Spring & summer garden delights

I just realized I hadn't made a post since November last year. I have garden pictures to share since then! And of course the occasional dinner or dessert to share...

My goal this Spring was to clean up the old garden. I tried mowing, pruning,  wacking and hacking at weeds... but alas, it is a futile effort. It's not convenient for me to try to clean up the old yard diligently. Ultimately, the weeds won...I really don't have time to have a garden either. 

Although, I did till a small patch at my grandparents. I transplanted about 8 or so butternut squash that I started at the apartment. 

I also planted lettuce, spinach, radish and kale in a grow box. It had wheels it's convenient on the apartment porch. 

At the start of summer, I planted a flower garden and decorated for my grandma. 

The great part about summer is the harvest and food in season. I made several mushroom sandwiches, with some vegan mayo, fried onion and tomato. 

Foods like corn, beans, tomatoes, and squash are in season. They're excellent cooked separately but eaten altogether. 

I also harvested berries from the old garden, and made some kind of weird blackberry pie with biscuit dough and vegan creme on top. 

I also foraged a handful of chanterelle mushrooms on a hike. Theres no need to make them fancifully- I just fry them with light oil and salt. Served with garden beans and wild rice.

Towards the end of summer, I have been making an effort to hike in the woods at least once a week. Hiking has helped exceptionally in making my 'end-of-summer' blues subside a bit. It's making me crave a bit of hiking this fall. I find it safer and much easier to hike in the late fall. The best part of hiking is seeing all the different shroomies along the path. 

Chicken of the woods mushroom growing 
On a timbered log at the nearby state park.

I watched the chicken of the woods mushroom grow and was ready to cut it on the third day, but someone snagged it! 

In the next week, I'm going to assess the old garden for any Pears, peaches, and mulberries. I should be able to harvest pears and mulberries in a few weeks.

This was the size of the pears in June

The pears have likely dropped from rot,
been eaten, or filled the worms, so
 I'm not expecting any peaches!

The garden I started at the apartment didn't do much. I had a few peppers picked, and I may be able to keep a few plants going to keep harvesting peppers but I have too many plants to bring back inside for the fall and winter as it is! 

Halloween, fires & Fall garden

Keep doing the things that make you live in the moment. Have a fire with friends, listen to gothic bluegrass music on Halloween 🎻🎃 , grow lime trees on your porch, stare at the moon🌙🍂 🍁 

Sunrise 7:45AM October 25, 2025

November 1st 8:44PM

Yellow & orange leaves

I collected the remaining tomatoes, peppers and Limes from the plants growing in the apartment. 

Purple tomatoes & Lime Harvest from porch garden

The Ever blooming Cactus 

Cactus blooming, against the Bird of Paradise plant

Found the mulberry tree! Food forest garden

I had the weekend off, so I took advantage of the nice weather to clean up the old garden, harvest some garden food and eat seasonal veg.

In the apartment garden, I've got some tomatoes and peppers still growing, as well as thr lime fruits maturing. The lime trees keep getting a black fungus on the leaves like soot. They also have been infested with white hairy bugs that I can't seem to ever get rid of. The same bugs were on our old Desert Rose bonsai no matter how many times we bathes in in peroxide or alcohol or just plain water and new soil. With that said, I'm not sure how much longer the lime trees have until they end up like our old bonsai.

Basil plants before a watering

With some Yellow squash, I made fritters mixed with flour, Ener-G egg replacer, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, onion & garlic powder. I also add a little miso paste and water to the mix and pour it in the skillet like batter. I serve these with chili crisps.

Yellow squash fritters 

While we've been cleaning the old garden, we came across some Ripe figs! They were delicious. 

Ripe Cold Hardy Fig

My second batch of fritters this week was with fresh cabbage and kimchi mix. I used plain flour, Ener-G egg replacer (not totally necessary- I just have it on hand), nutritional yeast (just makes it a bit cheesy), salt, black pepper, miso paste, onion & garlic powder. These were the best fritters I have ever made. These are really versatile, I've made them a million different ways. You can use zucchini, Carrot, potatoes, and probably any vegetable! I'm a southern woman, so anything fried is tasty to me.

I ate these with chili crisps again- chili crisps go on everything these days from Fried Kale to boiled potatoes.

Cabbage & kimchi fritters 

During the weekend off, I also went out of town to buy a Jackfruit. I wasn't on a mission to buy a Jackfruit, but, I had eaten a durian recently and felt like it was about time to endulge in another big tropical fruit that I don't always have access to eating. 

It wasn't the ripest it could have been, but it was pretty dang good.

Like I said, while we have been cleaning up the old garden, we picked a couple of Ripe figs, but we also managed to harvest more mulberries and pears 🍐 

Last week, I found my mulberry tree amongst the jungle of weeds. The only reason I realized what it was, was because of the berries on the tree. Otherwise, I'm sure I would have chopped it down completely! I'm not even sure when I transplanted this mulberry, and where I got it from! I'm sure it was a twig when I bought and transplanted it. Considering it's been nearly 5 years since I've planted anything at the old garden, I'm sure the mulberry has been growing little by little for the last 5 years, hiding and carefully becoming big and beautiful to produce its first batch of berries.

Mulberry tree growing berries in October 

Mulberry tree that grew for years with 
No care & maintenance

The mulberry survived amongst invasive
Ivy, thorns & other plants, growing 
Tall to reach the sun.

Second harvest of pears this year

Of course, I always like to stop by the fall scene every time I visit the grandparents. The gourds and colors are so inviting.