The End of Summer
Summer is leaving with a trail of rain… and about time too. Summer raged – hot dry – into April and never lightened up until just now when we can finally say “good by”! I’ll be glad to see you again next year. Meanwhile, let’s …
Author: sylvie
Postcard From the Garden
Early September harvest. Two weeks later: cucumbers have succumbed to squash bugs and the drought, but green beans and wax beans are now harvestable: Yeah! As you may recall, summer beans were devastated by Mexican bean beetles. Peppers are ripening – although there is no …
On The Fall Garden
I am finally now working on the fall garden. Earlier sowings this month just did not make it: it was too hot and too dry for germination. A little rain though, and arugula, cilantro and dill are popping up. Yesterday I pulled the corn stalks from the lower garden (approving clucking noises in the chicken yard where the corn stalks landed) and quickly reshaped the beds. Today I transplanted a few cabbage seedlings. I also planted some sprouted potato tubers… you never know…
Most of the corn has been pulled up that is. A few stalks (left center) were tied together to make an impromptu trellis for a volunteer currant tomato. You use what you have…
On Tomatoes – Finally
I’ve been waiting for them not- so-patiently. It’s probably been the hardest year in the garden since we moved here – at least when comparing input to output. It’s been a rough year weather- wise, following several years of rough-weather. This year we had no …
More On Tomatoes
Early Girl is blushing!
The rest of them Amish Paste, Green Zebra, Cherokee Purple, San Marzano,White Wonder et all are actually looking pretty good.
Just not ripening yet!
On Eating Humble Pie
Back in January, I seeded tomatoes because I confidently was going to harvest tomatoes in June (for the record, it has happened in the past). Today is July 12; have I harvested a tomato yet? No. Emphatically and sadly no. I mean a “real” tomato, …
Blueberry Season
Yesterday I knew summer was here. How did I know it? No, not because the temperature was – again! – over 90 (over 32 C) in the shade; 116 (47 C!!!) in the sun insisted the thermometer (wish I misread that). Not because the creek …
Sour Cherry Ice-Cream Without An Ice-Cream Maker
I do not recommend trying to make ice-cream at a 4-H Camp without an ice-cream maker, without electricity, in 90 ° F weather (32 C) and in 20 minutes. It just does.not.work. The kids were good sports about tossing or shaking leaky bags full of ice, but it was a complete failure. They were also very good sports about the eating the “milk shake”; at least there were roasted bananas and cherries to go with that… sigh…
But you can make ice-cream without an ice-cream maker – and pretty decent ones at that. Continue reading Sour Cherry Ice-Cream Without An Ice-Cream Maker
The June Garden
The June garden can be quite overwhelming. There is a lot to seed still, a lot to rip out, a lot to build, a lot to maintain, a lot to harvest, and a lot to clear and get ready for the next crop. We plant …