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A Garden Update

August 7th, 2014

I feel like this summer has flown by in a blur. One day I was planting seeds and the next I’m harvesting tomatoes. This time of year feels perfectly exuberant in the garden, everything is tall, green and producing fruit. I like to soak in the fullness of this season so I can remember it deep in winter when there is no green to be seen.
main garden 1
This is the main garden up behind the garage, the workhorse. It’s not laid out in a nice pattern, things are planted wherever there happens to be room. It’s a bit weedy and overgrown around the edges because I’m letting it grow tall for the pigs. We have been moving them around this garden to root up the grass and weeds for our future expansion.
main garden 2
This garden houses loads of vegetables grown en masse. There are purple cabbage, giant cauliflower plants, rows and rows of beans for drying, neatly staked tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, herbs, asparagus and so much more.
main garden 3
main garden 4
main garden 6
main garden 7
main garden 8
main garden 9
There are also fall crops that have just gone in where the garlic was harvested. A long row of shelling peas to stock the freezer along with hundreds of leeks.
main garden 5
Late July and August are always great times in the northern garden. For you southerners I’m sure it’s a crispy dry time. Here in the north the gardens are in their prime.

What state is your garden in, full glory, past prime, gone?

10 Comments to “A Garden Update”
  1. Nebraska Dave on August 7, 2014 at 8:57 am

    Susy, The gardens here in Nebraska are in full glory as much as they can be any way. We are in to what looks like a week of rain here so not much is getting done in the garden. July was a dry month with only 1.69 inches of the normal 3.95. August is looking better for rain fall and this month we already have 1.70 of the normal 3.53 inches. The rain water tanks that were down to about 13 inches are now back to full capacity of 22 inches. The new watering system for the Urban Ranch has performed flawlessly over the summer months and hasn’t needed intervention but one time in the beginning stage. It’s a great way to grow food. Next year I will change the multilayer growing a little but basically it will remain the same.

    Have a great full glory day in the garden.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Sara on August 7, 2014 at 9:35 am

    Your garden is beautiful! I love the pea trellis with the tiny twigs :)
    My garden is tipping past full glory. Tomatoes are coming in, and pole beans/brassicas are jungle-y, zucchinis are taking over the paths. I managed to start fall cabbage on time for once and they are looking good–it’s nice to have some baby plants this time of year.

    Reply to Sara's comment

  3. Tonya on August 7, 2014 at 9:55 am

    I live in mid-Michigan and due to very cool nights (which are really great for sleeping) the tomatoes are slow in coming this year. However, many other things are in the “What was I thinking?” stage of development. What was I thinking when I planted a 50 foot row of beans, plus pole beans, plus beans in the second garden? What was I thinking when I planted that many hills of “Trombetta d’Albenga” Italian zucchini? What was I thinking when I planted that many ____ (fill in the blank)? The abundance is almost overwhelming, but in a really wonderful way. Just wish I could spread all this fresh, tasty harvest out over the year, but I guess that’s what makes it so special. I’m with you Suzy, I may not enjoy our Michigan winters as much as the other seasons, but I need four seasons.

    Reply to Tonya's comment

    • Susy on August 7, 2014 at 10:46 am

      Same problem here, the tomatoes are very slowly ripening.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  4. sarah on August 7, 2014 at 10:07 am

    How do you deal with bugs? I don’t remember them being as much of a problem when I gardened in Chicago so maybe you don’t have to deal with them too much in the cold north. But I only got two summer squash this year and no winter squash. SVB and raccoons!

    Reply to sarah's comment

    • Susy on August 7, 2014 at 10:45 am

      I have guinea fowl and they pretty much take care of bugs. I’m also of the mindset that I allow pretty much all insects to live whether good or bad. I figure eventually everything will balance out the way it’s supposed to. There have been times when I have lost entire crops to insects.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • sarah on August 8, 2014 at 10:03 am

        Well that’s comforting! I’m the same way about bugs, but having a smaller plot (1/8 acre in the city) means I can only plant so much. Each year I seem to have one or two excellent crops and one or two that are devastated. Last year I had more eggplant than I could ever eat, this year tomatillos (at least those are easy to preserve!)

        to sarah's comment

  5. Jennifer Fisk on August 7, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    My garden is in full glory. I discovered some beans today that should have been picked last weekend. Ugh. I can’t stay ahead of the squash or chard. Broccoli and kale are great. Tomatoes are doing what they do. Teasing me a while longer. Peppers and eggplant are coming.

    Reply to Jennifer Fisk's comment

  6. Charlie@Seattle Trekker on August 8, 2014 at 2:09 am

    I felt an edge in the air this evening that told me that fall is coming, There is such anticipation as the spring begins and then the summer fills with so many activities to get the garden going that as you said it becomes a blur. When it starts to slow down, that is when you really know summer is coming to an end. I enjoy the whole cycle, I just wish I could slow it down a bit.

    Reply to Charlie@Seattle Trekker's comment

  7. Christine on August 14, 2014 at 6:59 pm

    Here in FL at least, it is the opposite of crispy. It is extremely soggy! So funny to hear abiut kale being around thus time of year, where I am this is our slow season, only eggplant, long beans, and okra can really thrive right now due to the extreme heat and humidity. But I’ll take being able to have tomatoes growing outside, uncovered, in January. The only reason I would want four seasons would be to grow my favorite varieties of apples :)

    Reply to Christine's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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