A Midsummer Night’s Status Report – Part 2
Here’s the last part of this Summer Solstice peek at the garden scene. I love all the life in a garden, yes, plus eating good, fresh food, sure, but I also like the complexity of the interactions or at least the absurdity of the gang gathered there. Corn and cucumbers and tomatoes and sunflowers and castor beans and garlic and more all bursting from the same plot of land, really thrills me.
This blog isn’t about gardening. It’s about words. Sometimes those words are about gardens. There are times when a garden requires more attention at one moment, for example harvesting, initial bed preparation, or weeding after a week of neglect. Similarly, I need to be doing this mid-summer (actually, mid-season) report now, in the June 21-24 midsummer range, since it’s about half-way through the growing season (March-October).
Butternut Squash – Planted four hills, enough to cover Smith and the surrounding walkways, and maybe some of my neighbor’s gardens with squash vines if they all do well. Last year I was not at all pleased with how the winter squash performed. This year, in reaction to that, I likely overdid it. I want to practice growing things that keep over winter.
Jerusalem Artichokes – There’s nothing Jerusalem-ish or artichokey about these plants, some now towering above me 10-12 feet tall, ready to burst into a yellow, chocolatey-smelling flower. Their gift lies underground, tubers we dig in fall. Thought I dug most of last year’s but no, I left way too many, so this year, my J.A. patch is brimful of these giants.
Sweet Potatoes – My wife wanted to try these. We started them from sprouts cut from a half potato she stuck in water. Like the squash, our 6 plants could cover all of Smith. We’ll see what happens. Though I don’t like sweet potatoes, I’d like to be able to harvest some.
Kale – Started last fall, these blokes are still going strong. Still figuring out what to do with the stuff. Cooked or raw?
Scarlet Runner Bean – Quasi decorative, I’m growing these vines, with bright orange flowers, on trellises in the Lorelei, for looks, but hopefully for beans too. So far, so pretty.
Ground Cherry – I received seeds for this plant, a cousin to a tomato, as a gift. I have a few plants going strong in Smith.
Herbs
Rosemary – A perennial, tough bush, chugging away, world without end, amen.
Parsley – I started some from seed, a tough venture, that I neglected at a key moment, so I bought a few plants. Several other volunteer plants from last year’s that went to seed grow nearby. Don’t have the amount I’d like, but give it time.
Sage – I bought a cute little variegated leaf variety at the market. Yellow-green leaves provide a nice contrast.
Chives – Another dependable perennial, the chives displayed pretty purple pom-poms about a month ago.
Thyme – Another workhorse perennial. Going strong.
Lemon Balm – I worry I’ll wake up one morning and find it’s taken over the whole Lorelei. Or the apartment. Possibly the south side of Alexandria. My herb-keeper is drying this and making tea. You’d like lemon balm tea for Christmas, wouldn’t you?
Cilantro – I started so many of these seeds but with only a modest result. I have found this hard to grow, a shame for an herb I love so much.
Dill – Ditto what I said about cilantro. I love fresh dill in salads, but what I’ve planted just hasn’t done well.
French Sorrel – Another green to use in salads, this has finally taken off. Adds a tart snappy flavor.
Angelica – Another gift. I’d like to figure out its medicinal uses. It’s going to seed now. Very pretty. Need to read up on this.
Water Leaf – Also a gift, also medicinal, also need to read up.
Lavender – Dozens of lovely purple flowers sway in the breeze above this very healthy, vigorous small bushy herb. It’s a delight to see. O.K., so if you don’t want lemon balm tea for Christmas, how about a lavender sachet?
Oregano – Surging back each year, this dependable plant produces more oregano than we can possibly use. We’re drying some now in the hallway.
Mint – Mostly wild at Smith, I’ve transplanted some to the Lorelei for when we suddenly are hankering for that queen of summer drinks, a mint julep.
