Skip to main content

Fruits of Labor

It's Labor day, and nature is beginning to produce the fruits of all its Labor this summer. Thinking about all the work that's gone into producing a single berry - growth of flowery blossoms, all the bees and hummingbirds that pollinated them, the constant photosynthesis working 24 hours a day. I bet it doesn't seem much like work to the birds, bees, and trees. There is joy behind it all.
Old Glory waving in the front archway:
 Cucumbers and Tomatoes - still harvesting.
 Cross section of one of the beefsteaks. It tastes as good as it looks:
 Acorns from the Oak in front:
 Shagbark hickory nuts. Anyone know good things to do with them?

 Crabapples:
 This shrub has gorgeous flowers in early summer, and sage-colored leaves. Now beautiful orange berries. I haven't identified it yet. Anyone know what it is?
 We grew only 6 stalks of corn and had all the ears for dinner the other night. A white corn.
Happy Labor Day All!!!
Labels:

Comments

  1. SissySeptember 5, 2011 at 4:48 PM

    oh boy...those orange berries belong to a very invasive shrub, the Tatarian honeysuckle. The birds eat the berries and spread the shrub and it's choking out the native forests!!

    http://www.invasive.org/weedcd/species/3043.htm

    I included the link so you can check it out!
    I cannot recall ever seeing the Shagbark Hickory, though our street is named after it! How awesome to have all those acorns, what can you do with them??

    ReplyDelete
  2. SherrySeptember 5, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    Sissy, thank you for this. It alarmed me, and I've just looked at lots of pics of the Tatarian Honeysuckle and I believe this may NOT be one. The berries on my shrub are not round - they are sort of oval, and larger than what the TS berries seem to be - also a lighter color. The leaves do not seem to match. Tomorrow I'm going to take better pics of it - both leaves and berries, and I'l post them. Hopefully we can confirm yay or nay. I'm crossing my fingers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SherrySeptember 7, 2011 at 12:00 PM

    Things to do with acorns:
    - donate to the squirrels, I feel they belong to them anyway.
    - make some wreaths, possibly.
    - all kinds of other crafts online, such as napkin rings, frames, candle holders.
    - This article is very interesting - how to harvest and eat them - and the nutritional benefits they hold. http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay79.html

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mary's Toad Lilies

All summer the rock garden was full of Lily stalks that didn't bloom. I knew they were some kind of Lily due to the leaf structure. There must be 30-40 stalks. I've looked at them carefully numerous times, and last time I examined them I thought maybe Cala lilies, that would bloom later in the summer. Didn't happen. I saw some budding on them a few weeks ago, and then forgot about them being so busy the last few weeks. It's been raining all day here, and I saw that the bird feeder we had wedged between some of the rocks in the rock garden fell. It's not a permanent solution, and it fell once before. We're going to have cement it or use a base pole to secure it for Spring. I went out to pick it up, and was greeted by lots and lots of blooming Toad Lilies! What a surprise. These inherited gardens keep constantly surprising me. I've been through a full year's cycle now, and thought I'd seen everything. I don't remember these last year at this time. ...
13 comments
Read more

Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count!

Cornell University's Great Backyard Bird Count is happening now! They collect data on bird species and their whereabouts from all over the country at this time each year, and you can help. It's easy to participate - just look out your window for 15 minutes each day, today through Monday, and fill out a form on their website noting what species you saw and how many. Here are some notes from their FAQ: How is the information from the GBBC used? Bird populations are constantly changing. No single scientist or team of scientists could hope to keep track of the complicated patterns of movement of so many species over an entire continent. The information from GBBC participants becomes even more valuable as scientists try to learn how birds are affected by environmental changes. The information you send in can provide the first sign that individual species may be increasing or declining from year to year. It shows how a species’ range expands or shrinks over time. A big change,...
10 comments
Read more

Cornhusk Wreath

I made the cornhusk wreath featured on the Martha Stewart show last November. The steps involve dyeing the cornhusks (you can buy tamale cornhusks in your local grocery store), then separating them into strips while they are still damp, and pinning them to a straw wreath. Finish it with a thick satin ribbon. I chose apple green dye, so I can have it on the front door year-round. Closeup of the ribbon: I'm so happy with the results. To make your own, here is a link to the directions .
10 comments
Read more