The Garden Chronicles - August 21, 2009

The first of two pear trees yielded this much fruit in just one harvest, and we had as many each day for a week. Fruit size was larger than last year's, with fewer imperfections. Our only challenge was to harvest them before a new generation of baby birds pecked at them.

Surprisingly, the grape vines produced enough grapes to make something, either jelly or jam, this weekend. Last year, the birds ate them all before we could harvest them.

The rabbits are still around, but the vegetables are secured behind a fence. I photographed this one eating tall grass in the strawberry bed. They seem to dislike the strawberries, which are now filling in the bed after a few days of good rain.

Late August harvests have been good, helped by five inches of rain in the last week. New bean plants have sprouted, as well as lettuce. Flowers are finally blooming from the seedlings I started in the house last winter. The raspberries are already setting their fall fruit.