GARDENING UPDATE

Yancey and Emmy left on Monday (July 18), and Mike and I went back to town – a quick trip for groceries and supplies, we said – but just as we were preparing to return to the farm, Mike received invitations – fishing with Ken on Thursday and a motorcycle excursion to Spokane with Sam on Friday. He’s worked so hard at the farm this year that I just couldn’t “say him no.”

BUT – I had not prepared the farm gardens for a long absence, and I didn’t want to lose what little produce we have to the heat. Mike volunteered to go and water – via motorcycle, of course – and he would have enjoyed the ride, but on the other hand, I suggested that I should be the one to go. To my surprise, he agreed.

So, early Thursday, I drove to the farm. I watered the raised beds, the fruit trees, and the rhubarb plants, and I picked a few greens (lots of lettuce) and a few strawberries. The hummingbird feeders were both empty, and the hummers were glad of a refill. I also baked a batch of Mike’s favorite oatmeal cookies.

Was Bess with me? No, I left her in town. Bess loves Mike, and we knew she would prefer being with him.

And now, the three of us are back at the farmhouse to stay a few days before the next scheduled activity. Lots of little chores have kept us busy, one of which was to install a new modem and connect all our devices. It rivals our town wi-fi. Yay!

My garden is the best I’ve had in years. The zucchini is blooming and I see I will have one to pick in a couple of days. My “Early Girl” tomato plant has three fruits and more blossoms. The spinach and beets are sparse, but I’ll try again. The lettuce, however, is prolific!

To what do I owe my gardening success? A little research on growing vegetables in drought, fertilizer, and good seed. This year I ordered from Burpee, and they have now talked me into trying for a fall garden. My rhubarb plants have struggled for years, but this year a friend advised me to give them a lot of water and Miracle Gro every week or two. Under this regimen, the plants have flourished.

But – it’s not a good year for the fruit trees. The blossoms were evidently caught in a cold snap. I saw just one cherry on the Lapins tree, and I let the birds have it. We have no pears, and I can live with that. Apples continue to develop on the Honey Crisp tree. 

A passing storm in the wee hours of the morning brought little rain and didn't cool us. KW