September Buzz

September 30, 2019

Autumn has caught us in our summer wear.
–Philip Larkin, British poet (1922–86)

One word to describe September? Hot! And dry.

So, that’s three words.

But it was hot and dry this month. I’m not complaining, though, because all the tomatoes finally started growing like crazy and I’ve been harvesting lots of them.

Not just the cherry tomatoes, which have done well all season, but also the Roma, Ace 55, and other large tomatoes. They took their time but it was worth it…BLTs have been amazing and I’ve also made a few batches of freezer-friendly roasted tomato sauce because it was just too darn hot to can in my small kitchen. I’ve also been making refrigerator pickled green tomatoes because they’re super easy and super tasty!

September harvest

In other garden news, we’re now growing butterfly weed, tropical milkweed, common milkweed, swamp milkweed, and whorled milkweed in the garden (including the rental house we own next door). I’m thankful that my husband appreciates my dedication (i.e., obsession) when it comes to the monarchs and all pollinators and has helped me create a garden to support them.

Imagine my surprise, awe, and delight when I spotted a Monarch chrysalis in the garden recently. Made my day and month, and maybe even my year. As much as I appreciate everything I get to see and experience in the garden, spotting this chrysalis continues to amaze me.

I was weeding in the September heat, and may have been grumbling about it but I was determined to finish up. I looked up and there it was. It took my breath away and was honestly a sacred moment in my life. Just so unexpected and perfect.

Monarch chrysalis

What I’m…

Harvesting: Tomatoes, lima beans, pole beans, cowpeas, tomatillos, hot peppers, and basil.

Making: Tomatillo salsa. Bombdiggity!

Reading: This article about half a million honey bees dying in Brazil. My immediate, admittedly immature response is no shit, Sherlock. I mean, seriously, what would they expect?

Wanting: A Mortier Pilon glass fermentation crock. Certainly don’t need it but would look so cool on the kitchen counter!

Looking Forward to: Seeing a monarch emerge from the chrysalis…if I’m lucky enough to be there. If I’m not, I’ll at least know that it happened.

Garden Musings

Wordless Wednesday: Milkweed Seeds Blowing in the Wind

September 18, 2019

Windy day in the garden…milkweed seeds carried away. Hope they spread far and wide.

Garden Musings

Wordless Wednesday: Mini Harvest

September 4, 2019

Mini harvest - cucumber, crookneck squash, red jalapeño — Early September mini harvest: cucumber, crookneck squash, red jalapeño

Garden Musings

August Buzz

August 31, 2019

The energy in the garden seems to change by the end of August. While the days are getting noticeably shorter, it also feels like the vegetable garden gets one final burst of energy.

For example? The summer squash plants finally started growing. Honestly, I had been going back and forth with pulling out the plants but decided to leave them. I’m happy I did because I’m a big fan of homegrown zucchini. Not to mention needing zucchini so I can make this relish, which I put on everything from eggs to burgers.

The bigger tomatoes continue to disappoint this year. The cherry tomatoes weren’t exactly superstars, either. I’m chalking it up to the wet summer but, as a self-professed tomato snob, the lack of abundance has been a bummer. I haven’t even made tomato jam yet this year but I’m planning on hitting up a farmer’s market next weekend. Having to buy tomatoes hurts!

Late August vegetable harvest

What I’m…

Harvesting: Zucchini—finally! Along with edamame, lima beans, pole beans, tomatillos, tomatoes, beets, peppers (hot and not), and some herbs.

Making: Pickled green tomatoes. Can’t get enough.

Reading: Comic: Why You Should Turn Your Yard Into a Mini-Farm. Infographic that clearly explains why mini-farms are the way to go! I think we’re getting there…slowly.

Wanting: A Mortier Pilon glass fermentation crock. Certainly don’t need it but would look so cool on the kitchen counter!

Looking Forward to: A break. Honestly, I love the vegetables I harvest in the fall but part of me is already looking forward to some time off in the garden. Although I still have a couple months.

Garden Musings

Milkweed and Monarchs: Plant It and They Will Come

August 30, 2019

Let’s take a trip in the wayback machine. Like the way, way, way, way, wayback machine.

I can remember playing with milkweed pods growing through the fence of my elementary school’s playground. While I was unaware of the relationship between milkweed and monarchs, I remember there was milkweed everywhere and vividly remember playing with the pods as they burst in the fall.

Burst tropical milkweed seed pod

Is that when my fascination with monarchs started? Perhaps.

Monarch butterfly on tropical milkweed

Regardless, all these years later monarchs have a special place in my heart and my garden. As does milkweed. Because, as we all know, milkweed is the only host plant for monarchs.

Planting Butterfly Weed

Five or six years ago, I started planting milkweed in the garden. Like many people, I first planted butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa) because it was easy to find at my favorite garden store.

Butterfly weed also spreads on its own, but not too quickly, and comes back reliably year after year.

Planting More Milkweed

Over time, I realized I could attract and help more monarchs if I planted different types of milkweed. Logical, right?

So, I added the following:

Common milkweed (asclepias syriaca): perennial, added two years ago, can be invasive
Swamp milkweed (asclepias incarnata): perennial, added two years ago, monarchs have loved it from the get go
Whorled milkweed (asclepias verticillata): perennial, added this year
Tropical milkweed (asclepias curassavica): annual in my zone (6a), added this year, grows easily from seed*
* There is some controversy surrounding tropical milkweed but I’m confident growing it in Cincinnati due to our cold winters.

I’m fortunate that I have a large yard to play and plant in. Butterfly weed is growing in three different areas, swamp milkweed has taken over the wet area in the back of our yard, common milkweed is growing in a defined area (aka, easy to pull out milkweed that has travelled too far) in the backyard of our rental house, whorled milkweed is just getting started in my Monarch Waystation, and I sowed tropical milkweed seeds closer to the house (hubby and I have enjoyed sitting on the deck watching the butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds).

Spotting Caterpillars Everywhere

Each summer, I impatiently wait for the first sighting of a monarch in the garden. This year, my first sighting was in the form a caterpillar on the common milkweed in mid-June.