Here is our Mystery Squash as we are wrapping up the second week of July. Getting quite big don’t you agree? I am pretty sure this big and beautiful plant is a pumpkin just waiting to show itself.
The old compost pile almost looks like I designed and planted it. It is looking so pretty these days. The above picture cut it off but at the back of the old pile is a volunteered sunflower and in the picture below you can see it is not too far away from blooming.
The first flower on the self-sown bachelor buttons bloomed yesterday. I was hoping for one of the pink ones that bloomed in the herb garden last year but this one is pretty too and covered in buds as the picture shows.
The borage is still pumping out flowers and buds and I just love this photo below. It is like sailing a sea of borage.
The volunteered cilantro has already bolted. Last year I did not catch the seeds from my cilantro fast enough and this year it has self-sown all over the place. I was pleasantly surprised by this too. My rabbits love it and have been enjoying it for the past few weeks.
Finally, I have saved the best for last. While photographing all of the above blooms I noticed a honeybee hovering around the Mystery Squash. Today the Mystery Squash has two male flowers in bloom as well as one female flower. I got an up close and personal view of this honeybee going into the male flowers and then coming out all covered in pollen before heading on over to the female flower. It was so interesting to watch too because while in the female flower the honeybee sort of just wandered around the base of the flower not even seeming to notice that the pollen all over its back was performing something magical.
I took so many shots of this moment and decided to combine them into this little clip for below.
These next two pictures show just how covered in pollen that little bee was.
Thanks to that little bee I will hopefully be able to show a tiny pumpkin forming next week!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Cynthia~~ I’m sure the bees were just as grateful as you were. As I recall bees like Borage too, do they not? I agree. My compost pile is so cool and damp when the rest of the garden is cracked and bone dry. I’m really trying to make an effort to keep seeds out of the compost pile. We’ll see if my efforts have paid off. I’m looking forward to seeing that pumpkin.
Hi Grace,
I am rather in awe of how much has sprouted in my old compost pile. And the green lushness of it all just amazes me. If anyone needs proof that compost is great for the garden they need to look no further than my old compost pile!
Our mystery cucurbits have all revealed themselves. Apparently they were all from discarded Fall decor we’d tossed into the horse pasture last year.
We have a mini pumpkin, but it died back before all the fruits ripened. I don’t think we’ll get any from it. The one that ripened I went to pick yesterday and it was tunneled into by bugs.
We have a nice pumpkin plant that’s got about 10 or 12 pumpkins, all going to be about 8 or 10 inches across, very evenly proportioned and sized.
We have a warty bi-colored gourd, small and crook-necked.
~Faith
I love hearing about how other people’s gardens are doing across the nation/world. It amazes me how much farther along you garden is in comparison to mine! 10 to 12 pumpkins on one plant is awesome! If we end up with that from this mystery squash my 10 year old will be VERY happy!
Wow! is that ever a pretty spot, much nicer that our poop pile our pumpkin surprises are growing in.
That bee is just so cute.
Karyn
Thank you Karyn.
I am really impressed by how pretty it is too. And to think I didn’t do a single thing! I have had to weed out a few borage seedlings to make some room for the Mystery Squash but other than that I am letting that old compost heap grow as it pleases.
Beautiful! I know it’s not ideal, but I really love seeing what seeds germinate in the compost pile! Invariably there are plenty of tomatoes/potatoes. Love your love of the bee!
I think I went a little overboard photographing that bee. LOL! But at least I managed to get some pretty nice shots of it! I often wonder what my neighbors must think of me if they ever catch a glimpse of me out there photographing my garden like crazy. They must think I am obsessed!