A Change
We traveled a lot this month and missed much of the garden. During the month, the sunflowers bloomed and then died back. Last year the seed heads were enormous and covered in goldfinches, this year they were much smaller (all volunteers from the prior year’s giants) and feasted on by flocks of chickadees. Raccoons continue coming to the yard for water and chewing up the irrigation drip lines, sometimes pulling out plants by the roots as they go.
Garlic and Egyptian onions planted for next spring are sprouting now. The Maples outside have lost 40% of their leaves. The forecast calls for snow and rain this week. Cosmos, valerian, calendula, calibrachoa are still in bloom. As I pulled out two of the fourteen tomato plants today I found chives and oregano spreading among the fabric beds, some of which look very shabby due to squirrels and other critters tearing them for nesting material. The blue jays have returned and squeak loudly around the yard.