Look at these interesting flowers on the Malabar Spinach.  

 

They don’t seem to open up; they just turn into berries, see?

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

Every year I swear that I will not let the morning glories invade my gardens.  And every year (at some point) I quit weeding them out, and let the morning glories invade.  

 

These are beside the arugula bed, not really bothering anybody, so I let them grow.

 

You know what morning glories do best?  Make seeds and drop them to grow back next year.  Oh, well.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

A few weeks ago, we cleaned out the arugula bed, to replant it for fall.  

 

I already have lots of seeds, so I didn’t cut off the seed pods when we pulled out the plants.  We just pulled them out and put  them on the ground.  When the bed was cleared out, we gathered the old plants into the wheelbarrow, and took them down to the trash pile.

 

Well, this is what came up in the spot where we piled the plants.  I guess a few seeds fell into the cracks.  

 

Even though it’s kinda pretty, next time we will put them directly into the wheelbarrow.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

My friends went to Burt’s Farm last weekend, and took some cute photos.  This one is my favorite.  

 

If you want to go, Burt’s Farm is in Dawsonville, GA.  Go early;  Violet says it’s a neat visit first thing in the morning.

 

 

HAPPY FALL Y’ALL!!!

 

Wow!!!  Splitting open a persimmon seed is a lot harder than it sounds.  First of all:  they are fairly small,  and B:  they are slippery.  Not a good combination when you’re trying to cut through the tough outer shell with a serrated knife.  

 

But, for YOU, I cut open several, to show you the “fork, spoon, knife.” 

 

Honestly, I think I see all three examples.  And with that said, I’m not risking my fingers anymore.  Those other 4 seeds went into the compost bin.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

The persimmons are starting to get ripe.  These are still yellow, but they are turning orange and falling to the ground a few at a time.  

 

We have already picked up a few orange ones that fell.  And, wow, were they sweet!!!

 

There is an interesting folklore about persimmon seeds predicting winter weather.  It goes like this:  When you split open a persimmon seed, if you see a fork the winter will be mild, if you see a spoon you will be shoveling snow, and if you see a knife the cold will cut you.

 

I guess I better save a seed the next time I eat a persimmon.  I’ll let you know…

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

 

 

I guess I misspoke the other day when I said the dogwoods are about the only ones showing fall color.

 

We saw these Sourwoods on our walk, and they are definitely showing fall color.  

 

So, it’s happening:  the leaves are starting to change here.  I will keep you updated on their progress.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

This is the view out toward Lake Nottely.  As you can see, from long range, it doesn’t look like fall yet.

 

But I will show this view a few more times as the leaves change.  

 

This is such an exciting time of year in the mountains.

 

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

We love seeing caterpillars.  Last time we walked the loop we were on Beaconhill, and Jon said, “What is that?”  It was a yellowish fat caterpillar about the size of his index finger.  And it was right in the middle of the road, traveling toward the edge.  We looked it up on the Seek app, and found out that it is a larva of an Imperial Moth.  I took its picture and Jon pushed it to the side, saving its life.

 

When we got home, I looked it up on Wikipedia, and this is what it will look like in its adult stage.

 

 

The description said that Imperial moths can be as large as 6 7/8 inches across!!!  WOW!!! 

 

I hope we get to see one of those.

 

 

HAPPY FALL, Y’ALL!!!

 

 

 

Here’s my very hungry caterpillar, still on the parsley.  The plan is to let it eat as much as it wants, then put it outside when it is the size of my little finger.  Then it will be time for it to make its cocoon.

 

I don’t particularly want it to cocoon in the house, because it could be hard to know when it emerges.  Better for it to emerge as a butterfly outside where it can be free. 

 

Still, it has been fun watching it grow.    

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!