Monday, September 26, 2011

Today is all about the wind...and rain

On the west coast we are expecting winds up to 100 km per hour. Three hours ago my seven foot tall sunflower looked fine. Now it looks like this.
7 foot sunflower resting on it's side

Note the graceful arc over the garden
The wind and pouring rain were a great excuse to work in the greenhouse. Really just an excuse to hang out in there for a while. Beamer, our tuxedo cat who was abandoned at a farm, came out to hang with me. It seemed like a good time to plant the lettuce plants I bought a week or so ago. I just snugged them in with basil. I found only two slugs in the greenhouse and did my usual catch and release.
The cauliflower in the lasagna garden have almost been annihilated by slugs. None of the plants in the raised beds have been touched. This reminds me of the basil experience of this past spring.
Slugs vs Erin.
Sweet Pea. A really cute cat!! If you want to read the story of her rescue in
Hawaii, click here.
Really cool fungi that literally came up over night

PS We have driven a six foot stake into the garden and tied the sunflower back up. I'll update you in a few days as to whether it worked.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

love the sweet pea pic! she looks so content
; )
cheers,
Edie

Mark Willis said...

Hope the Sunflower is OK... It reminds me, I must get some more stakes put in for my Sprouting Broccoli before the Autumn gales. Stakes don't look nice, but they can be a great boon.
I'm intrigued about the "catch and release" system for the slugs. Where do you release them?

Joan said...

We've had the crazy wind as well. I don't have much left in the garden but it had blown alot of the apples and plums off the trees. The chickens aren't liking it too much. Usually when it is overcast they like to be out and about but many of them are huddled under the trees. Lulu wants to be outside but just stands hunched up by the fence.

Hope your sunflower makes it.

Erin said...

She had a very content day Edie. She is curled up in her green bed right now.

Well Mark...I have this HUGE leylandi cypress hedge along the back of my yard. I didn't plant it and I really don't like it at all. It encroaches into my yard by about eight feet, maybe more. So, when I find slugs in the greenhouse, I relocate them into the hedge. Mwaa ha ha.

How is our little lulu? We enjoy her exploits.

HolleyGarden said...

Hope your sunflower is going to be o.k. Wind can be so destructive - and add in wet soil, and it's amazing anything over a foot tall grows anywhere!

Gardeningbren said...

What a beautiful greenhouse you have, and such opportunity!! Your garden is really growing well Erin!

Sweet pea is precious.

Anonymous said...

Whenever a pet is in a gardening post, I get so easily distracted. Sweet Pea stole the show.

alison@thisbloominglife said...

Hi Erin, lovely to meet you and thanks for stopping by. The wind is the one weather element that sends me crazy! Thankkfully after our dry spell we are now getting some rain - you can hear the earth sigh!

alison@thisbloominglife said...

Hi Erin, thanks for dropping by. The wind is the one weather element that does me in! Thankfully after our dry spell we are now getting a bit of rain - you can hear the earth sigh with relief. Alison

Cathy and Steve said...

What a fabulous greenhouse.... you're playing in my fantasy LOL!! And your kitty is adorable!

Carolyn ♥ said...

Rain... welcome. Wind? please go away. I hope your sunflower survives.

Vesna Maric said...

Hello Erin, the mushroom looks great. it is probably the one from the genus Leccinum and is too edible!

Erin said...

I guess I really should get a mushroom ID guide. We get tons of them in our yard. I really love the way they look! I leave them alone. If we could safely eat some of them, that would fit right in to the urban homestead. Thanks for the idea.