Attention to detail

I hope y'all have done a better job taking care of your garden than I have. In spite of the lack of rain or, the lack of attention to detail on my part, the garden still looks nice. With the nice, cool weather it is easy to forget that it has not rained for several days. Plants still need adequate moisture, even a short dry spell can stress young plants to the point of no recovery. Older plants that have survived the hot summer and are now rebounding with vigor may suffer. It would be a shame to lose these plants that you have cared for through the summer in hope of harvesting fresh food for lack of moisture in the home stretch.

There is still time to plant a few things in the garden. Cool season crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and all kinds of greens are good choices. You may still find transplants at some nurseries but, select your plants carefully. Some plants may have been in 4 inch pots or, 6 packs for a long time and have become root bound. Check the roots before you buy, it's ok to pull plants out of their containers slightly to examine the roots. Remember, it's your money and, you don't want to waste it on plants that will never produce anything edible. It is also a good time to plant herbs, lettuce and wild flower seed. Wild flowers will germinate in the fall, grow slow through the winter and reward you with beautiful flowers in the spring. You can purchase bulbs when available but, wait to plant them for a few more weeks when we have more consistent cool weather. I have stored bulbs in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for up to a month with good results.

Now is a great time to start a compost pile. There is an endless supply of materials and many times people will rake and bag leaves for you then place those bags out by the street for you to pick up. Now is a good time to add finished compost to your beds as well. Remember to cover any soil that has nothing growing in it. Bare soil leads to erosion, moisture loss and is an invitation for weeds to germinate. You could use mulch, leaves or plant a cover crop. Any of these materials can later be tilled in before planting. Don't plant immediately, allow 2 to 3 weeks for this cover to break down before planting in this soil.

So get out and enjoy the great outdoors. This is my favorite time to be outside and garden. Although the days are getting shorter, the cooler weather makes it very nice. There is less pressure on plants from pests and given the proper care plants will perform their best. There is nothing better than sitting in your garden after a few hours of weed pulling, enjoying the sunset with a cool beverage and listening to the daytime world go to sleep. I love it.

Pay attention to the small details and your garden will be the envy of all your neighbors. Small details like water, weeds, pests, a loved ones birthday, someones name will all make life easier and, more rewarding.

Work Day in the garden

I believe summer is upon us. Our weather has gone from nice spring to scorching hot. No gradual increase in temperature so we can get used to it, just straight to the 90's.

With these hot temperatures, our gardens may begin to suffer. Adequate moisture will be critical if we don't get timely rains. Water early in the morning or late in the evening. This allows the plants to absorb water, less evaporation, and less water use. It's also cooler for the person watering. Plants in pots may need daily watering as these tend to dry out faster. Keep up your feeding schedule with your fertilizer of choice, I am watering in liquid sea weed once every two weeks, and have been happy with results so far. Weeding is of course a never ending chore, apply more mulch as needed. Monitor plants for bugs or disease, early detection is the best strategy. Take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water, and enjoy some fresh food.

This past weekend, we had our first work day in the garden. With the help of family and friends, the last four beds were filled with soil. Two were mulched with alfalfa hay, I will have to get more to finish the rest. We transplanted 10 volunteer chile pequin plants from another bed, I hope they survive the move. If they don't, I have many more. The "wailing wall" was restacked, and repositioned to make it more stable. It looks great. We had a lot of fun, although it was very hot, and shoveling 4 yards of soil is hard work.

As we left that afternoon, the garden looked different, but it also felt different. I felt tired, but relaxed, and had a great sense of accomplishment. But what I felt the most was a sense of peace, and love. A feeling of community. I believe that comes from family, friends,and community coming together to take care of each other. It's parents teaching their children how to take care of themselves and others. It's all of us caring for our family, our community, our planet. This garden has been touched by many loving hands, and I hope many more will join us next time.