Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[SPedigrees]

It's not perfect, but we have one more lovely outdoor sitting area. It is very cozy in the spring and autumn. In summer time, I can use containers to grow warmth-loving plants as it's facing the west.
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I propose we all travel to Germany and descend on Phaedra's cafe/shop for a reunion, complete with tea and one of her delicious homegrown snacks! (Don't worry Phaedra, I'm just kidding! I seldom travel outside of a 20 mile radius from home, and never beyond 40 miles, these days. This will have to be one of my imaginary journeys, delightful nonetheless.)

 

[Phaedra]

I propose we all travel to Germany and descend on Phaedra's cafe/shop for a reunion, complete with tea and one of her delicious homegrown snacks! (Don't worry Phaedra, I'm just kidding! I seldom travel outside of a 20 mile radius from home, and never beyond 40 miles, these days. This will have to be one of my imaginary journeys, delightful nonetheless.)

You are very, very much welcome! I have just made some lovely chocolate this morning.

 

[Phaedra]

The flower beds in the front of our house

The lettuce, chard, and basils in the plastic planter are ready for a small harvest.

Not bad at all!

Our neighbor brought his youngest granddaughter to watch the hens. He is 100% a very proud grandpa.

Volunteer tomatoes - as I pinched them in the early September and removed all suckers, whatever still on the plants would be the harvest I can expect. Well, not too bad, this one for example, has six trusses fruits, and some start changing colors.

San Marzano tomatoes - they are not delicious if you eat them row, after all, they are for sauce.

These are the daughter plants I cut from the very early suckers (side shoots), soaked in the water, let them root, and then transplanted in late May or early June. They keep bearing fruits well.

I also pinched them and removed all suckers in the end of August. There are still several trusses. I will wait until the first frost, which usually arrives from the middle of October.

I cooked some adzuki beans and put two portions into the freezer. I wish I can find another supplier who offers the adzuki beans from Hokkaido, Japan with a more reasonable price. 99% of the adzuki beans here are from China, no matter which brands.

A rose - it grows from a cutting of rose that I purchased in a flora shop this winter.

I remember that each of them (the red roses) costs 5 Euros. It's happy to get at least one plant from the bouquet.

That's why we need succession planting - french beans in the end of September. It's an experiment and very successful. The planter is standing somewhere in the northern side (but received good amount of sunlight).

It's very late sowing, but it did crop. There is another batch for early October. Next year, I will try sowing them even later in summer.

 

[SPedigrees]

The flower beds in the front of our house
View attachment 60906

The lettuce, chard, and basils in the plastic planter are ready for a small harvest.
View attachment 60907
Not bad at all!
View attachment 60908

Our neighbor brought his youngest granddaughter to watch the hens. He is 100% a very proud grandpa.
View attachment 60909

Volunteer tomatoes - as I pinched them in the early September and removed all suckers, whatever still on the plants would be the harvest I can expect. Well, not too bad, this one for example, has six trusses fruits, and some start changing colors.
View attachment 60910

San Marzano tomatoes - they are not delicious if you eat them row, after all, they are for sauce.

These are the daughter plants I cut from the very early suckers (side shoots), soaked in the water, let them root, and then transplanted in late May or early June. They keep bearing fruits well.

I also pinched them and removed all suckers in the end of August. There are still several trusses. I will wait until the first frost, which usually arrives from the middle of October.
View attachment 60911

I cooked some adzuki beans and put two portions into the freezer. I wish I can find another supplier who offers the adzuki beans from Hokkaido, Japan with a more reasonable price. 99% of the adzuki beans here are from China, no matter which brands.
View attachment 60912
A rose - it grows from a cutting of rose that I purchased in a flora shop this winter.
View attachment 60913
I remember that each of them (the red roses) costs 5 Euros. It's happy to get at least one plant from the bouquet.
View attachment 60914

That's why we need succession planting - french beans in the end of September. It's an experiment and very successful. The planter is standing somewhere in the northern side (but received good amount of sunlight).

It's very late sowing, but it did crop. There is another batch for early October. Next year, I will try sowing them even later in summer.
View attachment 60915

Your posts are so inspiring!

 

[baymule]

Your neighbors granddaughter is so cute! Grandpa is beaming with happiness.

The flowerbeds and front of your house are attractive and inviting.

Can you grow adzuki beans or is your climate not right for them?

 

[Phaedra]

Your neighbors granddaughter is so cute! Grandpa is beaming with happiness.

The flowerbeds and front of your house are attractive and inviting.

Can you grow adzuki beans or is your climate not right for them?

I tried this spring and failed three times.
Don't know why, they just can't germinate - I guess they are pretty old beans.
I will try again next spring anyway~

 

[Phaedra]

It was once the stage of Hydrangea, and now, different MUMs are waiting to shine.

It's always a very exciting time in autumn - always amazes me that they are growing from tiny, tiny cuttings.

I am also trying to turn some young shrubs into tree-forms, like this black elderberry. The method is to remove lower branches and leaves.

My next target is this big guy (Weigela florida) - the growth is a bit too aggressive for me. So, removing its lower branches might help.

The forest garden patch - after cutting back several huge cosmos and calendula, other plants have space to keep growing. Later on, I will completely remove the annual plants, check the status of perennial ones, plant some bulbs, and then mulch with compost.

Some annuals like pumpkin, luffa, tomatoes, and beans are still growing among young shrubs. I guess, at the end of October, a better overview and check can be done easier.

See how many plants are growing in this small area? But they are doing very fine. In October, here will become a splendid corner after MUMs are blossoming.

The young spider plants are doing well, too. I just realized that their roots reached the bottoms of those pots again. Those propagated plants will be gifts for the loyalty program (for example, when they collect 10 stamps, each coffee one stamp).

See the fat root? They grow so quickly!

 

[flowerbug]

I tried this spring and failed three times.
Don't know why, they just can't germinate - I guess they are pretty old beans.
I will try again next spring anyway~

they like it warm! also every herbivore loves to eat them.

 

[Phaedra]

they like it warm! also every herbivore loves to eat them.

The problem is, I sowed them in the greenhouse and nothing came out. Even the 'legendary' Lisianthus successfully germinated and grew, adzuki beans became such a pity.

 

[Phaedra]

I kept working and pruning annuals this afternoon. After removing those annuals, a better overview of what could be look like when next growing season comes is clearer. This belt area will become the home of large German bearded Irises, which are temporarily growing in the nursery pots.

They reminded me the days when I was an amateur gardener -- I just dug deep, deep holes and threw them inside, and then wondered why nothing came out.

They are doing well and ready for checking in the next residence. The plan is to remove most of the annuals in the next two weeks, let Irises check-in, cover some paper packaging materials and then mulch.

I also dug out a large clump of forest strawberry (Fragaria vesca), soaked them (with a little water) in a bucket, and prepare to divide them tomorrow. I like their fruits very much.

The new residents of this metal planter are four lavenders growing from seeds.

Some other plants that are staying in the pots - some are taking leaves after a long working period in the greenhouse (Geraniums), some are re-growing (snapdragons which were cut back hard a few weeks ago), and some are volunteers that will become my next Bonsai practices (those 2-year old conifers).

There are also another autumn raspberry growing from a cutting, and taros sprouted from the compost.

There are so many interesting things happening everyday in the garden, fascinating.