As we near the end of August we are also nearing the end of major gardening season. And everyone who gardens is pretty ambivalent about this fact. It's kind of like parenting (Disclaimer: I'm known for making terrible analogies and since I have no parental experience this could be one of those situations). When a baby is born everything is new and exciting but they take a lot of time and effort to care for. The early years are filled with exciting milestones-- first steps, going to school, etc. Then the kids become teenagers and require a little less constant attention as far as keeping them alive but they keep the parents busy with a variety of activities. Finally after the teenage years the kids are sent off to college. Most of the time both the kids and the parents are ready for them to be out of the house. They still love each other but it's time to move on.
Gardening is similar. Early in the spring expectant gardeners pour over seed catalogs choosing seed varieties and making sure all their equipment for the season is ready to roll. They make lofty plans and plant far too many zucchini plants. Gardening circles are all abuzz with news and gossip of the upcoming growing season. Finally that all important "due date", the frost free date arrives and everyone is scurrying to get small tender plants started. The plants are young and vulnerable needing frequent attention. But these plants shoot up every time you turn around. Each new bloom is celebrated and the first appearance of a seedling poking through the dirt is big news. The first person to have little green tomatoes set on speaks about their plants with the same pride a parent of an honor student would (however, without the bumper sticker). Then towards mid-summer there is the flurry of activities as everything is starting to get ripe for harvest-- the first ears of corn, the first peppers and summer squash, etc. By August everyone is overrun with produce that it isn't safe to leave your car unlocked or some "well-meaning" gardener will leave you with a backseat of zucchini. It takes time to care for the garden but almost even more time in the kitchen to do something with the fruits of your labor. Towards the end of August a gardener is sick and tired of watering. The plants have become unruly and looked bedraggled (This is why there are not any pictures with this post-- the garden is far beyond photogenic.) If you have to eat one more squash recipe you might puke. I think this is just the natural progression of the life cycle. This evening I yanked out my squash and zucchini plants- plants I have cared for and watered faithfully for 3 months but there were no tears. It's time for us all to move on.
In the past month since my last gardening update there have been ups and downs. We had a caterpillar invasion that nibbled all the leaves off my carrots. In response I had a large caterpillar massacre which involved stoning-- hopefully that's not to graphic but pest control is not for the faint of heart. Another flop was making ratatouille. I only harvested one eggplant this year so decided that it would be used for ratatouille with homegrown tomatoes, squash, and zucchini. I overestimated my tolerance for veggies and made a meal that contained nothing else. I made it through about three bites with quite a bit of gagging. Arthur liked it and had a second helping but decided that there were diminishing returns when he had the leftovers the next day. That recipe won't be repeated. We have had some successes. I have been making quite a bit of pesto with our basil and freezing it for pasta later on. I have made a few batched of fresh salsa. At work we have been taste-testing each others' salsa at lunch. I also have a patient who supplements my tomato crop each appointment by bringing me boxes of cherry tomatoes from her plants. I think there will still be more salsa making in the future-- maybe even some canning if I get really ambitious. Omnia Vincit Amor.
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