Summer Scorcher

The D.C. area has hit mid-90's with high humidity this week, with a heat index in the triple digits. Surprisingly, our backyard isn't all that terrible as long as you stay out of the sun (and if you're me, layer on the DEET because mosquitoes are evil). The vegetable garden, with a few exceptions, is thriving! Shall we begin the tour?

First up, the baby asparagus bed. That's new this year. We've wanted one for ages, as Nick's grandfather always had one in his garden and there is nothing like fresh asparagus. Alas, it cannot be harvested and eaten until year 3. But so far, so good.

   

This year I decided to try (rainbow) Swiss chard again. Bought my seeds from Gardner's Supply in VT. The chard is doing fantastically well. I don't know if it's the seeds, the fertilizer, or if it just likes our soil, but...holy crap!

 That is on tonight's dinner menu.

 

Next up, bush beans! I love green beans and they freeze well (great for Thanksgiving). I have more bush beans planted than anything else.

Next to the bush beans is the cucumber plant. I specify that it is a single cucumber plant, because it is enormous. I have never had a cucumber do this well! Between this plant and the two I have in large fabric planters, I made two small batches of pickles this week. Normally I have a terrible squash bug problem, but so far they are mostly leaving the cucumber alone (more on that later). The bumblebees love it, though.

This year Nick asked me to get a couple of pepper plants, so we have one poblano and one jalapeno. They had a bit of a rocky start but seem to be settling in and setting fruit.

 

Heading further into the garden, we have leeks, carrots and beets. They are all doing OK but not great, although I did harvest some beets to eat this week.

 

Behind these are my pole beans. The plants are growing well, but they're not putting out many actual beans. This may or may not have something to do with the infestation of Japanese beetles devouring the leaves. This is the first time I have had to contend with these voracious bastards, and I am not happy. Cue the beetle traps.

The last bed has only one star at this point. The broccoli gave in to the heat a few weeks back, although it originally did pretty well and we will grow more in the fall. My zucchini plants failed to thrive from the start, and put out almost exclusively male flowers. I pulled out all of these and today put in more bush beans. But behind them, on the trellis formerly occupied by the pea plants, I give you...a very happy Kabocha squash plant.

 

This thing has nearly a dozen squashes growing. This is exciting! I've never grown Kabocha before - just tried it on a whim since we like squash. The squash bugs seem to be attracted to this plant in lieu of my cucumbers, but so far only in small numbers. They're pretty easy to catch and kill in such small numbers, and their eggs are easy to spot and remove. So hopefully this trend will continue...?

What about the tomatoes, you ask? Other than some aphids and mild blossom end rot, pretty well. Still battling fungus, but the power sprayer has helped slow it down and the plants are in a much better place than they were at this same time last year. The San Marzanos and Druzbas are just starting to ripen but the cherry tomatoes are making for some good eating.

Berry Good

Many people I know, if given a day off during the week, would do normal things like sleep in, go shopping, and generally relax. Sometimes I do this. Last week I found a sale and bought 5 new pairs of work pants (score). But in the summertime, as often as not, I am doing something garden-related or food-related. Like say, driving half an hour out to Green Truck Farm to pick berries, so that I can make fresh fruit jam.

I am not actually very good at taking a day off. You may have noticed that trend. But I actually find it quite relaxing to go pick berries, as long as I am not on a schedule. It's a treasure hunt for beautiful fruit.

 Plus, I make pretty good jam.