[gardeners] Saturday in the garden
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 27 May 2000 19:44:10 -0500
Tried to get out this morning before the heat came rolling in but it stayed hot
all night so just sweated it out. Literally, sweated it out as I had to change
clothes when I came in and put my sneakers out to dry.
Picked a few tomatoes, three or four Ichiban eggplant, some NZ spinach, and a
bit of chard. Still no edible gourds, don't know what's wrong with them. The
gourds come on good, get about 4 inches long and as big around as a ballpoint
pen and then fall off or shrivel up. The chiles are blooming like crazy and
setting fruit but only a few are getting ready to use. The Large Cherry and
Margaret's Rista Red are loaded with fruit and I hope they ripen soon. It's been
so dry that the Thai Hots turn red and dry out the same day. I'm reduced to
picking them at night.
Picked a Burbank tomato today that weighed 1.5 lbs, didn't know they got that
big.
The raspberries are finally producing a few berries and I'm enjoying them. The
blueberries are a bust this year, started out with lots of blooms and little
berries but now they're disapearing fast. Don't know if the birds are getting
them or if they're just dropping off. The fig tree is covered with fruit and I'm
hoping for a good harvest as we are about out of fig jam, one of my favorites.
I'm watering that tree with a soaker hose that runs 24/7 at a very slow seep.
The fig tree seems to be thriving on it.
Had a small ribeye steak that I grilled for dinner tonight, about 4 ounces. Did
oink out and eat an entire Ichiban eggplant sliced down the middle, slathered
with olive oil and garlic and grilled. Right tasty. Threw in a half cup of green
beans and then had a cup of sugar free yoghurt for dessert about an hour later.
Sleepy got to talk to Miz Anne tonight and that may have been a mistake. She
heard her momma's voice and went nuts, dashing from door to door looking for
her. She's finally calmed down and is taking a nap under my desk. Miz Anne is
thoroughly enjoying her visit with her family in Maryland. Already they've been
to Solomon's Island for crab, oyster, and clams, down to Richmond to visit "the
girls." The girls are my 92-year old MIL's cousins and are both within six
months of the MIL in age. Miz Anne said it was a hoot as she hadn't seen them in
about 10 years.
Well, better go check on that load of washing I'm running right now. This taking
care of everything by myself convinces me I'll never be a bachelor again. <VBG>
Life is good.
Lonely George and Sleepy