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August 04, 2010
While we were away
While we were away the garden exploded. I didn't make any arrangements to have it watered. Besides harvesting ripe and near ripe tomatoes, pulling onions, lettuces, herbs, anything in fact that looked near ready, I left it to nature. A little worried perhaps about rain or lack thereof. I didn't recognize the garden when we drove up.
The sunflowers I planted and replanted and replanted again thanks to our chipmunk friends grew several feet. The 10 inch plants I thought I would never see blossom reached the top of our 4 foot fence.
The paths are no more. Everything that was growing up and supported fell down and kept growing. There must have been a storm while we were away because the tomato cages are diagonal and the pean boles are hidden from view. Both the tomato and bean plants are now shrubs. Before I left, I harvested everything that was ready or near ready. I came home to tubs of tomatoes that I literally had to crawl on my hands and knees to reach.
I was making tomato sauce at midnight and I still have more to put by. My herb garden, my sweet little herb garden, is a willful beast of flowering plants. The dill is prehistoric and the lemon verbena, that I wish I had planted more of, needs to be slashed. I can't even see the lavender. Next year forget about the dwarf lavandula and go big!
And the interplantings of herbs in the other two boxes? The mint has flowered. It shows every sign of being as invasive as everyone said it would. The interplantings of basil are lost in the tomatoes. I never knew nasturiums could grow that big and lush. And the corn! The corn has tassels.
Anything I had second thoughts about ("I planted too late", "it will never mature", "I should have started seedlings") is laughing at me right now. I ran to Farm and Fleet and bought a dehydrator and my first set of canning jars. The preservation strategies I was contemplating for the end of August have to start NOW! Ripening fruit waits for no one. I need to learn how to cook, not by recipe but by harvest. And next year, I need some serious structures. Upward, huge and sturdy. No matter how insignificant my seedlings look.
As for the Northwoods, they seriously beckon. If and when we do make the move, you can bet I'm taking my square foot methods with me. That and electric fencing for the bear. My favorite pasttime? Photographing plants.
Comments
Seriously, you have explosive green fingers! Your garden & produce fills me with such envy - wow!
Posted by: Passionate Blogger | February 9, 2011 11:59 PM