"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, June 18, 2010

Fruitful Fertilizer Friday.

Another week has flown by with barely a chance for me to really get outside.  Every time I walk past parts of the garden or look out the window I see something new or a chore I'd like to get done.  Our weather is still not very good.  We've continued to have mostly gray or rainy days with highs still only in the mid 60's.  We've been breaking all sorts of weather records because of it.  I'm starting to ignore the weather forecast since it changes daily and not usually for the better.  Anyway, school is finally out today and so even if the weather doesn't cooperate we still will have time to just relax and enjoy our free days.  School in the Seattle area usually ends around this time and the school district we are in generally starts back a few days before Labor Day.
Quite a bit of the fruit bearing plants are doing really well.  Blueberries are getting close to ripening and the girls have been eating Red Currants even though they are on the bitter side.  The apple tree produced few blooms this year and I'm pretty sure we'll have few if any apples.  I've heard that it's not uncommon for apple trees to have years like this.

Even with the cool weather some of the tomatoes are getting flowers, this is 'Black Krim'.

The 'Desert King' fig tree is full of figs, this first crop is called the breba crop.  The breba crop is grown on last years growth.

So far I haven't had a chance to try a strawberry, the girls have been eating them, but they say they are good.

The two small pear trees each have a few pears on them.  I'm really hoping they'll keep growing so we can try them.
These are more of the Campanulas that I showed a few days ago.  The flowers are different on these, almost like the Cup and Saucer type.

I've been meaning to post a picture of the Nigella or Love-in-a-Mist.  They reseed in the same little area every year.  I love the dainty flowers and foliage.

To see who else is flaunting their flowers today visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time, who is the host of Fertilizer Friday.
Pin It

40 comments:

  1. Good Morning Catherine, You have made me hungry for strawberries and figs this morning. I enjoyed all your pretty pictures and I know you and the girls are eager to enjoy summer break.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Catherine, What an abundance. Your fig tree really looks to be in exceedingly good form and is clearly going to have a bumper crop. I do so enjoy fresh figs with really good, Italian Parma ham as a first course. I wonder what you do with yours?

    In my experience apple trees do, as you say, have off years. It will be interesting to hear your report on this year's crop later on.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I reallly want a fig tree, but I haven't yet been able to convince my husband that we have a good spot for it.

    Love the nigella. What an interesting seed pod!

    ReplyDelete
  4. We would certainly take some of your rainy days in the 60's. Stifling hot and humid here, high 90's to low 100's with no rain. Congrats on the fruitful Friday....delish looking strawberries.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very fruitful indeed! Our blueberries are right on the edge too...I can't wait. Although, the deer didn't leave us many after the last orchard raid.

    Apple trees can be very sensitive to not having their fruit thinned enough. If you don't thin fruit at all, a boom year tends to followed by a bust year. If thinned enough, so the trees don't exhaust themselves fruiting during any one season, you can increase the likelihood of a decent harvest each year. Of course, other factors, like all our soggy weather this year, affect them too. I hope you have a better fruit set next spring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wish we could grow pear here... in tropical climate.
    ~bangchik

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your fruit looks good. I can't remember the last time I had a really ripe pear. I miss that.

    I've been eating strawberries from my little patch. Much sweeter than store bought.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your garden sure doesn't look like you can't get out and work it - looks wonderful as always. LOVE that new pink Campanula you showed and Love in a Mist.
    I'm sick of our weather too. Sick to death of rain but love the overcast not too cold couple of days we had. I got so much done. Yesterday I planted in the rain until it started to pour. I have all of Doris' flowers sitting here in boxes and NEED to get them in the ground.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Catherine,

    I still have a problem thinking of your temperatures being cooler than ours. We are going to be in the 90's today and tomorrow. That Nigella is lovely. I had almost forgotten about this plant. I had it at my last house.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Catherine - your temps are what normally what we average at most of the summer but it must be so frustrating to see that list mount up and not be able to get outside and complete some of the jobs.

    Its too early here for crops other than salad leaves but you certainly are well on the way to cropping some lovely fruits. It must be great fun for the girls to go out and pick those fresh strawberries ever day. When we grew them for the boys I never took any as I wanted them to enjoy the eperience of growing and eating their own crops.

    I used to grow nigella in my last garden - the photograph you've taken is lovely as I love that texture in the garden.

    Have a lovely weekend and enjoy those school holidays with the girls.

    ReplyDelete
  11. ohh the nigella is so pretty...tell me does it need full/part sun/shade...

    your strawberries look yummy...nothing quite like a home grown berry.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Things are looking VERY fruitful!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You have some very pretty fruit and blooms. I love that pink bellflower. I keep planting nigella, hoping for a stand like yours. I get one or two plants that actually bloom.

    I see you chose the same new template I did. I love your color. It was between that and the one I chose. I planned on changing to the green if and when I get tired of the lavender. I am a bit sad that I won't have the choice to go back to my old template that I used to change the color on quite frequently, though. The photos are larger on the old stretch, but these are a good size. I also played around with the different backgrounds and templates. What fun!

    I made my sidebar a bit wider so there can be more words in sentences there. I also took the blog as wide as it would go.

    I hope you get the right conditions to go out to garden. It's been hot here the last few weeks, with lots of rain.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Catherine, everything looks wonderful. I, too, am so tired of the rain. We haven't gotten many blooms on our apple trees either.

    Thanks for visiting the other day. When I put that last post on Blogger changed my blog and it hasnt't been the same since. All my gadgits have been moved around and the comment area was removed. I'm not sure what's going on.

    Glad you're enjoying school being out with your girls. Enjoy the time off. Have a great weekend.

    Blessing,
    Kay

    ReplyDelete
  15. So sorry to hear about all that rain..., but your garden sure doesn't look untended. It's Beautiful ~ Hope it stops raining for you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful pictures! The Nigella is very pretty!
    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  17. so many lovely flowers. We went strawberry picking last weekend and got 20# or so. They are so sweet and delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love Nigella, not many people grow it. Do not now why, such a pretty little flower. The pears are looking so tasty and the strawberries, yum. Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The fig and pear tree looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  20. The Nigella are darling; the first time I've ever seen them.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Catherine, It sounds as though you're getting the same weather we had in Maine last June. You have my sympathies; I hope it doesn't last as long for you as it did for us. I love the Nigella, and you should get out early some morning and beat the girls to some of those strawberries! -Jean

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh my goodness. Those strawberries look great! I love all of your pictures and have enjoyed my visit.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Please consider entering one of your flower photos into my June free photo contest! The theme this month is FLOWERS and you have taken so many on your blog through the years....
    send your photo to jhaara@sbcglobal.net
    or let me know on my blog if you need more info on how to enter the contest:
    http://myretirementchronicles.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I am just so envious of your figs! I just have one fig on my tree because something keeps eating the others!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I think my apple trees are a year behind my friends. Two years ago everyone was bemoaning a very poor crop whilst mine was laden. Last year, I think I had around a dozen apples in total - and the cheeky squirrel beat me to most of them!

    ReplyDelete
  26. It is wonderful to find another PNW garden blog! So many I read are in California....and they are good but so far ahead of me. If they struggle with rain it is for a couple of days.

    My tomatoes are only about 20 inches tall but nice and healthy. I cannot tell from your pics how tall yours are. In the south they measure in feet while I still use inches.

    Glad to have found you!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Nice blooms and the fruit looks so refreshing right now, I'd love to have some.

    ReplyDelete
  28. The strawberries and figs look really luscious. You and the girls enjoy your free days. Summer is an awesome time of the year and ends all too soon.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hello fellow PNW gardener, Beautiful fig tree, I wish I had one! I just had great figs made by chef Kathy Casey - she just cut in half, and topped with a mix of chopped walnuts and gorgonzola, and then baked until melted. so yummy! I am a bit allergic to figs, but eat them anyway!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. That tingles my taste buds and look at that Nigella. Isn't she lovely! I'm waiting for them to germinate in my garden space.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I can't believe you have such cool weather. It has been horridly hot here for weeks. The plants and flowers and herbs are looking very, very tired. We have smallish pear trees, but they load up with many pears each year. I love the Nigella.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  32. Love seeing your friut - it s wonderful! Paula in Idaho

    ReplyDelete
  33. looks great...we have had a lot of ran here in Winnipeg too...but the heat has just started...and I had my forst strawberry yesterday. I love the blue flowers pictured here...so beautiful...

    ReplyDelete
  34. In the 60's....wow!!! We are in the 90's here. It is almost unbearable to go outside. I pulled weeds 2 weeks ago and thought I was going to have a heat stroke...literally!

    Your garden is looking great. I haven't been around much. I have been busy with work. I had to go to Chicago last week. SO I am trying to catch up.

    Have a great day

    ReplyDelete
  35. Figs! Yum!

    My nigella pods are dry now, so I've been collecting seeds and sending to friends. Wonderful plant!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I just got out there today and fertilized everything! I'm a bit behind, but finally got it done.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Everything is looking good. Hope you can eat the fruit from the trees. I would love to have an apple tree. The fig tree looks like it is bearing some yummy fruit. Hope you have a good day. Becca

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Catherine....I adore Nigella..it is one of my all time faves..yay..thanks for posting such a lovely and dazzling photo series once again!
    Kiki~

    ReplyDelete
  39. Yum! Figs and strawberries! I have figs too, but no strawberries. Your harvest looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and leave a comment. I try my very best to answer any questions you may have, but usually don't have time to respond to each comment. Please leave a link to your blog so I can visit you in return.