So there we all were ~ watering diligently and now we are begging for a reprieve from this rain. Yes, our natural environment is thriving with this moisture, and our perennials and annuals are looking a bit beaten down but not out. We gardeners need to accept our fate, this is the Far North and this is actually as close to ‘regular’ as August gets ~ rainy.   The slugs are thriving. Not only are they thick in the grass but they have ascended the deck. Good grief. We need to check Jade the Dog before she makes her entrance, the chance of slugs riding on her feet has been proven.  The Romanesque cauliflower ‘Veronica’ has been harvested before I really wanted to. They looked like they could have used ten more days to reach optimum maturity but I didn’t want the slugs to damage them, to invade their very core, to make all that effort for naught. So they are now in the freezer.  Romanesque cauliflower ‘Veronica’ The broccoli is getting a second cutting of side shoots. I h...

I am amazed how successfully this garden can take care of itself. There have been a couple of challenges this growing season that prevented me from focusing on the tasks at hand. Only cursory chores have been accomplished. This means that I’m doing something right. The house is surrounded on all sides by plantings with a bloomy garden on the south side, the rest are trees and shrubs.   I have often said there is no plan to this landscape but actually, the more I think about it, there must have been. We knew we wanted shelter for birds ~ done. We wanted different seating arrangements to either follow the sun or seek shade ~ done. We want to age in place and that means the garden needs some level of ease of care ~ done.  Add to this the summer season here in Homer that is a mad house of relatives/guests and the garden is put on the back burner right where it needs to be. Our daughter Andrea, comes ‘home’ once a year with her family: Andrew, Genevieve and Marguerite. They are...