Fruit of Labor

 The garden, as it were, is being used as a fenced area for the dog to be off leash instead of, you know, a garden.  There are still a few things growing there, but most of what I had wanted to grow didn't, or was eaten by other animals once planted.  Unfortunately, I stopped doing much in the way of gardening.  Frustration over the groundhogs and getting a job are my excuses.  Last week I even forgot to water most of the indoor plants.  I noticed that there were still a few blueberries on the bush to be picked so I decided it was time.  The blueberry bush and some of the strawberry plants are not in the main garden, I planted them where there were once flowers by the driveway.  I also covered them with netting and put in drip water irrigation.  They are relatively safe.  Still, I left them alone too.  Today I got out and picked blueberries from my bush for the second time this year. 

Not many, I know.
The bush suffered from the drought last year.
I'm thrilled that it is producing at all. 

Other things I am happy for today:

• I didn't just pick blueberries.  I was going to get under the netting, pick blueberries, and close it back up.  Instead I started pulling weeds.  

This is a mostly before photo of the area.

After.  Outside of the netting still needs a lot of work.

I sat next to this basket to try to get some scale.
It is full of the weeds I pulled.

• In the process of pulling the weeds I uncovered the strawberry plants.  Some of them are trying to produce more fruit!  There are also many runners so I will need to get those planted soon too. 

• I had planted marigolds around the strawberries.  One survived and should bloom soon.

Marigold.

• Someone at work noticed that I have been there for more than thirty days.  When I was hired, my badge was on a red lanyard which was supposed to go away after thirty days.  The hook on the red lanyard gave up a few weeks ago and I have been keeping my badge in my back pocket.  Now I have one that clips onto the vest with a retractable cord.  Snazzy.

Yes, I wear a bright and reflective safety vest.

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Pretty Weeds

 For my first day of work off, I slept in.  Isn't that what one is 'supposed' to do on a day off?  I spent part of the morning either being mildly productive or avoiding being productive.  Another classic day off strategy.  After lunch I made my way out to the garden.  Here I was very productive doing things that I wanted to do, but that weren't the high parts of my priority list.  It was a good day.  Here are other happy things from today:

• I planted something.  There is a small section of the garden that I pulled roots from, strained dirt back into, and needed to finish putting dirt back into.  I found even more roots that I missed the first time through, but got the dirt back in.  I had a zinnia that looked close to gone that is now planted there.  Maybe tomorrow I will get some more into that area.  

Poor lonely zinnia.
I hope it makes it.

• Some of the tiger daylilies that are by the common milkweed have opened.

Tiger daylilies with common milkweed behind.

• Yesterday I weed whacked in the garden and today I pulled weeds.  A few weeks ago I had noticed that the woodchucks, or some other critter, had eaten the greens off the radish plants.  While pulling weeds I found that some of the radish bottoms were still okay and I pulled them to eat.  Yay! A small harvest.

Radishes.

Midway into weeding.
The garden needs more of my attention.

• There is a trip that I am planning with some friends at the end of August.  I sent out an email this morning in preparation.  This trip is to check the contents of our SCA trailer in Pennsylvania and I am more excited to go than I probably should be for this task.
• It was just Zed and I for dinner and Zed had errands.  He picked up dinner at Subway-I am very full and it is good.
• Here are some pictures that I took today of some plants on the property.

The butterfly weeds.

Butterfly weed up close.
No butterflies on it when I looked.

Common milkweed up close.
It is so pretty.
I can see the relationship between this and the butterfly weed.

Yarrow.

Black-eyed Susan.

Raspberry, it may be a black raspberry
not yet ripe.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.

New Plants

There are things I should have done outside before the weather got hot.  Now I must work harder at getting up earlier.  Today I did okay with that.  I got up earlier than I have been and was out of the house a little after eight this morning.  My goal for what I wanted to accomplish was not reached, but I am a lot closer.  I also have more ideas that I hope to implement in this area where my strawberry and blueberry plants are.

This picture is my 'before' one.

This is during.
I'm trying to remove as many weeds as 
possible while retaining as much dirt as I can.
Removing grubs is also important.

This is where I ended before having lunch.
The blueberry plant is just about two feet farther I think.
I'm not sure how much more I will do after the blueberry plant.

Getting this far weeding is a happy for today, here are some more:

• Gideon came outside and helped me get to the finish-for-the day spot l decided on for weeding as well as the cutting and placing of the burlap.  He was a great helper!
• Walking around the yard today for measuring purposes Keziah and I noticed some more lilacs.  Looking through the window I wasn't positive that they were white lilacs or maybe some other flowering plant.  This means there are lilacs along the road in the front of the house, between one of the neighbors and us, and behind the house.  No wonder all the yards smell like lilacs!  

• A new to me plant (at least I don't remember it from before) seems to be called naked broomrape (NY Times article).  It is also called cancer root.  The scientific name is Orobanche uniflora.  Whatever it is called it is still a parasitic plant, it eats other plants.  Soon it will be relocated to the Japanese knotweed or some similar area of unwanted plants and away from my blueberry plant.  Learning new things. 👍

Naked broomrape lacks chlorophyll.

• Another plant that I am not sure was there or not last year, Lens identified as a type of sage or a clary.  I need to do more research on it, but I am too tired for that tonight!

Sage?

• Just before dark I went outside to take the finished-for-the-day picture of the strawberry area progress that I hadn't taken earlier.  It was good timing.  I remembered to water the plants, picked up a few things I had forgotten from earlier, and got to enjoy a few moments of the sunset.

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe!

 Below is the list of YouTube videos from the wildlife camera and when they will be available.  This is likely the last time I will be posting a list like this.  Please subscribe there if you are interested.  Really cool things, I'll post here too.  The links below will only work after the time listed for the video.  Thank you for reading and watching.

Chipmunk public on May 19, 2021 at 8 PM.

Deer drinking public on May 20, 2021 at 8 PM.

Deer eating public on May 21, 2021 at 8 PM.

Maybe two deer public on May 22, 2021 at 8 PM.

Gopher public on May 23, 2021 at 8 PM.

Racoon public on May 24, 2021 at 8 PM.

Blue jay public on May 25, 2021 at 8 PM.

Blue jay public on May 26, 2021 at 8 PM.

Deer at night public on May 27, 2021 at 8 PM.