More Big Garden Work - August 3, 2025 @goldenoakfarm

@goldenoakfarm · 2025-08-04 13:28 · HiveGarden

Big garden - collage4 text crop August 2025.jpg

On Sunday morning I didn’t want to get moving. I had found an announcement that a naturopathic practice I’d been trying to get into for decades had openings, so I spent an hour filling out the application online. It was about 7:30AM when I headed out to the Big garden to get started.

I started tying up the peppers and deadheading the basil in that area. My general helper arrived at 8AM and she resumed getting grass and weeds out of the perimeters.

Big garden - pea area collage text crop August 2025.jpg

After I finished the peppers, I rested a bit and then tackled getting the vines off the pea fences. Next I had to cut off the wires holding the fence to the posts. But I’d noticed that some of the perimeter posts were missing their wires. So I selected the best wires on the pea fences and walked the perimeter. I actually only found 2 missing.

Then I cut the wires off the pea fences and all that up and down work wore me out.

Chair under magnolia crop August 2025.jpg

This is my resting place the last few days under the shade of the magnolia tree.

Crabtree - per. swet pea garden crop August 2025.jpg

This is one of the views from my chair, the crabapple tree with its perennial sweet pea garden.

Once I was rested, my general helper had finished the perimeter so she went to the barn and got the T post puller. We got the T posts out and loosely rolled up the fences. They would have to be laid out again and the heavy plant material pulled off so they don’t rust in storage. Then rolled more tightly so they all fit in the peak of the shed.

Pea fencing collage text crop August 2025.jpg

Once we had all the stuff out of the pea area, we took a couple sleds and got all the weeds out. I had weeded the area each time I picked peas and it was amazing how many had come up in the 3 weeks since then. The mulch was really thin there.

I was finished for the day but my general helper started the mulching in the pea area. She emptied the loose stuff out of the truck. I took the truck and the T post puller back to the barn and got the car and came back and sat under the tree.

Netting - rest of patches hung up crop August 2025.jpg

Around 11AM the grass was dry enough to fold up the netting patch material that was on the clothesline. But when I got the bag to store it out, I realized there was a lot more we hadn’t hung up due to space. So we took that out, folded the clean patch stuff up and put it away, and hung the remaining dirty stuff. The rain will clean it eventually.

Little Trees II - 3. west Viking black chokeberries collage text crop August 2025.jpg

The other thing I wanted to do was get under the netting for the Little Trees II and see if anything had ripened. The #3 chokeberry had lots of ripe berries, but the #5 about 15’ away had very few ripe, but lots coming.

Reliance peach - 1st harvest crop August 2024.jpg

Then I went to check the pretty peach on the #6 Reliance peach. Something had eaten my pretty peach!! Whatever it was had also eaten 4 other ones too. (We ate 2 before I got a photo.) Sigh… But I did get 3 to bring in the house. There are a lot more not ripe enough yet.

I cut away the eaten bits and the peaches were so good!! No wonder whatever it was, had been eating them.

Harvest - chokeberries crop August 2025.jpg

So I got to taste my first chokeberry. They say they are astringent. Not very nice, but with sweetener they are supposed to be more nutritious than wild blueberries. So I hope to make something out of these to try out.

Once we’d gotten the netting down again for the Little Trees II she went back to mulching and I cleaned up. I had to drag all the posts to the garden shed and hoped I could find a place to store them.

There was a place between 2 studs and they all just fit. I had hoped to do the fences, but I just didn’t have the energy.

My general helper ran out of mulch about halfway down the garden. I called the mulch guy and asked for 20 more bales, to arrive Tuesday afternoon I hope.

Dfld Concert August 2025.jpg

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I got some lunch and a shower and rested briefly before my friend picked me up to go to a classical concert. We have tried to go to the whole series of them each year, but both of us have been laid up through July, so this is the first one we’ve managed to go to.

I was so tired I hoped I wouldn’t fall asleep during it. I did drift a bit but mostly managed to stay awake. They have a reception afterwards in the little garden adjacent to the music room. They offer fruit, cheese, crackers, veggies, and cookies, plus a selection of drinks. It’s very pleasant to sit there and chat.

Dfld Concert program August 2025.jpg

I was home late afternoon and mostly just found something to eat for supper and rested until bedtime.

On Monday I HAVE to pick the rest of the green beans and get them processed. I need to check the squashes as I’d forgotten them for several days. I have laundry to do and PT to go to. I’ve not found the energy to do any PT over the weekend. It’s to be another hot day after such a pleasant last few days.

#hivegarden #homesteading #summer #life #gardens #harvest #weeding #concert #flowers #chores
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