Conducted some overdue fall garden cleanup chores yesterday, November 29th. Still warm enough that I wore shorts, T-shirt and Crocs. Sweated my butt off. Warm enough that the bees were zooming and returning to the hive loaded with bright yellow pollen.

I cut back to the ground the dense forest of Asparagus ferns – found a few new spears hiding- they made a nice snack. The indications are good for the spring. Looks like I may have a great harvest. I trimmed the dead and dying leaves from the banana trees an as always, the never ending chore of keeping the weeds in check, not eliminate, just keeping them in check.

I will spend some time over the Christmas holiday season to getting a big pickup truck load of well rotted horse manure to mix with my compost. I need to turn over my large compost pile to free up some space for leaf gathering. I am wanting/needing to fill the 64 cu/ft bin to the top. I love using shredded leaf mulch spread two to three inches deep. It smothers the pesky weeds pretty well and the asparagus has no trouble pushing through.

Snap peas are really slow this year but the carrots are looking good. Beets are developing nicely along with the radishes. Nobody eats them but they grow so well that they boost my gardening ego.

Strawberries – I have a handful of plants setting fruit now. If I can remember to mark them I can propagate the daughters with the same early trait. That still requires me to remember and the discipline to follow through! I may develop a new strain!!!! If only I could remember which strain they came from, Chandler or Sweet Charlie are my most commonly planted varieties. DNA testing maybe?

Lemon harvest starts in two weeks, although I have pulled a few for cooking purposes already. I layered some sliced lemons on top of fresh caught flounder, thanks to fisherman son Benjamin! He just recently bought a boat so the fresh fish count may increase! Flounder, Speckled Trout and Redfish – Yum!

Off to California now for work and a visit with my mom and family!

TTFN
Bishop

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Sunset near Mom’s place – if I get lucky I can add to my sunset portfolio.