Foto Friday
by Leslie Cox; Friday; September 29, 2017
And life goes on…
A turkey vulture feeds on a dead Canada goose. We had seen this goose just two days earlier in the Black Creek estuary. He did not rise up in alarm, as is per usual with these birds, when we walked along the beach near him. Not even Sadie’s presence caused him concern. Very untypical and a good indication this bird was not in good health.
Poor goose. Lucky vulture. Unfortunately, Sadie did scare the vulture away from his meal…although she was not close to the vulture, nor did she exhibit any aggressive behaviour towards the vulture. They are a skittish bird around humans. But assuredly, the vulture did not fly far and was likely back to his feast as soon as we were out of sight.
It is still gardening season
by Leslie Cox; Thursday; September 28, 2017
We have enjoyed some decent fall weather over the last couple of days. Excuse enough to be out in the garden…basking in the end of the season landscape. And to get more of those end-of-season chores attended to!
I have posted a list of what still needs to be done in the garden in October. You will find the list in “Gardening Info & Tips” under “In the Garden” on the main menu bar. Or you can use the quick link here.
Make the most of the good days we have left in the garden. Foul weather is in the forecast. In fact, the weatherman is forecasting lows of 2 °C (35.6 °F) and 3 °C (37.4 °F) early next week.
I fear there may be a repeat of an early frost again this year. Last year’s first frost date (FFD) fell on October 4th. The earliest one we have ever had here, since I started keeping weather records over 20 years ago.
Garden Chores: October
In the vegetable garden:
- It’s apple season! Store your harvest at 0 °C to 7 °C (32 °F to 45 °F). Some varieties will keep longer than others, so check regularly to ensure they are not spoiling.
- Make sure to dry your beans well before storing in a moisture-proof, airtight container for making those soups and chili dishes over the winter.
- Make sure your onions are dry and wiped clean of all dirt. Store away from apples and potatoes where it is cool and dry. Again, some varieties are better keepers than others.
- Root Crops. Clean your potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. of any soil. Store in a cool, dark place. If you clip the tops off of your carrots, beets, parsnips, etc., they will stay fresher longer. (Some people like to store their root crops in sand-filled tubs.)
- Squash and pumpkins should be washed with a 10 % bleach solution and wiped dry thoroughly for storing. They should be stored at 10 °C to 15 °C (50 °F to 65 °F).
- And for goodness sakes! Plant that garlic now!
In the perennial garden:
- Time to dig up the tender plants for storing, such as dahlias, canna lilies, begonia tubers, etc.
- Right time to plant the spring-flowering bulbs, if you did not get this done last month. Put markers of some sort where you have planted your bulbs and late-flowering perennials. That way you will not dig them up in your spring enthusiasm.
- Still time to divide and move those overgrown perennials.
- Get on with the fall clean-up schedule in the garden. Cut back those herbaceous perennials which are dying back, such as hostas. Put any plant debris which is showing signs of serious disease such as botrytis in the garbage, or on the burn pile.
- Those piles falling leaves. They are a wonderful, protective mulch for any borderline hardy perennials you may have snuck into your landscape design. Leaves are also great for protecting soil erosion from winter rains.
- Good time to start some paperwhite bulbs indoors now.
- If you have kept last year’s poinsettia, and stored it in a dark closet, now is the time to bring it out into the light so it will produce those lovely, colourful bracts at Christmas.
- Check your climbing roses are securely tied to their trellis so as not to risk any broken branches during the winter storms.
- Put your garden furniture under cover to ensure longer life.
Posted on September 28, 2017
A wee glitch…
by Leslie Cox; Thursday; September 28, 2017
For some reason my recent post on Tomato ‘Vilma’ is not showing up in its designated location in “The Vegetable Garden” under “In the Garden” on the main menu bar. There is a glitch somewhere but after searching for two days, I still have not resolved the problem.
In the meantime, you can read about this totally awesome tomato by following the quick link here.
Teaser Tuesday
by Leslie Cox; Tuesday; September 26, 2017
This chipper little guy has been making the rounds of the neighbourhood,
gathering up his winter horde.
