Fruits around the Demonstration Garden 9-21-14

        Humans are not the only ones that like figs.(9-21-14)

Here is a fig that is nearly ready for consumption.(9-21-14)

                       The American Persimmon

Often when the American Persimmons are ripe, they will drop to the ground. (9-21-14)

The mostly forgotten American Persimmon Trees are loaded with fruit this time of the year. (9-21-14)

Shots from 9-17-14

This plant is holding on to its last tomato! (9-17-14)

These shiitakes were a bit different than the last ones we harvested, and I do not mean only much larger.  (9-17-14)

They were huge but still had nice flavor. In another day, they would have started to rot.(9-17-14)

As much as some folks, complain about having to harvest cherry tomatoes, it is wonderful having such variety in the garden. Like okra, cherry tomatoes produce late into the early fall in Greensboro unlike many other crops. (9-17-14) 

Shots from 9-12-14

Another Harvest

As is evident from this picture, the okra is doing the quite well! (9-12-14)

Sun Gold Cherry tomatoes are still producing. (9-12-14)

The Black Cherry Tomatoes are still producing well. (9-12-14)

 Yacon tubers are harvested after the first hard frost. (9-12-14)

 The zinnias bring in the insects. Some are beneficial insects and some are not. Is this one we want in the garden? Is it a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) or a Southern Cloudywing  (Thorybes bathyllus)? Maybe it is neither. Regardless, it likes our zinnias! (9-12-14)

Shots from 9-8-14

The garden is not as lush as it was only weeks earlier. It is in its old age, preparing to produce enough seed for its next generation.  As a gardener, it is time to clean up and discard what is not producing and keep what is.

It was easy finding dead vegetation. (9-8-14)

 Two of our team members helped tidying up the
garden such weeding, thinning, and removing the old cucumber cages. Gardens are not self-sufficient.(9-8-14)

The tomatoes to the right are not nearly as productive as in their youth, but each plant can still produce enough to make keeping them around a little longer worthwhile. (9-8-14)

The okra is still being picked twice a week. It grows so effortlessly, yet many stores want top dollar for it. Pickled okra is selling at Earth Fare for $9.99 per pound. If only more people realized how easily it grows, they could make their own pickled okra! (9-8-14)

Of all the plants in the garden, our marigolds require the least amount of fuss. They shall win the endurance award since they went in the ground on April 12 and show no signs of weakening. We need more plants like marigolds and okra in this world!        (9-8-14)

The First Mushroom Harvest

On August 26, we watered the mushroom logs because of recent hot temperatures. By August 30, only two or three tiny mushrooms emerged. By September 2, over 15 or more emerged and reached harvesting size. 

See  pictures below:

 Watering the mushroom logs (8-26-14)

 The first sign of mushrooms (8-30-14)

(9-2-14)

 The first big harvest has occurred. (9-2-14)