And update to say a big thank you to everyone who advised me on my non-turning-red alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca), and who advised me there are white varieties which either remain white or at best get a very mild pink. You were all 100% spot on with that. I've had several small harvests of white berries, and they have all been absolutely ( Read more... )

Alpine strawberries (Fragaria vesca) how do you actually manage to harvest these things? I have plenty of white ones, but they never seem to turn red. Well, not that I have seen. They seem to go straight from white to overripe blackened mush without passing through the actual ripe for harvest stage. How do I manage to make that happen? Has anyone ( Read more... )

Thirty-six quarts canned and put away. This morning's harvest was only 1/3 of the previous harvest. I wonder if this picking corresponds to a heat wave months ago. When it's really hot the tomato flowers don't set fruit.

No worries, as there are still lots of green tomatoes and probably 6 weeks before first frost.

Every season I say I will grow herbs, but I never get around to it; but this season, I did! I have 2 big mixed boxes with flat leaf parsley, rosemary, lemon balm, bee balm, basil, mint and sage ( Read more... )

I purchased my seeds this year from Park Seed Company. I had a lot of trouble last year finding the varieties I wanted that I knew grew well in my area.
Left to Right: Jalapeño, Yellow Tumbling Tom, Juliet, Little Sun

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We had our first frost two days ago, here 25 miles south of Seattle. I now have a Patio Tomato plant with obvious frost damage to the leaves ( Read more... )

Lots of cucumbers today. Also some cilantro (which has bolted now), squash, and I pulled a carrot to check for done-ness. It was nice and yummy, but still on the small side, I think.


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 I am having an issue with people stealing veggies and seedlings out of my garden. I know that its ridiculous and uncalled for. Its happened twice now. A couple of teenagers picked almost ALL of my strawberries and today all of my okra is missing by a mysterious bike rider.

Long story short, I was leaving in a hurry to get my son from school and as ( Read more... )

Most of us think of crocus as a harbinger of spring but there are fall blooming species as well. One of these fall bloomers Crocus sativus, whose girly bits are the source of saffron. The saffron crocus is a pretty purple thing with long red/orange style and stigmas. There are other saffron crocus species as well but C. sativus is the most ( Read more... )

But fall has been a little more fruitful.

Today's bounty:


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