The Beauty Of The Changing Seasons

[Heirloom]

Clouds sounds great to me.

I hear ya on the sudden change. My tulip poplars just decided yellow and drop this last week. I spent the last couple hours mowing and mulching leaves. Have a new pile of leaf mold started with much more to come


EDIT: Jack in the pulpit makes more sense looking at the stalk.

 

[Radogast]

I planted American Ginseng this spring, but they are not known in this area. They didn't germinate. Almost nothing germinated.

It looks more like Jack-in-the-pulpit acording to photos. I have seen Jack-in-the-Pulpit 'pulpits' 70 yards upstream, so that makes sense.


Clouds over New Jersey (taken 13 days ago.)

 

[Heirloom]

I planted American Ginseng this spring, but they are not known in this area. They didn't germinate. Almost nothing germinated.

Did you get stratified seed or was it fresh from the previous year? Ginseng needs stratification. I have about 70 rootlets and 7000 seeds coming in about 3 weeks.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Heirloom,
when you say "stratification", is that like scarring or nicking them? Some seeds need to be scraped or nicked before germing according to the package instructions. I've never really had much luck with that, wondering if I'm not scraping deep enough.

What in the world are you going to do with 7000 seeds?? Someday I'm going to give it a try, but on a much smaller scale.

 

[Heirloom]

I have a couple of north facing hollows that already have a little ginseng growing. I'm simply going to bolster the population and let it go for at least a decade. Then I'll have exportable 10+ year ginseng and plenty of fresh seed to keep it going year after year.

No, not scarify. Ginseng seed needs two winter periods in order to come out of hibernation. Typically people will harvest seed in the fall, then layer sand and seeds either in a bucket or in a hole in the ground. Keep it moist (not soaked) and covered for 12 months. Then plant the seed in the late fall or winter. It should pop in the spring. Now this is a full year plus a winter after harvest...NOT the spring after seed harvest.

So I would think that if NONE sprouted for Radogast, they may have been fresh and needed the stratification process.

 

[SmokesDaKush]

I tried ground cherries this year for the first time. I like 'em.

Our wild Muscadines are ripening. Will be making jelly soon.

We just cracked open our last jar of grape jelly Heirloom.

Nice ground cherries and grapes, SmokesDaKush. My local woods grows grape vines, but no grapes.


Does anyone know what these berries are growing beside the brook among Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper?

Same berries, 30 feet away

Touche... I have these as well, some red and orange berried plants as well. Didn't know some of the things existed and I have been here for some time. Funny what using a camera will show you.

I have a photo bomb up-coming. Need to upload though....

 

[SmokesDaKush]

Well that was boring waiting for that to upload. I'm so raring to go this morning for some reason, sitting here bouncing on my yoga ball like a little kid n such... LOL... The cooler weather sure makes it more enjoyable to leisurely stroll around. Still quite a few things in bloom, some weathered well from storms but still going!

 

[SmokesDaKush]

As if that photo bomb wasn't enough... I just can't help but not take pics of these sunflowers whilst out. Might as well share now. A group of jokers over here though I tell ya.... Have a good one y'all!

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I love a good photo bomb! Exquisite flowers Smokey, and that little sunflower still looks like she's snickering or gasping...or something. Looks cute.
That third one is so soft and pretty, and love the angle!



I've got some coming up, but not flowers. Just the "changing of the guards" around here. LOL

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Here's my photo bomb as promised. Changing of the guards...from summer to autumn/fall

The mushrooms have begun. I think the variety this year is going to be plentiful. I'm waiting anxiously for the corals for a nice snack/treat:

This leaf has fungus on it that makes it look like octopus tentacles to me:

I'm starting to hear the pitter patter of acorns dropping on the roof. They are large this year, I've always been told that's the sign of a hard winter. The squirrels are hiding them daily.

I do have a few flowering things around yet, here's one. The honey bees are usually all over these, but it's a cold rainy morning:

My summer squash did well for me with it being enclosed from the critters. I've been able to harvest enough for some freezing and some meals:

One of the squash blossoms collected rain water and the reflection reminded me of a papoose with a youngun' in it:

These are just because I loved the contrast of colors:

 

[SmokesDaKush]

There are several landscaped houses around the area. A decent amount are so done up that I bet if I was allowed to go take pics, I could post a different flower for every day of the year probably. Nothing but color, it's pure awesomeness! The acorns do seem bigger here as well, uh oh!

One more photo bomb..

Mushrooms, I've always been to afraid to just go eat wild ones, lol. Don't trust I would pick the right ones.

Cause I can't resist!

Some clouds! The first one is my pet snapping turtle cloud, I call him Turtle, Turtle, Turtle and he likes chopping Broccoli! Second is just a neat cloud formation, it was vortexing to the sun if I could have fit it all in.

Have a great weekend guys/gals!

 

[Lady Cannafan]

It took awhile, but I do see the Snapper! Thanks Smokey, that was a good one. ;-)
When I drive to work I go through a small town that has awesome landscaping as well. I keep wanting to stop and grab some pictures along the sidewalks, but always pressed for time.
I wonder what it will look like during the winter months.
Wise of you to not randomly eat the mushrooms you find, some are deadly and some can make you extremely ill.
I have very few that I know and will eat, and I keep a mushroom guidebook with color pictures handy just in case. ;-)

 

[Radogast]

Did you get stratified seed or was it fresh from the previous year? Ginseng needs stratification. I have about 70 rootlets and 7000 seeds coming in about 3 weeks.

Heirloom,
when you say "stratification", is that like scarring or nicking them? Some seeds need to be scraped or nicked before germing according to the package instructions. I've never really had much luck with that, wondering if I'm not scraping deep enough.

What in the world are you going to do with 7000 seeds?? Someday I'm going to give it a try, but on a much smaller scale.

I have a couple of north facing hollows that already have a little ginseng growing. I'm simply going to bolster the population and let it go for at least a decade. Then I'll have exportable 10+ year ginseng and plenty of fresh seed to keep it going year after year.

No, not scarify. Ginseng seed needs two winter periods in order to come out of hibernation. Typically people will harvest seed in the fall, then layer sand and seeds either in a bucket or in a hole in the ground. Keep it moist (not soaked) and covered for 12 months. Then plant the seed in the late fall or winter. It should pop in the spring. Now this is a full year plus a winter after harvest...NOT the spring after seed harvest.

So I would think that if NONE sprouted for Radogast, they may have been fresh and needed the stratification process.

Double Cold stratified - I never heard of that. I got whatever is in the Horizon Herbs catalog.

Considering my yard is Round-up treated 2 years ago and fern and maple allelopathic - I bought too many seeds. I'll wait until the wildflowers, tulips, and berry bushes start really groing. I saw about 200 of 600 bulbs that were short lived. Most of my nursery grown plants and only few each rosemary, blessed thistle, morning glory, and catnip from seeds. That out of thousands of scattered, scraped in, and indoor planted seeds. I do not feel a successful gardener in New England. The seasons seem to happen in the wrong ways, late and short and in my yard shady.. My plants are acting like it is 6 weeks old in September. I couldn't grow a tomato in this short a season. - - Yet natives do.


I applaud those of you with the experience and the location to grow bountiful gardens. I'm slowly working on it. Indoor gardening has occupied more of my thoughts and time.

 

[Radogast]

Some clouds! The first one is my pet snapping turtle cloud, I call him Turtle, Turtle, Turtle and he likes chopping Broccoli!

I see snapping turtle cloud named Turtle, Turtle, Turtle gobbling ginger !

 

[SweetSue]

Double Cold stratified - I never heard of that. I got whatever is in the Horizon Herbs catalog.

Considering my yard is Round-up treated 2 years ago and fern and maple allelopathic - I bought too many seeds. I'll wait until the wildflowers, tulips, and berry bushes start really groing. I saw about 200 of 600 bulbs that were short lived. Most of my nursery grown plants and only few each rosemary, blessed thistle, morning glory, and catnip from seeds. That out of thousands of scattered, scraped in, and indoor planted seeds. I do not feel a successful gardener in New England. The seasons seem to happen in the wrong ways, late and short and in my yard shady.. My plants are acting like it is 6 weeks old in September. I couldn't grow a tomato in this short a season. - - Yet natives do.

They're doing something you're not. Do you know anyone growing delicious tomatoes in conditions similar to yours? Have you asked MassMedMan? He's in your general area, yes? I bet he could help you with some really good pointers.

 

[Shawnee]

Smokes,

I absolutely love love love that you love sunflowers....your pictures are stupendous....

 

[SweetSue]

Smokey, you outdid yourself. Stunning string of photo bombs.

But these, these were memory. My grandparents had arbors near the house on their 1/4 acre farmstead. My visits in fall were spent sitting under there gorging on grapes. The house Dale and I lived in for 20 years had arbors that you passed under to enter the front door with three varieties. The luscious smell of the concords alone....sheer bliss.

Thank you you for triggering that joyful series of memories.

 

[Heirloom]

LOL @ Chopping Broccoli.

 

[Lady Cannafan]

I see a snorting wild hog:

This is just because I was there:

 

[Lady Cannafan]

Storm clouds coming over a small lake the other day: