The Garden - Part 1: Flowers & Herbs All Around

The weather has changed, and it is taking it's toll on the garden. It's still looking great, but you can tell fall is near. Saying goodbye to crops always makes me feel a little sad.

The summer of 2019 has been great for the garden. With no less than 3 official heatwaves, it was one of the hottest summers since 1830. It took quite an effort to keep plants from dying of thirst, but - in spite of the back trouble - I managed to keep most plants alive.

It's a bit unfortunate that the weather has changed. At the moment, it's too cold for the time of year. The summer garden is slowly turning into a fall garden....

Outside of the greenhouse, there's not a whole lot to harvest. Plenty of (edible) flowers and herbs, though.

Let me show you...

(Sun)Flowers

This year, I went a little crazy with sun- and other flowers. I had harvested plenty of flower seeds last year, and was gifted different kinds of sunflower seeds from my friends. I'm fairly new to growing flowers, and my very generous way of sowing resulted in an abundance of them. What a delight.

Beneficial bugs, like bees, have been feasting in the garden all summer. And the colors.... Oh, man... the colors.... So beautiful....

I have sunflowers growing all around the garden, all different colors and sizes....

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They are such an awesome addition to the garden. Not only do they look beautiful, they also attract a lot of insects, and they are great as a natural support for climbing plants, like squash and chayote.

I learned a lot of new things about sunflowers this year.

Young flowers turn their faces towards the sun. It's only once they've matured, they get fixated on the East. This is called Heliotropism.
There's a difference between the type of sunflower that is grown for the seeds you eat (black and white-striped shells) and the type that is grown for the oil (black shells). I still need to figure out about the plain white shelled seeds some of my sunflowers produce.

I didn't know those things. Guess you can say it was another very educational season :0)

I've never been a big fan of eating sunflower seeds, but after I saw a post on here in which they were roasted in the oven, I might give it a try. (If only I could find that post again, lol.)
After all, they appear to be quite healthy and contain loads of protein.

But back to the garden... More flowers everywhere....

This is just a small sample, as an illustration of how generous I sowed in spring. All around the garden are growing different kinds of (edible) flowers, like different types of Marigolds, Calendula, Borage, Nasturtiums, Oxalis triangularis (or 'False Shamrock' - so incredibly delicious), golden tickseed and more...

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Back in December 2017, I bought two passion vines, as a tribute to the cat and dog we lost within 2 weeks of each others. For a long time, it looked like the plants weren't going to make it, but this summer, they're thriving.

The vines are growing longer each day, and it's awesome to see all those beautiful passion flowers open every morning. I even spotted a passion fruit yesterday. I didn't even know that could grown here in Belgium. It's probably too late in the season for it to ripen, but I take it as a sign the plants are feeling good and at home. Fingers crossed they will do even better next year.

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Herbs

Even though I plant most of my herbs in between my veggies, the perennials have made the herb spiral look pretty full.

Most of these herbs are used for cooking, make delicious/healthy tea or are turned into natural medicine.

The rosemary bush is completely out of control... It just keeps on growing. At this pace, it will be a Rosemary tree soon...

Just like the rest of my garden, the herb spiral is a bit of a mess, but I like it that way.

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On the right, you can see the purple flowers of the oregano. The herb spreads so fast, I always let a small part come into flower, mostly because the bees seem to very fond of it.

Next to it, one of the lemon balm bushes. I must admit I'm kind of neglecting the lemon balm a bit these last couple of years. I find myself using lemon verbena way more often. I have it growing in 5 different containers spread all around the garden. The lemon taste is a lot stronger in those.

At the top, a bush of lavender. Perfect for a calming tea.

Left of it, almost undetectable because of the size of the Rosemary bush on the left, a curry plant.

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This photo from the backside gives you a better idea of how big the rosemary bush actually is.
The sage has been cut down to the ground 3 times this season, and it just keeps on growing.

I do have some veggies and fruits in the garden. Some have been doing better than other.

I had to cut the greens of the Jerusalem Artichoke earlier this week, and yesterday, I harvested the pumpkins and removed the plant. Both were heavily infected.

Having to remove plants is part of the season, of course... but it makes me a little sad... It's so... so final... Sigh

Anyway, I'll get started on an update on the veggies and fruits later today. I've already spent way more time than expected on this one. Better get it out today.