The last days of Summer

August is gone and it feels a good deal like Autumn. It put me in the mood to cut up the pumpkins I have been storing and roast the seeds. Pumpkin seeds have always been one of my favorite snacks which is the main reason I grow the Snack Jack pumpkins instead of pie or jack o’ lantern types. The other reason is space, they take up far less room and are easy to trellis.

The golden and red raspberry plants that I planted in the spring have been growing all summer and have finally put on a few berries. I can’t wait until they ripen! The black berry brambles gave me quite a few berries earlier in the summer, enough to share with the chipmunks anyway. Blueberries and strawberries were sparse, but it is their first year too, I won’t judge them too harshly just yet.

I’ve started some fall crops, like kohlrabies, carrots, radishes, and beets. I plan to get another round of spinach and lettuce started very soon. The dwarf pak choy I grew last fall did so well that I plan to double the amount I plant this year. I think I should also be able to get in another round of leek. Even if it doesn’t make it to full maturity, it will still be wonderful in fall and winter soups and tossed in with skillet potatoes.

The sunflowers are a big hit the bees and the birds. Every time I walk out the back door, gold finches and chickadees scatter in a chorus of chirps and chatters. The marigolds were also a favorite of the bees. I’ve collected some seeds to see if I can grow them again in the spring. They are a hybrid variety, so who knows what I will they will look like if I can get them to germinate. It’s always fun to try anyhow. The zinnas took most of the summer to start blooming but now that they have, they looks so cheery and lovely, they were certainly worth the wait.

Even as summer draws to a close, I know that there is still planting and harvesting to do. It may feel like fall, but until the snows come, I plan to do and grow as much as I can, and enjoy my garden each day.

Remember, you can check out images from my August garden at http://s1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc457/PittsburghGardener/August%20Garden%202011/