Friday, July 3, 2009

Picking up the pace

Denise and I talk about how the gardens felt for a time as though there was a lot of "getting ready" going on, growthwise. Plants were getting bigger and even flowering, but we weren't eating much.

Suddenly, it's as though I'm rising up to the crest of a big wave, from the ocean side. I can feel the power gathering. Just like bodysurfing, I know that the wave has an inevitable conclusion, as does the garden. Today's tiny harvest is only the start of that summer flood that I devoutly hope for and work toward.


Pickling and lemon cucumbers (and I won't ever plant just two pickling cukes again -- what was I thinking?), and three of the Romano pole beans that the chickens didn't get the first time around. I don't know about you, but this looks sort of like a salad to me. Oh -- there's a couple of volunteer lettuces coming up in the chard bed.

In other news, I think I hilled the potatoes for the last time. I could have made one more level on the compost bin, but I didn't hill a few days in a row, and I think I see a blossom or two forming. I'd have liked to get higher, but the dirt is about a full 36" from where they were first sown. It's going to be fun to see how many pounds of Yellow Finns that ends up being. The tomatoes are covered with fruit, some Principese Borghese are ripening, the yellow crookneck out front has already yielded two squash for a frittata, and most things are growing nicely. I'm struggling to keep everything watered, and still need to finish digging the new patio. We have stairs, though!


Kevin's been working hard and fast. I need to dig out the rest of the patio area, as we decided it should be bigger, but haven't yet. Just unmotivated. And this weekend seems as though it's not going to be a good one for work, as I have a run to do before the parade tomorrow, even though I said I wasn't going to do that again. Maybe I won't do any outside of my (flat) town. I'll hope to finishe the patio next week.

P.S., Michele, the seeds are wonderful! I passed some on today to another blogger and we'll keep trying to share the wealth.

7 comments:

Toni said...

Looks good! What an interesting looking cucumber!

Michelle said...

Stefani, that's so great. I love that the seeds are making their way around the gardening community. I hope you like the greens.

I know what you mean about that feeling that the garden is about to burst with vegetables at this time of year. Isn't it amazing how much a small vegetable garden can produce! I'm already getting to the point where there is more than I can use myself, but I have a hard time sharing with those who don't realize how much work it takes to make the garden produce. But, sharing is better than letting all that good stuff go to waste, or compost.

Ribbit said...

I'll tell you, stairs were the best thing we ever added to the deck. It's amazing how they change everything!

Heather said...

Looking good! I love when you can actually eat some of your hard work!

kitsapFG said...

What an apt description of the build up of energy in the garden - from "a fixing to" to suddenly "doing it!" phases. I was feeling the same way recently and am also on the backside of what looks like a building wave of summer season production. Did a big pea harvest yesterday, first tomatoes will be ripening soon, and the bush beans are starting to flower. Noticed the first baby cukes on the vine yesterday as well. Lots of produce now, hard part will be to stay up with it.

Stefaneener said...

Toni, those are lemon cukes -- probably the best tasting cucumbers I know of.
Michelle, you crack me up. That's how I feel about knitting, but gardening, well, I'm just grateful that the lettuce isn't going to waste. Denise has already stooped to "forgetting" bags of zucchini at parties.
Ribbit, this is a switch of stairs, from one side to the next. I'm very excited about the hardscape transformations.
Thanks, Heather. It's hard work but only sometimes. I'm stunned sometimes when I look at tomatoes over my head and think that they were a seed.
kitsapFG, it's like a big intake of breath, with the "whoosh" of production following. Hard to remember that I should be seeding fall vegetables right now!.

Kristin said...

2 words. Drip system. Your back porch is coming along nicely. I remember when my parents pickled pickles and they burst in the basement.