I'm in a jam!

Seems it's that time again, and it came about so quickly.

This time a year ago I was doing this exact same thing, this very same week,

making fig jam - HERE.

Last year, jars of jam were shared with any and all who stopped by the cottage and

 admitted, or perhaps some fibbed but just wanted to be polite, to liking figs!

The chief picker, Bob, who braves the mosquitoes, bees, angry birds nibbling

on the ripe fruits, robins dive bombing his head because he's taking

 their food. . . . . . . and the 100F temperatures each day, DOES NOT like

 or eat figs in any shape or form, grrrrrrrrr!

Last year I ended up filling more than two dozen jars over the two weeks

 of bubbling pots of fruit and sugar (yes, have to add some), and sterilizing to

 ensure healthy jam. 

This year I may make fewer, but I am also planning to show a friend how

to make the jam and of course she'll be taking plenty home.

I'll be off to the store later to stock up on more canning jars, and the saucepans

 will be bubbling again in a day or so as the trees - I have two - are loaded with fruit.

Fresh figs on breakfast yogurt - roasted figs with acacia honey and mascarpone -

caramelized figs - fig bars - fig upside down cake - fig salsa on grilled salmon - fresh

 figs on a salad plate - or just a fresh juicy fig picked off the tree and popped into

 the mouth, luscious.

Everyone should grow a beautiful fig tree!

Even if you don't like figs the huge perfect leaves are so pleasant

just to gaze at.

My two trees have grown from tiny 18" tall potted plants from the 

garden center into 15 feet tall trees in just over 8 years.

A major pruning will be necessary later this year so perhaps 

next Summer's fruit crop will be smaller. Will have to wait and see.

A late Summer day at home. . . . . . .

This is today on the front porch.

Morning glories still appear early, twining around whatever they can grab on the porch. Yesterday I had to trim them back a bit as they were engulfing everything.

It's still very warm hereabouts, and the trees across the cul-de-sac remain green and full, however just here and there I see a few leaves turning color and thoughts of Autumn are running through my mind.

The figs are just about gone and picking is over. Just a few left on the topmost branches where we can't reach but the birds and squirrels can feast. Now and then I see a squirrel run off with a whole juicy fig in it's mouth, looking for a hiding place to nibble in comfort.

It's been a less than perfect Summer in my garden when it comes to color. Many plants succumbed sadly. The weather has not cooperated, too hot, too dry, so the arrival of the bronze, gold, orange and red shades of Autumn will be welcome. 

I changed my flag today - put away the sunflowers and hung the colorful birds feeding. Our hummingbird Ms. Ruby is still arriving constantly at her feeder on the porch, many other garden birds have stayed with us all Summer and are here year round. We stopped filling our feeders near the fig trees to keep birds away whilst harvesting fruit, soon we'll treat them to good quality mixed seed again as we love to watch them through the cooler months. I'm surprised to see one of our little Carolina wrens already tucking into a hanging Boston fern on the porch - it arrives at dusk, sings a song, and flies up from the porch rail into the basket, just like other years, but this seems much earlier in the season. Perhaps my favorite tiny bird is claiming it early for cold nights ahead.

Speaking of which, I'm feeling a tiny bit of a change in the late evening and morning air, aaaaaah, lovely.

Autumn can't arrive too soon for me. . . . . . 

and I'll be spending part of it 'across the pond' - more on that later!