Summer Summary

 

It was a good gardening year.

The absence of work travel and the general lack of places to go and things to see, due to Covid, led to more time than usual to get to projects in the vegetable garden and the flower garden.

Things were far from perfect, but compared to past years, we actually kept up pretty well.

We got a lot of food socked away from the vegetable garden.  Some of it frozen, some canned, some pickled, some dried, and some fermented.  We have very little, compared to some people on Facebook, but there are only two of us, so I think we have just about the right amount for the year.

I learned some things.  Swiss chard, which I only knew about because my parents liked it, is a member of the beet family.  And the root is edible – kind of.  Who knew?  For people thinking about next year, chard can be used in salads, when young, and as a cooked green.  Its main defining quality, though, is that it doesn’t bolt in hot weather like spinach does.

I re-learned about melons, cucumbers, and such being all too willing to cross pollinate.  They will be separated next year.  Ditto different kinds of peppers.

My hatred for Japanese Beetles wasn’t learned this year, but it was reinforced.  I feel that some progress was made, though.  It was also a year with many nocturnal visits by deer.  It seems they are picky eaters, fortunately, mainly targeting low branches on fruit trees, tulips, raspberries, and sedum. 

It’s the end of October and we’re still picking a thing or two for meals.  We’re also pulling out some dead plants and distributing some compost.  It’s always a shock how early it gets dark this time of year.  It shouldn’t be, but it is.

One thing I want to do before it’s too late is to put little markers where the various perennials are located.  Come April it will be hard to remember, otherwise.

I hope your summer garden memories of this past year are good ones, and I hope you and we can use plans for next year to help get us through the winter.