[gardeners] This and that
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 05 Sep 1998 14:53:46
Got some of the fall garden planted yesterday but got driven away by the
skeeters and dark. Will try to do the rest this evening but as it is
terrible hot we may not get to it. Picking about two quarts of sweet and
hot chiles every three days, about all we can handle for freezing,
pickling, and drying. Lost both my sages within the last week, drat! Can't
seem to get a sage to be a perennial down here, any suggestions? The
chamomile dried up and blew away but we expected that, just to hot and
humid here. The bronze fennel and the Florence fennel didn't survive
either, first time to grow them so suspect they can't take the heat. Looked
like they just up and cooked one day during a triple digit day.
Only the hot weather flowers are growing and blooming now, primarily
torenia, salvia, and one of the everlastings that Miz Anne grows that I'm
not familiar with. The crepe myrtle trees are still blooming and lovely but
the sassafras' leaves are starting to dry at the edges. Do like my
sassafras just for the looks of the lovely little tree even though we dry
and use the leaves for file' each year.
The cucuzzi is starting to die back and now I'm in a dilemma. Have one
large cucuzzi I have saved for seed. About 4 inches in diameter by 3 feet
long. I know you wait until the gourd stem drys and then cut and hang for
up to one year to cure but - how long do you let them dry for seed use
only? I'm not interested in making anything out of the gourd, just want the
mature seeds. Any hints?
Miz Anne's off at the art gallery today doing her stint as docent and
Sleepy and I have been hiding from the heat most of the day. Did a little
yard work about the time dawn cracked the first time and then ran for the
air conditioning. Hope all are having a marvelous labor day. I have been
off since Thursday at noon and don't go back to work until Wednesday
morning. Almost a vacation - oh the joy of being self-employed. ;-)
George