Thursday, July 16, 2009

9/35 through summer

I am wondering about how very little we have harvested so far this summer and I have some theories as to why it is so...

and while my age certainly has slowed me down, and while teaching two science classes has taken time away from horticulture, and while we spent some time planting beds of raspberries and blackberries, and then the potatoes took two beds...


it was the weather... those 11 straight days of rain and all the other cool rainy days this past spring which is the main reason for the slow harvest.


But things are happening and the garden looks great to me these days. We have weeded and watered. We fertilized with the fish fertilizer which claims on its label to not smell. We have made a late but hopeful attempt to grow zucchini, and we have planted two beds of green beans for the fall. We harvested a tray full of onions (many more in the garden) which sold except for one, which then went into my dinner. We have deadheaded a few times and we have started drying flowers, a new project this year. We combined bags of Right Dress, compost, and top soil to make a mulch for around the peppers, eggplants and berries.


The plants are thriving and the harvest is near.

Today I took some of my basil to the school and in a major group effort we made pesto the old fashioned way... with mortar and pestle. The fresh garlic was a bit "hot" but all the students ate it and none gagged, though some gagged at the sight of it.

and I am so grateful that 8/9 of these days were around 80 with low humidity. Sometimes the weather gets you, sometimes it helps you out.

...


11 comments:

Pomona Belvedere said...

I'm glad your garden is recuperating from all that rain. Out here we treasure it, but you can have too much of a good thing. Glad the pesto was a success! I think it's great to do it the old-fashioned way and become one in a long line of pesto-mashers, going back into unseen history...

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

Your mulch sounds good. Well thought out.

Bet the pupils had a great time making Pesto.

When I was at school in the 70's (UK) olive oil was only available at chemists as an ointment to put in your ears!!!

Wayne Stratz said...

Pomona--- It looks like I will have my 10th straight dry school day today, then rain tonight.

Rob--- thanks, I hope the mulch works out for us. are you serious about the olive oil? please do a blog post with an explanation as to why that was the case? unless it is a simple thing like folk in the UK did not eat the stuff.

Karen - An Artists Garden said...

Oh Rob - that takes me back - yes you are right olive oil was definitely not for eating!! Actually - I think I used to use it for sunbathing too!

Wayne, another delightful post, I think your students are lucky to have you. Hope the onion tasted good.

Wayne Stratz said...

Karen--- OK, you and Rob have me way curious. did anyone eat it?

Nutty Gnome said...

Hi Wayne, thanks for popping into my blog and leaving your nice comments - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I love currants, but need to get better at growing them!

Rob and Karen are right about olive oil - in the 70's it was considered to be 'foreign stuff' that no-one knew how to use ...except to cure ear ache or to lather your body with to sunbathe for a golden tan!!! :)

Wayne Stratz said...

Nutty Gnome--- thanks for the visit. I don't remember olive oil being about my house.

Dana said...

about the olive oil, I grew up in in a Catholic community. in the seventies on up to present day, Italian Americans use olive oil for medicinal purposes, also as skin care and the usual food, anything from frying to salad dressing. a tin gallon sits in many a household! word to the wise, you get what you pay for...

Wayne Stratz said...

Dana--- heard recently of a scam where a cheaper (not olive) oil was mixed with some "essence" of olive oil and sold as the good stuff at a cheap price

Dana said...

boy that IS bad. Olive oil making is involved and the product is expensive. straight from the bottle though, people use it on hair for shine and as wrinkle prevention...as well as in food prep and medicinal (appetitite suppresant). if you wanna keep costs down, just buy the small generic bottle...but no it has never been inexpensive.....

Dana said...

I enjoyed the ear ointment post, forgot that use! it works!....they also use it to anoint the sick, a sacrement, in a pinch if the blessed oil is not available