Pictured: Oregon Crabapples in the woods on Saturday.
| This past week was one for the birds! As they are starting to gather for migration or passing through as they migrate from other areas, we have been spotting them. Weather also moved through this week leaving a lot of rain. It was fantastic! Nights are cooling off and it really is the autumn season. Enjoy! Amy | Table of Contents: ~ Spying on Wildlife: Trail-cam Videos! ~ The Birds: Discovering with the Merlin App ~ Woods Walks: Hidden Finds & Plants ~ The Garden: New Blooms & Harvests ~ Garden Guide: Phenology at Work ~ Folklore Corner: Practices of Old ~ The Funnies: Plant & Nature Humor ~ The Blog: Upcoming Editions |
Spying on Wildlife: Trail-cam Videos!
I put all the trail-cam shots together in one video. This one has the Beaver (and a friend off camera), Great Blue Heron and a Green Heron!
The Birds: Discovering with the Merlin App
The coolest thing happened Saturday on our woods walk! As we were heading out we saw 5-6 Common Ravens chasing something in the trees ahead of us. We stood and watched and I noticed something NOT black was in front of them and it was BIG. I asked Shane, “could that be an owl?” Sure enough it was! He even managed to get a picture of it so we could get a positive ID on the Merlin app! Became a Merlin Life Bird for both of us!
I managed to also claim a Wilson’s Warbler and a Northern Yellow Warbler Saturday. Wednesday I claimed a Cooper’s Hawk as it was flying low over the house looking at our young chicks in the yard! Sunday I was out watering my sheep when I heard a bird sound I didn’t recognize! Got my Merlin App out and it turned out to be a Purple Martin! I saw them up high in the sparse top of a fir tree in the pasture. Shane grabbed his binoculars and we confirmed that was what we saw and noticed a bunch flying around way up high. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those around here before. At least not that I was aware of anyway.
Yet another feather, probably from a Great Horned Owl. I took a picture and left it where I found it at the liminal transition of the pasture and the woods.
Woods Walks: Hidden Finds & Plants
Found a non “pioneer apple” down in the woods. The Oregon Crabapple (Malus fusca). These apples are tiny! Look how red the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) berries are getting too. The domestic Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum spp.) are also covered in bright red berries.
The Garden: New Blooms & Harvests
I heard a rumor that you can plant Sweet Peas in the fall for better plants/flowers in the spring! How many of you have tried this? Does it work? They aren’t in the phenology garden guide yet as it would be too early to try it, but I HAVE QUESTIONS haha.
We had some major rain roll through this last week and harvested tomatoes with ANY blush to them so they wouldn’t split. Grabbed a Bell Pepper with some blush as well. Didn’t need to water for a few days so that was nice!
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 and when it’s time to harvest.
What to look for:
– Pacific Crabapples are ripe. Might also see the Hawthorn berries turning orange, though they are a way off from being ripe!
Harvest immediately as they become ready:
– Cherry Tomatoes LAST CALL! (trim flowers to let plants put energy into existing fruit)
– Slicing Tomatoes LAST CALL! (trim flowers to let plants put energy into existing fruit)
– Eggplant LAST CALL! (trim flowers to let plants put energy into existing fruit)
– Peppers LAST CALL! (trim flowers to let plants put energy into existing fruit)
– Tomatillos LAST CALL! (trim flowers to let plants put energy into existing fruit)
– Cucumbers/Summer Squash LAST CALL!
– Blue Elderberries LAST CALL!
NOTE: If rain is in the forecast, remember to cover your tomato plants or the fruit will split.
———————–
– Potatoes (look for green growth to die off, stop watering once growth turns yellow, harvest after a couple weeks)
– Beets
– Swiss Chard (Keep harvesting! This summer staple will carry you right through the autumn transition.)
– Corn
– Pole Beans (Keep picking your pole beans every 2–3 days! Regular harvesting prevents the pods from getting tough and woody, while signaling the vine to keep pumping out new flowers for a continuous autumn yield.)
———————–
– Figs
– Pawpaws
– Asian Pears
– European Pears
– Apples & Crabapples
Start Seed Outdoors for Fall Crops:
– Radish
– Mustard Greens
– Spinach
– Arugula
– Lettuce
– Cilantro
– Parsley
———————–
– Money Plant
– Primrose (shady location)
– Foxgloves
– Hollyhock
———————–
– Cover Crops like Crimson Clover, Winter Field Peas, or Hairy Vetch
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!
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! It may sometimes 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?
Folklore Corner: Practices of Old
I acquired another new book recently – Granny Thornapple’s Book of Charms: Magic & Folklore from the Ozark Mountains. My mom’s grandmother’s side of the family hailed from this part of the USA so I thought it would be fun to have some books on the folk practices from that neck of the woods. I’m on a kick now with buying books like this! Makes me feel closer to family that came before.
I have my copper dowsing rods and an old skeleton key I may turn into a dowsing pendulum. Will be interesting to see how good I am at finding things!
The Funnies: Plant & Nature Humor
The Blog: Upcoming Editions
We’ll see you next week on September 14th for the next Gardens & Nature, where fall planting is happening and more crops are ready for harvest!
Be on the lookout October 1st for our monthly Livestock Edition, where we talk about how sheep breeding season is going!
In case you missed the latest:
Livestock Edition: September 1st, 2026
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Hollow Hills Ranch 