Saturday, August 23, 2014

August Garden

My August Garden cannot compete with the June Garden for beauty, nor the July Garden for productivity. However, nothing beats the August Garden for perseverance. Insects have taken their toll and the weeds have gotten ahead of me in most of the beds. Tomatoes are giving up to blights. Yet I still pick more than I can use every week and I am still doing a little canning/freezing.  With a few pounds of tomatoes and ample apples, I made Apple-Tomato Chutney on Friday, a recipe I found in my favorite old church cookbook. Ask me, and I'll share because I ended up with 12 half-pints and 5 pints.

August 22 Harvest

Pear trees are laden, but pears aren't quite ready for picking

With the new bamboo trellis, I need a ladder to pick pole beans.

Pole Beans are blooming profusely, thanks to plenty of rain this month.

Peppers come into full production when it gets really hot. They love August!

No more squash, but the marigolds like the heat.

Tomatoes are looking sad, but still producing more than enough to eat. Basil is ready to pick again.

Okra thrives in hot weather. New for this year are purple hull peas, which were planted when the bush green beans were pulled out. They haven't matured yet.

Multiplying onions and marjoram are perreniels.

Eggplants have been unusually prolific this year.

The Swiss Chard looks pretty ragged, but in September I will cut it back and it will continue to produce tender greens until a hard freeze.