A few weeks ago I placed a plastic bag over the head of one of the sunflowers in hopes that I would beat the birds and squirrels to the seeds. I couldn’t just cut off the head because while the flower had been pollinated, the seeds weren’t done forming. The bag was a big success. Yesterday I thought, it’s about time to cut the flower head off. Since I had plans on being out in the garden doing other stuff Sunday I figured there was no harm leaving it until today. The bag, after all, had been doing a great job at protecting it.
Bookman and I managed to sleep late this morning, well late for us anyway, and we got up and had a lazy breakfast of from scratch gingerbread waffles. I pulled open the blinds and looked out into the garden and something wasn’t right. There was a hole in the landscape, what was missing? And then I realized it, the sunflower! The stalk was broken off about knee high and the rest of it was on the ground. I could still see the plastic bag so I thought, naively, that it had deterred the squirrels from the seeds. I put on my wellies and tramped out to find the squirrels had ripped open the bag and eaten every single seed. The remains of their feast was scattered around amidst the peppers and tomatoes where the flower stalk had fallen.If I had cut off the flower head yesterday I would have been shelling sunflower seeds right now. Note to self, deterrents only deter for so long. If it is ripe, don’t wait or you’ll be sorry.
The weather has taken a decided turn towards autumn. We came very close to actually having frost Saturday morning. I also
had to scramble at the end of the week to find clothes to wear because suddenly all my summer clothes weren’t warm enough. The change in temperature has definitely put a halt to the warm season vegetables getting on. The corn is done. The zucchini is done. Tomatoes and peppers, the ones currently on the plants will only grow a little bigger and may or may not get fully ripe before we actually do get a frost. Ironically, the eggplant has just now decided it is going to fruit and we have three beautiful purple and white streaked fruits about the size of a gherkin pickle. There isn’t enough growing season left for these to get full size so they have suddenly become gourmet baby eggplants. Didn’t know that was a thing did you? Well it is now. Hopefully they will at least get to be big babies before we have to pick them. We’ll see.This afternoon Bookman and I were out starting to clean up the veggie beds. We pulled out the pickling cucumbers that hardly produced anything. We pulled out the bush beans too. We weeded and scattered clover seed to grow as a cover crop and act as a green “manure” in the spring when we pull it out to plant vegetables next year.
Fall also means it is apple picking time. Usually Bossy, our green cooking apple tree, produces apples on alternate years. Last year was a bumper crop year so we thought this year we’d be lucky to have any apples at all. But Bossy has quite a few apples. The squirrels have been helping themselves to their share this past week, but in this case there is enough for everyone. Bookman and I picked a bucket and there is probably another bucket or more on the tree. Problem is, they are all at the top of the tree beyond our reach even while standing on a step ladder. And they are big apples too! We aren’t sure how we are going to get up there to pick them, I suppose we have to try using the extension ladder on a day that is not breezy so the branch the ladder is braced against doesn’t move around and tip the ladder and Bookman over.Last week I was sad at the prospect of it turning cool and gardening season being over. But the cool, dry, and breezy week and weekend is kicking up dust and pollen into the air and has my allergies working overtime. My eyes are dry and scratchy and my sinuses a bit inflamed. It is not bad enough to make me feel bad and keep me from doing things, but it does sap my energy. As the day progresses I start to notice just how worn out I feel. All that to say I am no longer sad gardening season is coming to an end. Mother Nature and my immune system had a chat and now my brain is in agreement. Yes, please, a hard frost would be quite nice. Trouble is, now that I have decided I am ready to be done for the season, there is no chance of frost in the forecast for the rest of the month. Temperatures will be cool and seasonable which means no frost until early to mid October. I guess when the freeze finally does come I will be extra happy and have not a twinge of sadness at the change of season.
Oh no, too bad you didn’t get to the sunflower first! Ah well at least you had a delicious breakfast! We had a very cool weekend which was a nice break from the heat but I cannot imagine being ready for a frost! Hope your allergies get better!
LikeLike
Iliana, it’s my own fault I didn’t get sunflower seeds. I should have known better but I got cocky! Oh yes, breakfast was delicious. Bookman makes a mean waffle. Have you been getting the over 100 degrees like in southern California? If your allergies were as bad as mine and the only thing that could make you feel better was for everything to freeze to death, you’d be ready for frost 🙂
LikeLike
I am sorry about the sunflower!!! Wish you gotten to it…On the other hand, I am glad SUMMERS are OVER…..Don’t like em…glad Fall and then Winter are on its way!!!
LikeLike
cirtnecce, thanks, but it’s my own fault for being over confident! A lesson learned. We had such a lovely mostly mild summer here after a very cold and long winter that I can’t say I am glad summer is over, but it will be nice to put the garden to bed and have some hibernating time.
LikeLike
I like the idea of named trees – glad there were enough apples for you and the squirrels. Well done Bossy. What about Boozy for cider apples!
LikeLike
Ian, thanks! All our trees have names because trees live a long time and have character and Bookman and I are weird enough to name them and make them part of the “family” I always think about trying to make cider from the windfall apples but am forever failing until too late to figure out how to do it and find out whether or not I need a press. Next year!
LikeLike
Squirrels are so clever when it comes to food and shelter. By the way, now that you’ve posted a picture of them I know what has sprung up in one of my beds…New England Asters (or at least asters). I noticed them yesterday for the first time and have no idea from whence they came…probably a bird? the wind?
LikeLike
Grad, they are! I was gifted a number of years ago with an adorable birdfeeder shaped like a barn. It was mostly plastic and the openings were too small for the squirrels to get to the seed so they chewed a hole through the plastic in a bottom corner of the feeder so all the seed poured out onto the ground. The feeder didn’t last a week! I love asters and I am glad my photo helped identify yours. Mine has migrated around the garden. The seeds are really small and stick to things so your may have appeared from bird, squirrel or even you 🙂
LikeLike
Sorry to hear that you are in a bad allergy spell just now. The change of season is visable here but not felt in temperatures yet either, it was a glorious day today with 22 C. Tell Bookman to take care in the top of that tree.
LikeLike
Cath, ah thank you. It will all be over soon and typing that sounds so morbid. I just have to hang on for a few weeks. We will be very careful getting to the top of the tree!
LikeLike
Have you always had a fight with getting your fruit and veggies before the garden animals or is this year worse than before? I’m keeping my fingers crossed you can at least beat the squirrels to those apples–of course they are better able to get to the top of the tree…. (The race is on!). It’s coolish here, too, but this week will be warmer–I almost broke down and turned on the heat but I think I can avoid it a little longer still. The one time I grew sunflowers I was defeated, too, but you put up a valiant fight. Did the nylons work on the corn?
LikeLike
Danielle, oh yes, it has always been a battle with the critters and the more we grow the worse it gets since it seems we are the only ones in the neighborhood who have a vegetable garden of any size growing more than a few tomatoes. I’m sure the squirrels will get some of the apples at the top of the tree but we will get some too. And we already have a five-gallon bucket but of course we want more! The nylons worked beautifully on the corn. We are supposed to be up the low 70s by the end of the week for a few days before we cool off again. It is that lovely transition time when you never know exactly how to dress!
LikeLike
I was going to say leave the apples at the top for the squirrels and you have the ones within reach, but then I decided that the squirrels need punishment. No apples for them, I reckon, even if there are enough to go around. Just as well you had a nice breakfast …
LikeLike
whisperinggums, the squirrels definitely need to be punished after taking my sunflower seeds! No tart apples for them! I suspect they will get a few though they are smaller and can climb better than Bookman and I can!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Boo! BAD squirrels! I would be so tempted to stick popping candy inbetween the sunflower seed in order to give the pesky squirrels a surprise. Though of course that would mean sacrificing a sunflower head and who knows but they would eat around them. I normally hate the end of summer but for some strange reason I’m quite enjoying the beginning of autumn at the moment. I love the morning mists!
LikeLike
Litlove, heh, now that is a surprise I’d like to be around to see the squirrels get! They probably took extra delight in eating all my seeds since they didn’t manage to take any of my corn so they had to get back at me somehow. I do love morning mists too! We’ve had a few especially near the lakes. It’s so pretty and mysterious.
LikeLike