Tuesday, July 08, 2014

July Garden Report and The Peas Are Nearly Ready


These peas are from another year.  The ones this year are still small in the pods.  Not that that keeps me from picking and eating (right there in the garden).   All the Fava Bean plants are covered in pretty white flowers with black centers.  Future beans.  I must have planted at least 4 weeks later than I should have.  In Maine we eat peas on the 4th.

Yesterday.  Oh my.  I was supposed to work.  I woke at 6 am as usual and my head hurt so badly.  A migraine.  Nausea.  I tried waiting till 7:30 to call out at work--but instead took a pain pill and crawled back into bed.  Woke at 11.  Still feeling terrible but I called work.  They didn't seem to need me, so back to bed.  Woke when the phone rang at 2:30.

I am NOT a napper or daytime sleeper.  Ever.  So these long sleeps indicate better than words how badly I felt.  A big line of thunderstorms moved through at dinner time and overnight we seemed to have gotten rain.  Summer weather affects my head.

I did pretty much nothing for the rest of the day but managed to prepare a Caprese Salad of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves and good olive oil and vinegar.  I even toasted a small baguette to soak up the good juices.  The tomatoes, bread and basil were from Trader Joe's on Saturday.  I had a bowl of ice cold cherries later while watching television.

Today--another day off, scheduled this time.   I could get used to this not working thing as I had the 4th off, then Saturday, half a day work on Sunday, sick day Monday and now another day off.
G watered the garden, walked the dog and napped in his hammock.  Riley was in and out but mostly in as he is black and it is 84 degrees outside with 64% humidity.

 I replanted my Jewels of Opar seedlings.  They started out as a few little black specks.  Then they were tiny little stems with tiny little leaves.  Now they have secondary leaves and are about 2 inches in diameter (if looking down at the plant).   I have seen them on the 66 Square Feet blog and hers are tall with flowers.  I have many weeks to wait for that, I think.  But they look healthy and, in the way of things, I should be proud to have gotten them from specks to the size they are.  They are now in deeper pots with fertilizer.

My second planting of beets amounted to zero.  Again.  But the carrots we "seeded" on the toilet paper strips are up and looking positively carrot like.  I pollinated two zucchini flowers by hand.  Last year was the first year my squash plants failed to get pollinated (less bees).  So I had tons of leaves and flowers but only a few actual zucchini.  And no yellow squash so I made stuffed, fried blossoms.   The cucumber plants are attaching themselves to the trellis.  Yeah!!!  The potato plants are up and over the top of the black tubs I planted them in.  I need to "hill" them up with some soil.  Better soil and lots of fertilizer this year hopefully will mean more potatoes.

The Early Girl Bush tomatoes I transplanted in one of my April classes has an abundance of large tomatoes on each plant.  I think I might actually have garden tomatoes to eat by the end of the month. My fennel and parsley seedlings are looking good.  The garlic looks promising as do the yellow onions.  I have green peppers about 2 or 3 inches in size on all the plants.  They seem to be enjoying the sulfur I added to the fertilizer in each planting hole.   The tomatoes are enjoying the iron I added to their planting holes.  Now I wait to see if the taste is better.  The added sulfur and iron are this year's experiments.

Well, I have cucumbers to peel and slice thinly.  I also have Riley asleep on the cool wood floor next to my desk.  He has been staying close since I woke up feeling ill.  He slept under my bed yesterday and refused to go out until I was awake.  I can see his eyes are open--watching me.

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