Decay - This weekend

What a difference a week can make! We've had some cold nights, still above freezing according to the thermometer but it wouldn't surprise me if we've had a touch of night frost. The Runner Beans/Rosenbönor didn't like this AT ALL.

We've also had all kind of strange weather combinations, sunshine, rain, windy (to the point where I decided to move down the Pelargoniums to the floor for good), hail, thunder and then some sunshine again (no snow though *phew*)






Poor beans!


















The Hydrangea is still looking fine



Look how tall this red pelargonium is!






The radishes









Yummy Yellow Pear tomatoes!



The leaves have started to change color now


The summer season is over on the balcony now. All there's left to do is to clean up, take in the pelargoniums (I just need some duct tape to secure to pots to the window sill, for itty, bitty, tiny cat technical reason, if you know what I mean. LOL) and harvest seeds (beans and radishes) for next year. Because of my medical problems this will still take some time though, I can't do everything in one day, and besides, the beans are still green(ish) so they still block people's view for a little while longer.

And yes, of course I have SOME fall plans as well....

Fall cleaning - Last weekend

I know, I'm way behind with the updates now but for various reasons I haven't been able to update for a while. These photos are from when I did a bit of fall cleaning/preparing last weekend (Sept 19-20)



The corner


The Deadly Nightshade/Belladonna and the Pansies/Penséer


As you could see some of the plants had started to look REALLY tired nearly dead. I got rid of the Nightshade and the Pansies and cut down most of the Petunias (except few stems that still had flowers)

I also replanted the Strawberries and the Wild Strawberries/smultron since I will try to keep them alive during the winter. I decided not to cut away the baby plants from their mothers until I know they're fully rooted.

I will also replant the chive/gräslök and parsley but I ran out of soil.



Strawberry - Before (Isn't it pretty?)



Strawberries - After



Yellow Pear


Tiny Tim


The tomatoes are still doing well and have actually started to ripen a lot as well, especially Yellow Pear. (Yellow Pear is BTW a very tasty tomato that I can highly recommend. Please remind me to get in next year as well)



The window sill is starting to look quite empty,
but the pelargoniums are still beautiful

Yuuummmmmmmmmm

Home grown tomatoes are goooooood!!! I wish you could buy tomatoes tasting like this in the shops as well, but you really can't (at least not here in Sweden).

I didn't take any photos, I was too busy munching (and besides, it was dark outside) but in case you're curious I can tell you that Tiny Tim tastes quite sweet and Yellow Pear is more spicy. Yummmmmmmm!!!

(I've only eaten one of each so far, but I look forward to the rest)

Look! Pretty colors!!!

Look!!! Red tomatoes!!! And yellow!!!



Tiny Tim



Yellow Pear



Oddly shaped Yellow Pear


Just as I'd pretty much given up on the tomatoes ripening this year they've started to change colors. Yay!!! Now I LOVE pickled green tomatoes so I don't see it as a problem if all of them don't ripen (which I really doubt they will) but I would be really sad if I wouldn't be able to eat SOME homegrown, ripen tomatoes this summer. They taste sooo much more and sooo much better than the bland, watery store bought ones. (Well, I don't know how THESE tomatoes will taste since I haven't tried them yet but home grown tomatoes in general I mean)

This has been an overall bad year for tomato ripening. Everyone I or my mom have talked to (including people with green houses) have had the same problems. But as long as some of the tomatoes will ripen I'm happy.





Just a photo of the view. They've stopped blowing things up now (that said, they still make a lot of noise)

Early fall on the balcony!

I have to accept that it's fall now! I just can't pretend it still summer even when its nice and sunny weather. The air is more crisp and the balcony season is nearing it's end. This will (no matter computer problems and kittens) mean that I will eventually update the blog less often. I prefer documenting growth instead of decay! And I even plan to take a looong blog break during the late fall and winter (with maybe a FEW snowy updates or posts about my plans for next summer). But we're not quite there yet... It's fall on the balcony but it's still early fall and even though the plants have started to look more and more tired the balcony is still lush and I still plan to keep on updating (but probably less often than I did during the summer) While decay is less fun to document fall is still a part of the natural seasons on the balcony.

Today I've done some early fall cleaning, I've put the insulation in the plant box and started to cut down dead or withering plants (mostly Petunias). A clean up was very much needed but now the balcony looks good again (if not quite at it's prime any more)



Before I started



This Petunia really didn't look as fun any more



I've put a double layer of insulation on the floor and
along threeof the walls. The back wall only has one layer
since I hope to be able to "borrow" some heat from the wall.



I've also got insulation left to put on top of the box later. It's
standing behind the box for now. I really like the shadow pattern.



A more tidy looking petunia (I saved the part that still had flowers)



The window sill, now with flowers again. I wonder how long that will last?



The table area



The Corner



The Corner taken from the balcony door



My Busy Lizzy/Flitiga Lisa



The newest Pelargonium



Pelargonium



Pelargonium and Petunias



Look!!! One of the Tiny Tim Tomatoes have finally started to blush



The Yellow Pear ones are still as green as always though



The gigantic Runner Bean is even more gigantic now



It's 36 cm long (about 14.4 inches)...



...and 6.5 cm (2.6 inches) wide. Huuuge!!!



The fall has reached the bonus flower bed as well



And finally a photo of the view. They've stopped blowing things up now.

Long time no see!

It's been a crazy, busy time lately with both computer troubles and a brand new kitten. (Yay for the later!!!) Unfortunately both of them have affected my blogging a bit. I still have some random photos taken during this time that I've thrown together in this post though.



I've gotten this insulation material from my step father the
building constructor,. I plan to use it for the plant box.



Gigantic Runner Bean/Rosenböna



The last week I've had to move down the
pelargoniums twice because of heavy winds.



It look like the season is over for the Petunias
now. I've really liked them though.


And finally a photo new kitten as well, even though she's a bit too small and too fast to visit the balcony this year. LOL She made me forget watering my poor balcony for two entire days. Ooops! LOL



Smulan!