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🌱 Spidey’s Last Stand (its the final red sunflower).

creepy white spider with a criminal record perched in a half-open red sunflower blossom

creepy white spider perched in a half-open red sunflower blossom

𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 29/09/2026

Some languages conflate these two, but unlike Paliurus, this showy roadside honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos, ხეეკალა) is defying its reputation as a ruderal menace by standing alone. 🌱

golden hour on a 5m tall honeylocust tree with bright red/yellow seed pods, a rural road to its right

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 27/09/2026

Catch of the day: the first-ever ✨homegrown passionfruit✨ + a striated chilli pepper, some wooly blue/yellow tomatoes, a huge Aswad eggplant, and a Cucurbita that was SUPPOSED to be spaghetti squash. 🌱 All frivolous experiments come to fruition.

group shot of a large eggplant (Solanum melongena), large unknown green-patterned squash, one chilli pepper, two plum tomatoes, and one precious passionfruit

closeup on a curly chilli pepper, two fancy, wooly plum tomatoes, and one precious passionfruit

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 27/09/2026

Quick end-of-season update for these ‘strawberry guava’ (Psidium cattleyanum) still benefitting from constant rain. Declared a menace in tropical places - protected here. 🌱 Thanks to @trematomus.bsky.social for the donated seeds.

on a gravel road, a couple harvest crates full of two groups of potted P. cattleyanum - one wild, one domesticated. average 20-30cm tall.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 25/09/2026

Opposite end of the spectrum, micromini tomato plants are impossible to fully harvest - thus, self-seed everywhere. Which might be fine, except they’re always the first victim of blight - magnetizing fungi to innocent nearby tomatoes. A fun novelty in a pot maybe, but never again in the field. 🌱

a spoonful of micromini tomatoes over a colander of more micromini tomatoes, with some ‘normal’ cherry tomatoes thrown in for scale in background

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 19/09/2026

Brutal alt text. Symbolic of the global attention to the ethnic cleansing that took place right around the corner. Three years ago, today.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 17/09/2026

🌱 Small harvest of yellow, distorted «reisetomaten», an oversized heirloom Carbon tomato, and friends to compare them to.

yellow ‘traveler tomatoes’ with a medium-sized lemon, a giant carbon, assorted others in the background

closeup: ‘traveler tomatoes’ & lemon + a Tula heirloom

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13/09/2026

Rather more pleasant daily harvest: vine-ripened Carbon and Tula tomatoes. 🌱🍅

several carbon (larger ones) and tula (smaller) tomatoes, along with a few other straggler varieties + rocks as garnish

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 06/09/2026

Water stewardship is so wanting - even amidst summer drought, these charming wetland specimens thrive near village pipe leaks. Surrounded by desiccated farmland. 🌱

Lythrum salicaria (among many other thriving weeds) in huge tall purple clusters around pools generated by village watermain pipe leaks, trees in distance

Lythrum salicaria around pools generated by village watermain pipe leaks

Lythrum salicaria (among many other thriving weeds) in huge tall purple clusters around pools generated by village watermain pipe leaks, persimmon trees in distance

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Reposted by 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬

Orchard Notes @orchardnotes.com · 05/09/2026

The Cornus mas ("cornelian cherry") fruits on our back garden tree are definitely ready for picking. Questions: can I be bothered, and what would I do with them if so? 🤔 Any thoughts or suggestions..?

A section of a variegated-leaved Cornus mas tree, with bright red fruits amongst the green-and-white leaves.

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Reposted by 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬

Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 05/09/2026

Probably a good time to note that supporting local growers is only going to become more important as we go forward into...whatever the fuck is going to happen now.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 31/08/2026

In the dirt floor of an unfinished basement, inspired by some grasses growing in this near-dark, I thought I’d try garlic, onions, potatoes. 🌱 Many seemed to survive through the season, but after a sudden collapse last week the total harvest is pictured here.

a tiny harvest of potatoes, AA battery for scale

(artificially brightened shot of) a glum dirt floor basement, random construction debris surround former site of somehow once-living plants

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 31/08/2026

"Why no photos of grapes?" [thread] You're looking at an urgent care facility. 99% of our primary production varietals were annihilated by spring hailstorms, then mildew. Flowers never had a chance, foliage & bud spurs suffered immensely. Thanks El Niño. There will be no 2026 vintage. #viticulture

a few dilapidated vineyard rows, vines beat down by storms - drenched in bordeaux to protect the remains, one bright orange rose stands at row’s end

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 29/08/2026

As more of you follow-back these follower farmers, less of you will see authentic posts from real people outside that bubble.

“@rightardia.bsky.social has
blocked you” message after I blocked - because people who use scripts to find friends are not friends of mine

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 27/08/2026

«There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat.» And bees keep time. 🍐🐝🌱 ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

fallen pear smashed on gravel below, descended upon by bees

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 20/08/2026

The 2026 beauty pageant winner is a blight-prone, blue-leafed, purple/yellow tomato called “Wooly Kate”. 🌱🐑🍅 Looks like its on fire.

a small, wooly tomato close up - a mottled mix of yellow underside, purple shoulders

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 17/08/2026

After some shucking, I realized a unit of measure was required - pepper sauce bottles for scale. Devastating weather meant that this year’s sweetcorn crop is like no other. #notsponsored #agriculture 🌱🌽

some very small cobs of corn in a basket, a few shucked

a basket full of underdeveloped corncobs with fully-developed kernels, all very very small; miniature Tabasco bottles for scale

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 16/08/2026

Cotton: from blossom to beast. A mantid has been guarding this plant's one boll for a week. ☁︎🌱

a yellowish cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) blossom closeup

some weeks later, a developing cotton boll with a mantis perched upon it

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 14/08/2026

If you can harvest & process your whole crop into one wheelbarrow, do you even farm bro? 🧄🌱 Considering this season's floods, this garlic is a hydroponic success story.

just-cured garlic bulbs of varied types thrown into a yellow wheelbarrow

cleaned & cut garlic bulbs heaped up (scraps in background) pruning shears for scale

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13/08/2026

The kind of photo I was trying to take before fauna distracted. 🌱 Quite dwarfed (30cm!) sunflowers down in the underbrush:

teddy bear sunflower blossoms & buds, green hell jungle in background

closeup: teddy bear sunflower blossoms & buds

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 07/08/2026

Such formerly-flood-irrigated agricultural tracts [below] are now dominated drought tolerant invasives, like these odd looking shrubby trees. Bizarrely named Paliurus spina-christi, their golden disk fruits quite striking, even at a distance. 🌱

closeup of one Paliurus spina-christi, another in background - right

three Paliurus in a row, among many dozens in the field

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 06/08/2026

Farming is really just tortuous water management. #Agriculture in ruins: #alazani #photography 🚜🌱📷

forsaken cement irrigation channels, small shack in background atop a hill, next to a huge, wheeled water reservoir, a field of corn and wooden fence between them

a massive steel drum water tank acting as village livestock fountain

decrepit cement irrigation channels in foreground, supports for what mustve been a huge tank in distance, notable church on horizon (right)

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 03/08/2026

🌱 Got sidetracked watching this honeybee puzzle out an approach this unfamiliar thing. Hovered & retried for a couple minutes. First time?

honeybee landing on (‘teddy bear’) sunflower

honeybee hovering to right of sunflower, considering its approach

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 25/07/2026

Relentless precipitation = out-of-control late summer #wildflowers. Caucasian germander & various mulleins dominate yards of abandoned homes around here. 🌱

Teucrium hircanicum in foreground, lots of common mulleins (then trees) behind

some kind of mullein (Verbascum) decorates the wall of this neglected building

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 23/07/2026

Small mango tree in summer flush with the most alluring violet leaves.🌱

potted mango with bright purple leaves atop, irritating fluorescent pink gardenhose in background went unnoticed

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 19/07/2026

Watching lilies slowly outcompete weeds, grasses, snails: a tale of resilience. 🌱

closeup four open yellow lily blossoms in the sunset

three open lily blossoms, 4th on the way, tangle of grasses all around

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 16/07/2026

Marigold costume - rather convincing from a distance. 🌱

small orange/red striped rose which resembles a marigold, when myopic

small orange/red striped roses which resemble marigolds, from a distance

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 15/07/2026

Sold as ‘bright red’, these sunflowers actually vary from copper-brown to plain yellow. But just wait for a red sunset, position yourself accordingly, and. 🌱 🌅

BEFORE: red sunset in distance + grapevines, pear tree, Paulownia; blurry sunflower in foreground

AFTER: backlit russet sunflower reddened by sunset

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13/07/2026

Guinness record: a 493km view. From this vantage you see the whole easternmost range of Argonauts: Colchis, land of Medea & Golden Fleeces. 🏺 Bronze Age Greek outposts dotted this coastline. They settled & traded with the mountain peoples for whom those peaks were lifelong landmarks on the horizon.

photo by Richard Jezik; long exposure, 493.07 km view across the eastern black sea from northeastern turkey to the Greater Caucasus in the distance.

"The longest line of sight on earth photographed is 493.07 km (306.37 mi), achieved by Richard Jezik (Slovakia), in Giresun, Turkey, on 15 December 2024.

Richard has photographed long distance observations since 2018 and in 2023, he was curious to see if he could achieve a world record distance. He monitored weather conditions closely to find the right window and right location. After a lot of travelling he arrived at Aksu village. The village wasn't accessible by car due to snow and ice so he hiked to the summit. After 10 hours of climbing, he stood on the summit with moonlight providing enough light to set up his equipment. At midnight, he recalls that the temperature was around -12°C with winds around 8 m/s. He remained there all night capturing panoramic photos. Before sunrise, the wind picked up to roughly 20-25 m/s and the battle of capturing his world record image began. He planned to capture the image at sunrise to improve contrast and whilst he is pleased with the final result, he is already making plans for his next record-breaking image."

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 13/07/2026

Class journalism from this local foreign-language media outlet.

screenshot of flood reporting, photo attribution just “Kakheti” - no place in particular, and via “social media” - no person in particular.

“Local residents say hectares of vineyards have been completely destroyed, leaving them without this year's harvest.

Flooded vineyard in Kakheti. Photo: social media”

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Reposted by 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬

Civil.ge @civil.ge · 12/07/2026

Authorities have been working to mitigate “serious” impact in Telavi, Kakheti, after the local river overflowed following rain during the early hours of July 12, flooding streets and residential areas. No casualties or injuries have been reported.

civil.ge

Telavi Battles ‘Serious’ Flood Damage - Civil Georgia

Authorities have been assessing the damage and working to mitigate the "serious" impact in Telavi, t

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 12/07/2026

The same rains that brought this profusion of (fostered, strategically-planted some years ago) wildflowers also brought the need to hire unsupervised labour to help with the overwhelming job of weeding. Guess what happened next...! 🔪 🌱🪓 ☠️

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 12/07/2026

Casualty count = 0! (afaik) Built on a large hill with a canalized river running through the middle, the nearest town hasn't deployed flood mitigations since the 1980s. This road leads to farmlands that were subsequently demolished.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 12/07/2026

Farmyard trampoline! Big, immobile Soviet-era concrete reservoirs intended for chemical mixing in orchards/vineyards are just mosquito condominiums now. 🌱 But mix with vermicompost, logs, leaves, food waste, and big rocks - it's time to hügelkultur these into something useful.

2m diameter concrete reservoir overfilled with dried fig branches, empty one to the left

concrete reservoir with tamped-down dried fig branches

crushing twigs/branches to form the base for a hügelkultur ‘rasied bed’

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 12/07/2026

The region flooded (again!) overnight, and a local news agency ran with this illuminating shot. You know that place with the nondescript buildings, cypresses and crosswalk? Yeah, water was rushing over there.

https://bm.ge/news/samushaoebi-mimdinareobs-zarali-jer-ar-vitsit-telavis-meris-moadgile

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 30/06/2026

Curious that, in this storm-hell, flowers transplanted from seed trays were devoured by slugs/snails, but direct-sewn flowers of the same variety thrived- ignored by pests. What chemical camouflage do direct-plantings have? Or a small amount of (buried!) seed start mix is sufficient to draw bugs..?

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 28/06/2026

The only shade at this simple church ruin. Above the Shvanidzor River: one Persian cypress (C. sempervirens) in its native range. 🌱 Seed samples brought forth a tiny souvenir. Striking to think they're close relations to the 🏺oldest living thing in Eurasia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarv-e_...

a bushy cypress (C. sempervirens) between a tombstone and an open church door - a ruin in Shvanidzor, Armenia

tiny cypress (C. sempervirens)seedling just developing its first branches

closer look at intricately carved church doorway, the bark of the tree, the tombstone

BONUS: the lintel, shade from cypress and electrical wires creeping in from the left

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 28/06/2026

This bizarre, extra-turbulent, undulating front was tracking our direction, but took a slow left turn down the valley. #meteorology Note the precip below the black centre of these clouds - that's hail pouring over scores of vineyards. Dashed hopes for so many 2026 vintages. #viticulture 🌱

an odd undulating stormfront tracks over the alazani valley vineyards, greater caucasus in the background

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 21/06/2026

🌱 One portion of a 50+year-old epiphyllum - apparently a solstice cactus - hanging in a awkward location.

red epiphyllum blossom closeup, in front of rusty steel bars

several red epiphyllum blossoms hanging from concrete balcony

maximum zoom on a large epiphyllum nearly in bloom placed annoyingly(for photography) on a balcony ledge

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Reposted by 𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬

Crude Accountability @crude-ngo.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

🚢 #Azerbaijan continues to aid the flow of Russia’s oil trade. @occrp.org identified at least 31 companies registered in Azerbaijan managing the safety of Russia's "shadow fleet." 🚫 The #shadowfleet not only fuels Russia’s war in #Ukraine but poses a serious threat to the #environment.

occrp.org

Dozens of Azerbaijan Companies Manage Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tankers

OCCRP has obtained corporate documents for 31 companies registered in Azerbaijan, which have managed the safety aspects of “shadow fleet” tankers that avoid sanctions in order to trade in Russian oil ...

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