Central Midwest Gardening: August 2014....Last of summer start of harvest, 1 by Chillybean

Chillybean wrote:
I am just scanning as there's a lot... but

"drier than a popcorn fart"?!?! I am NOT going to tell my boys that one. :P

We got about 4 inches in two days, a very slow steady rain, so it all soaked in.

There was Highway garage sales last weekend here. I actually avoided the temptation except in town where we got a few groceries. I had one item that I wanted and was sure I'd never find. Since when do you actually find what you want at a garage sale? I often come home with a lot of things that I did not intend on buying.

BUT... (I wish it was easy to italics or bold... I don't like shouting here)

I wanted gallon sized glass jars and I actually found gallon sized glass jars. Four of them. Yay!!

We went out looking for shorebirds yesterday in hopes some will stop over during migration. But the rain. The place that is normally great this time of year has too much water. We lost out in the spring, too, because too much rain during migration.

I am done canning pickles this year, it was my first attempt. Three new jars popped out the bottom even after heating the jars and liquid. We still got 18 quarts done, so not a big loss. 49 quarts of green beans and I am done there, too. I am saving the rest to dry as I make a lot of refried beans.

juhur7,

I was looking at your flowers up there and you have "Rose of Sharon" and I thought, that's Rose Mallow! But I looked it up and they are in the same family. My Halberd-leaved Rose Mallow finally is blooming after I planted them three years ago!! I was so excited that I drug one of the children out to enjoy them with me. And a bee was already making use of the pollen.

#1 A pretty green bee and hover fly on a Maximilian sunflower.
#2 A busy little mother near my dill, a Great Golden Digger Wasp
#3 Maximilian Sunflowers with a Goldfinch already enjoying them. They like the greens and will even eat the undeveloped seeds. I planted these as a natural source of bird seed, the birds just came earlier than I expected. These flowers are perennial and spread by rhizome, so I planted them in open areas where they are free to grow to their hearts' content. I wish some of my other plantings were this exuberant.