Bulbs

 

Autumn

Time is moving along and we are back to a beautiful colorful time of year. The weather in Philly started to change earlier than usual with cold nights already. We went to the orchid this past weekend. I expected to see the leaves had started to change but not yet. Enjoyed our day and the hay ride is always a treat. There was lots to choose from in the garden center. I came home with 3 new house plant purchases. Of course apples and candied apples. The apple cider donuts were delicious.

From my daughter for my birthday in September. Yes, another year older.

 

My first bulbs arrived a few weeks ago.

Lettuce and a few other cool season container vegetables. Fresh salad by Thanksgiving and some kale below to put in soup.

Chore of the day.

Ten houseplants moved indoors last week with nights in the 40's.

Wood and a box of tulip bulbs arrived.

The porch is a little more organized. Have to take in the clivia's in the pot on the floor. Hope they do well. I ordered them this summer and put all 3 in one pot.

Planted some perennials this fall to return in spring.

Don't know why the nicotiana didn't bloom. Planted them from seeds. I got no flowers from any of them but the plants were healthy. I'll start more gomphrena from seed this winter. They did real well for me with the drought and high temperatures. I love reds and oranges so I already purchased the seed.

Salvia

These asters didn't do well.

The End of Summer

Summer isn't over until September 22nd but, when children go back to school and labor day arrives many seem to start thinking of fall. Usually I'm excited about fall, the harvest, fall plants, the leaves changing. This year when I think of it's arrival it's because the temperature will start to cool and there will be a respite from scorching summer temperatures and humidity. Our region has had a preview of this for a few days and nights and it was beautiful. To feel that crisp air that arrives in the fall. I've come to love summer as all the other seasons but extreme heat is not my thing. I was on vacation all summer as a school employee and I loved it. More so this summer than any I've had. I learned to embrace rest and being still and the joy it brings. Normally summer means painting, tidying up, projects, and gardening. I'm a person that will move and find something to do all day. Not this summer. My coworkers asked me did I go on vacation. The answer was no, I relaxed. I really rested and I did. I planted a small container garden at my sister's house where all the sun it. Enjoyed tomatoes all summer and they're still yielding but the plants are all over the place. Soon we will pull them up. My peppers weren't successful planted in the same container with the tomatoes. This is what I miss now that I'm back at work. 

With each year of getting older, my expectations are changing and I'm learning how to manage this almost 60 year old body and all of it's changes. No, not 60 yet, next year. This year I'll be 59. How did I get to almost 60? Time went so fast. When I was living it, things seemed to past slow. I was excited to return to work maybe because I know I have few years left to work. When I do retire, I'll miss being in the presence of those in the work place. For me, it's therapeutic to work. I hope to have one knee replaced this year. With hopefully more mobility and less achiness and pain, next summer I may choose to be more active. Arthritis is not a nice disease and being in pain all day every day changes a person. Aging changes the mind, body, desires, abilities and so much more. Aging is also freedom. Freedom to authentically be me and not care what other people think. Enjoy all that life brings, nature, the breeze, the buzzing of bees on my blooms during summer, the joy and peace of silence.

It was nice not to have to buy a tomato all summer and enjoy the rich taste that can't be found in store bought tomatoes which travel so far to reach the stores. They're advantages of growing live food outside the kitchen door. Two cabbages that started out beautiful never made big heads but were beautiful. They should have been planted outdoors in March but got there in May which would have been almost the time to harvest them. Soon the heat arrived and the growth slowed down. So if I grow some next season, I'll plant them outdoors at the proper time. They are cool season vegetables. My sister and I will have to not be too excited about how much we plant because we learned it has to be watered, all the time. Her yard has scorching sun. Tomatoes and peppers need direct sun but the soil dries out fast and they needed more watering than I would have been committed to. She's retired and was so excited about having her own vegetables so I thought she'd be out there every day watering.  This didn't occur. I can't complain because it was so hot. She used her water barrel with rain water. But most of the summer there was little rain. I asked her every day. Did you water the vegetables? To grow and know where some of your food comes from is priceless. We can't control what's in the air or water but we can grow it as organically as possible and not use chemicals.

In the house my plants have had a rough summer. I threw out a large plant yesterday, not dead but tired of dealing with mealy bugs on it which are traveling to other plants. Many of my plants need to be repotted. Maybe this winter. Hopefully when temperatures make me stay indoors I'll be excited about my indoor garden. Ordered my bulbs in the spring and they should be arriving soon. Last year my bulbs didn't do as well. Hopefully they do better next season. I ordered my first seeds to start during winter. As one season will soon end, another is beginning. So we have caught up on what I've been doing. I hope you've had a beautiful summer and we'll talk again hopefully sooner than later.

Home Grown Tomatoes

 

Home grown from my garden. Delicious on turkey sandwiches last night with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, oregano, and hot pepper slices on wheat bread. Delicious. It's almost pass time to start seeds for fall but I may still plant some Georgia collard seeds.
 

The weekend supermarket bouquet. If I went to the produce market or the Reading Terminal I could pick what individual flowers I wanted. But the supermarket saves me a trip in this heat.

Summer Views

 

Not a lot going on at my house.
The clouds are beautiful. It's been a hot summer. Anything requiring daily watering has not done well. No water hose just the watering can when I water the containers outside. Assuming I feel sorry for them. Rain has been scarce.

Nicotiana seedlings have not produced a bloom stalk yet. I don't know what happened. At this time last summer they were beautiful. I did buy them from a different vendor this year. The darker green is a hollyhock.

Seeds grow from seeds in this container include chocolate mint coleus and dragon wing begonia. It took a long time for the begonia to bloom.

Petunia seedlings and brought calibrachoa. I need to start more petunia this winter. Not sure of what color I want but may start the reds again. And I may try starting calibrachoa from seeds. I tried it once without success.

Nasturtium seedlings did not thrive and so far has had only 1 red bloom.

I need to collect all the hollyhock seeds and cut the stalk. Would love to plant some of the seeds indoors now and transplant out in the fall for spring. Have to get started.

Small weekend harvest. I normally eat them off the vine and have not added to salad yet. Super sweet 100 cherry tomatoes aren't sweet but taste home grown not watery like store brought ones. And one tiny hot pepper.

In the Neighborhood

It's been a long time since we had a little walk in a part of the neighborhood. Not by my choice. I took my car to the shop and caught the bus home. But the bus detoured due to construction work and I had to get off and walk in the heat. But, I got to see what was going on in the community garden. 

Tomatoes

Sat on the bench under this tree to rest. Ladies were out in the heat tending the garden. I met someone named Susan who was very nice. She was dressed for the weather with a large straw hat much needed today. She showed me the newly planted herb garden for all neighbors to pinch or snip, and ornamental plants donated from the Philadelphia Flower Show which was in June.

Basil and something else. Doesn't look like tomatoes or peppers.

Sage in the center.

Bee balm, lots of veggies, sunflowers. and 2 large fig trees. I didn't take a picture of everything or go directly inside the garden to take pictures. Maybe I'll be back to see the sunflowers when they start blooming.

Newly renovated homes caught my attention along with plants for curb appeal. Want to know what they sold for. They were old historic homes.

 

Love the fencing.

Nothing like the color blue, so rare in flowers.

Oak leaf hydrangeas.

Didn't take a close up but petunias are in the window boxes.

Grumblethorpe a historic home. In the summer they churn ice cream and student's who grow vegetables there have them for sale at the farmer's market on Saturdays. They also have chickens which I love to see.

Back to my mess.

My nasturtiums have started to bloom and the verbena looks dry. Needs tidying up. It's supposed to be around 95 degrees tomorrow and very humid. I also have to replant a container which I just replanted. The sun has burned up everything in it this year.

Balloon flowers have started to bloom.

The sunflowers get larger with each rain. Can't wait for the head. I know the finches are also patiently waiting.

The native honey suckle actually bloomed. Our varied weather this spring killed all the blooms. From heat to frost every few days after it budded out. Maybe it will make a full recovery by next spring.

The plants get a little larger each week.

Still planting in the yard. Today 3 hydrangea. One still to plant but may wait until the fall to plant it in the other blue container. I hate to disturb what's already planted there. Hope your garden is beautiful and you're enjoying it. Because winter is coming. Did I say that. It's evening now and I see the flicker of fire flies.