This week, I had ambitious plans for my little garden. I wanted to remove the vegetables that are no longer fruiting, especially the oldest cucumber bushes, weed the beds, bury a log with oyster mushroom spawn in the ground, and build some vegetable boxes for the greenhouse. However, out of all these plans, I only managed to start building the boxes. Unfortunately, it just got too hot, and that threw a wrench in my plans.

Since Saturday, the temperature in the shade hasn’t dropped below 32°C (about 90°F), and the nights are exceptionally warm too. Working in such heat isn’t pleasant, whether in a small or a large garden, so I’ve limited myself to collecting ripe vegetables and regularly watering my plants.

During this time, I’ve become fully acquainted with a young blackbird that’s been hanging around my place for over a month. Every day, I dig up a few juicy earthworms for him, which he really likes. I even created a little bathing pool for him using a tall plant pot saucer, which he absolutely loves. This unusual friendship brings me a lot of joy, and I hope he’ll keep me company during the autumn garden work. He should especially enjoy the bed digging!

Lately, I’ve also spotted a new guest in my garden – a beautiful Hummingbird Moth. It’s an incredible insect that resembles a hummingbird in flight. It hovers around flowers, staying airborne in front of them, and uses its long proboscis to reach inside and drink the nectar. It makes a characteristic buzzing sound while doing so. I tried to photograph it, but unfortunately, just like with the Violet Carpenter Bee, my reflexes weren’t fast enough!

Furthermore, the plants I sowed a few days ago with autumn harvests in mind are already starting to sprout, even though it was supposed to take them two weeks! The fastest, as always, were the radishes, but the spinach and pak choi are also coming up nicely. The heat and regular watering clearly agree with them.

That’s all for today, until next time!