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🌱 Pampered potted specimens en route to their winter positions. You can see why people keep Poncirus trifoliata as a pet - not only as a menacing hedge or excellent rootstock. [see attached thread for pedigree]

autumnal red / yellow foliage on three Poncirus (AKA Citrus) trifoliata in terracotta pots, along with a potted cypress, all in a grape processing crate, en route to winter shelter

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 11/10/2026

🌱🥀 A final farewell to these marmalade guys too.

pastel striped orange/yellow rosebud closeup

rosebush of pastel striped orange/yellow blossoms, many quite open

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10/10/2026

Varied, variegated autumn collections: pattypans turning ‘decorative’, eggplants turning striped, tomatillos dropping like anvils, russet cucumbers cracking under relentless storms. 🌱 🍂 Plus tomatoes!

left to right - back row: alleged pattypan, aswad eggplant, ‘pattypan’ ‘pattypan’; front: heirloom cucumber, blue/yellow tomato, carbon tomato, more blue/yellows

two cracked russet cucumbers, very round this year

aswad eggplant, former-pattypan, tomato, and a couple lost tomatillos

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10/10/2026

🌱 One final report from this rose - beat-down, but unbowed.

a few bedraggled autumn blossoms of an ultrabright red/pink striped rose

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 10/10/2026

I just never trusted this hammer for serious jobs. Not sure why.

a just-broken hammer with a clownishly decorative handle, a leafhopper has just settled on the displaced head

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 04/10/2026

First year bearing. We were sold these two pomegranate trees as the same varietal. Compare pics 1/2 vs 3/4. 🙃🌱

many large mottled multicolour pomegranates on somewhat defoliated branches

large mottled closeup on pomegranate, defoliated branches

medium-size (unripe) red pomegranate twins with lush foliage

medium-size (unripe) red pomegranates, lush foliage

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 01/10/2026

🌱 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

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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

That's what I'm talking about! Seems only fair we should be able to import these, since the USDA genebank has been extracting germplasm samples annually from this region since the 2000s.

A USDA 'expedition report' from Joseph Postman et. al. that reads like a great adventure in our region, as they search for wild primordial fruits and the Ark of the Covenant

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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 · 25/09/2026

This post put me on a hit-list. Hope you're entertained!

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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

🌱 That’s a giant, yellow, spiky, rotating «reisetomate» (‘traveler tomato’, because it breaks into tidy fragments). Plus, an assortment of items to gauge scale.

flipped over, closeup reisetomate, spherical corn cob

yellow reisetomate wth a regular red tomato, some (failed) tiny spherical corn cobs, a pencil, and a lot of reisetomate fragments

closeup reisetomate with tiny bottle hot sauce on a granite surface

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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 · 09/09/2026

Just a hügel update: squashes, aveluk (wild sorrel), tomatillos, surrounded by sunflowers - all shadowed by the imposing fig branches overhead, and a new loquat tree thriving in the centre of the chaos of these former reservoirs. 🌱

a very crowded, cluttered couple of soviet-era water/chem reservoirs filled with an aggressive hügelkultur mix in early spring, now supporting squash, sorrel, loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), with sunflowers in foreground; drooping fig branches hang over the lot

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 08/09/2026

Burning the retinas, brightening grim vineyards. 🌱🥀

two near-fluorescent red/pink striped roses

several near-fluorescent red/pink striped roses

many near-fluorescent red/pink striped roses cluttering overloaded stems

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

There's also the comparatively low-effort 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦, which is a more popular use for cornels around here. Then the most challenging option: spirits.

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 04/09/2026

🌱 Can’t even leave for a few days, you know? These are the tomatoes that didn’t drop off the plants when touched.

a large strainer full of a mess of Tula and Carbon tomatoes half rotted from too-late harvesting

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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

The same storms struck so many farms in the region. But on our lot we grow a motley collection of rare grapes, so these few survivors escaped just by flowering a bit later. They’re just demonstration varietals - not enough volume here to make a large bucket of juice. #viticulture 🌱

full bunches of red/purple grapes, post-veraison

full bunches of purple grapes, post-veraison

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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 · 18/08/2026

^Poor pollination was the least of problems. Abnormal rainfall/flooding prevented timely planting all across the region. Those farmers who tried to direct sow soon saw their crops levelled by springtime hail anyway. 🌱 We waited, but the result was dwarfed stalks, miniature cobs, and THIS.

several fully-developed corn kernels developing on/near young (one month old) cornstalk tassels, possibly known as ‘tassel ears’

1.5 tasty kernels of corn on an underdeveloped stalk, no cob

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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 · 08/08/2026

In contrast to the above, two ‘traditional’ sunflowers: lemon-yellow giant, and the hydra. 🌱🌻 #fleuristonfil

tall (3m) light yellow sunflower, bee on patrol

dwarf, 150cm multi-head yellow sunflower

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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 · 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 · 02/08/2026

🌱 An opposite to stripes, a distinguished beige/brown rose of unknown name:

multiple coral/beige/light brown roses against a wooden pillar

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 31/07/2026

🌱 Letting the native wild Kakhetian asparagus go to seed is critical in propagating the crop. Every year this one grows 3+ metres tall - but barren, fruiting only water droplets.

closeup:water droplets on asparagus fern

wide shot: asparagus fern completely horizontal covered in water drops

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𝐀𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 @akhateli.farm · 27/07/2026

🌱 The colour palette under usual lighting conditions:

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