Pictured: Spreading Hedge Parsley blooming across the bottom of the pathway we walk to the picnic area 08/02/26.
| This past week we again had some great videos from the trail-cameras in the woods! Shane shared a delicious cobbler recipe and more harvests are coming soon. Enjoy! Amy | Table of Contents: ~ Spying on Wildlife: Trail-cam Videos! ~ The Birds: Discovering with the Merlin App ~ Woods Walks: Hidden Finds & Plants ~ The Kitchen: Shane’s Blackberry Cobbler Recipe ~ The Bucket Garden: Harvesting the Bounty ~ Garden Guide: Phenology at Work ~ The Funnies: Plant & Nature Humor ~ The Blog: Upcoming Editions |
Spying on Wildlife: Trail-cam Videos!
The creek log didn’t disappoint last week!! The young Red-Tailed Hawk was back and we had a different kind of heron visitor! The young American Robin getting fed cracked me up as he ran right for the camera after. Last video is possibly the neighbor’s kitty (though could also be a feral kitty, can’t tell for sure) at 3:30am! Talk about tempting fate with the coyote pack that lives down there! Note: the kitty camera’s date was not set correctly so shows 2025 instead of 2026.
The Birds: Discovering with the Merlin App
I logged 3 brand new lifers on the Merlin app today!! Shane’s elusive Swainson’s Thrush, a House Finch, and a Great Blue Heron! We were sitting by the creek in the picnic area when we heard loud honking and this massive bird flew right over us and ended up in the creek just past the creek log. It made quite a racket over there a few times too. So cool! Also saw Red Crossbill, Steller’s Jay, American Robin, Western Wood-Pewee, Song Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler and Spotted Towhee.
Woods Walks: Hidden Finds & Plants
Our walk through the woods this week felt like a treasure hunt. Before we even reached the blackberry patch, this stunning Steller’s Jay feather caught my eye on the forest floor! The vibrant blue and black barring is even more breathtaking up close. We admired its intricate patterns, snapped a quick photo, and left it resting in nature where it belongs.
Further down the trail, we hit the real jackpot with a few blooms and ripening fruit!
In prolific bloom this past week:
- Spreading Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis)
In Fruit this past week:
- Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
- Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
- Cascara (Frangula purshiana) – not pictured
- Cutleaf Evergreen Blackberry (Rubus laciniatus)
- Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) – not pictured
Note for foragers: Common Snowberries are toxic to humans and should only be admired, not picked!
The Kitchen: Shane’s Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
I’ve been getting into cobblers. The secret to cobblers is: more sugar. Here’s how I do it. Very easy.
1 cup whole milk, 1 Cup Self Rising Flour, 1 Cup of Sugar for the mixture, 1 stick of unsalted butter. 2 1/2 cups of blackberries. 1 more(ish) cups of sugar for later, a dash a cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp of vanilla.
Mix 1 cup whole milk, 1 Cup Self Rising Flour, 1 Cup of Sugar, 1 stick of unsalted butter melted, a dash a cinnamon and a 1/2 tsp of vanilla together in a bowl.
Butter a 8×8, just use your stick or butter wrapper.
Mix your berries with some sugar. Probably 1/4 – 1/2 cup depending on your dental insurance. It should have a little goo to it, a little berry jelly if you will.
Empty the batter into the 8×8 buttered pan.
Place the berries evenly across the top of the batter, they will sink in. I shake it a bit to help with gravity.
Next sprinkle some sugar across the top of batter and berries. This will create a nice crunchy layer depending on how much sugar you add. 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
You should’ve preheated your oven to 350. So now you have to wait. Unless you read ahead than good for you.
Bake for 50ish minutes until nice and brown on top.
Serve piping hot with vanilla ice cream!
The Bucket Garden: Harvesting the Bounty
We’re getting SO MUCH lettuce! Cherry tomatoes aren’t overwhelming us yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long. The Bell Peppers are coming along and we harvested more of those cucumbers we aren’t big fans of. These tasted a little better than last time, but they fed the chickens just fine too.
Garden Guide: Phenology at Work
I switched to using phenology to plan my garden, so I created a practical planting guide to help you do the same! Instead of following a rigid calendar, phenology means watching local indicator plants to know exactly when the soil is ready for your crops.
Note: If you grow any of your crops in containers or bucket gardens, expect your phenological timeline to move faster than what is happening in the ground. Because containers are exposed to the ambient summer air on all sides, their soil temperatures are significantly elevated compared to the earth. Whether it is root development, leafy green production, or warm-season fruiting; expect bucket-grown crops to hit their harvest triggers up to two weeks earlier than their in-ground counterparts!
What to look for in Early August:
– Himalayan blackberries are starting to ripen.
Harvest immediately as they become ready:
– Carrots (LAST CALL!): They reach peak sweetness when the foliage hits 12+ inches tall and the root shoulders poking out of the soil are 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Note: Pull the last of your mature spring carrots immediately. If they sit in the ground during the upcoming peak heat, they will turn woody and lose their sweetness.
– Onions: If 50-80% of the green tubular tops flopped over and you stopped watering 1-2 weeks ago, now is the time to harvest!
– New Potatoes
– Beets
– Collard Greens
– Swiss Chard
– Bush Beans
– Pole Beans
– Summer Squash
– Cucumbers
– Summer Raspberries
– Himalayan Blackberries
– Early Blueberries
– Evergreen Hucklberries
– Red Elderberries
– Japanese Plums
– Early European Plums
– Early Peaches
– Early Apples
– Early European Pears
Fall Planting is happening as soon as the Himalayan Blackberries reach peak fruit!
Start prepping your emptying bush/pole bean beds for planting fall crops and gather shade cloth to protect the tender transplants from the blazing heat!
Make sure you pay attention to what nature is doing, as the months listed are APPROXIMATE, especially with the crazy weather we’ve experienced this past winter until now! It may seem early to start some tasks, but trust that nature knows exactly what it’s doing! Just because I am here in Molalla, OR, doesn’t mean you can’t use the same phenology in your own yard! The concepts work anywhere, though the exact timing will shift—for example, higher elevations or colder regions may take longer for some plants to bloom or set fruit.
Ready to garden by nature’s clock?
The Funnies: Plant & Nature Humor
The Blog: Upcoming Editions
We’ll see you next week on August 10th for the next Gardens & Nature, where we’ll share even more garden guidance and check out what else is blooming or ripening!
Be on the lookout on September 1st for our monthly Livestock Edition, where we talk about how sheep breeding season is going!
In case you missed the latest:
Livestock Edition: August 2026
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~ Thank You!~
Hollow Hills Ranch 