Chickadee! (Finally a bird has returned)

Hadn't seen any birds whatsoever at the feeders since I put them back a week or two ago.  Saw a junco once or twice fly away from the ground, but that's it.  Today saw a chickadee visit the green mesh feeder with the mix of sunflower and peanut.  Yay!

Cedar board -- coat #2 of raw pure linseed oil applied

(And excess wiped off ~30-40 minutes later.)

Harvested some of the fall-sown potted kale and lettuce

With a low of -9 or something like that forecasted for tonight, figured I'd better take a harvest of the fall-sown potted kale and lettuce before it goes kaput.  Clipped off the kale and one pot of lettuce, leaving the rest to grow if they dare, and for the second pot of lettuce I didn't harvest any and instead just brought it inside on the kitchen table to live there for a while.

Hollyhocks -- year 1 update

Wow, they seemed very happy out front, lots of leaves.  However, they're infested with what I think must be rust.  Anyway, trimmed them back to stubs today for the winter, will see if they flower next year.

The ones I had put in the yard along the north wall I pulled a few weeks ago due to the yard reno -- they were much smaller due to all the shade with the compost bin etc.

Cedar board, coating it with raw linseed oil

Bought a cedar board (1" by 8" by 8 feet) to use as an east edge for the northwest bed ($27 + tax at HD).

Today applied a first coat of raw linseed oil (~$21 + tax at HH for one tiny liter).  Applied it with a rag, board supported by plant pots, newspaper underneath.  Used a fresh rag to wipe off excess after 30-40 minutes.

Now to wait a week or so for it to dry, then apply a second coat... then wait again, before finally putting into the garden.

Bought 6 x 2-foot rebar stakes (~$5 each + tax at HD) to use to support it in place.

Grass sowed along new lowered paths

I doubt it will take, given (a) how late in the season it is, and (b) how compacted the ground is on the paths, but why not give it a go.  I used the rake to scratch up the surface a bit, then sprinkled the seed (leftover from a few years ago), then used the rake again to sort of mix things up a bit.

Didn't water, but wetter is on the way, so will let nature do its thing.

Neighbourhood apple tree = best apples ever

Whoa!!  Amazing!  Huge, juicy, tasty, and so apple-smelling.  Pretty sure these are the best apples I have ever had!

Final chard and green onion harvest due to yard makeover

Needed to pull out the chard and green onions to complete phase 1 of the yard makeover.  The chard was still going strong, and the roots were 1 foot long.  Makes me a wee nervous about next year when the central bed depth of good stuff is going to be like half that, but, we'll see.

FIRST FROST in my yard was last night -- tenderest plants kaput

The forecast for cold nights a few days ago didn't quite materialize -- but last night's ~-4 was a definite frost in the yard, officially the first frost in my yard.

The tomato and zucchini plants, and the tuberous begonia, are all wilty/dead now.  The zinnias, however, seem to be fine still (tired / end of season, but not frosted).

I was worried about the chard and celery, as they looked droopy first thing this morning, but they bounced back during the day.  I threw a blanket over them for tonight as it will be going down to ~-5, so hopefully this will help.

The fall sown potted lettuce and kales look good too, but I covered them for tonight as well just in case.  It would suck if they go mushy before I have to chance to harvest anything from them!

Bluejay visits twice/day, but no sign of anyone else yet

As of the day after I put the feeders back, the bluejay reliably has two visits per day, around 08:30am and 9am or so!  Eats a tiny bit (once swallowed a whole shell/peanut!), then flies away with a peanut/shell.

Final zucchini harvested! (26th, or 27th, or 28th) And all of the green tomatoes

Prior to -4 expected tonight, harvested final zucchini – not huge but enough to make a pancake.  The plant got zero sun in recent weeks due to fence / sun angle.

Also harvested the final tomatoes, still green.