on the margin. Well, I think I'll let them grow out this time, and finally maybe resolve my confusion on their identity.  

Set out my tomatoes a few days ago. These pics before I placed pole supports, and dug the holes.

The seed is not yet mature on those tokyo bekana in the rear. I calculated in my head- if I planted the usual ten or twelve chinese cabbage per year, I'd only use two of those seed pods. Each of those plants has probably over fifty of them. So well more than I need! I pulled the third plant and tossed it. Tied these two up by the trellis to get them out of the way (they had flopped across the ground).

dead nettle seed

I took another large harvest of purple dead nettle the other day- most got blanched and frozen for later, some went into a kind of casserole dish of rice, cheese and nettles (it was fairly good served with steamed carrots and a salad)- and then I bothered to save the seed too. From the bottom of the rinsing pot for the leaves, cooking pot for the blanching, and chilling bowl of ice water. Just stirred up and poured off the chaff, then through a strainer to keep the seed and wash off the specks of dirt. Spread on a plate to dry.

Not because I want to plant more dead nettles. They do enough of that on their own outside, without my help! The seed is also very nutritious -and has antioxidants- so I'm thinking about eating it- mixed into a bread or something . . . 

more seedling stuff

Some are just starting to get their first true leaves- arugula

lettuces 

 Tatsoi 

Collards

I did a kind of test with my blue collards. I had the saved seed marked- from the pods that had looked good and mature and those that seemed musty or scant. Sowed them on opposite sides of the tray. On the "good" side, every single seed germinated. On the not-so-good side, only one. So I tossed the rest of the not-great packet.

Also tossed the packet of romaine lettuce, saved off my own plants in 2010. None grew this year. So now I know when I save lettuce seed, it keeps for ten years! 

I also sowed dill from two packets each- original bought seed, and my own saved seed, with either end of the trays marked. They all sprouted at same rate. This seed isn't more than a year or two old, I just wanted to see if my saved seed was as viable. Had first accident with seedlings last night- knocked over tray of cilantro. Rescued most of them.

Started more trays on top of the fridge. 2nd sowing! Leaf beet chard, marigolds, golden snap peas, sugar snap peas, webb's wonder lettuce, simpson 'slo-bolt' lettuce, new tokyo bekana, nasturtiums, sweet peas and five kinds of tomatoes- beefsteak, sweet cherry, black cherry, cherokee purple, and saved seed from one large tomato plant a few years back (didn't mark what variety).

Instead of the fermenting method, I had done this simpler thing: rinse the seeds as best able, then just fold into a paper towel and let dry, store in cold. Had read about it a few times. I don't think I can stomach dealing with mold to cleanse tomato seed, so I tried this and now will see if they grow.

Realized belatedly after I was done with all the satisfying work of filling and tamping and misting the trays, that I probably used up trays and seed-starter mix I didn't have to- I could have waited a few weeks and just planted the peas straight into the ground! I got carried away with the sowing task. Well, they have an early start now. I needed two trays for my sweet peas. Kept them separate from the soaking- all the seeds that sank went in the first tray. The floaters in the second. So I'll see if it's true that only the seeds that sink are good. 

All my seedling trays are in use now. Will have to wait until some of the earlier plants are ready for paper pots, to free some up again.

some notes

It's very chilly outside today- temps are not going to get above freezing. However in spite of the cold wind, the sun makes my mini greenhouse heat up to over 70° and for the cool-weather plants I'm starting, getting too warm too soon makes them grow too fast! So I've been going out periodically to adjust how far ajar the door is, keeping it near 60°. 

My last trays of seedlings from the first sowing came up- parsley and cilantro. The laggard was a tray of romaine lettuce- and only one individual sprouted. It's one of the older seed packets I have, finally no longer viable. Next time I get the packets out I will discard that one.

first sowing

Today is cold outside, with ice and snow predicted all through the coming week. Yeah, my little row cover will probably collapse but the mini greenhouse roof sheds snow just fine. My tender prennials still have heaps of leaf litter over them from the last snowfall so no worries there. 

Indoors, I started the garden with my first seed sowing of the year: lettuces, augula, collards, leeks, tatsoi, kale, sweet alyssum, dill, parsley and cilantro.

Here's my list (labels I made for the trays, w/some of my own made-up abbreviations)

I'm hoping I can get the alyssum to grow- really looking forward to having that across my front decorative bed and maybe in a few planters. At the nurseries I've only ever seen white sweet alyssum plants, so I was pretty happy to get some seed for rose color, purple, and a mix. It might be tricky, though- the seeds are so tiny they come in a glassine envelope inside a little ziplock inside the regular packet:

Miniscule:

Also requiring some particular treatment: the seed needs light to germinate so I press them onto the starter mix surface instead of covering them, and place on my plant table by the window instead of atop the fridge with the others. Also, supposed to water from below in a tray (let soak up water for fifteen mintues, then tip the excess out) instead of misting. Following the directions and crossing my fingers! 

seeds to save- and bake!

I saved hyssop seed. Fall from the little throats of the dried flowers-

Mixed with the chaff-

Cleaned up ready to store. Don't have a good reason for this- I still have plenty of hyssop seed in the original packet I bought, and I now have seven two-year-old plants in the yard that will grow back every spring. I'm not picturing planting more hyssop, but as it so generously seed, I thought I'd save it. Can always take to the local seed/plant exchange which I skipped this year due to covid (they held it as an outdoor event but I didn't go). Looking forward to spring!

On another note, I did something I never thought I would- I took some of my saved seeds out of the fridge and baked them to use as pie weights. My usual collection of dried beans for pie weights- which I've been using over and over for many years- isn't quite enough when I make two pies. So as I have far more purple-podded pole bean seed than I actually need next year, I picked out fifteen of the fattest smoothest ones to save (planning for ten to twelve good plants) and poured the majority into the uncooked pie crust shells with the old dried beans.

Then they went in the oven. But the center bubbled up under the new beans- I don't know if because there simply wasn't enough to weigh it down, or if the beans weren't dry enough, and the moisture did something.

Well, it still made a fine pie (the beans get removed and filling poured in, which was cooked separate).