New England August, 2019

It's now August!

Crazy, eh?  None of my big tomatoes are even ready, we are super delayed here.  What about you guys?

The tomatoes are growing major-time here!

I also just had a Japanese beetle on one of the lily flowers in my bedroom, IIRC, LOL.

Here's a zoom-out:

RJ, the smell from those Asiatic lilies is heaven!  JBs on the other hand...

Beautiful lilies , ugly beetle .

when I sit in my backyard the Lily's across from me smell heavenly! I was just thinking this morning that I really need to plant some more.

Guess what!? We had an F1 tornado touched down in my neighborhood. Never has this ever happened before.We got whomped here! They're still cleaning up and it's almost three weeks. Fallen trees and debris everywhere, roofs with holes in them, chimneys knocked down. Only one vehicle crushed. It wasn't like the kind in the midwest where things get flattened but it was astonishing. I only lost half a shade tree and one neighbor's tree fell into my yard just missing my sfg but smashed part of my perennial gardens and took down a couple of my Japanese maples and a Miss Kim lilac, and another neighbor's tree top fell onto my compost pile area rendering it useless for a while until someone came and cut it up and took it away. Unbelievable! Don't know of anyone that got hurt thank God but a garbage man in his truck got trapped on our block because there was no way in or out. The neighbors all got together and started cutting and moving branches so people could get in and out about six hours later. The official rescue was so fast and so thorough that we were without power for only a couple of days.

Meanwhile the tomatoes and cucumbers are producing gun-ho. I think they liked all that energy.

YIKES, CC! Glad everyone is okay. I know what you mean about cleanup. We're still cleaning up from last year's fires and snow storm.

WOWZA, CC! Glad you're OK!!!

The news made it sound pretty bad. I had visions of your beautiful gardens and house laid to waste. Was your house ok?

CapeCoddess wrote:when I sit in my backyard the Lily's across from me smell heavenly! I was just thinking this morning that I really need to plant some more.

Guess what!? We had an F1 tornado touched down in my neighborhood. Never has this ever happened before.We got whomped here! They're still cleaning up and it's almost three weeks. Fallen trees and debris everywhere, roofs with holes in them, chimneys knocked down. Only one vehicle crushed. It wasn't like the kind in the midwest where things get flattened but it was astonishing.

IIRC, on June 1, 2011, Springfield, Massachusetts or near there, got an EF3 or the like! Possibly the most violent since the Worcester tornado in 1953!
And yes, except for that Worcester one or the one on June 1, 2011, IIRC, it wasn't the kind the midwest get, where things get decimated.

Whew!

mollyhespra wrote:WOWZA, CC! Glad you're OK!!!  

The news made it sound pretty bad.  I had visions of your beautiful gardens and house laid to waste. Was your house ok?

My house was untouched fortunately. but I came home today to another Branch from my neighbor's tree in the middle of my back yard. So glad I wasn't out there. I guess we'll have fall out for a while.

CC, Didn't you have tree limbs in your yard last year?

sanderson wrote:CC,  Didn't you have tree limbs in your yard last year?  

Good memory, Sanderson. Yes, but not just branches, my neighbors whole pine tree, fell in my yard and squashed my sfg boxes. 

The one tree of the 2 that he had left after the third one crushed my garden, came down during this tornado and barely missed my boxes, thank goodness. The remaining tree, a white pine, is ginormous and will most likely hit my house and crush my roof, as this tree  is now completely exposed to the elements.

Good memory!

Now, I forgot what I wanted to say.  Oh, yes.  Does your neighbor realize their liability if the solitary tall tree falls on your property?  After 2 consecutive years of damage from their trees, is seems you have a good case about having that one preemptively removed.  You can buy him 2 little replacements in 5 gallon containers.

sanderson wrote:Good memory!  

Now, I forgot what I wanted to say.  Oh, yes.  Does your neighbor realize their liability if the solitary tall tree falls on your property?  After 2 consecutive years of damage from their trees, is seems you have a good case about having that one preemptively removed.  You can buy him 2 little replacements in 5 gallon containers.

Good point, Sanderson! Have you asked the neighbor about taking that pine down, CC?

I was told that if a tree on my property fell on the neighbors property that I would not be liable if it damaged anything on his property (of course I took care of the fallen tree myself anyway).  I do not know if this is a state law or not.  Also I don't know  if there is a difference if trees keep falling on your property and the neighbor has not done anything to keep this from happening, then maybe  he would be liable if another tree fell.

Hello all!

I hope you have all been having a great summer, and that your SFGs are producing like crazy. It's been a summer of some pretty crazy weather in many areas, so I trust you have fared well through it all.
 
I have been absent from here for a while, lots of things going on, not all of them good.I lost my best friend, after a hard battle with cancer. And then, my cat of 17 years, to heart failure. So I have been feeling in need of some quiet time to reflect on all that has happened.

I have been gardening, but the summer has not been kind to my basil or tomatoes. Too much rain in giant deluges has made my basil sad and puny like last year. Anemic looking, short, not even threatening to bolt. The tomatoes have fared better-ish. But nothing like the year before last, when I had so many I couldn't eat them fast enough. The heavy rains we've had have caused many of them to crack. The ones that seem to be doing the best so far, are these, the Orange Oxheart. Is that a beauty, or what? They have out-produced all the others that I have, by far. The second best has been Paul Robeson, and of course, the cherries. But even those little guys have not been as prolific as before. Ah well, my neighborhood farm stand is happy to get my business!

CC, I was thinking of you this summer. Between the tornado and the sharks, it's been a wild a wooly season up there on the Cape, hope you came through it intact.

Going to make some avocado toast now, with a hard boiled egg mashed in with the avocado, and a good splash of habanero hot sauce, topped with a fat slice of Orange Oxheart. Oh yum! Wishing all of you lots of sunshine, just enough rain, and a gentle breeze to keep you cool.

Welcome back, HG. I'm so sorry about your friend and your cat. I lost 3 dear friends to cancer in a 5 year period, and too many sweet kitties, so I know what you're going through.

On a happier note, that tomato is gorgeous. My garden is also hit and miss this year. Tomatoes, beans, and kale have been awesome, but I'm still waiting for my first cucumber, and everything else has failed, thanks to our friendly, neighborhood deer.

countrynaturals wrote:Welcome back, HG. I'm so sorry about your friend and your cat. I lost 3 dear friends to cancer in a 5 year period, and too many sweet kitties, so I know what you're going through.

On a happier note, that tomato is gorgeous. My garden is also hit and miss this year. Tomatoes, beans, and kale have been awesome, but I'm still waiting for my first cucumber, and everything else has failed, thanks to our friendly, neighborhood deer.

I saw a deer yesterday, LOL. It was in a very woody micro-region, near Chester Rd. in Springfield or near Springfield.
It was in a yard with trees surrounding it. It was to the right, when riding with one of my friends.
Did you see my weather video in the weather thread?

countrynaturals wrote:Welcome back, HG. I'm so sorry about your friend and your cat. I lost 3 dear friends to cancer in a 5 year period, and too many sweet kitties, so I know what you're going through.

On a happier note, that tomato is gorgeous. My garden is also hit and miss this year. Tomatoes, beans, and kale have been awesome, but I'm still waiting for my first cucumber, and everything else has failed, thanks to our friendly, neighborhood deer.

Thanks for the hug, much appreciated. Yes, why is it that bad things seem to happen in clusters? I'm ready to turn a corner, looking forward to happier days.

I agree, it's a spotty year for gardens once again. Glad you've had good luck with the tomatoes, beans and kale. I've been making lots of soup (needing some comfort food), and one of my faves is Portuguese caldo verde. All that kale tastes so earthy and you can just tell it's doing good things for you. I've yet to develop a taste for it raw, but cooked...YUM! Hope your cukes turn up soon.

hammock gal wrote: Hope your cukes turn up soon.

Actually, I found 3 tiny Armenians this morning.  

It's not just the cukes, either. None of my vine crops have done anything. The deer and grasshoppers have done most of the damage, but strange weather must be part of it. Even protected plants have put out nothing but male blossoms. I don't get it.

countrynaturals wrote:

hammock gal wrote: Hope your cukes turn up soon.

Actually, I found 3 tiny Armenians this morning.  

It's not just the cukes, either. None of my vine crops have done anything. The deer and grasshoppers have done most of the damage, but strange weather must be part of it. Even protected plants have put out nothing but male blossoms. I don't get it.

It's discouraging, isn't it? The year before last was my first with an SFG. It was a hot, dry summer and I had to water almost every day, but I had more tomatoes than I knew what to do with. And my basil was beautiful. Last year we had a lot of cloudy days and rain. I didn't water much at all. I had very few tomatoes, and my basil only grew about 6 inches tall, and was yellow/green, not healthy looking at all. Pretty much the same this year, although I do have more tomatoes than last year, but not by much. And the basil is just awful. Everything is in the same location as before. I would have thought that more rain would make things better, but it doesn't seem to be the case. We have had a lot of sun too, but when we have had rain, it's almost never been a gentle rain, it's been a deluge.

I've been experimenting with different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, seeing which do the best for me, even in these less than perfect weather conditions. I've had pretty good luck with the Paul Robeson tomatoes, and this year the Orange Oxhearts seem to be the champs. I'll definitely be saving some of those seeds. If anyone would like some, let me know.

Yay for your cukes finally showing up, enjoy every bite!!! Last year I tried zucchini. Everybody who grows zucchini has tons of them, right? Like you, I had lots of blossoms, but only a couple of zukes.   Ah well, we can plan, but Mother Nature has plans of her own! There's always next year.

mollyhespra wrote:

sanderson wrote:Good memory!  

Now, I forgot what I wanted to say.  Oh, yes.  Does your neighbor realize their liability if the solitary tall tree falls on your property?  After 2 consecutive years of damage from their trees, is seems you have a good case about having that one preemptively removed.  You can buy him 2 little replacements in 5 gallon containers.

Good point, Sanderson!  Have you asked the neighbor about taking that pine down, CC?

We discussed it. They have no plans to take the tree down as it's $5,000. In our state if the tree is healthy, which this one is, and it falls on my property, it's my responsibility.

Welcome back HG! I understand how you feel like laying low after loss. My mother died the end of last year and, at seventeen, my kitty is on the way out. Although I may get another year out of Miss Lilly. She's super wobbly and I think her mind is going crazy. It's comical and sad at the same time. Like the other day I walked out to the porch and she was fast asleep about ten feet away. Next thing I know she has grabbed hold of my foot. She's never done that before and I didn't know she could move that fast anymore... color me surprised! She must have been dreaming about younger days, and is confusing reality with dreams now.

This year is definitely the year of the cucumber for me! I've never had a year of the cucumber before and it's awesome! Not sure what I did because I've been gardening with the fog in my brain and not really paying much attention. Maybe that's what cukes need... Tender loving neglect. Although I have been watering them every other day which is a first.

Okay, enough of sitting out here sweating. Heading back inside to the air conditioning. Send us some of that rain, will you please, HG? All we get is fog and sprinkles.

CapeCoddess wrote:

Welcome back HG! I understand how you feel like laying low after loss. My mother died the end of last year and, at seventeen, my kitty is on the way out. Although I may get another year out of Miss Lilly. She's super wobbly and I think her mind is going crazy. It's comical and sad at the same time. Like the other day I walked out to the porch and she was fast asleep about ten feet away. Next thing I know she has grabbed hold of my foot. She's never done that before and I didn't know she could move that fast anymore... color me surprised! She must have been dreaming about younger days, and is confusing reality with dreams now.

This year is definitely the year of the cucumber for me! I've never had a year of the cucumber before and it's awesome! Not sure what I did because I've been gardening with the fog in my brain and not really paying much attention. Maybe that's what cukes need... Tender loving neglect. Although I have been watering them every other day which is a first.

Okay, enough of sitting out here sweating. Heading back inside to the air conditioning. Send us some of that rain, will you please, HG? All we get is fog and sprinkles.

Oh, my heart goes out to you and Miss Lilly. It's so wonderful to have our furry friends, but so heartbreaking to lose them. I always say, "Never again.", but then somehow they have a way of finding me. Ah well. It's funny, in recent days I'm finding I miss the way a cat moves. Graceful, flowing. Not at all like a dog. I keep thinking I see him out of the corner of my eye...and then realize it's just a shadow. And the pooch has started following me from room to room. He knows something's changed. Even though they weren't best buddies, I know he misses him. Sigh.



I envy you those cukes. The few I did manage to grow were amazing! I would send you some rain, but I don't think you want the kind we've been getting. It's hot and dry, and then the heavens open up, so it mainly runs off, instead of having a chance to soak in.



I'm looking forward to autumn. A change of weather and a change of season. I welcome some changes.