Oh how I can relate to letting plants go! I have such a fall cleanup ahead of me. The flowers gone to seed and the great take over of the weeds! I also need to do some research on pruning fruit trees. Ours are two years old and starting to really take off.
Thank you for the book recommendation! I was just looking for something new to read and I think I shall give the one you mentioned a try.
All that fall cleanup plus homeschooling, whew! You’re busy! Here in the Pacific Northwest, fruit tree pruning time isn’t until February. Hopefully it’s not too different where you are. So maybe you can put off this task until later!
Thanks for updating us on the bear. Your blueberry harvest is Ah-mazing! But I do agree that an unexpectedly bountiful harvest can be really stressful.
Like you, I let my plants flower for the pollinators, then go to seed for the birds. The bumbles who fall asleep on flowers are the cutest things.
The Bronte Sisters showed up again win a film, "Emily" that I strongly recommend. The actress playing the Emily role had a brooding quality, quite intruiging. You and John would love it.
Gosh, great minds think alike, Mom! I just checked “Emily” out at the library, our new DVD go-to spot now that Netflix DVDs are going by the wayside! We’ll watch it this week 😊
We watched “Emily” the other night and what an experience! Very absorbing story—which also brought home how short and tragic life could be in the 19th century.
An overabundance of blueberries. Talk about gifts! Problem is you need more help to harvest it all.
I remain quite awed at such a stunning outcome of your first efforts of gardening there in the woods.
Not sure about the bear wandering around--anywhere in the vicinity. How could you discourage it? Are there any herbs or anti-bear sprays that would discourage the bear's foraging at your place?
Your home looks beautiful with that cranberry color: so bright and attractive. That brings out the bees, as well. Your life with pollinators is worth another book! Bee stories are very popular these days.
Best of luck with all the harvesting. Sorry to hear about the nuts. Yes, net those trees and save those precious nuts.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments! With the blueberries, I just needed all the weeds to go on “pause” for several weeks—but they refused!
The folks on our lane pretty much concluded that earlier this summer, bear was too young to know he was supposed to be shy with humans! Hopefully he’s learned and his keeping his raids to nighttime, lol.
Oh the nuts! Our walnut tree had the first truly abundant crop—which likely only attracted more nut-eaters!
Overcoming setbacks is our big task in life, regardless of where we live. In Idaho, the authorities are killing mother bears and cubs, which have become adapted to human garbage and getting into neighbors' trailers, garages and even porches. It has become a real problem.
So very sad. Humans will keep settling in bear habitat, and bears suffer. I’m sure it’s really expensive, but I wish they could relocate the bears instead.
Grizzly bears may be territorial and not want newbies coming into their area. It's interesting to know why they can't or won't relocate the bears. Perhaps the habit of depending on human food and habitats would simply transfer to the new area. So the bears are deemed dangerous to humans.
Thank you so much for identifying my mystery plant! It’s quite aromatic so I figured it wasn’t just your average pesky weed. How amazing, that you’ve got a strawberry variety bearing this late! When it’s time to replace some of my beds, I’ll be looking for some longer bearing ones myself.
Now *I’m* jealous of your raspberries! We used to have a nice patch, before the caterpillars got them 10 years ago. I’m looking forward to starting a new bed in the spring.
I’ve still got three loaded blueberry shrubs, so we have a couple more weeks of berries 😊
Oh how I can relate to letting plants go! I have such a fall cleanup ahead of me. The flowers gone to seed and the great take over of the weeds! I also need to do some research on pruning fruit trees. Ours are two years old and starting to really take off.
Thank you for the book recommendation! I was just looking for something new to read and I think I shall give the one you mentioned a try.
All that fall cleanup plus homeschooling, whew! You’re busy! Here in the Pacific Northwest, fruit tree pruning time isn’t until February. Hopefully it’s not too different where you are. So maybe you can put off this task until later!
Phew! That’s good to know! I can push it off until later and spend some time this winter learning how to do it. Thank you!
That yellow weed is St John's Wort, very good and strong anti depressant.
And wow, I am soo jealous of your blueberries!!
We had tons of strawberries, and this year we have a new variety which is still producing, it's supposed to keep going until frost.
Raspberries however are never enough, we still need more, although we already have 3 large-ish spots..
Thanks for updating us on the bear. Your blueberry harvest is Ah-mazing! But I do agree that an unexpectedly bountiful harvest can be really stressful.
Like you, I let my plants flower for the pollinators, then go to seed for the birds. The bumbles who fall asleep on flowers are the cutest things.
The Bronte Sisters showed up again win a film, "Emily" that I strongly recommend. The actress playing the Emily role had a brooding quality, quite intruiging. You and John would love it.
Gosh, great minds think alike, Mom! I just checked “Emily” out at the library, our new DVD go-to spot now that Netflix DVDs are going by the wayside! We’ll watch it this week 😊
We watched “Emily” the other night and what an experience! Very absorbing story—which also brought home how short and tragic life could be in the 19th century.
An overabundance of blueberries. Talk about gifts! Problem is you need more help to harvest it all.
I remain quite awed at such a stunning outcome of your first efforts of gardening there in the woods.
Not sure about the bear wandering around--anywhere in the vicinity. How could you discourage it? Are there any herbs or anti-bear sprays that would discourage the bear's foraging at your place?
Your home looks beautiful with that cranberry color: so bright and attractive. That brings out the bees, as well. Your life with pollinators is worth another book! Bee stories are very popular these days.
Best of luck with all the harvesting. Sorry to hear about the nuts. Yes, net those trees and save those precious nuts.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments! With the blueberries, I just needed all the weeds to go on “pause” for several weeks—but they refused!
The folks on our lane pretty much concluded that earlier this summer, bear was too young to know he was supposed to be shy with humans! Hopefully he’s learned and his keeping his raids to nighttime, lol.
Oh the nuts! Our walnut tree had the first truly abundant crop—which likely only attracted more nut-eaters!
A hopeful diagnosis about the too-young bear. Can the bear get through the fencing? Life, homesteading in the foothills, can be challenging!
So true! I try to stay positive about stuff…the only way to keep going sometimes!
Overcoming setbacks is our big task in life, regardless of where we live. In Idaho, the authorities are killing mother bears and cubs, which have become adapted to human garbage and getting into neighbors' trailers, garages and even porches. It has become a real problem.
So very sad. Humans will keep settling in bear habitat, and bears suffer. I’m sure it’s really expensive, but I wish they could relocate the bears instead.
Grizzly bears may be territorial and not want newbies coming into their area. It's interesting to know why they can't or won't relocate the bears. Perhaps the habit of depending on human food and habitats would simply transfer to the new area. So the bears are deemed dangerous to humans.
Thank you so much for identifying my mystery plant! It’s quite aromatic so I figured it wasn’t just your average pesky weed. How amazing, that you’ve got a strawberry variety bearing this late! When it’s time to replace some of my beds, I’ll be looking for some longer bearing ones myself.
Now *I’m* jealous of your raspberries! We used to have a nice patch, before the caterpillars got them 10 years ago. I’m looking forward to starting a new bed in the spring.
I’ve still got three loaded blueberry shrubs, so we have a couple more weeks of berries 😊
I can't seem to download your newest writing. Can you help me? Thanks, Sue.