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Gardens and Friendships and Really Long Metaphors
I used to really have fun with analogies and expounding on a metaphor. Due to my high level of enjoyment of nature, and using nature for examples, and due to the fact that nature can be icky, for awhile some friends called me “slightly gross analogy girl.” I was okay with it. So I’m going to metaphorize here in this little web space that rarely gets tended to anymore. Lately I’ve been thinking on friendship. It seems that even when…
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Sweet Potatoes
Last year I planted sweet potatoes and got one measly little spud. I suppose I planted too late. This year, I got them in the ground early, and they completely took over the garden. They grew up and over the trellises, across the paths and into the okra and pepper patches. They made the most beautiful purple blossoms. Just this week, the leaves have started to turn, and as I pulled out weeds from the ground around the vines, I…
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August Garden in Pictures
This summer I’ve been terrible at posting the garden progress, and honestly, I’ve been terrible at harvesting the garden. Last summer I ate enough tomatoes for a lifetime, so this year I really just needed a taste. My husband has been juicing the other tomatoes I occasionally bring in, and the birds and bugs have been left with the rest. The lettuce and arugula just keeps planting itself, so I don’t feel as terrible about letting it go. We have…
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Prepping for Fall in the Garden
For the past several weeks, my basil plants have been trying to flower, and I have kept pruning them back to extend their flavor and longevity. Now, I’m starting to let several plants have their way knowing that I want to make sure there are seeds to harvest before the first frost comes. My spring lettuce, which was all too bitter for consumption, has now begun dropping seed heads, and I’m hurrying to create some open spaces for the seeds…
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Leek Blossom
After several inches of rain dropped on the garden, I took the camera out to see the changes. The leek blossoms were splitting open, and this one in particular looked like a beaked bird and had lovely light-filtering water droplets on top.
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6 Tips for Growing Tomatoes
Over the past few years, I’ve picked up some valuable tips for growing tomatoes. This by no means implies that each summer I’m guaranteed a beautiful crop, and in fact am yearly frustrated by the usual problems – pests, disease, cracking, blossom end rot. These tips can help improve crops. 1. Pinch those suckers. Different gardeners will tell you different types of tomatoes should or shouldn’t have the suckers removed. If you are planting in a small space and deal…
