Sunflower Disposition, Peachy Harvest, and Other News Fresh From the Farm

Inside: In a sunflower frame of mind, this year’s peach harvest, and where frogs choose to live. Check out all the latest fresh from the farm. 

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In a Sunflower Frame of Mind

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while knows I love sunflowers. And, thankfully, for the past two years, we’ve been blessed to have our own field, courtesy of my brother Vince. But this year he wasn’t able to plant them, and going into the warm weather I wondered what would happen. Sure, I figured there might be some volunteers with all the fallen seed, but would they be as thickly planted and as large and vibrant yellow.

Well, I won’t say they’re quite as lovely, but they are still pretty. A few more weeds are in the mix but still a sight to behold, flowers heavy with seed, nodding toward the morning sun. At first they appear quite tall and yellow, reaching for cloud and sky. Then, as the weight of their seeds causes them to lean, they remind me of maids wearing bonnets, the now-brown petals like shocks of hair peeking out from underneath their hats. There is nothing quite like a field of sunflowers. A treat not only for birds, but also for this rural girl.

This Year’s Peach Harvest

Last year’s peaches were a disappointment. Our tree, fighting off a bout of leaf curl, was in healing mode. Consequently, the tree blossomed and peaches formed only to drop one by one before they got off to a start. Fruit trees, I have come to realize, will always prioritize the preservation of the tree itself over fruit production. In other words, they won’t take on more than they can handle. There’s a lesson to be learned here, I think, though it will have to wait for another day.

But I digress.

So early on in the spring, with no sign of leaf curl (thank you, last year’s drought) and plenty of baby peaches, I just assumed we’d go from “lack” straight to “abundance.”

Not so.

The crop this year suffered from bugs and worms. Some fruit still fell to the ground before maturing. And then, right as I was patiently waiting for the last three (and only) perfect, blemish-free peaches to ripen, some marauding coons beat me to two of them–the third out of their reach. I gave my one peach to Mike who needed some cheering up.

All in all, I cut off bad spots from enough peaches to get about a half gallon yield, which, when paired with some store-bought peaches, will end up as preserves.

So what is the moral of my story? Sometimes we aren’t ready to go from one extreme to another. This year I got “some fruit.” Maybe a bumper crop would have been more than I could have handled this year, given my time and energy reserves.

At any rate, I’m thankful for the fruit I did get.

And ever hopeful.

Where Frogs Choose to Live

If there has been an abundance of anything this year, it would be frogs. Not a plague, mind you, just more than usual. Mostly small ones, really, and I’m not complaining because even though it has been a flood year, the increase in mosquitoes I had anticipated ended up as food for my froggy friends living among my container flowers and garden beds. The little frog in the photo above surprised me when he peeked out through an egg carton I was using to grow seeds in. I had ripped off the top of the carton so the egg cup part could fit inside it. Ended up it was the perfect place for the frog to hang out during the heat of the day.

Another little guy was perched on top of one of my watering cans, and a bucket by the bottom of the steps that’s stayed full from rainwater is home to a pair of larger frogs with stripes on their backs and spots on their legs. They’ve kept the bugs away from around the steps and out of my house.

Think I’m becoming a fan!

 

Still a little summer left. How are you spending yours? Tell us about it in the comments.

Resources and related posts:

Possum in the Pawpaw Tree: A Seasonal Guide to Midwestern Gardening

My Yellow Horizon, Pickling, and Other News Fresh From the Farm

Flood Year Blues, Old-timers’ Almanac, and Other News Fresh From the Farm

Delayed Fruit

Posts from a year ago:

Brighter Sides, New Leaves, and Other News Fresh From the Farm

The Late Summer Garden Update

From two years ago:

Wash Day in the Midwest

Open Windows, Food Shoot, and Other News Fresh From the Farm