Green Bean Season

Pole beans are one of the few edibles I grow in my garden.  I grow them because I love green beans -- nothing tastes like a fresh green bean -- and they are so easy to grow.  I have tried several varieties of pole beans, but I always come back to my favorite, Kentucky Wonder.  They are prolific, tasty and -- for the most part -- problem free.

I got a late start this year with my green beans, so my harvest is just beginning now.  Normally, the season would be in full swing.

This year, we had a pest problem with the beans -- rabbits.  The rabbits normally leave the beans alone once the plants are too tall for the rabbits to strip the leaves from the upper portions of the plant.  But this year, the rabbits chopped off six of my eighteen plants just above the ground, killing the plants entirely.  That's 2/3 of my planting!

Fortunately, I discovered the problem and got fencing around the plants quickly.  The remaining plants are doing well and starting to produce.  I have picked several handfuls already and used a few in meals.

Usually, I freeze several bags of green beans for winter enjoyment.  I prefer them over store-bought frozen green beans.  I'm hopeful that I will have enough to freeze this year.  Fingers crossed.

Why I am Worried

I have shown this re-blooming bearded iris before (here).  

It doesn't re-bloom every fall, but every time it has re-bloomed in the past, it has not lasted long before the weather changes and winter is upon us.  I associate the second set of blooms with the end of fall and the onset of winter.

So the reason I am worried is that it is blooming its fool head off right now.  I don't think it has ever bloomed as vigorously as it is this summer.  I hope this doesn't mean what it usually means.  I'm not ready for winter!

Blueberry Season - The Final Score for 2014

This year's blueberry season lasted from early July to about August 10th.  There were still quite a few unripe berries left on the Elliot bush when we stopped picking, but the birds picked the remaining berries as fast as they ripened.  There must be some fat, happy birds in our neighborhood.  I saw robins, cardinals, blue jays and catbirds in the garden.  And there were some small critters, such as chipmunks, enjoying the bounty too.

We picked a total of 63 cups of berries.  (Last year we picked 34 cups.)  Of those 63 cups, about 15 cups went to neighbors, a few we ate fresh, and the rest were frozen.  I gave a bunch of bags of frozen blueberries to my sister.

I have been enjoying peach/blueberry smoothies made with fresh peaches and frozen blueberries for breakfast many mornings lately.  YUM!

A successful blueberry season.