Taking Advantage Of The Good Weather

A bit of a continuation of the market thread, this posting describes a bit of work that took place at the gardens.
Shucks, the weather was perfect for it. It was also perfect for just sitting and looking...but it is time for winterization and harvesting, so I enjoyed the weather conditions from my knees at the side of a strawberry bed.

The first thing to do was to take some (what you see was only half of the contents) compost out of the dalek over in the New Garden. I didn't dig it out of the top, I got it from the lower portion where the is a visible sliding door. See it? I just put the fork in the top to get it out of the way because moving those trugs full of compost was heavy and awkward work. That composting "dalek" was a gift from a dear friend and it has been indispensable, I'll tell you. It composts faster than my homemade one.
Anyway here are the three containers full of that wonderfully composted vegetation.

Look closer--isn't that fine compost just the loveliest stuff you have ever seen? Textbook.

The strawberry beds were the objects of my attention today and here is one of those beds that has had all the plants removed and the ground has been min-tilled.

Next, I took the borage plants from along the fence and laid them on top of the tilled soil for protection.

Finally, I tossed compost on top of that randomly to hold the plants in place and of course to add to the existing soil underneath. This bed is ready for the winter!
You can see part of a new bed of plantlets in the foreground.

I did this to a second bed in the new garden as well, but then my work in the new garden was done and it was time to move over to the Old Garden.
There were strawberry beds there as well that needed to be cleaned.
I made a start.

The next day, it was finished and looked pretty tidy.
The little bed of new plantlets in the foreground looks so sad being only half-filled. I am hoping to get more plantlets for it soon.

The path between the two garden sections was in bad need of attention--the sides were grown-up with weeds and the plant material that I covered the path with in the spring was walked to death; so I decided to put down the reserve wood chips that I had stored in bags. It looks pretty neat, doesn't it? One walks this path now with a certain lil 'bounce'.

I got some endive plants from Netty up the way and added them to the small bed that I already had planted. this will give a staggard harvest, I am hoping. The leaves of the new additions were partually removed to induce the plantlets to improve their root-system and stimulate new leaf growth. It should work just fine.

Now the fennel--It's a bit small, but ready. Some plants are looking like they plan to shoot-through...so it's "off with their heads"!
In situ, this beauty looks healthy.

Harvested and clipped, the fennels look and feel like holding a fish...without the slime. If you look closely, you can see browning beginning at the edges of the white foliage. A lesson not to harvest them until you're ready to heave for home.

The corn continues to roll in, despite the darned mice.

I can't post without including some blooms and wildlife--this time the honeybees.
This first pic is of the bloomed-out Clematis Vitalba bosrank

Next.....The blooms are alive with the sound of buzzing.....

A close-up of a single forager.

and another.

I am so delighted that they are coming in uncountable numbers. I was beginning to worry alot. I haven't seen many honeybees this year at all.

Well, that was a very busy two days, but what a good feeling having gotten all that work done. It is raining like mad now, so it twice as enjoyable knowing that the beds are in order now and I can turn my attention to other aspects.

One of these fine days, I shall have to add Rhodi soil and pine bark chips to the blueberry beds. That'll be a big job.

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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html

Thank you, KK--I am pretty proud of this batch too. Sure, I'd be willing to share it.
I am wondering why you can't grow fennel there.
Thanks also for liking the honeybee pics.

I'm glad you liked the posting this time, TONI--I was even MORE glad to hear that you have had lots of bees there. That is GREAT news.
The fennel that you see featured on my posting I simply sliced it, boiled it, then put butter and salt on it and then sprinkled Parmigiano cheese over it. It was quite tasty. I shall experiment with other recipes with the remainder.
I grew it primarily for the caterpillars this year too...but none came. Sad

Thank you 4G--I was very happy to get that segment of work completed before the rains fell. Sjoerd:1--Mother Nature:0 ....for a change. Smile

Too right, EJ--Great that you had the time to devote to your lottie. Gawd...creeping buttercup. AWKGH! I don't like that stuff at all. I've been having a battle with that for years in my flower garden, but I am proud to announce that this year there was almost none--just what crept through the fence from ole Willum's side.
It is a bit of a challenge doing gardening in general, and strawbs in particular with the climatic change that is taking place now. I can remember that by 15 august, I'd have all beds cleaned and new plantlets planted ...now the plants are just beginning to really put out runners and not all beds are completely cleaned or removed yet. *scratches head*.
You are right that it is very satisfying this time of year, what with getting beds clean and tidy and such.
I am waiting for a report of your local harvest show and contest. Is that next week?

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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html