My last growing update was June 2. Since then ripe tomatoes, blackberries and blueberries have come on stream. And wild plants such as the pokeweed above, compete for attention. Yesterday’s basket provided a delicious salad – tasty tomatoes, cucumber, beans plus onions and garlic (not shown). All freshly picked.
I inter-sprinkled some seeds for large sunflowers in the growing area and the sunflowers are now between 9ft and 10ft tall.
I also added color to a cucumber area by sowing wild flower seed behind the support on which the cucumbers are growing.
Last year my blueberry leaves were sickly yellow – chlorosis resulting from too high ph, and I added sulphur powder. This year the leaves look much better.
A couple of the weaker blueberry plants had insects on some of the branches. Initially I sprayed with neem oil but it gives the berries a distinctive smell. Since their presence is limited, I now gently cut the stem on which they are gathered, lower it onto the ground and grind it (and them) into the soil with my boot.
The 6ft mullein is still bearing its lovely yellow flowers and keeping bumble bees busy.
And now the Rose of Sharon which invades our deck area and provides cover for birds at the feeder, has begun producing its distinctive flower – perhaps we will again be visited by hummingbirds.
I am gathering in the garlic and onion. Because of plentiful spring rains, garlic is larger than prior years.
Finally, a friend had to have an oak tree brought down and I visited and collected some firewood – all from the branches.
