Saturday Farmer's Market - Still Holding On

Created by Heather at Capricious Reader, and now hosted by Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made on.

UPDATE from Last Week:       

One of my volunteer sunflowers is only about three and a half feet high, but it has has six blooms of various sizes.

When the time comes to harvest them I will cut the heads off and leave them in the garden for the birds. After all, they planted them so they should enjoy the harvest.

My camera is adequate for the basics, but not very good for documenting my garden. Most of my pictures aren't very good but I keep trying.

 
UPDATE #2:  

Over the next few weeks my big project, besides cleaning up and readying for winter, will be to plant more daffodil bulbs. (I know, I said that last week.)  I still haven't started. But soon.

UPDATE #3:  

The pomegranates are huge and growing redder daily. Their shape is changing as the time draws closer for harvest. My reading says November but at the rate they are changing it may be much sooner.

The oranges and kumquats are coming along beautifully as well.


These haiku written by Matsuo Basho so many years ago remind me of the maple leaves lying all around my garden right now.

harvest moon
northland weather
uncertain skies

full autumn moon
to my gate comes rising
crested tide

Stone Mountain
whiter than the stones
autumn wind

borrowing sleep
from the scarecrow's sleeves
midnight frost

along this road
going with no one
autumn evening

autumn deepens
the man next door
how is he doing?

autumn night
striking and making it crumble
our small talk

The winds of fall
are blowing, yet how green
the chestnut burr

drinking morning tea
the monk is peaceful
the chrysanthemum blooms

On this road
where nobody else travels
autumn nightfall


Also of possible interest: 1 poem - 31 translations! (and one commentary)

My birthday roses are in the ground and doing well. The white one is in bloom again and the yellow one has set buds.

I have mulch directly around my new plants but most of the bed is bare or nurturing weeds, so the soaker hose is buried in some places and exposed in others. This gives the garden an overall scruffy and unkempt look - you know, informal.

But I like it. 


 

I've planted a second gardenia in front of one of the low fences separating the herbs from the rest of the bed. 

Eventually I hope to have a small sitting area surrounded by herbs and flowers. But I think it's still a few years from realization.

I still have to move a small tree and plant a few more floribundas.  . . .  then there's  . . .  and  . . .  and  . . .





I tucked some violas and violets in the front corner by the sidewalk. They should fill in throughout the fall, and if we have a mild winter they will keep right on growing.

I've had a few years where they flourished all winter and didn't fade until the heat of summer finally did them in.