Looking back, I see I haven't posted a Weekend Update since May. That is because I am in the middle of my summer vaccation, and everyday is the weekend for me. Have I mentioned I love being a teacher? In the summer, that is...
I picked the last of the black currants. That little bush doesn't exert itself in any way. It gave a modest harvest (about a liter and a half this year) and then called it quits. I'm not complaining. I made my snaps and my chicken sauce, and have some berries in the freezer to make the chicken sauce a couple more times before the next harvest.
...and I never even got to the second bush. These six liters went straight into the freezer. We also picked another 2-1/2 liters of strawberries. I can see production is slowing up in the strawberry patch, but I hope to still be able to harvest some next weekend, for my son's birthday. The strawberry season has never been this late before, so having strawberry cake on August 2nd will be a real treat.
Two separate sources recommend spraying this type of mold with a mixture of milk and water, two things I happen to have at home. While out there I broke off a male flower and introduced it to a couple of ladies, just in case the bees aren't giving the pumpkins enough attention.
I got this beauty from a friend, who was going to be out of town five weeks and was sure it would die in her absence. So another thing to do on my to-do list is looking up tomatillo recipes!
Tim is back at work, however, so the weeks are taking form again and weekends once again feel like weekends. So what have we done this weekend?
I picked the last of the black currants. That little bush doesn't exert itself in any way. It gave a modest harvest (about a liter and a half this year) and then called it quits. I'm not complaining. I made my snaps and my chicken sauce, and have some berries in the freezer to make the chicken sauce a couple more times before the next harvest.
The red currant bushes, on the other hand, just keep on giving. I picked six liters then stopped, because my bowl was full. There were still this many left on every branch of the plant:
...and I never even got to the second bush. These six liters went straight into the freezer. We also picked another 2-1/2 liters of strawberries. I can see production is slowing up in the strawberry patch, but I hope to still be able to harvest some next weekend, for my son's birthday. The strawberry season has never been this late before, so having strawberry cake on August 2nd will be a real treat.
But enough about berries.
...but the summer planting didn't go as well, as it got too much sun. So I'm trying once more. Also planted lettuce seeds in four empty window boxes (where the radishes and spinach had been) in the vertical garden, to try to prolong salad season. Our lettuce is getting a bit leggy, and just when our cukes and tomatoes are ready to pick.
The onions are ready to come up.
This I know because the tops are falling over. And also because they're bursting up out of the soil. Some of them are huge! Right now we're just pulling them up one at a time as we need them, until I prepare a curing area for them.
The corn plants are getting tall! Yes, I see the weeding that needs to be done, no need to point it out. It's on my to-do list for the week. The plants are putting on theses funny tops.
Which I understand is normal. Still, I have nicknamed the corn Tim's Folly. The chances of 8 cobs ripening to be picked at the same time so that the family can sit down and enjoy them together is pretty slim.
Remember I harvested the garlic? Well, I immediately enriched the soil in that box with a wheelbarrow of compost, and planted spinach seeds. We enjoyed a whole kilo of spinach in May...
...but the summer planting didn't go as well, as it got too much sun. So I'm trying once more. Also planted lettuce seeds in four empty window boxes (where the radishes and spinach had been) in the vertical garden, to try to prolong salad season. Our lettuce is getting a bit leggy, and just when our cukes and tomatoes are ready to pick.
I think the peas are getting close to harvest time as well, but this is my first year of growing peas, so I've some reading to do first.
The onions are ready to come up.
This I know because the tops are falling over. And also because they're bursting up out of the soil. Some of them are huge! Right now we're just pulling them up one at a time as we need them, until I prepare a curing area for them.
The corn plants are getting tall! Yes, I see the weeding that needs to be done, no need to point it out. It's on my to-do list for the week. The plants are putting on theses funny tops.
Which I understand is normal. Still, I have nicknamed the corn Tim's Folly. The chances of 8 cobs ripening to be picked at the same time so that the family can sit down and enjoy them together is pretty slim.
But alas, everything is not growing well. I'm giving up hope on the artichoke plants. They have been done in my a combination of aphids and my son's soccer ball. Also, the pumpkin vines are starting to suffer from that some powdery mold that affected them last year. Last year it didn't come on until we had two ripe pumpkins on the vine, so I didn't worry about it. This year I decided to take action.
Two separate sources recommend spraying this type of mold with a mixture of milk and water, two things I happen to have at home. While out there I broke off a male flower and introduced it to a couple of ladies, just in case the bees aren't giving the pumpkins enough attention.
Last but not least, I don't think I've shown you my tomatillo plant:
I got this beauty from a friend, who was going to be out of town five weeks and was sure it would die in her absence. So another thing to do on my to-do list is looking up tomatillo recipes!
Hope you also had a great weekend!
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