At the Farm During the Pandemic October 19 - 23, 2020

 

• Drove to the farm over my lunch hour on Monday.  The Airbnb guests left on Monday morning. Bert took taking delivery of my new Mini Cooper on Tuesday and joined me after that. 
• There are so many butterflies right now.  I never saw any Julias this past summer, and despite the intense butterfly activity right now, still no Julias.  But lots of Sulphurs, Monarchs, Queens, Longtails, Skippers, Swallowtails, Hairstreaks, Painted Ladies, Buckeyes, Red Admirals, and more that I don't recognize.  And bumblebees and honey bees all over my basil plants.  I have a dozen or so really large basil plants in the Rose Garden that I sowed from seed back in the spring.  The bee activity on those plants is amazing (and exactly what I intended - a plan that went according to plan!).When basil flowers, it is an excellent nectar plant.  And basil will flower all summer long.
• I did no work on Monday evening.  I just did some strolling through the gardens, wine glass in hand. 
• Debra gave me a six pack of Brussels sprouts that she bought thinking they were broccoli, so I need to make room for those.  I really like Brussels sprouts, but I've only tried to grow them once, and it wasn't too successful.
• Tuesday.  Worked.
• I watered in the Greenhouse Gardens before work.  
• All my camellias are loaded with buds.  I'm hoping for a great show from my Yuletide camellia because I watered it frequently throughout the summer. I've never done that before.
• I began the process of pulling up the perennial ageratum in the Star Garden and sowing seeds.
• I pulled up my red amaranth, added humus / manure and planted the six Brussels sprouts that Debra gave me.
• I cut my Pringle Aster to the ground. It was done blooming.
• Deadheaded roses in the front beds and in the Rose Garden.
• Wednesday.  Worked.
• I watered the Long Border before work.
• Pulled weeds here and there.  October is the time when most of the work goes away regarding weeds.  In fact, most of the work goes away period.   Once November gets here and all the ageratum is completely spent, it's time to start pulling it up and sowing seeds.  The leaf raking will begin in earnest.  And this year we will rent a bush hog and mow down the Meadow.  Then at the first sign of a few rainy days in a row, I will throw out my wildflower seeds.  This winter I want to build a new garden in the sunny area on the other side of the Greenhouse.  I want to move my red and purple cannas to make more walking space in the Star Garden, and I will move them to the new garden.  So, lots of projects for the coming winter.
• After work Bert and I took a ride around the property and I gathered seed off all the native grasses that grow along the trails.  I will spread them in my Meadow.
• I am very happy to report that planting my lantanas and other plants in the recent past with seeds and vegetation from my castor plants seems to be working to prevent vole attacks!  I've only lost one plant since I started that practice, and it was a plant that I put in the ground before my bright idea.  Very exciting.  I gathered all the dried seed heads from my castor plants, and there are zillions more that are still red, so I can gather even more before winter.  I will be prepared for springtime war.
• Thursday.  Vacation.  
• I spent the morning cutting down Philippine Lily stalks and spreading the seed.  As I went along doing that, I cleared paths, pulled weeds and did general clean up in the beds.
• Friday.  Vacation.  Rain, and then a cold front moved in during the afternoon.
• Raked trouble spots in the Vegetable Garden, the Star Garden and the Rose Garden.
• I staked some plants that were leaning over in the Rose Garden.
• I spread the grass seed in the Meadow that I collected the day before.  After I spread the seed we had a good, solid rain.  That was fortuitous - I didn't plan it, but sometimes things just work out well.
• I cleared some more space in the flowerbed near the front arbor, surrounded the edge with pine needles and sowed Tickseed.
• I sowed some Tall Poppy Mallow and Tickseed in the Fortune's Double bed.  I set the sprinkler on it - we have Airbnb guests Sunday through Wednesday, so I don't want it to go dry. I also sowed seed here and there in the Rose Garden.
• Picked lots of green beans in the Vegetable Garden, had green beans for dinner.  
• Sprayed herbicide in the Vegetable Garden, Star Garden, Rose Garden and Orchard.
• Hand watered in the Orchard - the fig tree, a few lantanas and my new rosemary (it was looking pretty wan).
• Laid down pine needle mulch (gathered from my good pine needle drop-spot) around the sweetshrub next to the Greenhouse.
• Hand-watered the Long Border. 
• Sowed a few Calendula seeds in one of the pots in the Vegetable Garden.  I already did that, but the sprinkler wasn't hitting it and they didn't make it.  I moved the pot and re-sowed the seeds.
• Bert and I drove in to Round Top to check out the fall Antique Festival.  To me, it all looks like junk.  But junk is perfect for placing interesting items along the trails.  We found a cool object d'art (smile) and bought it.  Bert attached it to a tree on one of the trails.
• Walked the gardens in the evening.  It was almost cold and very pleasant.  Soon the mosquitos will be gone for the season, and every evening is a perfect evening.
• My company sent out an email.  We have to go back to the office.  I am in team four (we will populate the office at one quarter occupation).  My turn will be November 23rd for one week, and then I will be back again December 21.