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| BLTs and strawberry shortcake coming up. Yellow pear tomatoes, anyone? |
During the week that Mike and I were in town, I worried about the raised bed gardens at the farm. I feared that the lack of water on those hot days would take its toll on my strawberries, summer squash, small sugar pumpkin, and tomatoes, but actually, they survived quite well.
I quickly watered and then began picking the produce: a quart of strawberries, a dozen yellow
pear tomatoes, six “Early Girl” tomatoes, and a zucchini. I pick more tomatoes and strawberries every day, though not so much, of course.
And frankly, I had already picked enough earlier in the season to call my gardens a success. And to what do I owe this success? I wish I knew.
- Perhaps it was the better seed (ordered from Burpee).
- Maybe it's because I started the summer squash and pumpkin in my kitchen window.
- Is it the potting soil we tilled into the beds?
- Maybe it was the fertilizer – Alaska by Pennington for the vegetables and a little 10-10-10 for the strawberries.
- Maybe the tomatoes are especially happy because of the ground eggshells I sprinkled into the hole.
- Maybe it’s just this year’s spring/summer atmosphere.
And
since the beds were happy in my absence, I wonder if I’ve actually over-watered
them – killed them with kindness, as it were. I just don’t know. It’s just good
that we’re enjoying the fruits of our labors. KW
5 comments:
Great pickings! I attribute your success to your tender care and the mercies of heaven. May you always have success with your gardening. All of your efforts have paid off! Great job.
I think we have to give the mercies of heaven a lot of credit.
By the way, I decided to recheck the zucchini plant this afternoon, remember how the squash like to hide under the leaves. Sure enough! I lifted a big leaf and found a big squash. It will probably make enough for two batches of zucchini bread. Oh, the riches!
Oh, those sneaky zucchini! We're having a great year for them, too, after a sad year last year. Your other harvest looks wonderful, too!
My strawberries gave up awhile ago. I had some volunteer cherry tomatoes that I’m letting grow so I took the netting off to make room. If I’ve had more strawberries, someone else got to them first.
I was with you when you bought your strawberry plants at Swanson's Nursery in Seattle. I'm sorry you didn't get more berries for whatever reason.
I wonder if you will eat the cherry tomatoes. I bet Silas will. I can hear him now -- "Mm--mmm--mmmmm! Matoes!" Such a toddler gourmet!
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