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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!!!

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  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

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