It was hot today but not unbearably. Late morning I closed the doors and pulled the blinds on the windows. I prepared a dehydrator full of pear halves and canned 7 quarts of diced tomatoes in tomato juice that I made first. More pears and tomatoes tomorrow, also grapes to juice & apples to turn into applesauce, some to can and some to make apple leather. #gardenmagic #harvest #homesteading #kitchenwitch

Apricot season around here is short, if you blink you'll miss it. I missed it but then found out there is LATE apricots! So I lucked out and got a flat. Here is a double batch of apricot butter. No butter in it, just apricots, sugar & lemon juice. It will be winter sunshine. #gardenmagic #summertime #harvest #FoodPreservation

Nature’s Art in Full Bloom

This stunning pink flower reminds us how simple beauty can brighten even the clearest sky. 📷 #SpringVibes #PinkBlossom #GardenMagic

https://id-gen.com/broadcasts/natures-art-in-full-bloom/

Someday I will remember the proper order of operations for summer yardwork, namely,“Work first, then shower.”
Today was not that day.
In my defense, I only went out to water the veggies. The problem started when I noticed a weed. And another weed. And some branches that needed pruning back, a burdock on the vege of seeding, some invasive grass to pull... and then somehow it was an hour and a half later.

#GardenMagic

Luxembourg’s hortenzias are blushing into bloom and stealing the summer spotlight 🌸🇱🇺🌿
Read my post here:

https://discovermyeurope.eu/blushing-into-summer-the-hortenzias-big-reveal/

#gardenmagic #hortensiawatch #summerblooms

Thomas Garden 25-05 IV

https://kiko.io/photos/D50_4372_2505/

#FlowerBeauty #MacroPhotography #NaturePhotography #SpringTime #FloralPhotography #NatureLovers #BeeLovers #InsectLove #GardenMagic #Pollination

Thomas Garden 25-05 IX

https://kiko.io/photos/D50_4421_2505/

#FlowerPower #Flowerstagram #MacroPhotography #PurpleHues #NaturePhotography #GardenInspiration #GardenMagic #NatureLovers #FloralArt #BotanicalBeauty

A hummingbird hovers with grace, drawn to the vibrant red hibiscus—an exquisite moment frozen in flight.

#Hummingbird, #HibiscusFlower, #NaturePhotography, #BirdInFlight, #FloralBeauty, #WildlifeMoment, #Pollinator, #GardenMagic, #MacroNature, #CapturedInNature

Sinnlich!
Die Strauchpäonie haucht mir einen heißen Kuss auf die Wange

Sensual!
The tree peony brushes a hot kiss on my cheek.

#Strauchpäonie #Pfingstrose #Gartenpoesie #Baumpäonie #PeonyLove #GardenMagic #

Flammendes Weiß – einmal mit, einmal gegen die Sonne

#Tulpe #Papageientulpe #Gartenliebe #Makrofotografie
#Frühling #Naturfotografie #TulipLove #GardenMagic
#FreisingerGartenblog #NaturUndGarten #BotanicalBeauty

keadamander (@keadamander@pixelfed.social)

https://pixelfed.social/p/keadamander/821711921907294694

> Sun-Kissed Quince Blossoms #photography #mobilephotography #quinceblossom #springflowers #naturelovers #flowerphotography #blossomseason #botanicalbeauty #springvibes #naturephotography #gardenmagic #floralperfection

If you intend on saving seeds, now is the time to start planning it.
Saving seeds is very satisfying because it’s like getting free food. After the harvest for bought seeds, you have used the monetary value. When you save seeds further on, it’s all free.
Make sure you are saving seeds from open pollinated plants, not hybrids. If you can get hybrids to germinate, the resulting plant may not resemble what you expected to get. This is especially true for things like squash. So, be aware of this when purchasing seeds for future seed saving.
You can try saving any seed but my favourite seeds to save are the following:

Peas- there are always pea pods that got missed in the harvest and I pull the plants, hang them in a dry spot and when the lingering pods have dried, shell them, leave them to dry further on a baking sheet then jar and label.

Scarlett Runner beans- these are easy to let a few get too big to eat and they are well able to be germinated the following year. Be sure to pick the seed pods before a hard frost so as to not damage the seeds. The best seeds are the huge purple mottled ones that release without hesitation from the pod when the pod is split open. Be careful to not accidentally slice the seed with your fingernail when opening the pod. Dry the seeds on a sheet then store in a jar. Use the same the method for other bean varieties such as black turtle beans.

Dill, fennel and onion- these all will go flying off the plant when they are fully ripe so JUST before that, I pick them and put them into paper bags, then you can catch the seeds as they fully ripen and fall from the plant. Otherwise, they just reseed all over the ground which is fine but you have to move them to where you want the plants in the spring.

Garlic- the key to saving garlic for seeds is in the harvest. Garlic is picky to harvest so that it lasts in the pantry until the following year. I pick the scapes when they have done 2 full circles but not yet begun to uncurl again. Then, stop watering the garlic 2 weeks before harvest, so the paper covering has a chance to develop. Hang them in loose bunches out of the sun in a breezy spot outside until they are very dry and the green tops are all brown. Then, trim the roots, and store inside in a cool, dry breezy spot. Choose the heads with the largest cloves to plant later that year a couple of weeks before the ground freezes just so they can develop roots but not grow up out of the soil.

Marigold, Nasturtium, Coreopsis, Morning Glory-(NOT wild bindweed)- these flower seeds are all easy to save, just don’t deadhead the tops you want to save for seeds and wait until they are very dry, gently pull the seed heads into your palm and carefully rub the seeds from their casings. Make sure they are fully dry, then jar and label.

Carrot, Beets, Parsnips- the seeds from these plants don’t develop until the second year so you have to leave your desired plants in the ground and let the plant grow again in the spring. Then, let the plant go to flower and save the seeds from that. You usually will need to save many more seeds than you think you will need because the germination rates are a little lower for these plants.

Potatoes- You can just let a few missed ones grow the following year but this does not allow for crop rotation and often the missed potatoes are small and don’t make good plants the following year. Save some perfect undamaged large potatoes until the following spring. Chit them, that is let the seed potatoes sprout a tiny bit in the light before planting them. Most storage potatoes will have started to sprout in the spring anyway. I have found that planing the whole potato and not cutting it into separate eye/sprouting sections results in a bigger and more robust plant. Keep in mind that buying and planting certified seed potatoes does help prevent potato diseases from persisting year to year.

Sunflower- make sure you let them fully ripen on the flower head so the seeds come off with only a gentle coaxing.

Walking or multiplier onions- these are great, they do their own thing but have to be re-situated as they will end up where they want.

Plants to be wary of: mustard, common oregano and mints, will all end up taking over your yard with no help from you. Be aware of this if you want to grow these plants.

#gardening #homesteading #gardenmagic #prepping

keadamander (@keadamander@pixelfed.social)

https://pixelfed.social/p/keadamander/814494536396962198

> Carpet of Flowers #photography #ttartisan #ttartisan50mmtilt #flowercarpet #springblooms #floralexplosion #colorfulgarden #naturepattern #gardenmagic #flowerphotography #bloominbeauty #vibrantnature #springpalette #flowerrainbow #floralscape #petalcarpet #bloomseason #flowersofinstagram

People ask why I bother to do all the work of growing peas in my garden. Sure, I could buy a bag of Green Giant peas in the grocery freezer section. They were grown on huge tracks of artificially weeded and fertilized agricultural land. Or I can buy a small bulk bag of organic pea seeds, scrounge up a few poles and leftover fencing, put them into the cool ground. In July, I wander into the garden with my coffee early in the morning, picking a pod off the vines to eat, testing the ripeness. Then later, I shell them while sitting on the veranda in the afternoon heat, sipping something cold, and in the evening blanching and freezing the precious green veggie to add to made-from-scratch meals the following winter. This is the kind of magic that if you haven't done it, you can not understand it. There is no work like this that is a waste of time or energy.

#GardenMagic #homesteading #MagicLife