Summer's Finally Here

After spending all Saturday puttering in the garden, there’s not much to do there today. After a long absence from the blogosphere, here’s an update.

The harvest to date includes a few generous handfuls of snap peas, a dozen or so radishes, one turnip, quite a bit of albeit earwig-chewed, Swiss chard and at least four servings of green beans, though not all four were picked and enjoyed on the same day. 

Harvest, May 11

Snap peas on the vine, May 24

Harvest, June 13

Harvest, June 18

First tomato, June 18

Acorn squash on the vine, June 18

Many of my ornamentals have begun flowering as well. I’ve got nasturtium, cosmos, coneflower and alyssum so far.  The single sunflower that has bloomed though, I can’t take credit for. I am pretty sure it was “planted” by an industrious pair of scrub jays putting away a little something for leaner times. Several I actually sowed myself should begin flowering any day.

Sunflower, June 18

So my late-start attempt at cool weather gardening has been productive thanks to atypically low spring temperatures. Here in the northern San Joaquin Valley, gardening can easily be a year-round endeavor but I rarely get the gardening bug before its time to plant the hot-weather favorites like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. And once they have exhausted themselves and started to wither, I too am drained from the due diligence needed to protect them from scorching temperatures. Truth be told, I typically start suffering garden fatigue in August.

The cooler weather lasting through June was an excellent opportunity to try growing some new things like the aforementioned snap peas. They did so well I was kicking myself for not planting more.

As for the heat-loving veggies that have been seemingly stagnate for what feels like months already, they are beginning to take off. I spotted the first tomato on a hybrid called Whopper last weekend and I’ve got one nubby little bell pepper. 

The acorn squash making its first appearance in my garden has been somewhat disappointing, forming at least a dozen fruit which start out beautifully but have each begun to wither and fall from the vine.

Garden fatigue

I have not posted much lately. I have to admit I was suffering from what is not a term I coined myself it seems. It started about August when the heat became relentless and being outdoors was heinous. That accompanied by my much lamented losses attributed to the local vermin and I find myself needing to give myself a kick in the pants and get back out there. I did actually throw some cilantro seeds in a pot last month and lo and behold I have another bunch to throw in salsa and taco salads, etc. in the works.

We had our first rain of the winter season last night. I had my window open as I enjoy the crisp late evening/early morning air and was awoken at about 1 a.m. by a pretty decent sounding downpour. For us located in the Central Valley it is a sound we have not heard since March.

My best intentions have me dreaming of lettuce, carrot and radish plantings. Maybe by committing these plans to writing I will have more motivation to get it done.

In the meantime, I am delighted with my Great Pumpkin (below)! I imported the photo of the beauty growing at my community plot to my computer wall paper to get in the fall spirit.