It feels like the most of our sunny days here in Maine have been in August and my garden has responded with some pretty quick growth. I’m delighted everytime I find a new cucumber or tomato flower but it’s bittersweet. Nights up here have already settled into the mid to low 50s, which is the best to sleep in but not so great for struggling tomatoes.
No matter, winter will come soon and I can let go of these gardening season and start obsessing over the next. But for now, here’s what’s been growing~
There might be a small batch of homegrown red sauce this fall but my odds are slim with how few and far between my tomatoes are. The lettuce and chard on the deck have been happy this season, though all my potted deck plants are a bunch of unhappy campers and I’ll be doing a complete soil overhaul for next year. The little Spoon tomatoes have been fun to watch and I’m surprised none of the birds have had a taste but perhaps the hummingbirds might try if they ripen enough.
The bright spot of the garden, besides the outdoor shower Mike built ๐, has been the red and yellow amaranth plants. I was worried about them after I finally planted them in the hugelkultur mounds and they drooped considerably. Thankfully, their stalks have grown considerably and have started to produce huge bunches of dramatic flowers that are just so fun to play with. I’m going to attempt a harvest and then attempt to create flour so I’m very excited to see these doing well. Planted in a mix of greens and wildflowers that may bloom before the frost, this borage has been getting wider and taller by the day.
A wet start to the summer delayed all the flowers I wanted to grow this year. A lot of things drowned and the ones that did thrive were then slug food and then it rained some more so soil and seed runoff was yet another compounding factor. On the brighter side, these kitchen-side herbs and fungi friends in the back yard have been things to appreciate.
This backyard has been such a weird area but now seeing things thrive in its harsh sun has been a boost of confidence towards turning this place into a productive homestead. I don’t want to wish the next few months away but with all the knowledge I’ve learned this summer I can’t wait to grow better next year~