The Butternuts failed.
Or were stolen. Or abducted by aliens. Pilfered by squirrels? I would not lay blame without evidence. I'll never know what happened, but every nut, every remnant of nut and hull, is gone without a trace.
I have two options next summer, if I'm ever to taste a white walnut: rent a crane and wrap the whole thing in gauze or pitch a tent 'neath the tree and camp July through August. I have all winter to ponder my strategy.A tragedy, to be sure, but there's an unexpected triumph in the yard.
Jerusalem Artichokes grow wild out by the road. Not from Jerusalem, nor an artichoke, but the tubers are edible and potato-like, so I've read. I've not tried to harvest ours but really should, some day.
the Goldenrod is abuzz with bees.
Nothing says "Late Summer" to me more than goldenrod. I'm grateful for the sun and heat that produce tomatoes, basil, and lettuce; turtles, snakes, and insects; birdlings, bats, and butterflies; but I'm a snow bunny and can't wait for Fall . . . to hurry up and get to Winter.
Wild Leek seeds!
I threw ramp seeds in the yard the last few years. This was the first year there were sprouts and I'm superdelighted to find the pretty blue-black seeds gracing our yard.
(I tried like heck to get a Stupendous Photograph but was too busy swatting mosquitos to seriously focus.)
Jerusalem Artichokes grow wild out by the road. Not from Jerusalem, nor an artichoke, but the tubers are edible and potato-like, so I've read. I've not tried to harvest ours but really should, some day.Also growing along the road,
the Goldenrod is abuzz with bees.
Nothing says "Late Summer" to me more than goldenrod. I'm grateful for the sun and heat that produce tomatoes, basil, and lettuce; turtles, snakes, and insects; birdlings, bats, and butterflies; but I'm a snow bunny and can't wait for Fall . . . to hurry up and get to Winter. 
Summer persists through the kitchen window
13 comments:
I found your blog by hitting the ‘Next Blog’ button on the top of mine. This is so much fun because you never know where you will end up!!
Bummer about the butternuts! We have a small patch of strawberries and they go from under ripe to gone in a matter of hours. I think the squirrels and chipmunks wait just rubbing their little paws. We walk away saying 'one more day' and that's when they swoop in.
:-)
Jenna
So glad you hit the "Next" button, Jenna! Thanks for dropping in and hope to see you again!
My goldenrod is not quite that full bloom yet...and I'm so sorry about the butternuts...wouldn't squirrels leave evidence of eating through the shell...They don't run off with all the walnuts from here...I hate mysteries of that nature. Better luck next year Jain.
Thanks for the "luck," Wanda, I hope it sticks. Curiously, I'm okay with a little mystery, keeps things interesting!
Hi Jain
I have seen the Goldenrod appearing on a number of blogs (It is new to me) and it is so bright and cheerful, but obviously signals the end of summer and heralds the oncoming autumn...
I look forward to watching the changing view from your kitchen window...
Happy days
Hi, Jain.
At least you HAD some butternuts. When you said they "failed", I thought you meant that all the trees had died or that all of the nuts were aborted. Here in the Mid-Atlantic, nearly all of our butternuts--the trees--are dead from a mysterious fungal disease. I know of five individual trees in the 771-acre natural area I frequent, and all are moribund or dead, and the live ones never produce nuts any more. Newly planted butternuts rarely survive more than a year or two. So, if you can manage to get a few nuts, go for 'em!; who knows how long they'll be around.
Drat the luck on the butternuts! I was hoping to hear what you thought of them—but maybe next year.
Saw a TV show last night which had a bit about gathering ramps in Maine. I didn't realize they were found that far north. I'm going to have to get some seeds and plant them here as I'd like to have a few to pull and use in cooking during the year.
I scattered some Jack-in-the-pulpit seeds last year, but saw nothing this spring; ought to check again now, though, as the red pods are easier to spot—and I might have missed the blooms.
Lived the goldenrod shots.
Scott, we planted the butternut trees because we knew they were in trouble. I don't know of any others in the area. We're hoping that, since they're isolated, they might last a few years. They're bearing nuts really early, the trees are only about 4" DBH. I'll keep my fingers crossed for another crop next year!
Scribe, thanks for your condolences on the nuts. It was so shocking when I walked out and found them GONE! They were so well along, I thought a harvest would be certain. Silly human arrogance, eh?
As for ramps, I saw big fields of them in da UP, so they grow north, for sure. Judging from our experience, if you throw them, they will grow! Good luck with the ramps and the Jacks.
Glad you liked the goldenrod shots. Most of the time, I drive by and subconsciously think, “weeds,” but they seem to be an important pollen source for the bees!
Mosquitos still making your life difficult? But the picture is stupendous anyway, they all are. Pity the nuts disappeared. Squirrels wouldn't take them all, would they? So my money is on the aliens.
We had no luck finding either black or white walnuts here, we keep looking though.
Jenny, the mosquitoes have let up a bit; they were bad when I was on the ground with my camera, though. Glad you liked the photos, thank you! Oh, we have a very healthy squirrel population, both diurnal and nocturnal species, they could very well strip a tree of a few nuts.
Walnuts tend to show up in stores when Christmas baking season kicks in so perhaps you'll find some soon.
I love the changes, Jain! You and I embrace each season's delights equally, methinks!
Methinks as well, Jenn! :o)
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