Kestrel
@kestrelevi.bsky.social
Gardener, home cook, problem solver. You’ll need a me in your zombie apocalypse plan. Wiccan on a path re-finding journey.
I’ve harvested four zucchini in the past week, I’m pleased to have been wrong about how much it was going to produce this year. Got about 10-15 days before first frost so I’ve clipped all the immature flowers off my tomatoes so the plants have to put energy into finishing the fruits.
September 5, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I’ve harvested four zucchini in the past week, I’m pleased to have been wrong about how much it was going to produce this year. Got about 10-15 days before first frost so I’ve clipped all the immature flowers off my tomatoes so the plants have to put energy into finishing the fruits.
August is mostly hot and dry in this area but we got a nice soaking rain most of the night. It’s time to trim and clean the garlic that has been drying in the shed. Then I’ll set the largest cloves aside for replanting and freeze or preserve the rest. It’s also time to dig up all my potatoes!
August 24, 2025 at 3:42 PM
August is mostly hot and dry in this area but we got a nice soaking rain most of the night. It’s time to trim and clean the garlic that has been drying in the shed. Then I’ll set the largest cloves aside for replanting and freeze or preserve the rest. It’s also time to dig up all my potatoes!
My one and only zucchini that made it to maturity AND survived the squirrels.
August 19, 2025 at 9:54 PM
My one and only zucchini that made it to maturity AND survived the squirrels.
I have one zucchini. Also I was pretty sure I planted a pumpkin not a zucchini in that spot. I’m unsure how I messed that up.
August 9, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I have one zucchini. Also I was pretty sure I planted a pumpkin not a zucchini in that spot. I’m unsure how I messed that up.
July has been very busy. The garden is largely taking care of itself right now other than some weeding and checking for harvestable veggies. Some disappointments: bunching onions didn’t survive, strawberries never fruited, zucchini is struggling. Zucchini! How?!
a woman in a red suit is sitting in a chair and making a face .
ALT: a woman in a red suit is sitting in a chair and making a face .
media.tenor.com
July 26, 2025 at 3:28 PM
July has been very busy. The garden is largely taking care of itself right now other than some weeding and checking for harvestable veggies. Some disappointments: bunching onions didn’t survive, strawberries never fruited, zucchini is struggling. Zucchini! How?!
The snap peas have mature pods and they are delicious! My garlic has been de-scaped to increase their bulb yield. I have a tomato that will be red in a few more days. Things are good in the garden.
July 14, 2025 at 3:05 AM
The snap peas have mature pods and they are delicious! My garlic has been de-scaped to increase their bulb yield. I have a tomato that will be red in a few more days. Things are good in the garden.
Lots of hard work in the garden lately. Putting up shade cloth for some of the delicate ones. Clipping the scapes off the garlic. Pointing and squealing “LOOOK” when something I thought was dying now shows signs of getting stronger. And, my hibiscus is blooming after 3 years!
July 3, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Lots of hard work in the garden lately. Putting up shade cloth for some of the delicate ones. Clipping the scapes off the garlic. Pointing and squealing “LOOOK” when something I thought was dying now shows signs of getting stronger. And, my hibiscus is blooming after 3 years!
Gardening is great practice for managing disappointments. So far this season I’ve lost all my strawberries but one, most of my broccoli (to squirrels 😡), most of my tomatoes, and a cucumber. I’ve got an entire bed planted with salad greens that hasn’t had a speck of sprouting in it.
June 27, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Gardening is great practice for managing disappointments. So far this season I’ve lost all my strawberries but one, most of my broccoli (to squirrels 😡), most of my tomatoes, and a cucumber. I’ve got an entire bed planted with salad greens that hasn’t had a speck of sprouting in it.
The garlic is making scapes, which are garlic’s flower. For hardneck garlic varieties, you have to wait until the scape forms a full curl, then you snip it off. This forces the plant to put energy into making the bulb larger. The scapes can be frozen, grilled, made into pesto or dried and ground.
June 21, 2025 at 11:22 PM
The garlic is making scapes, which are garlic’s flower. For hardneck garlic varieties, you have to wait until the scape forms a full curl, then you snip it off. This forces the plant to put energy into making the bulb larger. The scapes can be frozen, grilled, made into pesto or dried and ground.
I have this old fashioned yellow rose that came with my house. The blooms are always yellow. But today I noticed these two that are just slightly orange tinted. Not sure quite why but they’re lovely.
June 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I have this old fashioned yellow rose that came with my house. The blooms are always yellow. But today I noticed these two that are just slightly orange tinted. Not sure quite why but they’re lovely.
Today’s garden tasks include: pruning the lilac 3 weeks late, digging up another patch of creeping bellflower and bindweed, and moving any perennials I end up having to dig up in the process.
June 21, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Today’s garden tasks include: pruning the lilac 3 weeks late, digging up another patch of creeping bellflower and bindweed, and moving any perennials I end up having to dig up in the process.
New: potatoes sprouting! Thriving: all squashes, container strawberry, garlic, carrots, radishes and two cucumbers. Surviving: 6/8 tomatoes, 8/10 broccoli (squirrels 😡) won’t germinate: melon, beans, gai lan. Waiting for sprouts: lettuce, spinach, kale, dill, cilantro. Dead: in-ground strawberries
June 18, 2025 at 3:52 AM
New: potatoes sprouting! Thriving: all squashes, container strawberry, garlic, carrots, radishes and two cucumbers. Surviving: 6/8 tomatoes, 8/10 broccoli (squirrels 😡) won’t germinate: melon, beans, gai lan. Waiting for sprouts: lettuce, spinach, kale, dill, cilantro. Dead: in-ground strawberries
The garden is doing pretty well, could be better. Carrots are going strong and I’m starting to notice parsnip, melon, pumpkin and zucchini sprouts. Finally got my new beds filled and started planing tomato seedlings with wall o waters to protect them from our mid 40s nights. More planting tomorrow!
June 13, 2025 at 1:06 AM
The garden is doing pretty well, could be better. Carrots are going strong and I’m starting to notice parsnip, melon, pumpkin and zucchini sprouts. Finally got my new beds filled and started planing tomato seedlings with wall o waters to protect them from our mid 40s nights. More planting tomorrow!
Many things are sprouting or blooming in the garden. And yet, I still have at least a dozen more things to plant. My first garden was a single plant each of tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. I haven’t counted but I would guess that there are around 30 types of plants in my garden today.
June 9, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Many things are sprouting or blooming in the garden. And yet, I still have at least a dozen more things to plant. My first garden was a single plant each of tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. I haven’t counted but I would guess that there are around 30 types of plants in my garden today.
Things growing today: radishes, garlic, bunching onions, peas, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and something that might be a parsnip.
Things in the ground but not showing up yet: potatoes, pole beans, melons, zucchini, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers and the rest of the parsnips.
Things in the ground but not showing up yet: potatoes, pole beans, melons, zucchini, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers and the rest of the parsnips.
June 7, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Things growing today: radishes, garlic, bunching onions, peas, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and something that might be a parsnip.
Things in the ground but not showing up yet: potatoes, pole beans, melons, zucchini, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers and the rest of the parsnips.
Things in the ground but not showing up yet: potatoes, pole beans, melons, zucchini, strawberries, asparagus, cucumbers and the rest of the parsnips.
Reposted by Kestrel
Dragonfest is a transformative, 5-day camping festival focused on community, spirituality, and personal growth. It’s a place where people of many paths come together to share ritual, workshops, music, laughter and magic out in the Colorado wilderness. Join us: www.dragonfest.org
Dragonfest of Colorado – an annual spiritual retreat held in the Colorado mountains
www.dragonfest.org
June 3, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Dragonfest is a transformative, 5-day camping festival focused on community, spirituality, and personal growth. It’s a place where people of many paths come together to share ritual, workshops, music, laughter and magic out in the Colorado wilderness. Join us: www.dragonfest.org
I consider myself an “advanced beginner” gardener. I know some things but not a lot and I make a lot of mistakes. But the one piece of advice I have for new gardeners is get a notebook and start taking notes: your planting dates, watering schedule, pests, seed starting protocols, the soil you buy
May 31, 2025 at 2:40 PM
I consider myself an “advanced beginner” gardener. I know some things but not a lot and I make a lot of mistakes. But the one piece of advice I have for new gardeners is get a notebook and start taking notes: your planting dates, watering schedule, pests, seed starting protocols, the soil you buy
Doesn’t look like much right now but WE HAVE CARROT SEEDLINGS!
Last year not a single carrot seed germinated so I’m really thrilled. I would say there’s about 10 seedlings visible so far, which makes me hopeful that there will be many more. I love home grown carrots.
Last year not a single carrot seed germinated so I’m really thrilled. I would say there’s about 10 seedlings visible so far, which makes me hopeful that there will be many more. I love home grown carrots.
May 29, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Doesn’t look like much right now but WE HAVE CARROT SEEDLINGS!
Last year not a single carrot seed germinated so I’m really thrilled. I would say there’s about 10 seedlings visible so far, which makes me hopeful that there will be many more. I love home grown carrots.
Last year not a single carrot seed germinated so I’m really thrilled. I would say there’s about 10 seedlings visible so far, which makes me hopeful that there will be many more. I love home grown carrots.
We are slowly making progress on rooting out the creeping bellflower. But now we have this problem of an ever growing pile of bellflower plants and roots in the backyard. It’s very satisfying to see the patches shrink. When it’s gone we’ll plant irises, penstemon and columbines.
May 29, 2025 at 3:42 AM
We are slowly making progress on rooting out the creeping bellflower. But now we have this problem of an ever growing pile of bellflower plants and roots in the backyard. It’s very satisfying to see the patches shrink. When it’s gone we’ll plant irises, penstemon and columbines.
A week is a long time in the garden, yet I’m a little worried abt how few things happened while I was gone. I expected to see some carrots seedlings today since I pre-sprouted them. I was expecting to see some purple radish seedlings since they sprout fast. All I’ve got this morning is dirt! 😒
May 28, 2025 at 1:06 PM
A week is a long time in the garden, yet I’m a little worried abt how few things happened while I was gone. I expected to see some carrots seedlings today since I pre-sprouted them. I was expecting to see some purple radish seedlings since they sprout fast. All I’ve got this morning is dirt! 😒
This is my homemade carrot seed tape. Yes it was tedious and yet if it works it will be so worth it. Variety is Scarlet Nantes, known for being sweet tasting and nearly coreless.
May 19, 2025 at 2:57 AM
This is my homemade carrot seed tape. Yes it was tedious and yet if it works it will be so worth it. Variety is Scarlet Nantes, known for being sweet tasting and nearly coreless.
Carrots and parsnips are in the ground. Tried something new, I soaked them in water for 5 days so they’d start to sprout, then made my own seed tape w little strips of toilet paper. Carrot seeds are very prone to drying out and take weeks to germinate on their own. Hopefully it works 🤞
May 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Carrots and parsnips are in the ground. Tried something new, I soaked them in water for 5 days so they’d start to sprout, then made my own seed tape w little strips of toilet paper. Carrot seeds are very prone to drying out and take weeks to germinate on their own. Hopefully it works 🤞
😩 I dug up about a 4’ x 4’ patch of the bellflower before it was time to make dinner and realized it’s so much worse than it first appeared. I’m basically going to have to ruin chunks of the yard to get rid of it. But, next year there will be room for penstemon, irises and columbines instead.
May 17, 2025 at 1:14 AM
😩 I dug up about a 4’ x 4’ patch of the bellflower before it was time to make dinner and realized it’s so much worse than it first appeared. I’m basically going to have to ruin chunks of the yard to get rid of it. But, next year there will be room for penstemon, irises and columbines instead.
Radish sprouts are coming up and my garlic is doing well, but everything else is slow going. I haven’t got a lot of extra cash to put in the new bed I need this year so I’m going to use some old bricks to frame it out just enough to keep the good soil inside. #highaltitudegardening
May 16, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Radish sprouts are coming up and my garlic is doing well, but everything else is slow going. I haven’t got a lot of extra cash to put in the new bed I need this year so I’m going to use some old bricks to frame it out just enough to keep the good soil inside. #highaltitudegardening
The hardest part of gardening is the 6 weeks before the last frost date as your house quickly fills up with seedlings in cups. You can’t plant anything new (where will you even put it) & it’s too cold at night to put anything outside. It’s a frustrating waiting game some days. #highaltitudegardening
May 9, 2025 at 4:23 AM
The hardest part of gardening is the 6 weeks before the last frost date as your house quickly fills up with seedlings in cups. You can’t plant anything new (where will you even put it) & it’s too cold at night to put anything outside. It’s a frustrating waiting game some days. #highaltitudegardening