Country Gardens

At this time of year my garden doesn't look so much different than the unmowed weed flowers blooming along side most any road in the entire county.

Most of what is blooming in my garden right now are the very same unmowed weed flowers.

Instead of a thin strip along the road, the garden is a vast expanse of wild flowers with multiple ways to wander in for a closer look. That is a much different experience than just driving by.

It would be true to say the garden is a deliberate collection of roadside weed flowers. Here you can see a great deal of variety with a lot less driving.

But the show is coming quickly to a very dry end. The first cold front rains of fall that might show up next week will be a bit late to prevent the dry ending I think. No matter is was a very good show this year.

I saw more Monarch butterflies this year than ever before. Maybe they are making babies on my milkweed. One of them could get eaten up by caterpillars in the Lush and I would never know it. They've been moving fast and this is the only recent picture I got.

Let's face it. With this much land, no money and not enough time, the most logical way to maintain a piece of land like this is by mowing. Thing is, I am only willing to do that once a year. The result is a wild flower meadow.

Mowing a mile of paths and the Great Lawn during the time of vegetation is plenty mowing enough.

I mowed and edged lawns for twenty years on Maui. By the time I got here, I was officially over mowing.

The pigs are making my already lumpy lawn lumpier. Good thing I live in the country and only have to mow when the maintenance gardener gets twitchy.

I have harvested more okra this year than ever before. This big bowl full is ready to be placed on a cookie sheet and oven baked. I'm a bit shocked and slightly frightened. Okra likes hot. I'm not supposed to have hot at this elevation.