Around The House and Gardens

It looks like spring here. All the leaves that were blown off during Issac have been replaced by light green new baby leaves....this all happened surprisingly quick!   Amazing, Amazing and Amazing...I'm amazed in case you didn't know.

I've removed all the bushes that were uprooted and I'm working on cutting back the abundant summer growth.  Look at the bark peeling on the river birch...oh I love that!

I'm also clearing up my large garden one bed at a time and planting my fall crops.  Here is a bed of red and green cabbage.  They are growing so fast!  When I was pulling weeds and preparing the beds, the soil was teeming with earthworms.  I'm attributing my soils fertility to these little debris munchers.

The green beans already have flowers.  There shouldn't be any frosts until December.  Even then it may not really freeze until January...if at all.  Two years ago if you remember the temps went all the way into the teens.  Um...very cold for here....and last year...no freeze at all.  So who knows how long these beans will produce.

These are the Camilla red beans I planted.  The vine in the bed next to it is Asian winged beans.  They came back like a perennial plant.  Since it didn't freeze...I wonder.  I'm excited none the less.  Asian winged beans are delicious steamed when they are small.

The peanuts are just about ready to harvest!  Looking forward to seeing what's underneath.

Fig cutting update!!!!!  Byron put these cuttings directly in the dirt this spring after trimming his favorite tree.  All, yep everyone, of them took.  We're going to dig them when they lose their leaves and put them in individual pots and plant some here and some on the property in Mississippi.  Byron's success has gone to his head.  When pruning the trees recently, he stuck a ten foot mulberry branch in the ground to see if would "take".  Ummm....Byron?

Curly mustard getting big enough to gobble.  This is my fav mustard.

View of the front garden.  The Monarchs and Fritillaries are everywhere!

Front porch pumpkin.   I'm in the season!  That's my fav garden tool ever.  It allows me to get into tight spots to weed and it's great for breaking up the soil as well.

The baby chickies are getting big!

Things to plant now:

parsley
dill
coriander
fennel
leeks
cabbage
collards
turnips
mustard
broccoli
cauliflower
Brussels sprouts
beets
carrots
onions
garlic
Swiss chard
kale
lettuce
radish
bachelor buttons
cosmos
sweet peas (flowers and peas)
calendula
nasturtiums

Ummmmm.....I think that's most everything.  Yep...It's the best time to plant ever!