All Dried Up

Remember the cockscomb I decided to dry last month?   Well, I checked it and it dried up beautifully.  And "yes" there are little black seeds in the bag.

I had some clear vases just waiting for these.  I thought about leaving them on their stalks but decided to snip them close and gently laid the flowers one on top of the other inside the vase.

The photo doesn't really do the soft texture justice.  It's not quite like velvet exactly...but close. 

I like them in the vase this way.  It will catch any remaining seeds.

I thought I better go ahead and cut the remaining cockscomb that was out in the garden and hang it to dry.  I didn't want to waste it.  While I was out there, I decided to dead head my pitiful crop of sunflowers and dry those up too. 

Just like the rest of the Summer garden, I planted several packets of seeds only to find the majority must have rotted with the monsoon we had back in June.  I got about 5-6 plants out of all that effort. 

Sunflowers in hand, I went out to the shed to check on the Copra onions I'd pulled a few weeks ago.  This is my first year with Copra's.  They're pretty small but I don't mind that.  I rather cook with small onions than those huge ones.

I really like drying stuff out in the shed.  SM's idea of using the screen door was perfect.  

You might wonder if I'll be doing a Fall garden this year.  I'm going to pass.  I have a feeling it's going to be an early, long, cold Winter.  I'm going to need the down time just to reclaim the garden from the pasture it's become.  

SM suggested we just torch the whole thing and if I didn't live in a subdivision I'd actually consider it.  It's tempting to want to rent a tiller and till it all up.  That's what most folks do around here.  Live with the weeds and till frequently.  Maybe. 

But I've got a long Winter ahead with nothing better to do than pull weeds and lay cardboard.

And try, try again. 

Next year.