Gardening with Jess
Backyard food and flowers in Edmonton, Alberta
Monday, August 12, 2024
Raspberry season
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Summer fruit
Summer has moved quickly and berry season has begun. I noticed that one of the nanking cherry bushes was in bloom in a park and helped myself.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Hasps, eggplant and brussel sprouts
Alright, it is high summer and the garden is presently +35C. I'm going to let it cool down a bit before I water tonight but that gives me a chance to catch up on blogging.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Fireweed jelly
The things that need heat (squash, melons, peppers, eggplants) have been suffering and I've lost a fair number of starters. The fruit trees and bushes are loving the moisture, though with evidence of cherries and lots of raspberries this year.
The spinach is bolting and also taking a beating from leaf miners.
In better news, the corns is up and looks to be happier in this sunnier spot.
The brussel sprouts also seem to be doing pretty well and I went and bought a few more plans to fill in elsewhere.
Lots of last year's annuals have also self-seeded and returned.
The blossoms were beautiful and fragrant.
A quick boil extracted the colour and flavour and it was insanely purple.
I used some pectin and lemon juice and sugar to make a jelly and then canned it.
Very ruby coloured in the end. Tastes floral--not all that different from rose or peony jelly.
Now back to the weeding!
Sunday, May 26, 2024
New fence and fruit blossoms
We spent some time last weekend completing the fence around the back yard (it has always been open on the north side of the house).
The fruit trees all survived the winter and are in blossom. I'm keen to see if the cherry and plum yield any fruit this year. The dwarf apple in the back is loaded with flowers, which is a good sign.
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Spring 2024
I got a late start to blogging but gardening is well underway! April was a mixed bag, weather-wise, but I had lots of time to do a general clean up. The beds all got a thorough weeding and shaping. I also thinned and burned most of the dead raspberry canes.