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.
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| Romanesque cauliflower ‘Veronica’ |
The broccoli is getting a second cutting of side shoots. I have come to depend on Arcadia as the main crop, they form huge heads and excellent side shoot production. The challenge here is to prevent slug damage. I’ve ground up every last egg shell to be had and spread the very fine grounds over the surface of the raised beds. I know that these mollusks thrive between the soil and the wood frames and I do what I can to discourage them but this is an exceptional situation. There are slugs galore.
Long ago I moved to red/purple cabbage because the slugs do minimal damage, same with red lettuce. Skyphos and Pomegranate Crunch have been holding up nicely. They don’t bolt, add a huge amount of interest to the salad bowl and seem to not attract slugs. Win win win.
The garlic proved to be a late harvest. Its usually in the basement drying by the end of July. Not this year. Slow going, but its in and so are the shallots. Both of these beauties, which I start from seed in late February, have not achieved the size that they usually do. But there they are and I’m grateful for what I have.
Speaking of garlic ~ have you ordered yours for a fall planting? I almost forgot. How did it get to be the end of August so fast? Start thinking about bulbs too. We want to get them in before the first frost, I know its hard to think about frost dates but the weather is so unpredictable that we need to be thinking about everything at once. Good luck.
The bush beans in the greenhouse are still producing a handful of beans every two days. What workers. The plants in the garden were started so very late but they are in bloom, we’ll see what this coming month offers for warmth, they just might produce.
Sugar Ann peas are getting picked every two days if I can get to them before the ‘grands’! The carrots ‘Bolero’ are gorgeous.
We are stuffed with BLTs. Who knew? The tomatoes are excellent this year. The Brandywines are our favorite for sandwiches but I must say, for flavor, I prefer the Black Japanese Trefele. These are truly my favorite. Sakura and Lizzano are the cherries. They are so abundant that I’m roasting them in the oven (after drizzling some olive oil over them) and freezing them to use as pizza topping. Excellent. But I think that next year I’ll just have the Sakura, they are tasty and hardy. The Lizzano took over the greenhouse and I don’t have the room or the patience for that kind of behavior.
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| Brandywine |
Dead head your lilies.
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| Lovely lilies |
Keep piling up your garden refuse for compost. Keep gardening.
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