Thursday, July 31, 2014

Almost August

Things have continued to be busy lately. I barely have time to clean my house, let alone address any of my projects; it's been more than a month since I have made soap, my quilt has gone a few months without action, and I can barely get to the garden. Preserving the bounty takes more time.

As for the garden, I think mine has peaked for the season. I am a little disappointed at my hot plants. Many other folks in the garden have bounteous tomato plants, so I can't blame the cold summer. It could be that they stunted from the cold just after I set them outside; I will take more care next year. 

The zucchini and cucumbers have powdery mildew. The zucchini is yellowing and dying. I never foiled the stem, so coild be squash bugs. The cukes just seem a little weak. 

Black beans are drying on their vines. There are a ton of fat little pods. I can't wait to see what happens. 

Green beans are done. I left a few to dry on the vine for seed. 

Shelling pea vines are all dried. I pulled the dry pods left on the vine, then uprooted the dead vines. Still waiting on sugar snap peas to dry. 

Broccoli is alive, but no heads yet. 

I cut several stems of the borage after they yellowed, to let sun get to the plants below. I planted too much this year. Now that I know how big they get, I can plan better for next year. 

Peppers are alive, but not producing. Same for eggplant. 

My carrots grew big and beautiful this year! I pulled a couple and they are long and fat and a lovely orange. Can't wait to see the parsnips. 

I pretty much ignored my bowl of greens. A few of the lettuces died, and a few grew big. The chard is really starting to pick up, and so is the purslane. 

I've harvested quite a bit of calendula and several chamomile flowers. I cut off the flower and the plant sends up more. 

The mint likes a lot of water, so it droops a little when I ignore it, but perks up again with a little water. 

I am considering overwintering some things--onions, carrots--in my windowbox, but I think it is too exposed to offer much protection against a brutal midwest winter. 

Otherwise, things are pretty much winding down. This is the time when the preserving begins....


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