Friends Sheryl & Dan have a magical Montana orchard and vineyard. Today’s harvest included fresh, ripe apricots, juicy peaches, and bright yellow plums — plus some native corn and a lovely lemon cucumber in addition to a few other veggies. I canned a dozen jars of fresh peaches this afternoon. Still deciding what to do with the apricots and plums. The remaining peaches are for eating fresh and for keeping the air smelling sweet. Corn got tossed on the grill with a little olive oil and sprinkling of Maldon salt for a snack — a delicious and chewy treat.
early morning harvest
Salsa making time!
bats, mice, and critters
A lovely little brown bat has taken up residence under the metal sheeting covering the roof. I’m pretty sure it’s a momma with one or two babies. At first I thought birds were nesting somewhere up there because I could hear high-pitched chirps, but didn’t see any place good for a bird’s nest near where the sound was coming from. A couple of days ago I fired up the grill and smoke wafted up toward the roof. Chirping got more frantic, and momma bat poked out her head from the tiniest space, then took flight toward the trees. (Photo above not mine but looks like my bat — courtesy of
July 31, 2015
garden progress
Cherry tomatoes are the first to start ripening, while the Cherokee Purples and Amish Paste remain as green as they’ve been for the last couple of weeks. I read that when temperatures start climbing above 85F, tomatoes slow production of lycopene — the phytochemical responsible for the red and orange color in tomatoes, carrots, and the fruit of watermelons. We had a couple of weeks of triple-digit temps earlier in July, which might account for the other tomatoes’ slowness to ripen. The few cherry tomatoes that have ripened already are deliciously sweet and tangy. I’m looking forward to the next batch. Deer feasted on a couple of my jalapeno plants.
July 27, 2015
ripening, ever so slowly
Lots of fruit on the vine popping up about now — Amish Paste, Cherokee Purple (photo), and Black Cherry tomatoes, plus jalapenos and cayenne peppers starting to emerge. First round of tomatoes all had blossom end rot — likely due to planting them so close to the last frost date and chilly May nights. Once I culled those, however, new healthy fruit started emerging and is now ripening slowly. I expect a bumper crop in August.
tomato & chili blossoms
Tomatoes and chilies are starting to blossom… What a difference a month makes!
bartering benefits
Traded some of my sunflower greens and pea shoots for this explosion of floral beauty from a neighbor’s flower garden….
straw bales planted
The straw bales are planted. We’ll see how the tomatoes and chilies do. Planted some nasturtium in the corners as well.