Harvesting

Gourd blossoms

We are at the time of year again where the growing season is winding down, days getting shorter and nights getting cooler.   The tomatoes have produced a lot of fruit this year and they are really starting to ripen.  Our little furry friends (chipmunks, gophers and squirrels) are enjoying the ripening fruit, so we pick the tomatoes before they are fully ripe.
I came across a couple of tips for managing your tomatoes at this time of year when the nights are getting cooler.  
Pick the leaves off around the tomatoes so the sunshine can reach the fruit and they will ripen quicker.
There aren't enough warm growing days ahead to ripen newly emerging fruit, so stop the growth of tomato plants by pinching out all growing tips.  This will force energy into enlarging and ripening the fruit.

Wedding bouquets

Our Cayenne peppers and Jalapeno peppers have produced plenty of peppers and they are hot, hot, hot.  It has been a good year for celery production with all the rain.  They are crisp, juicy, sweet and strong celery flavored, unlike the grocery store celery.  The garlic is being harvested today and the onions will be dug in the next few days.

The flower harvesting has been fantastic.  We cut approximately two hundred stems of dahlias three times a week and every stem is sold.  The zinnias are also cut three times a week and are in high demand.  The sunflowers are just starting to show colour and the brown and red sunflowers are proving to be quite popular with the florists.  We have Amaranthus, Sea Holly, Ageratum, Celosias, Cosmos, Broomcorn, Millet, Wheat, Grasses, Rudbeckia, Poppy Pods, Scabiosa, Crocosmia's and many others.

We have had a wwoofer staying at the farm for the last three weeks helping us out and learning a few things about flower, vegetable and herb growing.  Wwoof stands for World Wide Organization on Organic Farms and connects people whom are interested in learning about organic farming with farms whom practice organic farming.  The extra hands have been much appreciated and she has helped out with many tasks associated with the growing and harvesting of the vegetables and flowers as well as creating flower bouquets.    Thanks so much for all your help, it has been a pleasure spending time with you.

This weekend is customer appreciation days at the Saskatoon Farmers market.  To show our appreciation we are providing a discount on all of our plants.  The perennials are 50% off the marked price and the succulents and planters are 25% off the marked price. 

Days are getting shorter.

It has been a flurry of activity the last couple of weeks.  We are cutting the flowers three times per week, delivering to flower shops twice a week and cutting for the market once per week.  We are also providing flowers for private requests, dinner parties, weddings etc.  I believe our flowers are playing a small part in brightening peoples lives in the area, be it through the flowers we sell at the Saskatoon Farmers market or arrangements created at the local florists we supply. 

Did you know...... The mere presence of flowers in a home can change a person's mood.  Behavioral research conducted at Harvard University shows that people are measurably less stressed and anxious when flowers are nearby.  So flowers are not only attractive, but healthy too.

This week we are getting the gardens back into shape, weeding, deadheading, pruning etc.  Lots of work as I think every weed seed in the ground has germinated this year.  The rains have been less frequent now and the mulch is keeping the soil damp.  We fertilized the dahlias again this week with the new organic fertilizer we are trying this year.  We are noticing a difference, so we may invest in this product again next year.  The home gardener can purchase their products at Early's Farm & Garden.  The name of the company is Orgunique or Bio Fert.  I believe the products sold to large operations are under the Bio Fert name and the home gardener products are sold with the Orgunique business name.  The website is www.orgunique.com.  They are based in British Columbia and they have a wide range of organic fertilizers and soil amendments.

We are hosting our first Flower Garden Tours this Sunday.  The times of the tours are 10:00am and 2:00pm Sunday Aug 19th.  We have always toured our family and friends around, but this is the first time we invited the general public.  Looking forward to sharing our gardens with other gardeners.

Garden Tours

Everyone is welcome to participate in Flower Garden Tours at Mistik Acres on Sunday August 19.  We will have two times available, 10:00am and again at 2:00pm.  It takes approximately 2 hours to walk through all the gardens, stopping to discuss various plants and picture taking.  We are located 60 kilometers North East of Saskatoon.  Directions from Saskatoon - take highway 41 to Alvena, turn right (east) onto grid 777.  Travel four kilometers on the grid and you will see our house from the grid road.  Watch for balloons.  Weather permitting.
Hope you can join us!

Raspberries

The raspberry patch is in full colour right now with berries at all different stages of ripening.  We really enjoy fresh raspberries, but our most enjoyable is chocolate and raspberries.  I want to share a recipe with you that we make every year at raspberry harvest.  I tore it out of a magazine more than ten years ago and still have the tattered page.
Chocolate-Raspberry Streusel Bars
Base:
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 ounces of semi sweet/bittersweet chocolate melted
1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
With electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar (I use less sugar).  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Add melted chocolate (I use fair trade chocolate) and mix until well blended.  Stir in flour.  Pat evenly into an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Bake at 325F for 15 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raspberry jam or fresh/frozen raspberries
Mix together flour and sugar (I use less sugar).  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Spread jam over base.  (I use 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen raspberries with a little sugar, that have been cooked with cornstarch to thicken.)  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
I prefer using fresh or frozen raspberries instead of jam in this recipe.  Enjoy!

This year's growing conditions have been unlike anything we have ever experienced.  The hot humid conditions have challenged a lot of plants and yet some plants are thriving.  Our tomatoes are not producing much fruit at all.  We have had a few cherry tomatoes ripen but usually those particular plants are loaded with fruit, but not this year.  The pepper plants are not producing and in some cases the blossoms are rotting off.  Everything seems to be later in maturity.  The Dahlias are usually full of blooms by the end of July, but their production has probably been cut in half.  The sweet peas are not as productive and some of my Godetia plants are dying along with a few other things.  Have been noticing a few annual flowering plants infected with Asters Yellow disease already, where in past years it showed up later in August.  The Yarrow is spectacular and the Monkshoods are striking.  The delphiniums were fabulous with huge flower spikes and the Globe Thistles are a beautiful shimmering blue.  The colours of all the flowers are very vibrant, but in most cases the bloom count is down.

Pink corn

Today we will be harvesting onions, potatoes, beets, and raspberries for the market.  The flowers available this week will be lilies, gladiolas, globe thistle, delphinium, sweet peas, rudbeckia, and lots more.

Pesticides

Things are doing pretty good on the farm despite the very wet conditions.  We are having to monitor disease caused by the rain and hot/humid air.  So far it has not been too serious.  The annual flowers are all starting to show blooms and the perennials are on track.  The monkshood's are growing non stop and some of them are about six feet tall with the flower spikes.  The lilies have started to bloom and I love to go out to the field and take in the kaleidoscope of colour.  I have been enjoying watching the new annuals we planted, Cerinthe - Pride of Gibraltar, Icelandic Poppies, Celosia's of different shapes and colours, which are doing very well this year, Love Grass Ruby Silk (will post pictures later in the season),  Drumstick flower, and Dianthus - neon purple and cherry.  Watch for their debuts at the Farmers Market.  Some cuts will be in bouquets this weekend.   One of our Passion Flower Vines that is in the greenhouse has developed flower buds.  This particular plant is destined for a new home this weekend.
The birds have been leaving their nests and a lot of species leave the yard when the babies are grown up.  The Bluebirds have left, which in past years they raised a second brood.  The Tree Swallows are gone, sometimes making an appearance in the evening.  We now rely on the Dragonflies to help out with mosquito control, which they seem to be doing a great job.  We have not had any bats take up residence in our bat houses we installed this Spring, and we have not seen any glimpses of them.  
Today we will be busy harvesting vegetables, raspberries (first picking) and lots of fresh cut flowers.

Bells of Ireland

Karl Foerster Grass

Delphiniums

I came across this article written by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and they asked that we share it with everyone.  There is lots of really good information in the article.

Be Pesticide Free-Pesticides and Human Health
Have you heard? Pesticides aren’t needed for a beautiful lawn!
What is a Pesticide?
A pesticide is a chemical or microbiological substance that is designed to kill pests. Pesticides are by definition are toxic because they poison the pest. Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides.  Common examples are RoundUp, Killex, Weed and Feed, and 2,4-D.  Lawn pesticides do not prevent pest problems, they only try to control them once they are present.

Exposure
Pesticides are all around us. They can be found in our soil, air, food, and even mother’s breast milk.   If a pesticide is being applied to a lawn, it can be detected 15 metres away. Anyone living in an urban area in Saskatchewan breathes air with measurable quantities of 15-19 herbicides in late spring. Pesticides are also found in water. Drinking water in six Saskatchewan communities was tested and found to be contaminated with an average of seven pesticides.

Human Health
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has identified acute health effects in humans including nausea, eye, skin, respiratory and throat irritation, muscle spasms, and even death. Repeated exposure to pesticides has been linked to neurological problems, brain and lung cancer, immune suppression (which creates environmental hypersensitivity), leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, kidney damage, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and reproductive disorders, including endocrine disruption, low sperm count, and sterility. Children are most at risk as they typically play in grass and dirt, and put toys and hands in their mouths, activities that significantly increase their exposure to pesticides.

How to Protect You and Your Family
·Do not use pesticides on your lawn and garden.
·Pesticides are toxic. Be aware when they are being sprayed in your neighborhood.
·Keep kids and their toys indoors when pesticides are being applied and afterward, clean exposed surfaces.
·        Do not spray your pets (flea powder).
·        Use pesticide-free insect repellent like citronella.
·        Buy local organic food.
·        Wash all produce with a mild detergent.
·        Work with local school boards, daycares and sporting complexes to go pesticide-free.
·        Avoid pressure-treated wood.

To learn more about alternatives to using pesticides, please visit:
http://www.environmentalsociety.ca/main/resources/publication/pesticide-publications/

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Wow what a fabulous week it has been.  We are just amazed at the low wind speeds accompanying the hot weather this week.  I do not recall having this many days in a row with no wind and yes, wouldn't it be nice if we had wind with these temperatures.  Yes, yes I know, I will stop this nonsense blubber and enjoy the warm weather.  Just think of winter, when it's hot and humid and we may appreciate it a lot more, I keep telling myself.  This week we are busy weeding and then laying the mulch in the gardens.  We have one more garden to do and it is the biggest, so a lot of work ahead.  Due to the warm temperatures we have been rising early and working till noon and then staying out of the heat till after supper.
Some of the plants are growing so much this week.  There is a lot of moisture in the soil, so in combination with the mulch the soil stays cool and their is no evaporation of the moisture.
There are so many flowers that are starting to bloom.  We will have lots of different things this weekend at the Saskatoon Farmers Market.  There will be Dahlias, Echinops, Rudbckia, Heliopsis, Lilies, Sweet Peas, Sweet William, Cosmos, Love Grass, Delphinium and many more.  We will have ready made bouquets but we will also have an assortment of flowers for people to create their own bouquets.  We have a lot of customers whom really enjoy putting together various flowers for their vases at home.  Vegetables will include new potatoes, green onions, beet leaves and fresh herbs, dill, mint and cilantro.

Hens & Chicks blooming

The rock garden is so beautiful this year with lots and lots of the Hens and Chicks blooming.

Monarch Butterfly

The picture below is a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar that has grown up in the last couple of weeks.  I am sure it is probably almost ready to enter into the chrysalis stage.  We have a lot of these little guys on our Milkweed plants.  Sure hope they will survive to make the trip to Mexico or the States this fall.

This week has passed by very quickly once again, with a lot of our tasks uncompleted due to the rainfall we had this week.  With the predicted temperatures for the upcoming week it sure will be nice for the plants to have all the moisture that will be available to them.  We have continued with the mulching of the gardens and have started making our weekly trips into Saskatoon with flowers for the florists.

The Delphiniums and Sweet Peas are starting to show their flowers and the lilies should be starting this week.  I do not think the lilies will last long this year as hot temperatures really speeds up their bloom time.  The Peonies are almost finished blooming now and we have a  large number stored in our cooler for the upcoming weeks.

We harvested garlic scapes today and sauteed them up for supper.  Wow they were awesome.  Pat cut a lot for the market this week along with fresh herbs and green onions.  Flower bouquets of Peonies, Delphiniums, Sweet Williams are in the cooler waiting for tomorrows market.  The Peonies and Delphiniums will be available by the stem as well.

A lot of the young birds have left the nest and are flying around the yard.  They seem to be taking care of the mosquito's for us, as I think they should be a lot worse, with all the water standing in our valley.  Have a great week, and enjoy the wonderful temperatures predicted.