wordless wednesday

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pattypanapalooza!

We had a couple of very soggy days and nights this week, but yesterday was lovely. A perfect day to poke around in the garden and discover what's been going on out there.

Unfortunately, I was held captive all day by a rogue migraine, and spent most of the day indoors.

But today! Today I spent hours in the garden!

Some of the goats kept me company, on the other side of the garden fence. This is Tsuga, nibbling mullein leaves and pretending she is not waiting for a chance to sneak into the garden and chow down.

"I am not trying to sneak into the garden! I am just minding my own business and eating mullein! Why are you always so suspicious? Sheesh!"

Five seconds after this picture was taken, Tsuga squeezed her pudgy little body through a four-inch gap in the gate. I grabbed her as she was reaching for a cauliflower, and bundled her right back out to browse with her mama.

Sheesh.

Okay, now here's a little update.

 The lemon cucumbers planted on the last day of June have been growing and reaching and grabbing on to the fence.

At least a few of the onion sets planted on 10 June survived the Massachusetts Monsoons of 2013 and are still holding their own:

This is one of only two potato plants from sets that went in with the onions. Both are an experiment; clearance-priced at the feed store, and already looking a bit sad when I brought them home. Not sure I'll see any actual potatoes, but you never know:

The first tomatoes! This may be one of the Cherokee plants. I've added so much goat poop and "used" hay around all the plants, it will now require some cautious excavating to locate the labels. The labels I carefully stuck in the ground by each tomato plant because I knew I would forget which is which.

 

Oh, and here is the first little zuke:

Isn't it adorable? It's a type that grows little round green globes instead of the traditional baseball-bat zucchini.

So, lots of activity in the world of plants, but the big story in the garden today is the pattypan squash!

Look here:

And here!

Ooh, and here!

 The patterns and markings are different on each one.

There seems to be an infinite variety.

 

Was Shakespeare writing about pattypan squash?

  I think maybe he was.

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wordless wednesday

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welcome August

A couple of hours ago there was a sudden torrential downpour, right in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

An hour later, the sun was shining again, and the air was cool and sweet with the smell of flowers.

Lately, people here talk about the weather with such heartfelt relief in their voices, after the long wearisome rains, heat, and high humidity of early summer.

Seems like we had the Dog Days of August in May and June, this year. There was only one way to deal with it, and it only worked for some of us.

But recently we've been enjoying delightful glimpses of May.

In July and August.

Unexpected.

Refreshing.

Miraculous.

Blue skies.

Cool mornings, with clear air.

It may not last.

Heck, it will not last.

But these are moments and hours and days to savor.

And you never know...

there may be more miracles waiting in the wings.

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I hope you are enjoying the beginning of August, whether you are in the middle of summer or the middle of winter, or somewhere in between.

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first fruit

Pattypan squash is my favorite summer squash, and I can't always find it at the local farm stands.

So this year, I bought three organic seedlings as soon as they were available at the feed store, then waited and waited and waited  for the weather to warm up enough and dry up enough to plant them.

My nagging fear was that I would somehow manage to kill the little plants before I could get them in the ground.

There is some historical basis for this fear, I am very sorry to say.

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On 25 May, I planted the three squash, each alongside reputedly protective companion plants: pot marigolds and calendula.

As you can plainly see, I miscalculated the "companionable" factor to an absurd degree, and planted them way too close together.  Not sure what my thought process was, there. Maybe I was picturing the protective marigold having to physically rear back and thump a caterpillar on the head if called upon to do so.

Note: I have since gently relocated some of these brave guardians, to their very obvious relief. It is impossible to grow sideways fast enough and far enough to escape the shade of a squash-leaf canopy!

This pattypan variety is said to produce deep yellow squash with dark green caps.  I waited to see some yellow before picking this squash, but it was growing so large I didn't want to wait any longer and risk toughness or hard seeds.

Or a flood or drought or insects or a tornado landing on my garden.

Some of these things have happened before.

But not this morning!

At this exciting moment moment of harvest, Sambucus suddenly turned away from the hay feeder - and the Closing Soon Milk Bar - and headed toward me with a purposeful step.

"Pardon me, ma'am! Do not proceed further. I must examine that squash immediately."

Have you ever crossed a border where the guards were required to examine any fruit or vegetables before allowing you to enter their territory? It was just like that.

"Glad the kid has finally got a job! This hanging around the Milk Bar is getting old. I need some time off to focus on...well, hay."

I know what you mean, Violet. I also had a delicious breakfast today, and paid attention to every bite.

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