Labor Day

Who takes Labor Day off?  There's work to be done.

Garlic Chives

The garlic chives are in bloom.  Really they are.  Rather than chop the heads off the flowers, I'm letting them go to seed.  This will give me plenty of chives through the winter for baked potatoes and such.  Letting the chives go to seed attracts loads of pollinators.

Butterflies and honey bees love this stuff.  I can only imagine what the honey must taste like.  I wouldn't mind a garlic chive honey to baste over a barbecued ham.  BBQ ham?  Baked potatoes?  I must be hungry.  Hope I can remember how to cook.

Kitchen Update:

Cody's backside poses for the photo while his frontside continues to work.

The soapstone is in and the travertine floor is being grouted today.  Loads left to do:  mahogany butcher block counter top, electric plates, glass and lights for the hutch, cabinet hardware, trim molding,  appliances, plumbing, and counter stools.  But we're moving in the right direction.  I didn't think it would ever be possible but Farmer MacGregor is tired of painting. 

Thanks Pollinators

Wow.  Pollinators are bombarding the Texas Ranger early this morning.  Bees, butterflies, and bumblebees were getting busy.  The activity seemed to slow down as the sun got higher in the sky.The pollinators zoomed between the Texas Ranger, lantana, lavender, and pumpkin blossoms.  Texas Rangers grow great in zone 8-9.  Very low maintenance.  Very low water needs once established.  With the important work of pollinators in the garden I can enjoy harvests like the one I had this morning.Granny Smith apples for an apple cake needed to be harvested to remove a bit of weight from the lateral branches of the tree.  I’ll spend some time after this post searching for a recipe.A “dinky donk”, softball sized watermelon was cut up for taste sampling later this afternoon.  I’m guessing that it’s a Sugar Baby variety.  There are a few more forming.  I’ll keep the vines around for a few more weeks while the weather is screaming hot.  Maybe I’ll get a few more melons.  Winter crops (seeds) are waiting to be planted as soon as the melons get pulled.

Sometimes Junk Just Works Out

I did not trim the blooms off the chives this week.  On Wednesday the thermometer reached 111; and the rest of the week was similar.  Pee Youie!  I stayed inside for most of the week.  This weekend, the weather is perfect.  PERFECT!  The butterflies and bees are flocking to the chives.  They are welcome.  I don’t know what kind are partying in the chives but here they are:

     There was a peculiar cloud formation this afternoon that was giving my camera fits.  It was very, very difficult to focus on this because it was all smudgy.  It looks like something bigger is forming in the middle.  What kind of formation is this?  Does this type of formation accompany perfect weather?

 

DBE gals:  You can click on the photos to view an enlarged image in a separate window.  Let me know if you need help.